Women's Rights Groups Endorse Obama

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 18 Sep 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) received the endorsement of six women's rights organizations on Tuesday, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports. According to the AP/Chronicle, the groups Business and Professional Women/USA, Feminist Majority Political Action Committee, National Association of Social Workers, National Congress of Black Women and National Organization of Women said that Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain's (Ariz.) selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate "does not make up" for McCain's "lack of support" on issues important to women.

Eleanor Smeal, chair of the Feminist Majority Political Action Committee, referring to Palin, said that her organization does not "think it's much to break a glass ceiling for one woman" while leaving "millions of women behind" (Sanner, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 9/16). Smeal also said, "On issue after issue after issue, the Obama-Biden ticket stands with us, while McCain has a 26-year voting record in Congress against women's programs and women's rights" (Zeitvogel, AFP/Yahoo! News, 9/16).

Kim Gandy, president of NOW, said she predicts women will endorse Obama after they learn about Palin's opposition to abortion rights even in the case of rape or incest. NOW has not endorsed a presidential candidate since 1984. The group endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in the Democratic presidential primaries (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 9/16). Gandy said the organization was endorsing Obama because "[f]or more than a decade, Barack Obama has said 'yes' to women's rights while John McCain has consistently said 'no,'" adding that Obama is "an unprecedented candidate" in an "unprecedented time for our country," and that the Democratic platform and Obama's position on women's right issues are the "strongest ... in the history of the United States" (AFP/Yahoo! News, 9/16).

The McCain campaign said it was disappointed in NOW's endorsement of Obama. Palin spokesperson Maria Comella said, "It's extremely disappointing that an organization that purports to be an advocate for all women not only opposes but feels compelled to go out of its way to criticize and make negative comments about the only ticket in the presidential race with a woman on the ticket" (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 9/16).

~ NPR's "Morning Edition" on Tuesday included an interview with Gandy about the group's endorsement of Obama (Montagne, "Morning Edition," NPR, 9/16).

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