As the Democrats and Republicans presented their candidates to the nation, MomsRising.org, the national grassroots organization for moms and everyone who has a mom, called on those candidates to address the issues that matter most to families, like health care, fair wages, flexible works hours, paid family leave, affordable child care.

The organization launched MomsVote ’08, its national Get-Out-The-Vote and public education effort with “Power of ONEsie” displays at both conventions. Dozens of local moms gathered in Denver and St. Paul displaying baby onesies decorated by MomsRising.org members from across the country and bearing messages about the importance of the “kitchen table” issues that matter to moms and their families.

“Moms and families want to know how the candidates are going to address the issues that are top priorities for parents – they know that all kids need health care and moms who work outside the home need support so that they can balance their work and family responsibilities and ensure that their kids grow up healthy and safe,” said MomsRising.org President Joan Blades in Denver.

MomsVote ’08 is MomsRising.org’s national effort to focus candidates’ attention on family friendly policies and mobilize moms to register to vote and to vote themselves. Women comprise more than half of all voters in the U.S. and eight in ten women are mothers by the time they are 44. Moms Vote ’08 is working to bring the voices of moms and their families to the forefront of the elections.

“We are pleased that Senator McCain has selected a mom as his running mate,” said MomsRising.org Executive Director Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner in St. Paul. “Now we want to hear from the Senator and Governor Palin about how a McCain/Palin White House would truly value families by supporting the policies that make families strong and whole – like health care coverage for all kids, fair pay and paid leave.”

Moms Vote ’08 also includes a special BINGO game. On the nights of the candidates’ acceptance speeches, MomsRising.org members and others gathered and will gather around their televisions to watch and keep track of how often the candidates’ mentioned family friendly policies on MomsRising.org’s presidential BINGO cards. MomsRising.org will host an online conversation after both conventions to ascertain members’ impressions of how each candidate performed.