With their champion Hillary Clinton by his side, Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama on Thursday launched an overt appeal to working women, a key voting bloc in November's general election.
Obama paid tribute to Clinton's historic primary challenge, praised his own late mother's struggle to bring him up as a single parent, and admitted guilt that his wife Michelle was bearing the brunt of raising his two daughters.
"We are working together and all the women in this room are working together, there is no way we're going to lose in November," Obama said, at a "Women for Obama" fundraising event, which drew a 2,300 strong crowd to a New York hotel.
"Hillary and I may have started on separate paths during the course of this campaign, but together we shared a common experience of shattering barriers that have stood firm since the founding of this nation," Obama said.
The Illinois Senator went on to stress issues important to women, especially pay discrimination in the workplace and the right to have an abortion, and accused Republican John McCain of wanting to have the procedure outlawed.
"I've seen my wife, Michelle, the rock of the Obama family, juggle jobs and parenting with more skill and grace than anyone I know," Obama said.
"But I've also seen how it tears at her, how sometimes, when she's with the girls, she's worrying about work and when she's at work, she's worrying about the girls.
"It's a feeling I share every day -- especially these days, when I'm away so much out on the campaign trail."
"It's something I hear all the time from working parents, especially working women -- many of whom are working more than one job to make ends meet.
"Then there are the jobs you have once the workday ends, whether it's cleaning the house or paying the bills or buying the groceries, helping with that science project or enforcing those bedtimes.
"The jobs you don't get paid for, but that hold our families together. Jobs that still, even in the year 2008, far too often fall to women."
Many of Clinton's fervent supporters, especially white working class women who powered her through the prolonged primary struggle against Obama, have yet to come to terms with her defeat.
But the former first lady, still mentioned by some analysts as a possible vice presidential pick for Obama, called on them to unite to ensure issues most important to them are addressed.
"I think our hard-fought primary was good for the Democratic Party," Clinton said, in the second joint fundraising event with Obama within two days.
"Barack and I brought out more voters than anyone ever has, and we need to build on that base and bring even more people into the Democratic Party ... so I ask for your help."
