live chat with Vanessa Kerry on women's issues at 5pm eastern

Vanessa Kerry(John Kerry's daughter) will be doing a live chat at 5pm eastern today discussing women's issues. go to the link below if you would like to see.

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0105a.html

<In a major economic speech today in Des Moines, Democratic candidate for President John Kerry said that issues usually consigned to the corner of “women’s issues” need to be a concern to all Americans and he used the occasion of the speech, a discussion on the Real Deal Express, a nation-wide conference call and an afternoon web chat with high profile women supporters today to launch his grassroots effort to energize women entitled “Women’s Voices on the Trail.”


“Women’s Voices on the Trail will energize and organize the women supporting my candidacy and will reach out to women looking for stronger leadership from the Oval Office that they are seeing now,” said John Kerry. “I am proud to have the support of so many prominent women and the support of so many women across Iowa, New Hampshire and the nation. Together, we can fight the special interests and return America to a course toward security, opportunity and prosperity.”

“Women’s Voices on the Trail” (WVOT) is the only national outreach initiative for women being promoted by a candidate for president. Led by Women for Kerry national co-chairs, Susan Liss and Robin Leeds of the Clinton Administration, Women's Voices on the Trail will employ women leaders and Kerry supporters to fan out across the country on behalf of John Kerry and reach out for women to support Kerry.
“Women's votes matter- especially in Presidential elections. In 2000, 54% of women voted for Al Gore, while 53% of men voted for George W. Bush. What's more, working women overwhelmingly preferred Gore to Bush- 58% to 39%,” said Kerry campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill. “Our women supporters are critical to our strategy to win the nomination and eventually defeat George W. Bush and his radical agenda.”

On Monday, a group of Iowa women traveled from Oskaloosa to Des Moines aboard the Real Deal Express with John Kerry and discussed the critical issues of the 2004 campaign. In Des Moines, Kerry delivered a major economic address, “Making America Work for People Again,” before a crowd of 200 women.

After the speech, women leaders from the Kerry campaign, including Teresa Heinz Kerry, Mary Beth Cahill and former New Hampshire Governor and Kerry National Steering Committee Chair Governor Jeanne Shaheen, participated in a nationwide conference call with women activists to discuss Kerry’s record of leadership and advocacy for women. As part of the WVOT surrogate outreach strategy, Vanessa Kerry and Women for Kerry national co-chair Robin Leeds conducted a web chat on http://www.johnkerry.com/wvot with women across the country.

After the launch, prominent women supporters will conduct more online chats, meeting and discussions, outreach activities and accompany Kerry on the campaign trail to reinforce the message that John Kerry is the best candidate to defeat George W. Bush.

As part of this effort, Jeanne Shaheen, Vanessa Kerry, and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney on Monday held a discussion in Concord, New Hampshire with women on important challenges facing America and why John Kerry is has the experience and judgment to meet them. Former three-star Army General Claudia Kennedy will campaigning across Iowa - in Council Bluffs, Atlantic, Creston, Winterset, Des Moines, Fort Dodge, Rockwell City, Storm Lake, and Sioux City – on January 4th –6th. Singer/Songwriter Carole King will be campaigning for John Kerry in Iowa January 12th. Iowa women who have endorsed John Kerry will be surrogating across the state throughout January, as well.

Women across the country will be directed to Kerry’s campaign website to download the WVOT action kit that includes information on how to get involved in WVOT and how to organize events in support of WVOT. The kit also included information on how to register to vote and how to get involved in the Kerry campaign.

John Kerry has built his campaign on the strength of women. His campaign is full of successful women who are making a difference in 2004: campaign national chairperson, Governor Jeanne Shaheen; campaign manager, Mary Beth Cahill; Women for Kerry National co-chairs, Susan Liss and Robin Leeds; senior advisor, Stephanie Cutter; senior advisor in New Hampshire Judy Reardon. The Women for Kerry National Steering Committee includes: Senator Dianne Feinstein, New Mexico Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish, Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald, Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields, and Aida Alvarez, former Administrator for the Small Business Administration.>