I wrote before the election that Ledbetter's case is a reminder that we need a national conversation about what all American citizens, whose taxes pay for the courts, should be able to expect from our laws and the civil justice system. Obama's remarks advance that conversation:

..Signing this bill today is to send a clear message--that making our economy work means making sure it works for everybody. That there are no second-class citizens in our workplaces. And that it's not just unfair and illegal, it's bad for business to pay somebody less because of their gender or their age or their race or their ethnicity, religion or disability. And that justice isn't about some abstract legal theory, or footnote in a casebook. It's about how our laws affect the daily lives and the daily realities of people: their ability to make a living and care for their families and achieve their goals.

President Obama said that these values where "worth fighting for" and commended Ledbetter for her tireless efforts to ensure that in the future, victims of paycheck discrimination would be able to pursue justice against their employer. Next stop, Arbitration Fairness and Paycheck Fairness Acts!