The White House has gotten a lot of heat recently for allegations in a new book by Ron Suskind that alleges that within the Obama administration friction about the roles of women grew so intense during the early years of the president’s tenure that Obama was forced to take steps to reassure senior women on his staff that he valued their presence and their input.
The Obama inner circle has been pushing back hard against the book, and yesterday east side Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney joined the fray in the pages of the HuffPo.
These days, you can’t turn on the television, radio, or computer without hearing some kind of debate about the President. Whether it’s his policies, his tone, or his agenda, everyone has something to say.
What surprises me is that people are actually debating President Obama’s commitment to women and the many issues we care about. After reading the reports following release of the latest Ron Suskind book, the reader is meant to have the impression that working in the Obama White House is a cross between working in an old boys club and a men’s locker room, and that Obama himself is not committed to equality for both genders — despite having appointed two female Supreme Court Justices, a female Secretary of State and scores of other female appointees across the government.
Maloney goes on to talk about the president’s commitment to giving nursing mothers the legal protections for breastfeeding and Michelle Obama’s work with childhood obesity.
It is clear to me — and should be clear to all Americans — that this President not only supports women and the issues that impact them on a daily basis, but puts policies in place to help women and their families thrive. Questioning his commitment is sadly misplaced.
