Employment equity bills pass House

Two bills that would alleviate gender-based discrimination and make compensation more transparent passed the U.S. House on Friday. The Lilly Ledbetter Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act passed roughly down party lines, with Democrats claiming the bills would make the workplace more equitable for all workers and Republicans complaining that the bills would be a boon to trial lawyers.

Minnesota’s congressional delegation voted for the bills except for Republican Reps. Michele Bachmann, John Kline and Erik Paulsen.

Bachmann strays from GOP talking point: Pelosi not to blame for ‘no’ vote on bailout

The House rejected a $700 billion bailout of Wall Street on Monday, sending the Dow plunging 777 points, and Republican leaders blamed a speech by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for the rejection. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., roundly rejected…

Plea to Bush: ‘respectfully tell Sen. McCain to get out of town’

The assessments of last night’s doomed economic pow-wow have not been kind to John McCain. Setting the table is The New York Times with a damning (and dryly amusing) description of McCain’s performance at the economic summit that…

The great bailout of ’08: A deal, maybe, but few details

From AP’s Jennifer Loven, word that there’s a tentative Capitol Hill deal on the $700 billion Wall Street bailout. The terms are entirely sketchy, but it sounds like no agreement has been reached on helping distressed…