Edwards backs women's issues, unveils list of 1,500 women supporters

[JohnLocke]

From IowaPolitics.com

Poverty is an important issue to Edwards, and it has become one of the centerpieces of his campaign. He took a moment Tuesday to tout his new book that sets out an agenda on how to end poverty. Women are affected disproportionately by poverty, the Democratic presidential hopeful said. There are 37 million people living in poverty, Edwards said, and of that number, 21 million are women, including 179,000 in Iowa, he said.

Edwards praised Iowa's Legislature for raising the state's minimum wage to $7.25. He called upon federal lawmakers to hike the national minimum wage, which would help women because 61 percent of minimum wage workers are women. He also urged the creation of a federal law to address the pay discrepancy between men and women, saying women earn an average of 77 cents for every dollar earned by men.

"We need a federal law to make sure that doesn't happen," Edwards said.

Ending the war in Iraq and providing the necessary means to offer soliders inflicted with physical and mental disabilities from the war are two topics Edwards focused on at the event.

"We have a shortfall on the human element (of the military)," Edwards said. "I have seen men and women (soldiers) in the military living on food stamps. I want to make sure they are being taken care of, and want to make sure the men and women in uniform are treated the way they should be treated. ... The men and women served their country and they put their lives on the line for us."

Edwards ended his event by telling reporters he was happy with the progress his campaign is making. He attributes that success to being a candidate in 2004 and having an existing base in place.

"What I learned from '04 is Iowa is a a place where you go everywhere and work hard," Edwards said. "You also need a serious and sustained organization. We are seasoned."
http://www.iowapolitics.com/index.iml?Article=95950

[Triana]

1. 21 million in poverty are women...and the Repubes would like to keep it that way...

...Edwards is the only one doing anything substantial about poverty, isnt' he?

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

2. Edwards is being swiftboated before our eyes.

MKJ

[applegreen]

3. Women and Poverty

One thing that sticks in my mind about John Edwards is something he said in a speech in New Hampshire: You can't put all these issues in separate boxes. That is so true. Look at women and poverty and health issues. They are all interconnected. One of the things I like the most about John Edwards is that his plans to deal with these issues recognize that problems don't stand alone. I have a woman friend who worked in retail jobs at minimum wage. No health benefits. But she was married and covered. Then, after a divorce, no more insurance. So she stopped going in for check-ups. She is living on luck. Who of us wants to live on such a precarious basis. We need to raise the minimum wage, provide universal health coverage, and provide support for women to get education and better paying jobs.

[JohnLocke]

4. They are all interconnected.

You're right. :thumbsup: