

'When politicians try to turn Planned Parenthood into a punching bag, they're not just talking about you,' Obama said, becoming the first sitting president to address the abortion-rights group in person. 'They're talking about the millions of women who you serve.'

Obama asserted that 'an assault on women's rights' is underway across the country, with bills introduced in more than 40 states to limit or ban abortion or restrict access to birth control or other services.

'The fact is, after decades of progress, there's still those who want to turn back the clock to policies more suited to the 1950s than the 21st century,' he said. 'And they've been involved in an orchestrated and historic effort to roll back basic rights when it comes to women's health.'


Obama said 'a woman may not even know that she's pregnant at six weeks.'


'Mississippi's a conservative state, but they wanted to make clear there's nothing conservative about the government injecting itself into decisions best made between a woman and her doctor,' Obama said of the voters there.


'You've also got a president who's going to be right there with you, fighting every step of the way,' Obama said.


'He is pointing it out because it's true. We have taken a serious look at the life of a child, and the nation is paying attention to that,' she said. 'We are dealing with life in North Dakota and something as basic as a beating heart.'

Laurie Bertram Roberts, Mississippi president of the National Organization for Women, said voters in her state, while conservative, did not misunderstand what 'personhood' would have meant for women and families.

'We understand that when you give a fertilized egg the rights of a person, that affects every aspect of pregnancy and reproductive health,' she said.

Obama's pledge to stand with Planned Parenthood echoed his rhetoric in last year's presidential campaign after Republican rival Mitt Romney said he'd eliminate the organization's federal funding if elected. That incident, coupled with other issues, led Democrats to begin accusing Republicans of waging a 'war on women.' Obama went on to win a second term with 55 percent of the female vote, polls showed.







--- Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap

comments powered by Disqus