Biden, Clinton To Unite As Obama Woos Women Voters

Barack Obama is continuing his effort to court women voters, with a fundraiser, new television ad, and a coordinated event with Hillary Clinton this week.

On Wednesday, Clinton and vice presidential nominee Joe Biden will co-host an online video conversation with "women across the country," in which the two Senate veterans and Pennsylvania natives will address topics that the Obama campaign is hoping to hit home: equal pay for women and reproductive health.

The event is one facet of a broader effort by Obama to create distance between John McCain and the female voters who either support him or are thinking of backing his ticket. As the Huffington Post reported earlier, Obama and his aides laid out their strategy during a conference call Monday with national women leaders: focus on McCain and the issues; forget Palin and the daily media flare-ups.

In addition, Women for Obama and the DNC's Women's Leadership Forum have scheduled a "National Issues Conference" in Chicago to raise money for the campaign, and senior female Democratic lawmakers will hold an event later this week pressing the campaign's themes.

Also on Monday, Obama's campaign unveiled a new advertisement aimed at women voters. The spot, which was first reported by the New York Times, criticizes John McCain for his failure to support equal pay legislation.

"Today many women work to help support their families but are paid just 77 cents to a dollar a man makes," says the female narrator. "It's one more thing John McCain doesn't get about our economy. He opposed a law to guarantee women equal pay for equal work, calling it too great a burden on business... A burden on business? How about the burden on our families."

It is a strong attack, one that Obama's female backers have been hoping to see since the announcement of Sarah Palin as McCain's VP. And within hours, the McCain campaign, hoping to protect the inroads they have made with women voters had responded.

"Barack Obama says he's for equal pay for women, but women working in his Senate office earn an average of $9,000 less than men," wrote spokesman Brian Rogers. "By contrast, women in John McCain's Senate office actually earn an average of nearly $2,000 more than men. The American people understand that real leadership for the change we need is all about what you do, not just empty words."

(The wage disparity for women in each office, it should be noted, has nothing to do with gender discrimination. Rather, McCain has a greater number of female employees in senior positions.)

That the campaigns would spar over this turf is indicative of just how fluid the female vote has become. Prior to the selection of Palin, Obama had been performing well, by historical standards, among this large voting bloc. Now, according to a recent Newsweek poll, he finds himself trailing.

Clearly, the campaign sees ground to regain. "Don't wait for our call," Obama told the prominent Democratic women on Monday. "I need you to talk to your colleagues get on the radio, write op-eds in the newspapers, talk about what is really at stake in this election."

Comments

[Kate4Change]

Biden is a wonderful man and has stood up for women on many occasions... especially with the Violence Against Women's Act and his vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Obama supported the Ledbetter Act and McCain opposed it.

Obama and Biden have both been devoted husbands to their wives. McCain divorced his first wife because of her disability and then married Cindy McCain for her young, beautiful beauty queen looks and big money.

Hmmm.... I wonder who has a better track record on women's rights?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_Against_Women_Act

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/23/AR2008042301553.html

[Kate4Change]

Palin doesn't speak for me!

Obama/Clinton speak for me!

Way to go Biden! Did you mention the bill that McCain voted against that protected women to file discrimination for unequal pay after 180 days (Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act). Obama and Biden supported this bill. Did you mention that as Governor, Palin's beautiful state of Alaska is 1st highest rape in the nation and 2nd highest in violence against women? Did you mention that Palin cut funding for domestic violence support and prevention programs? Did you mention that Palin cut funding for rape care which required rape victims to pay for their own rape kits? Did you mention that Palin and McCain plan to appoint Supreme Court Justices that will overturn Roe vs. Wade? Did you mention that Palin believes that even in the cases of rape and incest that women should still keep the baby? I think the choice is clear who respects women's rights and understands our issues. The pitbull with lipstick doesn't speak for me!

[Jacob77030]

Biden is a great man. Stop deleting my posts. It's not my fault that Andy Ostroy wrote a piece that could've been written by Karl Rove in disguise.

[Jacob77030]

Biden is a great man and an excellent choice. Andy Ostroy=Karl Rove.

[stella801]

I have been hearing about this for most of the day. I'm so relieved it is true and happy to know that the add is being put out. How can we participate or view this webcast? Does anyone know. I'm off to make an online donation. Will be back to see responses.

[Philedude]

I give some props to Gizmo1125...I wrote to the Obama's web site, and offered that, point-on-point, Sarah Palin is THE addition of George Bush to the McCain ticket. They agree on war, religion, women's rights, on and on. Bush has a 27% approval rating; this has to drag her down, if done well. So, what does Obama respond with?

"Dear Friend,

... Barack and Joe believe that we should not be distracted ˆ this election is about big issues and who has the judgment and the independence to tackle Americašs challenges. Thatšs why Senator Obama has rejected personal attacks on Governor Palin, saying forcefully, "I think people's families are off limits, and people's children are especially off limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics, it has no relevance to Governor Palin's performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president..."

... Barack Obama and Joe Biden will continue to focus on fixing the problems that hard working Americans face every day.

Sincerely,

Obama for America

That is an insult, off-point, weak, superfluous and, frankly, elitist. I said nothing about the Palin family in any way

I'm afraid now they are doomed to lose.

McCain, the Maverick? I wrote, defeat that employing the theme, "We are one!". Overcome his "war hero" (?) status by invoking The American Eagle, and how we, the People, are like the feathers that come together to give her flight! Just my thoughts. And I get status quo?

ENOUGH!

[THISTLE]

The ad that Obama is running - showing McCain's quote on the economy - the words that
McCain is using - ARE THE EXACT WORDS OF HERBERT HOOVER.
OBAMA NEEDS TO SHOW BOTH McCAIN & HOOVER ON IN THE AD.
AND START PUTTING THESE TWO TOGETHER.
THE ECONOMY IN FREE-FALL - AND McCAIN IS QUOTING HOOVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND OBAMA NEEDS TO STOP SOUNDING LIKE A PROFESSOR AND START SHOWING
ANGER AND PASSION. AND ALSO HE NEEDS TO POINT OUT THAT McCAIN'S - CARLY -
FROM HEWITT PACKARD - NEARLY DISTROYED THAT COMPANY - SHE FIRED TONS OF
PEOPLE AND SHE WALKED AWAY WITH ANYWHERE FROM $ 24 MILLION TO 43 MILLION.
AND McCAIN IS ATTACKING CEO - PAYOUTS - FOR CEO'S WHOSE PERFORMACE WAS
A DISASTER - THAT WOULD BE CARLY FROM H & P
AND OBAMA IS STILL HIDING AND ACTING LIKE A SCARED KID - AND THE DEMOCRATS ONCE
AGAIN HAVE A CANDIDATE WE ARE BEGGING TO GET A SPINE!
OBAMA IS WORSE THAN KERRY - AND MORE AND MORE LIKE DUKASIS (sp).
SOMEONE SOMEONE LIGHT A FIRE UNDER THIS GUY - BIDEN CAME OUT SWINGING
TODAY - BIDEN NEEDS TO GIVE OBAMA SOME LESSONS - FAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[canow]

NOW just came out for Obama: http://www.canow.org/canoworg/2008/09/now-jumps-in-on.html
and over at California NOW we did a post on Why Sarah Palin is Bad for American Women: http://www.canow.org/canoworg/2008/09/why-sarah-palin.html
and one on women who oppose Palin: http://www.canow.org/canoworg/2008/09/we-arent-the-on.html

[elizabethc]

Excellent AD! It's about time that Obama fights back to end the notion that McCain/Palin are there for women's rights. I personally believe that any woman with sound judgement votes for Palin is simply ignorant. How can a woman vote for Palin with the record Palin has? I don't know how Palin could live with herself for allowing rape victims pay for their own rape kits. Sarah Palin has no sense of decency and is totally shameless.

[opinion123]

I am sending more money! It's about time that Obama dropped the hammer. There is so much that McCain gives as a political gift to him that he doesn't even need staff to verify it. Every time the old man opens his mouth, he has to give a retort to his most recent statement. Isn't this a clear sign that he is losing it? As for his vp, her star is out of range for a teleprompter. I would love for Obama to win this election. Nevertheless, I am guilty of not feeling really bad if McCain wins just to let the idiots who voted for him find themselves regretting every minute of his time in office. I don't say term because I don't think the Cult his vp belongs to will let him survive that long...

[MIVOTE]

Great ad! It should play from now through to November 4. It goes a long way with what JM thinks about the economy.

[shawnaNaustin]

I am a proud supporter of the O/B ticket, but I think it's pretty dumb for anyone in any campaign or media outlet to assume that women are some sort of unified voting bloc. We're not. We all care about different issues based on where we're from, how educated we are, how old we are, what we do for a living, etc.

[arachne646]

Um- am I wrong in thinking that job descriptions and pay rates in a Federal office like a Senator's are regulated? And in any case, how many employees are we talking about? I think the actions I would look at is what has the politician DONE in the line of work he is hired to do--legislate. That is where a Senator's ideas affect significant numbers of people.

[mizzou66]

If you work for a federal entity such as the CIA or something, yes, those jobs are not exactly regulated, but they do have set pay/duty guidelines...for example, a GS13. stands for government service + your pay level. However, you have a lot of extraneous employees that are personal aides, temporary clerical workers, etc., etc, that are not considered actual government employees and, thus, fall outside those pay criteria.

[CricketsMom]

Obama asked Iraq to delay the withdrawl of our troops until AFTER the election? Are you kidding me? Why isn't this a headline? Hmmmmmmm?

[grata2ude]

provide the link for this story please.

[YY2H8]

While women earn .77cents on averge to the $1.00 men make, McCain says let them eat cake. I mean, let them get educated.

Turns out, women on average have more education and advanced degrees than men. McCain, you FAIL - you can't justify your own arguments with the truth.

Although it worked for Bush, maybe just being the bottom of your class isn't good enough for America anymore. Some people might realize having a leering goofball for president isnt' that helpful.