Liberals never tire of convincing persons to believe they are victims in dire need of a government hand-out. But this time it's a case of outright mendacity aided by the concealment of a high-level government official.

During the Democratic primaries, Hillary Clinton repeatedly made the claim that women suffer from pay discrimination. Barack Obama's website likewise asserted, "Despite decades of progress, women still make only 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. Throughout his career, Barack Obama and Joe Biden have championed the right of women to receive equal pay for equal work."

It was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who engineered the recent passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Act. And just a few weeks ago Rep. George Miller of California made the red-meat assertion that women earn "78 cents for every dollar that is earned by a man doing the same job with the same responsibilities."

Democrats call it as the "gender wage gap," but I prefer to think of it as the "scare-the-female-electorate-into-submission" ploy.

Claims about sex-based wage discrimination have been repeated so often that many Americans simply accept them as fact. But a recently published -- and quickly suppressed -- study reveals a different picture.

Titled "An Analysis of Reasons for the Disparity in Wages Between Men and Women," the report tallies the results of over 50 studies. No one questions the fact that on average, men are paid more than women. But turns out this is an apples-to-oranges comparison.

The paper concludes the 20-cent odd wage difference is not caused by discrimination. Rather it's women exercising their right to make lifestyle choices. What choices are we talking about?

1. A greater percentage of women chose to work part-time.

2. Women may opt to leave the work force for childbirth, child care, or elder care.

3. Women are often willing to accept a lower paying job in return for family-friendly policies that allow them to have fewer hours, flexible schedules, and a shorter commute.

In addition, women work fewer hours than men. According to an article posted on the Department of Labor website, "Among full-time workers, 24% of the men, compared to 10% of the women, usually worked more than 40 hours per week:"

And then the fact that men tend to work in occupations that are far more likely to injure, maim, or kill.

None of these are earth-shattering statements. But once again, liberal myth-mongering forced the government to commission a costly study to prove the obvious.

In its foreword, the Department of Labor concluded, "this study leads to the unambiguous conclusion that the differences in compensation of men and women are the result of a multitude of factors." The DoL added this parting comment: "the raw wage gap continues to be used in misleading ways to advance public policy agendas:"

In other words, the so-called gender wage gap is yet another example of Ms. Information brazenly portrayed as fact by the mainstream media.

End of story, right? Actually, the best was yet to come.

The report was finalized on January 12, 2009 and then posted on the Department of Labor website. But within a few days the document disappeared without a trace.

Michael Eastman, director of labor policy at the Chamber of Commerce, explained the report "was apparently removed as the transition in power was occurring between former President Bush and President Obama."

Meanwhile, a swearing-in ceremony for senior officials was underway at the Old Executive Office Building. It was the first full day of Obama's fledgling presidency and the assemblage was brimming with confidence and hope. On cue, the newly-inaugurated Commander-in-Chief rose to issue this declaration:

"Transparency and rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency," Mr. Obama stated. "Starting today, every agency and department should know that this administration stands on the side not of those who seek to withhold information, but those who seek to make it known."

How's that for slick?
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Carey Roberts has been published frequently in the Washington Times, Townhall.com, LewRockwell.com, ifeminists.net, Intellectual Conservative, and elsewhere. He is a staff reporter for the New Media Alliance.