Thursday's Women's Caucus

Women's Caucus Day 2

Madeline Cunan -former gov of Maine, and author of
"Pearls, Politics and Power: How To Get More Women in Office." She made the following comments:
We need more women in elected and appointed office.
Only 16% of our legislators in the US are women. In contrast, the parliaments of Iraq and Afghanistan have 25 percent women. The US ranks 77th out of 142 countries in terms of % of women in office. "We need to do more to help women to run. Yes, we need to support them financially; but we also have been able to support a few working moms to run for office helping in other ways: delivering home-cooked meals and driving their kids to their activities, like dance lessons and soccer games. Quoting Gov. Karen Sebelius: "anyone who can organize a birthday party for a 5 yr old can run a campaign!" Women also need support from other politicians to endure the "vulnerability of being a politician." Cunan also stressed the importance of having optimism that anything is possible. Other great lines: "Pessimists are usually right. Optimists can change the world."
"Barack Obama has inspired folks to get energized; and we hope that women will be inspired to run." (As an aside, this political experience hs inspired ME!) "The choice is no longer between BO and HRC, but between John McCain and Barack Obama."
She closed by saying that Rwanda has highest % of women in parliament, with 46.8%!! When she asked Rwandans about this, their response was "After the slaughter of so many, we knew we had to get into office for the survival of our children." So Cunan concluded, "we must get into politics for our children and all the children of the world!"

{Disruption by anti-choice activists who were escorted out by law enforcement.}

Linda Chavez AFLCIO introduced Sen Babara Boxer of CA, a leading defender of a woman's right to choose. "We know the right choice in this election in order to protect our right to choose: Barak Obama." She shared that McCain has a ZERO rating from NOW and NARAL, which Boxer is very rare and reflective of a very radical stance. "McCain has voted against women all the time: even voted to remove insurance coverage for birth control. Barack Obama's rating, in contrast, is 100%. Mc voted against funding for progam for children witnessing DV. "John Mcain is a zero. Barack Obama is a hero."

Debbie Waserman Schultz, Congressional Rep from CA, said that she had been told that no woman could be both a mom and in Congress at the same time. As the national co-chair of the Clinton campaign, Wasserman had the honor of seconding BO nomination last night, which she did because "we in this party are united in fighting for critical social issues and to change the world for women and our future."

We heard from the second-highest ranking woman in Congress, Rosa Delauro, an advocate for working women and men whonhas served 10 terms. " We have to live up to our values, women's values, and make a difference in the lives of American women and families. So let's get to work and elect BO."

Michelle Obama was there! She seemed a bit tired at first, but livened up as her remrks continued. "Thanks to HRC, my husband has has become a better candidate." She encouraged dialogue and connection as the best way to solve the critical socio-economic problems facing women and families. "There is nothing more powerful than when we connect with one another." "We need an advocate for women in the White House." She had some serious commentary about how so many working women and mothers are struggling. "We internalize this struggle and keep a game face on, always minimize how hard thigs are and focus on our blessings. They need real help!" "THESE STRUGGLES are not new to me or Barack. He watched his own single mom struggle to pay the bills and, in her final months of battling cancer, worrying about paying the bills. He saw his grandmother struggle to move up in her profession, and he sees me struggle to balance the pressures of career and the campaign with being a mom." "Instead of just talking about 'family values,' we need to develop policies that value families: sick leave protections, equal pay, ecomomic support to deal with mortgages and gas prices, protections for reproductive choice, and affordable healthcare." "Equal pay for women is not just a justice issue, but also an economic issue since women are the main breadwinners in many famies." "We have a lot of work to do. You might imagine I am proud, emotional, lots of tissue." :-)
"We cannot take women's votes for granted. I need you to be there for my husband. I need you to be there for me, to fight for our values - fairness oppounity equality justice - for our children our grandchildren for our world."

Amy Kloubchar- Sen From MN. "Are you tired of sub-prime leadership in the white house?" "People who live in 7 houses shouldn't be throwing stones." We will never be able to get the policies through congress without a strong democratic majority in Senate. We must get Dems elected in state races. If we had 5 more votes, we would be able to override presidential veto on stem cell research.
TWO more votes and we would have been able to pass the infrstructure bill which would provide funding to repair bridges (like the bridge that fell down in MN, "a bridge that is 6 blocks from my house, the bridge that I drive over every day with my 13 year old. Bridges should not just fall down!!)" "One more vote and we would have passed a bill which would have enhanced our energy independence."

WHAT A POWERFUL GROUP OF WOMEN and a great caucus!!!