Obama better for women, Dem women argue

With polls showing Republican Sen. John McCain gaining support among white women, Democratic women in Congress will push the issues of equal pay, health care and protecting Social Security as they campaign for Democratic Sen. Barack Obama.

If women look at the records of the two candidates, they will support Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Diana DeGette of Denver, and several other female House members said today.

“Sen. McCain misses the mark for women’s health care and for children’s health care,’’ DeGette said. “Sen. McCain wants to radically restructure our nation’s health care system, which would hit women the hardest.”

The McCain health care plan would give a tax credit to people who buy their own insurance, which DeGette said would push people out of employer-sponsored plans, putting many people’s health insurance at risk.

McCain does not support legislation that would mandate equal pay for women and men in the same jobs, the women lawmakers said, something Obama supports.

McCain’s camp yesterday issued a statement with a Seattle Post-Intelligencer news story revealing that on average women who work for McCain in his Senate office make more than those who work in Obama’s. More women in McCain’s office hold higher-ranking and higher-paying jobs than those in Obama’s, the story said, with women working as three of McCain’s five highest paid aides.

The women lawmakers did not speak directly about Republican Vice-Presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin. Her name came up only once, in a reference to the “McCain-Palin” ticket.

The women lawmakers are talking about McCain because he is the presidential nominee, DeGette said, but Palin’s positions are similar to McCain’s.

DeGette will campaign for and act as a surrogate for Obama in Colorado through the election.

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