Women for Edwards

Today I received an e-mail from Elizabeth Edwards, which reads in part,

 

I am so proud that today in Iowa, John is announcing the launch of our new group: Women for Edwards. Women from across the country—elected officials, community leaders, workers, political activists, mothers, daughters, sisters—have added their voices to the campaign.

Today, I'm asking you to join us. Please help me by sending this email on to your sister, your mother, a friend or any woman you know who might be interested in joining our campaign. Tell them the news about Women for Edwards, and let them know we need their voice.

Here's the link to sign up:

www.johnedwards.com/women

For John and me, this campaign has always been primarily about the people who the campaign, and ultimately an Edwards administration, can reach and help. In fact the name of the group—if it wasn't too unwieldy—could be Women for Women (for Edwards).
 

I've known for a long time that John Edwards is the candidate with the policies that resonate the most with me as a woman.  I'm excited that the campaign is starting this women's group!

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

 

Des Moines, Iowa – At a town hall in Des Moines today, Senator John Edwards launched "Women for Edwards" and laid out his agenda to ensure fairness and equality for women. Edwards also received support from 140 national women leaders from across the country, and more than 1,500 women from Iowa. Edwards encouraged women to join Women for Edwards at http://johnedwards.com/women.

"We need to make the idea of America—equality of opportunity, regardless of race, gender or income—real for all Americans," said Edwards. "Today, too many women are separated from the opportunities of our country because of their gender. We need to ensure fairness and equality for all women and work to lift up working mothers."

"I believe in John's deep and profound commitment to the issues that matter most in women's lives," said Kate Michelman, President Emeritus of NARAL Pro-Choice America. "From health care, to Iraq, to poverty, to our environment, I know John is the most effective national messenger for the values we share and I have complete confidence that—with our help—he will win the White House and improve the lives of women everywhere."

Women still make only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men and they are 45 percent more likely to live in poverty. Edwards believes we need to make a commitment to helping working women and strengthening our families. Today, he detailed his plans to improve the lives of women at work and at home.

Specifically, Edwards called for:

• Guaranteeing that every woman has health insurance by providing universal health care.
• Ending poverty. Edwards has called for an end to poverty within 30 years, with policies rooted in the core American values of work, opportunity and responsibility.
• Helping women balance work and family by expanding the Family and Medical Leave Act to let parents take time off from work when they need it. Edwards also supports more resources for childcare and after-school programs to give children a safe place to learn while their parents are at work.
• Fighting discrimination by enacting the Paycheck Fairness Act to strengthen the remedies for sex discrimination and deter wrongdoing, and expanding resources for female entrepreneurs.
• Protecting a woman's right to choose.