The National Organization for Women (NOW), Feminist Majority, National Congress of Black Women, US Women Connect, and Women’s Information Network gathered at the National Press Club today to convey their support for President Obama and Vice President Biden. The theme would be the “War on Women” allegedly waged by conservatives against women everywhere.
When putting together my feminist-chic ensemble for today’s press conference, I lamented that I own too much pink.
Eleanor Smeal, President at Feminist Majority, gave the opening remarks. She said that we are facing a climate in which issue after issue is under assault at either the state or federal level. She began with a background of the term “War on Women” which denotes conservatives’ “attack on women’s fundamental rights”.
She said that “Romney is a stunning comparison” to Obama and that this election is a “stunning contrast with one group favoring and pushing into the future for equality for women”. She undoubtedly referenced Obama. Conservatives would disagree on which group is really advocating for equality for men and women, and which group just wants free contraception.
She continued that “the unthinkable is happening- a fight over birth control”.
Smeal then became emotional. She cited her long history of feminist activism and stated that “I believe that in this election everything is on the line” and bemoaned that the Supreme Court is a primary issue because Romney likes Judge Robert Bork, who believes that “politicians at the state level should be able to decide women’s birth control”. This is apparently appalling to her. She remarked that it is a “disgrace that we’re even discussing it”. She believes that Mitt Romney wishes to “stop the clock and turn us back to yester year”.
The next feminist to the podium was Terry O’Neill, the President of the National Organization for Women (NOW), who said that “women’s basic physical safety is on the line” and that conservatives will “coddle the [rape] criminals”. Side note: Republicans have a long history of protecting criminals and Democrats do not. Oh wait, no, it’s the Democrats who typically fight the death penalty and legislate for criminals to have more rights.
She called this election an “ideological fight”.
She next stated that “family planning is at the base of women’s economic welfare”. Conservatives would argue that having a job is at the base of women’s economic welfare.
O’Neill accused conservatives of wanting to take benefits from women to give to the military spending. This is outrageous because “that’s not where the women are!” She endorsed Obama because “based on his record and based on his plans for women, he is the way forward for equality”. She further praised him by saying “President Obama listens and responds and this is not something we can say for the other party in this atmosphere right now”.
E. Faye Williams, the National Chair of National Congress of Black Women (NCBW) was notably impassioned in her speech. She remarked that Obama “cares about women and girls” and has given women an infrastructure in his White House. She further praised Obama by saying “this White House is conducting a war for women”, in contrast with conservatives who are waging a war against women. She passionately exclaimed “We women won’t go back” and “You ain’t seen nothin yet.”
During the Q&A, I asked how college women would be affected by the war against women.
O’Neill of NOW replied that “the most important thing is, where are going?” “Are we going to continue to be marginalized? Birth control is a settled question… we are over ½ of students… how dare they debate if they’re going to turn back Title 9?” On the job market, she said “one of the reasons the job market is so bad” is because of “layoffs of people working in social programs… layoffs worst in places taken over by Tea Party extremists… the very people Romney has supported”
I asked Williams of the National Congress of Black Women afterwards if people who are pro-women should support all women candidates, not just democrat ones. She replied that we should vote “based upon issues” for “women first- democratic women” and that “usually democrats support our issues”. In other words… no.
I am embarrassed the the women of our country would lower themselves to this. Why do we need to go back to when women were the helpless, not able to take care of themselves.. I am a woman and I don’t know any one that supports Obama. If we want to have sex, we should pay for it, when did the women taxpayers commit themselves to making every one aware of their private life. This guys has sent jobs overseas, he has given solar companies billions of dollars and 3 are already bankrupt. Abortion….I do believe in this and unless it a rape or some extenting circumstances, they should pay for it. And I don’t think that this should be used as a form of birth control. Obama lied about his gay stance, but that is okay with you nut cases. He bought a house with the use of a felon. He blamed Bush for his failure, altho Bush has the dems against him at the end of his term, and Obama had the dems on his side for over two years…what is his excuse for not doing any thing? I don’t care what color you are, so you can’t accuse me of being a racist as Holder/Obama have claimed if you don’t agree. War on Women…why…we are better off than ever, this is a farce. You would rather that the country go down the tube with our kids, grandkids and great grandkids having to submit to bow before the Chinese, Brazil, and Mexico. Why hasn’t some thing been done on the Fast and Furious…if it was your brother or son that got killed, you would be screaming, but since it isn’t and we sold guns to drug cartel and 300 Mexicans and one border agent got killed, by not show us the cover up or if there wasn’t a cover up show us the papers. The Healthcare, Obama said it wasn’t a tax, but if you listen to the lawyer that argued before the Supreme Court, he clearly stated that it was a tax. Obama is hiring 30,000 new government IRS employees to take the preimums out of your bank account. Why would it be okay to blame Romney for the Bain deal? It was a private agency that spent the money and Obama has given our money away daily, trying to take prayer away, guns away, freedom of speech. If you are supposedly educated, you sure can tell that you can buy common sense. I could go on and on about Michelle Obama spending over half a million dollars on her daughter’s birthday present which was a trip to Spain. Obama gave Finland, Brazil, and Mexico. Plus he produced two birth certifcates and they were different, so we aren’t allowed to quetion this. He applied for a foreign aid scholarship and if he was a citizen why foreigner? Don’t profess to represent the American women —that is a lie and I am sure you won’t publish this or probably read this…You are like Pelosi—pass the bill then read it…Like I said you are a bunch of women that think we can’t stand on our own and it is show when you would rather have a person that went to Rev Wright’s church for 20 years and he preached hating of whites, and paid him not to preach until after the election. He is the biggest liar and he wants to be king…and you handicap women have fed into his “caring about women”.
Any one that would comment on having horses for Ann Romney and then saying she stayed at home….and she has a bad disease. And Michelle Obama spends over $100k on underwear we bought it—-Duh!!!