Sen. Mark Begich (D, Alaska) pays female staffers 71% of what he pays male ones.

Last month it came out that Democratic Senator Mark Begich – who made a big splash pounding the table and shouting about gender pay inequality – doesn’t practice what he preaches. He apparently doesn’t even try.

“Alaska women make just 74 cents on the dollar compared to Alaska men,” wrote Begich in an email to supporters this week. “And anyone who wants to tell Alaska women that they’re not working hard enough should be ready to find out just how tough Alaska women are.”

The average female salary in Begich’s office is a staggering $23,504 less than the average male salary. Women working for Begich are paid just 71 cents for each dollar paid to men, even less than the statewide statistic used by the senator in his email.

…but don’t expect the Democrats to push Begich on this; gender pay equality is all very well, but it’s apparently much more important that the Democrats keep that Senate seat.  So, if you can’t trust a male-dominated Democratic establishment to point out Begich’s hypocrisy, who can you trust to bring up the man’s two-faced rhetoric?  Why, American Crossroads!

Not to be a partisan hack about this, but: if you are a Senator who wants to crusade on your enlightened attitudes on women’s pay, pay the women who work for you the same that you pay the men.  If the problem is seniority, find more qualified women candidates for your senior positions and hire them.  This is a reasonable set of standards, right? …At least, if you represent a Red State.  Blue ones apparently simply expect less from their legislators… and dear God but they get less, huh?

Moe Lane (crosspost)