Sunday, March 1, 2009

Barack Obama: He's just like us

Barack Obama: He's just like us: "Barack Obama: He's just like us
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www.ourbabytwins.blogspot.com

Saturday, January 31, 2009

The White House - Blog Post - Moving forward

The White House - Blog Post - Moving forward: "In the weekly address, President Barack Obama addressed the latest economic news and urged the passing of an America Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.

He also announced that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is preparing a new strategy for reviving our financial system -- which will not only ensure that CEOs aren't abusing taxpayer dollars, but also get credit flowing and lower mortgage costs."

http://barackobama360.blogspot.com/

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Welcome to the White House

Welcome to the White House

http://barackobama360.blogspot.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THU, JANUARY 29, 12:00 PM EST
A Wonderful Day (Update: Video)
Surrounded by leaders like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and with the new law’s namesake, Lilly Ledbetter, at his side, President Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- a powerful tool to fight discrimination.
READ THIS POST

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

The Associated Press: House OKs $819B stimulus bill with GOP opposition

The Associated Press: House OKs $819B stimulus bill with GOP opposition: "WASHINGTON (AP) — In a swift victory for President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled House approved a historically huge $819 billion stimulus bill Wednesday night with spending increases and tax cuts at the heart of the young administration's plan to revive a badly ailing economy. The vote was 244-188, with Republicans unanimous in opposition despite Obama's frequent pleas for bipartisan support.
'This recovery plan will save or create more than three million new jobs over the next few years,' the president said in a written statement released moments after the House voted. Still later, he welcomed congressional leaders of both parties to the White House for drinks as he continued to lobby for the legislation."

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Monday, January 26, 2009

VOA News - Geithner Sworn In as US Treasury Secretary

VOA News - Geithner Sworn In as US Treasury Secretary: "New U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has been sworn in as one of the key officials in President Barack Obama's efforts to fight serious economic problems.

Geithner was confirmed earlier Monday by the U.S. Senate. He promised bold initiatives to meet what he called a moment of maximum challenge. U.S. companies announced tens of thousands of new job cuts Monday in the latest evidence of the extent of the country's economic crisis."

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Sunday, January 25, 2009

Obama plans fast action on financial regulation-NYT | Markets | US Markets | Reuters

Obama plans fast action on financial regulation-NYT | Markets | US Markets | Reuters

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Saturday, January 24, 2009

Obama - the first 100 hours | World news | The Guardian

Obama - the first 100 hours | World news | The Guardian: "1 Said: 'So help me God.' The phrase is not required by the constitution, so it's arguable that he, Barack Obama, was president by the time he said it, making these his first words in office.
2 Delivered a 17-minute inauguration address, telling the crowds it was time to 'pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America'.
3 Invoked biggest cheer of the day from the 2 million-plus crowd with the words: 'Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many ... But know this, America - they will be met.'
4 Then the words: 'We reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.' George Bush, sitting to his left, looks decidedly uncomfortable.
5 With his wife, Michelle, escorted George and Laura Bush to the waiting helicopter, where the two men hugged before the former president began his journey home to Texas.
6 As the helicopter disappeared into clear skies, Obama now had Washington, and the United States, all to himself. His relief was palpable.
7 Inside the Capitol building, signed his first documents as president, including cabinet nominations.
8 'I'm a lefty. Get used to it,' he said, as he signed. Obama is the fourth southpaw, or left-handed, president out of the past five (Dubya is right-handed).
9 Signed a proclamation declaring 20 January 2009 a national day of renewal and reconciliation.
10 Completed the signing session, looking wistfully at the object in his left hand. 'I was told not to swipe the pen,' he said.
11 Attended a lunch with congressional leaders, where he dined on a menu from Lincoln's day: pheasant, duck and apple cake served on replica Lincoln White House china.
12 Addres"

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Obama rises from political obscurity to verge of history

Posted By Tapinder Katoch - May 10th, 2008 at 10:34 pm EDT

By CHARLES BABINGTON, Associated Press Writer Sat May 10, 3:04 PM ET

WASHINGTON - The amazement was on their faces. Hundreds waited for Barack Obama on that evening in South Carolina, 15 weeks ago, to claim victory — a surprising victory, surprisingly large.

And amazing it was. It made it possible for him to stand today on the verge of being the first black person ever nominated for president by a major party.

One could guess the thoughts of the blacks and whites in that crowd: Can you believe that our state — South Carolina, first to secede and first to open fire in the Civil War — is now catapulting a black man to the front of the presidential contest in a year that bodes well for Democrats?

"Race doesn't matter," some began to chant. "Race doesn't matter!"

The cry soon gave way to more familiar chants of "Yes we can," and everyone in the auditorium surely knew that race does still matter in so many ways. But in a pinch-me moment, they seemed to realize that a barrier had been broken with a swiftness and certainty that even they had not foreseen.

Even more astounding, the man vaulting ahead of the universally known former first lady, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, had been a state legislator only four years earlier — a lawyer with no fame, wealth or family connections.

Now, the entire nation and countless foreigners are absorbing a moment that had seemed decades away, if possible at all. Smart strategists and rank-and-file voters ponder how Obama rose so far so fast, and theories abound. Historians will sort it out someday, but Obama's blend of oratory, biography, optimism and cool confidence come to mind most immediately.

It's not just about him, of course. If America can seriously think of putting a black man in the White House, surely it must also profoundly rethink the relevance of race, the power of prejudice, the logic of affirmative action and other societal forces that have evolved slowly through the eras of Jim Crow, desegregation and massive immigration.

Maybe the toughest question is this:

Is Obama, with his incandescent smile and silky oratory, a once-in-a-century phenomenon who will blast open doors only to see them quickly close on less extraordinary blacks?

Or is he the lucky and well-timed beneficiary of racial dynamics that have changed faster than most people realized, a trend that presumably will soon yield more black governors, senators, mayors and council members?

Presidential campaigns have destroyed many bright and capable politicians. But there's ample evidence that Obama is something special, a man who makes difficult tasks look easy, who seems to touch millions of diverse people with a message of hope that somehow doesn't sound Pollyannaish.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, a black Maryland Democrat who endorsed Obama early, says the Illinois senator convinces people of all races that Americans as a society, and as individuals, can achieve higher goals if they try.

"He says we can do better, and his life is the epitome of doing better," says Cummings, noting that Obama was raised by a single mother who sometimes relied on food stamps. "He convinces people that there's a lot of good within them."

And why should they believe such feel-good platitudes? "Because he's real and he has confidence in his own competence," Cummings says.

Without question, Obama is an electrifying speaker. At virtually every key juncture in his trajectory, he has used inspirational oratory to generate excitement, buy time to deal with crises, and force party activists to rethink their assumptions that a black man with an African name cannot seriously vie for the presidency.

A prime-time speech at the Democratic convention in Boston catapulted him to national attention in 2004. When his presidential campaign badly trailed Clinton's high-flying operation, he gave it new life with a timely Iowa speech that outshone her remarks moments earlier on the same stage. And a heavily covered March 18 speech about race relations calmed criticisms about his ties to his former pastor, although Obama had to revisit the matter when the minister restated incendiary remarks about the government.

Obama has a compelling biography, too. The son of a black African father he barely knew, and a white Kansan mother who took him from Hawaii to Indonesia, he was largely raised by his white maternal grandparents. He finished near the top of his Harvard law class, then rejected big firms' salaries to work as a community organizer in Southside Chicago, where he found a church, his wife and a place that felt like home.

But all those attributes don't explain the Obama phenomenon.

Other great orators have fallen short of the presidency, including Daniel Webster and William Jennings Bryan.

Plenty of brilliant people have tried and failed, too. Bill Bradley was a Princeton graduate, basketball star and Rhodes Scholar.

Intriguing biographies aren't enough, either. John Glenn was an astronaut and American hero, but he couldn't get off the presidential launchpad.

Jim Margolis, a veteran campaign strategist now working for Obama, thinks it is his blend of all these traits, wrapped in "authenticity," which makes Obama's message of hope and inclusion seem plausible, not pie in the sky.

Margolis interviewed many of Obama's Harvard classmates for TV ads and documentaries. They told him Obama "was wise beyond his years, and never talked down to people," Margolis said.

"He has this amazing ability to connect with people and understand their problems," he said. "And through it all, there is this optimism."

For a politician with only four years of experience at the federal level, Obama also has spot-on instincts, associates say, and a steely confidence in his convictions, in good times and bad. His roughest patch came after Clinton revived her campaign with wins in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and a renewed uproar over Obama's former pastor threatened to consume his campaign.

Obama rejected advice to criticize Clinton more fiercely, and went back to his themes of political and racial reconciliation. His solid win in North Carolina and near miss in Indiana confirmed his judgment.

Obama and his small core of longtime advisers also outsmarted the vaunted Clinton team by focusing early on small caucus states, where he racked up important wins. His fundraising has been nothing short of astounding, with millions of dollars pouring in via the Internet from people who never gave a politician a dime.

Obama fans often search for words to express their attraction.

"He just really electrifies you when you are listening to him," said Lena Bradley, 78, a beauty salon owner in Washington. "He has something that's leading him."

As ephemeral as "something that's leading him" sounds, it's hard to explain in more clinical terms his impact on people. But it's there.

As recently as June 2006, a lone reporter could travel with Obama in cars and small planes as he campaigned for other Democrats in state after state. On one such visit to Massachusetts and New Jersey, his charm was on full display before crowds of various size, age and ethnic makeup. He made teenagers guffaw by saying people pronounced his name "Yo Mama." He quoted scripture in a black church, and set every head nodding.

On a plane ride he talked with the reporter for an hour, on the record, with barely a hint of the nervousness or hedging that most politicians understandably display to someone with a pen, pad and tape recorder.

Before an audience of 300 people in East Orange, N.J., Obama spotted local resident and famous singer Dionne Warwick. He smiled impishly and sang, "If you see me walking down the street," the opening line of her hit, "Walk on By." The crowd roared its approval of his on-key ad lib.

Some veteran politicians also see "something that's leading" Obama, whether they can explain it or not.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., a longtime friend and supporter, said "nothing was ever the same" after Obama's Boston speech.

Durbin recalls pulling Obama into a vacant meeting room in Chicago's Union League Club, where both had spoken on a Friday afternoon in November 2006. He felt it was time for his young colleague to decide whether to run for the White House.

"There are moments in life when you can pick the time," Durbin said he told Obama. "But when it comes to running for president, the time can pick you. You've been picked. This is your moment."

A short time later, Obama launched his candidacy.

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Issues

Senator Obama has been able to develop innovative approaches to challenge the status quo and get results. Americans are tired of divisive ideological politics, which is why Senator Obama has reached out to Republicans to find areas of common ground. He has tried to break partisan logjams and take on seemingly intractable problems. During his tenure in Washington and in the Illinois State Senate, Barack Obama has accumulated a record of bipartisan success.

Civil Rights

There is no more fundamental American right than the right to vote. Before the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act, barriers such as literacy tests, poll taxes and property requirements disenfranchised many Americans, especially minorities. More than 40 years later, there are still numerous obstacles to ensuring that every citizen has the ability to vote.

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Economy

As president, Barack Obama will implement a 21st century economic agenda to help ensure that America can compete in a global economy, and ensure the middle class is thriving and growing. He will increase investments in infrastructure, energy independence, education, and research and development; modernize and simplify our tax code so it provides greater opportunity and relief to more Americans; and implement trade policies that benefit American workers and increase the export of American goods.

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Education

Throughout America's history, education has been the vehicle for social and economic mobility, giving hope and opportunity to millions of young people. Our schools must prepare students not only to meet the demands of the global economy, but also help students take their place as committed and engaged citizens. It must ensure that all students have a quality education regardless of race, class, or background. Barack Obama is committed to strengthening our public schools to maximize our country's greatest natural resource - the American people. Obama believes that we must equip poor and struggling districts, both rural and urban, with the support and resources they need to provide disadvantaged students with an opportunity to reach their full potential. Too often, our leaders present this issue as an either - or debate, divided between giving our schools more funding, or demanding more accountability. Obama believes that we have to do both, and has offered innovative ideas to break through the political stalemate in Washington.

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Energy & Environment

Senator Obama has been a leader in the Senate in pushing for a comprehensive national energy policy and has introduced a number of bills to get us closer to the goal of energy independence. By putting aside partisan battles, he has found common ground on CAFE, renewable fuels, and clean coal.

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Ethics

Throughout his political career, Barack Obama has been a leader in fighting for open and honest government. As a U.S. Senator, he has spearheaded the effort to clean up Washington in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal. In a politically charged election year, Obama acknowledged that corruption was a problem that plagued both political parties. He subsequently enlisted the help of Republican allies to limit lobbyist influence, shine sunlight into the earmarks process and promote open government.

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Faith

In June of 2006, Senator Obama delivered what was called the most important speech on religion and politics in 40 years. Speaking before an evangelical audience, Senator Obama candidly discussed his own religious conversion and doubts, and the need for a deeper, more substantive discussion about the role of faith in American life.

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Family

Strong families raise successful children and keep communities together. While Senator Obama does not believe that we can simply legislate healthy families, good parenting skills or economic success, he does believe we can eliminate roadblocks that parents face and provide tools to help them succeed. A husband and father of two, Senator Obama has promoted strong families in the Senate.

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Fiscal

"The cost of our debt is one of the fastest growing expenses in the federal budget. This rising debt is a hidden domestic enemy, robbing our cities and states of critical investments in infrastructure like bridges, ports, and levees; robbing our families and our children of critical investments in education and health care reform; robbing our seniors of the retirement and health security they have counted on ... If Washington were serious about honest tax relief in this country, we'd see an effort to reduce our national debt by returning to responsible fiscal policies." - Barack Obama, Speech in the U.S. Senate, March 13, 2006

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Foreign Policy

As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Obama has fought to strengthen America's position in the world. Reaching across the aisle, Obama has tackled problems such as preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction and stopping the genocide in Darfur.

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Healthcare

"I...believe that every American has the right to affordable health care. I believe that the millions of Americans who can't take their children to a doctor when they get sick have that right...We now face an opportunity - and an obligation - to turn the page on the failed politics of yesterday's health care debates. It's time to bring together businesses, the medical community, and members of both parties around a comprehensive solution to this crisis, and it's time to let the drug and insurance industries know that while they'll get a seat at the table, they don't get to buy every chair." -Barack Obama, Speech in Iowa City, IA, 5/27/07

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Homeland Security

Five years after 9/11, our country is still unprepared for a terrorist attack. From improving security for our transit systems and chemical plants, to increasing cargo screening in our airports and seaports, the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission have been underfunded and ignored. The 9/11 Commission gave the government five F's and 12 D's on the implementation of its recommendations. Senator Obama is a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and has supported efforts to base homeland security spending on risk rather than pork-barrel politics. He has also introduced legislation to strengthen chemical plant and drinking water security and to enhance disaster preparedness.

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Immigration

Barack Obama has played a leading role in crafting comprehensive immigration reform. Obama believes the immigration issue has been exploited by politicians to divide the nation rather than find real solutions. This divisiveness has allowed the illegal immigration problem to worsen, with borders that are less secure than ever and an economy that depends on millions of workers living in the shadows.

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Iraq

Before the war in Iraq ever started, Senator Obama said that it was wrong in its conception. In 2002, then Illinois State Senator Obama said Saddam Hussein posed no imminent threat to the United States and that invasion would lead to an occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. Since then, Senator Obama has laid out a plan on the way forward in Iraq that has largely been affirmed by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group led by James Baker and Lee Hamilton.

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Poverty

There are 37 million poor Americans. Most poor Americans are in the workforce, yet still cannot afford to make ends meet. And too many poor Americans are single mothers who are raising children. Barack Obama has been a lifelong advocate for the poor -- as a young college graduate, he rejected the high salaries of corporate America and moved to the South Side of Chicago to work as a community organizer. As an organizer, Obama worked with churches, Chicago residents and local government to set up job training programs for the unemployed and after school programs for kids.

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Rural

"We are at that critical and urgent moment. If Washington continues policies that work against America's family farmers, our rural communities will fall further behind - and so will America. But if we reject the politics that has shut ordinary folks out, we can create a new story for rural America ... The dreams of rural Americans are familiar to all Americans - to make a good living, to raise a healthy and secure family, and to leave our children a future of opportunity. It's time for real leadership for rural America to extend that American dream. That's the dream of opportunity that I've spent my life fighting for. And that's what our rural agenda will do." - Barack Obama, Speech in Fairfax, IA, October 16, 2007

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Service

"Your own story and the American story are not separate - they are shared. And they will both be enriched if we stand up together, and answer a new call to service to meet the challenges of our new century ... I won't just ask for your vote as a candidate; I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am president of the United States. This will not be a call issued in one speech or program; this will be a cause of my presidency." - Barack Obama, Speech in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, December 5, 2007

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Seniors & Social Security

Americans turning 65 this year have grown our economy by 4.5 times over the course of their working lives. They have tilled our soil, defended our country, taught our children, worked in our factories, and raised a new generation to build upon their successes. And yet, many struggle to get by. Threats to Social Security and Medicare, skyrocketing health costs, and abuse and neglect of seniors all jeopardize our unspoken covenant: our seniors worked hard to take care of us, and now we must be here for them.

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Technology

"Let us be the generation that reshapes our economy to compete in the digital age. Let's set high standards for our schools and give them the resources they need to succeed. Let's recruit a new army of teachers, and give them better pay and more support in exchange for more accountability. Let's make college more affordable, and let's invest in scientific research, and let's lay down broadband lines through the heart of inner cities and rural towns all across America."

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Veterans

As a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama is committed to helping the heroes who defend our nation today and the veterans who fought in years past. A grandson of a World War II veteran who went to college on the G.I. Bill, Senator Obama has reached out to Republicans and Democrats in order to honor our commitment to America's veterans.

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Thank You

President Barack Obama's Inaugural Addressposted January 20 12:47:21 PM
As prepared for delivery: My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition. Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of…
CONTINUE READING
Inauguration Open Threadposted January 20 5:44:42 AM
You can watch the Swearing-In ceremony live today at PIC2009.org beginning at 11:00 a.m. It's been a long time coming, but today is the moment you've worked for, and waited for. This is your Inauguration Open Thread . . .
CONTINUE READING
From the Presidential Inaugural Committee: Today and Tomorrowposted January 19 10:50:47 PM
From Emmett Beliveau, Executive Director of the Presidential Inaugural Committee: Today, Americans in all 50 states answered President-elect Obama's call to service. Thousands of people stood up to renew America together, doing everything from working in homeless shelters and mentoring young people, to assembling more than 80,000 care packages for our troops at a service event here in Washington, D.C. Thank you for a great day of service. Tomorrow,…
CONTINUE READING
President-Elect Obama on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: "Our separate dreams are one"posted January 19 1:15:48 PM
President-elect Obama joined Americans across the country today in honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by joining in one of the 11,000 public service planned for today. This morning he released an official statement honoring Dr. King: Today, we celebrate the life of a preacher who, more than forty-five years ago, stood on our national mall in the shadow of Lincoln and shared his dream for our nation. His was a vision that all Americans might share …
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Open Thread: A Call to Serveposted January 18 6:48:02 PM
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Barack Obama | Change We Can Believe In |

Barack Obama

Junior Senator from Illinois
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2005 Serving with Richard Durbin
Preceded by	Peter Fitzgerald
Succeeded by	Incumbent
Member of the Illinois State Senate from the 13th district
In office 1997 – 2004
Succeeded by	Kwame Raoul

Born	August 4, 1961 (1961-08-04) (age 46) Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Michelle Obama
Children	Malia and Sasha
Residence	Chicago, Illinois
Alma mater	Columbia University, Harvard Law School
Religion	Christian (United Church of Christ)
Signature
Website	www.barackobama.com

BLACK IN WHITE HOUSE-BARRIER BROKEN ONCE FOR ALL

20.January 2009, 19:55
It was an historic day for the United States of America: President-elect Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president, and the first African-American president in the nation's history. Speaking to the hundreds of thousands present at the National Mall, and millions watching on television, President Barack Obama delivered his inauguration address.

Picture: REUTERS
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers his speech after taking the Oath of Office to become the 44th President of the United States, during the inauguration ceremony in Washington, January 20, 2009. Obama became the first African-American president in U.S. history.
The following is the full text of U.S. President Barack Obama’s inauguration address on Tuesday. Obama, a Democrat, was sworn in on the steps of the Capitol as the 44th U.S. president around noon EST (1700 GMT), taking over from President George W. Bush, a Republican.
"My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
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That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land – a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America – they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted – for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.
Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things – some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions – that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking
America. For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans.
Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them – that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works – whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day – because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control – and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.
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President Obama
The 44th president is sworn in
Inauguration Day
An historic day in Washington, D.C.
Team Obama
Obama’s cabinet is taking shape
Barack Obama Trivia
Learn more about the 44th U.S. President
The 44 US Presidents
From Washington to Obama
Michelle Obama
The new First Lady of the U.S.A.
Meet the Presidents
Obama meets his predecessors
The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart – not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake.
And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort – even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West – know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment – a moment that will define a generation – it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends – hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism – these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility – a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence – the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
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This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed – why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet.
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."
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Grassroots Action Guide:

Grassroots Action Guide: Our Time is Now

Introduction

It’s up to us to use every bit of energy and enthusiasm that we have to help Barack Obama get elected and change the course of our nation. There’s no later, and no tomorrow. Our moment is now.

This guide has been created to help grassroots supporters like you all across the country structure your activities.

Get Involved with your Local Field Office

The very first thing you should do is contact your local field office. The campaign has opened dozens of offices in states across the country. Check out this national map and find the office closest to you,

Your local field office will ask you to help in their efforts on the ground.

Get Organized Locally

In some cases, there may not be a local field office nearby, or you may be excited to get started organizing in your own town.

In order to help you in that process, we’ve created a step-by-step guide with all the resources and advice that you may need in that process.

First off, let us know that you are committed to getting your group organized! If you let us know that you're working in your local community, we can better help to empower you.

Step 1: Organizational Meeting

Before you have an organizational meeting, contact your local field office to let them know that you’re planning on having a community organizational meeting. Find your local office’s contact information.

Schedule your organizational meeting as soon as possible. There’s no time to spare. You have to get moving as quickly as possible.

The best times to schedule organizational meetings are weekday evenings and weekends. Choose a location that is easily accessible and a comfortable environment to everyone in your community. Popular venues are local coffee shops, diners, and community centers. If you think your gathering may be large, you should contact the venue ahead of time to let them know that you will be coming with a group.

One of the keys to a successful meeting is promoting the event properly. Here are a few things you can do to get the word out effectively:

Promote on My.BarackObama. Create an event on My.barackobama.com and post it to your local My.BarackObama group. Send out an email to the listservs of the groups you belong to on My.BarackObama. Write a blog post and post it to the group profile, announcing the details of your event. Message your friends on My.BarackObama to let them know that the event is coming up.

Promote in your community. Send invitations to the event to your personal email lists, neighborhood groups, community group lists, etc. Make a list of important friends, neighbors, or colleagues that you really want there and call to remind them of the event before it happens. Try posting flyers at your local coffee shop, grocery store or library to reach an even larger audience.

Don’t be shy in trying to get the word out. The more people that know your event is happening, the more likely you’ll get a sizable crowd.

Finally, make sure your local campaign field office knows about your event. You can find the office closest to you by visiting BarackObama.com and selecting your state.

Logistics

When the day of your event approaches, make sure you remind attendees that the event is coming up. Know how many people you’ll be expecting and let your venue know if you think it may disrupt their normal business. Get to your event 15 minutes or half an hour before it’s supposed to begin to set up before everyone arrives.

There are several things you’ll want to make sure you bring:

• Name tags to help attendees remember one another’s name and feel comfortable introducing themselves.
• Sign-in sheets so that you can keep your attendees informed of your group’s actions in the coming weeks.
• Issue flyers for anyone who is curious to know more about Barack’s position on any particular topic.

Agenda

It’s smart to begin your meeting five or ten minutes after the planned start time in order to give enough time for latecomers to get in. This also gives folks a few minutes to mingle and get acquainted. Once you have a critical mass, introduce yourself. Talk briefly about who you are and be sure to emphasize your personal reasons for supporting Barack Obama. Ask the other attendees to go around and introduce themselves as well.

Once everyone is familiar with everyone else, it’s time to get organized. Discuss with the group how to complete Step 2 on the following tab.

Meet Obama

Meet Barack

Early Years

Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4th, 1961. His father, Barack Obama Sr., was born and raised in a small village in Kenya, where he grew up herding goats with his own father, who was a domestic servant to the British.

Barack's mother, Ann Dunham, grew up in small-town Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs during the Depression, and then signed up for World War II after Pearl Harbor, where he marched across Europe in Patton's army. Her mother went to work on a bomber assembly line, and after the war, they studied on the G.I. Bill, bought a house through the Federal Housing Program, and moved west to Hawaii.

It was there, at the University of Hawaii, where Barack's parents met. His mother was a student there, and his father had won a scholarship that allowed him to leave Kenya and pursue his dreams in America.

Barack's father eventually returned to Kenya, and Barack grew up with his mother in Hawaii, and for a few years in Indonesia. Later, he moved to New York, where he graduated from Columbia University in 1983.

The College Years

Remembering the values of empathy and service that his mother taught him, Barack put law school and corporate life on hold after college and moved to Chicago in 1985, where he became a community organizer with a church-based group seeking to improve living conditions in poor neighborhoods plagued with crime and high unemployment.

The group had some success, but Barack had come to realize that in order to truly improve the lives of people in that community and other communities, it would take not just a change at the local level, but a change in our laws and in our politics.

He went on to earn his law degree from Harvard in 1991, where he became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. Soon after, he returned to Chicago to practice as a civil rights lawyer and teach constitutional law. Finally, his advocacy work led him to run for the Illinois State Senate, where he served for eight years. In 2004, he became the third African American since Reconstruction to be elected to the U.S. Senate.

Political Career

It has been the rich and varied experiences of Barack Obama's life - growing up in different places with people who had differing ideas - that have animated his political journey. Amid the partisanship and bickering of today's public debate, he still believes in the ability to unite people around a politics of purpose - a politics that puts solving the challenges of everyday Americans ahead of partisan calculation and political gain.

In the Illinois State Senate, this meant working with both Democrats and Republicans to help working families get ahead by creating programs like the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which in three years provided over $100 million in tax cuts to families across the state. He also pushed through an expansion of early childhood education, and after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Senator Obama worked with law enforcement officials to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.

In the U.S. Senate, he has focused on tackling the challenges of a globalized, 21st century world with fresh thinking and a politics that no longer settles for the lowest common denominator. His first law was passed with Republican Tom Coburn, a measure to rebuild trust in government by allowing every American to go online and see how and where every dime of their tax dollars is spent. He has also been the lead voice in championing ethics reform that would root out Jack Abramoff-style corruption in Congress.

As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama has fought to help Illinois veterans get the disability pay they were promised, while working to prepare the VA for the return of the thousands of veterans who will need care after Iraq and Afghanistan. Recognizing the terrorist threat posed by weapons of mass destruction, he traveled to Russia with Republican Dick Lugar to begin a new generation of non-proliferation efforts designed to find and secure deadly weapons around the world. And knowing the threat we face to our economy and our security from America's addiction to oil, he's working to bring auto companies, unions, farmers, businesses and politicians of both parties together to promote the greater use of alternative fuels and higher fuel standards in our cars.

Whether it's the poverty exposed by Katrina, the genocide in Darfur, or the role of faith in our politics, Barack Obama continues to speak out on the issues that will define America in the 21st century. But above all his accomplishments and experiences, he is most proud and grateful for his family. His wife, Michelle, and his two daughters, Malia, 9, and Sasha, 6, live on Chicago's South Side where they attend Trinity United Church of Christ.

BARACK - LEADER WE CAN BELIEVE IN

Barack Obama
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"Barack" and "Obama" redirect here. For other uses, see Barack (disambiguation) and Obama (disambiguation).
Barack Hussein Obama II

President-elect of the United States
Taking officeJanuary 20, 2009
Vice President
Joe Biden (elect)
Succeeding
George W. Bush
Junior Senatorfrom Illinois
Incumbent
Assumed office January 4, 2005Serving with Dick Durbin
Preceded by
Peter Fitzgerald
Member of the Illinois Senatefrom the 13th district
In officeJanuary 8, 1997 – November 4, 2004
Preceded by
Alice Palmer
Succeeded by
Kwame Raoul
Born
August 4, 1961 (1961-08-04) (age 47)Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.
Birth name
Barack Hussein Obama II
Political party
Democratic Party
Spouse
Michelle Obama (m. 1992)
Children
Malia Ann (b. 1998)Sasha (b. 2001)
Residence
Kenwood, Chicago, Illinois
Alma mater
Occidental College Columbia College Harvard Law School
Profession
Attorney Politician
Religion
United Church of Christ
Signature

Website
Office of the President-Elect
More detailed articles about Barack Obama————————————Early life and career · (Family · Memoir)Illinois Senate career U.S. Senate career Presidential primaries · Obama–Biden 2008 Policy positions · Public image
Barack Hussein Obama II (pronounced /bəˈrɑːk hʊˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/; born August 4, 1961) is the President-elect of the United States and the junior United States Senator from Illinois.[1][2][3] Obama is the first African American to be elected President of the United States.[4]
He is a graduate of Columbia College and Harvard Law School, where he was president of the Harvard Law Review.[5] Obama worked as a community organizer and practiced as a civil rights attorney before serving three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. He taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. Following an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, he announced his campaign for the U.S. Senate in January 2003, won a primary victory in March 2004, and was elected to the Senate in November 2004. Obama delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004.
As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, he helped create legislation to control conventional weapons and to promote greater public accountability in the use of federal funds. He also made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. During the 110th Congress, he helped create legislation regarding lobbying and electoral fraud, climate change, nuclear terrorism, and care for returned U.S. military personnel.
On February 10, 2007, he announced his candidacy for President of the United States, and on June 3, 2008, he was named the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party after a 17-month-long primary campaign. He became the President-elect after defeating Republican presidential candidate John McCain in the general election on November 4, 2008, and is due to be sworn in as President of the United States on January 20, 2009.
Contents[hide]
1 Early life and career
2 State legislator, 1997–2004
3 2004 U.S. Senate campaign
4 U.S. Senator, from 2005
4.1 Legislation
4.2 Committees
5 2008 presidential campaign
6 President-elect of the United States
7 Political positions
8 Family and personal life
9 Cultural and political image
10 Written works
11 Notes
12 References
13 Further reading
14 External links
//

Early life and career
Main article: Early life and career of Barack Obama
Barack Obama was born at the Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children in Honolulu, Hawaii,[6] to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a Luo from Nyang’oma Kogelo, Nyanza Province, Kenya, and Ann Dunham, a white American from Wichita, Kansas [7] of mainly English, Irish and smaller amounts of German descent.[8][9][10] His parents met in 1960 while attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where his father was a foreign student.[11][12] The couple married February 2, 1961;[13] they separated when Obama was two years old and subsequently divorced in 1964.[12] Obama's father returned to Kenya and saw his son only once more before dying in an automobile accident in 1982.[14]
After her divorce, Dunham married Lolo Soetoro, and the family moved to Soetoro's home country of Indonesia in 1967, where Obama attended local schools, such as Asisi, in Jakarta until he was ten years old. He then returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham, while attending Punahou School from the fifth grade in 1971 until his graduation from high school in 1979.[15] Obama's mother returned to Hawaii in 1972 for several years, and then in 1977 went back to Indonesia, where she worked as an anthropological field worker. She stayed there most of the rest of her life, returning to Hawaii in 1994. She died of ovarian cancer in 1995.[16]

Right-to-left: Barack Obama and half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng, with their mother Ann Dunham and grandfather Stanley Dunham, in Hawaii (early 1970s)
As an adult Obama admitted that during high school he used marijuana, cocaine and alcohol, which he described at the 2008 Civil Forum on the Presidency as his greatest moral failure.[17][18]
Following high school, Obama moved to Los Angeles, where he studied at Occidental College for two years.[19] He then transferred to Columbia College in New York City, where he majored in political science with a specialization in international relations.[20] Obama graduated with a B.A. from Columbia in 1983, then at the start of the following year worked for a year at the Business International Corporation [21][22] and then at the New York Public Interest Research Group.[23][24]
After four years in New York City, Obama moved to Chicago, where he was hired as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Greater Roseland (Roseland, West Pullman, and Riverdale) on Chicago's far South Side, and worked there for three years from June 1985 to May 1988.[23][25] During his three years as the DCP's director, its staff grew from one to thirteen and its annual budget grew from $70,000 to $400,000, with accomplishments including helping set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in Altgeld Gardens.[26] Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, a community organizing institute.[27] In mid-1988, he traveled for the first time to Europe for three weeks and then for five weeks in Kenya, where he met many of his Kenyan relatives for the first time.[28]
Obama entered Harvard Law School in late 1988. At the end of his first year, he was selected, based on his grades and a writing competition, as an editor of the Harvard Law Review.[29] In February 1990, in his second year, he was elected president of the Law Review, a full-time volunteer position functioning as editor-in-chief and supervising the Law Review's staff of eighty editors.[30] Obama's election as the first black president of the Law Review was widely reported and followed by several long, detailed profiles.[30] During his summers, he returned to Chicago where he worked as a summer associate at the law firms of Sidley & Austin in 1989 and Hopkins & Sutter in 1990.[31] After graduating with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) magna cum laude [32][33] from Harvard in 1991, he returned to Chicago.[29]
The publicity from his election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations.[34] In an effort to recruit him to their faculty, the University of Chicago Law School provided Obama with a fellowship and an office to work on his book.[34] He originally planned to finish the book in one year, but it took much longer as the book evolved into a personal memoir. In order to work without interruptions, Obama and his wife, Michelle, traveled to Bali where he wrote for several months. The manuscript was finally published in mid-1995 as Dreams from My Father.[34]
Obama directed Illinois' Project Vote from April to October 1992, a voter registration drive with a staff of ten and seven hundred volunteers; it achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state, and led to Crain's Chicago Business naming Obama to its 1993 list of "40 under Forty" powers to be.[35][36]
Obama taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years, being first classified as a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and then as a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004.[37] He also joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a twelve-attorney law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development, where he was an associate for three years from 1993 to 1996, then of counsel from 1996 to 2004, with his law license becoming inactive in 2002.[23][38][39]
Obama was a founding member of the board of directors of Public Allies in 1992, resigning before his wife, Michelle, became the founding executive director of Public Allies Chicago in early 1993.[23][40] He served from 1994 to 2002 on the board of directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago, which in 1985 had been the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project, and also from 1994 to 2002 on the board of directors of The Joyce Foundation.[23] Obama served on the board of directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995 to 2002, as founding president and chairman of the board of directors from 1995 to 1999.[23] He also served on the board of directors of the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Center for Neighborhood Technology, and the Lugenia Burns Hope Center.[23]

State legislator, 1997–2004
Main article: Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama
Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996, succeeding State Senator Alice Palmer as Senator from Illinois' 13th District, which then spanned Chicago South Side neighborhoods from Hyde Park-Kenwood south to South Shore and west to Chicago Lawn.[41] Once elected, Obama gained bipartisan support for legislation reforming ethics and health care laws.[42] He sponsored a law increasing tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for childcare.[43] In 2001, as co-chairman of the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, Obama supported Republican Governor Ryan's payday loan regulations and predatory mortgage lending regulations aimed at averting home foreclosures.[44]
Obama was reelected to the Illinois Senate in 1998, and again in 2002.[45] In 2000, he lost a Democratic primary run for the U.S. House of Representatives to four-term incumbent Bobby Rush by a margin of two to one.[46][47]
In January 2003, Obama became chairman of the Illinois Senate's Health and Human Services Committee when Democrats, after a decade in the minority, regained a majority.[48] He sponsored and led unanimous, bipartisan passage of legislation to monitor racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drivers they detained and legislation making Illinois the first state to mandate videotaping of homicide interrogations.[43][49] During his 2004 general election campaign for U.S. Senate, police representatives credited Obama for his active engagement with police organizations in enacting death penalty reforms.[50] Obama resigned from the Illinois Senate in November 2004 following his election to the US Senate.[51]

2004 U.S. Senate campaign
See also: United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004
In mid-2002, Obama began considering a run for the U.S. Senate; he enlisted political strategist David Axelrod that fall and formally announced his candidacy in January 2003.[52] Decisions by Republican incumbent Peter Fitzgerald and his Democratic predecessor Carol Moseley Braun not to contest the race launched wide-open Democratic and Republican primary contests involving fifteen candidates.[53] Obama's candidacy was boosted by Axelrod's advertising campaign featuring images of the late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington and an endorsement by the daughter of the late Paul Simon, former U.S. Senator for Illinois.[54] He received over 52% of the vote in the March 2004 primary, emerging 29% ahead of his nearest Democratic rival.[55]
In July 2004, Obama wrote and delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts.[56] After describing his maternal grandfather's experiences as a World War II veteran and a beneficiary of the New Deal's FHA and G.I. Bill programs, Obama spoke about changing the U.S. government's economic and social priorities. He questioned the Bush administration's management of the Iraq War and highlighted America's obligations to its soldiers. Drawing examples from U.S. history, he criticized heavily partisan views of the electorate and asked Americans to find unity in diversity, saying, "There is not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America."[57] Broadcasts of the speech by major news organizations launched Obama's status as a national political figure and boosted his campaign for U.S. Senate.[58]
Obama's expected opponent in the general election, Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, withdrew from the race in June 2004.[59] Two months later and less than three months before Election Day, Alan Keyes accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination to replace Ryan.[60] A long-time resident of Maryland, Keyes established legal residency in Illinois with the nomination.[61] In the November 2004 general election, Obama received 70% of the vote to Keyes's 27%, the largest victory margin for a statewide race in Illinois history.[62]

U.S. Senator, from 2005
Main article: United States Senate career of Barack Obama
Obama was sworn in as a senator on January 4, 2005.[63] Obama was the fifth African-American Senator in U.S. history, and the third to have been popularly elected.[64] He is the only Senate member of the Congressional Black Caucus.[65] CQ Weekly, a nonpartisan publication, characterized him as a "loyal Democrat" based on analysis of all Senate votes in 2005–2007, and the National Journal ranked him as the "most liberal" senator based on an assessment of selected votes during 2007. In 2005 he was ranked sixteenth, and in 2006 he was ranked tenth.[66][67] In 2008, he was ranked by Congress.org as the eleventh most powerful Senator.[68]

Legislation
See also: List of bills sponsored by Barack Obama in the United States Senate

Senate bill sponsors Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Obama discussing the Coburn–Obama Transparency Act.[69]
Obama voted in favor of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and cosponsored the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act.[70] In September 2006, Obama supported a related bill, the Secure Fence Act.[71] Obama introduced two initiatives bearing his name: Lugar–Obama, which expanded the Nunn–Lugar cooperative threat reduction concept to conventional weapons,[72] and the Coburn–Obama Transparency Act, which authorized the establishment of USAspending.gov, a web search engine on federal spending.[73] On June 3, 2008, Senator Obama, along with Senators Thomas R. Carper, Tom Coburn, and John McCain, introduced follow-up legislation: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008.[74]
Obama sponsored legislation that would have required nuclear plant owners to notify state and local authorities of radioactive leaks, but the bill failed to pass in the full Senate after being heavily modified in committee.[75] In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act, marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor.[76] In January 2007, Obama and Senator Feingold introduced a corporate jet provision to the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which was signed into law in September 2007.[77] Obama also introduced Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act, a bill to criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections[78] and the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007,[79] neither of which have been signed into law.

Obama and Richard Lugar visit a Russian mobile launch missile dismantling facility.[80]
Later in 2007, Obama sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act adding safeguards for personality disorder military discharges.[81] This amendment passed the full Senate in the spring of 2008.[82] He sponsored the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry, which has not passed committee, and co-sponsored legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism.[83][84] Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the State Children's Health Insurance Program providing one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries.[85]

Committees
Obama held assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works and Veterans' Affairs through December 2006.[86] In January 2007, he left the Environment and Public Works committee and took additional assignments with Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.[87] He also became Chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on European Affairs.[88] As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. He met with Mahmoud Abbas before he became President of Palestine, and gave a speech at the University of Nairobi condemning corruption in the Kenyan government.[89][90][91][92]

2008 presidential campaign
Main articles: Barack Obama presidential primary campaign, 2008 and Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008

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Barack Obama elected 44th President of the United States
On February 10, 2007, Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States in front of the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois.[93][94] The choice of the announcement site was symbolic because it was also where Abraham Lincoln delivered his historic "House Divided" speech in 1858.[95] Throughout the campaign, Obama emphasized the issues of rapidly ending the Iraq War, increasing energy independence, and providing universal health care, at one point identifying these as his top three priorities.[96]

Obama on stage with his wife and two daughters just before announcing his presidential campaign in Springfield, Illinois
Obama's campaign raised $58 million during the first half of 2007, of which donations of less than $200, classified as "small donations" by campaign laws, accounted for $16.4 million. The $58 million set the record for fundraising by a presidential campaign in the first six months of the calendar year before the election.[97] The magnitude of the small donation portion was outstanding from both the absolute and relative perspectives.[98] In January 2008, his campaign set another fundraising record with $36.8 million, the most ever raised in one month by a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries.[99]
Among the January 2008 DNC-sanctioned state contests, Obama tied with Hillary Clinton for delegates in the New Hampshire primary and won more delegates than Clinton in the Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina elections and caucuses. On Super Tuesday, he emerged with 20 more delegates than Clinton.[100] He again broke fundraising records in the first two months of 2008, raising over $90 million for his primary to Clinton's $45 million.[101] After Super Tuesday, Obama won the eleven remaining February primaries and caucuses.[102] Obama and Clinton split delegates and states nearly equally in the March 4 contests of Vermont, Texas, Ohio, and Rhode Island; Obama closed the month by winning Wyoming and Mississippi.[103]
In March 2008, a controversy broke out concerning Obama's former pastor of twenty years, Jeremiah Wright,[104] after ABC News broadcast clips of his racially and politically charged sermons.[104][105] Initially, Obama responded by defending Wright's wider role in Chicago's African-American community,[106] but condemned his remarks and ended Wright's relationship with the campaign.[107] During the controversy, Obama delivered a speech entitled "A More Perfect Union"[108] that addressed issues of race. Obama subsequently resigned from Trinity United Church of Christ "to avoid the impression that he endorsed the entire range of opinions expressed at that church."[109][110][111]

General David Petraeus gives an aerial tour of Baghdad to Barack Obama and Chuck Hagel.
During April, May, and June, Obama won the North Carolina, Oregon, and Montana primaries and remained ahead in the count of pledged delegates, while Clinton won the Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, Puerto Rico, and South Dakota primaries. During the period, Obama received endorsements from more superdelegates than did Clinton.[112] On May 31, the Democratic National Committee agreed to seat all of the Michigan and Florida delegates at the national convention, each with a half-vote, narrowing Obama's delegate lead while increasing the delegate count needed to win.[113] On June 3, with all states counted, Obama passed the threshold to become the presumptive nominee.[114][115] On that day, he gave a victory speech in St. Paul, Minnesota. Clinton suspended her campaign and endorsed him on June 7.[116] From that point on, he campaigned for the general election race against Senator John McCain, the Republican nominee.
On June 19, Obama became the first major-party presidential candidate to turn down public financing in the general election since the system was created in 1976, reversing his earlier intention to accept it.[117]
On August 23, 2008, Obama selected Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate.[118] At the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, Obama's former rival Hillary Clinton gave a speech strongly supporting Obama's candidacy and later called for Obama to be nominated by acclamation as the Democratic presidential candidate.[119][120] Then, on August 28, Obama delivered a speech to the 84,000 supporters in Denver. During the speech, which was viewed by over 38 million people worldwide, he accepted his party's nomination and presented his policy goals.[121][122]

Obama delivering his presidential acceptance speech
After McCain was nominated as the Republican presidential candidate, polls indicated that he had closed the gap with Obama. There were three presidential debates between Obama and McCain in September and October 2008.[123][124]
After the debates, Obama pulled ahead in national polls. On November 2, 2008, Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, died from cancer at the age of 86. Obama learned of his grandmother's death on November 3, one day before the election.[125][126]

President-elect of the United States
See also: Presidential transition of Barack Obama
On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama defeated John McCain and became the first African American to be elected President of the United States.[127][128][129][130] In his victory speech, delivered before a crowd of hundreds of thousands of his supporters in Chicago, Obama proclaimed that "change has come to America."[131] Born in Hawaii, Obama will be the first U.S. President born outside the contiguous United States. He also will be fifth youngest President at a date of accession and the second since Lincoln whose primary political base is Illinois.
President-elect Obama is scheduled to be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States on January 20, 2009.

Political positions
Main article: Political positions of Barack Obama

Obama campaigning in Pennsylvania, October 2008
A method that some political scientists use for gauging ideology is to compare the annual ratings by the Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) with the ratings by the American Conservative Union (ACU).[132] Based on his years in Congress, Obama has a lifetime average conservative rating of 7.67% from the ACU,[133] and a lifetime average liberal rating of 90% from the ADA.[134]
Obama was an early opponent of the Bush administration's policies on Iraq.[135] On October 2, 2002, the day President George W. Bush and Congress agreed on the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War,[136] Obama addressed the first high-profile Chicago anti-Iraq War rally in Federal Plaza,[137] speaking out against the war.[138][139] On March 16, 2003, the day President Bush issued his 48-hour ultimatum to Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq before the U.S. invasion of Iraq,[140] Obama addressed the largest Chicago anti-Iraq War rally to date in Daley Plaza and told the crowd that "it's not too late" to stop the war.[141]
Obama stated that if elected he would enact budget cuts in the range of tens of billions of dollars, stop investing in "unproven" missile defense systems, not "weaponize" space, "slow development of Future Combat Systems," and work towards eliminating all nuclear weapons. Obama favors ending development of new nuclear weapons, reducing the current U.S. nuclear stockpile, enacting a global ban on production of fissile material, and seeking negotiations with Russia in order to take ICBMs off high alert status.[142]
In November 2006, Obama called for a "phased redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq" and an opening of diplomatic dialogue with Syria and Iran.[143] In a March 2007 speech to AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobby, he said that the primary way to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons is through talks and diplomacy, although he did not rule out military action.[144] Obama has indicated that he would engage in "direct presidential diplomacy" with Iran without preconditions.[145][146][147] Detailing his strategy for fighting global terrorism in August 2007, Obama said "it was a terrible mistake to fail to act" against a 2005 meeting of al-Qaeda leaders that U.S. intelligence had confirmed to be taking place in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas. He said that as president he would not miss a similar opportunity, even without the support of the Pakistani government.[148]
In a December 2005, Washington Post opinion column, and at the Save Darfur rally in April 2006, Obama called for more assertive action to oppose genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.[149] He has divested $180,000 in personal holdings of Sudan-related stock, and has urged divestment from companies doing business in Iran.[150] In the July–August 2007 issue of Foreign Affairs, Obama called for an outward looking post-Iraq War foreign policy and the renewal of American military, diplomatic, and moral leadership in the world. Saying "we can neither retreat from the world nor try to bully it into submission," he called on Americans to "lead the world, by deed and by example."[151]
In economic affairs, in April 2005, he defended the New Deal social welfare policies of Franklin D. Roosevelt and opposed Republican proposals to establish private accounts for Social Security.[152] In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Obama spoke out against government indifference to growing economic class divisions, calling on both political parties to take action to restore the social safety net for the poor.[153] Shortly before announcing his presidential campaign, Obama said he supports universal health care in the United States.[154] Obama proposes to reward teachers for performance from traditional merit pay systems, assuring unions that changes would be pursued through the collective bargaining process.[155]

Obama speaking at a rally in Conway, South Carolina [156]
In September 2007, he blamed special interests for distorting the U.S. tax code.[157] His plan would eliminate taxes for senior citizens with incomes of less than $50,000 a year, repeal income tax cuts for those making over $250,000 as well as the capital gains and dividends tax cut,[158] close corporate tax loopholes, lift the income cap on Social Security taxes, restrict offshore tax havens, and simplify filing of income tax returns by pre-filling wage and bank information already collected by the IRS.[159] Announcing his presidential campaign's energy plan in October 2007, Obama proposed a cap and trade auction system to restrict carbon emissions and a ten year program of investments in new energy sources to reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil.[160] Obama proposed that all pollution credits must be auctioned, with no grandfathering of credits for oil and gas companies, and the spending of the revenue obtained on energy development and economic transition costs.[161]
Obama has encouraged Democrats to reach out to evangelicals and other religious groups.[162] In December 2006, he joined Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) at the "Global Summit on AIDS and the Church" organized by church leaders Kay and Rick Warren.[163] Together with Warren and Brownback, Obama took an HIV test, as he had done in Kenya less than four months earlier.[164] He encouraged "others in public life to do the same" and not be ashamed of it.[165] Addressing over 8,000 United Church of Christ members in June 2007, Obama challenged "so-called leaders of the Christian Right" for being "all too eager to exploit what divides us."[166]

Family and personal life
Main article: Family of Barack Obama

Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama
Obama was known as "Barry" in his youth, but asked to be addressed with his given name during his college years.[167]
Obama met his wife, Michelle Robinson, in June 1989 when he was employed as a summer associate at the Chicago law firm of Sidley Austin.[168] Assigned for three months as Obama's adviser at the firm, Robinson joined him at group social functions, but declined his initial offers to date.[169] They began dating later that summer, became engaged in 1991, and were married on October 3, 1992.[170] The couple's first daughter, Malia Ann, was born in 1998,[171] followed by a second daughter, Natasha ("Sasha"), in 2001.[172]
Applying the proceeds of a book deal,[173] in 2005 the family moved from a Hyde Park, Chicago condominium to their current $1.6 million house in neighboring Kenwood.[174] The purchase of an adjacent lot and sale of part of it to Obama by the wife of developer and friend Tony Rezko attracted media attention because of Rezko's indictment and subsequent conviction on political corruption charges that were unrelated to Obama.[175][176]
In December 2007, Money magazine estimated the Obama family's net worth at $1.3 million.[177] Their 2007 tax return showed a household income of $4.2 million—up from about $1 million in 2006 and $1.6 million in 2005—mostly from sales of his books.[178]

Obama playing basketball with U.S. military in Djibouti in 2006[179]
In a 2006 interview, Obama highlighted the diversity of his extended family. "Michelle will tell you that when we get together for Christmas or Thanksgiving, it's like a little mini-United Nations," he said. "I've got relatives who look like Bernie Mac, and I've got relatives who look like Margaret Thatcher."[180] Obama has seven half-siblings from his Kenyan father's family, six of them living, and a half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, the daughter of his mother and her Indonesian second husband.[181] Obama's mother was survived by her Kansas-born mother, Madelyn Dunham[182] until her death on November 2, 2008, just before the presidential election.[183] In Dreams from My Father, Obama ties his mother's family history to possible Native American ancestors and distant relatives of Jefferson Davis, president of the southern Confederacy during the American Civil War.[184]
Obama plays basketball, a sport he participated in as a member of his high school's varsity team.[185] Before announcing his presidential candidacy, he began a well-publicized effort to quit smoking.[186]
Obama is a Christian whose religious views have evolved in his adult life. In The Audacity of Hope, Obama writes that he "was not raised in a religious household." He describes his mother, raised by non-religious parents (whom Obama has specified elsewhere as "non-practicing Methodists and Baptists") to be detached from religion, yet "in many ways the most spiritually awakened person that I have ever known." He describes his father as "raised a Muslim", but a "confirmed atheist" by the time his parents met, and his stepfather as "a man who saw religion as not particularly useful." In the book, Obama explains how, through working with black churches as a community organizer while in his twenties, he came to understand "the power of the African-American religious tradition to spur social change."[187][188] He was baptized at Trinity United Church of Christ in 1988.[189][190]

Cultural and political image
Main article: Public image of Barack Obama
With his Kenyan father and white American mother, his upbringing in Honolulu and Jakarta, and his Ivy League education, Obama's early life experiences differ markedly from those of African-American politicians who launched their careers in the 1960s through participation in the civil rights movement.[191] Expressing puzzlement over questions about whether he is "black enough," Obama told an August 2007 meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists that the debate is not about his physical appearance or his record on issues of concern to black voters. Obama said that "we're still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong."[192]
Echoing the inaugural address of John F. Kennedy, Obama acknowledged his youthful image in an October 2007 campaign speech, saying: "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation."[193]
Many commentators mentioned Obama's international appeal as a defining factor for his public image.[194] Not only did several polls show strong support for him in other countries,[195] but Obama also established close relationships with prominent foreign politicians and elected officials even before his presidential candidacy, notably with then current British Prime Minister Tony Blair, whom he met in London in 2005,[196] with Italy's Democratic Party leader Walter Veltroni, who visited Obama's Senate office in 2005,[197] and with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who also visited him in Washington in 2006.[198]

Written works
Obama, Barack (1995). Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0307383415. Audio Book Grammy Award Winner: Spoken word [199]
Obama, Barack (October 17, 2006). The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. Crown Publishing Group / Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0307237699. Audio Book Grammy Award Winner: Spoken word[200][201]
Obama, Barack (March 27, 2007). Barack Obama in His Own Words. PublicAffairs. ISBN 0786720573.
National Urban League (April 17, 2007). The State of Black America 2007: Portrait of the Black Male, Foreword by Barack Obama, Beckham Publications Group. ISBN 0931761859.
Obama, Barack (July-August 2007). "Renewing American Leadership". Foreign Affairs 86 (4), http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070701faessay86401/barack-obama/renewing-american-leadership.html. Retrieved on 14 January 2008.
Obama, Barack (March 1, 2008). Barack Obama: What He Believes In – From His Own Works. Arc Manor. ISBN 1604501170.
Obama, Barack; McCain, John (June 13, 2008). Barack Obama vs. John McCain – Side by Side Senate Voting Record for Easy Comparison. Arc Manor. ISBN 1604502495.
Obama, Barack (September 9, 2008). Change We Can Believe In: Barack Obama's Plan to Renew America's Promise, Foreword by Barack Obama, Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0307460452.

Notes
^ FACTBOX: Barack Obama, Democratic President-elect (Reuters, November 5, 2008); World leaders hail Obama triumph (BBC News, November 5, 2008); Obama's victory caps struggles of previous generations (CNN, November 5, 2008)
^ The President-elect can be yielded on election day, but the official Electoral College vote is not until early December."Backgrounder: U.S. presidential elections", Xinhua News Agency (November 5, 2008). Retrieved on 6 November 2008.
^ "Barack Obama wins presidential election", CNN. Retrieved on 5 November 2008.
^ 55% of White Americans classify Obama as biracial when they are told that he has a white mother, while 66% of African Americans consider him black. ("Williams/Zogby Poll: Americans' Attitudes Changing Towards Multiracial Candidates", BBSNews.com (2006-12-22). Retrieved on 23 September 2007. ) Obama describes himself as "black" or "African American", using both terms interchangeably ("Transcript excerpt: Senator Barack Obama on Sixty Minutes", CBS News (2007-02-11). Retrieved on 10 November 2008. )
^ Butterfield, Fox (1990). "First Black Elected to Head Harvard's Law Review'". NY Times. Retrieved on November 6, 2008.
^ Maraniss, David (2008-08-22). "Though Obama Had to Leave to Find Himself, It Is Hawaii That Made His Rise Possible", The Washington Post. Retrieved on 27 October 2008.
^ "Born in the U.S.A.". FactCheck (August 21, 2008). Retrieved on October 24, 2008.
^ "FOXNews.com - Report: Obama's Irish Roots Unearthed - Politics Republican Party Democratic Party Political Spectrum", Foxnews.com (Thursday, May 03, 2007). Retrieved on 8 November 2008.
^ "Barack Obama's Irish Heritage - John A. Farrell (usnews.com)". Usnews.com. Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
^ "Tiny Irish Village Is Latest Place to Claim Obama as Its Own - washingtonpost.com". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
^ Obama (1995), pp. 9–10. For book excerpts, see "Barack Obama: Creation of Tales", East African (2004-11-01). Retrieved on 13 April 2008. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
^ a b Tim Jones (2007-03-27). "Obama's mom: Not just a girl from Kansas: Strong personalities shaped a future senator", Chicago Tribune, reprinted in The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved on 27 October 2008.
^ Ripley, Amanda (2008-04-09). "The Story of Barack Obama's Mother", Time. Retrieved on 9 April 2007.
^ Merida, Kevin (2007-12-14). "The Ghost of a Father", Washington Post. Retrieved on 24 June 2008. See also: Ochieng, Philip (2004-11-01). "From Home Squared to the US Senate: How Barack Obama Was Lost and Found", East African. Retrieved on 24 June 2008. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. In August 2006, Obama flew his wife and two daughters from Chicago to join him in a visit to his father's birthplace, a village near Kisumu in rural western Kenya. Gnecchi, Nico (2006-02-27). "Obama Receives Hero's Welcome at His Family's Ancestral Village in Kenya", Voice of America. Retrieved on 24 June 2008.
^ Serafin, Peter (2004-03-21). "Punahou Grad Stirs Up Illinois Politics", Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved on 13 April 2008. See also: Obama (1995), Chapters 3 and 4.
^ Ripley, Amanda (2008-04-09). "The Story of Barack Obama's Mother", Time. Retrieved on 24 June 2008. See also: Suryakusuma, Julia (2006-11-29). "Obama for President... of Indonesia", Jakarta Post. Retrieved on 24 June 2008.
^ "Obama, McCain talk issues at pastor's forum - CNN.com". cnn.com (2008-08-17). Retrieved on 2008-08-29.
^ "Barack Obama, asked about drug history, admits he inhaled". International Herald Tribune (2006-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-08-31.
^ "Oxy Remembers "Barry" Obama '83". Occidental College (2007-01-29). Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
^ Boss-Bicak, Shira (January 2005). "Barack Obama '83", Columbia College Today. Retrieved on 9 June 2008.
^ "Curriculum Vitae". The University of Chicago Law School. Archived from the original on 2001-05-09. Retrieved on 2008-11-03.
^ Issenberg, Sasha (2008-08-06). "Obama shows hints of his year in global finance: Tied markets to social aid", Boston Globe. Retrieved on 13 April 2008.
^ a b c d e f g Chassie, Karen (ed.) (2007). Who's Who in America, 2008. New Providence, NJ: Marquis Who's Who, p. 3468. ISBN 9780837970110. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
^ Scott, Janny (2007-10-30). "Obama's Account of New York Years Often Differs from What Others Say", The New York Times. Retrieved on 13 April 2008. Obama (1995), pp. 133–140; Mendell (2007), pp. 62–63.
^ Secter, Bob; McCormick, John (2007-03-30). "Portrait of a pragmatist", Chicago Tribune, p. 1. Retrieved on 6 June 2008. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Lizza, Ryan (2007-03-19). "The Agitator: Barack Obama's Unlikely Political Education" (alternate link), New Republic. Retrieved on 13 April 2008. Obama (1995), pp. 140–295; Mendell (2007), pp. 63–83.
^ Matchan, Linda (1990-02-15). "A Law Review breakthrough" (paid archive), The Boston Globe, p. 29. Retrieved on 6 June 2008. Corr, John (1990-02-27). "From mean streets to hallowed halls" (paid archive), The Philadelphia Inquirer, p. C01. Retrieved on 6 June 2008.
^ Obama, Barack (August–September 1988). "Why organize? Problems and promise in the inner city". Illinois Issues 14 (8–9): 40–42. reprinted in: Knoepfle, Peg (ed.) (1990). After Alinsky: community organizing in Illinois. Springfield, IL: Sangamon State University, pp. 35–40. ISBN 0962087335. Tayler, Letta; Herbert, Keith (2008-03-02). "Obama forged path as Chicago community organizer", Newsday, p. A06. Retrieved on 6 June 2008.
^ Obama (1995), pp. 299–437.
^ a b Levenson, Michael; Saltzman, Jonathan (2007-01-28). "At Harvard Law, a unifying voice", The Boston Globe. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Kantor, Jodi (2007-01-28). "In law school, Obama found political voice", The New York Times, p. 1. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Kodama, Marie C (2007-01-19). "Obama left mark on HLS", The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Mundy, Liza (2007-08-12). "A series of fortunate events", The Washington Post, p. W10. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Heilemann, John (2007-10-22). "When they were young". New York 40 (37): 32–7, 132–3, http://www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=When+They+Were+Young&expire=&urlID=24417790&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnymag.com%2Fnews%2Ffeatures%2F39321%2F&partnerID=73272. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Mendell (2007), pp. 80–92.
^ a b Butterfield, Fox (1990-02-06). "First black elected to head Harvard's Law Review", The New York Times, p. A20. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Ybarra, Michael J (1990-02-07). "Activist in Chicago now heads Harvard Law Review" (paid archive), Chicago Tribune, p. 3. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Matchan, Linda (1990-02-15). "A Law Review breakthrough" (paid archive), The Boston Globe, p. 29. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Corr, John (1990-02-27). "From mean streets to hallowed halls" (paid archive), The Philadelphia Inquirer, p. C01. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Drummond, Tammerlin (1990-03-12). "Barack Obama's Law; Harvard Law Review's first black president plans a life of public service" (paid archive), Los Angeles Times, p. E1. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Pugh, Allison J. (Associated Press) (1990-04-18). "Law Review's first black president aims to help poor" (paid archive), The Miami Herald, p. C01. Retrieved on 15 June 2008.
^ Aguilar, Louis (1990-07-11). "Survey: Law firms slow to add minority partners" (paid archive), Chicago Tribune, p. 1 (Business). Retrieved on 15 June 2008. "Barack Obama, a summer associate at Hopkins & Sutter in Chicago"
^ Adams, Richard (2007-05-09). "Barack Obama", The Guardian. Retrieved on 26 October 2008.
^ Mendell, David. "Barack Obama (American politician)". Retrieved on 2008-10-26.
^ a b c Scott, Janny (2008-05-18). "The story of Obama, written by Obama", The New York Times, p. 1. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Obama (1995), pp. xiii–xvii.
^ White, Jesse (ed.) (2000). Illinois Blue Book, 2000, Millennium ed.. Springfield, IL: Illinois Secretary of State, p. 83. OCLC 43923973. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
^ Jarrett, Vernon (1992-08-11). "'Project Vote' brings power to the people" (paid archive), Chicago Sun-Times, p. 23. Retrieved on 6 June 2008. Reynolds, Gretchen (January 1993). "Vote of Confidence". Chicago 42 (1): 53–54, http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-1993/Vote-of-Confidence/. Retrieved on 6 June 2008. Anderson, Veronica (September 27–October 3, 1993). "40 under Forty: Barack Obama, Director, Illinois Project Vote". Crain's Chicago Business 16 (39): 43.
^ University of Chicago Law School (2008-03-27). "Statement regarding Barack Obama". University of Chicago Law School. Retrieved on 2008-06-10. Miller, Joe (2008-03-28). "Was Barack Obama really a constitutional law professor?". FactCheck.org. Retrieved on 2008-06-10. Holan, Angie Drobnic (2008-03-07). "Obama's 20 years of experience". PolitiFact.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-10.
^ Robinson, Mike (Associated Press) (2007-02-10). "Obama got start in civil rights practice", The Boston Globe. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Pallasch, Abdon M (2007-12-17). "As lawyer, Obama was strong, silent type; He was 'smart, innovative, relentless,' and he mostly let other lawyers do the talking", Chicago Sun-Times, p. 4. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. "People" (paid archive), Chicago Tribune (1993-06-27), p. 9 (Business). Retrieved on 15 June 2008. "Business appointments" (paid archive), Chicago-Sun-Times (1993-07-05), p. 40. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Miner, Barnhill & Galland (2008). "About Us". Miner, Barnhill & Galland – Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved on 2008-06-15. Obama (1995), pp. 438–439, Mendell (2007), pp. 104–106.
^ "ARDC Individual Attorney Record of Public Registration and Public Disciplinary and Disability Information as of October 17, 2008 at 12:52:13 PM". Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois. Retrieved on 2008-10-19.
^ Public Allies (2008). "Fact Sheet on Public Allies' History with Senator Barack and Michelle Obama". Public Allies. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
^ Jackson, David; Ray Long (2007-04-03). "Obama Knows His Way Around a Ballot", Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on 14 January 2008. [dead link] White, Jesse (2001). "Legislative Districts of Cook County, 1991 Reapportionment", Illinois Blue Book 2001–2002. Springfield: Illinois Secretary of State, p. 65. State Sen. District 13 = State Rep. Districts 25 & 26.
^ Slevin, Peter (2007-02-09). "Obama Forged Political Mettle in Illinois Capitol", Washington Post. Retrieved on 20 April 2008. Helman, Scott (2007-09-23). "In Illinois, Obama dealt with Lobbyists", Boston Globe. Retrieved on 20 April 2008. See also: "Obama Record May Be Gold Mine for Critics", Associated Press, CBS News (2007-01-17). Retrieved on 20 April 2008. "In-Depth Look at Obama's Political Career" (video), CLTV, Chicago Tribune (2007-02-09). Retrieved on 20 April 2008.
^ a b Scott, Janny (2007-07-30). "In Illinois, Obama Proved Pragmatic and Shrewd", The New York Times. Retrieved on 20 April 2008. See also: Pearson, Rick; Ray Long (2007-05-03). "Careful Steps, Looking Ahead", Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on 20 April 2008. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008.
^ Allison, Melissa (2000-12-15). "State takes on predatory lending; Rules would halt single-premium life insurance financing", Chicago Tribune, p. 1 (Business). Retrieved on 1 June 2008. Long, Ray; Allison, Melissa (2001-04-18). "Illinois OKs predatory loan curbs; State aims to avert home foreclosures.", Chicago Tribune, p. 1. Retrieved on 1 June 2008.
^ "13th District: Barack Obama" (archive). Illinois State Senate Democrats (2000-08-24). Archived from the original on 2000-04-12. Retrieved on 2008-04-20. "13th District: Barack Obama" (archive). Illinois State Senate Democrats (2004-10-09). Archived from the original on 2004-08-02. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
^ "Federal Elections 2000: U.S. House Results - Illinois". Federal Election Commission. Retrieved on 2008-04-24.. See also: "Obama's Loss May Have Aided White House Bid". and Scott, Janny (2007-09-09). "A Streetwise Veteran Schooled Young Obama", The New York Times. Retrieved on 20 April 2008.
^ McClelland, Edward (2007-02-12). "How Obama Learned to Be a Natural", Salon. Retrieved on 20 April 2008. See also: Wolffe, Richard; Daren Briscoe (2007-07-16). "Across the Divide", Newsweek, MSNBC. Retrieved on 20 April 2008. Helman, Scott (2007-10-12). "Early Defeat Launched a Rapid Political Climb", Boston Globe. Retrieved on 20 April 2008. and Wills, Christopher (2007-10-24). "Obama learned from failed Congress run", USA Today. Retrieved on 20 September 2008.
^ Calmes, Jackie (2007-02-23). "Statehouse Yields Clues to Obama", Wall Street Journal. Retrieved on 20 April 2008.
^ Tavella, Anne Marie (2003-04-14). "Profiling, taping plans pass Senate", Daily Herald, p. 17. Retrieved on 1 June 2008. Haynes, V. Dion (2003-06-29). "Fight racial profiling at local level, lawmaker says; U.S. guidelines get mixed review", Chicago Tribune, p. 8. Retrieved on 1 June 2008. Pearson, Rick (2003-07-17). "Taped confessions to be law; State will be 1st to pass legislation", Chicago Tribune, p. 1 (Metro). Retrieved on 1 June 2008.
^ Youngman, Sam; Aaron Blake (2007-03-14). "Obama's Crime Votes Are Fodder for Rivals", The Hill. Retrieved on 20 April 2008. See also: "US Presidential Candidate Obama Cites Work on State Death Penalty Reforms", Associated Press, International Herald Tribune (2007-11-12). Retrieved on 20 April 2008.
^ Coffee, Melanie (2004-11-06). "Attorney Chosen to Fill Obama's State Senate Seat", Associated Press, HPKCC. Retrieved on 20 April 2008.
^ Helman, Scott (2007-10-12). "Early Defeat Launched a Rapid Political Climb", Boston Globe. Retrieved on 13 April 2008.
^ Davey, Monica (2004-03-07). "Closely Watched Illinois Senate Race Attracts 7 Candidates in Millionaire Range", The New York Times. Retrieved on 13 April 2008.
^ Wallace-Wells, Ben (2007-04-01). "Obama's Narrator", The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved on 13 April 2008.
^ Davey, Monica (2004-03-17). "From Crowded Field, Democrats Choose State Legislator to Seek Senate Seat", New York Times. Retrieved on 13 April 2008. See also: Jackson, John S (August 2006). "The Making of a Senator: Barack Obama and the 2004 Illinois Senate Race" (PDF), Occasional Paper of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, Southern Illinois University. Retrieved on 13 April 2008.
^ Bernstein, David (June 2007). "The Speech", Chicago Magazine. Retrieved on 13 April 2008.
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^ For audio and text, see: Obama, Barack (2006-11-20). "A Way Forward in Iraq". Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
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^ "Obama Warns Pakistan on Al-Qaeda", BBC News (2007-08-01). Retrieved on 14 January 2008. For video and text of the speech, see: "Policy Address on Terrorism by The Honorable Barack Obama, United States Senator from Illinois", Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (2007-08-01). Retrieved on 30 January 2008. For details of the aborted 2005 military operation, see Mazzetti, Mark (2007-07-08). "Rumsfeld Called Off 2005 Plan to Capture Top Qaeda Figures", International Herald Tribune. Retrieved on 14 January 2008.
^ Obama, Barack; Sam Brownback (2005-12-27). "Policy Adrift on Darfur", The Washington Post. Retrieved on 14 January 2008. Doyle, Jim (2006-05-01). "Tens of Thousands Rally for Darfur", San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 14 January 2008.
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^ Obama, Barack (July–August 2007). "Renewing American Leadership". Foreign Affairs 86 (4), http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070701faessay86401/barack-obama/renewing-american-leadership.html. Retrieved on 14 January 2008.
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^ "Rally at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC" (video), Obama for America, Brightcove.TV (August 23, 2007). Retrieved on 17 February 2008.
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^ Lerner, Michael (2006-07-03). "U.S. Senator Barack Obama Critiques Democrats' Religiophobia", Tikkun Magazine. Retrieved on 14 January 2008. "Sen. Barack Obama: Call to Renewal Keynote Address". Beliefnet (2006-06-28). Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
^ Gibson, Manda (2006-06-28). "At Global AIDS Summit, Churches Challenged to Take the Lead", PurposeDriven.com. Retrieved on 14 January 2008. [dead link]
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^ "Barack Obama: Faith Has Been 'Hijacked'", Associated Press via CBS News (2007-06-24). Retrieved on 14 January 2008. See also: Brody, David (2007-07-30). "Obama to CBN News: We're No Longer Just a Christian Nation", Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved on 14 January 2008.
^ "When Barry Became Barack", Newsweek (2008-03-31). Retrieved on 6 November 2008.
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^ Obama (2006), p. 329.
^ Fornek, Scott (2007-10-03). "Michelle Obama: 'He Swept Me Off My Feet'", Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved on 28 April 2008.
^ Martin, Jonathan (2008-07-04). "Born on the 4th of July". The Politico. Retrieved on 2008-07-10.
^ Obama (1995), p. 440, and Obama (2006), pp. 339–340. See also: "Election 2008 Information Center: Barack Obama". Gannett News Service. Retrieved on 2008-04-28.
^ "Obama: I trusted Rezko" (2008-03-15).
^ Zeleny, Jeff (2005-12-24). "The First Time Around: Sen. Obama's Freshman Year", Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on 28 April 2008.
^ "Rezko found guilty in corruption case", The Associated Press, MSNBC.com (2008-06-04). Retrieved on 24 June 2008.
^ Slevin, Peter (2006-12-17). "Obama Says He Regrets Land Deal With Fundraiser", The Washington Post. Retrieved on 10 June 2008.
^ "Obama's Money", CNNMoney.com (2007-12-07). Retrieved on 28 April 2008. See also: Goldfarb, Zachary A (2007-03-24). "Measuring Wealth of the '08 Candidates", The Washington Post. Retrieved on 28 April 2008.
^ Zeleny, Jeff (2008-04-17). "Book Sales Lifted Obamas' Income in 2007 to a Total of $4.2 Million", The New York Times. Retrieved on 28 April 2008.
^ "Senator Barack Obama Visit to CJTF-HOA and Camp Lemonier: August 31—September 1, 2006" (video), Combined Joint Task Force—Horn of Africa, YouTube (2007-02-06). Retrieved on 28 April 2008.
^ "Keeping Hope Alive: Barack Obama Puts Family First". The Oprah Winfrey Show (2006-10-18). Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
^ Fornek, Scott (2007-09-09). "Half Siblings: 'A Complicated Family'", Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved on 24 June 2008. See also: "Interactive Family Tree". Chicago Sun-Times (2007-09-09). Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
^ Fornek, Scott (2007-09-09). "Madelyn Payne Dunham: 'A Trailblazer'", Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved on 24 June 2008.
^ "Obama's grandmother dies after battle with cancer", CNN (2008-11-03). Retrieved on 4 November 2008.
^ Obama (1995), p. 13. For reports on Obama's maternal genealogy, including slave owners, Irish connections, and common ancestors with George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Harry Truman, see: Nitkin, David; Harry Merritt (2007-03-02). "A New Twist to an Intriguing Family History", Baltimore Sun. Retrieved on 24 June 2008. Jordan, Mary (2007-05-13). "Tiny Irish Village Is Latest Place to Claim Obama as Its Own", The Washington Post. Retrieved on 24 June 2008. "Obama's Family Tree Has a Few Surprises", Associated Press, CBS 2 (Chicago) (2007-09-08). Retrieved on 24 June 2008.
^ Kantor, Jodi (2007-06-01). "One Place Where Obama Goes Elbow to Elbow", The New York Times. Retrieved on 28 April 2008. See also: "The Love of the Game" (video), HBO: Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, YouTube (BarackObama.com) (2008-04-15). Retrieved on 28 April 2008.
^ Parsons, Christi (2007-02-06). "Obama Launches an '07 Campaign—To Quit Smoking", Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on 28 April 2008. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008.
^ Obama (2006), pp. 202–208. Portions excerpted in: Obama, Barack (2006-10-23). "My Spiritual Journey", Time. Retrieved on 28 April 2008.
^ Obama, Barack (2006-06-28). "'Call to Renewal' Keynote Address". Barack Obama: U.S. Senator for Illinois (website). Retrieved on 2008-06-16.
^ Jodi Kantor (April 30, 2007). "Barack Obama's search for faith", International Herald Tribune. April 30, 2007
^ Barack Obama (Oct 16, 2006). "My Spiritual Journey", Time magazine.
^ Wallace-Wells, Benjamin (November 2004). "The Great Black Hope: What's Riding on Barack Obama?", Washington Monthly. Retrieved on 7 April 2008. See also: Scott, Janny (2007-12-28). "A Member of a New Generation, Obama Walks a Fine Line", International Herald Tribune. Retrieved on 7 April 2008.
^ Payne, Les (2007-08-19). "In One Country, a Dual Audience" (paid archive), Newsday. Retrieved on 7 April 2008.
^ Dorning, Mike (2007-10-04). "Obama Reaches Across Decades to JFK" (paid archive), Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on 7 April 2008. See also: Harnden, Toby (2007-10-15). "Barack Obama is JFK Heir, Says Kennedy Aide", Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on 7 April 2008.
^ The Root; USA Today
^ World wants Obama as president: poll
^ "Obama to visit nuclear, biological weapons destruction facilities in former Soviet Union" - Senate.gov
^ Quel giorno di tre anni fa a Washington Barack mi raccontò la sua speranza Rome Mayor's Leadership Bid May Lead to Early Italian Elections; VELTRONI A NEW YORK - Il politico prevale sull' amministratore; Libreria Rizzoli Galleria
^ "Sarkozy, Obama and McCain" - The Economist
^ Morris, Chris (2006-09-06). "U2 goes 5-for-5 at Grammys", The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on 20 September 2008.
^ Associated Press (2008-02-10). "Obama beats ex-presidents for audiobook Grammy", Toronto Star. Retrieved on 10 February 2008.
^ Goodman, Dead (2008-02-10). "Obama or Clinton? Grammys go for Obama", Reuters. Retrieved on 5 November 2008. "Obama on Sunday won the spoken word Grammy for the audiobook version of his blockbuster tome The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. It marked his second statuette, following a win in 2006 for Dreams From My Father."

References
Obama, Barack (1998) Public policy in the 21st century. Loyola University Chicago. Center for Instructional Design.; VHS Video
Obama, Barack (2004). Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. Times Books. ISBN 1-4000-8277-3.
Obama, Barack (2005) EBONY'S 60th Anniversary - The Political Movement In Black America. Chicago, Johnson Pub. Co., etc., Ebony. 61, no. 1, (2005): 116
Obama, Barack (2005) Bound to the Word - Guardians of truth and knowledge, librarians must be thanked for their role as champions of privacy, literacy, independent thinking, and, most of all, reading. American libraries. 36, no. 7, (2005): 48, Chicago, American Library Association.
Obama, Barack (2006). The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 0-307-23769-9.
Obama, Barack (2006) It takes a nation : how strangers became family in the wake of Hurricane Katrina : the story of MoveOn.org Civic Action's HurricaneHousing.org by Laura Dawn; Barack Obama; San Rafael, CA : Earth Aware, ISBN: 1932771867 9781932771862
Obama, Barack (2006) Lobbying reform : congressional ethics in the wake of scandal : does the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act provide for sufficient reforms? by Trent Lott; Barack Obama; Congressional Digest Corporation.; et al, Bethesda, MD : Congressional Digest Corp., OCLC: 84912539
Obama, Barack (2007) Barack Obama in his own words Ed. Lisa Rogak, New York: Carroll & Graf, 2007. ISBN: 9780786720576 0786720573
Obama, Barack (2008, contr.) in Health care by David M Haugen; Detroit : Greenhaven Press/Gale; ISBN: 9780737740066; 073774006X; 9780737740073; 0737740078
Obama, Barack (2008) Affordable Health Care for All Americans: The Obama-Biden Plan 13. Affordable Health Care for All Americans: The Obama-Biden Plan JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association. 300, no. 16, (2008): 1927, Chicago : American Medical Association, 1960-
Obama, Barack (2008) An American story : the speeches of Barack Obama : a primer by Barack Obama and David Olive; Toronto: ECW Press, ISBN: 9781550228649; 1550228641
Obama, Barack (2008) Change we can believe in : Barack Obama's plan to renew America's promise, New York : Three Rivers Press, ISBN: 9780307460455 : 0307460452 : 9780739383223 0739383221
Obama, Barack (2008) Barack Obama's speech on race : "A more perfect union." BN Publishing, ISBN: 9650060448 9789650060442
Obama, Barack (2008) An analysis of the Obama health care proposal by John Holahan; Linda Blumberg; Barack Obama; Health Policy Center (Urban Institute, Washington), D.C. : Urban Institute Health Policy Center, OCLC: 262633852
Obama, Barack (2008) Renewing American leadership Foreign Affairs, New York/N.Y.(0015-7120), 86 (Juli-August 2007) 4 S. 2-16 Ill.
Mendell, David (2007). Obama: From Promise to Power. Amistad/HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-085820-6.

Further reading
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More spoken articles

Graff, Garrett. "The Legend of Barack Obama", Washingtonian, November 1, 2006. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
Curry, Jessica. "Barack Obama: Under the Lights", Chicago Life, Fall 2004. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
Lizza, Ryan. "Above the Fray", GQ, September 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
Koltun, Dave (2005) "The 2004 Illinois Senate Race: Obama Wins Open Seat and Becomes National Political “Star”" in "The Road to Congress 2004" Editors: Sunil Ahuja (Youngstown State University) and Robert Dewhirst (Northeast Missouri State University), Nova Science Publishers, Haupauge, New York, Binding: Hardcover Pub. Date: 2005, ISBN: 1-59454-360-7
MacFarquhar, Larissa. "The Conciliator: Where is Barack Obama Coming From?", New Yorker, May 7, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
Mundy, Liza. "A Series of Fortunate Events", The Washington Post Magazine, August 12, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
Wallace-Wells, Ben. "Destiny's Child", Rolling Stone, February 7, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
Zutter, Hank De. "What Makes Obama Run?", Chicago Reader, December 8, 1995. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.

External links

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Official sites
Office of the President-Elect
2008 U.S. presidential campaign site
U.S. Senate office site
Congressional links
Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
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Congressional profile at GovTrack.us
Site directory
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FACTBOX: Barack Obama, Democratic President-elect (Reuters, November 5, 2008)
The advent of president Obama
Obama - the model for minorities in majority communities
Patrick J. Buchanan: Obama's First 100 Days—Amnesty Will Just Be The Start
Illinois Senate
Preceded byAlice Palmer
Illinois State Senator from 13th district1997 – 2004
Succeeded byKwame Raoul
United States Senate
Preceded byPeter Fitzgerald
United States Senator (Class 3) from Illinois2005 – presentServed alongside: Dick Durbin
Succeeded byIncumbent
Political offices
Preceded byGeorge F. AllenR-Virginia
Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs2007 – present
Succeeded byTBA
Preceded byHarold Ford, Jr.
Keynote Speaker of the Democratic National Convention 2004
Succeeded byMark Warner
Preceded byCarol Moseley Braun
Democratic Party nominee for Senator from Illinois(Class 3)2004
Most recent
Preceded byJohn Kerry
Democratic Party presidential nominee 2008
Order of precedence in the United States of America
Preceded byMel MartinezR-Florida
United States Senators by seniority86th
Succeeded byKen SalazarD-Colorado
[show]
v • d • e Presidents of the United States
George Washington · John Adams · Thomas Jefferson · James Madison · James Monroe · John Quincy Adams · Andrew Jackson · Martin Van Buren · William Henry Harrison · John Tyler · James K. Polk · Zachary Taylor · Millard Fillmore · Franklin Pierce · James Buchanan · Abraham Lincoln · Andrew Johnson · Ulysses S. Grant · Rutherford B. Hayes · James A. Garfield · Chester A. Arthur · Grover Cleveland · Benjamin Harrison · Grover Cleveland · William McKinley · Theodore Roosevelt · William Howard Taft · Woodrow Wilson · Warren G. Harding · Calvin Coolidge · Herbert Hoover · Franklin D. Roosevelt · Harry S. Truman · Dwight D. Eisenhower · John F. Kennedy · Lyndon B. Johnson · Richard Nixon · Gerald Ford · Jimmy Carter · Ronald Reagan · George H. W. Bush · Bill Clinton · George W. Bush

[show]
v • d • e United States presidential election, 2008
United States elections, 2008 · Candidates (Comparison) · Debates · Congressional support · Fundraising · Ballot access · Timeline · Super Tuesday · Potomac primary · Super Tuesday II · General polls · Statewide general polls · International polls · International reaction to the election
Democratic Party Convention · Straw polls · Primary polls ·General polls · Debates · Primaries ·Primary results · Superdelegates
Nominee: Barack Obama (campaign · positions)VP nominee: Joe Biden (positions)Former candidates: Evan Bayh · Joe Biden (campaign) · Hillary Rodham Clinton (campaign) · Chris Dodd (campaign) · John Edwards (campaign) · Mike Gravel (campaign) · Dennis Kucinich (campaign) · Dal LaMagna · Bill Richardson (campaign) · Tom Vilsack (campaign)
Republican Party Convention · Straw polls · Primary polls ·General polls · Debates · Primaries ·Primary results
Nominee: John McCain (campaign · positions)VP nominee: Sarah Palin (positions)Former candidates: Sam Brownback · Hugh Cort · John Cox · Dan Gilbert · Jim Gilmore (campaign) · Rudy Giuliani (campaign) · Mike Huckabee (campaign) · Duncan Hunter (campaign) · Alan Keyes (campaign) · Ray McKinney · Ron Paul (campaign) · Mitt Romney (campaign) · Tom Tancredo (campaign) · Fred Thompson (campaign) · Tommy Thompson (campaign)
Constitution Party Convention
Nominee: Chuck Baldwin (campaign)/Darrell Castle Former candidates: Daniel Imperato · Alan Keyes (campaign)
Green Party Convention
Nominee: Cynthia McKinney (campaign · positions)/Rosa Clemente Former candidates: Elaine Brown · Jesse Johnson · Kent Mesplay · Kat Swift
Libertarian Party Convention
Nominee: Bob Barr (campaign · positions)/Wayne Allyn Root Former candidates: Mike Gravel (campaign) · Daniel Imperato · Steve Kubby · George Phillies · Wayne Allyn Root · Mary Ruwart · Doug Stanhope
Minor parties
America's Independent Party: Alan Keyes (campaign)/Brian Rohrbough · Boston Tea Party: Charles Jay/Thomas L. Knapp · New American Independent Party: Frank McEnulty · Objectivist Party · Prohibition Party: Gene Amondson/Leroy Pletten · Party for Socialism and Liberation: Gloria La Riva/Eugene Puryear · Reform Party: Ted Weill/Frank McEnulty · Socialist Party: Brian Moore/Stewart Alexander · Socialist Workers Party: Róger Calero/Alyson Kennedy
Independent
John Taylor Bowles · Ralph Nader (campaign)/Matt Gonzalez · Jonathon Sharkey
Draft movements
Democratic Party: Al Gore · Mark Warner (movement) · Republican Party: Newt Gingrich · Condoleezza Rice (movement) · Independent: Michael Bloomberg (movement)
Those listed following the "/" are the party's vice-presidential nomineeOther 2008 elections: House · Senate · Gubernatorial
[show]
v • d • e United States Democratic Party Presidential Nominees
Andrew Jackson · Martin Van Buren · James K. Polk · Lewis Cass · Franklin Pierce · James Buchanan · Stephen A. Douglas/John C. Breckinridge (SD) · George B. McClellan · Horatio Seymour · Horace Greeley · Samuel J. Tilden · Winfield Scott Hancock · Grover Cleveland · William Jennings Bryan · Alton B. Parker · William Jennings Bryan · Woodrow Wilson · James M. Cox · John W. Davis · Al Smith · Franklin D. Roosevelt · Harry S. Truman · Adlai Stevenson · John F. Kennedy · Lyndon B. Johnson · Hubert Humphrey · George McGovern · Jimmy Carter · Walter Mondale · Michael Dukakis · Bill Clinton · Al Gore · John Kerry · Barack Obama
[hide]
v • d • eBarack Obama
Political activities
2004 Democratic National Convention · Illinois Senate career · U.S. Senate election in Illinois, 2004 · U.S. Senate career · Presidential primary campaign, 2008 · Obama–Biden 2008 · Electoral history · Political positions

Books authored
Dreams from My Father · The Audacity of Hope
Life
Early life and career · Public image
Family
Michelle Obama · Barack Obama, Sr. · Ann Dunham (mother) · Lolo Soetoro (stepfather) · Maya Soetoro-Ng (sister) · Madelyn and Stanley Dunham (grandparents) · Zeituni Onyango (half-aunt)
Speeches
The Audacity of Hope · A More Perfect Union · This is Your Victory
Presidency
Presidential transition
[show]
v • d • e Illinois's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Dick Durbin (D), Barack Obama (D)
Representative(s)
Bobby Rush (D), Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D), Dan Lipinski (D), Luis Gutiérrez (D), Rahm Emanuel (D), Peter Roskam (R), Danny Davis (D), Melissa Bean (D), Jan Schakowsky (D), Mark Kirk (R), Jerry Weller (R), Jerry Costello (D), Judy Biggert (R), Bill Foster (D), Tim Johnson (R), Donald Manzullo (R), Phil Hare (D), Ray LaHood (R), John Shimkus (R)
State delegations
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming
Non-voting delegations
American Samoa • District of Columbia • Guam • Puerto Rico • U.S. Virgin Islands
[show]
v • d • e Current members of the United States Senate

AL: Shelby (R), Sessions (R)AK: Stevens (R), Murkowski (R)AZ: McCain (R), Kyl (R)AR: Lincoln (D), Pryor (D)CA: Feinstein (D), Boxer (D)CO: Allard (R), Salazar (D)CT: Dodd (D), Lieberman (I)DE: Biden (D), Carper (D)FL: Nelson (D), Martinez (R)GA: Chambliss (R), Isakson (R)HI: Inouye (D), Akaka (D)ID: Craig (R), Crapo (R)IL: Durbin (D), Obama (D)
IN: Lugar (R), Bayh (D)IA: Grassley (R), Harkin (D)KS: Brownback (R), Roberts (R)KY: McConnell (R), Bunning (R)LA: Landrieu (D), Vitter (R)ME: Snowe (R), Collins (R)MD: Mikulski (D), Cardin (D)MA: Kennedy (D), Kerry (D)MI: Levin (D), Stabenow (D)MN: Coleman (R), Klobuchar (D)MS: Cochran (R), Wicker (R)MO: Bond (R), McCaskill (D)
MT: Baucus (D), Tester (D)NE: Hagel (R), Nelson (D)NV: Reid (D), Ensign (R)NH: Gregg (R), Sununu (R)NJ: Lautenberg (D), Menendez (D)NM: Domenici (R), Bingaman (D)NY: Schumer (D), Clinton (D)NC: Dole (R), Burr (R)ND: Conrad (D), Dorgan (D)OH: Voinovich (R), Brown (D)OK: Inhofe (R), Coburn (R)OR: Wyden (D), Smith (R)
PA: Specter (R), Casey (D)RI: Reed (D), Whitehouse (D)SC: Graham (R), DeMint (R)SD: Johnson (D), Thune (R)TN: Alexander (R), Corker (R)TX: Hutchison (R), Cornyn (R)UT: Hatch (R), Bennett (R)VT: Leahy (D), Sanders (I)VA: Warner (R), Webb (D)WA: Murray (D), Cantwell (D)WV: Byrd (D), Rockefeller (D)WI: Kohl (D), Feingold (D)WY: Enzi (R), Barrasso (R)
Republican (49) • Democratic (49) • Independent (2)
[show]
v • d • e United States Senators from Illinois
Class 2: Thomas • McLean • Baker • Robinson • McRoberts • Semple • S. Douglas • Browning • Richardson • Yates • Logan • Davis • Cullom • Lewis • McCormick • Deneen • Lewis • Slattery • Brooks • P. Douglas • Percy • Simon • DurbinClass 3: Edwards • McLean • Kane • Ewing • Young • Breese • Shields • Trumbull • Oglesby • Logan • Farwell • Palmer • Mason • Hopkins • Lorimer • Sherman • McKinley • Glenn • Dieterich • Lucas • Dirksen • Smith • Stevenson III • Dixon • Moseley Braun • Fitzgerald • Obama

[show]
v • d • eCurrent elected statewide political officials of Illinois
U.S. Senators
Dick Durbin · Barack Obama

State government
Rod Blagojevich, Governor · Pat Quinn, Lieutenant Governor · Lisa Madigan, Attorney General · Jesse White, Secretary of State · Daniel Hynes, Comptroller · Alexi Giannoulias, Treasurer
Senate
Emil Jones, President · Debbie Halvorson, Majority Leader · Frank Watson, Minority Leader
House
Michael Madigan, Speaker · Barbara Flynn Currie, Majority Leader · Tom Cross, Minority Leader
Supreme Court
Thomas R. Fitzgerald, Chief Justice · Charles E. Freeman · Robert R. Thomas · Thomas L. Kilbride · Rita B. Garman · Lloyd A. Karmeier · Anne McGlone Burke
[show]
v • d • e Cabinet of President-elect Barack Obama (2009-)
[show]
Cabinet
Secretary of State
TBD (2009 –)
Secretary of the Treasury
TBD (2009 –)
Secretary of Defense
TBD (2009 –)
Attorney General
TBD (2009 –)
Secretary of the Interior
TBD (2009 –)
Secretary of Agriculture
TBD (2009 –)
Secretary of Commerce
TBD (2009 –)
Secretary of Labor
TBD (2009 –)
Secretary of Healthand Human Services
TBD (2009 –)
Secretary of Education
TBD (2009 –)
Secretary of Housingand Urban Development
TBD (2009 –)
Secretary of Transportation
TBD (2009 –)
Secretary of Energy
TBD (2009 –)
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
TBD (2009 –)
Secretary of Homeland Security
TBD (2009 –)
[show]
Cabinet-level
Vice President
Joe Biden (2009 –)
White House Chief of Staff
Rahm Emanuel (2009 –)
Administrator of theEnvironmental Protection Agency
TBD (2009 –)
Director of the Office ofManagement and Budget
TBD (2009 –)
Director of NationalDrug Control Policy
TBD (2009 –)
Trade Representative
TBD (2009 –)
Persondata
NAME
Obama, Barack, Jr.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
Obama, Barack Hussein
SHORT DESCRIPTION
US Jr. Senator from Illinois; President-Elect of the United States of America
DATE OF BIRTH
August 4, 1961
PLACE OF BIRTH
Honolulu, Hawaii
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama"
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Presidential vision - US Elections - Helium - by Tapinder Katoch

by Tapinder Katoch

We want a president who understand the needs of middle class America.A president who knows where to spend tax payers money.One who belives in less taxes and small govt. He who understand the problem of common man or woman.He who is innovative,creative and master problem solver. one who under stand the problem people facing today, he who respond to people's needs.He who is honest and man or woman of character and dignity.One who will ready to lead America in to 21st century.One who under stand currant issues like energy, terrorism.affordable housing,wages,mortgage bust,war in Iraq,foreigner policy,drug trafficking,crime etc.Dollar is loosing its value to foreign currency's very fast.We want president who will bring prosperity and jobs to its people,not real estate or tec bubble. We want a president who want to bring understanding between different ethnic groups,religions and faiths.He should focus on public transportation in this country.We need a new visionary.He who should not shower favor's to special interest groups.He should be clear and straight forward.All we want some one who talks less of war and more of peace.We want president who can fight for the rights of people and sensitive enough to feel the pain and suffering,like victims of hurricane Katrina.We want a president who doesn't goes to duck hunting when his men and woman in uniform fighting a war, a war that we are in the brink of loosing.At last We want people's president. One who takes full responsibility for his or her actions.

Learn more about this author, Tapinder Katoch.

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Presidential vision - US Elections - Helium - by Tapinder Katoch

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