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BARACK OBAMA SUPPORTS WORKING MOTHERS.
Barack Obama spoke in support of working mothers -- including his own mother and his wife Michelle Obama -- in a speech that he gave today in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Women, said Obama, should have the same opportunities as men, and not have them be stymied by motherhood.
"As the son of a single mother, I also don't accept an America that makes women choose between their kids and their careers. It's not acceptable that women are denied jobs or promotions because they've got kids at home. It's not acceptable that forty percent of working women don't have a single paid sick day. That's wrong for working parents, it's wrong for America's children, and it's not who we are as a country."
Here, and throughout his speech, Obama took a refreshingly novel approach for a male presidential candidate in describing the American working mothers, emphasizing the importance, and rewards, of equality both in the workplace and, for women with significant others, at home. He backed up his idealism with a slew of policy proposals: granting women more paid sick days, hours off to attend their children's school events, and a minimum wage adjusted for inflation.
The speech was a perfectly timed follow-up to Michelle Obama's speech on working mothers last week (which Dana wrote about). While Michelle avoided much mention of Hillary Clinton, though, Barack concludes with praise of her:
"Standing here today, I know that we have drawn closer to making this America a reality because of the extraordinary woman who I shared a stage with so many times throughout this campaign -- Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. And in the months and years ahead, I look forward to working with her to make progress on the issues that matter to American women and to all American families -- health care and education; support for working parents and an insistence on equality."
--Rachel Stern
COMMENTS (6)
That nice for him, I guess, but personally I'd prefer it if self-serving politicians weren't always insinuating that women can't manage to work fulltime jobs because their last egg hasn't died yet. Meanwhile there are plenty of middle aged people with aging parents just around the corner-- whatever happened to gender-neutral "family leave" and "worker's rights" and so forth?
Can't they please stop this fake pandering to the standardized Democratic interest groups and mature this whole rhetoric already?
Yecch. There is no way this guy is serious about generating popular support for this, making a dippy litte (and quite possibly sexist) appeal like *that.*
Posted by: Anonymous | June 23, 2008 7:54 PM
I'm waiting for proposals to find a way to make it possible for women, particularly working class women, to get the same jobs as their male counterparts. Sex segregation in the labor force where the majority of women, who don't have college degrees compete, is largely unabated. De facto, women still can't get blue collar jobs.
What is Obama planning to do about that?
Posted by: H. E. Baber | June 23, 2008 7:57 PM
Don't be fooled by the dirty Chicago-style hype! Go to www.womenamericans.com for all the facts. Just Say No Deal!!!
Posted by: gaypastor | June 23, 2008 9:51 PM
Obama never ceases to amaze me. He is so out of touch with the way I feel and think. I have a terrible, sinking feeling that he will be elected president, and we will see how truly ineffectual he is. He gives us pretty words, but he doesn't paint a pretty picture of the future. No real plan of action. No truth. Just words he thinks we want to hear... Its amazing to me that he can relate to absolutely every person in the United States (and possibly abroad). What bullshit.
Posted by: Kim White | June 24, 2008 9:11 AM
Obama never ceases to amaze me. He is so out of touch with the way I feel and think. I have a terrible, sinking feeling that he will be elected president, and we will see how truly ineffectual he is. He gives us pretty words, but he doesn't paint a pretty picture of the future. No real plan of action. No truth. Just words he thinks we want to hear... Its amazing to me that he can relate to absolutely every person in the United States (and possibly abroad). What bullshit.
Posted by: Kim White | June 24, 2008 9:13 AM
"What is Obama planning to do about that?"
I agree 100% The biggest problem women face in the workforce is still feminized, and sytematically devalued, labor.
This whole rigamarole about women not being able to pull their weight in the workforce set up that system and helps keep it intact, both in entire fields and in particular instances, where managerial perceptions hold sway over their capacity to "negotiate" their terms.
Enough already. Stop supporting the oppressive regimes.
Posted by: Anonymous | June 24, 2008 11:53 AM