According to a new MSNBC article, Senate Republicans are preparing to block a bill that would overturn the Supreme Court decision limiting how long workers can wait before suing their employer for pay discrimination.

Republicans complained that the legislation was designed to benefit lawyers _ a key Democratic constituency. The bill could also appeal to women and minority voters, for whom pay equity will be a top issue on Election Day. Every seat in the House and a third in the Senate are on the ballot in November.

Democratic Senators say that the bill leaves a “gaping loophole” in civil rights laws, so there is no wonder why Republicans want to block the bill, especially if they think it benefits lawyers.

The debate centers on a bill named for Lilly Ledbetter, a supervisor at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co’s plant in Gadsden, Ala., who sued for pay discrimination just before retiring after a 19-year career there. By the time she retired, Ledbetter made $6,500 less than the lowest-paid male supervisor and claimed earlier decisions by her supervisors kept her from making more.

President Bush has vowed to veto the bill should it pass in the Senate by some odd chance.

Also, just for the record, Clinton and Obama will both be on hand in the Senate tonight to vote on the bill. John McCain however, will not be there to vote. Hmm, imagine that.