Other than Michelle Obama and Ted Kennedy, the most compelling speaker at the Democratic
convention so far has been Lilly Ledbetter. The victim of
discrimination at a Goodyear plant, Ledbettter won her case before a jury before losing it in the Supreme Court. On paper, she is the
best the best personification in years of why the Court matters to
ordinary people.
She's even better in person. With a deep
Southern drawl, and with a clearer speech than many politicians, she
explained how the Court had "sided with big business" against her.
Simple and powerful.
Ledbetter’s
story brings together two issues: an economy that works for everyone
and a Supreme Court that does too. Her message of economic fairness resonates
with women—and with everyone. It's too bad the network TV audience will miss her.
--Robert Gordon and James Kvaal