Biden aims for Virginia women

STERLING, Va.—Joe Biden touted his Senate record as a champion of women’s issues Friday to rally female voters.

Campaigning for the first time in Northern Virginia with his wife Jill, the Democratic vice presidential candidate and senator from Delaware drew stark contrasts between the approaches of Barack Obama and John McCain to the current economic crisis.

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“We have to have a major, major, major overhaul of how the financial system works,” Biden said, criticizing McCain and running mate Sarah Palin for their general opposition to government regulation of the private sector.

“They have worshipped at the shrine of deregulation,” said Biden during 30 minutes of remarks to a crowd of about 700 – mostly women -- at a park.

He hit themes of economic fairness and repeated his call for the highest income Americans to pay higher taxes so that lower-income people could qualify for college tuition tax credits and paid parental leave.

“Don’t tell me about what you value, John, tell me about what you’re going to do about what you value,” Biden said.

The McCain campaign responded by criticizing Biden’s call for higher taxes on the rich and said a McCain administration would cut wasteful spending in Washington.

“(Obama’s) plan of redistributing wealth is not one that is going to help any citizen…I don’t want Joe Biden or Barack Obama taking more money and spending more,” said Susan Allen, wife of former Gov. and Sen. George Allen, a McCain supporter

Biden, who wrote the Violence Against Women Act, which created a national domestic violence victims hotline and expanded shelters for battered women, said McCain voted against the bill.

And he criticized McCain for opposing increases to the minimum wage and a bill to create pay equity.

“We value equal pay for equal work,” Biden said to cheers.

Susan Allen said, “There’s no question that John McCain wants to make sure women are paid equally.”

With 13 electoral votes at stake in the state that has not voted for a Democrat for president since 1964, both campaigns have been eager to show their commitment to Virginia.

With hand-decorated t-shirts that read “Hockey Mom for Obama” and “Drop Tuition Not Bombs,” two Loudoun County moms swiped at the popularity McCain has generated through his choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

“She does not speak for a majority of the women in this country,” said Mackenzie Collins, a nurse who supports a woman’s right to abortion. And she’s concerned about the economy.

The value of her home in Sterling has plummeted to the point that her family would be lucky to get what they paid for it six years ago, Collins said.

“Had we sold two years ago, we would have had two college tuitions paid for,” she said.

Barely a mile from the Biden event at historic Claude Moore Park, voters chatting over coffee at Chik-Fil-A said they trusted McCain to redirect the economy.

“I’m not a Democrat. I’m not an independent. I vote for the person,” said Ron Trump, a Vietnam War Air Force veteran, who supports McCain.

“The economy is broke bad,” he said. “I don’t like the government bailing them out.”

Conservative voters also cited terrorism and foreign policy as reasons they back McCain.

“I think he has more experience and more integrity,” Patricia Wright said.

At a grocery, Theresa Williams tabulated the cost of each item before putting it in her cart. She said she has faith Obama can turn around the economy.

“I’m looking for a change, a change today if I could,” said Williams, a part-time administrator still seeking a full-time job.

The continued economic turmoil likely will help Obama in narrowly divided Northern Virginia and elsewhere, said George Mason University political scientist Toni Travis.

Biden’s visit -- the first of a two-day swing that will also take him to Southwest Virginia Saturday, and his second trip here since joining the Democratic ticket – showcases how nimble the Obama campaign has been in September compared to their Republican opponents, Travis said.

McCain and Palin have been virtually inseparable on the campaign trail.

“It will cut down on where they can go, but it brings out larger crowds,” Travis said.

Both presidential candidates have tried to use gender to attract female voters, she said. “McCain has latched onto Palin, and Obama through his wife.”