President Barack Obama was in Denver yesterday to kick off a two-day campaign swing through the state. Colorado Public Radio’s Ben Markus reports the president spoke to a crowd, filled mostly with women, about healthcare.
Reporter Ben Markus: Mr Obama was back in Colorado for his fourth trip to the swing state since the start of the year.
Barack Obama: Hello Denver!
Reporter: Recently both candidates have increased their focus on a key constituency: women.
Obama: The decisions that affect a women’s health, they’re not up to politicians, they’re not up to insurance companies, they’re up to you. [crowd cheering]
Reporter: Flanked by bleachers full of boisterous female supporters, he asked how many times they’ve put off preventive healthcare because of expensive co-pays.
Obama: And you had to choose, between gas or groceries or your kids new soccer uniform. I don’t think a working mom in Denver should have to wait to get a mammogram just because money is tight.
Reporter: Healthcare reform eliminates co-pays for that kind of preventative care. It bars co-pays for contraceptives too. Mr Obama attacked his challenger for wanting to roll back those policies. That message resonated with Denver mom Maureen Farkash, one of about 4-thousand people on hand at the Auraria campus Events Center.
Farkash: Very scared that if Romney becomes elected that we’re going to go backwards, instead of going forwards.
Obama: Mr Obama’s two day campaign trip through Colorado will take him to Grand Junction, Pueblo and Colorado Springs.
President Obama was also in Grand Junction Wednesday. Click here.
[Photo: Ben Markus]