Obama, Romney Campaigns Spar on Equal Pay

A pair of conference calls took place only 30 minutes apart today, as New Hampshire Democrats and Republicans faced off on the Paycheck Fairness Act and the recuperation of the U.S. economy.

Democratic leaders in the state accused GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney of failing to stand up for women on the wage discrimination issue.

Ann McClane Kuster, who is running for Congress in the 2nd district, said that Romney has previously skirted the issue when asked about the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2009.

"When Gov. Romney was first asked whether he even supported the (act) the campaign hesitated – they didn't know what his response was and finally they reported 'we'll have to get back to you,'" she said.

Kuster also challenged her opponent, Congressman Charlie Bass, for a straight answer on the issue.

On the Romney conference call, Bass explained that the Lilly Ledbetter Act passed before he was in Congress, but asserted that he believes in fair pay.

"I beleive in fair pay, I believe in equal pay and I believe there is legal recourse for discrimination," Bass said.

He also said that there are issues with the Paycheck Fairness Act legislation which will be voted on in Congress tomorrow.

"(Issues with the legislation) can create enormous potential liability for employers that have the net impact of not creating pay fairness but discourage employers from hiring new people because of the specter of litigation and uncertainty as to what their liability might be," he said.

Bass explained that Democrats will "move the debate" to different issues in order to avoid the subject of what he called Obama's fundamentally "terrible" economy.

But leaders on the Obama conference call treated wage discrimination as a core issue for discussion.

Kathy Sullivan, former chairwoman of the N.H. Democratic Party, said that women are half of the work force in the country, saying that Obama knows that they are not a "special interest group" in this country.

"Mitt Romney should consider that equal pay is not just about women, it's about families and their economic security," Sullivan said.

Kuster agreed, noting that 50,000 women in the state are single heads of households, with 10,000 living in poverty because they are not getting paid a fair wage.

Business owners from around the state jumped on both conference calls, including Windham resident Scott Baetz, who runs a web development company called AdminInternet.

Baetz said that he was a registered Republican four years ago but has since changed to an Independent. He rallied his support for Obama while simultaneously derailing Romney's business values.

"The values that Mitt Romney lived by in business would be reckless and probably a disaster for the middle class, our economy and our nation, "Baetz said. "Over the last three years, no one has supported small business and American workers more than the president."

Jack Gilchrest, a second generation owner of Gilchrist Metal Fabricating in Hudson, said that the Obama economy is "loaded with uncertainty," and that his own operation has taken a hit to the tune of a 12 percent staff reduction.

"I think we need a leader who takes responsibilities not a fundraising professor that blames others," Gilchrist said.

State Rep. Chris Ahlgren, R-Wolfeboro, who also owns a cafe in the town, said that Obama's healthcare stymies the potential growth of his business.

"I'm put into a position where I can't grow my business, or I will be put into the envelope of ObamaCare," he said.

Baetz, meanwhile, said that he believes America is moving in the right direction due to Obama's leadership.

"It's an American economy and an economy I'm proud to be a part of," he said.