President Obama

Just a few days before the official launch of his reelection campaign, President Obama gave a speech centering around issues that matter most to women and moms yesterday-- and CafeMom was there to cover it.

"Women are not a special interest group," he told a rapt group of several hundred women at the National Issues Conference, hosted by the Democratic National Committee. He went on to say that women comprise 80% of his own household (his mother-in-law moved in to the White House along with the Obamas) and said that both in his personal and public life, "I've got a vested interest in making sure women do well."

See how Mr. Obama is backing up that claim after the jump.

Mr. Obama peppered his remarks with personal anecdotes about his family, including his own mother, who was a single mom and for a time used food stamps to feed her family. He also talked about how tough the work/home balance has been for his wife, Michelle, and spoke about how his daughters have inspired him in his role as President.

As a father, the highlight of my day is asking my daughters about theirs.  Their hopes and their futures are what drive me every day I step into the Oval Office.  Every decision I make is all about making sure they and all our daughters and all our sons grow up in a country that gives them the chance to be anything they set their minds to; a country where more doors are open to them than were ever open to us.

He went on to highlight his achievements in education reform, health care reform, and ensuring that women earn the same as men, by signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law. "As long as I’m president, we are going to keep moving forward," he said. "You can count on that. You don’t have to take my word on it – you’ve got my signature on it."

Mr. Obama also warned that Republicans are working to undo the advances made in women's issues over the last several decades:

And now we've got governors and legislatures across the river in Virginia, up the road in Pennsylvania and all across the country saying that women can’t be trusted to make your own decisions.  They’re pushing and passing bills forcing women to get ultrasounds, even if they don’t want one.  And if you don’t like it, the governor of Pennsylvania said you can “close your eyes.” When it comes to what's going on out there, you're not going to close your eyes. Women across America aren't closing their eyes. As long as I'm President, I won't either.

Women's matters should remain in the spotlight as we head toward November. A recent Quinnipiac poll shows Obama is leading Mitt Romney among women, 49 percent to 39 percent. Expect Romney to continue trying to bridge that gap in the coming months.

In the meantime, what do you think about Mr. Obama's remarks? Is he the best advocate for women?

 

Image via TruthTeam2012/Twitter