Obama To Women At Barnard: ‘I Will Be Right There With You’

[kpete]

Source: Talking Points Memo

NEW YORK — On a gray day in New York City, about 600 young women gathered under tents to receive their diplomas from Barnard College, the all-female liberal arts school affiliated with Columbia University, and to hear from President Barack Obama.

And they certainly let him know they heard him — giving him multiple standing ovations and breaking into cheers and applause throughout his speech.

In a speech laced with presidential politics, President Obama told the graduates about his efforts to change the American landscape for young women. “If you’re willing to do your part now, if you’re willing to reach up and close that gap between what America is and what America should be, I want you to know that I will be right there with you,” he told the crowd.

The event was, in a way, on home turf for Obama. The crowd was frenzied from the moment Obama took the stage, and welcomed him with a standing ovation.

Read more: http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/05/obama-pledges-support-for-women-at-barnard-graduation.php?ref=fpnewsfeed

[Fearless]

1. He needs to back up these words with actions!

It would do a lot to spur voter turnout.

[DFab420]

3. And what ACTION should he take?

Sign fair pay actS?
- Oh wait did that

Sign new hate crimes protrections?
- DAMN he's tricky

End DADT??
- Haha he would neve...oh waiy

Come out in support of marriage equality?
-

Oh I know...if only the economy had added jobs every month he was in office...
- FUCK that too????

This WORDS into ACTION meme is tired

[Fearless]

4. Well...

You see, the thing is that I never said he didn't do anything. At all. I said that for the words to be meaningful he needs to back them up with actions. Words are not backed up by past actions. Incidentally, he did not end DADT. A court order ended DADT and he challenged that order and dragged his feet for many weeks. But, I digress. I never said he hasn't done anything for women's equality.

However, moving forward he should throw his weight behind the ERA and ENDA movements. That is what he should do in the future to support women's equality.

[aikoaiko]

2. Oh my. He used a variant of the "I'll be there for you."

Nicely played Mr. President. Nicely played.

[red dog 1]

5. I want you to know that I will be right there with you"?

"Understand this," Obama said during a campaign rally in 2007, "If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I'm in the White House, I will put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself, I will walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States of America."

Despite efforts by state-level Republicans in Wisconsin, Tennessee, Michigan, Ohio, Maine, Florida and Indiana to curtail collective bargaining rights, the President has yet to appear at a single protest or picket line.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/obama-challenges-clintons-textbook/