McMorris Rodgers inconsistent

Hosting this year’s Republican Convention was our own congressional representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers. In just three terms, she has quickly ascended into the ranks of Republican leadership.

In convention-related interviews, she has been repeatedly asked to explain the polling data that shows Mitt Romney running nearly 10 points behind President Obama among women voters. Her standard response is to state that Republicans are pro-woman, and as proof she points out that there are four Republican governors who are female (while not mentioning that only 24 of the 240 House Republicans are women).

Her vote against the Lily Ledbetter law fostering equal pay for women who do the same jobs as men is inconsistent with claims that she herself is pro-woman (in 2011, women were still paid about 18 percent less than their male counterparts). To her credit she voted (with her party) to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.

I urge the constituents of the 5th District to tell McMorris Rodgers that she should always vote to uphold women’s rights, equality, and protection from violence, even when it angers her party bosses; however, this would take courage and would surely hinder her rapid rise to prominence in the Republican Party.

Patrick M. Reeves

Spokane