politics

Gwen Ifill was hobbled by more than a broken ankle at the vice presidential debate. The rules prevented her from asking any follow-up questions. I work with eleven statewide coalitions representing a million people, all fighting for policies that value families at work. Here are some questions we wish Gwen Ifill had been allowed to ask:

The other night, as the first and only vice presidential debate was starting; I was scrambling to get to my car from a rainy soccer field where I'd been standing on the sidelines with other parents while watching kids play. Jumping over mud puddles and dodging fast moving vehicles in the parking lot, my two soccer-playing kids and I scurried to the warm dry safety of our car.

Sometimes our kids know more than we do. Children know that if they keep asking their parents the same question, over and over, they might just get the answer they are looking for.

There are 2 important election tasks on busy moms' to-do lists this week - check them off!

1) Voter registration deadlines to mail-in your form are coming up in the next few days for 31 states, and

2) Lots of moms are signing up to vote absentee or early and avoid election day lines!

Did you see that?! A mom on center stage at the Republican convention accepting the Vice Presidential nomination and holding a baby.

This afternoon, the Power of ONEsie will be unleashed on the Republican Convention in St. Paul. Along with dozens of MomsRising members, we'll unpack the two suitcases that carry this powerful display, we'll don our beautiful sashes, and we'll make hand-drawn signs calling on politicians, pundits, and the media to wake up to the realities of American families today.

Mable Yee is the founder of Engage Her!, a soon-to-be-released documentary and website featuring women of color from all walks of life answering the question, "Why do you vote?" The following text came out of a one-on-one interview with Rep. Lee.

Would you be willing to give up your Decaf LowFat Caramel Macchiato with Extra Foam for a week?

This morning I nearly ran my mini van off the road when I saw a bumper sticker on the car in front of me: “Don’t vote for Hillary or she will make us all clean up our rooms.” This is the straw that broke this mother’s back.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Hillary Clinton’s public embrace of motherhood has sparked a flurry of attacks on the work of mothers. Obviously, it is Pelosi and Clinton’s impressive professional skills, not their motherhood, that qualified them to break through the marble ceiling. Still, the devaluing of mothers’ work that has quickly become fodder for countless bloggers and journalists is infuriating. As a leadership consultant, I work with business leaders every day. I’m always struck by just how much their work corresponds to the daily work of a mother. Who else but a mother fosters compassion, negotiates conflicts, and teaches communication skills, cooperation, empathy, and decision making? Who else builds human capital for this country? Leadership skills cross over from home to work and work to home. Motherhood and leadership are not antithetical. In fact, a mother of three who is juggling schedules, managing a home, and keeping her children happy and cooperative has a lot in common with a CEO who puts out daily fires while fostering a work environment where each person feels motivated and valued. And yet somehow, even in the era of political correctness, it is still acceptable to reduce mothers to mere nose wipers.