Obama! Obama! Yes We Can!

I Did it, I logged your nephew off!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:04:44 EDT

I checked your account and I know what to do I told the site guy about it he said he would log you out where ever you are so you nephew is logged off please go back to your old account!

Lace Kings account hacked!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:53:54 EDT

Obamafam:

*******URGENT!!!!!!!!!!!!*******

First off, let me say that the reason why I'm not sending out this message through my other account is because I do not want to provoke the person involved, as they would probably check my sent messages and see this.

Since I've moved to Wisconsin, someone has had unapproved access to my Obama account. The person e-mailed me a screenshot of my account with them logged in as well as screenshots of some nasty messages they were in the process of sending out in my name.

To briefly explain the situation: I've used a relative's computer to blog for the last few months. When I left to Wisconsin, I forgot to log out one last time before I moved out of their house and to WI (I used the “remember me” feature so that I did not have to log in each time I visited MYBO). Since then, the relative's stepson has e-mailed me pictures of my MYBO page as well as him being in the midst of typing some SICK comments within my MYBO account (after checking my MYBO points, the last comment I posted was posted by me the day I left the house, so apparently he didn't post the comments that he typed up[the screenshots he sent were from the preview screen] ). However, in my MYBO points section it said that someone had logged in on 5/31, and I hadn't logged on that day (didn't have the internet; on my way to WI).

I received these e-mails this morning, just after my parents had the Internet installed at our new place. I'm related to the kid; I'm not going to take things further except to have my current account deleted (without affecting my “MYBO record”) and to set up a new account.

Long story short, I have to set up a new MYBO account and have to try and convince admin to delete my former account. I know, it's 22,000 points, $1200 FR dollars, and some 1,000 messages down the drain, but I think I'd better be safe than sorry in this situation.

Please do me a favor and send me a friend request at my new account; sending out 500 requests would take days.... :)

-------------------------

I'm sure a few of you are wondering if this is really me setting up this new account and doing all of this. Here's how I can possibly try and prove it to you:

Here's a screenshot of my original account, with my account details:

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/3125/loginue6.jpg

Most of you know about my involvement with Obamacycle; here's a screenshot of that account:

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/2962/obamacyclexm1.jpg

And of course, feel free to ask me any questions about memorable moments on the blogs, things I said, things other people said, etc, to try and grill my memory and see if it's me :) I probably sound a little bit paranoid lol, but the fact that I cannot post this message from my old account or talk about it within my old account might make it seem a bit suspicious.

Anyways, if you have any questions just ask! .

~Just another example of the fact that, while you can't pick your relatives, you can pick your family :)~

-Lace K

Ideas by tons of supporters reply to the post before this!!!!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 06:47:48 EDT

supporters have been wondering if we could do this: I hate the way the community blogs work. I have said it before that I would like Obama to set up a message board similar to CBS. I was like the 7th person and I pealed off a post and I still ended up far down. It's just dumb.

A message board would allow us to carry on a conversation, review and read threads you are interested in, active threads get bumped to the top. It's just 10 times better. If you agree, please chime in so maybe someone on his staff will see it.

He can leave this blog for those who like that style. The from silver springs, missuri

said that and I second it It is anoying when you conversation gets all mest up!

If you respond to my blog post I will add you to my friends!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/DogLoverBlogs/gGBmxC/commentary#comments

Respond to this post and I will add you!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:55:49 EDT

If you respond to this post I will add you to my friends list!!!!! I am not kidding! SO reply!

If you......

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 07:22:39 EDT

If in the points you get to 1st you get to have dinner with Barack and get to see behind the scenes of the Campaigne! I heard this on Obama's site I know who is going to get that first is

Kalmdownimbyze then Robert Braggs the third or whatever

But I am not saying pay attention to points but If you get 1st you are so lucky!

Tornadoe hits protesters

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 06:50:36 EDT

Protesters in DC Got soaked and hit by part of a tornadoe! I was watching the weather channel on my computer and laughing so hard they were protesting in a tornadoe! LOL! They should complain but to there state not the goverment because Bush doesn't give a crap. And He can't make the candidates change their minds. So the whole protesting thing was stupid! LOL!

Dispute Settled

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 06:45:36 EDT

Democrats Settle Obama, Clinton Dispute on Delegates (Update2)

By Brian Faler and Edwin Chen

May 31 (Bloomberg) -- The Democratic Party reached a compromise over how to count disputed delegates in Florida and Michigan, in a bid to resolve a months-long quarrel that has helped prolong the presidential-nomination race.

A party committee voted to seat delegations from the two states at the August nominating convention, though with only a half-vote for each delegate. The deal, reached after a sometimes raucous daylong meeting, gives Hillary Clinton a net gain of 24 delegates, a margin that's unlikely to stall Barack Obama's momentum toward getting the nomination.

While Clinton's backers say they were satisfied with the Florida accord, they raised the prospect of a floor fight at the convention over the way the Michigan dispute was resolved, saying Obama had been awarded too many delegates.

Harold Ickes, a Clinton adviser, said he ``strongly'' objects to the Michigan plan, saying it would cost her four delegates. He said Clinton reserved the right to appeal the decision to another committee, a warning that was met with both cheers and catcalls from activists at the meeting.

``Hijacking four delegates, notwithstanding the flawed aspect of this, is not a good way to start down the path of party unity,'' Ickes told the panel in Washington.

Punished for Violation

The Michigan resolution was closer to the Obama campaign's demand that the delegates be evenly split between the two candidates. Clinton won both of the disputed primaries.

The party's rules and bylaws committee voted 27-0 to seat Florida's delegation and give Clinton 52.5 delegates; Obama would get 33.5. The panel voted 19-8 to similarly seat the Michigan delegation, giving Clinton 34.5 delegate votes and Obama 29.5. Superdelegates -- the lawmakers and party officials who get an automatic vote at the convention and who are likely to decide the nomination -- will also get only half votes.

Both states were punished for violating party rules and moving up the dates of their primaries.

Obama, 46, applauded today's solution.

He said Clinton, 60, would gain a ``substantial'' number of delegates and that ``many members of the Florida and Michigan delegations feel satisfied that the decision was fair.'' He won't try to dissuade the Clinton campaign from contesting the party's decision, he told reporters in Aberdeen, South Dakota, where he's campaigning. ``I trust they will do the right thing'' and ``will be motivated by an interest in bringing the party together.''

Rally Party

Democrats are counting on the compromise -- which came after several hours of private deliberations among panel members -- to help the party rally around a single candidate and avoid alienating voters in the two crucial states.

Either way, the accord solidifies Obama's lead in the delegate race. With the addition of the Michigan and Florida contingents, 2,118 delegates are needed to secure the nomination. Before today, Obama had 1,984.5 delegates and Clinton 1,784.5, according to a tally of pledged delegates and campaign lists of superdelegate endorsements.

Today's decision gives the Illinois senator an additional 33.5 votes in Florida and 29.5 in Michigan, giving him a total of 2047.5. Clinton, a New York senator, picked up 52.5 delegates in Florida and 34.5 in Michigan, bringing her total to 1,871.5.

Half-votes for each of the states' pledged superdelegates add at least 7.5 votes to Clinton's total and three to Obama's, bringing Obama within 67.5 delegates of securing the nomination. Only 86 pledged delegates remain to be awarded, with 55 at stake in tomorrow's Puerto Rico primary and another 31 total in the June 3 Montana and South Dakota primaries.

Favored in Puerto Rico

Clinton is favored to win Puerto Rico, where a poll by the newspaper El Vocero and Univision conducted May 8-20 showed Clinton leading 51 percent to Obama's 38 percent. Obama is favored in South Dakota and Montana, with polls showing him leading by more than 10 points in each state.

Given the Democrats' system of allocating delegates proportionately, Obama may be within 30 delegates of securing the nomination after the three primaries, with the possibility that some of the more than 180 remaining uncommitted superdelegates may back him in the next week.

The Democratic National Committee stripped all the delegates from Florida and Michigan last year for violating a schedule set out by the party, and Obama, Clinton and the other Democratic candidates agreed to abide by the penalty. None of the contenders campaigned in Michigan and Florida, and Obama, along with several other candidates, withdrew his name from the Michigan ballot.

Michigan Vote

Clinton won Michigan's contest with 55 percent of the vote; 40 percent cast ballots for ``uncommitted.'' Former Michigan Governor Jim Blanchard, representing the Clinton campaign, urged the panel earlier today to allocate the state's delegates in accordance with those results. That would have given Clinton 73 delegates and Obama, 55.

As the nomination contest dragged on between Obama and Clinton, that decision took on more importance. Clinton, trailing Obama in delegates, had pushed to have all the pledged delegates from the states restored, a position at odds with party rules and opposed by Obama's campaign.

Some Clinton supporters say the committee's decision won't alter the dynamic of the race. ``Some sanction is required,'' Donald Fowler, a member of the rules committee and a Clinton backer from South Carolina, said in an interview on Bloomberg Television before the vote. ``It's hard to see at this point how there could be any wholesale shift one way or the other.''

To contact the reporters on this story: Brian Faler in Washington at bfaler@bloomberg.net; and Edwin Chen in Washington at echen32@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: May 31, 2008 22:27 EDT

Last Chance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sat, 31 May 2008 16:05:49 EDT

Last chance to donate to beat the Bush-Mcain fundraiser!

DONATE
DONATE

Deadline is tonight at 12am may 31!

12 days of elction cycle! LOL

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:21:00 EDT

By Linda from Leawood, Kansas Today at 3:52 pm EDT

Wow, first & second.

By Valarie Jean in NC "who loves Barack&Michelle Obama enough to keep the faith!" Today at 3:54 pm EDT

Link

Hit me with a donation, ain't seen one in a long, looooooooonnnnnnnngggggggggggg gg time.
Congrats!!

By Linda from Leawood, Kansas Today at 3:57 pm EDT Here you go.
Reply By Valarie Jean in NC "who loves Barack&Michelle Obama enough to keep the faith!" Today at 4:02 pm EDT A great big ole southern "Thankyah!" from North Carolina to Kansas. ;=)

By ◎Desert Dove Dan◎ Today at 4:05 pm EDT

10 Linda's Leaping...

and

...I'm First on the Obama Blogs!

(sung to the tune of the 12 days of Christmas)

I'm going to help with the other 10 days, anybody?

By Kim, part of the Greatest lobbying force Washington has ever seen Today at 4:13 pm EDT

On the first day of the election cycle, Senator Obama said to me --"Let's take back the dem-oc-recy"

By Valarie Jean in NC "who loves Barack&Michelle Obama enough to keep the faith!" 50 minutes ago

On the second day of the election cycle, Senator Obama said to me,

"I'll bring US peace & liberty!

By Nancy "HOPE" B from PA 36 minutes ago

On the third day of the election cycle, Senator Obama said to me,

"the voices calling for change have been heard"

By inspired by BO 13 minutes ago

On the fourth day of the election cycle, Senator Obama said to me:

"Four calling birds are now amost 2 million"

MY PART: On the 5th day of election cycle Obama said to me " We ahve got the Nomi-Nation!"

www.jews4barack.com

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:18:25 EDT

http://jews4barack.com/mythfacts/?page_id=23

Go to this link if you are a jew it is called Jews For Barack go there and connect with other jews!

Has Anybody Noticed?

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:15:50 EDT

Points for things like logging on, calling people, posting blogs, commenting on blogs, attending events and much more stuff has been going down. Isn't this unfair to the new people while people who have had accounts since 2007 have the most points. This is a fun way to express your feelings here and you get rewarded by getting points none of the other campaignes do that so if it becomes no fun people are going to leave this campaigne because they feel like this is just a normal campaigne and then it's going to be like in 2004 when either most people didn't vote or wrote dumb stuff lik spongebob on the ballot. I know we have so much and that we are luck to be a demorcrecy but people not me but people are going to think this is a normal campaigne. I know this because I had a couple of friends who made accounts but since they think it's like a normal campaigne they told their parents that it was a normal campaigne and that there was nothing special anymore and they ended up voting for McCain in the primaries. We Had 16 votes there but we lost them. I just wanted to tell people we are losing votes and that is serious!

Troll alert

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:36:52 EDT

The trolls name is Andy in Arizona pull out the RID

Report
Ignore
Donate

Andy swears and is racist he generaly posts on user blogs not HQ Blogs. So Pull out the RID

Need a laugh!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Mon, 26 May 2008 12:05:43 EDT

The funniest blog post I have ever seen! LOL Janice get's to be my friend now because she won the favorite Blog Award! Here is the post:

Cute Joke By Janice S - May 26th, 2008 at 11:56 am EDT Comments | Mail to a Friend | Report Objectionable Content Why did the chicken cross the road?
BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time
for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!

JOHN MC CAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he
recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the
chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little
chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified
to ensure -- right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country
gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't
about me.......

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is
why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken
learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to
give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not
live his life like the rest of the chickens.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the
road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road or
not. The chicken is either against us or for us. There is no middle
ground here.

ANDERSON COOPER - CNN: We have reason to believe there is a
chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other
side of the road.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am
now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about
the chic ken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY!
&l t; EM> You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain. Alone.

JERRY FALWELL: Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see
the plain truth? That's why they call it the "other side." Yes, my friends
that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay, too.
I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the
liberal media white washes with seemingly harmless phrases like "the
other side." That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain
and as simple as that.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a f ew moments, we will
be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story
of how it experienced a serious case of molting and went on to accomplish
its life long dream of crossing the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads
together, in peace.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with THAT chicken!...... What
is your definition of chicken? AL GORE: I invented the chicken!
AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white?...... We need some
black chickens!
DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?

Oh Say Can You Say....

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Mon, 26 May 2008 07:59:40 EDT

I am having an event where all of america comes together to sing our national anthem as one!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/meeting/4btt#rsvp Sign up now. Here is a bad pun sing up now because at 3pm eastern time you are going to sing.

Cheer up!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Mon, 26 May 2008 07:45:26 EDT

Everybody has been down lately so go on youtube and search Indiana Scone and The Quest For the Plantanium Waffle it is so funny! Hope it brings some smiles to some people! :)

The Delivery Truck is on it's way!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sun, 25 May 2008 09:45:26 EDT

http://store.barackobama.com/v/vspfiles/images/obama_truck.jpg

Have you been waiting for Obama stuff you ordered well that's good because ton's of people are buying obama stuff! So you are supporting the president of today! But if you haven't recieved your Obama gear and you ordered 1-2 weeks ago go to the Obama store and Email them! But the Obama dlivery truck is on it's way!

http://store.barackobama.com/

Favorite Bog!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sat, 24 May 2008 15:29:21 EDT

And the award goes to.....

Dan!

Barack Obama meets the Black Knight By ◎Desert Dove Dan◎ - May 10th, 2008 at 2:02 pm EDT Also listed in: 9 groups Comments | Mail to a Friend | Report Objectionable Content

In the desert southwest we have these cockroaches or sewer roaches if you will, that are literally indestructible. I once sprayed a whole can of RAID directly on one and it just kind of burped, and went on its merry way. Hmmm, the Black Knight perhaps?

We also have these scorpions that have proven equally indestructible. Did you know that a scorpion can go without water for a year and still survive? And that they can flatten their bodies and fit into the smallest of cracks in any cement or other type of foundation? Another Black Knight?

When you put the 2008 Presidential candidates through this prism you would have to agree that Senator Hillary Clinton is the ultimate Black Knight.

The North Carolina and Indiana primary results seem to clearly indicate that the nomination process is a foregone conclusion, right? Well it would be nice if somebody would gently let Hillary know that.

Anyway, I put together this little video to illustrate my point. For any Monty Python fans out there, I think you'll recognize the audio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCEpI-7naEk

Reader Comments

A Bit Harsh | Report to Admin Reply By May and Grace May 11th 2008 at 4:40 pm EDT We hope Hillary supporters forgive Obama for your characterization of Hillary.

Senator Obama will need a lot of Hillary fans to join him, in order to beat McCain.

Peace and Love to You and Yours,
May and Grace Re: A Bit Harsh | Report to Admin Reply By ◎Desert Dove Dan◎ May 13th 2008 at 8:19 am EDT First of all, this video is a parody. This campaign has already been going on for 16 months and sometimes some comedy relief is needed. But more to your point, would these Hillary supporters you speak of be the same supporters that have called me every name in the book, issued death threats online, tried to close doors early at the caucus in Nevada and then try to intimidate me when I opened them back up?

I'm sorry, but after the way Obama and his supporters have been treated I don't think this characterization is harsh at all. If the situation was reversed, Hillary and her supporters would have been screaming for Obama to drop out after the Potomac primaries.

Last point I want to make is that Obama didn't have anything to do with making the video. I just happen to be a passionate supporter who also enjoys making videos, or is this just more of the guilt by association brand of politics that seems to be such a prevalent storyline these days (i.e. Rev. Wright, William Ayers, etc.?)

If Hillary supporters are so upset that would rather vote for McCain or just not vote that is their prerogative. I just don't want to hear them crying when Roe v Wade gets overturned, we go to war with Iran and the military draft is re-instated. Your choice.

Peace and Love to You and Yours also.
Daniel Re: A Bit Harsh | Report to Admin Reply By Dog Lover "Hussein" Proud Jew 3 seconds ago I loved it it was so funny! I also like who you referred to Hillary as the black knight! This is what HRC would say if she saw this and had some humor in her, "I shall fart in your general direction" LOL!

Obama is the nominee!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Thu, 22 May 2008 07:51:05 EDT

Obama is the nominee even if he loses every state to come! Mathamaticly it is impossible for Hillary to pull ahead!

0 PLEDGED DELEGATES needed for a majority
(of pledged delegates) Oh Yeah Yes We Can! Obama '08 '012

Hacked!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Mon, 19 May 2008 19:44:55 EDT

This election | Report to Admin Reply By Dog Lover "Hussein" Proud Jew Today at 3:39 pm EDT (Updated Today at 4:02 pm EDT) This comment has been removed due to disrespectful or objectionable content. Re: This election | Report to Admin Reply By Dog Lover "Hussein" Proud Jew 3 seconds ago Who wrote this!
For I did not I haven't been on all day! Somebody hacked my account! Oh crap! If you hacked my account please tell for I am very upset and would like to know who did it!And you better have a bloody good explanation too!

Go find out all the latest news about Obama here!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:22:15 EDT

http://obamabulletin.com/

It has all the important info that you would need like upcoming events endorsements wins loses primaries and much more go to barack obama's own site for tons of information!

1.5 million people donated

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:24:52 EDT

1.5 million people donated to this campaigne we can do it!

THE OBAMA FAMILY STRIKES AGAIN!

That is the headlines on my newspaper me and my friends write and obama is endorsed in The Daily Crow! YAY!

write about Obama in this blog and you can have your artical in the paper!

I'm Back

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:24:05 EDT

I am back from St. George Utah and had a great time my computer broke but now it is fixed so here I am on Obama's website again.

Obama is definetly going to get the nomination but will he beat McCain is the big question.

I have been having my mom call tons of people in Oregon and have called 38 people we knew!

Any?

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:05:58 EDT

Are there any boys and girls who are ten and would like to talk about politics and who live in the boston area?

PBS artical on Rev. Wright

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 07:41:04 EDT

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04252008/watch.html

April 25, 2008

Bill Moyers interviews the Reverend Jeremiah Wright in his first broadcast interview with a journalist since he became embroiled in a controversy for his remarks and his relationship with Barack Obama. Wright, who retired in early 2008 as pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, where Senator Obama is a member, has been at the center of controversy for comments he made during sermons, which surfaced in the press in March.

>More about Rev. Jeremiah Wright

Real Politics.com

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:47:00 EDT

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html

We are winning! Clinton against Mcain would lose but Obama vs Mcain Obama wins!

$25 away!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:31:49 EDT

All I need is 25 more dollars then I have reached my goal!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/DogLovermoney

Informal Poll

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:46:14 EDT

If you could choose a really good match up between two canidates that would make it the most exciting presidential race ever who would it be? Here are the choices:

A Obama Vs. J.Mcain
B Obama Vs. M.Huckabee
C Obama Vs. R.Paul
D Obama Vs. M.Romney

E Clinton Vs. J.Mcain
F Clinton Vs. M.Huckabee
G Clinton Vs. R.Paul
H Clinton Vs. M.Romney

Out of all these choices which do you think Obama would win be honest.

NPR!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:24:12 EDT

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89823789

Primary Voters in Pa. Pick Their Candidates

Listen: David Greene: Clinton and Female Vote

add

Listen: Don Gonyea: Obama Counterattacks

add

Listen: Susan Phillips of WHYY: Black Vote Splits

add Enlarge
Joe Raedle

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton shakes hands with people, as she visits a polling station on April 22, 2008, in Conshohocken, Pa. Getty Images

Clinton's Challenge

Listen: Analysis by Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving add

Inside Pennsylvania's Demographics

Pennsylvania's demographics would seem to favor New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, given her supporters in past primaries. But Illinois Sen. Barack Obama may have an edge in the state's urban centers. Here's why:

The situation could favor Clinton, who does well among older, white voters, because:

Fifteen percent of the state's population is over 65; only Florida and West Virginia having a higher ratio of seniors.
Eighty-two percent of the state's population is white, compared to 66 percent of the rest of the nation.

But here's the good news for Obama, who does better among African-American voters, students and academics, and young voters in general :

Philadelphia is 44 percent African-American; Pittsburgh is 26 percent African-American.
Both cities have universities and colleges and a large population of students. Ten percent of the state's residents are between 18 and 24.

And the wild card?

According to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Commissions, Elections & Legislation, 151,660 new Democrats registered in advance of Tuesday's primary, bringing the total number of registered Democrats to roughly 4.2 million voters. In the past four months, 163,700 voters changed their party affiliation to participate in the primary.

Enlarge
Scott Olson

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama greets people outside after of Pamela's Diner on April 22, 2008, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Getty Images

Enlarge
Robyn Beck

Former US president Bill Clinton (center), New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (left) and their daughter Chelsea (left) appear at a campaign rally at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pa. on April 21, 2008. AFP/Getty Images

Enlarge
Emmanuel Dunand

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, eat breakfast at Pamela's Diner in Pittsburgh, Pa., April 22, 2008. AFP/Getty Images

NPR.org, April 22, 2008 · A six-week Democratic campaign sprint ends Tuesday, as Pennsylvania voters go to the polls in what pundits expect to be record numbers.

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has spent the day so far making numerous campaign visits – even stopping for a mid-morning cheese steak — in Montgomery County, a collection of Philadelphia suburbs that only recently became overwhelmingly Democratic.

Both campaigns are trying to spin interpretations of the eventual outcome. On Tuesday, Clinton reiterated her argument that winning Pennsylvania was a victory, regardless of the margin, even if that's an "old-fashioned" way to view politics, she said.

"I think maybe the question ought to be, why can't [Illinois Sen. Barack Obama] close the deal?" Clinton told reporters. "With his extraordinary financial advantage, why can't he win a state like this one, if that's the way it turns out," she said, adding that the Obama campaign has outspent her in Pennsylvania three-to-one.

Meanwhile, Obama spokesman Bill Burton sent a statement to reporters portraying anything less than a Clinton blowout as too little, too late. "She should win big," Burton wrote. "She has family roots in the state, she has the support of the Democratic establishment—including Gov. Rendell's extensive network—and former President Clinton is fondly remembered."

Like Clinton, Obama continued to campaign Tuesday. He also squeezed in several interviews with local media. He stopped at Pamela's P&G Diner in Pittsburgh for a breakfast of pancakes and hash browns. "I always think we have a chance,'' he told diners about the Pennsylvania contest. "We closed a big gap. We were down 20. This is always an uphill climb, but what we feel is we've made significant progress."

"A lot of it is going to depend on turnout today," he added.

Meanwhile, the issue of race in the campaign resurfaced. Former President Bill Clinton said the Obama campaign had "played the race card" on him in South Carolina in an interview posted Monday night (MP3) on the Web site of NPR member station WHYY in Philadelphia.

"We now know, from memos from the campaign and everything, that they planned to do it all along," Bill Clinton said.

Asked about Clinton's remarks, Obama chuckled and said: "So, former President Clinton dismissed my victory in South Carolina as being similiar to Jesse Jackson, and he's suggesting that somehow I had something to do with it? Ok, well, you'd better ask him what he meant by that. I have no idea what he meant."

Last-Minute Ad Wars

Interest in this primary has been high amongst Pennsylvanians, with roughly 151,000 new Democrats registering in advance of the primary, and close to 163,000 voters changing their party affiliation to participate in the closed contest, according to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Commissions, Elections & Legislation. The state has about 4.2 million registered Democrats.

In the days leading up to the contest, the candidates stepped up their attacks on each other.

Clinton released a television ad in which a montage of devastating historical world events scrolls by as the announcer asks who would be the best candidate to lead the country.

"It's the toughest job in the world," an announcer says in the ad, as images appear of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the collapse of the Berlin Wall, Osama bin Laden, Hurricane Katrina. "You need to be ready for anything."

Obama's campaign countered with its own advertisement, "He Has What It Takes." It characterizes Obama as someone who does not use fear to "divide us." He has argued that Clinton's ads play to the "politics of fear."

Analysts Weigh In

The Pennsylvania primary owes its intensity, in part, to the six-week lag between this contest and the last one, held on March 11 in Mississippi.

Pennsylvania has 158 pledged delegates at stake — by far the largest remaining prize. Recent polls show Clinton's former double-digit lead in Pennsylvania has dwindled to the single digits — anywhere between 5 and 8 percentage points in some surveys. What is unanswered is how big a victory Clinton needs to keep the rationale for her candidacy alive.

"There'll be a big debate about the size of her victory if she wins," says Terry Madonna, a professor of political science at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa.

The Clinton campaign has been trying to tamp down expectations, saying that a win is a win, no matter how close. Obama, meanwhile, says he doesn't expect to win Pennsylvania, but that the results will be close.

"I feel confident that we'll do just fine tomorrow," Obama told NPR.

Randall Miller, a political analyst at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, says a Clinton victory would bolster the narrative her campaign has been propagating: that she should be the nominee in November because she can win both populous swing states such as Ohio, and big "blue" states like Pennsylvania, which has voted for the Democratic candidate in the past four presidential elections.

"This narrative gained greater conviction and clarity after Ohio and Texas," Miller says. Clinton won the primary contests in both states on March 4, although Obama won the same-day Texas caucus and came out ahead in the number of pledged delegates there.

A victory Tuesday also would energize Clinton's campaign going into May's primaries — in Indiana and North Carolina on May 6, West Virginia on May 13, and Kentucky and Oregon on May 20.

But if Clinton wins Tuesday by what Madonna calls a "mushy" margin of 5 to 7 percentage points, then Obama — who has called himself the "underdog" in Pennsylvania — is likely to claim that as a moral victory of sorts. And that, Madonna says, could leave the Democratic race as muddled as ever.

Delegate Math

Nationwide, Obama maintains a lead of more than 160 pledged delegates over Clinton. She can claim around two dozen more superdelegates than Obama, but he's the one with the momentum among this group — the unaffiliated party leaders and elected officials who are free to support either candidate.

Last week alone, Obama picked up the endorsement of five additional superdelegates, including members of Congress from the upcoming primary states of North Carolina and Indiana. As of Sunday morning, Obama enters the Pennsylvania primary with a lead in the overall delegate count of 1,645 to Clinton's 1,507.

Pennsylvania's 158 delegates will be awarded proportionally, based on the popular vote in congressional districts and statewide.

Obama is expected to do well in the largely African-American and affluent southeastern quarter of the state, including Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs, where roughly 40 percent of Pennsylvanians live, says Michael Hagen, a political scientist and Temple University professor. He says Clinton should do better in the blue-collar portions, including Pittsburgh, Scranton and Lancaster County.

Even if Clinton wins by large margins in Pennsylvania, she will be awarded, at best, 12 to 15 more pledged delegates than Obama, says Madonna of Franklin and Marshall College. That wouldn't make much of a dent in Obama's lead in the nationwide pledged delegate count. But a victory would help Clinton make the case to the superdelegates — who may end up as the ultimate arbiters of the Democratic race — that the momentum has turned in her favor.

And if Obama wins in Pennsylvania?

Madonna says that's unlikely to happen, but if it does, "I think the nomination contest is over."

From NPR staff reports and The Associated Press

Help!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:07:39 EDT

I can't call anyone on the computer now it says there is no more numbers availible but another person is still calling!

I need help this is weird I can call in real life but I can't show that on the computer I just called 300 people but it didn't show!

PBS IS ALL ABOUT POLITICS!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:35:10 EDT

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2008/bigpicture/pittsburgh/index.html

April 22, 2008Democratic Voters Make Their Picks in Critical Pa. Contest

The long-awaited Pennsylvania primary is under way as voters finally cast their ballots in the increasingly bitter contest between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

If more than 2.3 million of the 4.2 million registered party members show up at the polls Tuesday, it would set a modern record for the state's Democratic presidential primary. Voters were out early across the state, according to media reports.

NewsHour to Report From Pittsburgh
As part of its Big Picture reports, the NewsHour will feature special coverage of the run-up to the Tuesday primary in Pennsylvania, including three days of reports from Pittsburgh.

Interactive: NewsHour/NPR 2008 Election Map

Find news and full results from recent nominating contests as well as news and up-to-date results on the Pennsylvania contest.

April 22, 2008, 12:21 PM ET
Democratic Voters Head to Polls in Pennsylvania

April 17, 2008, 12:15 PM ET
Clinton, Obama Exchange Sharp Attacks at Philadelphia Debate

April 16, 2008, 6:00 PM ET
Clinton, Obama to Debate in Philly as Pa. Vote Looms

January 10, 2008

Do You Really Know Where the Candidates Stand?
Take our new Vote by Issue quiz to find out how GOP and Democratic presidential candidates stack up on key election issues.
--WBUR and the Online NewsHourStates Grapple with Felon Voting RightsA recent Pew Center report estimated that one of every 100 Americans is behind bars. While they are in prison, most of them lose the right to vote and once they are released, some never regain the right. That has many in the voting rights field asking, "how do we deal with the increasing number of Americans who go away to prison and don't come back with the same rights and opportunities?" National Minority Consortia fellow Jori Lewis reports.

April 21, 2008

Democrats Make Final Push for Pa. Votes Before Primary
Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama launched fresh attacks on each other over the weekend, striking a negative tone ahead of Tuesday's primary contest.
The latest campaign turns have seen Obama take on his most negative tone of the race yet, calling Clinton a compromised Washington insider.

April 18, 2008

Shields and Brooks Dissect Dems Debate, Economic Plans
Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks speak with Judy Woodruff about the week's news, including the Democrats' debate in Pennsylvania, whether it matters if Sen. Barack Obama wears a flag pin on his lapel and the candidates' proposals to revive the U.S. economy.

April 17, 2008

Democrats Exchange Jabs as Pa. Primary Nears
As part of its Big Picture reports, the NewsHour will feature special coverage of the run-up to the April 22 Democratic primary in Pennsylvania. The series will include three days of reports from Pittsburgh, as the program explores the issues facing Keystone State voters.

April 14, 2008

Economy a Top Issue Ahead of Pennsylvania Primary
As the Pennsylvania primary draws near, Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are crisscrossing the Keystone State in a bid for voter support in a state where a complex mix of issues -- from the economy to religion -- ranks high for voters. Political analysts from across Pennsylvania preview the contest.

April 11, 2008

Clinton, Obama Battle in Pa.; McCain Talks Housing
Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton continued to campaign heavily in Pennsylvania ahead of its April 22 primary, while presumptive GOP nominee John McCain further outlined his economic proposals at a campaign stop in New York.

April 3, 2008

Protracted Primary Fight Throws General Election Plans Into Question
Democratic presidential hopefuls Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama are engaged in a historic -- and lengthy -- battle to become their party's residential nominee.Presidential historians examine what past elections reveal about drawn-out nominating battles and their impact on general election campaigns.

April 1, 2008

Economy Steals Limelight as Candidates Tweak Messages
Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama and presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain all recently outlined plans for salvaging the ailing economy. Representatives from all three campaigns debate the best solution for the country's current housing crisis and economic crunch.

Watch a recap of recent candidates speeches on the economy or read speech transcripts:
Sen. Hillary Clinton
Sen. Barack Obama
Sen. John McCain

View Vote 2008 Archive

WOW! OMG!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:22:31 EDT

Claudia Sutton search that on display names she joined on April 15 and has over a 1000 friends and has called over 11000 people! Incrediible huh!

I am going home now!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:50:20 EDT

Today:

Today history can be made...we can make sure that our candidate gets a 'sure' spot on the ballot in November.
Today we have the chance and ability to eliminate the Clinton machine and insure that we won't have to settle for a co-presidency between Bill & Hillary.
Today we can begin to bring respect back to the oval office.
Today we can begin the process to make a change in this country.
Today we can give hope and unity back to the United States.
Today we can urge our neighbors and friends to get out and vote...VOTE FOR CHANGE!
Today we can continue to repeat the mantra "YES, WE CAN!"

GET OUT AND VOTE - VOTE EARLY - LONG LINES ARE PREDICTED!

Today I will finish my month in Penn State helping get people registered going to rallies knocking on peoples doors. I have registered 123 people to vote I have heard from 500 that they are for Barack Obama. I have seen that these people are the people we will need to win with!

Yes We Can Because We Are A Family!

What you need to know for today

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:44:30 EDT

TODAY IS APRIL 22nd AND WE HAVE TO WIN IT'S PENNSYLVANIA OR BUST!
GO BARACK OBAMA!

What You Need to Know

The Pennsylvania primary is Tuesday, April 22nd.
All Pennsylvania Democrats who registered by March 24th, 2008 and who will be 18 years of age by the date of the primary are eligible to vote.
Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Anyone in line at 8:00 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
Only first-time voters must show proof of identification. Approved forms of identification include a valid photo ID or voter identification card, or a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or government check. For more information, click here.

You Poll

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 07:51:46 EDT

YouPoll Who do you predict will win the Pennsylvania Democratic Presidential Primary?Hillary Clinton42%Barack Obama58%You voted: Barack Obama This is not a scientific survey, click here to learn more. Results may not total http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=2127Try it Obama is winning!

new will.I.am video

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 07:36:38 EDT

http://www.dipdive.com/dip-politics/wato/

The first one was :Yes We Can"

http://www.dipdive.com/dip-politics/ywc/

Both are very good.

You Rock Wensley Post with idea that could change politics!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 07:33:40 EDT

You are awesome wensly I totaly understood and you have got yourself a whole lot of supporters of your work here we are a family!

I think Obama's new motto shold be "We are a FAMILY!" And then the crowd starts chanting "Yes We Can Because We Are A FAMILY!"
I know a little over the top but it show Hillary ho worthless and selfish and money greedy she is!
Go Obama
We Are A FAMILY!

by Devon Sampson

How????

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 07:44:21 EDT

How do I become a precent captain?

Proud Jew!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:31:20 EDT

Happy Passover, everyone! Tonight and tomorrow, Jews around the world will celebrate the exodus from Egypt and their deliverance from slavery.

Here are some photos from Barack's visit to Congregation Rodeph Shalom, a Reform synagogue in Philadelphia, earlier this week. Obama spoke about his relationship with the Jewish community, his thoughts on Jewish authors such as Saul Bellow that influenced his thinking, and wished attendees a happy Passover.

If you're planning to throw or attend a seder, let us know in the comments below. Chag Sameach!

Awesome links!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:11:55 EDT

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/o000167/

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&pwst=1&q=barack+obama+smoking&revid=1648118791&sa=X&oi=revisions_inline&resnum=0&ct=broad-revision&cd=8

The second link can't be true!!! No this can't be happening!

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&pwst=1&q=barack+obama+speech&revid=1648118791&sa=X&oi=revisions_inline&resnum=0&ct=broad-revision&cd=7

Song By Oliver Sampson

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:52:01 EDT

We Will We Will Ba-Rock You Ba-Rock You
Color's on your face no disgrace
Beating Clinton and Mcain all over the place
Singing We Will We Will Ba-Rock You Ba-Rock You!
Song by Oliver Sampson AKA ~Dog Lover "Hussein" John Paul Larkin Rules!

Yes We Can!

If you like this donate: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/DogLovermoney

For more songs give me the lyrics and I will turn them into Obama songs!!

Favorite Post!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 15:42:16 EDT

Help donate | Report to Admin Reply By Adrianne 38 seconds ago Hello my fellow O-peeps. My goal today is to get 10 donations from 10 different donors. I'll even sing for my supper

If you're bitter and you know it send mon-ey: Link
If you're bitter and you know it send mon-ey: Link
If you're bitter and you know it, then Hill's face will surely show it, if you're bitter and you know it send money! Link

Obama '08 Love it!

Just two days...

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 09:25:16 EDT

In just two days I called 500 voters all were for Barack Obama!

If I can do it so can you!

500 voters for Barack Obama!

Yes we can!

World wide Nation Wide Event!!!!!!!!!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 07:35:15 EDT

The Details National Rally for Barack Obama - One Voice for Change Across America (a Nationwide Simultaneous Event April 12, 2008) (Meeting)National Rally for Barack Obama - One Voice for Change Across America (a Nationwide Simultaneous Event April 12, 2008 before the debate to build momentum)

1 - Voice, 1 - People, 1 - Day, 1 - Time - Real Change

The Voices of the People Unite while holding hands across America for change as we shout our mantra: "Yes We Can"
12 noon EST/11 am CST/10 am MST/9am PST/6am HST

On April 12, 2008 we will stand together in cities across the country for change to make our voices heard, holding hands symbolically uniting for change in support of Barack Obama. We will be one voice, one people, united together as Americans that believe in this country's ability to provide true equality and economic feasibility for each and every American, regardless of gender, race, religion or ancestry.

We will not voice any specific agenda or issues, or harbor any negatives against anyone or any campaign. We will follow Barack Obama's example by showing up in numbers to unite our voice as we proclaim our mantra for change: “Yes We Can”.

The pledge of Allegiance states ‘…one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all’

This year, more than any other time in American History, the voice of Liberty and Freedom for All screams to be heard.

Sign up NOW to be a part of this historic event! Be there on April 12th – Unite for Change in America.

Register to attend at www.newswatchdogservice.com

To organize an event in your city contact nationalcoordinator@newswatchdogservice.com

Volunteers Registration http://newswatchdogservice.com/Obama_Rally.php

News Watchdog Service is the official organizer of A Voice for Change Across America the 1st National Simultaneous Rally in support of Barack Obama.

A movement powered by the people. Event Starts at 9 am - please arrive early. Gates open at 7 am.

OFFICIAL HOST OF THIS EVENT
NEWS WATCHDOG SERVICE

Carlton Enoch
National Chairman

Dr. Diva Verdun, PhD
National CoordinatorTime:Saturday, April 12 at 9:00 AMDuration:2 hoursHost:Kym CrazzeContact Phone:310-491-7323Location:Hollywood Park Race Track (Inglewood, CA) 1050 S. Prairie - Lot 7 & 8
Inglewood, CA 90301 View Map:

Associated Groups:1,000,000 Americans for Obama, Beverly Hills Students for Barack Obama, Loyola Marymount Students for Obama, Ohioans For ObamaDirections:Corner of Prairie and Century in Inglewood (310) 419-1500Signup for 'National Rally for Barack Obama - One Voice for Change Across America (a Nationwide Simultaneous Event April 12, 2008)'Will you attend: Yes, I will attend. No, I will not attend.How many attendees total: (incl. yourself) Add a comment: (optional)Your comment will be sent to the event host.Other Signups

56 people have signed up to attend this event.

We have to do this!

UTAH

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 07:33:31 EDT

We got endoresed by Utah!

Utah Democratic Party Chair Wayne Holland Endorses Barack ObamaChicago, IL | April 10, 2008

Chicago, IL - Utah Democratic Party Chair and Democratic superdelegate Wayne Holland today endorsed Barack Obama, citing his ability to energize the Democratic Party and plan to strengthen the economy.

"Sen. Obama has helped to energize our State Party," said Holland. "Obama was clearly the choice of Utah Democrats on Feb. 5 and is the choice of the majority of Utah Democratic candidates to head the ticket in November. While it is not only important for me to reflect the sentiment of our Party, I also have a responsibility to endorse the candidate whom I believe will help unite the many voices of our 'big tent' Utah Party and help us build for the future."

"Sen. Obama shares Utahns' concern for building strong communities and re-building our economy ravaged by Republican policies – across the country as well as Utah. The headlines yesterday said 'Utah bankruptcies up 44% from a year ago.' This alone should be a wake-up call for every Utahn. We need a president with a ground-level view of the everyday struggles of Americans, and Obama's experience as a community activist and lawmaker fits that requirement."

Senator Obama won the Utah primary on February 5 with 57 percent of the vote.

Wayne Holland is the Utah Democratic Party Chair. Mr. Holland is a labor negotiator for the United Steelworkers Union.

Let's make Obama the Nominee

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 07:21:32 EDT

We have to donate, support, tell, listen, help and if we do that Obama will win!
So join Obama http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/fellowsapp?source=www_feature

We Can Do It!

And The Winners Are!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:09:01 EDT

We know that everyone has been waiting patiently, and now we're ready to announce the guests for the upcoming Dinner with Barack . . . The response to Barack's invitation was so strong that we decided to increase the total number of guests to five. Meet the lucky supporters who will be having dinner with Barack later this week:

Ben Cherry is a retired school superintendent and commercial fisherman now living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ben served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Latin America and supported schools that served the native populations of Northern Alaska. He'd like to talk to Barack about how understanding other nations and cultures can inform our foreign policy.
Alisha Cordell is an information technology project coordinator in Raleigh, North Carolina. Alisha is a single mother and grandmother struggling to make ends meet and hoping her family can afford health insurance and college. She'd like to talk to Barack about investments in education and healthcare that will make things easier for her children and grandchildren.
Paul Deery is an elementary school art teacher in Easton, Pennsylvania. Paul's never been involved in a political campaign before, but was inspired by Barack's call for change. He and his wife have two children around the same age as Barack's daughters, and Paul believes that Barack has a sincere commitment to facing the challenges of energy and education that will shape their future.
Raissa Dorff is a singer, actor, and waitress in New York City. Raissa is the youngest of twelve children raised just outside Philadelphia. She first became involved in politics as a volunteer for Senator John Kerry during the 2004 presidential race, and recently she's been traveling back to her home town to volunteer and help build support for Barack. With seventeen nieces and nephews, Raissa is concerned about education and ending the war in Iraq.
Bonnie Locchetta is an office manager in Rushville, Indiana. Bonnie's from a largely Republican small town and has not always supported Democrats. But she is inspired by Barack and has been actively organizing in her community with the help of her children. One of Bonnie's biggest concerns is finding a way to make sure her kids can afford college.

Despite their varied backgrounds and experiences, Ben, Alisha, Paul, Raissa, and Bonnie are all united by their commitment to this movement for change. Each of these folks has a different story, and each will come to the table with their own questions and their own ideas to share with Barack.

If you have a question that you'd like our guests to ask Barack, you can post it in the comments below. We'll forward your questions along, and your ideas may end up as the topic of conversation at the upcoming Dinner with Barack.

UPDATED: The thread below is filling up fast, so we've created a new thread for you to post your questions in . . .

By Christopher Hass

Obama

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:36:00 EDT

Senator Barack Obama (D)-->

The LCV Scorecard provides objective, factual information about the most important environmental legislation considered and the corresponding voting records of all members of Congress. It represents a consensus of experts from more than 20 respected environmental and conservation organizations who selected the key votes on which members should be graded. To view the 2006 scorecard, please click here.

The last two years of Barack Obama’s LCV scores are above, followed by his lifetime LCV score. The lifetime LCV score represents the career average for all years served in office. For more about the Environmental Voting Record click here. Environmental Overview

What accomplishments or experiences would you cite as influences on your approach to environmental or conservation issues? These may be professional or personal.

"The places of my youth profoundly influenced my understanding of the environment: Hawaii gave me an abiding affection for nature’s beauty, while Indonesia showed me the environmental degradation that can occur when greed is left unchecked.

My commitment to using community activism to solve environmental health problems dates back to my time as a community organizer in Chicago, where I helped form a tenants’ rights group in the housing projects that successfully organized to force the city and federal governments to clear asbestos from pipes in public housing developments.

But without a doubt the greatest influence on me is my oldest daughter, Malia, who has asthma. Because of her, I have an enduring personal commitment to cleaner air."

Global Warming & Energy priorities for first 100 days

As you know, a common rubric for measuring the results of a new presidential administration is to evaluate priorities for its first 100 days in office. The League of Conservation Voters believes that the one issue area voters will be most focused on, when it comes to the environment, is energy and global warming. If you are sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, what will be your priorities in the energy and global warming arena for your first 100 days in office, and why? These may be achievable by executive action, legislative action, international action, or appointments.

"Putting a price on carbon is the most important step we can to take to reduce emissions. As president, my first priority to combat global warming will be enacting an economy-wide cap on U.S. carbon emissions that will reduce U.S. emissions by the amount scientists agree is necessary (80%) for the U.S. to bear an equitable share of the global emissions reduction burden. I will devote significant resources from a permit auction toward accelerating the development and deployment of low carbon technologies, addressing the economic challenges imposed on key industrial sectors, and providing meaningful incentives for action by developing countries.

Another top priority for my energy and global warming agenda will be changing the cars we drive and the fossil fuels we burn. I will increase fuel efficiency standards to the limits of technological and economic feasibility; introduce legislation to lift the 60,000-per-manufacturer cap on buyer tax credits to encourage more Americans to buy ultra-efficient vehicles; and encourage automakers to make fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles by helping them shoulder the health care costs of their retirees. Domestic automakers will get health care assistance in exchange for investing 50 percent of the savings into technology to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles. In addition, I will provide automakers with generous tax incentives for retooling assembly plants.

To change the fuels we burn, I introduced legislation to enact a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard that will reduce the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of passenger vehicle fuels sold in the U.S. by 10 percent in 2020 and require additional reductions of 1% annually thereafter."

Please respond to the previous question but focus on environmental issues outside of the energy and global warming arena.

"Environmental health, including air pollution, will be a major priority of mine. For example, the EPA estimates that every year, more than one in six children could be at risk for developmental disorders because of mercury exposure in the mother's womb. This is unacceptable, and we can do better. As president, I will significantly reduce the amount of mercury that is deposited in oceans, lakes, and rivers, which in turn will reduce the amount that people ingest when eating fish.

Lead poisoning in children plummeted significantly since the banning of lead in paint and fuels -- yet today, there are 400,000 American children who continue to suffer from lead poisoning, most of these children from low-income families. As president, I will call on Congress to enact legislation I have introduced during my time in the Senate that would protect American children from lead poisoning. This legislation would prevent children’s products from containing lead, provide incentives for property owners to eliminate or contain lead paint in homes with low-income young children or women of child-bearing age, and require that all child care facilities outside the home be lead-safe within five years."

Priority compared to other issues for first 100 days

Many candidates for office, not just for president, intend or promise to do great things on many issues. How would you say environmental or conservation issues would rank as a priority for you in your first 100 days when compared to other issues? Why? Do you intend to personally attend to these issues?

"I believe that global warming is not just the greatest environmental challenge facing our planet—it is one of our greatest challenges of any kind. It is an issue that we ignore at our own peril and at even greater peril for our children, grandchildren, and many impoverished global populations. Combating global warming will be a top priority of my presidency, and I will attend to it personally.

I am acutely aware that the health of our environment is inextricably linked to another one of today’s most pressing issues: America’s spiraling health care costs. In my Administration, environmental protection will be understood as a cornerstone of disease prevention. We need to preserve our parks, forests, farms and wilderness, because they are beautiful and deserve our protection, but also because without these places, our children will become more sedentary. Our children have a right to be protected from environmental toxins like mercury and lead poisoning, and we must confront diesel pollution and the other environmental triggers that have led to an explosion in pediatric asthma in urban and rural areas alike. We also need to remember that environmental degradation is just one more force that disproportionately hurts low-income and minority communities. In fulfilling this obligation to practice disease prevention, we will also be pursing a more effective and economically efficient approach to health care.

In the end, I understand environmental protection to be a great calling on its own. But I also see it as part and parcel of a number of other national priorities, and that elevates its stature even further."

http://presidentialprofiles2008.org/Obama/tab1.html

Autism Day By Christopher Hass

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:14:43 EDT

April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day, and the month of April has been designated as Autism Awareness Month. In recognition, Senator Obama released the following statement this morning:

I am proud to add my voice in support of World Autism Awareness Day and Autism Awareness Month. Autism Spectrum Disorders have quietly become some of the most serious public health issues in the United States and the world today. Autism not only jeopardizes the future of our children, but also has a devastating impact on our families, communities, and on all levels of government here at home and around the world.
Today’s celebration of World Autism Awareness Day is a call to action, and the United States must once and for all act quickly and effectively. As president, I will work closely with the families affected by ASD to ensure our government lives up to its responsibility to individuals with ASD. Together, we can ensure that everyone with ASD has a meaningful opportunity to get the education and resources they need to live independently as full citizens in their communities.

You can read more about Barack's comprehensive agenda to empower individuals with disabilities and equalize opportunities for all Americans, and you can download his plan for supporting Americans with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Online Poll!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:01:36 EDT

http://www.2008horserace.com/

Potential 2008 U.S. Presidential CandidatesWho is your favorite candidate? [97518 votes total]Hillary Clinton (29072): 30%
John McCain (38097): 39%
Barack Obama (30349): 31%
Full Results
Comments

DEMOCRATS 59%
Barack Obama
Hillary Clinton
John Edwards OUT
Bill Richardson OUT endorsed Obama
Joe Biden OUT
Chris Dodd OUT endorsed Obama
Dennis Kucinich OUT
Mike Gravel PAUSE resting comfortably

REPUBLICANS 41%
John McCain
Mike Huckabee OUT endorsed McCain
Mitt Romney OUT endorsed McCain
Ron Paul PAUSE local reelection race
Rudy Giuliani OUT endorsed McCain
Fred Thompson OUT
Duncan Hunter OUT endorsed Huckabee
Tom Tancredo OUT endorsed Huckabee

Also Check out this link! http://election2008survey.com/barack/barack.html

Watch Obama Live on CNN On yYour Computer!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:28:09 EDT

http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/36803/5m/cbslocalimg.dayport.com/htm/DayPortCBSPlayer.html?categoryID=5,15,16,17,78,82,7,22,6,34,11,91,85,30,76,8,93,92,33,98,80,79,77,29,23,20,84,81,49,38,39,40,53,54,52,70,41,88,89,50,101,42,64,43,44,56,62,45,55,60,46,47,48,65,58,100&limit=10&articleID=2388@wjz.dayport.com&adInsertionInterval=2&bannerAdConDefID=19&defaultPreviewImage=http%3A//cdn.dayport.com/vlnimg/img/PartnerPlayer/samplepreviewimage.jpg&domain=wfor.dayport.com&imageDomain=cdn.dayport.com/wforimg&limit_default=10&conDefID=7&videoAdObjectID=18&logoAdConDefID=6&logoAdObjDefID=17&hitboxAccountID=DM531102LJRE&hitboxDomain=cbs4.com&siteName=WFOR%20TV&callLetters=WFOR&isLiveStream=true&version=20071003

Click on this link and watch Obama!

For people in the High School Students for Obama

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 08:16:18 EDT

Hi I just joined you group is it okay that I am in fith grade and not even in middle school?
I joined because I have a brother in High School.
Bye I love your group!

Clinton Won!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 08:02:30 EDT

Clinton Won! April Fools!

Donate!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:18:21 EDT

Deadline for Dinner with Barack: Midnight TonightBy Christopher Hass - Mar 31st, 2008 at 1:06 pm EDT Comments | Mail to a Friend | Report Objectionable Content

The deadline to become one of the donors eligible for the upcoming "Dinner with Barack" is tonight at 11:59 p.m. EST. But even more importantly, tonight is the last chance for you to make an impact before the end of the first financial quarter.

If you donate before midnight tonight, your donation will be part of our March financial report to the FEC. This will be the final report before the next series of primaries, and the results will be sized up and interpreted by everyone trying to gauge the strength of our campaign.

As Barack himself explained in an email that went out this morning:

There's one thing we already know about the March fundraising results: Senator Clinton and Senator McCain have raised a significant portion of their money from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs.

We've never done that, and we never will.

Instead, we will continue to rely on more than a million individual donors who support this campaign by giving only what they can afford.

Change does not come from the top down -- it comes from the bottom up.

So rather than having expensive fundraising dinners to take contributions from Washington lobbyists, I'm hosting a different kind of dinner. If you are chosen from among the donors who give before midnight tonight, I'll get to hear your personal story and ideas about how we can solve America's biggest problems together.

... The pundits are slowly realizing something about our political process that we've known from the beginning: people matter.

In unprecedented numbers, ordinary people are volunteering and donating to this campaign. They're taking true ownership in a way that has never happened before.

When we started this campaign over a year ago, the pundits and the political insiders didn't think it was possible to mobilize ordinary people to reject conventional thinking and fight for real change.

We have a chance to prove them wrong.

Too many political fundraisers are hosted by Washington lobbyists and filled with representatives of special interests.

But our campaign is different.

Our funding comes from a movement of more than one million supporters like you giving whatever they can afford.

Donate before 11:59 p.m. EDT tonight, and you could join Barack for dinner:

Call

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:08:53 EDT

Your Voice: Weekend Callsby Christopher HassSaturday, March 29, 2008 at 02:26 PM

Over the past two months, our grassroots phonebankers have had a huge impact on caucuses and primaries throughout the country. Your calls have helped us organize volunteers, identify supporters, register new voters, and grow this movement all across America.

But there is still work to do, and this weekend we have eight calling campaigns to upcoming states, running from morning to night:

In Indiana, the deadline for voter registration is just over a week away. Indiana will be a hard fought contest, and we have a small window to make sure every one of our supporters is registered to vote in time for the May 6th primary.

In addition making calls to Indiana, right now you can help:

Make calls to supporters in North Carolina and encourage them to register to vote before the April 11th deadline
Make calls to supporters in Kentucky and encourage them to register to vote as Democrats before the April 21st deadline
Make calls to supporters in West Virginia and encourage them to register to vote before the April 22nd deadline
Make calls to supporters in Oregon and encourage them to register to vote as Democrats before the April 29th deadline
Make calls to supporters in Montana and encourage them to register to vote before the May 5th deadline
Make calls to supporters in South Dakota and encourage them to register as Democrats before the May 19th deadline

We’ve seen record turn-out and record participation in this election, but it hasn’t happened by accident. It’s happened as a direct result of supporters across the country reaching out to family, friends, and strangers one conversation and phone call at a time. One by one, we're building a movement for change the likes of which has never been seen before.

This weekend, your voice can be the one that reaches out to that next person.

Favorite Forum!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 07:06:57 EDT

You Made Barack Obama the $200,000,000.00 Man! Congratulations! | Report to Admin Reply By AndreaT Today at 12:21 am EDT Barack Obama has made United States history. His grassroots from the bottom up campaign has raised more money than any other presidential primary candidate in US history.

Barack Obama's supporters have made him the $200,000,000.00 man. His campaign raised a total of over $197,000,000.00 by the end of February.

Now we are at the end of March, which is sure to put his campaign over the $200,000,000.00 range.

What is so amazing about the Barack Obama campaign is that Barack does not take money from PACs or lobbyists. Most of his campaign donations are from small contributors, with the average contribution being $109.00!

Congratulations to all Barack Obama supporters and and campaign staff. The Barack Obama campaign is one for the record books, in more ways than one!

Barack Obama is the Best candidate for president! Re: You Made Barack Obama the $200,000,000.00 Man! Congratulations! | Report to Admin Reply By CK Educators with Obama Today at 12:26 am EDT I actually received a check today from Obama for America!
I've given toooo much-know idea how it happened-t-shirts...buttons..f und raising pages...
I can't bring myself to cash it-I want to believe that Senator Obam signed it himself! Re: You Made Barack Obama the $200,000,000.00 Man! Congratulations! | Report to Admin Reply By CK Educators with Obama Today at 12:27 am EDT so funny I forgot his "a"

ObamA 08 Re: You Made Barack Obama the $200,000,000.00 Man! Congratulations! | Report to Admin Reply By Nancy M. Today at 1:31 am EDT Hi CK! You also wrote "know" instead of "no". :-)
You must have been excited! Re: You Made Barack Obama the $200,000,000.00 Man! Congratulations! | Report to Admin Reply By zoharita Today at 1:11 am EDT I have an idea....

Would you consider donating it in honor of Barack to Stephen Colbert's challenge?

Link

Obama supporters have contributed over $80,000 and we want to tip $100,000 by Colbert's show on Monday.

Hillary supporters have only given about $13,000.

What do you think? Re: You Made Barack Obama the $200,000,000.00 Man! Congratulations! | Report to Admin Reply By Sue B from SV Today at 1:20 am EDT You beat me to it, Maia. Our total is over $83,000 now.

This is a perfect expression of what we are all about here, and we could get some awesome publicity during the PA bus tour. Re: You Made Barack Obama the $200,000,000.00 Man! Congratulations! | Report to Admin Reply By AndreaT Today at 12:27 am EDT Link -- Barack Leads In Money Raised -- From CBS News Re: You Made Barack Obama the $200,000,000.00 Man! Congratulations! | Report to Admin Reply By AndreaT Today at 12:30 am EDT Link -- Barack Leads In Money Raised -- From CBS News Re: You Made Barack Obama the $200,000,000.00 Man! Congratulations! | Report to Admin Reply By FriendlyFinleys Today at 12:34 am EDT Did you read the fine print?

I think they tried to make it look close, but this was at the bottom of the page:

• Clinton transferred $10,000,000 from Senate campaign; total also includes $5,000,000 personal loan

We are whooping her arse! Maybe her supporters should write her a letter saying they want their money back! I wonder if those that gave to her Senate campaign and now support BO for prez know how she is using that money?

They should all donate to my fundraiser- will you? :-)
Link Re: You Made Barack Obama the $200,000,000.00 Man! Congratulations! | Report to Admin Reply By Phil from Canada Today at 12:48 am EDT The fine fine print is even more important:

CASH ON HAND:

Obama: $38.8M - $625k debt - $8.2M for GE = $30M to spend (primaries)

Clinton: $33.2M - $8.7M debt - $21.7M for GE = $2.8M to spend (primaries)

Barack had 11 times more money than her to spend at the end of Feb. Apply this to the national budget =) Re: You Made Barack Obama the $200,000,000.00 Man! Congratulations! | Report to Admin Reply By Kristen Today at 12:56 am EDT By this you can see that they never thought this would go past Feb 5. The GE $ has CANNOT be spent in the primary once it has been earmarked. Had she known she would be losing so badly she probably would have saved more for the primary. Shows lack of fiscal responsibility and good judgment. Re: You Made Barack Obama the $200,000,000.00 Man! Congratulations! | Report to Admin Reply By Marti - Typical Hopemonger in Oregon Today at 12:33 am EDT one of them is me, to a T....$110.00 Re: You Made Barack Obama the $200,000,000.00 Man! Congratulations! | Report to Admin Reply By AndreaT Today at 12:42 am EDT Wow, Marti, that's cool!

I am so happy for the Barack Obama campaign. I truly believe Barack Obama wants to help bring about real, positive fundamental change in Washington, DC., and so do over 1,000,000,000 other donors! Great!!

We need Barack Obama as our next president! Re: You Made Barack Obama the $200,000,000.00 Man! Congratulations! | Report to Admin Reply By AndreaT Today at 12:47 am EDT Oops -- I meant over 1,000,000

All those zeroes got me confused!

Obama Organizing Fellows

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 06:53:15 EDT

Introducing the Obama Organizing Fellows

This summer we are looking for students or recent graduates who want to be a part of a new generation of leadership that believes, like Senator Obama, that real change comes from the ground up.

Fellows will be trained on the basics of organizing & campaign fundamentals and then placed in a community to carryout grassroots activities. Program participation will start on June 5 through the end of the summer. Fellows will be asked to commit to a minimum of 30 hours per week.

Additional details along with the fellowship application will be available online by Friday, April 5th.

Blue Print For Change PDF.

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:34:23 EDT

http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/ObamaBlueprintForChange.pdf

You have got to read this!!!

Check it out!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:31:08 EDT

http://www.barackobama.com/resultscenter/

Obama Speeches

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:28:58 EDT

March 27, 2008

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Renewing the American Economy

I want to thank Mayor Bloomberg for his extraordinary leadership. At a time when Washington is divided in old ideological battles, he shows us what can be achieved when we bring people together to seek pragmatic solutions. Not only has he been a remarkable leader for New York -he has established himself as a major voice in our national debate on issues like renewing our economy, educating our children, and seeking energy independence. Mr. Mayor, I share your determination to bring this country together to finally make progress for the American people.

March 18, 2008

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: 'A More Perfect Union'

"We the people, in order to form a more perfect union." Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America's improbable experiment in democracy. Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of independence at a Philadelphia convention that lasted through the spring of 1787.

March 12, 2008

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Endorsement by US Admirals and Generals

It is my privilege to be joined by some of the distinguished generals and admirals supporting my campaign. They have defended the American people and stood up for American values with honor and distinction. Between them they have served nine Commanders-in-Chief, and I look forward to continuing to draw on their counsel throughout my campaign and beyond.

March 4, 2008

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: March 4th Primary Night

Well, we are in the middle of a very close race right now in Texas, and we may not even know the final results until morning. We do know that Senator Clinton has won Rhode Island, and while there are a lot of votes to be counted in Ohio, it looks like she did well there too, and so we congratulate her on those states. We also know that we have won the state of Vermont. And we know this - no matter what happens tonight, we have nearly the same delegate lead as we did this morning, and we are on our way to winning this nomination.

February 24, 2008

Remarks for Senator Barack Obama: National Gypsum in Lorain, Ohio

Our economy has been struggling for some time now. And as I've traveled across Ohio, I've seen the face of this economy - a mother who told me she can't afford health care for her sick child; a father who's worried he won't be able to send his children to college; and seniors who've seen their pensions disappear because the companies they gave their lives to went bankrupt.

February 13, 2008

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Keeping America's Promise

It was nearly a century ago that the first tractor rolled off the assembly line at this plant. The achievement didn't just create a product to sell or profits for General Motors. It led to a shared prosperity enjoyed by all of Janesville. Homes and businesses began to sprout up along Milwaukee and Main Streets. Jobs were plentiful, with wages that could raise a family and benefits you could count on.

February 12, 2008

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Potomac Primary Night

Today, the change we seek swept through the Chesapeake and over the Potomac. We won the state of Maryland. We won the Commonwealth of Virginia. And though we won in Washington D.C., this movement won't stop until there's change in Washington. And tonight, we're on our way.

February 9, 2008

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Virginia Jefferson-Jackson Dinner

It has now been one year since we began this campaign for the presidency on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois - just me and 15,000 of my closest friends. At the time, there weren't too many who imagined we'd be standing where we are today. I knew I wouldn't be Washington's favorite candidate. I knew we wouldn't get all the big donors or endorsements right off the bat. I knew I'd be the underdog in every contest from January to June. I knew it wouldn't be easy.

February 7, 2008

Rebuilding Trust with New Orleans: Remarks of Senator Barack Obama

It's good to be back in New Orleans. I'm just sorry that I'm a few days late for Mardi Gras. New Orleans is a city that has always shown America what is possible when we have the imagination to see the unseen, and the determination to work for it.

February 5, 2008

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Super Tuesday

Before I begin, I just want to send my condolences to the victims of the storms that hit Tennessee and Arkansas. They are in our thoughts and in our prayers. Well, the polls are just closing in California and the votes are still being counted in cities and towns across the country. But there is one thing on this February night that we do not need the final results to know - our time has come, our movement is real, and change is coming to America.

January 30, 2008

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: The Past Versus the Future

Thank you Caroline - for your introduction, your support, and your lifetime of service to a grateful nation. You continue to inspire Americans of all ages and walks of life. Let me also say a few words about another American who has called us to a common purpose. John Edwards has spent a lifetime fighting to give voice to the voiceless and hope to the struggling. At a time when our politics is too focused on who's up and who's down, he made us focus on who matters - the New Orleans child without a home, the West Virginia miner without a job, the families who live in that other America that is not seen or heard or talked about in Washington. John and Elizabeth Edwards believe deeply that two Americans can become one. Their campaign may have ended, but this cause lives on for all of us who believe that we can achieve one America.

January 29, 2008

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Reclaiming the American Dream

I want to thank Governor Sebelius for her support in this campaign, for the leadership she's provided the state of Kansas, and for the example she's set for Democrats all across America. In her two terms as Governor, Kathleen Sebelius has proved that new jobs and good schools; affordable health care and clean energy are not Democratic ideas or Republican ideas, they are American ideas. And she has shown America that the Democratic Party is a party that can run anywhere and win anywhere and lead anywhere as long as we're the party of change - the party of the future.

January 28, 2008

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Response to the State of the Union

Tonight, for the seventh long year, the American people heard a State of the Union that didn't reflect the America we see, and didn't address the challenges we face. But what it did do was give us an urgent reminder of why it's so important to turn the page on the failed politics and policies of the past, and change the status quo in Washington so we can finally start making progress for ordinary Americans.

January 28, 2008

Remarks for Senator Barack Obama: Kennedy Endorsement Event

Thank you Congressman Kennedy and Caroline and Senator Kennedy for your words, your support, and the service you've rendered to this country. I stand here today with a great deal of humility. I know what your support means. I know the cherished place the Kennedy family holds in the hearts of the American people. And that is as it should be. Because the Kennedy family, more than any other, has always stood for what's best about the Democratic Party, and about America. That each of us can make a difference and all of us ought to try.

January 26, 2008

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: South Carolina Victory Speech

Over two weeks ago, we saw the people of Iowa proclaim that our time for change has come. But there were those who doubted this country's desire for something new - who said Iowa was a fluke not to be repeated again. Well, tonight, the cynics who believed that what began in the snows of Iowa was just an illusion were told a different story by the good people of South Carolina.

January 22, 2008

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Economic Speech

This morning, we woke up to bad news from Wall Street. For the second day in a row, the global stock market has continued to plunge as the world continues to fear that the United States government won't do enough to prevent a recession. We hope that the rate cut announced this morning will restore some confidence and stop the damage, but the fear remains.

January 20, 2008

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: The Great Need of the Hour

The Scripture tells us that when Joshua and the Israelites arrived at the gates of Jericho, they could not enter. The walls of the city were too steep for any one person to climb; too strong to be taken down with brute force. And so they sat for days, unable to pass on through.

January 3, 2008

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Iowa Caucus Night

Thank you, Iowa. You know, they said this day would never come. They said our sights were set too high.

December 27, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Our Moment Is Now

Ten months ago, I stood on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois, and began an unlikely journey to change America.

December 18, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Foreign Policy Forum

This is a pivotal moment in our history. Our security is threatened. Our nation is at war. Our planet is in peril. The strength, standing and leadership in the world that so many generations of Americans have fought and worked for is at stake.

December 5, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: A Call to Serve

It is an honor to be introduced by Harris Wofford - one of America's greatest advocates for public service. Starting with the civil rights movement and the Peace Corps, Harris and a generation of Americans answered a call to service. At a pivotal moment in our history, they stood up; they changed America; and they changed the world.

November 30, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Democratic National Committee Fall Meeting

Less than a year from now, you will go into the voting booth and you will select the President of the United States of America.

November 20, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Our Kids, Our Future

I've visited many schools and spoken to many teachers and students throughout my two decades of public service, but one I'll always remember is my visit to Dodge Elementary School in Chicago just a few years ago.

November 13, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: United Auto Workers Conference

We meet at a difficult time for organized labor. A while back, I went to a Maytag plant in Galesburg, Illinois that was moving to Mexico. And I met workers who were having to compete with their own children for jobs that pay seven bucks an hour.

November 10, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Iowa Jefferson-Jackson Dinner

Thank you so much. To the great Governor of Iowa and Lieutenant. Governor of Iowa. To my dear friend Tom Harkin for the outstanding work that he does. To the congressional delegation of Iowa that is doing outstanding work and to Nancy Pelosi, Madam Speaker, thank you all for the wonderful welcome and the wonderful hospitality.

November 7, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Reclaiming the American Dream

It's wonderful to be here today. I feel right at home in Bettendorf, which is just a stone's throw from my home state of Illinois. But the truth is, we share more than the banks of a great river.

If you spend time in Washington, you hear a lot about the divisions in our country. About how we're becoming more separated by geography and ideology; race and religion; wealth and opportunity. And we've had plenty of politicians who try to take advantage of these divisions - pitting Americans against one another, or targeting different messages to different audiences.

November 3, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: A Change We Can Believe In

One year from now, you will have the chance to walk into a voting booth, pull back the curtain, and choose the next President of the United States. Here's the good news - for the first time in a long time, the name George Bush will not appear on the ballot. The name Dick Cheney will not appear on the ballot. The era of Scooter Libby justice, and Brownie incompetence, and the Karl Rove politics of fear and cynicism will be over. But the question you will have to ask yourselves when you pick up your ballot a year from today is, "What next?" How do we repair the enormous damage of these dismal years and recapture that sense of common purpose that has seen America through our toughest times?

November 2, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: A Challenge for Our Times

It's a special honor to be here in Clarendon County. Because Clarendon County is the place that showed me and showed America that when ordinary people come together, they can do extraordinary things.

October 12, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Lessons from Iraq

Now, some have asked me, "Why are you always reminding us that you opposed the war? Isn't that yesterday's news? Is that experience really relevant?" And what I always say is this -- this isn't just about the past, it's about the future. I don't talk about my opposition to the war to say "I told you so." I wish the war had gone differently. But the reason I talk about it is because I truly believe that the judgment, and the conviction, and the accountability that each of us showed on the most important foreign policy decision of our lives is the best indicator you have of how each of us will make those decisions going forward.

October 8, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Real Leadership for a Clean Energy Future

Two weeks ago, representatives from some of the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases were invited to Washington by the President for a global conference on climate change.

October 2, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: A New Beginning

Thank you, Ted. Ted Sorensen has been counselor to a President in some of our toughest moments, and he has helped define our national purpose at pivotal turning points.

September 28, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Howard University Convocation

It's a privilege to be a part of today's convocation and an honor to receive this degree from Howard. There are few other universities that have played so central a role in breaking down yesterday's barriers and inching this country closer to the ideals we see inscribed on the monuments throughout this city.

September 18, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Tax Fairness for the Middle Class

Yesterday I spoke about the future of the American economy at the NASDAQ. And in many ways, NASDAQ is a symbol of the new economy that's taking hold - the wealth created; the booms and bubbles; the technology that's helping to drive growth, and the interconnectedness that now spans the globe.

September 17, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Our Common Stake in America's Prosperity

Seventy-five years ago this week, Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt took his campaign for the presidency to the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco.

September 12, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Turning the Page in Iraq

In a major national security address at Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa, U.S. Senator Barack Obama will today outline his plan to end the war and his vision for what America can achieve once it turns the page in Iraq.

September 3, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama at Labor Day Rally

The conventional thinking in Washington tells us that we're a country divided into Red States and Blue States; that we're doomed to fight the same tired partisan battles over and over again. They tell us we can't come together to take on big challenges like health care, or energy, or education; that we can't agree on what America should be, so we might as well settle for the way America is right now. But these crowds tell me something else. They tell me that when it comes to what's wrong with this country, the American people are not the problem. The American people are the answer.

August 21, 2007

Remarks of Senator Obama: A Sacred Trust

In an address to the 108th National Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, U.S. Senator Barack Obama today articulated his plan to keep America's sacred trust with our active duty servicemen and women and our veterans, rebuild our overstretched military, and develop the capabilities we need to face the challenges of the 21st century.

August 1, 2007

Remarks of Senator Obama: The War We Need to Win

In a major national security address at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, U.S. Senator Barack Obama today said that the war in Iraq and our failed leadership in Washington have made us less safe than we were before 9/11. Obama said that the U.S. has been fighting on the wrong battlefield, and outlined his comprehensive strategy to fight terrorism worldwide.

July 26, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama College Democrats of America

Each of you has made the decision to come here and get involved for a reason. Maybe you want to make sure the college education you're receiving will lead to a good job that can pay off all those loans. Maybe you're tired of watching our planet polluted and our climate changed forever because you know that you and your children will be the ones dealing with it. Maybe you've traveled abroad and heard people belittle America, and maybe you felt angry because you know we're a better country than this - you know we're not a country that tortures people or locks them away without ever telling them why. You know we're not a country that alienates our allies and rejects diplomacy with our enemies. We're better than that.

July 22, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama to the National Council of La Raza

I have been running for President now for a little over five months. And in that time, I have been inspired by crowds tens of thousands of people strong - many who have come out for the very first political event of their lifetime. We have seen more Americans sign up and contribute so far than any other campaign in history. They are young and old, Republican and Democrat, white, and Black, and Latino.

July 18, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Changing the Odds for Urban America

It's been four decades since Bobby Kennedy crouched in a shack along the Mississippi Delta and looked into the wide, listless eyes of a hungry child. Again and again he tried to talk to this child, but each time his efforts were met with only a blank stare of desperation. And when Kennedy turned to the reporters traveling with him, with tears in his eyes he asked a single question about poverty in America:

July 5, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama to the National Education Association Annual Meeting

Over the last few years, I've been traveling to different schools and meeting with all kinds of educators to hear about what's working, what's not, what makes the difference when it comes to educating children today.

June 23, 2007

A Politics of Conscience

It's great to be here. I've been speaking to a lot of churches recently, so it's nice to be speaking to one that's so familiar. I understand you switched venues at considerable expense and inconvenience because of unfair labor practices at the place you were going to be having this synod. Clearly, the past 50 years have not weakened your resolve as faithful witnesses of the gospel. And I'm glad to see that.

June 22, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Taking Our Government Back

We cannot settle for a second Gilded Age in America. And yet we find ourselves once more in the midst of a new economy where more wealth is in danger of falling into fewer hands; where the average CEO now earns more in one day than an average worker earns in an entire year; where Americans are struggling like never before to pay their medical bills, or their kids' tuition, or high gas prices, all while the profits of the drug and insurance and oil industries have never been higher.

June 19, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Take Back America 2007

It has now been a little over four months since we began this campaign. And everywhere we've been - whether it's Oakland or Cleveland, Atlanta or Austin - we've been getting these inspiring, humbling crowds of thousands. For a lot of people, it's the first political event of their lifetime.

June 15, 2007

Strengthening Families in a New Economy

Each year at this time we honor and think about the fathers who've been a part of our lives - the examples they've set, the sacrifices they've made, their successes and their struggles.

June 5, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama to the Hampton University Annual Ministers' Conference

A few weeks ago, I attended a service at First A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the LA Riots. After a jury acquitted 4 police officers of beating Rodney King - a beating that was filmed and flashed around the world - Los Angeles erupted. I remember the sense of despair and powerlessness in watching one of America's greatest cities engulfed in flames.

May 29, 2007

Cutting Costs and Covering America: A 21st Century Health Care System

A few hours north of here, Amy and Lane run a small business that offers internet service to their community. They were the very first company to provide broadband access in their remote corner of northeastern Iowa, and every day, hundreds of people count on the services they provide to do their jobs and live their lives.

May 19, 2007

Remarks at Southern New Hampshire University Commencement

Good morning, President LeBlanc, the Board of Trustees, faculty, parents, family, friends, and the Class of 2007. Congratulations on your graduation, and thank you for allowing me the honor to be a part of it.

May 7, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama to the Detroit Economic Club

America is a country that hasn't come easily. In our brief history, we have been tested by revolution and slavery, war and depression, and great movements for social, civil, and equal rights.

May 5, 2007

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama to the National Conference of Black Mayors

It is an honor to be here at Southern University. It is a privilege to stand with so many of our leading mayors from across this country. Whether it's a small town or a big city, the government that's closest to the people is the one the people count on the most.

May 2, 2007

Remarks of Senator Obama to the California State Democratic Convention

It has now been a little over two months since we began this campaign. In that time we have traveled all across this country. And before every event we do, I usually have a minute to sit quietly and collect my thoughts. And recently, I've found myself reflecting on what it was that led me to public service in the first place.

April 23, 2007

The American Moment: Remarks to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs

We all know that these are not the best of times for America's reputation in the world. We know what the war in Iraq has cost us in lives and treasure, in influence and respect. We have seen the consequences of a foreign policy based on a flawed ideology, and a belief that tough talk can replace real strength and vision.

March 4, 2007

Selma Voting Rights March Commemoration

Here today, I must begin because at the Unity breakfast this morning I was saving for last and the list was so long I left him out after that introduction. So I'm going to start by saying how much I appreciate the friendship and the support and the outstanding work that he does each and every day, not just in Capitol Hill but also back here in the district. Please give a warm round of applause for your Congressman Artur Davis.

March 2, 2007

AIPAC Policy Forum

Thank you so much for your kind introduction and the invitation to meet with you this morning. Last week, this event was described to me as a small gathering of friends. Looking at all of you here today; seeing so many of you who care about peace in this world; who care about a strong and lasting friendship between Israel and the United States, and who care about what's on the next page of our shared futures, I think "a small gathering of friends" fits this crowd just right.

February 10, 2007

Full Text of Senator Barack Obama's Announcement for President

We all made this journey for a reason. It's humbling, but in my heart I know you didn't come here just for me, you came here because you believe in what this country can be. In the face of war, you believe there can be peace. In the face of despair, you believe there can be hope. In the face of a politics that's shut you out, that's told you to settle, that's divided us for too long, you believe we can be one people, reaching for what's possible, building that more perfect union.

December 1, 2006

World AIDS Day Speech: Race Against Time

You know, AIDS is a story often told by numbers. 40 million infected with HIV. Nearly 4.5 million this year alone. 12 million orphans in Africa. 8,000 deaths and 6,000 new infections every single day. In some places, 90% of those with HIV do not know they have it. And we just learned that AIDS is set to become the 3rd leading cause of death worldwide in the coming years. They are staggering, these numbers, and they help us understand the magnitude of this pandemic. But when repeated by themselves, statistics can also numb - they can hide the individual stories and tragedies and hopes of the Leos who live the daily drama of this disease.

November 20, 2006

A Way Forward in Iraq

Throughout American history, there have been moments that call on us to meet the challenges of an uncertain world, and pay whatever price is required to secure our freedom. They are the soul-trying times our forbearers spoke of, when the ease of complacency and self-interest must give way to the more difficult task of rendering judgment on what is best for the nation and for posterity, and then acting on that judgment - making the hard choices and sacrifices necessary to uphold our most deeply held values and ideals.

September 20, 2006

Energy Independence: A Call for Leadership

Now that summer's over and gas prices have finally come down a bit, there's a temptation to put any discussion about energy on the back burner until the next crisis arises. Gone are the days when the President would make sweeping pronouncements in his State of the Union about America's addiction to oil - today there is far more political mileage out of questioning Democrats' commitment to fighting terror than by affirming America's commitment to energy independence.

August 28, 2006

An Honest Government, A Hopeful Future

The first time I came to Kenya was in 1987. I had just finished three years of work as a community organizer in low-income neighborhoods of Chicago, and was about to enroll in law school. My sister, Auma, was teaching that year at this university, and so I came to stay with her for a month. My experience then was very different than it has been on this trip. Instead of a motorcade, we traveled in my sister's old VW Beetle, which even then was already ten years old. When it broke down in front of Uhuru Park, we had to push until some joakalis came to fix it by the side of the road. I slept on the couch of my sister's apartment, not a fancy hotel, and often took my meals at a small tea-house in downtown Nairobi. When we went upcountry, we traveled by train and matatu, with chickens and collard greens and sometimes babies placed in my lap.

August 11, 2006

Xavier University Commencement Address

I have to say that I'm pretty humbled to be here. Each year there are hundreds of commencements in this country. All are hopeful, some are inspiring, and most of you probably won't even remember who your speaker was ten years from now. As a rule, they usually involve an old guy like me giving young folks like you advice about what to expect in the real world - advice about the challenges you'll face and the obstacles you'll have to overcome.

August 7, 2006

AFSCME National Convention

In coffee shops and town meetings, in VFW halls and right here in this room, the questions are all the same. Will I be able to leave my children a better world than I was given? Will I be able to save enough to send them to college or plan for a secure retirement? Will my job even be there tomorrow? Who will stand up for me in this new world? In this time of change and uncertainty, these questions are expected - but I want you to know today they are by no means unique. Throughout our history, they have been asked and then answered by Americans who have stood in your shoes and shared your concerns.

July 12, 2006

Campus Progress Annual Conference

When I told people that after college, I planned on being a community organizer and working in low-income neighborhoods, they thought I was crazy. My mother and grandparents thought I should go to law school. My friends had applied for jobs on Wall Street. But I went ahead and wrote letters to every organization in the country that I could think of. And finally, this small group of churches on the south side of Chicago wrote back and gave me a job organizing neighborhoods devastated by steel-plant closings in the early 80s.

June 28, 2006

Call to Renewal Keynote Address

But today I'd like to talk about the connection between religion and politics and perhaps offer some thoughts about how we can sort through some of the often bitter arguments that we've been seeing over the last several years. I do so because, as you all know, we can affirm the importance of poverty in the Bible; and we can raise up and pass out this Covenant for a New America. We can talk to the press, and we can discuss the religious call to address poverty and environmental stewardship all we want, but it won't have an impact unless we tackle head-on the mutual suspicion that sometimes exists between religious America and secular America.

June 16, 2006

Northwestern University Commencement Address

...As you go on in life, cultivating this quality of empathy will become harder, not easier. There's no community service requirement in the real world; no one forcing you to care. You'll be free to live in neighborhoods with people who are exactly like yourself, and send your kids to the same schools, and narrow your concerns to what's going in your own little circle. Not only that - we live in a culture that discourages empathy. A culture that too often tells us our principle goal in life is to be rich, thin, young, famous, safe, and entertained. A culture where those in power too often encourage these selfish impulses.

June 14, 2006

Take Back America Conference Remarks

It's a time where you can go to any town hall or street corner or coffee shop and hear people express the same anxiety about the future; hear them convey the same uncertainty about the direction we're headed as a country. Whether it's the war or Katrina or their health care or their jobs, you hear people say that we've finally arrived at a moment where something must change.

June 2, 2006

University of Massachusetts at Boston Commencement Address

And let me tell you - the easiest thing in the world is to do nothing at all. To turn off the TV, put down the paper, and walk away from the stories about Iraq or Darfur or poverty or violence or joblessness or hopelessness. To go about your busy lives, wishing these problems away but expecting someone else to do it. To remain detached; to remain indifferent; to remain safe. But I hope you don't do what's easy. I hope you do what's hard.

May 11, 2006

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama at Emily's List Annual Luncheon

We meet here today at a time where we find ourselves at a crossroads in America's history. It's a time where you can go to any town hall or street corner or coffee shop and hear people express the same anxiety about the future; hear them convey the same uncertainty about the direction we're headed as a country. Whether it's the war or Katrina or their health care or their jobs, you hear people say that we've finally arrived at a moment where something must change.

April 3, 2006

Energy Independence and the Safety of Our Planet

The issue of climate change is one that we ignore at our own peril. There may still be disputes about exactly how much we're contributing to the warming of the earth's atmosphere and how much is naturally occurring, but what we can be scientifically certain of is that our continued use of fossil fuels is pushing us to a point of no return. And unless we free ourselves from a dependence on these fossil fuels and chart a new course on energy in this country, we are condemning future generations to global catastrophe.

February 28, 2006

Energy Security is National Security

In this year's State of the Union address, President Bush told us that it was time to get serious about America's addiction to foreign oil. The next day, we found out that his idea didn't sit too well with the Saudi Royal Family. A few hours later, Energy Secretary Bodman backtracked and assured the world that even though the President said he planned to reduce the amount of oil we import from the Middle East, he actually didn't mean that literally.

January 26, 2006

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama at the Lobbying Reform Summit

Now, I've been asked by my caucus to take a role in lobbying reform - a role I'm proud to have. As many of you know I'm from Chicago - a city that hasn't always had the cleanest reputation when it comes to politics in this country. But during my first year in the Illinois State Senate, I helped lead the fight to pass Illinois' first ethics reform bill in twenty-five years. I hope we can do something like that here.

November 22, 2005

Moving Forward in Iraq

Today, nearly 160,000 American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines are risking their lives in the Middle East. They are operating in some of the most dangerous and difficult circumstances imaginable. Well over 2,000 men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice - given their full measure of devotion. Thousands more have returned with wounds like those that I saw at Walter Reed.

November 16, 2005

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award Ceremony

I come to this with tremendous humility. I was only seven when Bobby Kennedy died. Many of the people in this room knew him as brother, as husband, as father, as friend. I knew him only as an icon. In that sense, it is a distance I share with most of the people who now work in this Capitol - many of whom were not even born when Bobby Kennedy died. But what's interesting is that if you go throughout the offices in the Capitol, everywhere you'll find photographs of Kennedy, or collections of his speeches, or some other memento of his life.

November 10, 2005

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama at the National Womens Law Center

As I was thinking about tonight's dinner and all the progress the women's movement has made in the last century, the first thing that came to mind wasn't all the legal cases won or the legislation passed; it wasn't the issues debated or even the individual rights secured. I thought about my daughters.

November 1, 2005

Non-Proliferation and Russia: The Challenges Ahead

Good morning. As some of you know, Senator Lugar and I recently traveled to Russia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan to witness firsthand both the progress we're making in securing the world's most dangerous weapons, as well as the serious challenges that lie ahead.

October 25, 2005

Teaching Our Kids in a 21st Century Economy

The other day, I was reading through Jonathan Kozol's new book, Shame of a Nation. In it, he talks about his recent travels to schools across America, and how fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education, we have an education system in this country that is still visibly separate and painfully unequal.

October 18, 2005

Statement of U.S. Senator Barack Obama on the Avian Flu

We are continuing to witness the relentless spread of avian flu, carried slowly but predictably by wild, migratory birds from countries in Southeast Asia to Western China, to Mongolia, and then over the Ural Mountains into Russia and Ukraine. From there, avian flu has spread over the past week to Romania and Turkey, and we have just learned, possibly into Greece.

September 22, 2005

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama on the Confirmation of Judge John Roberts

First of all, let me congratulate Senator Specter and Senator Leahy for moving the process of confirming the nomination of Judge Roberts along with such civility, a civility that I believe speaks well of the Senate. Let me also say that I remain distressed that the White House during this confirmation process, which overall went smoothly, failed to provide critical documents as part of the record that could have provided us with a better basis to make our judgment with respect to the nomination. This White House continues to stymie efforts on the part of the Senate to do its job.

September 15, 2005

Securing Our Energy Future

The days of running a 21st century economy on a 20th century fossil fuel are numbered - and we need to realize that before it's too late. Our persistent dependence on oil is a danger our government has known about for years. And despite constant warnings by researchers and scientists, major corporations and our own government officials, it's a danger they have failed to prepare for, listen to, or seriously try to guard against.

July 25, 2005

AFL-CIO National Convention

It would be naive of me to start without acknowledging what's been on everyone's mind during this convention. As America tries to find its way in a global economy, we meet here at a challenging time for the labor movement. There are questions of strategy and tactics, leadership and power. And I can imagine that many of you are anxious not only about labor's future, but yours. You're wondering, will I be able to leave my children a better world than I was given? Will I be able to save enough to send them to college or plan for a secure retirement? Will my job even be there tomorrow? Who will stand up for me in this new world?

July 19, 2005

Remarks of U.S. Senator Barack Obama on the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill and the Avian Flu

Mr. President, I rise today in support of H.R. 2057, the Foreign Operations Appropriation Bill. I'd also like to highlight one aspect of the bill. Since coming to the Senate six months ago, one of the foreign policy and health issues I have focused on relates to the avian flu. I am pleased that this bill includes $10 million to combat the spread of this potential pandemic, adding to the $25 million that the Senate provided in the supplemental appropriations bill in April.

July 15, 2005

American Legion Conference

Over the last few months and throughout the campaign, I've been able to travel the state and meet veterans from all across Illinois. And no matter how many stories of heroism I hear, I constantly find myself in awe of your service and inspired by your sacrifice. Oliver Wendell Holmes once said that "To fight out a war, you must believe something and want something with all your might."

June 27, 2005

U.S. Senator Barack Obama addresses the American Library Association

Thank you. It's an honor to be here with the hundreds of dedicated librarians who make up the American Library Association. Before we begin, I'd like to say a special hello to ALA member Nancy Gibbs, who is the mother of my communications director, Robert Gibbs. Believe me, I have no idea how the biggest mouth in our office came from a family of two librarians, but we're proud to have him on board and I'm sure you are too.

June 13, 2005

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama at the Pritzker School of Medicine Commencement

Congratulations! After four long years of endless studying, sleepless nights, and constant stress, who's ready to kick back, relax, and jump head first into their residency?

June 8, 2005

Remarks of U.S. Senator Barack Obama on the nomination of Justice Janice Rogers Brown

I rise today to speak on the nomination of California Justice Janice Rogers Brown to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. Now, let me begin by saying that the last thing I would like to be spending my time on right now is talking about judges.

June 4, 2005

Remarks of U.S. Senator Barack Obama at the Knox College Commencement

Good morning President Taylor, the Board of Trustees, faculty, parents, family, friends, and the Class of 2005. Congratulations on your graduation, and thank you for allowing me the honor to be a part of it.

May 30, 2005

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery

This is my first time visiting the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, and as I was driving through I thought to myself that the staff and the volunteers who have made this possible should feel very proud of the work they're doing - this is a beautiful place for our veterans to come home to.

May 26, 2005

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama About America's Nuclear Non-Proliferation Policy

Mr. President, throughout the last half of the 20th Century, one nation - more than any other on the face of the earth - defined and shaped the threats posed to the United States.

May 7, 2005

Remarks by Senator Barack Obama at the Rockford Register Star Young American Awards

Thank you, and congratulations to all of this year's Young Americans. Now that you've each received your award, I have one question for all of you: What are you going to do with it?

May 2, 2005

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama NAACP Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner

Thank you. Half a century after the first few hundred people sat for justice and equality at these tables, I am honored to be here with this crowd of thousands at the 50th NAACP Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner.

April 26, 2005

"A Hope To Fulfill"

Thank you. It's great to be here at the National Press Club - I want to thank the club as well as the FDR Institute for arranging this luncheon together. I'd also like to thank Anne Roosevelt and Jim Roosevelt, who inspire us all by carrying on the proud legacy of their grandfather.

April 23, 2005

SIUC College of Agriculture's 50th Anniversary

Thank you. It's always great to be here in Carbondale, and a real honor to speak here at SIUC's first Agriculture Industry Day. Now, I'll be honest - I haven't done all that much farming living on the South Side of Chicago. But I have to say, my fondest farming memory is when I once offered to help out a friend with his harvest. Knowing the full range of my agricultural experience and expertise, he took one look at me and said..."no thanks."

April 20, 2005

Remarks by Senator Barack Obama at the Opening of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

Let me congratulate all of those who have helped to make this wonderful vision a reality. But we gather here today not to celebrate a building. We gather to celebrate a man.

April 14, 2005

Statement of Senator Barack Obama About His Amendment to Provide Meals and Phone Service to Wounded Veterans

Statement of Senator Barack Obama Amendment to Provide Meals and Phone Service to Wounded Veterans Wednesday, April 14, 2005 M. President, today I am offering an amendment to the fiscal year 2005 Emergency Supplemental, which I am pleased to announce...

April 13, 2005

Statement of Senator Barack Obama on the Nuclear Option

Mr. President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to think about the implications the nuclear option would have on this chamber and this country. I urge you to think not just about winning every debate, but about protecting free and democratic debate.

April 6, 2005

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama at the Herblock Foundation Annual Lecture

Thank you for inviting me here tonight. It's been a pretty busy

In the News

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:26:24 EDT

http://www.barackobama.com/newsroom/index.php In the NewsMarch 27, 2008State lawmakers endorse Obama for presidentin The Indianapolis Star

A group of state legislators from every corner of Indiana today endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president. ..."There, you've had it," Sen. Earline Rogers, a Gary Democrat, said after the lawmakers spoke. "Indiana, north, south, east, west, middle. Black, white, Hispanic. Urban, rural. We cross all of these spectrum. And with those kinds of demographics that Indiana possesses, those are precisely the demographics that will make Barack Obama the next president of the United States.

March 27, 2008Obama Outlines Economic Planin The Washington Post

Sen. Barack Obama, tackling the fallout from the collapse of the subprime housing market, today outlined major changes in the way the federal government regulates financial institutions and called for a second stimulus package to boost the economy. ...Speaking at historic Cooper Union in New York, Obama was sharply critical of the mindset that led to the subprime mortgage crisis. "Our free market was never meant to be a free license to take whatever you can get, however you can get it," he said. "That is why we have put in place rules of the road to make competition fair, and open, and honest."

March 27, 2008How Not to Prevent Foreclosuresin The New York Times

...The question now is not whether the government should intervene, but how. The two Democratic candidates clearly understand that better than the White House or Senator McCain. Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama have called for a bigger role for the Federal Housing Administration that would allow it to restructure or refinance more troubled loans. Mr. Obama has endorsed the best idea currently on the table to prevent foreclosure: amending the law so that troubled borrowers can have their mortgages modified in bankruptcy court.

March 25, 2008Obama returning to Pennsylvania Fridayin Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Sen. Barack Obama will return to Pennsylvania on Friday to start a six-day bus tour across the Keystone State, his campaign said today. The "Road to Change" bus tour will kick off in Western Pennsylvania and conclude in southeastern Pennsylvania, with "numerous stops in between," according to a news release from Obama's campaign.

March 24, 2008The Next President's Plan . . .in The Washington Post

To solve the current crisis, Barack Obama would immediately take three steps, addressing the fact that the troubles ultimately result from the squeeze on ordinary Americans in the "real" economy. First, he would enact a comprehensive plan to help bring an end to the foreclosure crisis that threatens millions of families. Obama supports efforts to create a new FHA Housing Security Program to provide significant incentives and guarantees for lenders to buy out mortgages that exceed the value of homes and convert them into stable 30-year fixed-rate mortgages that homeowners can afford. This is a responsible plan designed to help responsible homeowners without rewarding borrowers or investors who helped create the problem by gambling recklessly or committing fraud, and it asks both sides to contribute to the solution.

Press ReleasesMarch 27, 2008Obama Statement on Report of the Trustees of Social Security and Medicare

Senator Obama issued the following statement today in response to the Report of the Trustees of Social Security and Medicare.

March 27, 2008In Major Speech, Obama Calls For Modernizing Our Regulation of Financial Markets

In a major economic address at Cooper Union today, Senator Barack Obama called for immediate relief for homeowners hit by the housing crisis, modernization of our regulatory framework, and an additional $30 billion stimulus package to jumpstart the economy and help protect families from the economic slowdown. As confidence in our financial markets wanes and Americans struggle in the face of a mortgage crisis, Obama stressed the importance of pushing back on the special interests and honoring our obligation to one another-and that doing so is not just a matter of altruism but a matter of self-interest.

March 26, 2008Obama Campaign Announces National Chair Of Latino and Hispanic Fundraising

The Obama Campaign today announced the appointment of Francisco "Frank" Sánchez, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Transportation, as the National Chair of Latino and Hispanic Fundraising. Sánchez, is also an advisor on Latin American policy for the campaign. In his new capacity, Sanchez will Co-Chair along with Illinois Attorney, Manny Sanchez, the Obama Hispanic Leadership Council. This newly formed Council will work with the national finance team to increase the already growing enthusiasm and fundraising efforts for the Obama campaign in the Hispanic Community.

March 24, 2008Obama Statement on 4,000 American Deaths in Iraq

Senator Obama issued the following statement today in response to reports that 4,000 American servicemen and women have now been killed in Iraq since the war began.

March 22, 2008Obama Statement Congratulating Taiwanese President-Elect Ma Ying-Jeou

Senator Barack Obama issued the following statement on the results of Taiwan's Presidential election.

March 20, 2008Obama Statement Commemorating the Persian New Year

Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement commemorating the Persian New Year.

March 20, 2008Obama Statement Commemorating Purim

Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement commemorating Purim.

View All News Stories View All Press Releases

The Facts

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:23:54 EDT

http://factcheck.barackobama.com/

"I want to campaign the same way I govern, which is to respond directly and forcefully with the truth,"
~ Barack Obama, 11/08/07

Fact Check On Washington Post's Inaccurate Depiction of Obama's Role in Immigration ReformMarch 24, 2008Reality: Obama Was A Key Player In The 2006 Immigration Debate, Was Thanked By Both McCain And Kennedy For His Work, And Received Praise From Outside Groups For His Involvement

McCain: "First Of All...This Legislation Was The Product Of Over A Year Of Negotiation...Myself And Senator Kennedy, Senator Obama, Senator Lieberman, Senator Martinez, Senator Graham-- We Met On Many, Many Occasions And Hammered Out This Bill." "Could I -- I'll be very brief because my colleagues are here to make comments, and I know that you want to ask questions. First of all, I would like to point out that this legislation was the product of over a year of negotiation. Myself and Senator Kennedy, Senator Obama, Senator Lieberman, Senator Martinez, Senator Salazar, Senator Graham -- we met on many, many occasions and hammered out this bill. It was not an easy decision -- some of it for us, nor was it for the Democrats because some of our base is opposed to this legislation, some of the unions are opposed to this legislation. So I'm proud of the product that we put out. I'm grateful for the leadership of Senator Specter and Senator Leahy, and I'm very pleased at the comments that the president has made in the last couple of days." [Transcript, Senate Immigration Reform Press Conference, 3/30/06]

Kennedy And McCain, Authors Of Immigration Reform Bill, Thanked Obama As One Of Small Bipartisan Group Of Senators Who "Stood Together To Make This Legislation Possible." McCain said, "After several weeks of extensive debate and consideration of numerous and complicated amendments, the Senate is about to move to final passage on S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act...I also commend the Senate Leadership on both sides of the aisle for their efforts to ensure that the Senate addressed this important issue and gave us more than adequate time for a thorough debate. This is a proud moment for the United States Senate, as we have conducted good work and returned to orderly traditions of the legislative process as envisioned by our founding fathers...And of course, I commend Senator Kennedy, who is perhaps the leading expert on this difficult issue...I also want to thank Senators Brownback, Lieberman, Graham, Salazar, Martinez, Obama, and Dewine for their shared commitment to this issue, and working to ensure this bill moved successfully intact through the legislative process." In a speech on the Senate floor, Kennedy said, "I thank those of our bipartisan group who stood together to make this legislation possible--Senator Graham, Senator Salazar, Senator Martinez, Senator Hagel, Senator Durbin, Senator Lieberman, Senator Brownback, Senator Obama, and Senator DeWine." [McCain Press Release, 5/25/06; Congressional Record, 5/26/06]

Kennedy Praised Obama's Work On Immigration Reform And Gave His Assurance That Obama And Him Would Stand On The Floor Of The Senate Until A Comprehensive Immigration Bill Passed. "Kennedy spoke of Obama as a transformational leader, and made a direct appeal to Hispanic voters by highlighting his work on labor and immigration issues in the Senate. He also attempted to bridge the Hispanic and African American divide by linking the debate over immigration reform with the fight for civil rights. 'There are those [voices] in the floor of the United States Senate that were similar to the voices that I heard in the 1960s -- the voices of discrimination and bigotry and prejudice,' Kennedy said. Obama, he added, has stood with him throughout the effort. 'If you watched him last night, you saw a man of empathy, you saw a man of heart, you saw a man of soul, and I can give you this assurance, that Barack and I are going to stand on the floor of the United States Senate until we get a comprehensive bill.'" [MSNBC, 2/1/08]

Leahy Named Obama As One Of The "People Who Have Worked Together" On The Immigration Reform Bill And Said "There Was A Lot Of Work Behind The Scenes." "Thank you, Arlen. I want to thank you, of course, and Senator Kennedy, who spent all those hours on the floor managing the bill so well. But I also want to thank both our leaders, Bill Frist and Harry Reid. This was done in the way, Arlen, it was so much in legislation when you and I first came here, when Republicans and Democrats worked together. Much the same way we tried to change the tone of the Judiciary Committee, we started with a good base bill, as the majority leader has said, from the Judiciary Committee. There's not everything in here I want; there's not everything that any one of us want. But we've had people who have worked together. I see are the two floor managers. I see Senator McCain and Senator Martinez and Hagel and others -- Obama and Durbin. There was a lot of work behind the scenes, as you can imagine, working out agreements and working out amendments." [Transcript, Press Conference on Senate Immigration Reform, 5/25/06]

Gannett News: "Low-Ranking Obama Front-And-Center On Immigration." In an article entitled, "Low Ranking Obama Front-And-Center On Immigration, Gannett News Service reported, "When the president sat down with eight senators to strategize about immigration last week, the group represented the Senate's elite on the issue. Among them were the top Democratic and Republican leaders, those from border states, two Hispanics and those with a history of involvement with immigration legislation. And then, there was Sen. Barack Obama, Illinois' junior senator, who ranks 98 out of 100 in seniority in the Senate. He is not on the Senate's Judiciary Committee where immigration legislation originated and the state he represents is closer to the Canadian border than the deserts of Mexico...Alejandro Lugo, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois who studies border issues, says Obama's recognition of a border control problem coupled with a practical solution will play well if people are paying attention." [Gannett News Service, 5/1/06]

Illinois Coalition For Immigrants And Refugee Rights Praised Obama For Leadership In Moving Congress Towards New Immigration Laws. "Fred Tsao, policy director for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, praised U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for their leadership in moving toward new immigration laws on Capitol Hill. But 'we must demand similar leadership from the president and the speaker of the House,' he said. 'We need real comprehensive immigration reform that will allow the undocumented to gain legal status, bring families together, respect hard work and help students realize their dreams.'" [Chicago Sun-Times, 4/24/06]

Kennedy Praised Obama's "Willingness To Play A Visible Role In The Debate Over Immigration." Kennedy "Praised Mr. Obama's willingness to play a visible role in the debate over immigration (implying Mrs. Clinton did not) and opposing the Iraq war from the beginning (ditto)." [New York Times, 2/2/08]

Kennedy: Obama "Is One Of Our Committee People Who Has Been Very Involved With Immigration Issues. He Comes In At 8 O'Clock For Morning Meetings And Stays Late After Senate Sessions To Work With Us On These Issues." Kennedy said, "He is one of four people on our committee who has been very involved in immigration issues. He comes in at 8 o'clock for morning meetings and stays late after the Senate sessions to work with us on these issues and more." [Cape Cod Times, 2/1/08]

CQ Report Named Obama As One Of Four Senators Working On McCain-Kennedy Immigration Bill. "The McCain-Kennedy bill has drawn bipartisan support from a wide group of senators, including Republicans Sam Brownback of Kansas and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, as well as Democrats Barack Obama of Illinois and Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut. Kennedy's role as a dealmaker and partner to McCain even earned grudging respect from Norquist. 'Apart from Jane Fonda, nobody is wrong on everything in this world,' Norquist said. 'Ted Kennedy is an American and shares a lot of American values. He has respect for immigrants. He takes that to a principled standpoint.' Only a handful of other Senate Democrats publicly addressed the immigration issue as the floor debate approached." [CQ Weekly, 3/27/06]

CQ Cited Obama As One Of The "Senators Engaged In The [Immigration] Debate [Who] Are Working To Address [The] Concerns" Of Other Senators. "A number of senators engaged in the debate are working to address those concerns. Barack Obama, an Illinois Democrat, said a guest worker program should be limited to certain sectors that have a genuine need for migrant workers. Other lawmakers, such as Republican Jon Kyl of Arizona, want the number of guest workers to fluctuate with the economy — cutting off the flow when unemployment increases to a certain point. 'What we don't want is a situation where an international temp agency is created,' said Obama." [CQ Weekly, 5/22/06]

Obama And Martinez Held A Press Conference To Announce Their Partnership On Immigration Reform. "U.S. Senators Mel Martinez (R-FL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today said that any immigration reform legislation must include tough border and workplace enforcement measures as well as a realistic guest worker program that acknowledges the role of the 11 million immigrants currently living and working illegally in the U.S. Martinez and Obama pledged to work on a bipartisan basis to ensure these complementary efforts are included in any final legislation...Obama, whose father is from Kenya, said: 'I look forward to working with Senator Martinez on achieving bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform. For too long, inadequate enforcement of our borders along with employers who turn a blind eye while hiring illegal workers on the cheap have encouraged more illegal immigration. We have to control the border, and we also must create a guest-worker program that will discourage employers from hiring illegal immigrants and will give the 11 million undocumented immigrants already living in the United States a reason to come out into the open.' Martinez and Obama today sent a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) outlining their principles and offering suggestions on how they could be most effectively included into the Chairman's Mark. The two are working to build a bipartisan coalition of likeminded members who agree that any successful immigration reform proposal must include both border security and a realistic guest worker program." [Obama/Martinez Press Release, 12/15/05]

Obama Passed Amendments To The Senate's 2006 Immigration Bill That Would Have Established An Employment Verification System And Protected American Workers From Losing Jobs To Guest Workers. In 2006, Obama passed an amendment to the Senate's comprehensive immigration reform bill that ensured that prevailing wage requirements apply to all workers covered by the bill's wage protection provisions. In a speech on the Senate floor, Obama said, "This amendment essentially says that the prevailing wage provisions in the underlying bill should be tightened to ensure that they apply to all workers and not just some workers. The way the underlying bill is currently structured, essentially those workers who fall outside of Davis-Bacon projects or collective bargaining agreements or other provisions are not going to be covered...Everybody in this Chamber has agreed that if we are going to have a guest worker program, it should only be made available where there is a genuine need that has been shown by the employers that American workers are not available for those jobs. Without this amendment, that will not be the case..." Obama was also an original cosponsor of an amendment that would strike the underlying bill's employment verification system and replace it with an electronic verification system that would allow employers to verify the legal status of workers within three days. If a worker's status could not be verified, it would obligate the employer to discharge the worker. It would allow legitimate workers wrongly discharged because of a verification system error to be compensated by the government for lost wages. It would fine employers up to $20,000 for each unauthorized worker hired but the system would not take effect until 18 months after Congress appropriated the $400 million needed to put the program in place. The underlying bill did not pass. [S. Amdt. 4177, Vote 140, Adopted 59-39 (R 17-37; D 41-2; I 1-0); 5/23/06; CQ, 5/23/06; SA 3971 as modified agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote, 5/17/06; Obama Press Release, 5/17/06]

Response to Clinton Attacks on Military ContractorsMarch 17, 2008

“Proving once again that she will say anything to win an election, Hillary Clinton is attacking Barack Obama on an issue where he has led and she did nothing until her campaign fell behind. Senator Clinton did nothing when the use of contractors was expanded in the Clinton Administration, she did nothing when Senator Obama sent a bill on contractor accountability to her committee, and after more than four years of war in Iraq she claimed to not even know contractors were unaccountable even though she sits on the Senate committee that oversees them. For all her talk of Day One, it took five years on the Armed Services Committee before Hillary Clinton decided that she was shocked to learn about contractors that were used by the Clinton Administration, and whose abuses were reported year after year after year during the Iraq War,” said Obama spokesman Dan Pfeiffer.

Clinton Announced That She Was Cosponsoring Legislation To Ban The Use Of Blackwater And Other Private Mercenary Firms In Iraq. Clinton announced that she has cosponsored legislation to ban the use of Blackwater and other private mercenary firms in Iraq. "From this war's very beginning, this administration has permitted thousands of heavily-armed military contractors to march through Iraq without any law or court to rein them in or hold them accountable. These private security contractors have been reckless and have compromised our mission in Iraq. The time to show these contractors the door is long past due. We need to stop filling the coffers of contractors in Iraq, and make sure that armed personnel in Iraq are fully accountable to the U.S. government and follow the chain of command," said Senator Clinton. [Clinton release, 2/28/08]

CLINTON CLAIMED SHE DIDN'T KNOW THAT BLACKWATER WAS GIVEN IMMUNITY FROM PROSECUTION

Clinton Admitted That She Didn't Know About A Provision That Gave Blackwater Immunity From Prosecution In Iraq Because Of An Exemption Passed After The US Invasion. "Clinton was asked about a statement she made... when criticizing the Bush administration's conduct in Iraq. She said she hadn't known that Blackwater USA, the military contractor accused of killing more than a dozen Iraqi civilians last month, had immunity from prosecution in Iraq because of an exemption approved soon after the US invasion. 'Maybe I should have known about it; I did not know about it,' she said... Asked if that suggested she, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was not sufficiently vigilant on the contractors issue, she said she has been raising questions about contractors for several years and opposed the government's use of them." [Boston Globe, 10/11/07]

2004: Clinton Attended An Armed Services Committee Meeting Where Wolfowitz Testified on The Immunity Of Contractors—She Even Commented. On April 20, 2004, Clinton was listed in attendance at an Armed Services Committee meeting in which Paul Wolfowitz spoke of Order No. 17 saying, "Further, we have Coalition Provisional Authority Order No. 17, I believe it is, that goes into more detail about the rights and privileges and immunities that pertain to foreign forces providing for security in Iraq." Clinton responded on the subject of the military's role following Iraqi sovereignty saying, "I think that this is a serious issue, because it's not only the possibility that the definition will take on a life of its own, causing all kinds of unintended consequences, but that in fact the earlier questions that the chairman raised about the rules of engagement for our military and the authority that they have following this period of sovereignty, however one defines it, I think are going to be very sticky. And then you throw into the mix all these private contractors running around, heavily armed, I think it becomes even more of a challenge." [Senate Armed Services Committee Meeting, 4/20/04]

2003: Coalition Provisional Authority Declared Contractors Immune To Iraqi Law. Coalition Provisional Authority Order No. 17 ordered that "Unless provided otherwise herein, the MNF, the CPA, Foreign Liaison Missions, their Personnel, property, funds and assets, and all International Consultants shall be immune from Iraqi legal process." The order also stated Contractors shall not be subject to Iraqi laws or regulations in matters relating to the terms and conditions of their Contract... Contractors shall be immune from Iraqi legal process with respect to acts performed by them pursuant to the terms and conditions of a Contract or any sub-contract thereto." [Coalition Provision Authority Order No. 17, 6/17/03]

WHILE CLINTON DID NOTHING, OBAMA SUBMITTED A BILL ADDRESSING CONTRACTOR OVERSIGHT IN FEBRUARY 2007 TO CLINTON'S COMMITTEE

FEB 2007: Obama Submitted a Bill to Make Contractors Accountable to Law—to Clinton's Committee. In February, Obama submitted "A bill to require accountability and enhanced congressional oversight for personnel performing private security functions under Federal contracts, and for other purposes." The act would clarify the legal status of contractors, subjecting them to the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) to ensure that all contractors working in war zones – regardless of contracting agency -– would be held accountable under U.S. law. Passed in 2000, MEJA says that contractors for the armed forces can be prosecuted under US law for crimes committed overseas. However, because companies like Blackwater have contracts with the State Department rather than the Defense Department, the company is not technically subject to that law. Obama's bill would also require federal agencies employing private security contractors to report to Congress on the details of those arrangements, such as the total number and cost of contractors, the number of contractors killed or wounded, information about the military and safety equipment provided to contractors, and details of disciplinary action taken against contractors. The bill was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services, which Clinton serves on. [S. 674, Introduced 2/16/07]

WHILE OBAMA HAS NO TIES TO THE PRIVATE MILITARY INDUSTRY AND DOES NOT ACCEPT LOBBYIST MONEY, BLACKWATER GOT ITS FIRST FEDERAL CONTRACT UNDER BILL CLINTON AND HAD NOTABLE TIES TO INDIVIDUALS LINKED TO THE HILLARY CLINTON CAMPAIGN

Blackwater USA's First Federal Contract Was In 1998 -- Under The Clinton Administration. At a House committee hearing on private contractor oversight, Blackwater USA counsel Andrew Howell was asked when his company received it's first government contract. Howell replied, "I believe that was 1998. And I think we have contracts for training in the U.S. and contracts for security services overseas, and those are two different animals." Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) inquired, "And that was under the Clinton administration?" Howell responded, "Yes, sir." [House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Hearing Transcript, 2/7/07]

Blackwater's Lawyer Is A Former Clinton White House Counsel. Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) asked Blackwater USA counsel Andrew Howell "And do you have staff or contracts with people who've been employed by Clinton administration? [...] For instance, you're accompanied by counsel today. Do you know what is her name and what was her political experience?" Howell replied, "Yes, sir. Her name is Ms. Beth Nolan and she was, indeed, part of the Clinton administration, from my understanding." Nolan served as Counsel to the President of the United States from 1999-2001 In the White House, she was responsible for overseeing all legal matters for President Clinton and the White House staff. [House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Hearing Transcript, 2/7/07; http://www.crowell.com/Professionals/Beth-Nolan]

Mark Penn's Firm Did Public Relations Work For Blackwater. Burson-Marsteller has been brought aboard to do public relations work for Blackwater USA by the Washington law firms representing Blackwater-- McDermott Will & Emery and Crowell & Moring. One of the executives on the Blackwater account is Robert Tappan, a former State Department official. Tappan is a managing director of BKSH & Associates Worldwide, a Burson-Marsteller subsidiary. Paul Cordasco, a spokesman for Burson-Marsteller, said the company does not discuss its clients, but in a later a statement, Cordasco said BKSH helped Blackwater head Erik Prince prepare for his congressional hearing. "With the hearing over, BKSH's temporary engagement has ended," Cordasco said. [Associated Press, 10/5/07]

THE USE OF PRIVATE MILITARY COMPANIES EXPANDED DURING THE CLINTON ADMINSTRATION

Founder of Blackwater Credited Clinton Administration's Military Downsizing With Growth of Contracting Industry. The Weekly Standard reported that in 1996, Erik Prince left the Navy and founded Blackwater. "It was the end of the Cold War. The Clinton administration and Congress had been eagerly downsizing military facilities and training--much to the consternation of many officers, Prince included. Prince knew there would be a market for the kind of training Blackwater would provide; his initial purchase of 6,000 acres in Moyock does not suggest his vision for the company was modest." [Weekly Standard, 12/18/06]

Clinton Escalated The Use Of Private Military Companies. According to Mother Jones, "The use of private military companies, which gained considerable momentum under President Clinton, has escalated under the Bush administration. [...] Like the Clinton administration, the Bush administration is relying heavily on private military companies to wage the war on drugs in South America. Federal law bans U.S. soldiers from participating in Colombia's war against left-wing rebels and from training army units with ties to right-wing paramilitaries infamous for torture and political killings. There are no such restrictions on for-profit companies, though, and since the late 1990s, the United States has paid private military companies an estimated $1.2 billion, both to eradicate coca crops and to help the Colombian army put down rebels who use the drug trade to finance their insurgency." [Mother Jones, May/June, 1993]

The Clinton Administration's "'Privatize First, Ask Questions Later' Mentality Has Led to The Situation We Face Now In Iraq." In an article in The Nation, William D. Hartung wrote, "The latest wave of military privatization started in the first Bush Administration, when Defense Secretary Cheney asked Halliburton to study what it would cost to have a private company take charge of getting US forces overseas in a hurry. Halliburton was hired to do just that in Somalia, employing 2,500 people. The Clinton Administration picked up where Bush/Cheney left off, hiring Halliburton--then run by Cheney--as the logistics arm for the war in Kosovo. Halliburton's contract started out as a $ 180 million deal but soon mushroomed to more than $ 2.5 billion as the company built Camp Bondsteel and other military facilities on lavish, cost-plus terms. [...] But the urge to privatize soon expanded to include anything and everything, up to and including hiring former Green Berets and Navy SEALs for serious security and training functions. The 'privatize first, ask questions later' mentality has led to the situation we face now in Iraq, where private companies are performing front-line military functions ranging from providing security to the Coalition Provisional Authority (Blackwater) to training the new Iraqi army (Vinnell) to protecting oil pipelines (Erinys) to interrogating prisoners (CACI)." [The Nation, 6/7/04]

Fact: Obama Did Not Attend Services on July 22March 16, 2008

Newsmax claims are inaccurate:

"Presidential candidate Barack Obama preaches on the campaign trail that America needs a new consensus based on faith and bipartisanship, yet he continues to attend a controversial Chicago church whose pastor routinely refers to 'white arrogance' and 'the United States of White America.' In fact, Obama was in attendance at the church when these statements were made on July 22."

FACT: Obama did not attend services on July 22nd.

Obama's Consistent Support for the Idea of Vote By Mail--But Not by Allowing Increased Fraud or Without Ensuring the Voting Rights of the Traditionally DisenfranchisedMarch 13, 2008

The Clinton campaign correctly points out that Senator Obama cosponsored a bill on vote by mail. Obama did cosponsor that bill, which would create a test program to study whether a vote by mail program similar to the one in Oregon could be expanded to other areas. However, they ignored that the test program included a study specifically to test what the impact of vote by mail would be on traditionally disenfranchised groups like minorities and people who move frequently and the likelihood of fraud and voter misconduct.

As the Clinton campaign points out, these are consistent with Obama campaign's recent concerns:

"Obviously there are concerns about a mail-in vote. I mean, there are concerns about eligibility, ballot security," [Axelrod] said during a conference call. [AP, 2/11/08]

Obama...said in an interview with CNN that he had reservations about a vote by mail. "I think there's some concerns in terms of making sure that whatever we do is fair, and that votes are properly counted and the logistics make sense," he said. [AP, 12/12/08]

SEC. 5. STUDY ON IMPLEMENTATION OF MAIL-IN VOTING FOR ELECTIONS.

(a) Study.--

(1) IN GENERAL.--The Comptroller General of the United States (in this section referred to as the ``Comptroller General'') shall conduct a study evaluating the benefits of broader implementation of mail-in voting in elections, taking into consideration the annual reports submitted by the Election Assistance Commission under section 4(g)(1)(C)(i) before November 1, 2009.

(2) SPECIFIC ISSUES STUDIED.--The study conducted under paragraph (1) shall include a comparison of traditional voting methods and mail-in voting with respect to--

(A) the likelihood of voter fraud and misconduct;

(B) the accuracy of voter rolls;

(D) voter participation in urban and rural communities and by minorities, language minorities (as defined in section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973aa-1a)), and individuals with disabilities and by individuals who are homeless or who frequently change their official residences;

(E) public confidence in the election system;

(F) the residual vote rate, including such rate based on voter age, education, income, race, or ethnicity or whether a voter lives in an urban or rural community, is disabled, or is a language minority (as so defined); and

(G) cost savings.

Fact Check on New York Times Story that Minimizes Obama's Senate AccomplishmentsMarch 08, 2008

RHETORIC: “[Obama] was cautious — even on the Iraq war, which he had opposed as a Senate candidate, he voted against the withdrawal of troops. He proposed a drawdown only after he was running for president and polls showed voters favoring it.” [New York Times, 3/9/07]

REALITY: Obama Began Calling For A Phased Withdrawal From Iraq In November 2005

11/22/05: Obama Called for A Phased Withdrawal From Iraq, A Commitment To Having No U.S. Bases In Iraq Within a Decade. "First and foremost, after the December 15 elections and during the course of next year, we need to focus our attention on how reduce the U.S. military footprint in Iraq. Notice that I say 'reduce,' and not 'fully withdraw.' This course of action will help to focus our efforts on a more effective counter-insurgency strategy and take steam out of the insurgency...Second, we need not a time-table, in the sense of a precise date for U.S. troop pull-outs, but a time-frame for such a phased withdrawal. More specifically, we need to be very clear about key issues, such as bases and the level of troops in Iraq. We need to say that there will be no bases in Iraq a decade from now and the United States armed forces cannot stand-up and support an Iraqi government in perpetuity - pushing the Iraqis to take ownership over the situation and placing pressure on various factions to reach the broad based political settlement that is so essential to defeating the insurgency." [Obama Speech, 11/22/05]

12/8/05: Obama Said He Supported A Phased Withdrawal To Avoid Security Vacuum; Said War In Iraq To Blame For Terrorist Problems. Obama favors starting 'a phased withdrawal process' of troops next year. The process would be based on what happens with the elections, he said. 'What we're engaged in is a difficult balancing act here…Having gone in, how do we step back but ensure that there's not such a vacuum that either chaos occurs or jihadists take over critical areas that can make huge problems elsewhere? The irony, of course, is that there really wasn't a terrorist problem before we went in. There is now.'" [State Journal-Register, 12/8/05]

1/8/06: Obama Said It Was Important To Start Phasing Down Troops. The Sun-Times wrote, "Obama said 'if we don't see significant political progress' over the next six months or so, 'we can pour money and troops in here until the cows come home but we are not going to be successful.' It is important, Obama said, 'to start phasing down the troops' and 'to give the Iraqis more ownership.'" [Chicago Sun-Times, 1/8/06]

4/13/06: Obama Said U.S. Should Start Phasing Down U.S. Troop Presence In Iraq By The End Of The Year. At a town hall meeting, Obama said, "'If I continue to see what seems to be the case right now--an inability and unwillingness on the part of the various factions to want to live together--we can't be in a position where we're in the middle of a civil war...If we're not seeing a government that is actually committed to working together, then I don't see how our presence there can be helpful,' Obama said. Even if a new government is formed, Obama said, by the end of the year 'our job as the police and army of Iraq should be complete. We will have done our task and we should start phasing down our troops.'" [Chicago Tribune, 4/13/06]

REALITY: Times Downplayed Significance Of Obama’s Ethics Reform Legislation, Which Was Hailed As The “Most Sweeping” Overhaul Since Watergate

Obama Was A Key Player In Assembling And Passing The 2007 Ethics Reform Law, Which Curbed The Influence Of Lobbyists And Was Described As The "Most Sweeping Since Watergate." In the first week of the 110th Congress, Obama joined with Senator Feingold to introduce a "Gold Standard" ethics package. Many of the Obama/Feingold bill's most important provisions were included in the final ethics reform package passed by the Senate in late January: a full ban on gifts and meals from lobbyists including those paid by the firms that employ lobbyists; an end to subsidized travel on corporate jets; full disclosure of who's sponsoring earmarks and for what purpose; additional restrictions to close the revolving door between public service and lobbying to ensure that public service isn't all about lining up a high-paying lobbying job; and requiring lobbyists to disclose the contributions that they "bundle" - that is, collect or arrange - for members of Congress, candidates, and party committees. The Washington Post wrote in an editorial that "...Mr. Reid, along with Sens. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), deserves credit for assembling and passing this package." In September 2007, the AP reported, "President Bush signed a bill Friday that will require lawmakers to disclose more about their efforts to fund pet projects and raise money from lobbyists, a measure that backers call the biggest ethics reform in decades...Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. who had pushed for the bundling provisions and was one of four lawmakers who participated in a Democratic conference call to reporters said the measure marks "the most sweeping ethics reform since Watergate." [S. 230, 110th Congress; S.1, Became Public Law 109-110-81, 9/14/07; AP, 9/15/07; Washington Post, Editorial, 1/21/07]

NYT: 2007 Ethics Reform Bill "Quickly Sent A Ripple Of Fear Through K Street" And Was "Already Changing The Culture Of Washington" Before It Was Signed Into Law, Beginning With "More Dutch Treats And Fewer Steak Dinners." "The new law has quickly sent a ripple of fear through K Street...Stanley Brand, a longtime Washington defense lawyer who usually represents Democrats, said the law was a sea change. ''It should send shivers down lobbyists' spines,'' Mr. Brand said. ‘It is a minefield now...President Bush has not said whether he would sign the bill, but it is already changing the culture of Capitol Hill in myriad ways, beginning with more Dutch treats and fewer steak dinners...One lobbyist, who would speak only anonymously to avoid attracting the attention of prosecutors or rivals, said he had started sending himself date-stamped e-mail to create a record of every phone conversation he had with a lawmaker. Then he stopped making campaign contributions...For lobbyists -- who live at the nexus of contributions and favors -- it is an alarming trend. ''They might as well just pull up the paddy wagon outside the Capital Grille,'' one lobbyist said, referring to a clubby steakhouse near the Capitol that is a well-known K Street hangout. [New York Times, 8/7/07]

Good Government Groups: Ethics Reform "Shouldn't Be Belittled." The good-government groups that criticized Mrs. Clinton took issue with her comments about the ethics reform bill. While she voted for it, she has suggested that the legislation was not a landmark change and that Mr. Obama was hardly alone in championing it. Fred Wertheimer, president and chief executive of Democracy 21, which promotes campaign finance reform, said the bill contained some of ''the most important and comprehensive ethics and lobbying reforms since the Watergate era.'' Meredith McGehee, policy director of the Campaign Legal Center, said: ''I think it should be seen as the decent, credible and substantial legislation that it was. It shouldn't be belittled.'' [New York Times, 1/15/08]

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid: Obama Stepped Forward, Did a Wonderful Job. Senator Reid said, "And finally, Senator Obama. I chose personally Senator Obama last year to work on ethics and lobbying reform, and he's done a wonderful job. He's stepped forward. He's been a leader with Senator Feingold...And I admire and respect his stalwartness in moving forward on this." [Press Conference Transcript, Federal News Service, 1/18/07]

Washington Post Said Obama Deserved Credit For "Strongest Ethics Legislation...Yet." The Washington Post wrote in an editorial, "The final package is the strongest ethics legislation to emerge from Congress yet...Mr. Reid, along with Sens. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), deserves credit for assembling and passing this package." [Washington Post, Editorial, 1/20/07]

Chicago Tribune: Obama and Feingold Pressured the Senate Into Adopting Tougher Ethics Reforms. "After Democratic and Republican leaders introduced their bipartisan working version of an ethics plan, pressure from Obama and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) inspired them to open the measure up for some tougher restrictions." [Chicago Tribune, 1/19/07]

Madison Capital Times: Obama's Work On Ethics Legislation Strengthens Case For Presidency Candidacy. In an editorial, the Madison Capital Times wrote of Obama and Feingold, "The two senators are sponsoring groundbreaking ethics legislation that they say will improve upon Senate Bill 2349, the lobbying disclosure and ethics measure that the Senate passed in March 2006. 'Our goal,' say Feingold and Obama, 'is to restore the public's faith that Congress places its interest ahead of special interests.' The bottom line is that this is a real reform. No one will be surprised that Feingold's name is associated with this effort. But the fact that Obama is so willing to be a part of it will only strengthen the case for consideration of his potential presidential candidacy." [Madison Capital Times, 1/12/07]

Dayton Daily News: Obama Ethics Amendments Got Reform Bill Improved Instead of Watered Down. The Dayton Daily News wrote in an editorial, "Indeed, the bill goes further than Democrats even promised during the campaign. This was one of those rare occasions when a reform bill is introduced, then, rather than get watered down, gets watered up. This fact has been widely attributed to the work of Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Russ Feingold, D-Wis. They proposed reforms that the other senators - while reportedly not happy about - decided they couldn't oppose in the current political environment." [Dayton Daily News, Editorial, 1/24/07]

RHETORIC: “He worked with Senator Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma and one of the most conservative in the chamber, to establish a public database to examine government spending after Hurricane Katrina.”

REALITY: New York Times Downplayed Significance Of Obama’s “Google For Government” Bill, Which Was A Landmark Effort In Bringing Transparency To Federal Spending And Was Passed Against Strong Opposition

Providence Journal: Coburn And Obama “Deserve Credit For Fighting Doggedly For This Legislation.” “What a great idea: Create a searchable online data base of federal grants and contracts, identifying the members of Congress behind the spending, so that citizens, even on their home computers, can easily determine where, how and why the government is spending their money. A bill to do just that, sponsored by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., with the bipartisan support of such heavy hitters as Republican Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., Democratic Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and John McCain, R-Ariz., has passed the Senate and may soon become law…For a time it looked dicey. In an impressive display of the arrogance of power, two of Congress's most egregious kings of pork - Sens. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska., and Robert Byrd, D-W.Va. - secretly put a hold on the legislation. After citizens groups smoked out this betrayal of the public, Byrd and Stevens backed off…That may be why liberal Democrats have joined with conservatives on the bill. It presents an opportunity to break the deathgrip of incumbency. Coburn and the co-sponsor, Sen. Barak Obama, D-Ill., deserve credit for fighting doggedly for this legislation.” [Providence Journal Editorial, 9/20/06]

The Google For Government Bill Was A “Fine Accomplishment” And “Passed Largely Because Of The Bipartisan Leadership Of Tom Coburn, R-Okla And Barack Obama, D-Ill” “The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act is a fine accomplishment. It will create an earmark database that the public can easily access on the Internet. The bill passed largely because of the bipartisan leadership of senators Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Barack Obama, D-Ill.” [Chattanooga Times Free Press, 10/15/06]

RHETORIC: “While some senators spent hours in closed-door meetings over immigration reform in early 2007, he dropped in only occasionally, prompting complaints that he was something of a dilettante. He joined a bipartisan group, which included Senator John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, and Mr. Kennedy, that agreed to stick to a final compromise bill even though it was sure to face challenges from interest groups on both sides. Yet when the measure reached the floor, Mr. Obama distanced himself from the compromise, advocating changes sought by labor groups. The bill collapsed. To some in the bipartisan coalition, Mr. Obama’s move showed an unwillingness to take a tough stand.”

REALITY: New York Times Falsely Implied That Obama Has Not Been Committed To Immigration Reform, And Neglected To Mention The Key Role He Played In Major Debates

Gannett: “Low-Ranking Obama Front-And-Center On Immigration.” In an article entitled, “Low Ranking Obama Front-And-Center On Immigration, Gannett News Service reported, “When the president sat down with eight senators to strategize about immigration last week, the group represented the Senate's elite on the issue. Among them were the top Democratic and Republican leaders, those from border states, two Hispanics and those with a history of involvement with immigration legislation. And then, there was Sen. Barack Obama, Illinois' junior senator, who ranks 98 out of 100 in seniority in the Senate. He is not on the Senate's Judiciary Committee where immigration legislation originated and the state he represents is closer to the Canadian border than the deserts of Mexico…Alejandro Lugo, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois who studies border issues, says Obama's recognition of a border control problem coupled with a practical solution will play well if people are paying attention.” [Gannett News Service, 5/1/06]

Kennedy And McCain, Authors Of Immigration Reform Bill, Thanked Obama As One Of Small Bipartisan Group Of Senators Who “Stood Together To Make This Legislation Possible.” McCain said, “After several weeks of extensive debate and consideration of numerous and complicated amendments, the Senate is about to move to final passage on S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act…I also commend the Senate Leadership on both sides of the aisle for their efforts to ensure that the Senate addressed this important issue and gave us more than adequate time for a thorough debate. This is a proud moment for the United States Senate, as we have conducted good work and returned to orderly traditions of the legislative process as envisioned by our founding fathers…And of course, I commend Senator Kennedy, who is perhaps the leading expert on this difficult issue…I also want to thank Senators Brownback, Lieberman, Graham, Salazar, Martinez, Obama, and Dewine for their shared commitment to this issue, and working to ensure this bill moved successfully intact through the legislative process.” In a speech on the Senate floor, Kennedy said, “I thank those of our bipartisan group who stood together to make this legislation possible--Senator Graham, Senator Salazar, Senator Martinez, Senator Hagel, Senator Durbin, Senator Lieberman, Senator Brownback, Senator Obama, and Senator DeWine.” [McCain Press Release, 5/25/06; Congressional Record, 5/26/06]

Illinois Coalition For Immigrants And Refugee Rights Praised Obama For Leadership In Moving Congress Towards New Immigration Laws. “Fred Tsao, policy director for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, praised U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for their leadership in moving toward new immigration laws on Capitol Hill. But ‘we must demand similar leadership from the president and the speaker of the House,’ he said. ‘We need real comprehensive immigration reform that will allow the undocumented to gain legal status, bring families together, respect hard work and help students realize their dreams.’” [Chicago Sun-Times, 4/24/06]

Obama Passed Amendments To The Senate’s 2006 Immigration Bill That Would Have Established An Employment Verification System And Protected American Workers From Losing Jobs To Guest Workers. In 2006, Obama passed an amendment to the Senate’s comprehensive immigration reform bill that ensured that prevailing wage requirements apply to all workers covered by the bill’s wage protection provisions. In a speech on the Senate floor, Obama said, “This amendment essentially says that the prevailing wage provisions in the underlying bill should be tightened to ensure that they apply to all workers and not just some workers. The way the underlying bill is currently structured, essentially those workers who fall outside of Davis-Bacon projects or collective bargaining agreements or other provisions are not going to be covered…Everybody in this Chamber has agreed that if we are going to have a guest worker program, it should only be made available where there is a genuine need that has been shown by the employers that American workers are not available for those jobs. Without this amendment, that will not be the case...” Obama was also an original cosponsor of an amendment that would strike the underlying bill's employment verification system and replace it with an electronic verification system that would allow employers to verify the legal status of workers within three days. If a worker's status could not be verified, it would obligate the employer to discharge the worker. It would allow legitimate workers wrongly discharged because of a verification system error to be compensated by the government for lost wages. It would fine employers up to $20,000 for each unauthorized worker hired but the system would not take effect until 18 months after Congress appropriated the $400 million needed to put the program in place. The underlying bill did not pass. [S. Amdt. 4177, Vote 140, Adopted 59-39 (R 17-37; D 41-2; I 1-0); 5/23/06; CQ, 5/23/06; SA 3971 as modified agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote, 5/17/06; Obama Press Release, 5/17/06]

RHETORIC: “And while he rightly takes credit for steering through an ethics overhaul that reformers called a ‘gold standard,’ like most freshmen he did not play a significant role in passing much other legislation and disappointed some Democrats for not becoming a more prominent voice in other important debates.” [New York Times, 3/9/08]

REALITY: Obama Has Passed Several Important Laws In The Senate, Including Legislation To Prevent Terrorists From Obtaining WMDs, Increasing U.S. Investment In Alternative Energy, And Improving Services For Our Troops And VeteransETHICS/TRANSPARENCY

Obama Passed A Bill Creating A "Google-like" Database For The Public To Search Details About Federal Funding Awards. In 2006, Obama was an original cosponsor of a bill to create a "Google-like" database of information on federal spending. The bill requires the OMB by January 1, 2008, to make available to the public a searchable, free website that includes the (1) amount; (2) transaction type; (3) funding agency; (4) North American Industry Classification System code or Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number; (5) program source; (6) an award title descriptive of the purpose of each funding action; (7) the name and location of the recipient and the primary location of performance; and (8) a unique identifier of the recipient and any parent entity. The site must allow users to conduct separate searches that distinguish between awards that are grants, sub-grants, loans, cooperative agreements, and other forms of financial assistance and awards that are contracts, subcontracts, purchase orders, task orders, and delivery orders. [S. 2590, Passed by Unanimous Consent, 9/7/06; Became PL 109-282, 9/26/06] SEE THE DATABASE HERE

Obama Passed Into Law Legislation Requiring Lobbyists To Disclose Their Bundling Activity, Making Him Unpopular Even Among Other Democrats. Obama sponsored an amendment to require lobbyists to disclose the candidates, leadership PACs, or political parties for whom they collect or arrange contributions, and the aggregate amount of the contributions collected or arranged. The amendment was passed by unanimous consent and attached to the Senate ethics bill, which was signed into law on September 15, 2007. The New York Times wrote, "The disclosure idea's lead sponsor, Senator Barack Obama... 'has not been the most popular person in our caucus in the last couple of weeks,' said a Democratic aide involved in deliberations over the bill." [S. Amdt. 41 to S. 1, S. Amdt. 3, Submitted 1/11/07, Agreed to By Unanimous Consent, 1/18/07; S. 1, Signed into Law 9/14/07; New York Times, 1/20/07; CQ, 9/15/07]

FOREIGN POLICY

Obama Passed Law Requiring Comprehensive Nuclear Threat Reduction Strategy To Secure Weapons And Usable Nuclear Material. "Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced that a provision authored by Obama and Senator Hagel (R-NE) in the Senate and advanced by Schiff in the House requiring a comprehensive nuclear threat reduction plan passed as part of the omnibus appropriations bill. This provision 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 from the threats that terrorists have shown they can pose. The Senate passed the omnibus appropriations bill last night and the House approved the same bill today. It will now be sent to the President to be signed into law…The Comprehensive Nuclear Threat Reduction provision requires the President to develop a strategy that will: ensure that all nuclear weapons and weapons-usable material at vulnerable sites around the world are secure by 2012 against the threats that terrorists have shown they can pose; ensure adequate accounting and security for such materials on an ongoing basis thereafter; include a plan for expanding the financial support and other assistance provided by other countries, particularly Russia, the European Union and its member states, China and Japan, for the purposes of securing nuclear weapons and weapons-usable material worldwide; and outline the progress in and impediments to securing an agreement from all countries that possess nuclear weapons or weapons-usable material on a set of global nuclear security standards, consistent with their obligation to comply with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540." [Obama Press Release, 12/20/07]

Obama Passed Legislation To Keep Weapons Of Mass Destruction Out Of The Hands Of Terrorists. In 2006, Obama was an original co-sponsor of legislation to expand U.S. cooperation to destroy conventional weapons. It also expands the State Department's ability to detect and interdict weapons and materials of mass destruction. The legislation was included in an appropriations bill that was later signed into law by the president. [Congress, S. 2566, Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 456, 5/25/06; Provisions included in H.R. 6060/P.L. 109-706]

Obama Passed Law to Promote Relief, Security, and Democracy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2005, Obama sponsored the Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act of 2006. The bill would set forth specified U.S. political, social, civil, and economic policy objectives (policy objectives) with respect to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and obligated a specified minimum amount of foreign assistance funding for FY2006-FY2007. [S.2125, 12/16/05, Become Public Law No: 109-456, 12/22/06]

HEALTH CARE

Obama Passed An Amendment Into Law That Pressured The EPA to Comply With New Lead-Paint Regulations After Seven Years of Delay. In 2005, Obama passed an amendment, which became law, to the FY 2006 Department of Interior Appropriations Act prohibiting the use of funds in the bill to delay or contravene implementation of an existing but unmet statutory requirement passed by Congress in 1992 that the EPA rewrite regulations on dispersal of lead paint by home remodeling contractors by October 1996. As of July 2005, the regulations still had not been written. Weeks after Obama’s amendment passed the Senate, Obama received commitments in writing and during a Senate hearing that the EPA would comply with the law. According to an Obama press release, "In 1992, Congress required the EPA to write regulations relating to the dispersal of lead paint by contractors during home remodeling by October, 1996. As of July 2005, these regulations still have not been written. In April, Administrator Johnson stated that to address the problem of lead paint poisoning, the EPA ‘will determine what additional steps may be necessary, including regulation’ despite the fact that the 1992 law does not say the regulations are optional." [SA 1061 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent, 6/28/05, Obama Press Release, 7/25/05; H.R. 2361, Became Public Law No: 109-54, 8/2/05]

EPA Finally Published Nine-Years-Overdue Proposal For Lead Paint Regulations Four Months After Obama Passed Legislation And Held Up EPA Nominations. Building Products wrote, "The EPA recently published long-overdue proposed regulations that affect contractors working on older houses that contain lead-based paints. The regulations, if adopted, would require that contractors be trained in lead-safe work practices and be certified by the EPA. The rules also would impose protective standards for those working on houses with lead paint. In 1992, Congress directed the EPA to write regulations that would limit lead paint pollution during home remodeling by October 1996. By last summer, with no sign of the new regulations, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-III., introduced more legislation designed to encourage the EPA to publish the rules. When that didn't work, Obama announced in the fall that he would block the appointment of every nominee to top EPA jobs until the agency produced the new rules. The EPA finally announced the proposed regulations Dec. 29, 2005." [Building Products, March-April, 2006]

Obama Passed A Law Requiring The Defense Secretary To Report On The Pentagon's Efforts To Prepare For Military And Civilian Personnel For A Possible Influenza Outbreak. In 2006, Obama sponsored an amendment to the FY 2006 Defense Authorization Act that required the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress on the Pentagon's efforts to prepare for pandemic influenza, including pandemic avian influenza, including status on the procurement of vaccines, public health containment measures that could be implemented on military bases and other facilities; surge capacity for the provision of medical care during pandemics; surveillance efforts domestically and internationally and how such efforts are integrated with other ongoing surveillance systems; the integration of pandemic and response planning with those of other Federal departments; collaboration (as appropriate) with international entities engaged in pandemic preparedness and response. [SA 1453 as modified agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent, 11/18/05; S. 1042/H.R. 1815, Became Public Law No: 109-163]

Obama Passed Legislation Providing $25 Million In Funding For Avian Flu Research And Containment Efforts By U.S. Agencies In South East Asia. "The amendment calls for greater investment in our preparedness efforts by providing more than $3 billion to build a stockpile of antiviral drugs and necessary medical supplies...Obama first introduced legislation in April requiring the United States to stockpile antiviral drugs...In May, Obama worked with a bipartisan group of Senators to appropriate the $25 million called for in the Foreign Assistance Act authorization bill. This money is currently being used by U.S. agencies in South East Asia to combat and contain possible outbreaks of avian flu." [Obama Press Release, 1/12/07]

ENERGY

Obama Passed Legislation Creating A Tax Credit For The Installation Of E-85 Fuel Pumps. In 2005, Obama introduced legislation that provided a tax credit for up to 50% of the cost of installing an E-85 pump. Obama passed the tax credit as an amendment to the 2005 transportation bill. The amendment was not included in the final version of the bill but was signed into law as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The AP reported, "Under the provision, gas stations would get a tax credit to install equipment accommodating E-85 - an ethanol-based fuel alternative that its promoters say is up to 50 cents cheaper per gallon than unleaded gasoline. The credit would cover 30 percent of the installation costs at a given station up to $30,000...Freshman Sen. Barack Obama introduced the tax-credit measure in the Senate in the spring, and it was co-sponsored by Illinois' other Democratic senator, Dick Durbin. Obama also worked for the credit's inclusion in the energy bill as one of the conferees preparing the Senate-House conference committee report..." [AP, 7/27/05; H.R. 6, Became Public Law No: 109-58; S. 918, 109th Congress; SA 670 agreed to, 5/12/05; H.R. 6, Became Public Law No: 109-58; S. 918, Referred to the Committee On Environment and Public Works]

Obama Passed An Amendment Into Law To Fund Research For Hybrid/Flex Fuel Vehicles. In 2005, Obama sponsored an amendment, which was signed into law, to the Energy Policy Act that established an applied research program to improve technologies for the commercialization of a combination hybrid/flexible fuel vehicle; or a plug-in hybrid/flexible fuel vehicle. The program would provide grants with preference to proposals that achieve the greatest reduction in miles per gallon of petroleum fuel consumption, achieve not less than 250 miles per gallon of petroleum fuel consumption and have the greatest potential of commercialization to the general public within 5 years. [SA 851 to HR 6, Passed by Unanimous Consent, 6/23/05; H.R. 6, Became Public Law No: 109-58]

EDUCATION

Obama Passed Legislation Into Law Making Black Colleges Eligible For $15 Million In Federal Funding. In 2007, Obama introduced legislation that would make a predominantly

Kid Games support Obama!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:00:18 EDT

Even kid games support obama go to www.miniclip.com/politics
It's so funny!!!!

Favorite Forum!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:43:24 EDT

ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | Report to Admin Reply By Dr. Sharif Today at 4:22 pm EDT ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!!!!!!!

NATIONAL OBAMA RALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Be a part of this historic event that will be talked about for generations to come!!!

At Every Event Across the Nation We Will Say the
“Pledge of Allegiance” At the Exact Same Time, United…
1 Nation 4 Change
1pm PDT ~ 4pm EDT

WHAT: A Nationwide rally of Obama supporters, united for change, in support of PA

WHEN: APRIL 19, 2008!

WHERE: In all 50 states and beyond!
MAJOR RALLY IN PHILADELPHIA!!!!!

HOW:
1. JOIN THE N4C TRAVELING TEAM!!! Head to PA to support their rally and get out the vote activities! To find The Online N4C Traveling Team Headquarters at ObamaBrigade.com, click here.

WWW.nationforchange.com Re: ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | Report to Admin Reply By Cal Christi Rallies April 12th & 19th 4 Obama 49 minutes ago Here is your chance to do something big locally in your area. Get involved today.
Click Here for more info

Link
Re: ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | Report to Admin Reply By Christine Pigeon 14 minutes ago Buh-bye! Not too much longer and you'll be gone again. Re: ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | Report to Admin Reply By Bob "Hussein" Mutch 25 minutes ago Cool... The Pledge idea has taken root. I feel so powerful, so full of myself. OK, I'm over it now.

I feel like putting my hand over my heart right now!

So, is everyone going along with two rallies? Some other group (actually the one I heard of first, and suggested the pledge to) has been talking about April 12, at Noon EDT.

HQ is of NO help with this. Re: ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | Report to Admin Reply By Cal Christi Rallies April 12th & 19th 4 Obama 2 minutes ago We are going to to do two Saturdays in a row.
It wont take all day. But we need to make a stand.Love it! I dleted a comment because it was mean.

As a Sen. Obama was Great!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 15:37:59 EDT

http://obama.senate.gov/ Here's the link where I got it from.

Obama, Bond Applaud Senate Passage of Amendment to Expedite the Review of Personality Disorder Discharge Cases

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Kit Bond (R-MO) today praised the Senate's passage of their amendment to the FY 2009 Budget Resolution to expedite the military's review of cases in which service members may have been improperly diagnosed with a personality disorder and subsequently discharged. According to reports last year, the Department of Defense (DOD) inappropriately and inconsistently discharged service members who suffered combat-related psychological injuries such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or closed head injuries such as Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs). Over the last six years, Defense Department records indicate that over 22,500 personality disorder discharges have been processed; or on average 10 service members have been discharged per day, every day in that time. Such discharges can result in the loss of some benefits and care for wounded veterans.

Click here to read more >>

P.S. I am sorry the link to read more doesn't work very well...

PBS on Barrack Obama

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 15:20:36 EDT

http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/special/forums/ Here is a link to this.

Senator, Illinois

BARACK OBAMA

DEMOCRAT

The youngest candidate in the 2008 race for the White House, Barack Obama is currently the junior senator from the state of Illinois. Mr. Obama is the fifth African American senator in U.S. history and the only African American currently serving in the U.S. Senate.

After earning an undergraduate degree from Columbia University, Obama began his professional career as a community organizer, working to improve living conditions on Chicago's South side. Obama realized that in order to truly improve the lives of people in that and other communities, it would take not just a change at the local level, but a change in our laws and in our politics. He entered Harvard Law School, where he was the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review.

Viewed by many as America's first viable African American presidential candidate, Sen. Obama raised a record $25 million in first quarter fund-raising, with nearly $7 million coming from 50,000 online donors.

What do you think?

FORUM RESPONSESRace in 21st Century America

Crecilla Cohen Scott from Bowie, Maryland, starts the debate by asking the candidates if race is still the most intractable issue in America.

"First of all, thank you for the question. Tavis, thank you for helping to organize this. All the contributors of the "Covenant," thank you and thank you to Howard and Dr. Swygert and all of you who have made me what I am. This is where Thurgood Marshall and the team from Brown crafted their strategy. If it hadn't been for them, I would not be standing here today.

It was their fundamental recognition that, for us to achieve racial equality was not simply good for African Americans, but it was good for America as a whole, that we could not be what we might be as a nation unless we healed the brutal wounds of slavery and Jim Crow. Now we have enormous progress, but the progress we have made is not good enough. As many have already mentioned, we live in a society that remains separated in terms of life opportunities for African Americans, for Latinos and the rest of the nation.

It is absolutely critical for us to recognize that there are going to be responsibilities on the part of African Americans and other groups to take personal responsibility to rise up out of the problems that we face, but there's also got to be a social responsibility. There has to be a sense of mutual responsibility and there's got to be political will in the White House to make that happen. That's what I'm committed to doing. That's the reason I'm running for president."

Poverty in America

Syndicated columnist DeWayne Wickham asks about the link between education and poverty and the inequities that keep many black families from prospering.

"A number of the things that we've got to do have already been mentioned. Early childhood education, and John's exactly right, starts from birth. Where we can get parenting counselors to go in and work with at-risk parents, it makes an enormous difference. We've got to make sure that teachers are going to the schools that need them the most.

We're going to lose a million teachers over the next decade because the baby boom generation is retiring, so it's absolutely critical for us to give them the incentives and the tools and the training that they need not only to become excellent teachers, but to become excellent teachers where they're most needed. We're going to have to put more money into after-school programs and provide the resources that are necessary. When you've got a bill called No Child Left Behind, you can't leave the money behind for No Child Left Behind and, unfortunately, that's what's been done.

But the most important thing is that we recognize these children as our children. The reason that we have consistently had under-performance among our children is because too many of us think it is acceptable for them not to achieve. We have to have a mindset where we say to ourselves that every single child can learn if they're given the resources and the opportunities and right now that's not happening. We need somebody in the White House who's going to recognize these children as our own."

AIDS Epidemic

Michel Martin of NPR asks how each candidate plans to protect young people from HIV/AIDS.

"I think John's prescriptions are right. I would add the issue of prevention involves education and one of the things that we've got to overcome is a stigma that still exists in our communities. We don't talk about this. We don't talk about in the schools. Sometimes we don't talk about it in the churches. It has been an aspect of sometimes a homophobia, that we don't address this issue as clearly as it needs to be. I also think there's a broader issue here. This is going to be true on all the issues we talk about.

The problems of poverty, like of health care, like of educational opportunity, are all interconnected. To some degree, the African American community is weakened. It has a disease to its immune system. When we are impoverished, when people don't have jobs, they are more likely to be afflicted not just with AIDS, but with substance abuse problems, with guns in the streets.

So it is important for us to look at the whole body here and make absolutely certain that we are providing the kinds of economic development opportunities and jobs that will create healthy communities, that we've got universal health care that ensures the people can get regular treatments. Those are the kinds of strategies that, over the long term, are going to make a difference in our communities."

Economic Disparity

Syndicated columnist Ruben Navarrette, Jr. asks if the candidates think the rich pay their fair share of taxes.

"There's no doubt that the tax system has been skewed and, the Bush tax cuts, people didn't need them and they weren't even asking for them and that's why they need to be lapsed so we can pay for universal health care and other initiatives. But I think this goes to a broader question and that is, are we willing to make the investments in genuine equal opportunity in this country?

People aren't looking for charity and one of the stressing things sometimes when we have a conversation about race in America is that we talk about welfare and we talk about poverty, but what people really want is fairness. They want people paying their fair share of taxes. They want that money allocated fairly.

One of the distressing things about Katrina was the fact not only that the Bush administration did not respond, but the tragedy had happened before the hurricane struck. That is because we had not made systematic investments and the only way we're going to make it is by making sure that those of us who are fortunate enough to have the money actually make a contribution for all the programs that we've been talking about tonight."

Crime & Punishment

DeWayne Wickham asks about the disparities in arrests and incarcerations between African Americans and whites.

"[These disparities suggest] that the criminal justice system is not colorblind. It does not work for all people equally and that is why it's critical to have a president who sends a signal that we are going to have a system of justice that is not just us, but is everybody.

This is something that I've got a track record working on at the state level where a lot of the criminal justice issues come up. That's why I passed racial profiling legislation at the state level. That's why I passed legislation to make sure that we didn't have wrongful convictions, but it requires some political courage because oftentimes you are accused of being soft on crime when you deal with these issues."

Katrina: Right to Return

Michel Martin asks the candidates if they support a federal law that guarantees the right to return to the Gulf regions devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

"Well, let me finish John's thought because it's an important one. Halliburton or Bechtel or these other operations getting the contracts to rebuild, instead of giving the people in New Orleans the opportunity to rebuild and get jobs and training, is a further compounding of the outrage. I think that what's most important, though, that we have a president who is in touch with the needs of New Orleans before the hurricane hits.

Because part of the reason that we had such a tragedy was the assumption that everybody could jump in their SUVs, load up with sparkling water and check into the nearest hotel. We've got to have one person in charge. We've got to have a FEMA director that's reporting to the president, but we have to have a president who understands the reality that people in New Orleans were being neglected prior to the hurricane and there are potential Katrinas all across this country that have been left unattended."

Outsourcing Jobs

Ruben Navarrette, Jr. asks if the candidates find outsourcing of U.S. jobs to be a problem, and if so, what their solution is.

"I now live in Chicago, but I'm not originally from Chicago. I moved there to work with churches who were dealing with the devastation of steel plants that had closed all throughout the region. Tens of thousands of people had been laid off. There was never a federal effort to come in after those closings and to figure out how can we retain workers for the jobs of the future, how can we invest and make sure capital is available to create new businesses in those communities.

So not only do we have to deal with our trade agreements, not only do we have to eliminate tax breaks for companies that are moving overseas, not only do we have to work on our education system, but we also have to have an intentional strategy on the part of the federal government to make sure that we are reinvesting in those communities that are being burdened by globalization and not benefiting from it."

Crisis in Darfur

DeWayne Wickham asks what an unwillingness to move aggressively to stop the genocide in Darfur says about America's claim to moral leadership.

"The no-fly zone is important. Having the protective force is critical. But we have to look at Africa not just after a crisis happens. What are we doing with respect to trade opportunities with Africa? What are we doing in terms of investment in Africa? What are we doing to pay attention to Africa consistently with respect to our foreign policy? That has been what's missing in the White House and our long-term security is going to depend on whether we're giving children in Sudan and Zimbabwe and Kenya the same opportunities so that they have a stake in order as opposed to violence and chaos."

Source
Candidate Bio: Official presidential campaign website; edited by staff
Forum Comments: Transcript

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Obama is right that we must talk to other government leaders. for years US insulted China by mispronouncing the name of their capital. Richard Nixon established relations with China first by recognizing the capital then meeting with them. Andrew Young was fired as our ambassador to the UN under Jimmy Carter because he said you cannot have peace without meeting with both sides. It's always best to have friends close but enemies closer. That is good policy. We look weak when we won't meet. We are strong when we have no fear to negotiate.

jane robinson - punta gorda, fl

Obama is not an anti-war candidate! Despite the fact that he spoke against the war from the start, once he was elected his actions spoke differently. He voted to fund the war repeatedly and he voted against a troop withdrawal only a year ago, in June '06. Let me say that again: OBAMA VOTED AGAINST A TROOP WITHDRAWAL ONLY A YEAR AGO! Look it up! I was in support of him for a long time, hoping he would run and following him in the news. His courage in speaking against the war contrasted sharply with Clinton's carefully chosen language that gave no sign she actually wanted to end this thing. But when I looked up his voting record on a whim I was broken-hearted and started to look through the rest of the democratic (and republican) field for true peace candidates. They ARE out there! But for some insane reason the people who truly support the issues we care most about are receiving little to no press, and what little exists is derogatory. Check out Kucinich, Mike Gravel, and Ron Paul. These people are our real choices.

Caleb Friz - Chicago, Illinois

Thank you... I Openly Thank You Barack Obama For Putting Your Hat And Heart In The 2008 United States Presidential Race At Such A Time As This. I Welcome And Usher You, Michelle And Your Family Into The White House, Simply Because Its Your Time Obama. Also Your Turn To Make A Change In America To Restore All Dignities That Has Been Lost. We The People Of The United States, In Order To Form A More Perfect Union Must Establish Trust And We Can No Longer Stay The Course. We Can No Longer Allow Political Lies To Out Run The Visible Truth. I Believe Your Presidential Administration Will Take All Challenges By Force, To Accommodate All The People All The Time; For Liberty And True Balanced Justice For All. 2 Peter 1:10 Wherefore The Rather, Brethren Give Diligence To Make Your Calling And Election Sure: For If Ye Do These Things Ye Shall Never Fall. God Bless America, H. Michelle Cooper

H Michelle Cooper - Houston, Texas

I believe Obama has the intellect and strategic ideas of a leader, however he doesnt seem to carry his own views as a leader should, I noticed he kept referring to "john", but what about obama!

Veronica Pierce - orlando, florida

i think that Obama is one of the most honest presidential hopefuls that this counrty has seen in decades. I think that he would be an excellent leader that would provide a sound exit strategy for ending the war.

alicia mitchell - hudson ny

i think he might be the best candidate

- spring hope NC

Economic exploitation created and justified the inhumane transportation of Africans in the Americas; and today it justifies and facilitates the presence of illegal immigrants in the US. By focusing on the victims of this economic transactions rather than the employers as violators of human rights, we are subjecting our current society with another plantation mentality and rationalization of illegal trade. The more we change, the more we stay the same...

Jean F Colin - Cooper City, Florida

For more on the topic of immigration visit the Issues section of this website.

I was glad to see that the candidates focused on the issues and did not attack each other. Maybe with that type of attitude something can actually be achieved to help the American people, no matter what color they are, and to end this travesty of a war. The body count keeps going up but no one is talking about the walking wounded that have had their lives altered in ways they never imagined.

Nancy Judd - Palatine, Illinois

I am experiencing "2008" Election Burnout. What are these Presidential Candidates during now in their own states to improve the lives of the American People? Take care of home first!

One Brooks - District of Columbia

Tavis Smiley PBS

Blue Print For Change

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:34:28 EDT

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/

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

Civil Rights

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

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Disabilities

"We must build a world free of unnecessary barriers, stereotypes, and discrimination .... policies must be developed, attitudes must be shaped, and buildings and organizations must be designed to ensure that everyone has a chance to get the education they need and live independently as full citizens in their communities."

CONTINUE READING

Economy

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

CONTINUE READING

Education

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

CONTINUE READING

Energy & Environment

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

CONTINUE READING

Ethics

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

CONTINUE READING

Faith

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

CONTINUE READING

Family

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

CONTINUE READING

Fiscal

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

CONTINUE READING

Foreign Policy

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

CONTINUE READING

Healthcare

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

CONTINUE READING

Homeland Security

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

CONTINUE READING

Immigration

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

CONTINUE READING

Iraq

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

CONTINUE READING

Poverty

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

CONTINUE READING

Rural

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

CONTINUE READING

Service

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

CONTINUE READING

Seniors & Social Security

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

CONTINUE READING

Technology

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

CONTINUE READING

Veterans

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

Let's change these numbers for me and for everyone else if they need help

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:54:08 EDT

Fundraising
Main Personal Fundraising Campaign
Total Amount Raised: $115.00
Goal: $500.00
Raised: $115.00
Donors: 5
Average: $23.00

Let's make History and make Change that will help our country have a better president by having everybody reach their goals!!!

IDEAS!!!! ATTENTION PLEASE LOOK WE COULD START SOMETHING GOOD FOR OBAMA AND FOR US!!!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:48:25 EDT

Everybody let's have the HQ blog create a blog where everybody can add their link to their donation page and then everybody at least donate to 10 people doesn't matter how much but then those people add you to their friends list and maybe if we do this for a year everybody would have everybody on their friends list and we could also have a forum of who has the most friends and stuff like that if someone requests to add you please do not refuse and we could have a week where everyday we donate to someone different.
Just thought I might share my ideas...
Sincerely,
Dog Lover

Obama Rally Live!!!!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 13:12:31 EDT

http://www.cnn.com/video/live/live.html?stream=stream3 Here's the link!

FavoriteForum

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 12:42:34 EDT

LET'S SKIN THE FOX! | Report to Admin Reply By JediMasterMatt Today at 11:09 am EDT ______________________________
E-mail FOX's sponsors and Advertisers!

Tell them you are boycotting them until the pull their ads from the FOX NEWS channel!

Email their sponsors! It will mean a lot more than e-mailing FOX directly!

______________________________ _
Some sponsors have an 'investor's page' e-mail that contact too!
______________________________ _

FOX News Sponsors:

Crest Whitestrips
Delphi
Mercedes Benz
Subaru
GMC Suv's
Best Buy - newscenter@bestbuy.com
Travelocity
Capzasin
New Phase
Orbitz - shannon.burns@orbitz.com (Investor Relations)
Ditech.com
Dawn Dish Soap
Toyota
Centrum - shareowners@bankofny.com
Nextel - investor.relations@sprint.com
Vehix.com
Gold Bond
Aspercreme
webmd.com via email
American Express - (ronald.stovall@aexp.com) (VP)
(alex.w.hopwood@aexp.com) (VP)
(malkah.y.buchweitz@aexp.com)

Holiday Inn Express - investor.relations@ihg.com
M Professional
priceline.com

(Partial List)

BOYCOTT FOX'S SPONSORS!
BOYCOTT FOX'S SPONSORS!
BOYCOTT FOX'S SPONSORS!
BOYCOTT FOX'S SPONSORS!
BOYCOTT FOX'S SPONSORS!
BOYCOTT FOX'S SPONSORS!

Send this list to all of your mail contacts and ask them to do the same!

Get everyone involved! We can stop or at least slow FOX down!

'LET'S SKIN THE FOX!' Re: LET'S SKIN THE FOX! | Report to Admin Reply By Devin from Howell, NJ Today at 11:36 am EDT Hey you might want to add MoveOn.org 's petition of Fox. they have two of them with videos that blast Fox's game out of the water.

Link
--Fox leading other TV's stations down the road to war.

Link
--Fox attacks Obama

Help stop the the Fox virus sign Moveon's petitions.

Obama '08 Re: LET'S SKIN THE FOX! | Report to Admin Reply By Srepen 58 minutes ago HI

I am a doctor, and I just emailed Webmd.com how irresponsible they are by sponsoring FOX news

hope you will all do the same Re: LET'S SKIN THE FOX! | Report to Admin Reply By T. Perry 46 minutes ago I can understand people being angry at FOX. I can understand the moveon.org petition. But--all of this energy devoted to writing to FOX sponsors could really be better spent calling, making donations, registering voters, and doing anything we can for the Obama campaign. FOX is not going to go out of business because we don't patronize their advertizers. They have plenty of right wing Republicans who will. I don't know about anyone else, but it would not bother me so much if FOX was the only network that was spewing garbage about Obama. That is their purpose! FOX was created because the conservatives thought the MSM was too liberal. It probably makes them very happy to see us all upset about them. As I have written here many times, the only thing you could probably do to get back at them is to ignore them completely. If you want to be upset with anyone, it should be CNN and MSNBC. They are supposed to be on OUR side, but they seem to be helping to prolong this primary season just because it's boosting their ratings and they enjoy the sport of it.

Bill R Endorses!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:06:49 EDT

Here's video of Barack accepting the endorsement of Governor Bill Richardson...

Step up and do your part: donate, make some calls, help grow this movement.
Remeber Bill could be our futer VP! YAY! Yes We Can!

Big News!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:18:14 EDT

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23736659#23736659 Go see this link apparently it's really big news!

Favorite Post!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:32:47 EDT

March Moneybomb for Equality TODAY! | Report to Admin Reply By DragonMama 23 seconds ago TODAY, March 20 is the Spring Equinox, a day when light and dark is equal. Aside from the obvious comparison to Barack's own parents, Barack has shown amazing foresight in the darkest of times and is swinging our country toward lightness and hope despite the darkness of our current situation. He does this by declaring the equality of all people, we the people, no matter our skin color, religion, who we love, how much money or education or "experience" we have, we are all equal, e pluribus unum. Therefore, everyone can share this 20/20 vision by donating $20.20 (twenty dollars and twenty cents) TODAY to honor Barack's foresight - past, present, and future.

Can you join me?

Even if you can't do it personally due to tight finances, please spread the word. I would personally be honored if some of the contributions were made through my fundraiser page:
Link
so that I know the message has gotten out, but please feel free to change that to your own fundraising page link as you spread the word! Maybe kinda like a "chain letter" we can do "chain donations" donating to the person who forwarded it to you, then start/add your own fundraising page and replace the link with your own, then pass on to friends!

Favorite Post!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 08:58:52 EDT

New Fundraiser | Report to Admin Reply By annie -This is a race about issues, NOT an issue about race. Yesterday at 7:05 pm EDT We need a new all-out, full force effort to help fight these attacks. Please donate!

Commercials cost a lot of money and we're gonna need to run a lot in PA.

New Fundraiser:
Donate 10.00 for each letter in this acronym:

P - Peace : Bring the Troops Home $10.00 Link

E - Ethics Reforms $ 10.00 Link

N - No more Special Interests $10.00 Link

N - No more Back Room Deals $10.00 Link

S - Security in our $10.00 - Link

Y - YES WE CAN! $10.00 Link

L - Leadership & Judgement $10.00 Link

V - Veterans Affairs Advocate - $10.00 Link

A - Audacity of Hope $10.00 Link

N - Now ; the fierce Urgency of Now $10.00 Link

I - Iowa said it all! $10.00 Link

A - America, The United States $10.00 Link

Thank you!

Isn't that a great idea!!!!

Please Help them

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:42:29 EDT

By Mike Womack Today at 4:24 pm EDT James (Obamacrat) sent me this message:
Just to let you know, my wife Mary "Obamacan" just donated $625.00 to Ilya's fundraiser. My wife is disabled like myself. We noticed what you wrote about Ilya and liked it; a hard working volunteer in PA.
I had already reached my $2300 limit. With this donation to Ilya my wife has now reached the $2300 limit also. Phew!

These are the kinds of responses I get to this list. And the receivers of donations get similar notes. It’s pretty inspiring.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could take #1 off the list? We need 154 people giving $25 to move off Mama For Obama. Also, three Pennsylvania people on the list.

The Top Ten List:
1. Here’s a Mama For Obama. $4491 more, now $4476-$4471-$4461-$4351-$4326- $4276-$4256-$4241-$4191-$4166- $4141-$4116-$4106-$4096-$4071- $4046-$3996-$3971-$3951-$3926- $3876-$3861 (or 154 donations of $25)
Link
2. Here is Lisa From L.A. She needs $880 more…make that $870-$865-$855-$805-$795
Link
3. New To This has raised much of her $5,000 but still is lacking $1475-$1465-$1455-$1420-$1410- $1400
Link
4. Brenda from Richmond is looking for another $450-$440-$435-$415-$390
Link
5. Adam_Philadelphia has been spending ALL his time on the ground in Philly rousing the troops. He needs a boost in his fundraising, if we can do it. $910-$860-$850-$805-$705-$680- $655-$630.
Link
6. Ilya needs $955-$930…WOW $305-$245 more. HE’s a volunteer coordinator working his heart out in Pennsylvania and doesn’t have a lot of time to raise money. Can we help him?
Link
7. IManOBAMAmama has been VERY busy starting groups in PA and making calls. Can we help her make her goal while she’s busy on the ground? $980-$965-$915-890 to go.
Link
8. Jill helped another Obama friend raise over $800. Now she needs help. Can we give her some? $1665-$1655 to go.
Link
9. Denis wrote, “A year ago I would have never imagined I'd be spending a Saturday making calls soliciting support for a political candidate. For that matter blogging, sign waving, or reading every word a health care plan… Can anyone can help out?” Well? $900-$875-$850 to go.
Link
10. Joe Ruwe needs $905-$800 to go.
Link

Help

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:40:21 EDT

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/DogLovermoney
Someone in my family died recently so donate in their name!

Favorite Post!

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:21:48 EDT

I love this post it is great!In 1968, Robert Kennedy was shot after losing the California democratic primary. Between May and June two additional democratic candidates entered the primary race and when the convention was held in Chicago in August there were so many protests by the country's liberal left that party dem's decided to hold the democratic convention n the middle of the night - cloak and dagger style. That night the democratic party delegates (most of whom were superdelegates in today's terms) nominated a candidate who did not even participate in any of the primaries, Humphrey, who went on to lose to Richard Nixon. We know how that one played out. The party suffered greatly and reformed itself by limiting the superdelegate power - a decision that was again modified in favor of superdelegate power (though less so) in the eighties.

If you read the Newsweek article (link below) you will understand that there is no chance that Obama will enter the August convention with fewer elected delegates (called pledged delegates) than Clinton. There is also very little chance that Obama will have fewer overall votes at this point. Clinton's campaign is now running entirely on the idea that they can sway superdelegates to commit to her instead of Obama (and they are not shy about admitting this). We cannot let that happen. Read the article, share what you learn with your friends, and make a phone call to your local superdelegate's office to let them know that you want them to support the will of the American people. If they do not, we will lose in November and the Dem's will once again be out of favor for a few decades. Our moment is now and it is with Barack Obama.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/119010 No Repeat of 1968!By Jack from Redwood City, CA - Mar 14th, 2008 at 6:10 pm EDT

Huffinton Post Obama Faith

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:13:25 EDT

Barack Obama: On My Faith and My Church

The pastor of my church, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who recently preached his last sermon and is in the process of retiring, has touched off a firestorm over the last few days. He's drawn attention as the result of some inflammatory and appalling remarks he made about our country, our politics, and my political opponents.

Let me say at the outset that I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy. I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies. I also believe that words that degrade individuals have no place in our public dialogue, whether it's on the campaign stump or in the pulpit. In sum, I reject outright the statements by Rev. Wright that are at issue.

Because these particular statements by Rev. Wright are so contrary to my own life and beliefs, a number of people have legitimately raised questions about the nature of my relationship with Rev. Wright and my membership in the church. Let me therefore provide some context.

As I have written about in my books, I first joined Trinity United Church of Christ nearly twenty years ago. I knew Rev. Wright as someone who served this nation with honor as a United States Marine, as a respected biblical scholar, and as someone who taught or lectured at seminaries across the country, from Union Theological Seminary to the University of Chicago. He also led a diverse congregation that was and still is a pillar of the South Side and the entire city of Chicago. It's a congregation that does not merely preach social justice but acts it out each day, through ministries ranging from housing the homeless to reaching out to those with HIV/AIDS.

Most importantly, Rev. Wright preached the gospel of Jesus, a gospel on which I base my life. In other words, he has never been my political advisor; he's been my pastor. And the sermons I heard him preach always related to our obligation to love God and one another, to work on behalf of the poor, and to seek justice at every turn.

The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation. When these statements first came to my attention, it was at the beginning of my presidential campaign. I made it clear at the time that I strongly condemned his comments. But because Rev. Wright was on the verge of retirement, and because of my strong links to the Trinity faith community, where I married my wife and where my daughters were baptized, I did not think it appropriate to leave the church.

Let me repeat what I've said earlier. All of the statements that have been the subject of controversy are ones that I vehemently condemn. They in no way reflect my attitudes and directly contradict my profound love for this country.

With Rev. Wright's retirement and the ascension of my new pastor, Rev. Otis Moss, III, Michelle and I look forward to continuing a relationship with a church that has done so much good. And while Rev. Wright's statements have pained and angered me, I believe that Americans will judge me not on the basis of what someone else said, but on the basis of who I am and what I believe in; on my values, judgment and experience to be President of the United States

Answers

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:11:08 EDT

LISTEN UP YOU READERS!!!!

EVERYONE OF YOU!

****************************** *****
****************************** *********
****************************** ****
****************************** ******
****************************** ************

OBAMA DID REPLY TODAY TO THIS:

Link

(MSNBC had the decency to cover this, btw, if other news stations are trying to create spin, they can be the National Enquirer if they want to)

"Q: I don't know if you've seen it, but it's all over the wire today (from an ABC News story), a statement that your pastor (the Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's South Side) made in a sermon in 2003 that instead of singing "God Bless America," black people should sing a song essentially saying "God Damn America."

A: I haven't seen the line. This is a pastor who is on the brink of retirement who in the past has made some controversial statements. I profoundly disagree with some of these statements.

Q: What about this particular statement?

A: Obviously, I disagree with that. Here is what happens when you just cherry-pick statements from a guy who had a 40-year career as a pastor. There are times when people say things that are just wrong. But I think it's important to judge me on what I've said in the past and what I believe."

Furthermore, he is NO LONGER OBAMA'S PASTOR. OTIS MOSS IS. THE END.

As said by Sa Sa.

Website

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:34:53 EDT

http://www.whyobamaworks.com/home.html go here!

Wow

!!Dog Lover "Hussein" Is A Proud Jew!! — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:30:04 EDT

Look how far we are! http://www.barackobama.com/resultscenter/