Dole Attacks The Gender Gap In Pennsylvania

MCKEES ROCK, Penn. (July 24) -- Bob Dole took convention keynote speaker Rep. Susan Molinari (R-N.Y.) along for the ride to Pennsylvania where she offered a convention preview making it clear her mission is gender-gap busting.

"It would take me days to talk about the things Bob Dole has done for women while in the United States Senate and the causes that he's championed," Molinari gushed to reporters. "Whether it's to do with women's health, initiatives, whether it has to do with violent crime initiatives that protect women and children," she said. (192K WAV sound)

For his part, Dole attacked the gender gap from the bottom line. With an eye on the increasing number of women going into business for themselves, Dole visited a paperclip factory owned by a woman and her husband.

There he unveiled a series of proposals to ease the tax and regulatory burdens on small businesses:

"If they were to make putting barriers in the way of small businesses an Olympic event, then I can tell you that President Clinton would walk away with the gold medal," Dole said.

Among other things, Dole promised to exempt family owned small businesses from the estate tax, restore what he called a "meaningful" tax deduction for home office use and reduce the capital gains tax, freeing up more money to invest. (160K WAV sound)

In the matter of the on-going vice presidential watch, there were more than a few pictures to take note of as Dole, on his fifth trip to Pennsylvania since April, shone the spotlight yet again on the oft-mentioned Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge.

However, if House Speaker Newt Gingrich's hunch is correct and Dole will not pick a number two who supports abortion rights, then you can count Ridge out.

This story originally appeared on CNN's "Inside Politics."

Dole Attacks The Gender Gap In Pennsylvania

Related Stories: