Barack Obama: No Experience?
The GOP loves to keep tossing around the word “community organizer” in reference to Obama’s work experience, as though that is the only thing he’s ever done, and as though that is not a respectful job. Here is Barack Obama’s resume.
Some highlights:
Education:
Columbia University
B.A. Political Science with specialization in international relations
Thesis topic: Soviet nuclear disarmament
Graduate
Harvard Law School
J.D. magna cum laude 1988-1991
President, Harvard Law Review
Community Organizing:
1984-1985 Community Organizer for New York Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), promoting personal, community, and government reform at City College in Harlem.
1985-1988 Director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Greater Roseland on Chicago’s South Side. While director grew the DCP staff from 1 to 13 and their budget from $70,000 to $400,000.
1992 Led Chicago’s Project Vote! push. This effort resulted in a record number of voter registrations, over 600,000 in Chicago
In 1992 Obama took time off to direct Project Vote, the most successful grass-roots voter-registration campaign in recent city history. Credited with helping elect Carol Moseley-Braun to the U.S. Senate, the registration drive, aimed primarily at African-Americans, added an estimated 125,000 voters to the voter rolls–even more than were registered during Harold Washington’s mayoral campaigns. “It’s a power thing,” said the brochures and radio commercials.
Teaching
1993-2004 Visiting Law and Government Fellow, then Senior Lecturer, in Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago Law School. Taught courses on the due process and equal protection areas of constitutional law, on voting rights, and on racism and law. Helped develop a casebook on voting rights.
Law Practice
1993-2002 Worked as an associate attorney with Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland. Represented non-profits and private individuals in urban development projects, voting rights cases, and wrongful firings. Filed major suit that forced the state of Illinois to enforce the Motor Voter Law and successfully argued a wrongful firing case before the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Illinois State Senate: 1996-2004
Chairman, Health and Human Services Committee
Spearheaded a successful bipartisan effort in Illinois to pass the broadest ethics-reform legislation by any state in 25 years, and also gained bipartisan support for his successful bills reforming death penalty interrogations and ending racial profiling by police. Worked with the Republican-led effort to reform welfare
Also sponsored successful bills expanding tax credits and child-care subsidies for low-income working families, protecting overtime pay for workers, expanding health care for children, and providing job skills training for juveniles
Member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs
Member, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Member, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Member, Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Shares responsibility for the bipartisan Coburn-Obama Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, requiring full online disclosure of all entities receiving federal funds, and the bipartisan Lugar-Obama Cooperative Proliferation Detection, Interdiction Assistance, and Conventional Threat Reduction Act of 2006, deepening non-proliferation work with WMD and including surface-to-air missiles, land mines, and other weapons that may be used by terrorists
Oh, and he ran a pretty good primary campaign where he defeated the Clinton dynasty and became the first African-American to get the nomination of his party for President of the United States.
Where’s the info about his work with the Allenberg Challenge or whatever it’s called.. and the Woods Foundation?
Why the hell are you ommitting things?
Is it because it reveal his ties to the Timothy McVeigh of the 70s?
September 4th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
September 4th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
And if he’s such a legal scholar why did he say it’s above his pay grade to know when a human aquires Human Rights? That’s not a biology question or a theoloy question… it’s a legal question.
And he voted PRESENT again at Saddleback.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Our Girl is a clown. Hell lets see her talk to the press. OR, just wait for the next Nat. Enquier article. they want a showdown with the McCain campaign.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
If Obama is so smart –
Why didn’t he listen and hear what his pastor was saying over the last 20 years?
Why did he associate himself with American born terrorists?
Why did he make business deals with known criminals who has ties with foreign terrorist countries?
And so much more…
Another thing, why do our enemies support Obama?
http://www.ziggidy.com
Why did he accept contributions from known terrorist individuals from the Middle East?
September 4th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Why did it not bother you when Bush/ Cheney did these things for REAL?
The Bush family’s connections to the bin Ladin family, and the Bin Ladin Group were much much more important.
Bush Jr sells his shares of Harkin energy to Salem bin Ladin, Bush Sr watching 9/11 with Shafig bin Ladin (both Osama’s brothers), at the Ritz Carlton,
Saudi Prince Bandar nicknamed Bandar Bush by the president’s mother:
Imagine if we had seen endless loops of that for the 04 election?
Can’t be because this is a powerful, white, old moneyed family, can it?
From:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,100474,00.html
President Bush’s grandfather was a director of a bank seized by the federal government because of its ties to a German industrialist who helped bankroll Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, government documents show.
Union Banking was seized by the government in October 1942 under the Trading with the Enemy Act
March 15, 2004 | On March 12, 2000, Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, met with Muslim leaders at a local mosque in Tampa, Fla. Among them was Sami Al-Arian.
The Muslim people support you.” Bush met their lanky son, Abdullah Al-Arian, and, in a typically winning gesture, even nicknamed him “Big Dude.” In return, Big Dude’s father, Sami Al-Arian, vowed to campaign for Bush — and he soon made good on his promise in mosques all over Florida.
But Al-Arian had unusual credentials for a Bush campaigner. Since 1995, as the founder and chairman of the board of World and Islam Enterprise (WISE), a Muslim think tank, Al-Arian had been under investigation by the FBI for his associations with Islamic Jihad, the Palestinian terrorist group. Al-Arian brought in Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, the No. 2 leader in Islamic Jihad, to be the director of WISE. A strong advocate of suicide bombings against Israel, Shallah was allegedly responsible for killing scores of Israelis in such attacks.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
I doubt that George Washington or Abraham Lincoln were more prepared to serve as president than Obama.
(Besides, experience is wasted on the dead).
We need a leader who demonstrates an ability to solve problems that affect the working & unemployed people of this country directly & effectively. If we wait for Mr. or Ms. Perfect…we’ll all be dead.
As for Palin, I doubt she would last overnight in South Chicago or East Cleveland or any other poor urban community as an organizer. If she wants to go to Washington, let her volunteer to serve the poor in the surrounding D.C. Area. PBMA (pit-bull-my-ars!)
September 4th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Great post Alan. I wish the Obama campaign do adds like that.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
newsflash to all of you-
1.Bush is not running.
2.Nice to know your all fashion critics-is there nothing a liberal can’t do, except make money and fight global bullies.
3.I think Sarah can dress moose, caribou and anything that lives in S. Chicago.
4.You all need to go out get an education, find a job, make money and contribute to society in some fashion-not saprophytically live off of govt programs.
5.And Alan, thanks for posting the Curriculum Vitae of Barry-it really brings the ineptness of this man to light seeing it in print. No management experience, no decision making experience and a very, very thin resume.
Thanks again–McCain/Palin 2008
Thanks
September 4th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
‘very, very thin resume’
That is what they said about John F. Kennedy.
That is what they said about Ronald Regan
That is what they said about Bill Clinton
And these men have changed America for the better.
Its people like Carol that bring down the average American who wants to run for the white house, just to put a man that is surrounded by the political machine like mccain that will bring NOTHING but the same to the white house.
Carol, your an american disgrace. Get the hell out of my country.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Carol,
re:
4.You all need to go out get an education, find a job, make money and contribute to society in some fashion-not saprophytically live off of govt programs.
Don’t you think that is exactly what the VAST majority of people do? Who are you talking to?
September 4th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
I once read that someone thought Obama was the anti-christ. I find that to be impossible since so many on this site seem to hate him.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Old Lefty
Thanks for the education by Michael Moore but make sure you get all of the facts right. (Bush did not attend the morning of September 11, although it has been alleged that the meeting took place during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Former Secretary of State James Baker was present, along with Carlucci.[3]) The Carlyle and Binladin groups mutually severed their business relationship on October 26, 2001.[3]
Here is a little more info. We are all tied in some way to the bin Ladin family.
The financial interests of the bin Laden family are represented by the Saudi Binladin Group, a global construction and equity management conglomerate grossing $5 billion U.S. dollars annually, and one of the largest construction firms in the Islamic world, with offices in London and Geneva. According to an American diplomat, the bin Laden family also owns part of Microsoft and Boeing.
So next time you blog, email or turn on your computer you bought or the plane ticket you buy just know that you are putting money in their pocket.
On Obama; it is funny that Chairman of the Woods foundation was left off of his resume. MakeS me wonder why he and his Campaign tried so hard to keep a local Chicago radio station from free speach or tried to stop the campaign ads from airing connecting him to William Ayers. If he is trying to stop free speach as just a presidental candidate I am scared to live in America with him as a president (NO FREE SPEACH) SO MUCH FOR HIM BEING A CONSTITUTIONAL LAYWER.
As The Ticket reported here, the school later reserved its position and opened the records Tuesday. Media organizations are poring over scores of boxes of documents to study the Obama-Ayres relationship, which the senator has described as merely casual.
Obama’s campaign is urging supporters to call the radio station to complain. “Tell WGN that….
…by providing Kurtz with airtime, they are legitimizing baseless attacks from a smear-merchant and lowering the standards of political discourse,” the note said.
WGN, like the Chicago Tribune and The Times, is owned by Tribune Co. As a clear-channel station at 720 on the AM dial, WGN’s signal reaches dozens of states. Such efforts to prevent programs often backfire by calling even more public attention to the controversy.
“It is absolutely unacceptable that WGN would give a slimy character assassin like Kurtz time for his divisive, destructive ranting on our public airwaves,” the note continued. “At the very least, they should offer sane, honest rebuttal to every one of Kurtz’s lies.”
Zack Christenson, executive producer of the longrunning interview program “Extension 720 with Milt Rosenburg,” said the response from Obama supporters was strong. Rosenberg like Ayres is a college professor.
“I would say this is the biggest response we’ve ever got from a campaign or a candidate,” said Christenson. “This is really unprecedented with the show, the way that people are flooding the calls and our email boxes.”
Christenson also stressed that the Obama campaign was invited to send a representative to appear on the show to balance the discussion of the newly-opened documents. But the campaign headquarters just down Michigan Avenue from the station refused the request. As The Ticket reported here, the school later reserved its position and opened the records Tuesday. Media organizations are poring over scores of boxes of documents to study the Obama-Ayres relationship, which the senator has described as merely casual.
Obama’s campaign is urging supporters to call the radio station to complain. “Tell WGN that….
…by providing Kurtz with airtime, they are legitimizing baseless attacks from a smear-merchant and lowering the standards of political discourse,” the note said.
WGN, like the Chicago Tribune and The Times, is owned by Tribune Co. As a clear-channel station at 720 on the AM dial, WGN’s signal reaches dozens of states. Such efforts to prevent programs often backfire by calling even more public attention to the controversy.
“It is absolutely unacceptable that WGN would give a slimy character assassin like Kurtz time for his divisive, destructive ranting on our public airwaves,” the note continued. “At the very least, they should offer sane, honest rebuttal to every one of Kurtz’s lies.”
Zack Christenson, executive producer of the longrunning interview program “Extension 720 with Milt Rosenburg,” said the response from Obama supporters was strong. Rosenberg like Ayres is a college professor.
“I would say this is the biggest response we’ve ever got from a campaign or a candidate,” said Christenson. “This is really unprecedented with the show, the way that people are flooding the calls and our email boxes.”
Christenson also stressed that the Obama campaign was invited to send a representative to appear on the show to balance the discussion of the newly-opened documents. But the campaign headquarters just down Michigan Avenue from the station refused the request. As The Ticket reported here, the school later reserved its position and opened the records Tuesday. Media organizations are poring over scores of boxes of documents to study the Obama-Ayres relationship, which the senator has described as merely casual.
Obama’s campaign is urging supporters to call the radio station to complain. “Tell WGN that….
…by providing Kurtz with airtime, they are legitimizing baseless attacks from a smear-merchant and lowering the standards of political discourse,” the note said.
WGN, like the Chicago Tribune and The Times, is owned by Tribune Co. As a clear-channel station at 720 on the AM dial, WGN’s signal reaches dozens of states. Such efforts to prevent programs often backfire by calling even more public attention to the controversy.
“It is absolutely unacceptable that WGN would give a slimy character assassin like Kurtz time for his divisive, destructive ranting on our public airwaves,” the note continued. “At the very least, they should offer sane, honest rebuttal to every one of Kurtz’s lies.”
Zack Christenson, executive producer of the longrunning interview program “Extension 720 with Milt Rosenburg,” said the response from Obama supporters was strong. Rosenberg like Ayres is a college professor.
“I would say this is the biggest response we’ve ever got from a campaign or a candidate,” said Christenson. “This is really unprecedented with the show, the way that people are flooding the calls and our email boxes.”
Christenson also stressed that the Obama campaign was invited to send a representative to appear on the show to balance the discussion of the newly-opened documents. But the campaign headquarters just down Michigan Avenue from the station refused the request.
***This is not the first time Obama’s organization has sought to steer supporters to influence a broadcast outlet airing criticism.***
September 4th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Harvard, smarvard.
Palin is a old beauty queen and she was president of her PTA. She’s pro-life and she can kill and dismember her own moose.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Can your B Hussien Obama do this.. uh no.. uh uh he.. uh can’t:
Palin Overcame Teleprompter Problems, Missing Hard Copies
by FOXNews.com
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Sarah Palin electrified the Republican convention Wednesday, all the while reading off a faulty teleprompter and an outdated draft, John McCain officials told FOX News on Thursday.
The Alaska governor overcame several glitches and technical problems to deliver her speech without getting flustered, impressing McCain and his staff and allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief.
Foremost of the obstacles, Palin’s teleprompter was not working properly. When she took the podium, the machine rolled so quickly, it often skipped the first line or two of every paragraph on screen. The operator said he had new equipment and wasn’t sure how it would work.
However, Palin also went on stage with a slightly outdated hard copy of her speech. For various unexplained reasons, she and her closest advisers had an old draft on hand, and even had a hard time furnishing one of those for her to use. Several of the drafts were scribbled on, so one aide gave Palin a wrinkled, folded copy out of his pocket.
Officials said Palin responded in mom-like fashion, concluding, “Well, I suppose I could put a book on it and smooth it out a little. “
During one part of her speech, she couldn’t see the teleprompter because signs were blocking it. That was when she ad-libbed a line about the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull — “lipstick.”
The line was a hit with the audience. It is something she had jokingly said to staff during the speech prep process.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Plus during the speech Obama’s top fundraising bundler Premier America-Hating Venomious Code Pinker rushed the stage.
This woman didn’t flinch once.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Johnson,
Michael Moore was NOT my source, although, I stand corrected….Bush Sr was there on 9/10:
(9:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Bin Laden Brother Attends Carlyle Group Conference
The Carlyle Group is a large private-equity investment firm, closely associated with officials of the Bush and Reagan administrations, and has considerable ties to Saudi oil money, including ties to the bin Laden family. This morning it is holding its annual investor conference at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Washington, DC. Among the guests of honor is investor Shafig bin Laden, brother of Osama bin Laden. [OBSERVER, 6/16/2002; LONDON TIMES, 5/8/2003] Former President George H. W. Bush, who makes speeches on behalf of the Carlyle Group and is also senior adviser to its Asian Partners fund [WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/27/2001] , attended the conference the previous day, but is not there today (see (8:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [WASHINGTON POST, 3/16/2003]
The point is that it was politically incorrect to talk about THESE connections while Bush was strutting around , thumping his chest, saying “Dead or alive!”.
From a review of Kevin Phillip’s book:
With great skill, Phillips illuminates how the “Bush Dynasty” has long used such old-boy organizations as Yale’s Skull and Bones, the CIA, Dillon Read, and most recently the Carlyle Group to further its main objective: political-economic power. He delineates the family’s ethically questionable dealings with such companies as Enron, Zapata Petroleum, and Halliburton. We even learn that Prescott Bush, George H.W.’s father and a U.S. senator from Connecticut, had investment dealings with Nazi Germany in the 1930s while working for the banking firm Brown Brothers Harriman.
It’s the certitude of our current president’s born-againism that disturbs Phillips the most. Somehow his descriptions of oil greed or CIA intrigue or Beltway manipulation are less alarmist than the long chapter devoted to Bush’s evangelism. “George W. Bush’s early emergence in national politics, between 1986 and 1994, tapped religious forces akin to those promoting Ariel Sharon and Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel and fueling the rise of Islamic parties in Pakistan, Turkey, and elsewhere,” Phillips writes.
The conflict of interests are too great here.
As for controlling the media:
Former Cheney communications director, Cathie Martin testified that;
“I suggested we put the vice president on ‘Meet the Press,’ which was a tactic we often used,” Martin testified. “It’s our best format.”
She wrote,
Option 1: “MTP-VP,” then listed the pros and cons of a vice presidential appearance on the Sunday show. Under “pro,” she wrote: “control message.”
Sumner Redstone, CEO of CBS ’s parent company Viacom, made an unusual political statement at a gathering of corporate leaders in Hong Kong (Asian Wall Street Journal, 9/24/04):
I don’t want to denigrate Kerry… but from a Viacom standpoint, the election of a Republican administration is a better deal. Because the Republican administration has stood for many things we believe in, deregulation and so on. The Democrats are not bad people…. But from a Viacom standpoint, we believe the election of a Republican administration is better for our company.
I’ll stick with Obama!
September 4th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Oh this is great.. Obama fundraiser Code Pink disrupted McCain’s speech a few times.
Keep it up Far Leftist retards.. alienate more people against you. I marvel at how they never seem to realize how counterproductive it is.. but when you suffer from malignant narcisism the whole world is about your degenerate self.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
oldlefty stop pretending you care.
Anyone worried about Islamic corruption of American politicians would not be voting for the one every Islamist around the world wants to win, and the same one who had a lot of close islamist friends back in days hanging with the Marxists at the univ.
That would require a rational mind to understand
September 4th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Wow, that was so cool!!!!
i LOVE Code Pink!!!
September 4th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
*sigh*
Vince, I start liking you and there you go, getting insulting. I can’t win for losing around here.
How can you say someone doesn’t care, just because they disagree with you? If he didn’t care, he wouldn’t be here! He’d be playing video games, or taking a walk or something.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Gee you attract a lot of jackboot wearing scumbags on this comment board. I guess it is a testament to your talent at pissing the right-wing halftards off. Anyone who thinks McCain would be a better pick than Obama is a retard (or should I say neurologically challenged)…plain and simple! He’s s thug who’ll get the US into a war with Russia. If he is the best the Republicans can come up with…I guess that explains the idiots on here supporting him. Ever look at the crowd at their convention? All white fat dudes! His nuthuggers are everywhere. All he can do is lie and slam Obama and invoke the king of scum Reagan…er…Reagan, didn’t he give medals to the losers who shot down an Iranian airliner full of civilians while the US was helping Saddam in the Iran-Iraq war? I digress…but what a hypocrite! He is scum! Sure Obama is a sham too, but at least if he wins, we up here in Canada can put our bunkers on hold!
And this Palan bitch is a sad effort at a hockey mom!
September 4th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
sky: How do I know he doesn’t care?
Because anyone aware of the problem would undrstand how dangerous it was and wouldn’t use it for a stupid pointless partisan talking point.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Well disruption of mccain speech, to an ATTEMPTED MURDER ON OBAMA by the far right neocons like vince p and his people…
people can decide which was worst.
poor vince, he is still giving bush a blow job every time gets a chance to
September 4th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Louie,
The guys that wanted to kill Obama sounded like neo nazi’s to me, where did you hear that they were neocons?
Can you make your points without personal insults to other posters?
September 4th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
Lawyers are bottom feeding scum.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
Alan….Alan….Alan…..worked @ a law firm, yes, that represented old buddy Tony Resko and helped him secure 14 million in taxpayer dollars for “urban development” that wound in old Tony’s back pocket….and why omit his wonderful work as Chairman of the Woods foundation? That’s executive experience, right? Oh, forgot, that’s the one where he chummed around with Bill Ayers trying to decide how much money to give to organizations linked to terroist…..c’mon Alan, tell the WHOLE story for a change….no pun intended….
September 4th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Furrypuss,
Generalize much? Do you know any lawyers? Some are bottom feeding scum, some are great people. Some cops are bottom feeding scum, some are great people. Some preachers are bottom feeding scum, some are great people. Some blog posters are bottom feeding scum, some are great people.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
I am a member of the U.S Army Active duty and in two days I will be deploying to Iraq for the 3rd time and I will keep on going as long as we as a nation needs to. I am convinced that if we do not win there we will be fighting in our streets. Our Pastors through-out this nation will be dragged out into the streets and beheaded in our town centers our woman will be treated as cattle with no rights as a human.
We must keep up the fight.
I know that the Obama folks think that we need to sit down with the same people that have cut the heads off of our people and posted it on the net.
The same people that have called for the eliminitation of I serial. The same people that killed more U.S Citizens on 9-11 than where killed in the Attack on Pearl Harbor that led us to War (and we won) he wants to sit down and talk to these people TALK ABOUT WHAT. The only talks these people know is a gun to there head and kill a few of them just like they did to our people this they would understand but he wants to talk.
I can not tell you how many times I had Mortars dropped on us after we got their water running or power restored.
Oh I know I must have a bad public education because I am in the Military (which I like doing)
oh and lets talk about his health care where are we promised health care and free education or more social programs by a bigger government I have read the constitution and the bill of rights and I must have missed it.
Big Gov. is not the answer more programs is not the answer less personnal responsibility and accountability is not the answer.
I do not want the GOV. to tell me what is best for me or my family I do not want to just be a mindless citizen scared of worshiping God in this country. I do not want special intrest groups telling me what I must accept or not (a marrage is one man and one woman) and I will never accept anything less.
and my guns are my right and I will have a choice in my health care and home school my childern because I believe in a Creator and the God of my salvation I also like having the right to disagree with any one that does not believe the way I do and still be neighbors and friends (or not)
SGT D. Gladu
Fountain Co 80817
soon to be Iraq
September 4th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
“President Bush’s top defense advisers have recommended he maintain 15 combat brigades in Iraq until the end of the year contrary to expectations that the improved security in Iraq would allow for quicker cuts, The Associated Press has learned.”
September 4th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
SGT Gladu,
Interesting that in your view the choice is to continue in Iraq until we ‘win’ or have our women treated as cattle and our pastors beheaded.
What does win mean in the war in Iraq? When will we know we have won?
September 5th, 2008 at 12:01 am
God Bless you SGT Gladu. Keep your head down and get back here in one piece. I’ll pray for you.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:06 am
Louie the Liberal – I seen that Jon Stewart clip on TV today, freaking hysterical! What a bunch of hypocritical people talking out of both sides of their ass. If Richmond, Virgina is considered such a very small city at a population of over 200,000 people – then what does that make Wasilla, Alaska?
The resume of Barack Obama is very impressive; much more then Sarah Palin. Again, the woman has a freaking Bachelor’s degree, if you’re not going to have loads of experience then you sure and the hell better at least be well educated.
Her speech last night just about made me puke. Yes, she did fine with the delivery, but it’s one thing to be an attack dog, it’s another thing to be sarcastic, belittling and condescending while doing it.
That speech had NO substance. If you have to resort to such over the top condescending and offensive remarks, it’s clear you are trying to deflect something – the fact that you really have nothing to say!
Almost everybody that I spoke to about this speech were not impressed – for the exact same reasons, after all was said and done – she really didn’t say much of anything. She said NOTHING about what alot of people in this country are concerned about: healthcare, the housing crisis,etc.
For ultra-conservatives, sure of course they’ll love her. But I don’t think she made any head-way with the moderate liberals or independents.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:16 am
Sarah handed this election to Obama. Thank you so much for mocking everyday Americans Sarah. Thank you for showing ur your true colors. Community Organizers all over the Country will now support Obama!
September 5th, 2008 at 12:30 am
Right. Community Organizers outnumber rural people that can relate to Palin. Try again.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:44 am
It is amazing. Would people be tearing into Palin if she were a man or into Obama if he were white? The issues are plain. We have had 8 years of a government that has spent so much money and attention invading a country that had NOTHING to do with the war on terror that we lost sight of how quickly our economy is slipping down the drain. Unemployment is up, mortgage forclosures are up, gas prices are up which makes the price of everything else go up…..except our houses. All you hear about on TV and in the paper is about whose daughter is pregnant and whose pastor is racist. One man has a muslim name so he is a terrorist, what happened to freedom of religion? Even if he was Muslim, who cares! We are talking more about a teanager who is pregnant, seems to be the norm now days, instead of the woman who is could be Vice President.
Let’s focus on the issues. Let’s focus on our ailing economy, our horrific school system, our prison systrem that is supposed to be rehailitating but ends up being a wayword home for people that is a strain on the taxpayers. Let’s talk about becoming a worls leader again and not a world enemy. Let’s talk about making sure that American’s can get medical help when they need it. Let’s talk about immigration reform not fence building. Let’s talk about the issues and not who is black and who’s kid is knocked up.
Politics make me sick because we focus on everything but the politics. Noone in this Blog mentioned anything about either candidates Healthcare reform plan or the plan of action in Iraq. Why is that? Are we so petty that we have to hate each other just because someone doesn’t say what you want them to say.
Issues people! Issues! Where are they?
September 5th, 2008 at 12:49 am
“I am convinced that if we do not win there we will be fighting in our streets. Our Pastors through-out this nation will be dragged out into the streets and beheaded in our town centers our woman will be treated as cattle with no rights as a human. We must keep up the fight.”
Nonsense, of course. But it’s nice to know what gives some of us a reason to get up every morning.
Print your comment out and give a copy to your Lt. so he knows what’s going on in your head before your next deployment. Hopefully, we won’t then be reading about you in the paper one of these days.
September 5th, 2008 at 1:40 am
Barack Obama: Spent his last 20 years in public life. Stellar law degree, IL state legislator, Senator since 2006.
Her: a tiara.
September 5th, 2008 at 1:45 am
Number of people who voted for Palin for governor: 613.
Number of people who voted for Barack Obama into the Senate: 3,597,456.
September 5th, 2008 at 1:52 am
*senator since 06
September 5th, 2008 at 1:53 am
I am so glad this freak show of a convention is over. Now let the real games begin. bwahahahahah!
September 5th, 2008 at 2:38 am
Obama is a good candidate at the right time. Colin Powell was the best candidate at this time, but he didn’t run. Obama was smart enough to “listen” to the best ideas regardless of where they originated. His mistake still could be “not giving credit where credit is due.” Obama-Biden have a built in weakness called “plagiarism.” Biden’s achillies was his past statements borrowed improperly and if Obama took credit for someone’s ideas and “Left Them Behind” that could still defeat him the moment the story breaks. Obama’s candidacy must be an invitation for everyone to participate. Bush’s “Affirmative Access” program must be ruled unconstitutional and un-American.
September 5th, 2008 at 3:05 am
“Clinton said that although Obama and his running mate, Joe Biden, offered new ideas to solve America’s problems and bring change, the Republican ticket did not.
After listening to all the speeches this week, I heard nothing that suggests the Republicans are ready to fix the economy for middle-class families, provide quality affordable health care for all Americans, guarantee equal pay for equal work for women, restore our nation’s leadership in a complex world or tackle the myriad of challenges our country faces,” Clinton said in the statement. “So, to slightly amend my comments from Denver: No way, no how, no McCain-Palin.”
You gotta love Hillary…NO WAY, NO HOW, NO MCcAIN-PALIN!!!!!! I want my bumper sticker!
September 5th, 2008 at 3:11 am
No way, no how, no George McCain.
September 5th, 2008 at 4:03 am
Hey I found something new in Obama’s vast experience.
On Nov 1 1997,90th General Assembly, in the IL Senate he proposed
SR0110
ISLAMIC COMMUNITY DAY
Declares November 1, 1997 to be South Shore Islamic Community Center Day
It failed.
Barry only managed to get two bills passed that session (2 years in duration)
That is quite a record of accomplishment!
They were SB0755 and SB0837 of the 90th General Assembly.
The remarkable thing about these two bills is that his collegues had to completely re-write them for him.
After he submitted one of the bills to the docket both the Senate and the House completely rewrote it.. make it essentially not his bill anymore:
0755
Requires IL Dept of pubic Aid to contract with a University to study the impact of Fed Welfare Reform on Resident Non-Citizens
SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1.
Deletes everything. Reinserts language similar to language in the bill as introduced
For his next stab at it, he decided to get a co-author, that way he wouldn’t lose control of his bill if someone helped him write it correctly.
0837
Authorizes community colleges to develop and distribute a directory of graduating vocational and technical school students
So during the 90th Session of the IL Assembly , our would be President was able to
- Have the State get with a University to figure out how to keep Resident Non-Citizens on the Welfare Teet.. though he was unable to author in a way the rest of his collegues would accept
- With a co-author, he made a bill so that Community Colleges can make directories of gradutes
and then he moved to the big time
- Wrote All by himself a bill to proclaim the wonderful and glorious Islamic Community Day.
YES.. LETS PUT HIM ON THE NUCLEAR BUTTON
Since this thing hates hyperlink you’ll have to find your way to the State Of Illinois General Assembly and search for these things in the 90th.
September 5th, 2008 at 5:03 am
No way no how no McCAIN/PALIN!!!!! I can’t handle 4 more YEARS OF the same! Do you want 16 potential years of Palin? I thought so.
September 5th, 2008 at 5:14 am
Move beyond your slogans.
Do you think the country would survive 4 years of an unrestrained Nancy Pelosi?
September 5th, 2008 at 5:41 am
On word….MINISCULE
September 5th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Old Lefty: What no comment on the 2nd Ammendment and your great Congressional Lawyer. Get use to not being able to blog if your man is not elected. Here is your community organizer to:
Let me clarify something. Nobody is mocking community organizers in church basements and community centers across the country working to improve their neighbors’ lives. What deserves ridicule is the notion that Obama’s brief stint as a South Side rabble-rouser for tax-subsidized, partisan nonprofits qualifies as executive experience you can believe in.
What deserves derision is “community organizing” that relies on a community of homeless people and ex-cons to organize for the purpose of registering dead people to vote, shaking down corporations and using the race card as a bludgeon.
As I’ve reported previously, Obama’s community organizing days involved training grievance-mongers from the far-left ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). The ACORN mob is infamous for its bully tactics (which they dub “direct actions”); Obama supporters have recounted his role in organizing an ambush on a government planning meeting about a landfill project opposed by Chicago’s minority lobbies.
With benefactors like Obama in office, ACORN has milked nearly four decades of government subsidies to prop up chapters that promote the welfare state and undermine the free market, as well as some that have been implicated in perpetuating illegal immigration and voter fraud. Since I last detailed ACORN’s illicit activities in this column in June (see “The ACORN Obama knows,” June 19, 2008), the group continues to garner scrutiny from law enforcement:
Last week, Milwaukee’s top election official announced plans to seek criminal investigations of 37 ACORN employees accused of offering gifts to sign up voters (including prepaid gas cards and restaurant cards) or falsifying driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers or other information on voter registration cards.
Last month, a New Mexico TV station reported on the child rapists, drug offenders and forgery convicts on ACORN’s payroll. In July, Pennsylvania investigators asked the public for help in locating a fugitive named Luis R. Torres-Serrano, who is accused “of submitting more than 100 fraudulent voter registration forms he collected on behalf of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now to county election officials.” Also in July, a massive, nearly $1 million embezzlement scheme by top ACORN officials was exposed.
ACORN’s political arm endorsed Obama in February and has ramped up efforts to register voters across the country. In the meantime, completely ignored by the mainstream commentariat and clean-election crusaders, the Obama campaign admitted failing to report $800,000 in campaign payments to ACORN. They were disguised as payments to a front group called “Citizen Services, Inc.” for “advance work.”
Jim Terry, an official from the Consumer Rights League, a watchdog group that monitors ACORN, noted: “ACORN has a long and sordid history of employing convoluted Enron-style accounting to illegally use taxpayer funds for their own political gain. Now it looks like ACORN is using the same type of convoluted accounting scheme for Obama’s political gain.” With a wave of his magic wand, Obama amended his FEC forms to change the “advance work” to “get-out-the-vote” work.
Now, don’t you dare challenge his commitment to following tax and election laws. And don’t you even think of entertaining the possibility that The One exploited a nonprofit supposedly focused on helping low-income people for political gain.
He was just “organizing” his “community.” Guffaw.
September 5th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Johnson
I don’t care as much about the 2nd as the first and 4th amendments, as I think THEY face the greatest threat.
I respect and appreciate the concern of those who DO care more about the 2nd, even though they usually do not afford MY concern the same respect.
While the right is worked up about VOTER fraud, the left is more concerned with ELECTION fraud:
From one of many sources:
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10432334/was_the_2004_election_stolen
Indeed, the extent of the GOP’s effort to rig the vote shocked even the most experienced observers of American elections. ”Ohio was as dirty an election as America has ever seen,” Lou Harris, the father of modern political polling, told me. ”You look at the turnout and votes in individual precincts, compared to the historic patterns in those counties, and you can tell where the discrepancies are. They stand out like a sore thumb.”
I. The Exit Polls
II.
The first indication that something was gravely amiss on November 2nd, 2004, was the inexplicable discrepancies between exit polls and actual vote counts. Polls in thirty states weren’t just off the mark — they deviated to an extent that cannot be accounted for by their margin of error. In all but four states, the discrepancy favored President Bush.
II. The Partisan Official
But in the battle for Ohio, Republicans had a distinct advantage: The man in charge of the counting was Kenneth Blackwell, the co-chair of President Bush’s re-election committee.(43) As Ohio’s secretary of state, Blackwell had broad powers to interpret and implement state and federal election laws — setting standards for everything from the processing of voter registration to the conduct of official recounts.(44) And as Bush’s re-election chair in Ohio, he had a powerful motivation to rig the rules for his candidate.
In the months leading up to the election, Ohio was in the midst of the biggest registration drive in its history. Tens of thousands of volunteers and paid political operatives from both parties canvassed the state, racing to register new voters in advance of the October 4th deadline. To those on the ground, it was clear that Democrats were outpacing their Republican counterparts: A New York Times analysis before the election found that new registrations in traditional Democratic strongholds were up 250 percent, compared to only twenty-five percent in Republican-leaning counties.(61) ”The Democrats have been beating the pants off us in the air and on the ground,” a GOP county official in Columbus confessed to The Washington Times.(62)
To stem the tide of new registrations, the Republican National Committee and the Ohio Republican Party attempted to knock tens of thousands of predominantly minority and urban voters off the rolls through illegal mailings known in electioneering jargon as ”caging.”
**This is getting too long.
III. Barriers to Registration
IV. ”The Wrong Pew”
In one of his most effective maneuvers, Blackwell prevented thousands of voters from receiving provisional ballots on Election Day.
V. Long Lines
VI. Faulty Machines
VII. Rural Counties
Despite the well-documented effort that prevented hundreds of thousands of voters in urban and minority precincts from casting ballots, the worst theft in Ohio may have quietly taken place in rural counties. An examination of election data suggests widespread fraud — and even good old-fashioned stuffing of ballot boxes — in twelve sparsely populated counties scattered across southern and western Ohio: Auglaize, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Darke, Highland, Mercer, Miami, Putnam, Shelby, Van Wert and Warren. (See The Twelve Suspect Counties) One key indicator of fraud is to look at counties where the presidential vote departs radically from other races on the ballot. By this measure, John Kerry’s numbers were suspiciously low in each of the twelve counties — and George Bush’s were unusually high.
VIII. Rigging the Recount
But can ANYONE REALLY be comfortable with a system whereby private, for profit companies OWN the voting machines and count the votes in secret?
Whether or not Stalin actually said, ” “Those who cast the votes decide nothing.
Those who count the votes decide everything.”
It’s true none the less.
September 5th, 2008 at 8:49 am
You may think that I have a problem about our freedoms would be taken away. and may be my last posting was a little rambling on but the Muslim militants have declared war on the west, (not all muslims mind you). I think and have seen the persicution of christians in these countries they have no religious talerance at all.
am I right or not? ok with that established howmany people in the U.S. hate the religious sector in this coutry. Taking down the 10 commandments trying to get the words IN GOD WE TRUST off our money, and many more examples, yes in our country.
No conspieicy theory here just facts. now lets take away our guns who than will have guns the crimnals will not the law abiding people.
now let me give you just one example of our freedoms being takin away from us, in 1996 when I was sent to Germany and stationed there with deployment orders to Bosnia (By the way I was There 3 times) We where allowed to smoke in the Air Ports (not that I smoke) and in most restraunt in malls bars and so on and if some one had told me that you could not go to a machine and put in some quarters and get a pak of smokes with out picture ID I would have told them that they where crazy but guess what that is what I came back to not a big thing to me but why do smokers have to go out side just to smoke cold rain what ever.
not a great example but one just the same.
I ware the uniform of the United States Army and am willing to lay down my life to protect our freedoms but I am convinced that if we show a weekness to the same groups that have declared war on the west they will exploit that they will come here. Look at what happened to Britan with the bombings our enemies have shown that they will kill our citizens using any means at hand and target our citizens. they do it to themselves
We give into the special intrest groups with vary little fight. I do not agree with alot of things in our country Abortion gay marrages the dress that some people ware (some of it is vary offencive to me) but just the same they have their freedoms to do what ever they want freedoms swings both ways. I am willing to fight for the stuff I do not agree with ok
We are in a war Iraq and Afaganastan no matter how I feel about it we are in it and we need to see it through to the end where the people of these countries have basic human rights and beable to govern themselves. I spent 12 month in the Al Anbar Provance in OIF 1 and I would have never have thought that that reagion would ever be civial but just last week we turned it over to the Iraqi security forces WOW so are we winning yes we and the Iraq people together. But we want our troops to pull out why just so we can deal with the problem later on. I SAY LETS FINISH IT.
September 5th, 2008 at 10:00 am
2008 Price of The Bush War in Iraq
By 70-year-old grandmother, poet
For struggling Americans –
a Three-TRILLION-Dollar splurge.
For Halliburton cronies –
huge sweetheart deals converge.
For over 4,000 U.S. troops –
a solemn funeral dirge.
For old-time pols –
fixation on a surge.
As Iraqis shout us OUT
we ARE their scourge
As ever more Al Qaeda
in Afghanistan resurge
No More McSame, McBush,
the people urge
as the TOTAL White House Group
they vow to purge.
As Americans in vast numbers
now collectively converge
with their once-in-a-lifetime
vote for transformation to emerge,
McLost-it-in-November becomes
a Grand Old Party dirge —
as a strong and risen people
lead their history-making SURGE!
VOTE DEMOCRAT 2008
OUR TIME HAS COME
© 2008, Alice Connally Fisk AFisk10302@aol.com
September 5th, 2008 at 10:21 am
These are great accomplishments but none of them show me Obama has what it takes to lead. He has not been tested and any crisis. Just not being able to make a yes or no decision in the Senate was too hard. Do you REALLY trust him to make life and death decisions? Don’t be partisan–really think about it.
September 5th, 2008 at 10:42 am
It’s a pretty weak resume for the Presidential office. It would work for Vice Prez though. Has anyone noticed how upside down the Dem ticket looks? Biden playing second fiddle to a freshman Senator?
Look, here’s what you really need to know Alan. I wouldn’t vote for Obama if he had a real resume either. It’s a non issue when you examine the issues. Obama represents change you can be afraid of. He means well, as do all progressives. He sincerely believes that people need the Government to pick them up and brush them off every time they fall. I consider this elitist thinking. Who lifted up Senator Obama? Isn’t he perfect evidence that a person can lift themselves up out of a humble beginning? If Senator Obama was able to overcome great obstacles, as has Senator Clinton, what makes them so sure that everyone else needs the Government to intervene? That is the essence of elitist thought. They do not believe that others are capable of doing what they have done. Where were you born Alan? You are pretty successful. Did the government make you the success you are? Is that the path you took? Who is responsible for Alan Colmes success?
This is the real reason I don’t vote for progressives. They are lacking a certain faith in their fellow humans ability to pick themselves up and brush themselves off and go out and succeed. Yet……….many of them did just that, usually without a nanny state to prop them up.
September 5th, 2008 at 11:23 am
The Woods Fund of Chicago:
http://www.woodsfund.org/about/mission
September 5th, 2008 at 11:47 am
“Where’s the info about his work with the…Woods Foundation?”
Wrong name.
September 5th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Community Organizer? –Bill Clinton called that work doings of a Chicago thug–Obama’s community organizing days involved training grievance-mongers from the far-left ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). The ACORN mob is infamous for its bully tactics (which they dub “direct
Last week, Milwaukee’s top election official announced plans to seek criminal investigations of 37 ACORN employees accused of offering gifts to sign up voters (including prepaid gas cards and restaurant cards) or falsifying driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers or other information on voter registration cards.
Last month, a New Mexico TV station reported on the child rapists, drug offenders and forgery convicts on ACORN’s payroll. In July, Pennsylvania investigators asked the public for help in locating a fugitive named Luis R. Torres-Serrano, who is accused “of submitting more than 100 fraudulent voter registration forms he collected on behalf of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now to county election officials.” Also in July, a massive, nearly $1 million embezzlement scheme by top ACORN officials was exposed
g–more apt I think for one who–
September 5th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Do you truly believe Barack Hussein Obama’s resume
is worthy of praise? Without the blatantly biased, liberal media, Obama would just be another minority senator. Hopefully you and your ilk will run out of the kool-aid you’ve been drinking before election day.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Uh, Carol? Are you advocating that Palin go hunting/shooting for citizens of South Chicago?
Ziggidy, let’s refresh our memories about domestic terrorists and McVeigh: Also missing from press coverage was any recognition of McVeigh’s forgotten conspirators. Not John Doe #2, but the wide range of “mainstream” right-wing politicians and broadcasters and publishers and gun lobbyists who exploited the Branch Davidian deaths in Waco with wild conspiracy theories, ratifying McVeigh’s delusional rage and naming his enemy. Just a few of those sharing collateral guilt: the National Rifle Association, which not long before Oklahoma City called the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms “jack-booted government thugs, federal agents wearing Nazi bucket helmets and black storm trooper uniforms to attack law-abiding citizens”; Representative Helen Chenoweth, who declared that America’s national parks had been taken over by the United Nations; Senator Bob Smith, who temporarily dropped his GOP affiliation in favor of the paranoid, antigovernment populists of the US Taxpayers Party; and antichoice fanatics who pointed the way to Oklahoma City with their abortion clinic bombings of the early nineties. It is easier to treat Tim McVeigh as an inexplicable aberration who can be evicted from history than to recall just how widely evident were obsessions like his.”
By the way: Biden and Obama have a lot more experience than McCain and Palin. You can spin til you puke, it’s just the way it is.
Someday, there’s nothing elitist about caring for America’s citizenry. There’s plenty of elitism in placing corporate interests over the interests of all Americans, as the GOP is wont to do. That’s just more Backaland talk from the party I used to be proud of.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
someday,
“Has anyone noticed how upside down the Dem ticket looks? Biden playing second fiddle to a freshman Senator?”
So it looks more like Kennedy/ Johnson.
Obama actually has more experience than Abraham Lincoln had.
Frankly, I don’t care about experience so much: Experience doesn’t really count if you never learn from it. John Gotti had tons of experience, but I don’t him running the government.
You said, ” If Senator Obama was able to overcome great obstacles, as has Senator Clinton, what makes them so sure that everyone else needs the Government to intervene?”
You’d have to ask Condi Rice AND Clarence Thomas that. They both had help from affirmative action.
Most of the middle class grew out of the working poor because of the GI bill, medicare, social security, the government making education mandatory for children.
Laissez-faire capitalism brought us the great depression, FDR’s programs brought us out of it.
Conservatives like the government to reserve welfare for the rich only.
No bid contracts at cost plus for rich cronies , trade agreements that allow you to outsource jobs to other countries whose oppressive governments provide cheap labor, but forbid average people to shop for cheap Rx drugs in Canada , AND allowing corporations to move their headquarters to a po box off shore to avoid taxes while using the infra structure paid for the small businesses …..is ALL CORPORATE WELFARE.
Liberals have MORE faith in people. We believe that if you give them a fair shake, MOST will work hard and succeed.
Conservatives believe that the government has to socialize the risks and the loss, while corporations privatize the profits.
September 5th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Now you can add economic strategist to his resume. The chosen one now has come up with “The Economic Emergency Plan” by having a Wind Fall Profit Tax on big oil. Give families $1000 and single people $500.
Economics 101
I by no means receive a degree in economics really only studied it in HS. I like many did have credit card debt in my early years but found that it was ridiculous that I should pay 20% interest rate or 20 cents on the dollar. I can proudly say that today I am debt free, paid off my student loans. So lets take a look at this plan. Put a Wind Fall Profits Tax on big oil. Exxon Mobil just came out showing they made $11 billion dollar profit. Wow that looks big but lets look further. Now when I look for a savings account or like many people in this country look to invest they want to know how much they will make for every dollar they invest. Lets take 3% interest rate. 3 cent on every dollar you invest. Ok but I have made 5% before. Now look at the many people you see selling T-shirts on the corner or shoes or whatever. That guys selling shoes bought them for $50 and is selling them for $75. He makes 50 cents on the dollar. Now I would take that any day. (is this a Wind Fall Profit?) Big oil profits. What do they make on the dollar; roughly 7% or 7 cents. How can this be? Microsoft may 28% or 28 cents. Who made the Wind Fall Profit? So l he is going to Tax Big Oil but who is he really taxing? He is taxing the pensions of fireman, policeman, TEACHERS, airline pilots, individuals that invest in money markets of big oil. Big oil actually makes for 1% to 2%. So much for working hard for those pensions.
So define Wind Fall Profit. Is it the new Batman movie that make over $500 million in less than 3 months? Is it the millions that actor pull for doing a movie or an episode? Is it the professional athlete that has a dream at a very young age and works so hard to improve that jump shot, that swing or pours their blood and sweat into training everyday putting their body through hell to get that bonus? Is it the small business worker that never misses a day throughout the year increase production to get that bonus.
So much for that American Dream that Obama talks about. I thought it was to achieve the highest. Make money to take care of your family. Must we forget that is why so many people are dying to get into this country b/c this is one place where you are not stuck in the class you are born in. You can move from poor to middle, middle to rich and even lose it all.
Now he will also talk about unemployment being at a 4 year high at 5.7% not too long ago it was said that a 5.2% America was at full force. So the question is why in the last month do we have over 400,000 unemployed? Aw there is the rub. It is called the increase of minimum wage by 70 cents. Businesses were force to give people a raise that did not earn it. What do they do? Lay people off. Also unions have written into their contract that if that the minimum wage is 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 times that of the national minimum wage i.e. 3 time equal $2.10 increase. Much easier to lay people off. It is just simple economics. So much for the American dream.
He wants to raise business tax. We have the second highest in the world. We may as well try to achieve to be #1 in that also. How many of you own, dream of owning or work for a small business? Start look for another job, expect a pay cut or what so many may count on are health or matching 401k that will not be there. So much for the American dream. He plays smoking mirrors and has pretty speeches that lull you to sleep. HopeDreamsBelieve HopeDreamsBelieve HopeDreamsBelieve HopeDreamsBelieve HopeDreamsBelieve…… pretty mind numbing isn’t it.
September 5th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Jesus was a community organizer.
Pontius Pilate was a governor.
September 5th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Abraham Lincoln’s resume
US House of Representatives 1847-1849
John F. Kennedy’s resume
US Senate 1953-1960
US House 1947-1953
Two of our greatest Presidents. Tell me Obama doesn’t have enough experience.
September 5th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Anonymouse, you’re a hoot.
OldLefty, you’re right on target.
I’ve been reading Studs Terkel’s “The Good War” about WW2. I love the way a WW2 CPA remembered that everyone bitched about price controls “all the way to the bank.” FDR had a heavy hand in keeping inflation down.
But George, a former oil man, could do nothing for this country’s economic and energy crisis?
By the way, a shout-out to all you Neocons who keep using the words “retard,” and “libtard,” etc:
Keep it up if you want to continue to insult Sarah Palin and her infant son. We’re adult and can handle your desperate insults, but you’re putting us in the uncomfortable position of defending your VP candidate’s infant “special needs” child.
September 5th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
ONLY 16 PRESIDENTS HAVE BEEN GOVERNOR.
September 5th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
” HopeDreamsBelieve HopeDreamsBelieve HopeDreamsBelieve HopeDreamsBelieve HopeDreamsBelieve…… pretty mind numbing isn’t it.”
………………………………
WarFearPOW WarFearPOW WarFearPOW WarFearPOW WarFearPOW
WarFearPOW WarFearPOW WarFearPOW……….pretty mind numbing isn’t it…and depressing to boot.
September 5th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
oooooooooooooooooooooooh. FEARFEARFEARFEAR. sounds like you listened to the DNC.
September 5th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Hey Anonymouse,
. . .and Lucifer was a slick willy with a lot of charm. Sound familiar!
And Sarah,
Would someone take her crack pipe away? She has lost it!
More experience? Your guy has been in office what? . . .143 days. Wow! The tirants were just getting started on John McCain in that time span. Let me see, who was enslaved and beaten . . .umm sure was not your guy. And I think his wife might have been at Princeton at the time.(for FREE, you know, because of her color!). Which is EXACTLY why Barack Husseim Obama is the Demo pick. Talk about racism and keeping the women down??? This is why the leftist need to get educated. Listen to an educator instead of Michael Moore. (Now there is someone to look up to)
September 5th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Remember
Jesus Christ was a community organizer
Pontius Pilate was a govenor
September 5th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Hey Community Organizers,
She was not talking to you! Grow up and get the chip off your shoulder. Everyone is grateful for our community organizers (I am one). Our world would stop w/o them but it is certainly not President resume stuff.
Ever heard of figure of speech? Dems gave said a lot off the cuff too (Heard of Michele Obama). The governor had been harrassed and attacked all week. It was the RNC. You need to go back and replay the DNC.
And NEWS flash. John McCain is not George Bush. Why do the liberals keep saying that? Unless of course, Obama is really Jeremiah Wright? Maybe so.
McCain and Bush went at odds very often. Guess its the only thing they have on him?? Sure not his lack of experience or Palin’s for that matter.
And yes Jesus was a community organizer who said those who don’t work, don’t eat! And I am sure He is for sanctity of human life.
Again, please everyone check out larryelder.com. Obama is giving you a snow job.
September 5th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Funny how Obama’s senior thesis is on the Soviet Union when Sid likes to tout his expertise on Russia as one of his selling points.
September 5th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
SGT. Gladu,
You will be in our thoughts and prayers. Please know we are behind you. . at least most of us. Thank you for the sacrifice! And I know the people of Iraq thank you for their liberation. At least they thanked my son while he was there. Of course the media doesn’t get those memos.
I shudder to think of Obama as your commander and chief. He did not know, last week, that Russia has the power to Veto the UN vote. His answer to the invasion of Georgia was to let the UN handle it and talk it out. They had been talking, HELLO (where has he been?).
I am sure if we had asked Suddam Hussein to please put down his weapons and be nice to people we could have avoided the entire war. Silly George, guess he didn’t think of that. NOT
Hey Alice Fisk,
Guess what the cost of not going to war is? Could be your family’s lives. Not promoting fear, just facts. Ask the Jews and the people of Rowanda and all the countries we have liberated. Forget the WMD (who by the way the liberals voted Suddam had them as well b/c of same info Bush received), what about women and children who are raped and gased. Guess its not our problem when its not our children or women. Oh its Big Government you are for, right, but not that big?
We are the most powerful and richest nation in the world. God has blessed us and we have forgotten. It is our responsibility to take out the bullies!
September 5th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Charles,
Are you saying Obama is like Jesus? When you meet Jesus you will see the difference.
September 5th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
His thesis on Russia and yet he still doesnt understand forgien policy and we found that out in the Russia Georgia confrontation when it took him 3 times to state what McCain stated right away!
September 5th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Bottom-line all::
The democrats (liberals) have backed the wrong jack-a@s for the third time.
You lost to Gore, Kerry and you’ll lose to Barry. You have no quality candidates who can lead and manage (and no not all of you have educations). Your candidates just cannot get anything right (Nittany lions in Penn State-Barry said Nittaly Lions + we live in 57 states don’y ‘ya know) This from a Harvard lawyer–please. Even when liberals have an education–you still don’t.
I just gave to the RNC and will actively campaign for McCain/Palin ‘08
Good Luck liberals you’ll need it
September 5th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Have fun!
September 5th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Thanks. I will
September 5th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Thank you Marine Mom and yes I have received allot of thank yours from over there from the Dad that worked on construction of a run way that is used to transport humanitarian aid. He was being threatened because of helping us and one of his children was killed execution style in front of the rest of the family the Dad was at work at the time. This was done to make a point.
The Fear in his eyes scared me as a Father myself (we fixed his problem)
or the young girl that was thrown from a moving car in front of a check point. The things that where done to her where and are stuck in my head. The girl was 14 years old.
Yes I agree about the Jews and let’s not forget the Bosnian’s
But that is not our problem right freedom is safe as long we sit in our living rooms complaining about gas prices or who is running for office
I have been in countries that held voting events and seen first hand the great sacrifices that people have made just to get to the polling sites just to be able to cast a vote for their freedom and it is a shame to me that our country will see less than 50% cast a vote in this year’s election
I work with soldiers that do not even know or care who is running or even the issues at hand and they tell me that they won’t vote because it does not matter to them.
I am 45 years old and every chance I get I vote because it is my right I personally do not care weather you are republican or dem as long as you vote because it is a right that people have died for (I am republican) and this country is great because we have an opinion on our GOV and we can express that opinion openly and freely also debating is also a freedom we have and we don’t have to hide when we differ
My children will inherit our mistakes and we have made allot of them haven’t we but our foundation are strong and we or they should learn form our mistakes however we need to hold things together long enough to for them to have the same chance.
In God I do trust and we have to continue to trust for our children’s sake
September 5th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
SUMMARIZED RECORD OF OBAMA’S LEGISLATIVE RECORD.SENATOR OBAMA SPONSORED 890 BILLS AND CO-SPONSORED ANOTHER 1100.THIS CAN BE SEEN AT
http://obama.senate.gov/
McCAIN’S RECORD CAN BE SEEN AT
http://mccain.senate.gov/public/
I WISH PEOPLE WOULD BE MORE INTELLECTUALLY ASTUTE. I AM SICK OF PEOPLE WHO CONSTANTLY ABSORB ALL THE NONSENSE WITHOUT LOOKING UP THE CANDIDATE’S RECORD.
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HERE ARE SOME OF SENATOR OBAMA’S VAST EXPERIENCE AND I AM DISTURBED THAT EVERY TIME I WATCH FOX THEY CONTINUE TO PERPETRATE THESE LIES. I WILL POST SENATOR OBAMA’S RECORD EVERY WHERE I GO. OBAMA WALKS THE WALK. MCCAIN MAKES STATEMENTS ABOUT THE ISSUES BUT DOESN’T REALLY SUPPORT THEM IN CONGRESS. FACTS. LOOK IT UP..NO SPIN.
September 6th, 2008 at 1:46 am
THE SENATORS OF THE 110TH CONGRESS
Main Entry Page Listing All Senators alphabetically immediately below:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
SENATOR BARACK OBAMA’S SENATE UNEDITED PAGE BELOW:
http://obama.senate.gov/
SENATOR OBAMA’S ETHICS AND LOBBYING REFORM:
http://obama.senate.gov/issues/ethics_and_lobbying_reform/
Throughout his political career, Barack Obama has fought for open and honest government. As an Illinois State Senator, he helped pass the state’s first major ethics reform bill in 25 years. And as a U.S. Senator, he has spearheaded the effort to clean up Washington in the wake of numerous scandals.
In the first two weeks of the 110th Congress, Senator Obama helped lead the Senate to pass the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act, a comprehensive ethics and lobbying reform bill, by a 96-2 vote. This landmark bill was signed into law by the President in September 2007.
The final bill that the Congress passed closely mirrored and drew key provisions in a bill (S. 230) that Senators Obama and Feingold introduced in January 2007 to establish a “gold standard” for reform. Among the provisions in the Obama-Feingold bill that were adopted by the Senate and the House were: strict bans on receiving gifts and meals from lobbyists; new rules to slow the revolving door between public and private sector service; and an end to the subsidized use of corporate jets.
Most importantly, the final reform bill contained a provision pushed by Senator Obama to require the disclosure of contributions that registered lobbyists “bundle” – that is, collect or arrange – for candidates, leadership PACs, and party committees. The New York Times called this provision “the most sweeping” in the bill, and the Washington Post said: “No single change would add more to public understanding of how money really operates in Washington.”
In January 2006, Senator Obama laid the groundwork for the reform package that the Senate eventually adopted a year later. He started building a coalition for reform by helping to author the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act introduced with 41 Democratic sponsors. The bill proposed lengthening the cooling off period to two years for lawmakers who seek to become lobbyists and requiring immediate disclosure as soon as public servants initiate any job negotiations to become lobbyists. The bill would have opened conference committee meetings to the public and required that all bills be posted on the Internet for 24 hours before they can be voted on by the Senate. Finally, the bill would have ended all lobbyist-funded gifts, meals, and travel and strengthened the Senate office that monitors lobbyist disclosure forms. All of these provisions were incorporated in either identical or similar form into the final bill passed in 2007.
In addition, Senator Obama sponsored three other ethics-related bills in the 109th Congress that went even further on ethics, earmarks, and legislative transparency. By the time of the 110th Congress, his ideas for reform had gained support, and many of his proposals were passed by the Senate.
• The Congressional Ethics Enforcement Commission Act
The bill would create an outside ethics commission to receive complaints from the public on alleged ethics violations by members of Congress, staff, and lobbyists. The commission would have the authority to investigate complaints and present public findings of fact about possible violations to the House and Senate Ethics Committee and Justice Department. By taking the initial fact finding out of the hands of members of Congress, who are often reluctant to investigate their colleagues, the bill ensures prompt and fair disposition of public complaints.
To avoid manipulation of the commission for political purposes, any person filing a complaint that they knew to be false would be subject to a fine and/or imprisonment. No complaints could be filed against a member of Congress for 30 days before a primary election and 60 days before a general election.
The bill was widely endorsed by reform groups. According to Common Cause: “[T]his legislation would do more to reform ethics and lobbying than any other piece of legislation introduced thus far because it goes to the heart of the problem: enforcement.” Public Citizen praised Senator Obama “for having the courage to challenge the business-as-usual environment on Capitol Hill and introduce far-reaching legislation.” Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington stated: “This is the first bill that deals seriously with the lack of oversight and enforcement in the existing congressional ethics process. . . . This bill will help restore Americans’ confidence in the integrity of Congress.
• The Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act
This bill would shed light on the almost 16,000 earmarks that were included in spending bills in 2005. Under the bill, all earmarks, including the name of the requestor and a justification for the earmark, would have to be disclosed 72 hours before they could be considered by the full Senate. Senators would be prohibited from advocating for an earmark if they have a financial interest in the project or earmark recipient. And, earmark recipients would have to disclose to an Office of Public Integrity the amount that they have spent on registered lobbyists and the names of those lobbyists.
• The Curtailing Lobbyist Effectiveness through Advance Notification, Updates, and Posting Act (The CLEAN UP Act)
This bill aims to improve public access to information about all legislation, including conference reports and appropriations legislation, in particular after hurried, end-of-session negotiations. Conference committee meetings and deliberations would have to be open to the public or televised, and conference reports would have to identify changes made to the bill from the House and Senate versions. Finally, no bill could be considered by the full Senate unless the measure has been made available to all Senators and the general public on the Internet for at least
September 6th, 2008 at 1:54 am
THE BILLS BELOW SENATOR OBAMA SPONSORED/CO-SPONSORED
BARACK OBAMA’S TAX REFORM IN THE SENATE:
Our federal tax code has become increasingly complex and unfair. Tax rates should be as low as we can afford them to be; and everyone should pay their fair share. Reform options should focus on creating a system that is simple, progressive, easy to comply with and devoid of abusive shelters. When examining reform options, Senator Obama believes that we should ensure any changes to the tax code reflect the needs and everyday worries facing ordinary Americans, while also promoting America’s competitiveness in the world economy.
Increasing the Child Tax Credit
Senator Obama has co-sponsored the Working Family Child Assitance Act along with Senators Snowe and Lincoln, to adjust the income requirement for the refundable portion of the Child Tax Credit. This will put more money in the pockets of more working families with children, who are struggling to make ends meet.
In addition, Senator Obama introduced an amendment in the 109th Congress that would provide immediate tax relief to low-income working families from the Gulf Coast disaster areas by enhancing the refundable portion of the child tax credit. As a change from current law, children would no longer be denied a benefit because their parents’ incomes are too low.
Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
The EITC has raised millions of working American families out of poverty, and is considered by policymakers across the political spectrum to be one of the most effective anti-poverty measures in recent history. Senator Obama supports expanding the EITC to cover additional children and families that are struggling to make ends meet. In the 109th Congress, he cosponsored and won passage of an amendment to reduce the marriage penalty for EITC recipients and to ensure that members of our military can include their combat pay when calculating eligibility for tax credits.
Fixing the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)
The AMT was originally designed to capture revenue from high-worth individuals but, due to inflation and other factors, has imposed an unfair tax burden on millions of middle income Americans. Senator Obama has supported previous efforts to fix the AMT in a fiscally responsible manner, and will continue to support renewed efforts in the 110th Congress.
Research and Development Tax Credit
Senator Obama understands the importance of American firms investing in research and development in America. He believes that this tax credit should be an important part of America’s competitiveness strategy to grow jobs and incomes here at home, which is why he voted to extend the credit in December
September 6th, 2008 at 2:03 am
GOOD GOVERNMENT, RESPONSIBLE SPENDING
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act
Senator Obama worked closely with Senator Coburn, to draft and ultimately pass the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. President Bush signed this measure into law in September of 2006.
This important bill will bring badly needed transparency to Federal spending by creating a user-friendly website to search all government contracts, grants, earmarks, and loans, thereby opening up Federal financial transactions to public scrutiny. This measure was cosponsored by more than 40 Senators and received the support of more than 100 outside groups from all parts of the political spectrum. It was also endorsed by dozens of editorial boards across the country from the Wall Street Journal, to the Chicago Sun-Times and The Oklahoman.
The Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act
Hidden, last-minute earmarks hide pork and add to wasteful federal spending. Senator Obama sponsored the Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act. The bill would shed light on the almost 16,000 earmarks that were included in spending bills in 2005. Under the bill, all earmarks, including the name of the requestor and a justification for the earmark, would have to be disclosed 72 hours before they could be considered by the full Senate. Senators would be prohibited from advocating for an earmark if they have a financial interest in the project or earmark recipient. And, earmark recipients would have to disclose to an Office of Public Integrity the amount that they have spent on registered lobbyists and the names of those lobbyists. Several of these provisions were included in the ethics and lobbying reform bill that passed the Senate in January 2007.
Restricting No-Bid Contracts
Senator Obama has been a leader in the fight to prevent the abuse of no-bid contracts. He believes that competition is good for American business, helping to ensure high quality and low costs for products and services purchased by the government. Senator Obama shares the outrage of many Americans who are embarrassed by reports of waste and fraud in government contracting for hurricane relief and recovery in the Gulf Coast. Current audit findings estimate the waste at more than $2 billion. This waste not only defrauds taxpayers; it deprives vulnerable citizens who are struggling to restore their livelihoods in the wake of a national tragedy. To stop these abuses, Senator Obama introduced amendments to the Homeland Security and Defense spending bills to reinforce the requirements for competitive procedures in contracting and to limit the use of unnecessary exceptions by government officials. Senator Obama has continued to aggressively conduct oversight actions to bring FEMA into compliance with these laws.
Commonsense Budgeting Practices
Senator Obama believes that our current budgeting and borrowing practices are fiscally unwise and unsustainable. This is why he strongly supports and has voted for commonsense “Pay As You Go,” or “PayGo” rules, which would require any new increases in discretionary spending to be offset by a reduction in other areas of spending.
Federal Debt, Deficit Spending
Senator Obama voted against the most recent effort to raise the national debt limit. The current national debt has exceeded $8.6 trillion dollars, and nearly $4 trillion of that debt is now held by foreign governments. Our national debt and annual budget deficits effectively tax all Americans by adding to the amount of interest paid to service U.S. borrowing; Senator Obama would rather invest these hundreds of billions of dollars into national priorities, such as securing our homeland, improving our schools and providing needed benefits to our veterans.
September 6th, 2008 at 2:10 am
SENATOR BARACK OBAMA SPONSORED/COSPONSORED BILLS ON: ENERGY
Senator Obama believes that America must commit to a new national energy policy focused on improvements in technology, investments in renewable fuels such as wind and solar power, and greater efforts in conservation, efficiency, and waste reduction. Shifting from our current investment and consumption practices to this new direction will be one of the great leadership challenges in the coming decade.
With the Department of Energy telling us that U.S. demand for oil will jump 40% over the next 20 years and with countries like China and India adding millions of cars to their roads, the price of oil is approaching a breaking point.
In addition to the high economic costs of our foreign oil dependence, the current consumption of fossil fuels has threatened the future health and well-being of not only our citizens, but our natural resources and air quality as well. Investments in cleaner and more efficient energy technologies must play a central role in mitigating these threats to our health and our environment.
Recognizing the importance of energy security to national and economic security, Senator Obama has proposed the creation of a Director of National Energy Security in the Office of the President. This position, akin to the National Security Advisor, would oversee and coordinate all administration efforts on national energy security and policies.
Renewable Fuels
Senator Obama is a leading advocate for increasing the use of renewable fuels to reduce our nation’s reliance on foreign petroleum. In 2005, he enacted into law a tax credit for installing E-85 ethanol refueling pumps at gas stations across the country.
In the 109th and 110th Congress, he joined with Senator Lugar to introduce the American Fuels Act to increase domestic production, distribution, and end uses of biofuels. Among other improvements, the American Fuels Act would expand the manufacture of ethanol-capable vehicles, offer tax credits to spur cellulosic fuel production, require clean-fueled transit buses bought with federal dollars, and provide incentives to ethanol plants to invest in E-85 blending equipment on their premises.
In January 2007, Senator Obama joined Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa in reintroducing the Biofuels Security Act, which calls for 60 billion gallons of renewable biofuels in the nation’s vehicle fuel supply by the year 2030. Senator Obama also authored legislation with Senator Cochran, the Alternative Diesel Standard, to require 2 billion gallons of alternative diesels – - including agriculture feedstocks such as biodiesel – - as part of the 40 billion gallon national diesel pool.
Given that major supermarket chains are expected to comprise 15% of the vehicle fuels market in the coming years, Senator Obama has also called upon the 14 largest supermarket and discount stores that sell gas to also install alternative fuel pumps.
Fuel Efficiency
As the author of the Fuel Economy Reform Act, Senator Obama has worked to gain bipartisan support for an innovative approach to raising automobile fuel efficiency standards (also known as “CAFE” standards) and break two decades of inaction and deadlock on reforming fuel economy laws. This proposal has attracted cosponsors from both parties – maintaining support from long-time champions of improving fuel economy standards while attracting support from traditional opponents. The bill would establish regular, continual, and incremental progress in miles per gallon fuel efficiency by an increase of four percent annually, and preserve flexibility by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to vary the rate of improvement and how best to technologically achieve those fuel economy targets. President Bush endorsed a similar approach in his State of the Union speech in January 2007.
Investing in New Technologies
Senator Obama introduced the “Health Care for Hybrids Act” to provide health care assistance to domestic automakers in exchange for their investing 50% of the savings into technology to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles. His proposal has been praised by President Bill Clinton, the University of Michigan’s auto research center, and numerous newspapers.
In May 2007, Senator Obama, along with Senator Harkin, authored the National Low Carbon Fuel Standard Act (S. 1324), which requires a 10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the national transportation fuel pool by 2020, a reduction of about 180 million metric tons of emissions in 2020 – the equivalent of taking over 30 million cars off the road. The Obama-Harkin fuel standard embraces the growth of the renewable fuels market, including corn-based ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, and biodiesel as a key component of fighting climate change, while creating incentives for lower carbon emissions in their production.
Read Senator Obama’s Speech on the National Low Carbon Fuel Standard
Working to Lower High Gas Prices
Oil companies are enjoying record profits while consumers are suffering from record high gas prices. In the 110th Congress, Senator Obama has introduced the Oil SENSE Act to eliminate unnecessary tax breaks to the oil industry. A version of the bill was passed by House of Representatives in January 2007.
In the 109th Congress, Senator Obama sponsored legislation, the FILL UP Act, requiring oil companies that made at least $1 billion in profits in the first quarter of 2006 to invest at least 1% of the their total reported first quarter 2006 profits into installing E-85 pumps.
Senator Obama also worked with Congressman Rahm Emanuel to obtain several million dollars to establish the first ethanol-to-hydrogen refueling station for refueling Chicago natural gas bus fleets.
Links to Energy Speeches:
Speech to Resources for the Future, September 15, 2005
Speech to Governor’s Ethanol Coalition, February 28, 2006
September 6th, 2008 at 2:17 am
SENATOR OBAMA’S BILLS SPONSORED/COSPONSORED ON:
IRAQ:
In October 2002, before being elected to the U.S. Senate, Barack Obama made a speech opposing the Bush Administration’s plan to go to war in Iraq because he felt it was an ill-conceived venture which would “require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undermined cost, with undetermined consequences.”
Now, as a U.S. Senator, Senator Obama has continued to critique the Administration’s mishandling of this war, and believes that while our troops have done an outstanding job in Iraq, there can be no military solution to what is inherently a political conflict between Iraq’s warring factions. The only hope to end this burgeoning civil war is for Shias, Sunnis, and Kurds to come together and resolve their differences. That’s why Senator Obama agrees with the Iraq Study Group’s conclusion that we must begin a phased redeployment of American troops to signal to the government and people of Iraq that ours is not an open-ended commitment.
To set a new course for U.S. policy that can bring a responsible end to the war, Senator Obama introduced the Iraq War De-escalation Act in January 2007. The legislation would have begun a redeployment of U.S. forces no later than May 1, 2007, with the goal of removing all combat brigades from Iraq by March 31, 2008, a date that was consistent with the expectation of the Iraq Study Group.
The Obama plan allows for a limited number of U.S. troops to remain as basic force protection, to pursue international terrorists, and to continue the training of Iraqi security forces. If the Iraqis are successful in meeting the 13 benchmarks for progress laid out by the Bush Administration, this plan also allows for the temporary suspension of the redeployment, provided Congress agrees that the benchmarks have been met and that the suspension is in the national security interest of the United States. (More info: Press Release on Iraq War De-escalation Act and Senator Obama’s Speech about the Bill.)
Since this legislation was introduced, Senator Obama has continued to be a strong advocate for legislative actions that could bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end. He opposes funding for the war in Iraq that does not immediately begin the responsible removal of our troops from Iraq, with a clear timeline and end-date for this drawdown.
Senator Obama has also stressed the importance of holding private security contractors like Blackwater USA accountable to ensure that their conduct is not jeopardizing our military’s efforts to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end. In February 2007, he introduced the Transparency and Accountability in Military and Security Contracting Act (S.674) to require accountability and enhanced congressional oversight for personnel performing private security functions under federal contracts. Components of this bill that require new reporting on the role of contractors operating in Iraq and new regulations on selection, training, and equipping of security contractors were signed into law as part of the FY08 National Defense Authorization Act. Senator Obama is working to pass other components of the bill to increase accountability of security contractors operating in war zones by subjecting them to U.S. criminal law.
Speeches
In two major speeches, Senator Obama laid out his views on the war and how America’s involvement in the war needs to change.
• Remarks of Senator Barack Obama on the Iraq War – March 21, 2007
• Speech to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs – November 20, 2006
• Speech to the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations – November 22, 2005
Other Statements on Iraq
• Statement on the Senate Floor – January 19, 2007
• Podcast: Against an Escalation in Iraq – January 3, 2007
• Statement on the Senate Floor – June 21, 2006
September 6th, 2008 at 2:27 am
SENATOR OBAMA’S BILLS SPONSORED/COSPONSORED ON:
FOREIGN POLICY:
As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Obama has fought to strengthen America’s position in the world by reaching across the aisle in an effort to prevent nuclear terrorism and weapons proliferation, stop the genocide in Darfur, and reduce global poverty.
Stopping Nuclear Terrorism and Weapons Proliferation
Senator Obama traveled in 2005 to the former Soviet Union with Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) to investigate the dangers posed by unsecured weapons. The two senators introduced legislation that was signed into law in January 2007 to help other nations detect and stop the transfer of weapons of mass destruction. The legislation also established the next generation of cooperative threat reduction efforts to destroy conventional weapons that could fall into the wrong hands. Senator Obama worked with Senator Lugar to ensure that funding was appropriated for the Lugar-Obama nonproliferation initiative.
Senator Obama also joined with Senator Hagel (R-NE) to introduce a broad bill that seeks to prevent nuclear terrorism, reduce global nuclear arsenals, and stop the spread of nuclear weapons and related technology. One provision, which was signed into law as part of the FY08 omnibus appropriations bill, requires the President to submit to Congress a comprehensive plan for ensuring that all nuclear weapons and weapons-usable material at vulnerable sites around the world are secure by 2012 to keep them out of the hands of terrorists.
Promoting Peace and Stability in the Middle East
Senator Obama has called for the United States to bolster its efforts to help Israel achieve peace with its neighbors, including working toward a two-state solution with the Palestinians, while ensuring Israel can defend itself against those who oppose this vision. He believes that the starting point for this effort should always be a clear and strong commitment to the security of Israel, our strongest ally in the region and its only established democracy, and to the survival of Israel as a Jewish state. Senator Obama traveled to Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories in 2006 and met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to expand his understanding of the challenges that confront the region. He outlined his positions on key issues related to the Middle East in his remarks to AIPAC in 2007.
Preventing an Avian Flu Pandemic
Senator Obama was one of the first legislators to recognize the dangers of a potential avian influenza pandemic, and successfully secured $25 million for U.S. agencies working in Southeast Asia to combat and contain widespread outbreaks of avian flu. He also worked with other Senators to provide $4 billion in funding to the Centers for Disease Control to combat avian flu, including more than $3 billion to build a stockpile of antiviral drugs that had been in short supply.
Stopping the Genocide in Darfur
Senator Obama has been a leading voice urging the end of genocide in Sudan. He worked with Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) on the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, a version of which was signed into law. Senator Obama has traveled to the United Nations to meet with Sudanese officials and visited refugee camps on the Chad-Sudan border to raise international awareness of the ongoing humanitarian disaster there. Working with Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Obama secured $20 million for the African Union peacekeeping mission.
Ending the Conflict in Congo
Senator Obama wrote and passed legislation to build on the historic election in the Congo and promote stability in the country. Senator Obama revamped U.S. policy in the Congo to include a commitment to help rebuild the country, develop lasting political structures, hold accountable destabilizing foreign governments, crack down on corrupt politicians, and professionalize the military. The bill also authorizes $52 million in U.S. assistance for the Congo, calls for a Special U.S. Envoy to resolve ongoing violence, and urges the administration to strengthen the U.N. peacekeeping force.
Fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa
Senator Obama is committed to fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS, treating those already infected, and finding a cure. He has been a strong advocate for adequate funding for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Senator Obama has also played a direct role in promoting HIV testing, which is critical for prevention and treatment programs. During a two-week tour of Africa in 2006, Senator Obama took an HIV test in a public venue in Kenya. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that tens of thousands of Kenyans will get tested for AIDS as a result of Senator Obama’s actions.
Confronting Repression in Zimbabwe
Senator Obama has advocated for a policy of pressuring the Mugabe regime to allow Zimbabweans to pursue their hopes for legitimate political change without fear of violent repercussions. He introduced a resolution in March 2007 that condemned the Zimbabwean government for repressive and violent actions against its people. The Obama resolution was passed by the Senate in July 2007.
Bringing a Brutal Warlord to Justice
Senator Obama has worked to hold former Liberian President Charles Taylor accountable for his reprehensible actions. After assuming the presidency following a brutal civil war that decimated Liberia’s population, Taylor created a rebel group that fought in neighboring Sierra Leone’s civil war and committed a range of atrocities including rape, murder and the use of child soldiers. On July 19, 2005, Senator Obama passed a bipartisan amendment, along with Senators Chuck Hagel, Patrick Leahy, and Judd Gregg to provide $13 million for the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Signed into law in November 2005, the Obama amendment provides critical funding to keep the Court up and running and dramatically enhances efforts to bring Taylor to justice.
Reducing Global Poverty
Senator Obama has advocated for a more effective U.S. strategy to help those around the world who live in extreme poverty. In December 2007, he worked with Senators Chuck Hagel and Maria Cantwell to introduce the Global Poverty Act, which requires the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to reduce extreme global poverty in half by 2015 through aid, trade, debt relief, and coordination with the international community, businesses and non-governmental organizations. Senator Obama is working to get the bill, which was reported favorably out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in February 2008, passed in the Senate.
September 6th, 2008 at 2:32 am
SENATOR OBAMA’S BILLS SPONSORED/COSPONSORED ON:
DEFENSE
With the nation facing unprecedented threats, it is essential that our military continues to be the best in the world. The Pentagon must adapt to face 21st century threats such as global terrorists and loose nuclear weapons in the former Soviet states. Senator Obama is working to ensure that the nation’s defense capabilities are strong, agile, and prepared and that our troops are provided with the equipment they need.
Respect for the Nation’s Armed Forces
American troops are serving admirably overseas. Senator Obama believes that we need to give them the resources they need when in combat, and the support and services they earned when they return home.
Caring for Our Wounded Warriors
The scandal at Walter Reed Army Medical Center showed that as a nation, we don’t always match our words with actions when it comes to providing returning service members with the care they deserve. In the Senate, Barack Obama led a bipartisan effort to remedy both the immediate and more systematic shortcomings that contributed to the deplorable conditions causing wounded warriors to fight a second battle at home. The Senate passed legislation based on several Obama proposals, including measures to improve medical outpatient facilities, slash red tape, reform the disability review process, strengthen mental health care support, and add needed healthcare benefits for family members caring for loved ones. Separately, the Senate passed an Obama measure to provide these family members with a year of job protection so they don’t have to choose between caring for a loved one and keeping their jobs. In 2005, Senator Obama passed legislation ensuring wounded warriors recuperating in military hospitals would not have to pay for food services. The Obama amendment was included in the conference report accompanying the FY2005 Supplemental Appropriations bill.
Fighting to Correct Benefit Disparities
Following reports that veterans in Illinois were receiving less in disability benefits than those nearly anywhere else in the country, Senator Obama led efforts to correct the problems that created these disparities. As a result of his efforts, the VA opened an investigation into the matter, agreed to hire more disability claims specialists for the Chicago regional office, and agreed to re-examine the claims of Illinois veterans who felt they had been treated unfairly. Senator Obama worked with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) to force the VA to notify veterans in Illinois and other states traditionally underserved about their right to seek a review of their past claims. The resulting outreach led to significant numbers of Illinois veterans getting the benefits they deserve.
Combating Homelessness among Our Nation’s Veterans
On any given night, more than 200,000 veterans are homeless. More than 20 percent of America’s homeless are veterans. However, the VA’s homeless services reach only a quarter of this population. Barack Obama has been a leader in the fight to end homelessness among our nation’s veterans. Senator Obama successfully passed legislation to expand services for homeless veterans.
Ensuring Veterans Receive the Benefits they Deserve
Veterans from certain states, including Illinois, for decades have received far less benefits than their comrades across the country. Senator Obama worked to uncover the reasons why the benefits were so low and demanded the VA address the disparities. Senator Obama, joined by Senator Durbin and others, passed legislation requiring the VA to inform veterans in Illinois, and other low benefit states such as Ohio, Connecticut and New Jersey, that their benefits may be unduly low and that they have the right to seek a review of their benefit decisions.
Military Funding
Since arriving in Washington in 2005, Senator Obama has been a strong supporter of defense funding. He has supported the annual Defense Department appropriations bills and supplemental appropriations bills that fund American troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Senator has also supported pay raises for the troops, efforts to improve military readiness, and the acquisition of new weapons systems.
Senator Obama backs efforts to expand TRICARE eligibility and reduce TRICARE premiums so that our nation’s service members, Guard members, reservists, and their families can have improved access to health care.
Armored Vehicles
During consideration of the 2005 Defense Department authorization bill, Senator Obama voted to provide additional funding for add-on armor for military vehicles and for additional up-armored military vehicles to help keep our troops in combat safe. According to a report by the New York Times, roughly half of the Army’s 20,000 Humvees are fitted with improvised shielding that leaves the underside unprotected, while only one in six Humvees used by the Marines is armored at the highest level of protection.
Health Care
Senator Obama successfully passed legislation in the Senate to force the Pentagon to work towards an efficient electronic medical records system that will help ensure better care for our nation’s troops. It is Senator Obama’s goal for each separating service member to receive a secure electronic copy of his or her military and medical records at the time of discharge to smooth the transition to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs health care system.
Traumatic Brain Injury
As a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Senator Obama has been tracking the high incidence of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) among the veterans returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. TBI is being called the signature injury of the Iraq war. Often caused by the shock wave of improvised explosive devices, TBI can result in permanent brain damage. In order to ensure that these returning heroes receive appropriate medical attention, Senator Obama passed legislation in the Senate that requires all soldiers to be assessed for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) after they return from deployments.
Protecting Troops from Avian Flu
In 2005, Senator Obama introduced and the Senate passed legislation that would require the Department of Defense to issue a plan to protect our troops from an avian flu pandemic.
Protecting Illinois’ Military Bases
Senator Obama joined with other Illinois members of Congress to protect Illinois’ military bases during the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. Illinois military bases – such as the Springfield Air National Guard, Rock Island Arsenal, Peoria Air National Guard, and Scott Air Force Base – are critical to protecting the state and the nation.
Unfortunately, despite the efforts of the Illinois delegation, the state will lose some base presence as a result of BRAC. Senator Obama will continue working with the affected communities to reduce the numbers of jobs that are lost and to ensure that the schools and communities near the affected bases continue to thrive despite BRAC.
In 2006, Senator Obama introduced an amendment that was signed into law to require the Air Force to report on its plans for future missions at bases like Springfield Air National Guard, which is scheduled to lose units as a result of BRAC. The report will include an assessment of each base’s capabilities and a description of potential future missions.
September 6th, 2008 at 2:44 am
SENATOR OBAMA’S BILLS SPONSORED/COSPONSORED ON:
Crime
Senator Obama is a strong proponent of tougher measures to fight crime and provide more resources to local law enforcement officers. He is particularly concerned about the growing problem of methamphetamine, which is ravaging many communities in Illinois.
Fighting the Spread of Methamphetamines
Senator Obama cosponsored the Combat Meth Act, which provides more money for fighting methamphetamine (meth), tightens controls on the sale of meth ingredients, and provides assistance to the children of meth abusers. The legislation would limit access to cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, the primary ingredient used to make methamphetamine. This bill passed the Senate and became law in the 109th Congress.
Senator Obama has supported greater funding to fight meth through the use of Byrne Justice Assistance Grants. The Byrne Grant program provides important funding to many local Illinois law enforcement groups. For example, the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group (SIEG), a meth taskforce that polices 31 Illinois counties, pays for 5 of its 12 agents through Byrne grants. During Senate consideration of the Department of Justice funding bill, Senator Obama cosponsored an amendment to raise Byrne funding to $900 million in 2006; the amendment passed the Senate.
Support for Local Law Enforcement
Senator Obama has been a strong supporter of efforts to increase funding and support for local law enforcement. He supported the reauthorization of the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program in the 109th Congress and supports efforts to increase COPS funding. The COPS program provides local law enforcement funding for: (1) hiring and training law enforcement officers; (2) procuring equipment and support systems (3) paying officers to perform intelligence, anti-terror, or homeland security duties; and (4) developing new technologies, including inter-operable communications, and forensic technology. Since 1994, the COPS program has funded more than 5,800 additional police officers and sheriffs deputies in Illinois and over $45 million in crime fighting technology assistance.
Sex Offenders
Senator Obama cosponsored Dru’s Law which creates a nationwide sex offender database and requires greater monitoring of sex offenders upon their release from prison. The bill passed the Senate in July of 2005. This legislation was incorporated into a larger bill, the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act, which Senator Obama supported and which has been signed into law.
He also cosponsored the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. This bill increases the penalties for sex crimes against children under the age of 12 and creates a national Internet site known as the National Sex Offender Public Registry. The bill would also provide grants to local law enforcement to assist in preventing and investigating sex crimes against minors.
Senator Obama is a cosponsor of the KIDS Act, which requires convicted sex offenders to provide their Internet identifiers, such as e-mail addresses and instant message addresses, for inclusion into the national sex offender registry.
Violence Against Women Act
Senator Obama cosponsored the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act which passed the Senate on October 4, 2005 and was subsequently signed into law. The Act provides important funding and assistance to help communities, non-profit organizations, and law enforcement combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The Act establishes a sexual assault services program and provides grants for education programs to prevent domestic violence and encourage reporting of abuses.
Security for Federal Judges
After the horrific murder of an Illinois federal judge’s mother and husband, Senator Obama and Senator Durbin worked together to beef up security at our federal courthouses. The Illinois senators secured $12 million to improve security for federal judges. Senator Obama also joined Senator Durbin in requesting a Government Accountability Office investigation into additional steps that can be taken to protect judges.
September 6th, 2008 at 2:56 am
SENATOR OBAMA’S BILLS SPONSORED/COSPONSORED ON:
Environment
As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in the 109th Congress, Senator Obama worked to ensure our nation’s environmental laws and policies balance America’s needs for a healthy, sustainable environment with economic growth. He will continue to push for sound environmental policies with his colleagues in the 110th Congress.
Global Climate Change
The issue of climate change is one of the greatest challenges that our generation faces. Senator Obama believes that the U.S. must take aggressive action now to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. He is a cosponsor of the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act (S. 309), which was introduced by Senators Sanders and Boxer. This important legislation would reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. by 80% in the year 2050. Senator Obama is also an original cosponsor of the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act , which was introduced by Senators Lieberman and McCain and would mandate 60% reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
More info:Senator Obama’s speech to the Associated Press in April 2006 on climate change.
Environmental Health
Since coming to Washington, Senator Obama has made the elimination of childhood lead poisoning one of his top priorities. Over 400,000 children in the U.S. suffer from lead poisoning. Lead is a highly toxic substance that can produce a range of health problems in young children including IQ deficiencies, reading and learning disabilities, reduced attention spans, hyperactivity, and damage to the kidneys, brain and bone marrow. The most common source of lead exposure is lead paint in older housing.
During his first year in office, Senator Obama successfully fought to get the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publish long-overdue rules for how contractors involved in the renovation and remodeling of homes should deal with lead paint hazards. To force the EPA to issue the rules, Senator Obama threatened to block the confirmation of an EPA official and passed an amendment to stop the EPA from delaying the rulemaking process. When the rules are eventually finalized, they will prevent 28,000 lead-related illnesses each year, resulting in an annual net economic benefit of more than $4 billion.
Lead is also present in many children’s products. In 2003 and 2004, nearly 150 million pieces of toy jewelry were recalled because of toxic levels of lead. To address this problem, Senator Obama introduced the Lead-Free Toys Act to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban any children’s product containing lead.
In December 2006, Senator Obama released a report showing that a number of souvenirs purchased in the U.S. Capitol gift shops contained large amounts of lead. Those items were promptly removed from store shelves.
Senator Obama is also an original cosponsor of the Home Lead Safety Tax Credit Act, which would provide tax credits to property owners who eliminate or contain paint hazards in homes where low-income young children or women of child-bearing age live.
Recognizing that 30 years after the ban of lead in paint many of our children are still being exposed, Senator Obama also introduced the Lead Poisoning Reduction Act, which would help protect children from lead poisoning by requiring that all non-home-based child care facilities, including Head Start program locations and kindergarten classrooms, be lead-safe within five years. The legislation would also establish a $42.6 million grant program to help local communities pay to make these facilities safe.
He also introduced the Healthy Communities Act to identify and address problems in communities that are at high risk from environmental contaminants. In addition, recognizing the contribution of housing, parks, trails, roadways, and public transportation to healthy lifestyles, Senator Obama introduced the Healthy Places Act to assess and support improvements to the built environment.
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes store one-fifth of the world’s surface water, and Lake Michigan alone provides drinking water for an estimated six million Illinoisans. The Great Lakes are also important for recreation, transportation, and economic development. To preserve this national treasure, Senator Obama has been a strong supporter of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration and cosponsored the Great Lakes Environmental Restoration Act in the 109th Congress.
One of the greatest threats facing the Great Lakes is aquatic invasive species. Senator Obama was successful in ensuring that Illinois receives adequate federal funding to operate a barrier to prevent Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan and disrupting the balance of the lake’s ecosystem.
Mercury
In December 2005, the Chicago Tribune published an in-depth report on the extent of mercury contamination in the fish eaten by Americans. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can cause serious developmental problems in children, ranging from severe birth defects to mental retardation. As many as 630,000 children born annually in the U.S. are at risk of neurological problems related to mercury. In adults, mercury can cause major neurological problems affecting vision, motor skills, blood pressure and fertility.
Sampling conducted by the Tribune showed surprisingly high levels of mercury in freshwater and saltwater fish purchased in the Chicago area. The Tribune series also reported on how existing programs at the Food and Drug Administration and the EPA have failed to adequately test and evaluate mercury levels in fish.
To address this problem, Senator Obama introduced two bills: the Mercury Market Minimization Act and the Missing Mercury in Manufacturing Monitoring and Mitigation Act . These bills would significantly reduce the amount of mercury that is deposited in oceans, lakes, and rivers, which in turn would reduce the amount of mercury in fish. Senator Obama will continue to press for these needed changes in the 110th Congress.
In November, Senator Obama called upon the Department of Energy to stop its proposed sale of large quantities of mercury. The Department subsequently announced it would not sell its stockpiles.
September 6th, 2008 at 3:00 am
SENATOR OBAMA’S BILLS SPONSORED/COSPONSORED ON:
Immigration
Senator Obama shares the growing public concern about undocumented immigration in the United States. The challenge facing President Bush and Congress is how to effectively stop the flow of undocumented immigrants across our borders, better manage immigration flows going forward, and deal with undocumented immigrants who are already living and working in this country.
The Department of Homeland Security recognizes that identifying and deporting the 11 million undocumented workers currently in this country would be both logistically impossible and highly disruptive to the American economy. Instead of mass deportations, Senator Obama believes that Congress must pass comprehensive, compassionate reform that reaffirms the rule of law and brings the undocumented population out of hiding.
The Senate Immigration Bill
Senator Obama played a key role in the crafting of the immigration reform bill that the Senate passed before the 109th Congress adjourned. The bill, which President Bush supports, would provide more funds and technology for border security and prevent employers from skirting our laws by hiring undocumented immigrants. The bill also would provide immigrants who are now contributing, responsible members of society an opportunity to remain in the country and earn citizenship. But not all undocumented immigrants would be guaranteed the right to remain in the U.S. under this proposal: they would first have to pay a substantial fine and back taxes, learn English, satisfy a work requirement, and pass a criminal background check.
Senator Obama offered three amendments that were included in the Senate bill. The first amendment would strengthen the requirement that a job be offered at a prevailing wage to American workers before it is offered to a guestworker. The second amendment would make it simple, but mandatory, for employers to verify that their employees are legally eligible to work in the United States. And the third amendment would authorize $3 million a year for the FBI to improve the speed and accuracy of the background checks required for immigrants seeking to become citizens.
The new Congress must turn its attention to achieving comprehensive immigration reform. Senator Obama appreciates the serious ramifications of this issue – for American workers, Illinois communities, and immigrant families. He will continue to work with President Bush, his colleagues in Congress, and the citizens of Illinois to improve the effectiveness of our immigration laws and strengthen border security.
September 6th, 2008 at 3:07 am
SENATOR OBAMA’S BILLS SPONSORED/COSPONSORED ON:
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.
Benefits Disparities
Illinois has a large proportion of aging veterans. Unfortunately, Illinois ranked 50 out of 53 states and territories in disability benefits for at least 20 years. In light of this troubling reality, Senator Obama led efforts to uncover the reasons for this disparity and correct it. As a result of his involvement, the VA has increased the number of claims reviewers in the Chicago office, providing for a faster processing of claims. The VA has also increased training to ensure more consistent decisions. Senator Obama has worked with Senator Durbin to require the VA to provide veterans in six states, including Illinois, with notification of their rights to appeal any benefit decisions. As a result of these appeals, Illinois veterans are starting to see larger benefit checks.
The Bush Administration’s approach to handling veterans’ health care ignores the reality of increasing demands on the VA, and the additional burden placed on veterans. The Administration has established a means test for VA health care eligibility, and it has banned hundreds of thousands of veterans – some who make as little as $30,000 a year – from enrolling in the system. These changes affect both older and younger veterans, and Senator Obama has opposed them, fighting instead for greater funding for veterans’ health care.
Greater Funding for Veterans Health Care
As early as February 2005, Senator Obama warned of a shortfall in the VA budget. Four months later, the VA reported that in fact it had more than a $1 billion shortfall. Senator Obama cosponsored a bill that led to a $1.5 billion increase in veterans’ medical care. During the debate on the Fiscal Year 2007 budget, Senator Obama cosponsored measures that would have provided additional funding increases for veterans.
In January 2007, Senator Obama reintroduced the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act to improve the VA’s planning process to avoid budget shortfalls in the future. The bill requires the VA and the Department of Defense to work together and share data so that we know precisely how many troops will be returning home and entering the VA system.
Homeless Veterans
Every year, 400,000 veterans across the country, including an estimated 38,000 in Chicago, spend some time living on the streets. Senator Obama has been a leader in fighting homelessness among veterans. He authored the Sheltering All Veterans Everywhere Act (SAVE Act) to strengthen and expand federal homeless veteran programs that serve over 100,000 homeless veterans annually. During the debate on the Fiscal Year 2007 budget, Senator Obama passed an amendment to increase funding for homeless veterans programs by $40 million. These funds would benefit programs that provide food, clothing, mental health and substance abuse counseling, and employment and housing assistance to homeless veterans.
Working with Senators Akaka and Craig, Senator Obama passed legislation in December 2006 to provide comprehensive services and affordable housing options to veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Housing and Urban Development and nonprofit organizations. This legislation was signed into law and is modeled on parts of the SAVE Act and the Homes for Heroes Act, a measure that Senator Obama had previously authored.
Food for Recovering Soldiers
Senator Obama introduced an amendment that became law providing food services to wounded veterans receiving physical therapy or rehabilitation services at military hospitals. Previously, service members receiving physical therapy or rehabilitation services in a medical hospital for more than 90 days were required to pay for their meals.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Senator Obama fought a VA proposal that would have required a reexamination of all Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) cases in which full benefits were granted. He and Senator Durbin passed an amendment that became law preventing the VA from conducting a review of cases, without first providing Congress with a complete report regarding the implementation of such review. In November 2005, the VA announced that it was abandoning its planned review.
Senator Obama passed an amendment to ensure that all service members returning from Iraq are properly screened for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). TBI is being called the signature injury of the Iraq war. The blast from improvised explosive devices can jar the brain, causing bruising or permanent damage. Concussions can have huge health effects including slowed thinking, headaches, memory loss, sleep disturbance, attention and concentration deficits, and irritability.
Easing the Transition to the VA
Senator Obama passed an amendment that became law requiring the Department of Defense (DOD) to report to Congress on the delayed development of an electronic medical records system compatible with the VA’s electronic medical records system. DOD’s delay in developing such a system has created obstacles for service members transitioning into the VA health care system.
Part of the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act, which Senator Obama reintroduced in January 2007, would help veterans transition from the DOD health system to the VA system by extending the window in which new veterans can get mental health care from two years to five years. The Lane Evans bill also would improve transition services for members of the National Guard and Reserves.
Speeches
• Remarks at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery May 30, 2005
• Remarks to the American Legion Legislative Rally March 28, 2005
September 6th, 2008 at 3:23 am
SENATOR OBAMA’S BILLS SPONSORED/COSPONSORED ON:
Ethics and Lobbying Reform
Throughout his political career, Barack Obama has fought for open and honest government. As an Illinois State Senator, he helped pass the state’s first major ethics reform bill in 25 years. And as a U.S. Senator, he has spearheaded the effort to clean up Washington in the wake of numerous scandals.
In the first two weeks of the 110th Congress, Senator Obama helped lead the Senate to pass the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act, a comprehensive ethics and lobbying reform bill, by a 96-2 vote. This landmark bill was signed into law by the President in September 2007.
The final bill that the Congress passed closely mirrored and drew key provisions in a bill (S. 230) that Senators Obama and Feingold introduced in January 2007 to establish a “gold standard” for reform. Among the provisions in the Obama-Feingold bill that were adopted by the Senate and the House were: strict bans on receiving gifts and meals from lobbyists; new rules to slow the revolving door between public and private sector service; and an end to the subsidized use of corporate jets.
Most importantly, the final reform bill contained a provision pushed by Senator Obama to require the disclosure of contributions that registered lobbyists “bundle” – that is, collect or arrange – for candidates, leadership PACs, and party committees. The New York Times called this provision “the most sweeping” in the bill, and the Washington Post said: “No single change would add more to public understanding of how money really operates in Washington.”
In January 2006, Senator Obama laid the groundwork for the reform package that the Senate eventually adopted a year later. He started building a coalition for reform by helping to author the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act introduced with 41 Democratic sponsors. The bill proposed lengthening the cooling off period to two years for lawmakers who seek to become lobbyists and requiring immediate disclosure as soon as public servants initiate any job negotiations to become lobbyists. The bill would have opened conference committee meetings to the public and required that all bills be posted on the Internet for 24 hours before they can be voted on by the Senate. Finally, the bill would have ended all lobbyist-funded gifts, meals, and travel and strengthened the Senate office that monitors lobbyist disclosure forms. All of these provisions were incorporated in either identical or similar form into the final bill passed in 2007.
In addition, Senator Obama sponsored three other ethics-related bills in the 109th Congress that went even further on ethics, earmarks, and legislative transparency. By the time of the 110th Congress, his ideas for reform had gained support, and many of his proposals were passed by the Senate.
• The Congressional Ethics Enforcement Commission Act
The bill would create an outside ethics commission to receive complaints from the public on alleged ethics violations by members of Congress, staff, and lobbyists. The commission would have the authority to investigate complaints and present public findings of fact about possible violations to the House and Senate Ethics Committee and Justice Department. By taking the initial fact finding out of the hands of members of Congress, who are often reluctant to investigate their colleagues, the bill ensures prompt and fair disposition of public complaints.
To avoid manipulation of the commission for political purposes, any person filing a complaint that they knew to be false would be subject to a fine and/or imprisonment. No complaints could be filed against a member of Congress for 30 days before a primary election and 60 days before a general election.
The bill was widely endorsed by reform groups. According to Common Cause: “[T]his legislation would do more to reform ethics and lobbying than any other piece of legislation introduced thus far because it goes to the heart of the problem: enforcement.” Public Citizen praised Senator Obama “for having the courage to challenge the business-as-usual environment on Capitol Hill and introduce far-reaching legislation.” Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington stated: “This is the first bill that deals seriously with the lack of oversight and enforcement in the existing congressional ethics process. . . . This bill will help restore Americans’ confidence in the integrity of Congress.
• The Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act
This bill would shed light on the almost 16,000 earmarks that were included in spending bills in 2005. Under the bill, all earmarks, including the name of the requestor and a justification for the earmark, would have to be disclosed 72 hours before they could be considered by the full Senate. Senators would be prohibited from advocating for an earmark if they have a financial interest in the project or earmark recipient. And, earmark recipients would have to disclose to an Office of Public Integrity the amount that they have spent on registered lobbyists and the names of those lobbyists.
• The Curtailing Lobbyist Effectiveness through Advance Notification, Updates, and Posting Act (The CLEAN UP Act)
This bill aims to improve public access to information about all legislation, including conference reports and appropriations legislation, in particular after hurried, end-of-session negotiations. Conference committee meetings and deliberations would have to be open to the public or televised, and conference reports would have to identify changes made to the bill from the House and Senate versions. Finally, no bill could be considered by the full Senate unless the measure has been made available to all Senators and the general public on the Internet for at least 72 hours.
Statements on Ethics and Lobbying Reform
• Senate Rules Committee Testimony – February 8, 2006
• Lobbying Reform Summit Speech – January 26, 2006
Podcasts
• Ethics and Lobbying Reform – January 8, 2007
• Ethics and Lobbying Reform – February 9, 2006
September 6th, 2008 at 3:28 am
SENATOR OBAMA’S BILLS SPONSORED/COSPONSORED ON:
Senator Obama’s Ethics and Lobbying Reform:
http://obama.senate.gov/issues/ethics_and_lobbying_reform/
Throughout his political career, Barack Obama has fought for open and honest government. As an Illinois State Senator, he helped pass the state’s first major ethics reform bill in 25 years. And as a U.S. Senator, he has spearheaded the effort to clean up Washington in the wake of numerous scandals.
In the first two weeks of the 110th Congress, Senator Obama helped lead the Senate to pass the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act, a comprehensive ethics and lobbying reform bill, by a 96-2 vote. This landmark bill was signed into law by the President in September 2007.
The final bill that the Congress passed closely mirrored and drew key provisions in a bill (S. 230) that Senators Obama and Feingold introduced in January 2007 to establish a “gold standard” for reform. Among the provisions in the Obama-Feingold bill that were adopted by the Senate and the House were: strict bans on receiving gifts and meals from lobbyists; new rules to slow the revolving door between public and private sector service; and an end to the subsidized use of corporate jets.
Most importantly, the final reform bill contained a provision pushed by Senator Obama to require the disclosure of contributions that registered lobbyists “bundle” – that is, collect or arrange – for candidates, leadership PACs, and party committees. The New York Times called this provision “the most sweeping” in the bill, and the Washington Post said: “No single change would add more to public understanding of how money really operates in Washington.”
In January 2006, Senator Obama laid the groundwork for the reform package that the Senate eventually adopted a year later. He started building a coalition for reform by helping to author the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act introduced with 41 Democratic sponsors. The bill proposed lengthening the cooling off period to two years for lawmakers who seek to become lobbyists and requiring immediate disclosure as soon as public servants initiate any job negotiations to become lobbyists. The bill would have opened conference committee meetings to the public and required that all bills be posted on the Internet for 24 hours before they can be voted on by the Senate. Finally, the bill would have ended all lobbyist-funded gifts, meals, and travel and strengthened the Senate office that monitors lobbyist disclosure forms. All of these provisions were incorporated in either identical or similar form into the final bill passed in 2007.
In addition, Senator Obama sponsored three other ethics-related bills in the 109th Congress that went even further on ethics, earmarks, and legislative transparency. By the time of the 110th Congress, his ideas for reform had gained support, and many of his proposals were passed by the Senate.
• The Congressional Ethics Enforcement Commission Act
The bill would create an outside ethics commission to receive complaints from the public on alleged ethics violations by members of Congress, staff, and lobbyists. The commission would have the authority to investigate complaints and present public findings of fact about possible violations to the House and Senate Ethics Committee and Justice Department. By taking the initial fact finding out of the hands of members of Congress, who are often reluctant to investigate their colleagues, the bill ensures prompt and fair disposition of public complaints.
To avoid manipulation of the commission for political purposes, any person filing a complaint that they knew to be false would be subject to a fine and/or imprisonment. No complaints could be filed against a member of Congress for 30 days before a primary election and 60 days before a general election.
The bill was widely endorsed by reform groups. According to Common Cause: “[T]his legislation would do more to reform ethics and lobbying than any other piece of legislation introduced thus far because it goes to the heart of the problem: enforcement.” Public Citizen praised Senator Obama “for having the courage to challenge the business-as-usual environment on Capitol Hill and introduce far-reaching legislation.” Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington stated: “This is the first bill that deals seriously with the lack of oversight and enforcement in the existing congressional ethics process. . . . This bill will help restore Americans’ confidence in the integrity of Congress.
• The Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act
This bill would shed light on the almost 16,000 earmarks that were included in spending bills in 2005. Under the bill, all earmarks, including the name of the requestor and a justification for the earmark, would have to be disclosed 72 hours before they could be considered by the full Senate. Senators would be prohibited from advocating for an earmark if they have a financial interest in the project or earmark recipient. And, earmark recipients would have to disclose to an Office of Public Integrity the amount that they have spent on registered lobbyists and the names of those lobbyists.
• The Curtailing Lobbyist Effectiveness through Advance Notification, Updates, and Posting Act (The CLEAN UP Act)
This bill aims to improve public access to information about all legislation, including conference reports and appropriations legislation, in particular after hurried, end-of-session negotiations. Conference committee meetings and deliberations would have to be open to the public or televised, and conference reports would have to identify changes made to the bill from the House and Senate versions. Finally, no bill could be considered by the full Senate unless the measure has been made available to all Senators and the general public on the Internet for at least
September 6th, 2008 at 3:45 am
SENATOR OBAMA HAS WAY TOO MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DETAIL.ANYONE CAN GO TO SENATE.GOV AND KEY IN THE BILL, NUMBER LISTED ON THE LEFT AND READ THE DETAILS OF EACH BILL. IN SHORT SENATOR OBAMA SPONSORED/890 BILLS AND CO/SPONSORED ANOTHER 1100: THIS MAN HIT THE SENATE FLOOR RUNNING TO REFORM: ALL I CAN SAY IS WOW!!
I’M NO MAKING THIS UP GUYS. LIKE I SAID GO SENATE.GOV AND LOOK THEM UP.
***************************************************
PLUS THERE ARE A WHOLE LOT MORE ACCOMPLISHMENTS. FOR THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION SPEAKERS TO HAVE THE NERVE TO DISTORT SENATOR’S OBAMA RECORD ON HIS VAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS IS DISINGENIOUS AND DISGUSTING. IN OTHER WORDS PURE LIES. I NEED TO GO TO SLEEP SO I’LL SUMMARIZE HERE BECAUSE THERE ARE A WHOLE LOT MORE:
Chairman of the Illinois Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee when Democrats
Type
Number
Title or description
Status
Notes
109 S. 1180 SAVE Reauthorization Act of 2005
IS
[6]
109 S. 1194 Spent Nuclear Fuel Tracking and Accountability Act
IS
109 S. 1426 Drinking Water Security Act of 2005
IS
109 S. 1630 National Emergency Family Locator Act
IS
[7][8]
109 S. 1638 Hurricane Katrina Emergency Health Workforce Act of 2005
IS
[9][8][10]
109 S. 1685 To ensure the evacuation of individuals with special needs in times of emergency. IS
[11][8]
109 S. 1770 Hurricane Katrina Fast-Track Refunds for Working Families Act of 2005
IS
109 S. 1920 Renewable Diesel Standard Act of 2005
IS
[12][13]
109 S. 1975 Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2005
IS
109 S. 2045 Health Care for Hybrids Act
IS
[14]
109 S. 2047 Healthy Communities Act of 2005
IS
109 S. 2048 Lead Free Toys Act of 2005
IS
109 S. 2125 Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act of 2005
RS
[15][16]
109 S. 2149 STEP UP Act of 2005
IS
109 S. 2154 To provide for the issuance of a commemorative postage stamp in honor of Rosa Parks.
IS
109 S. 2179 CLEAN UP Act
IS
109 S. 2201 Federal Aviation Administration Fair Labor Management Dispute Resolution Act of 2006
IS
109 S. 2247 Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Efficiency Act of 2006
IS
109 S. 2257 Hurricane Katrina Working Family Tax Relief Act of 2006
IS
109 S. 2259 Congressional Ethics Enforcement Commission Act of 2006
IS
109 S. 2261 Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act of 2006 IS
109 S. 2280 STOP FRAUD Act
IS
109 S. 2286 Equality for Two-Parent Families Act of 2006
IS
109 S. 2319 Hurricane Katrina Recovery Act of 2006
IS
109 S. 2348 Nuclear Release Notice Act of 2006
RS
109 S. 2358 VA Hospital Quality Report Card Act of 2006
IS
109 S. 2359 Hospital Quality Report Card Act of 2006
IS
109 S. 2441 Innovation Districts for School Improvement Act
IS
109 S. 2446 American Fuels Act of 2006
IS
109 S. 2484 Protecting Taxpayer Privacy Act
IS
109 S. 2506 Healthy Places Act of 2006
IS
109 S. 2984 FILL UP Act
IS
[14]
109 S. 3155 To suspend temporarily the duty on RSD 1235.
IS
109 S. 3156 To suspend temporarily the duty on N6-Benzyladenine.
IS
109 S. 3157 To suspend temporarily the duty on MCPB acid and MCPB sodium salt.
IS
109 S. 3158 To suspend temporarily the duty on 2-Methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid, salts, and esters.
IS
109 S. 3159 To suspend temporarily the duty on gibberellic acid.
IS
109 S. 3160 To suspend temporarily the duty on triphenyltin hydroxide.
IS
109 S. 3161 To suspend temporarily the duty on certain sebacic acid.
IS
109 S. 3162 To suspend temporarily the duty on bromoxynil octonoate.
IS
109 S. 3163 To extend temporarily the suspension of duty on certain epoxy molding compounds.
IS
109 S. 3243 To suspend temporarily the duty on metsulfuron-methyl.
IS
109 S. 3244 To suspend temporarily the duty on dichlorprop-p acid, dichlorprop-p dimethylamine salt, and dichlorprop-p 2-ethylhexyl ester.
IS
109 S. 3245 To suspend temporarily the duty on 2,4-DB Acid and 2,4-DB Dimethylamine Salt.
IS
109 S. 3249 To suspend temporarily the duty on metsulfuron-methyl.
IS
109 S. 3250 To suspend temporarily the duty on 2,4-DB Acid and 2,4-DB Dimethylamine Salt.
IS
109 S. 3251 To suspend temporarily the duty on dichlorprop-p acid, dichlorprop-p dimethylamine salt, and dichlorprop-p 2-ethylhexyl ester.
IS
109 S. 3475 Homes for Heroes Act of 2006
IS
109 S. 3554 Alternative Diesel Standard Act of 2006
IS
[17]
109 S. 3627 Mercury Market Minimization Act of 2006
IS
109 S. 3631 Missing Mercury in Manufacturing Monitoring and Mitigation Act
IS
109 S. 3694 Fuel Economy Reform Act
IS
109 S. 3757 To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 950 Missouri Avenue in East St. Louis, Illinois, as the `Katherine Dunham Post Office Building’. IS
109 S. 3822 Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act of 2006
IS
[18][19][20]
[21][22][23]
109 S. 3969 Lead Poisoning Reduction Act of 2006
IS
[24][25]
109 S. 3988 Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act of 2006
IS
109 S. 4069 Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2006
IS
109 S. 4102 Election Jamming Prevention Act of 2006
IS
109 S. 697 Higher Education Opportunity Through Pell Grant Expansion Act
IS
109 S. 918 E-85 Fuel Utilization and Infrastructure Development Incentives Act of 2005
IS
109 S. 969 Attacking Viral Influenza Across Nations Act of 2005 IS
109 S.CON.RES. 42 Recognizing the historical significance of Juneteenth Independence Day, and expressing the sense of Congress that history should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and… IS
109 S.CON.RES. 53 Expressing the sense of Congress that any effort to impose photo identification requirements for voting should be rejected. IS
109 S.RES. 291 To congratulate the Chicago White Sox on winning the 2005 World Series Championship.
ATS
109 S.RES. 516 Recognizing the historical significance of Juneteenth Independence Day and expressing the sense of the Senate that history should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and… ATS
109 S.RES. 529 Designating July 13, 2006, as `National Summer Learning Day’.
ATS
110 S. 1067 Healthy Places Act of 2007
IS
110 S. 1068 Healthy Communities Act of 2007
IS
110 S. 1084 Homes for Heroes Act of 2007
IS
110 S. 114 Innovation Districts for School Improvement Act
IS
110 S. 115 Oil SENSE Act
IS
[14]
110 S. 1151 Health Care for Hybrids Act
IS
[14]
110 S. 116 STEP UP Act of 2007
IS
110 S. 117 Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act of 2007
IS
110 S. 1181 Shareholder Vote on Executive Compensation Act
IS
110 S. 1222 STOP FRAUD Act
IS
110 S. 1271 Homecoming Enhancement Research and Oversight (HERO) Act
IS
110 S. 1306 Lead Free Toys Act of 2007
IS
110 S. 1324 National Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Act of 2007
IS
110 S. 133 American Fuels Act of 2007
IS
110 S. 1389 Climate Change Education Act
IS
110 S. 1430 Iran Sanctions Enabling Act
IS
110 S. 1513 Predominantly Black Institution Act of 2007
IS
110 S. 1574 Teaching Residency Act
IS
110 S. 1713 To provide for the issuance of a commemorative postage stamp in honor of Rosa Parks.
IS
110 S. 1790 Communities of Color Teen Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2007
IS
110 S. 1811 Lead Poisoning Reduction Act of 2007
IS
110 S. 1817 To ensure proper administration of the discharge of members of the Armed Forces for personality disorder, and for other purposes.
IS
110 S. 1818 Missing Mercury in Manufacturing Monitoring and Mitigation Act
IS
110 S. 1824 Hospital Quality Report Card Act of 2007
IS
110 S. 1873 Improving Emergency Medical Care and Response Act of 2007
IS
110 S. 1885 Military Family Job Protection Act
IS
110 S. 1977 Nuclear Weapons Threat Reduction Act of 2007
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110 S. 1989 Pigford Claims Remedy Act of 2007
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110 S. 2030 To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require reporting relating to bundled contributions made by persons other than registered lobbyists.
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110 S. 2044 Independent Contractor Proper Classification Act of 2007 IS
110 S. 2066 Back to School: Improving Standards for Nutrition and Physical Education in Schools Act of 2007 IS
110 S. 2111 Positive Behavior for Effective Schools Act
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110 S. 2132 To prohibit the introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce of children’s products that contain lead, and for other purposes. IS
110 S. 2147 Security Contractor Accountability Act of 2007
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110 S. 2202 Renewable Fuel Standard Extension Act of 2007
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110 S. 2224 Nuclear Release Notice Act of 2007
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110 S. 2227 Success in the Middle Act of 2007
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110 S. 2330 Veterans Homelessness Prevention Act
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110 S. 2347 Prevention Through Affordable Access Act
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110 S. 2392 National STEM Scholarship Database Act
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110 S. 2428 National STEM Scholarship Database Act
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110 S. 2433 Global Poverty Act of 2007
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110 S. 2519 Contracting and Tax Accountability Act of 2007
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110 S. 3047 Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Act of 2008
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110 S. 3077 Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008
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110 S. 433 Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007
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110 S. 453 Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007
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[27][28][29]
110 S. 674 Transparency and Accountability in Military and Security Contracting Act of 2007
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110 S. 692 VA Hospital Quality Report Card Act of 2007
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110 S. 713 Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act of 2007
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110 S. 737 Voter Advocate and Democracy Index Act of 2007 IS
110 S. 767 Fuel Economy Reform Act
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110 S. 768 Fuel Economy Reform Act
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110 S. 795 Citizenship Promotion Act of 2007
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110 S. 823 Microbicide Development Act
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110 S. 906 Mercury Market Minimization Act of 2007
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110 S. 976 Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act of 2007
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110 S.CON.RES. 25 Condemning the recent violent actions of the Government of Zimbabwe against peaceful opposition party activists and members of civil society. RS
[30]
110 S.CON.RES. 44 Expressing the sense of Congress that a commemorative postage stamp should be issued honoring Rosa Louise McCauley Parks. IS
110 S.CON.RES. 46 Whereas Sickle Cell Disease is an inherited blood disorder that is a major health problem in the United States, primarily affecting African Americans; IS
110 S.CON.RES. 5 Honoring the life of Percy Lavon Julian, a pioneer in the field of organic chemistry and the first and only African-American chemist to be inducted into the National Academy of Sciences.
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110 S.RES. 133 Whereas Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson was born in 1939 to Bishop W.A. and Mrs. Mary Patterson, Sr., in Humboldt, Tennessee;
ATS
110 S.RES. 268 Designating July 12, 2007, as `National Summer Learning Day’. ATS
110 S.RES. 383 Honoring and recognizing the achievements of Carl Stokes, the first African-American mayor of a major American city, in the 40th year since his election as Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio.
IS
Posted by SENATOR OBAMA’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS
September 6th, 2008 at 4:03 am
September 6th, 2008 at 4:07 am
“HURRICANE HANNAH, IKE AND JOSEPHINE WILL BE LESS IMPACTFUL, THANKS TO SENATOR OBAMA!!!”
THANKS TO SENATOR OBAMA & HIS LEGISLATION , NEW ORLEANS RESIDENTS SAY, “THIS LEGISLATION MADE IT EASIER FOR THEM TO LEAVE THIS TIME”. THANKS BARACK, WE KNEW YOU CARED! IN THE SENATE OBAMA PROPOSED 890 BILLS AND CO-SPONSORED ANOTHER 1096, ONE OF WHICH WE SAW IN ACTION AS WE WATCHED IMAGES OF THE HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS IN THE GULF COAST RECENTLY. PEOPLE SAID THIS TIME THEY WERE MORE WILLING TO LEAVE BECAUSE THERE WAS A CENTRAL REGISTRY TO LOCATE THEIR LOVED ONES.
Obama Passed An Amendment Into Law Creating A National Family Locator System. In 2006, Obama passed an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2007 Homeland Security Appropriations Act that required the Department of Homeland Security to create a centralized family locator system through which family members can contact their lost loved ones during disasters. The amendment, which was signed into law as part of the final version of the bill, was based on legislation Obama introduced immediately after Hurricane Katrina. [SA 4573 as modified agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent, 7/13/06; H.R. 5441, Became Public Law No: 109-295; S. 1630, 109th Congress, Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs]
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National Emergency Family Locator Act (Introduced in Senate)
S 1630 IS
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1630
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish the National Emergency Family Locator System.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 7, 2005
Mr. OBAMA introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish the National Emergency Family Locator System.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `National Emergency Family Locator Act’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) DEPARTMENT- The term `Department’ means the Department of Homeland Security.
(2) EMERGENCY- The term `emergency’ has the meaning given the term in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).
(3) SECRETARY- The term `Secretary’ means the Secretary of Homeland Security.
(4) SYSTEM- The term `System’ means the National Emergency Family Locator System established under section 3(a).
SEC. 3. NATIONAL EMERGENCY FAMILY LOCATOR SYSTEM.
(a) In General- Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish within the Department the National Family Locator System.
(b) Purposes- The purposes of the System are–
(1) to enable individuals displaced by an emergency to provide to the Department the name and location of the displaced individuals and any other relevant information using the telephone, the Internet, and other means determined to be appropriate by the Secretary; and
(2) to enable the Department–
(A) to compile the information collected under paragraph (1); and
(B) to provide the information collected and compiled under the System to the family members of the displaced individuals and law enforcement officials.
(c) Considerations- In establishing the System under subsection (a), the Secretary shall take into account and, to the maximum extent practicable, incorporate into the System–
(1) intermediary-based locator systems such as the National Next of Kin Registry; and
(2) information from existing family locator databases, such as the Family News Network of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this Act.
September 6th, 2008 at 4:42 am
Thanks for all those co-sponser accomplishments by Obama and I see he voted with Bush also. I see that he is for equal pay for woman also: Shows he is all talk. Needs to actually put money where is mouth is:
The average pay for the 33 men on Obama’s staff (who earned more than $23,000, the lowest annual salary paid for non-intern employees) was $59,207. The average pay for the 31 women on Obama’s staff who earned more than $23,000 per year was $48,729.91. (The average pay for all 36 male employees on Obama’s staff was $55,962; and the average pay for all 31 female employees was $48,729. The report indicated that Obama had only one paid intern during the period, who was a male.)
September 6th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Obama did not really graduate from Columbia, it was an inside job, done because of a ‘fava to a brotha’
his campaign has been trying to spoof and insert fake info about Columbia maybe they are trying to contract with Sandy Berger to stuff classified documents into his pants again.
So Hussein Obama simply got the equivalent, its so easy to ‘get’ a college degree with cash, they are trying to keep it quiet. But Alan you know the left wont care that Obama never earned the college degree, who cares about honesty and integrity…
And sorry but Hussein Obama is an intellectual lightweight, how could he graduate Magna Cum Laude? again, it was a fava for a brotha with lots of cash and possibly some blackmail or extortion of higher ups.
Hussein Obama was registered in Hawaii school as a muslim, so…
September 7th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
[...] already given you line item what Barack Obama has accomplished, including his years as a community organizer. On [...]
September 8th, 2008 at 12:34 am
yes I read it. But what about Columbia? no details, no grades no nothing. In the real world a person who does this typically never earned the grades and got the degree or never got the degree but claims to have.
Its so bizzare, like Bob Beckel who makes the idiotic claim that we republicans only want to drag details of Obama “thru the mud” ??
excuse me?
well its a good trick, try and claim the other side does what youre doing…
I listen to Obama and conclude he is a phoney. he talks and says nothing. AND I take back congratulating him for getting nominated and being a negro, because he is mostly white. Its the white part that made it possible for him to get nominated.
And speaking of how white Obama is, he is expert at talking “the white mans word”. making promises, smiling and using the body language to close the deal, knowing its a scam.
The way he talks is insulting
September 8th, 2008 at 2:30 am
Sarah
Have you really just compared Obama to Lincoln? Can you give any evidence that we should expect that he will be comparable to Lincoln in any way?
Unlike Obama, Lincoln volunteered for military service, becoming a Captain in the Illinois militia during the Black Hawk War.
Unlike Obama, Lincoln rose to the top of the legal profession without a Harvard law degree. He represented little people and big corporations alike and handled both civil and criminal cases. He earned a reputation as one of the best lawyers in America. Not a mere community organizer who never litigated a single case.
Lincoln served Illinois state by winning three consecutive re-election bids in Sangamon County, and serving in the General Assembly for a total of eight years. By 1838, he had amassed enough influence in Whig circles to gain the nomination and vote of the party in his bid for speaker of the House. However, the opposition would prevent his accession to the seat, a scenario that would replay itself in 1840.
When Lincoln was first asked to take a seat in the U.S. Senate representing Illinois, he deferred the seat to a Democrat-turned Republican. Can you imagine Obama waiting his turn for anything? Lincoln would help form the modern day Republican Party, founded upon the notion that all men are created equal. Obama seems to believe men are not created equal, and those who are not as smart or as eloquent than him need the Government to be their nanny. Anyone can care about other people, but they do not have to extend the police power of government to enforce it. Am I suppose to be impressed with this collective approach simply because the elites “care”?
We all know there was no middle class before the “Great Society” that built the very projects that are war zones within our cities, and those who must live there are further incited by our great “community Organizers” and their methods of agitating people into demanding even more government collective programs that will not work. The Saul Alinsky model of paid organizers learning how to “rub raw the sores of discontent,” in Alinsky’s words. Never mind that Alinsky spoke often about trying to go after the middle class that couldn’t possibly have existed….right?
Keep looking for change from Obama. You will get the socialism you desire….then what?
September 9th, 2008 at 2:21 pm