Democrats focus on women's health issues, abortion rights

Sep 6 2012

Pointing to both the health law and GOP policy positions, Democrats were steady in making their case to women voters.  

The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire: Democratic Women Heart Obama Health Law
Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York delivered the Democratic women's line of the day, telling the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night that because of President Barack Obama's health care law, "For the first time, being a woman is NOT a pre-existing condition." The same line was used a few times Tuesday morning by speakers at the Democratic National Convention's women's caucus  (Mundy, 9/4).

The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire: Abortion-Rights Advocate Jabs At GOP
The president of NARAL, the abortion-rights organization, roused Democrats at their national convention Tuesday night with a series of recent Republican statements that have provided fodder for Democratic politicians and late night talk show hosts. Nancy Keenan, who has led the group since 2004, talked about the "stakes" for women in 2012 (Mundy, 9/4).

Politico: Democrats In Charlotte Take On Women's Health
Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, led the charge against Republicans, telling the crowd: "I am proud to say that the Democratic Party believes that women have the right to choose a safe, legal abortion with dignity and with privacy." Keenan said Democrats support access to contraception, oppose mandatory ultrasound laws and "believe that rape is rape." "We believe that a woman should make health care decisions with her family, her doctor and her God," she continued. "And we believe that there is no room for politicians -- especially politicians who don't know how women's bodies work." She said Romney "would overturn Roe v. Wade and sign into law a wave of outrageous restrictions on a woman's ability to make decisions about her pregnancy" (Smith, 9/4).

But it was not just the women's vote Democrats are targeting -- veterans are also a key group:

USA Today: In Effort To Woo Veterans, Every Detail Matters
The Obama campaign has made a big push to win veterans, such as the effort to improve their health care benefits, Obama's decision to end the Iraq War and the Navy SEALs' killing of Osama bin Laden (Madhani, 9/4).