WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Women's groups noted President Bush's late campaign promises regarding issues of importance to them and said they would hold the president to those positions.
Kim Grandy, president of the National Organization for Women, said at a news conference Tuesday that NOW and like-minded groups "intend to pay close attention to everything Bush does" to make sure that he does not forget the outreach he made to close the gender gap between himself and Sen. John Kerry heading into last week's election.
Exit polls indicated Bush won 48 percent of the women's vote in 2004, compared to 43 percent in 2000.
Grandy said Bush was sure to mention issues such as family friendly employment policies, economic growth benefiting everyone and addressing the healthcare system. Also, Bush did not speak about either Afghanistan or Iraq without mentioning the liberation of women in the two nations, said Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority.
The leaders of four women's groups said the tightening in the vote was the result of the Kerry campaign's assumption that most women would undoubtedly side with the Democratic Party candidate. Martha Burk, chairwoman of the National Council of Women's Organizations, accused Kerry of failing to try to attract women, saying "The Kerry campaign went for the men's vote."
