Barack Obama
Junior Senatorfrom
IllinoisIncumbentAssumed office
January 3 2005Serving with
Richard DurbinPreceded by
Peter FitzgeraldSucceeded by
IncumbentMember of the
Illinois State Senate from the 13th district
In office1997 – 2004
Succeeded by
Kwame RaoulBorn
August 4 1961 (1961-08-04) (age 46)
Honolulu, Hawaii,
USANationality
AmericanPolitical party
DemocraticSpouse
Michelle ObamaResidence
Chicago, IllinoisAlma mater
Columbia University,
Harvard Law SchoolReligionChristian (
United Church of Christ)
Signature
Website
www.barackobama.comBarack Hussein
Obama (
pronounced /bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/
[1]) (born
August 4,
1961) is the
junior United States Senator from
Illinois and a leading candidate for the
Democratic nomination in the
2008 presidential election.
[2][3] He is the fifth
African American Senator in
U.S. history, the third popularly elected African American Senator, and the only African American currently serving in the U.S. Senate.
[4] Born in
Honolulu to a
Kenyan father and an
American mother, Obama grew up in culturally diverse surroundings. He lived most of his early life in
Hawaii and spent four of his pre-teen years in
Jakarta,
Indonesia. A graduate of
Columbia University and
Harvard Law School, Obama worked as a
community organizer, university
lecturer, and
civil rights lawyer before running for
public office. He served in the
Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004, launching his campaign for U.S. Senate in 2003. Obama delivered the keynote address at the
2004 Democratic National Convention while still an Illinois
state legislator. He went on to win election to the U.S. Senate in November 2004 with a
landslide 70% of the vote in an
election year marked by
Republican gains.
[5][6] As a member of the Democratic minority in the
109th Congress, Obama co-sponsored the enactment of
conventional weapons control and
transparency legislation, and made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In the
110th Congress, he has sponsored legislation on
lobbying and
electoral fraud,
climate change,
nuclear terrorism, and care for returned
U.S. military personnel. Since announcing his
presidential campaign in February 2007, Obama has emphasized ending the
Iraq War, increasing
energy independence, and providing
universal health care as major priorities.
[7] He married in 1992 and has two daughters. He has written two bestselling books: a memoir of his youth titled
Dreams from My Father, and
The Audacity of Hope, a personal commentary on U.S. politics.
[8]Contents[
hide]
1 Early life and career2 State legislature3 Keynote address at 2004 Democratic National Convention4 Senate campaign5 Senate career5.1 109th Congress5.2 110th Congress6 Presidential campaign7 Political advocacy8 Personal life and financial dealings9 Books10 Cultural and political image11 Recognition and honors12 Notes13 Cited works14 Further reading15 External links//
Early life and career
See also:
Dreams from My FatherObama was born on
August 4 1961 in
Honolulu,
Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. (born in
Nyanza Province,
Kenya, of
Luo ethnicity) and Ann Dunham (born in
Wichita,
Kansas).
[9] His parents met while both were attending the
University of Hawaii at Manoa, where his father was enrolled as a
foreign student.
[10] Obama's parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced.
[11] His father went to
Harvard University to pursue
Ph.D. studies, then returned to Kenya.
[12] His mother married Lolo Soetoro, an
Indonesian foreign student, and the family moved to
Jakarta in 1967.
[13] Obama attended local schools in Jakarta from ages 6 to 10, where classes were taught in the
Indonesian language,
[14] which he still speaks passably.
[15] He then returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents while attending
Punahou School from the fifth grade until his graduation in 1979.
[16] Obama's mother died of
ovarian cancer a few months after the publication of his 1995
memoir,
Dreams from My Father.
[17] In the memoir, Obama describes his experiences growing up in his mother's
American middle class family. His knowledge about his African father, who returned once for a brief visit in 1971, came mainly through family stories and photographs.
[12] Of his early childhood, Obama writes: "That my father looked nothing like the people around me—that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk—barely registered in my mind."
[18] The book describes his struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his
multiracial heritage.
[19] He wrote that he used
alcohol,
marijuana, and
cocaine during his teenage years to "push questions of who I was out of my mind".
[20] After high school, Obama moved to
Los Angeles, where he studied at
Occidental College for two years.
[21] He then transferred to
Columbia University in
New York City, where he majored in
political science with a specialization in
international relations.
[22] Obama received his
B.A. degree in 1983, then worked at
Business International Corporation and
NYPIRG before moving to
Chicago to take a job as a
community organizer.
[23] As Director of the Developing Communities Project, he worked with low-income residents in Chicago's
Roseland community and the
Altgeld Gardens public housing development.
[24] He entered
Harvard Law School in 1988.
[25] In 1990, The New York Times reported his election as the
Harvard Law Review's "first black president in its 104-year history".
[26] He completed his
J.D. degree
magna cum laude in 1991.
[27] On returning to Chicago, Obama directed a
voter registration drive.
[27] As an associate
attorney with Miner, Barnhill & Galland from 1993 to 1996, he represented community organizers,
discrimination claims, and
voting rights cases.
[28] He was a lecturer of
constitutional law at the
University of Chicago Law School from 1993 until his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004.
[29]State legislature
Obama was elected to the
Illinois State Senate in 1996 from the state's 13th District in the south-side Chicago neighborhood of
Hyde Park.
[30] In 2000, he made an unsuccessful Democratic primary run for the
U.S. House of Representatives seat held by four-term incumbent candidate
Bobby Rush.
[31] He was reelected to the Illinois Senate in 1998 and 2002, officially resigning in November 2004 following his election to the U.S. Senate.
[32][33] As a state legislator, Obama worked with both Democrats and Republicans in drafting successful legislation on
ethics and
health care reform.
[34] He sponsored a law enhancing
tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated
welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for
child care.
[35] Obama also led the passage of legislation mandating videotaping of homicide interrogations, and a law to monitor
racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drivers they stopped.
[35][36] During his 2004 general election campaign for U.S. Senate, Obama won the endorsement of the Illinois
Fraternal Order of Police, whose president credited him with having been "immensely helpful in working with police organizations" on
death penalty reform.
[37] He was criticized by a rival
pro-choice candidate in the Democratic primary and by his Republican
pro-life opponent in the general election for having voted either "present" or "no" on anti-
abortion legislation.
[34][38]Keynote address at 2004 Democratic National Convention
See also:
2004 Democratic National ConventionObama wrote and delivered the keynote address at the
2004 Democratic National Convention in
Boston,
Massachusetts, while still serving as a
state legislator.
[39] After describing his maternal grandfather's experiences as a
World War II veteran and a beneficiary of the
New Deal's FHA and
G.I. Bill programs, Obama said:
No, people don't expect government to solve all their problems. But they sense, deep in their bones, that with just a slight change in priorities, we can make sure that every child in America has a decent shot at life, and that the doors of opportunity remain open to all. They know we can do better. And they want that choice.
Questioning the
Bush administration's management of the
Iraq War, Obama spoke of an enlisted
Marine, Corporal Seamus Ahern from
East Moline,
Illinois, asking, "Are we serving Seamus as well as he is serving us?" He continued:
When we send our young men and women into harm's way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they're going, to care for their families while they're gone, to tend to the soldiers upon their return, and to never, ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect of the world.
Finally, he spoke for national unity:
The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into
Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the Red States. We coach
Little League in the Blue States and yes, we got some gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.
[40]The speech was Obama's introduction to most of America. Its enthusiastic reception at the convention and widespread coverage by national media gave him instant celebrity status.
[41]Senate campaign
Main article:
Illinois United States Senate election, 2004In 2003, Obama began his run for the U.S. Senate
open seat vacated by
Peter Fitzgerald. In early opinion polls leading up to the Democratic
primary, Obama trailed
multimillionaire businessman
Blair Hull and Illinois
Comptroller Dan Hynes.
[42] However, Hull's popularity declined following allegations of
domestic abuse.
[42] Obama's candidacy was boosted by an advertising campaign featuring images of the late Chicago Mayor
Harold Washington and the late U.S. Senator
Paul Simon; the support of Simon's daughter; and political endorsements by the
Chicago Tribune and
Chicago Sun-Times.
[43][44] Obama received over 52% of the vote in the March 2004 primary, emerging 29% ahead of his nearest Democratic rival.
[45] His opponent in the general election was expected to be
Republican primary winner
Jack Ryan. However, Ryan withdrew from the race in June 2004, following public disclosure of
child custody divorce records containing sexual allegations by Ryan's ex-wife, actress
Jeri Ryan.
[46] In August 2004, with less than three months to go before election day,
Alan Keyes accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination to replace Ryan.
[47] A long-time resident of
Maryland, Keyes established legal residency in Illinois with the nomination.
[48] Through three televised debates, Obama and Keyes expressed opposing views on
stem cell research,
abortion,
gun control,
school vouchers, and
tax cuts.
[49] In the November 2004 general election, Obama received 70% of the vote to Keyes's 27%, the largest electoral victory in Illinois history.
[50]Senate career
Obama was sworn in as a Senator on
January 4,
2005.
[51] In a move considered exceptional for a first-term incoming senator, he recruited Pete Rouse, a 30-year veteran of the Washington political scene and former chief of staff to Senate Democratic Leader
Tom Daschle, as his chief of staff.
[52] Karen Kornbluh, an economist who was deputy chief of staff to former Secretary of the Treasury
Robert Rubin, was hired as Obama's policy adviser.
[53] Foreign policy advisers include
Samantha Power, author on human rights and genocide, and former
Clinton administration officials
Anthony Lake and
Susan Rice.
[54] Obama holds assignments on the Senate Committees for
Foreign Relations;
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions;
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and
Veterans' Affairs,
[55] and is a member of the
Congressional Black Caucus.
[56]109th Congress
Obama sponsored 152 bills and resolutions brought before the
109th Congress in 2005 and 2006, and cosponsored another 427.
[57][58] Obama took an active role in the Senate's drive for improved
border security and
immigration reform. Beginning in 2005, Obama co-sponsored the "Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act" introduced by Sen.
John McCain (
R-
AZ).
[59] He later added three amendments to
S. 2611, the "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act," sponsored by Sen.
Arlen Specter (
R-
PA).
[60][61] S. 2611 passed the Senate in May 2006, but failed to gain majority support in the
U.S. House of Representatives.
[62] In September 2006, Obama supported a related bill, the
Secure Fence Act, authorizing construction of fencing and other security improvements along the
United States–Mexico border.
[63] President Bush signed the Secure Fence Act into law in October 2006, calling it "an important step toward immigration reform."
[64]Senate bill sponsors
Tom Coburn (
R-
OK) and Obama discuss the
Coburn-Obama Transparency Act.
[65]Partnering first with Sen.
Richard Lugar (
R-
IN), and then with Sen.
Tom Coburn (
R-
OK), Obama successfully introduced two initiatives bearing his name. "Lugar-Obama" expands the
Nunn-Lugar cooperative threat reduction concept to
conventional weapons, including
shoulder-fired missiles and
anti-personnel mines.
[66][67] The "
Coburn-Obama Transparency Act" provides for a web site, managed by the
Office of Management and Budget, listing all organizations receiving Federal funds from 2007 onward, and providing breakdowns by the agency allocating the funds, the dollar amount given, and the purpose of the grant or contract.
[68][69] In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the "
Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act," marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor.
[70] As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In August 2005, he traveled to
Russia,
Ukraine, and
Azerbaijan. The trip focused on strategies to control the world's supply of
conventional weapons,
biological weapons, and
weapons of mass destruction as a first defense against potential
terrorist attacks.
[71] Following meetings with
U.S. military in
Kuwait and
Iraq in January 2006, Obama visited
Jordan,
Israel, and the
Palestinian territories. At a meeting with
Palestinian students two weeks before
Hamas won the
legislative election, Obama warned that "the U.S. will never recognize winning Hamas candidates unless the group renounces its fundamental mission to eliminate Israel."
[72] He left for his third official trip in August 2006, traveling to
South Africa,
Kenya,
Djibouti,
Ethiopia and
Chad. In a nationally televised speech at the
University of Nairobi, he spoke forcefully on the influence of ethnic rivalries and
corruption in Kenya.
[73] The speech touched off a public debate among rival leaders, some formally challenging Obama's remarks as unfair and improper, others defending his positions.
[74][75]110th Congress
In the first month of the newly Democratic-controlled
110th Congress, Obama worked with
Russ Feingold (
D–
WI) to eliminate gifts of travel on corporate jets by
lobbyists to members of Congress and require disclosure of
bundled campaign contributions under the "
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act", which was signed into law in September 2007.
[76] He joined
Charles Schumer (
D-
NY) in sponsoring
S. 453, a bill to criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections, including fraudulent flyers and automated phone calls, as witnessed in the
2006 midterm elections.
[77] Obama's
energy initiatives scored pluses and minuses with
environmentalists, who welcomed his sponsorship with
John McCain (
R-
AZ) of a
climate change bill to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by two-thirds by 2050, but were skeptical of his support for a bill promoting
liquefied coal production.
[78] Obama also introduced the "
Iraq War De-Escalation Act", a bill to cap troop levels in Iraq, begin phased redeployment, and remove all combat brigades from Iraq before April 2008.
[79] Later in 2007, Obama sponsored with
Kit Bond (
R-
MO) an amendment to the 2008
Defense Authorization Act adding safeguards for personality disorder
military discharges, and calling for a review by the
Government Accounting Office following reports that the procedure had been used inappropriately to reduce government costs.
[80] He sponsored the "Iran Sanctions Enabling Act" supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry,
[81] and joined
Chuck Hagel (
R-
NE) in introducing legislation to reduce risks of
nuclear terrorism. A provision from the Obama-Hagel bill was passed by Congress in December 2007 as an amendment to the State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill.
[82] Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the
State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to provide one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries.
[83] After passing both houses of Congress with bipartisan majorities, SCHIP was
vetoed by President Bush in early October 2007, a move Obama said "shows a callousness of priorities that is offensive to the ideals we hold as Americans."
[84]Presidential campaign
This article or section contains information about one or more candidates in an upcoming or ongoing
election.Content may change as the election approaches.
Main article:
Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008Obama on stage with his wife and two daughters just before announcing his presidential campaign on
February 10,
2007.
[85]In February 2007, standing before the
Old State Capitol building in
Springfield,
Illinois, Obama announced his candidacy for the
2008 U.S. presidential election.
[2] Describing his working life in Illinois, and symbolically linking his presidential campaign to
Abraham Lincoln's 1858
House Divided speech, Obama said: "That is why, in the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a house divided to stand together, where common hopes and common dreams still live, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for President of the United States of America."
[86] Speaking at a
Democratic National Committee meeting one week before the February announcement, Obama called for putting an end to
negative campaigning. "This can't be about who digs up more skeletons on who, who makes the fewest slip-ups on the campaign trail," he said. "We owe it to the American people to do more than that."
[87] Obama's campaign raised
US$58 million during the first half of 2007, topping all other candidates and exceeding previous records for the first six months of any year before an election year.
[88] Small donors, those contributing in increments of less than $200, accounted for $16.4 million of Obama's record-breaking total, more than for any other Democratic candidate.
[89] His campaign reported adding 108,000 new donors through third quarter fundraising, for a total of 365,000 individual contributors in the first nine months.
[90] Amid concerns for his safety as the first black candidate seen as having a viable chance of being elected president, the U.S. government assigned
Secret Service protection to Obama 18 months before the general election.
[91] In October 2007, with two months remaining before the
Iowa Democratic caucuses and
New Hampshire primary and national
opinion polls showing him trailing
Hillary Clinton, Obama began directly charging his top rival with failing to clearly state her political positions.
[92] Campaigning in Iowa, he told the Washington Post that as the Democratic nominee he would draw more support than Clinton from
independent and Republican voters in the general election.
[93] At Iowa's
Jefferson-Jackson fundraising dinner in November 2007, Obama expanded the theme, saying that his presidency would "bring the country together in a new majority" to seek solutions to long-standing problems.
[94] Attended by 3,000 supporters, including representatives from each of Iowa's 99 counties, the event was described by an Obama campaign press secretary as a "pretty good
dry run" in preparation for the 2008 primary season's first electoral contest.
[95] Obama won the
January 3,
2008 Iowa Democratic caucuses with 38% support, ahead of 30% for
John Edwards and 29% for
Hillary Clinton.
[96]Political advocacy
See also:
Political positions of Barack ObamaObama speaking at a rally in
Conway, South Carolina on
August 23 2007.
[97]On the role of government in economic affairs, Obama has written: "We should be asking ourselves what mix of policies will lead to a dynamic
free market and widespread economic security, entrepreneurial innovation and
upward mobility [...] we should be guided by what works."
[98] Speaking before the
National Press Club in April 2005, he defended the
New Deal social welfare policies of
Franklin D. Roosevelt, associating Republican proposals to establish private accounts for
Social Security with
social Darwinism.
[99] In the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina, Obama spoke out against government indifference to growing economic class divisions, calling on both political parties to take action to restore the
social safety net for the poor.
[100] Shortly before announcing his presidential campaign, Obama told the health care advocacy group
Families USA: "I am absolutely determined that by the end of the first term of the next president, we should have universal health care in this country."
[101] Meeting with
Google employees in November 2007, Obama pledged to appoint a
Chief Technology Officer to oversee the U.S. government's management of
IT resources and promote wider access to government information and decision making.
[102] Reaffirming his commitment to
net neutrality legislation, Obama said "once providers start to privilege some applications or web sites over others, then the smaller voices get squeezed out, and we all lose."
[103] Campaigning in New Hampshire, he announced an $18 billion plan for investments in early childhood education, math and science education, and expanded summer learning opportunities.
[104] Obama's campaign distinguished his proposals to reward teachers for performance from traditional
merit pay systems, assuring unions that changes would be pursued through the
collective bargaining process.
[105] At the
Tax Policy Center in September 2007, he blamed
special interests for distorting the
U.S. tax code. "We are taxing income from work at nearly twice the level that we're taxing gains for investors," Obama said. "We've lost the balance between work and wealth."
[106] His plan would eliminate taxes for senior citizens with incomes of less than $50,000 a year, repeal tax cuts for the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans, close corporate tax loopholes and restrict offshore
tax havens, and simplify filing of income tax returns by pre-filling wage and bank information already collected by the
IRS.
[107] Announcing his presidential campaign's energy plan in October 2007, Obama said: "Businesses don’t own the sky, the public does, and if we want them to stop polluting it, we have to put a price on all pollution." He proposed a
cap and trade auction system to restrict carbon emissions and a 10 year program of investments in new energy sources to reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil.
[108] Obama was an early opponent of Bush administration policies on Iraq. In the fall of 2002, before the start of the
Iraq War, he addressed an anti-war rally in Chicago, saying:
I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of
al-Qaeda. I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars.
[109]Speaking to the
Chicago Council on Global Affairs in November 2006, Obama called for a "phased redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq" and an opening of diplomatic dialogue with
Syria and
Iran.
[110] In a March 2007 speech to
AIPAC, a pro-Israel
lobby, he said that while the U.S. "should take no option, including military action, off the table, sustained and aggressive diplomacy combined with tough sanctions should be our primary means to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons."
[111] Detailing his strategy for fighting
global terrorism in August 2007, Obama said "it was a terrible mistake to fail to act" against a 2005 meeting of al-Qaeda leaders that U.S. intelligence had confirmed to be taking place in Pakistan's
Federally Administered Tribal Areas. He said that as president he would not miss a similar opportunity.
[112]Obama addressed the
Save Darfur rally at the
National Mall in
Washington, D.C. on
April 30 2006.
[113]In a December 2005 Washington Post opinion column, and at the
Save Darfur rally in April 2006, Obama called for more assertive action to oppose
genocide in the
Darfur region of
Sudan.
[114] He has
divested $180,000 in personal holdings of Sudan-related stock, and has urged divestment from companies doing business in Iran.
[115] In the July-August 2007 issue of
Foreign Affairs, Obama called for an outward looking post-Iraq War foreign policy and the renewal of American military, diplomatic, and moral leadership in the world. Saying "we can neither retreat from the world nor try to bully it into submission," he called on Americans to "lead the world, by deed and by example."
[116] Obama has encouraged Democrats to reach out to
evangelicals and other religious people, saying, "if we truly hope to speak to people where they’re at—to communicate our hopes and values in a way that’s relevant to their own—we cannot abandon the field of religious discourse."
[117] In December 2006, he joined Sen.
Sam Brownback (
R-
KS) at the "Global Summit on
AIDS and the Church" organized by church leaders Kay and
Rick Warren.
[118] Together with Warren and Brownback, Obama took an HIV test, as he had done in Kenya less than four months earlier.
[119] He encouraged "others in public life to do the same" to show "there is no shame in going for an HIV test."
[120] Before the conference, 18
pro-life groups published an
open letter stating, in reference to Obama's support for
legal abortion: "In the strongest possible terms, we oppose Rick Warren's decision to ignore Senator Obama's clear
pro-death stance and invite him to
Saddleback Church anyway."
[121] Addressing over 8,000
United Church of Christ members in June 2007, Obama challenged "so-called leaders of the Christian Right" for being "all too eager to exploit what divides us."
[122]Personal life and financial dealings
Obama met his future wife
Michelle Robinson in 1988 when he was employed as a summer associate at the Chicago law firm of
Sidley & Austin.
[123] Assigned for three months as Obama's advisor at the firm, Robinson joined him at group social functions, but declined his initial offers to
date.
[124] They began dating later that summer, became engaged in 1991, and were married in October 1992.
[125] The couple's first daughter, Malia Ann, was born in 1999, followed by a second daughter, Natasha ("Sasha"), in 2001.
[126] Applying the proceeds of a $2 million book deal, the family paid off debts in 2005 and moved from a
Hyde Park, Chicago condominium to their current $1.6-million house in neighboring
Kenwood.
[127] The house purchase and subsequent acquisition of an adjoining strip of land drew media scrutiny in November 2006 because Senator Obama partly relied on the undisclosed financial assistance of Syrian born businessman
Antoin Rezko, who faces federal fraud charges. The controversy attracted public attention to Obama's relationship with Rezko, a property developer and restaurant operator, who had offered Obama a job after college, donated and raised substantial campaign funds for him and recommended staff. Obama expressed regret and passed on some of Rezko's campaign contributions to charity after he was indicted.
[128] Obama told the Chicago Sun-Times: "With respect to the purchase of my home, I am confident that everything was handled ethically and above board. But I regret that while I tried to pay close attention to the specific requirements of ethical conduct, I misgauged the appearance presented by my purchase of the additional land from Mr. Rezko. It was simply not good enough that I paid above the appraised value for the strip of land that he sold me. It was a mistake to have been engaged with him at all in this or any other personal business dealing that would allow him, or anyone else, to believe that he had done me a favor."
[129] Obama plays
basketball, a sport he participated in as a member of his high school's varsity team.
[130][131] Before announcing his presidential candidacy, he began a well-publicized effort to
quit smoking. "I've never been a heavy smoker," Obama told the Chicago Tribune. "I've quit periodically over the last several years. I've got an ironclad demand from my wife that in the stresses of the campaign I don't succumb. I've been chewing
Nicorette strenuously."
[132] Replying to an Associated Press survey of 2008 presidential candidates' personal tastes, he specified "
architect" as his alternate career choice and "
chili" as his favorite meal to cook.
[133] Asked to name a "hidden talent," Obama answered: "I'm a pretty good
poker player."
[134] A theme of Obama's keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and the title of his 2006 book, The Audacity of Hope, was inspired by his pastor, Rev.
Jeremiah Wright.
[135] In Chapter 6 of the book, titled "Faith," Obama writes that he "was not raised in a religious household." He describes his mother, raised by non-religious parents, as detached from religion, yet "in many ways the most spiritually awakened person that I have ever known." He describes his Kenyan father as "raised a
Muslim," but a "confirmed atheist" by the time his parents met, and his Indonesian stepfather as "a man who saw religion as not particularly useful." The chapter details how Obama, in his twenties, while working with local churches as a
community organizer, came to understand "the power of the African American religious tradition to spur social change." Obama writes: "It was because of these newfound understandings—that religious commitment did not require me to suspend critical thinking, disengage from the battle for economic and social justice, or otherwise retreat from the world that I knew and loved—that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of
Trinity United Church of Christ one day and be baptized."
[136]Books
The Audacity of HopeObama has written two bestselling books. The first,
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, was published after his graduation from law school and before running for public office. In it he recalls his childhood in
Honolulu and
Jakarta, college years in
Los Angeles and
New York City, and his employment as a community organizer in
Chicago in the 1980s. The book's last chapters describe his first visit to Kenya, a journey to connect with his
Luo family and heritage. In his preface to the 2004 revised edition, Obama explains that he had hoped the story of his family "might speak in some way to the fissures of race that have characterized the American experience, as well as the fluid state of identity—the leaps through time, the collision of cultures—that mark our modern life."
[137] Time magazine's
Joe Klein wrote that the book "may be the best-written memoir ever produced by an American politician."
[138] The
audio book edition earned Obama the 2006
Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album.
[139] His second book,
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, was published in October 2006, three weeks before the 2006 midterm election. It was an immediate bestseller and rose to the top of the
New York Times Best Seller List by early November 2006.
[140] The Chicago Tribune credits the large crowds that gathered at book signings with influencing Obama's decision to run for president.
[141] Former presidential candidate
Gary Hart describes the book as Obama's "thesis submission" for the U.S. presidency: "It presents a man of relative youth yet maturity, a wise observer of the human condition, a figure who possesses perseverance and writing skills that have flashes of grandeur."
[142] Reviewer
Michael Tomasky writes that it does not contain "boldly innovative policy prescriptions that will lead the Democrats out of their wilderness," but does show Obama's potential to "construct a new politics that is progressive but grounded in civic traditions that speak to a wider range of Americans."
[143] An Italian translation was published in April 2007 with a preface by
Walter Veltroni, Mayor of
Rome.
[144] Spanish and German editions were published in June 2007.
[145]Cultural and political image
Obama supporters at a campaign rally in
Austin,
Texas, on
February 23 2007.
[146]Supporters and critics have likened Obama's popular image to a cultural
Rorschach test, a neutral persona on which people can project their personal histories and aspirations.
[147][148] Obama's own stories about his family origins reinforce what a May 2004
New Yorker magazine article described as his "
everyman" image.
[149] In Dreams from My Father, he ties his maternal family history to possible
Native American ancestors and distant relatives of
Jefferson Davis, president of the southern
Confederacy during the
American Civil War.
[150] Speaking to an elderly
Jewish audience during his 2004 campaign for U.S. Senate, Obama linked the linguistic
root of his
East African first name Barack to the
Hebrew word
baruch, meaning "blessed."
[151] In an October 2006 interview on
The Oprah Winfrey Show, Obama highlighted the diversity of his extended family: "Michelle will tell you that when we get together for Christmas or Thanksgiving, it's like a little mini-
United Nations," he said. "I've got relatives who look like
Bernie Mac, and I've got relatives who look like
Margaret Thatcher. We've got it all."
[152] With his Kenyan father and white American mother, his upbringing in Honolulu and Jakarta, and
Ivy League education, Obama's early life experiences differ markedly from those of African American politicians who launched their careers in the 1960s through participation in the
civil rights movement.
[153] During his Democratic primary campaign for U.S. Congress in 2000, two rival candidates charged that Obama was not sufficiently rooted in Chicago's black neighborhoods to represent constituents' concerns.
[154] In January 2007, "The End of Blackness" author
Debra Dickerson warned against drawing favorable cultural implications from Obama's political rise. "Lumping us all together," Dickerson wrote in
Salon, "erases the significance of
slavery and continuing
racism while giving the appearance of progress."
[155] Film critic
David Ehrenstein, writing in a March 2007
Los Angeles Times article, compared the cultural sources of Obama's favorable polling among whites to those of "
magical negro" roles played by black actors in
Hollywood movies.
[156] Expressing puzzlement over questions about whether he is "black enough," Obama told an August 2007 meeting of the
National Association of Black Journalists that the debate is not about his physical appearance or his record on issues of concern to black voters. "What it really lays bare," Obama offered, is that "we're still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong."
[157] Writing about Obama's political image in a March 2007
Washington Post opinion column,
Eugene Robinson characterized him as "the personification of both-and," a messenger who rejects "either-or" political choices, and could "move the nation beyond the
culture wars" of the 1960s.
[158] Obama, who defines himself in The Audacity of Hope as "a Democrat, after all," has been criticized by
progressive commentator
David Sirota for demonstrating too much "Senate clubbiness", and was encouraged to run for the U.S. presidency by
conservative columnist
George Will.
[159] But in a December 2006
Wall Street Journal editorial headlined "The Man from Nowhere," former
Ronald Reagan speech writer
Peggy Noonan advised Will and other "
establishment" commentators to avoid becoming too quickly excited about Obama's still early political career.
[160] Echoing the
inaugural address of John F. Kennedy, Obama acknowledged his youthful image, saying in an October 2007 campaign speech, "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation."
[161]Recognition and honors
An October 2005 article in the British journal
New Statesman listed Obama as one of "10 people who could change the world."
[162] In 2005 and again in 2007,
Time magazine named him one of "
the world's most influential people."
[163] During his first three years in the U.S. Senate, Obama received
Honorary Doctorates of Law from
Knox College (2005),
[164] University of Massachusetts Boston (2006),
[165] Northwestern University (2006),
[166] Xavier University of Louisiana (2006),
[167] Southern New Hampshire University (2007),
[168] and
Howard University (2007).
[169]Notes
^ "
How to Pronounce Barack Hussein Obama", Inoglo. Retrieved on 2007-12-26. For more about Obama's middle name and its use by political opponents and the media, see: Wallis, David. "
Malice in the Middle: Barack Hussein Obama and the History of Bad Middle Names in Politics", Slate,
December 27 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
^
a b "
Obama Launches Presidential Bid", BBC News,
February 10 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
Video at Brightcove.com.
^ Saine, Cindy. "
Economy, Health Care Are Top Domestic Issues for US Voters", Voice of America News,
December 21 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26. For national polling data, see: "
White House 2008: Democratic Nomination", Polling Report. Retrieved on 2007-12-26. "
2008 National Democratic Presidential Primary", Pollster.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
^ "
Breaking New Ground: African American Senators", U.S. Senate Historical Office. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
^ Archibold, Randal C. "
The Illinois Candidate; Day After, Keynote Speaker Finds Admirers Everywhere", New York Times,
July 29 2004. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
^ "
America Votes 2004: U.S. Senate / Illinois", CNN. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
^ "
Barack Obama on the Issues: What Would Be Your Top Three Overall Priorities If Elected?", Washington Post. Retrieved on 2007-12-26. See also: Falcone, Michael. "
Obama's 'One Thing'", New York Times,
December 21 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
^ Memmott, Carol. "
Obama's Books Drive Talk of '08 Presidential Run", USA Today,
January 30 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
^ "
Meet Barack", BarackObama.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. See also: Obama (1995), Chapter 1. Throughout his early years, Obama was commonly known at home and school as "Barry Obama." Scharnberg, Kirsten; Kim Barker. "
The Not-So-Simple Story of Barack Obama's Youth", Chicago Tribune,
March 25 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
^ Obama (1995), pp. 9–10. For book excerpts, see "
Barack Obama: Creation of Tales", East African,
November 1 2004. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^ Obama (1995), pp. 125–126. See also: Jones, Tim. "
Obama's Mom: Not Just a Girl from Kansas", Chicago Tribune,
March 27 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^
a b Obama's father died in an auto accident in 1982. Merida, Kevin. "
The Ghost of a Father", Washington Post,
December 14 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. See also: Ochieng, Philip. "
From Home Squared to the US Senate: How Barack Obama Was Lost and Found", East African. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. Obama (1995), pp. 5–11 and 62–71. In August 2006, Obama flew his wife and two daughters from Chicago to join him in a visit to his father's birthplace, a village near
Kisumu in rural western Kenya. Gnecchi, Nico. "
Obama Receives Hero's Welcome at His Family's Ancestral Village in Kenya", Voice of America,
August 27 2006. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. See also: Cose, Ellis. "
Walking the World Stage", Newsweek,
September 11 2006. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. Wrong, Michela. "
Africa: Kenya Glimpses a New Kind of Hero", New Statesman,
September 11 2006. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^ Obama's stepfather and Ann Dunham divorced in the late 1970s, and he died of a liver ailment in 1987. Fornek, Scott. "
Lolo Soetoro", Chicago Sun-Times,
September 9 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. They had one daughter together, Maya Soetoro, Obama's half-sister. On his father's side, Obama has two half-sisters and five surviving half-brothers. Sheridan, Michael; Sarah Baxter. "
Secrets of Obama Family Unlocked", Sunday Times (UK),
January 28 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. See also: Obama (1995), Chapter 2 and Chapters 15–19 (Part 3: Kenya).
^ Scharnberg, Kirsten; Kim Barker. "
The Not-So-Simple Story of Barack Obama's Youth", Chicago Tribune,
March 25 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. See also: Barker, Kim. "
Obama Madrassa Myth Debunked", Chicago Tribune,
March 25 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. Anderton, Trish. "
Obama's Jakarta Trail", Jakarta Post, June 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. For Obama's own commentary, see Obama (1995), p. 154, and Obama (2006), p. 274.
^ Newton-Small, Jay. "
Obama's Foreign-Policy Problem", TIME, 2007-12-18. Retrieved on 2008-01-03.
^ Obama writes: "For my grandparents, my admission into Punahou Academy heralded the start of something grand, an elevation in the family status that they took great pains to let everyone know." Obama (1995), Chapters 3 and 4. See also: Reyes, B. J. "
Punahou Left Lasting Impression on Obama", Honolulu Star-Bulletin,
February 8 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^ Obama (1995), Preface to the 2004 Edition, p. xi. See also: Suryakusuma, Julia. "
Obama for President… of Indonesia", Jakarta Post,
November 29 2006. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^ Obama (1995), pp. 9–10.
^ Obama (1995), Chapters 4 and 5. See also: Serrano, Richard A. "
Obama's Peers Didn't See His Angst" (paid archive), Los Angeles Times,
March 11 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^ "
Obama Gets Blunt with N.H. Students", Associated Press, Boston Globe,
November 21 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. In Dreams from My Father, Obama writes: "Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it." Obama (1995), pp. 93–94. For analysis of the political impact of the quote and Obama's more recent admission that he smoked marijuana as a teenager ("When I was a kid, I inhaled."), see: Romano, Lois. "
Effect of Obama's Candor Remains to Be Seen", Washington Post,
January 3 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. Seelye, Katharine Q. "
Obama Offers More Variations From the Norm", New York Times,
October 24 2006. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^ "
Oxy Remembers "Barry" Obama '83", Occidental College,
January 29 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. See also: Gordon, Larry. "
Occidental Recalls 'Barry' Obama" (paid archive), Los Angeles Times,
January 29 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^ Boss-Bicak, Shira. "
Barack Obama ’83: Is He the New Face of The Democratic Party?", Columbia College Today, January 2005. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^ Scott, Janny. "
Obama's Account of New York Years Often Differs from What Others Say", New York Times,
October 30 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. See also: Obama (1995), pp. 135–139.
^ Secter, Bob; John McCormick. "
Portrait of a Pragmatist", Chicago Tribune,
March 30 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. See also: Lizza, Ryan. "
The Agitator: Barack Obama's Unlikely Political Education" (alternate link), New Republic,
March 19 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^ Levenson, Michael; Jonathan Saltzman. "
At Harvard Law, a Unifying Voice", Boston Globe,
January 28 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. See also: Heilemann, John. "
When They Were Young", New York Magazine,
October 22 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^ Butterfield, Fox. "
First Black Elected to Head Harvard's Law Review", New York Times,
February 6 1990. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. See also: Kantor, Jodi. "
In Law School, Obama Found Political Voice", New York Times,
January 28 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^
a b "
Curriculum Vitae", University of Chicago Law School. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^ "
Law Graduate Obama Got His Start in Civil Rights Practice", Associated Press, International Herald Tribune,
February 19 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^ Pallasch, Abdon M. "
Professor Obama was a Listener, Students Say", Chicago Sun-Times,
February 12 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^ Jackson, David; Ray Long. "
Obama Knows His Way Around a Ballot", Chicago Tribune,
April 3 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Scott, Janny. "
A Streetwise Veteran Schooled Young Obama", New York Times,
September 9 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
13th District: Barack Obama", Illinois State Senate Democrats,
August 24 2000. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. Archived from
the original on 2000-08-24. "
13th District: Barack Obama", Illinois State Senate Democrats,
October 9 2004. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. Archived from
the original on 2004-10-09.
^ Cohen, Jodi S. "
Obama's Springfield Seat Goes to Lawyer", Chicago Tribune,
November 7 2004. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^
a b Slevin, Peter. "
Obama Forged Political Mettle in Illinois Capitol", Washington Post,
February 9,
2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. See also: "
Obama Record May Be Gold Mine for Critics", Associated Press, CBS News,
January 17 2007. Retrieved on 2007-08-16. "
In-Depth Look at Obama's Political Career", CLTV, Chicago Tribune,
February 9,
2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. (video)
^
a b Scott, Janny. "
In Illinois, Obama Proved Pragmatic and Shrewd", New York Times,
July 30 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ See also: Pearson, Rick; Ray Long. "
Careful Steps, Looking Ahead", Chicago Tribune,
May 3 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Youngman, Sam; and Aaron Blake. "
Obama’s Crime Votes Are Fodder for Rivals", The Hill,
March 14 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. See also: "
US Presidential Candidate Obama Cites Work on State Death Penalty Reforms", Associated Press, International Herald Tribune,
November 12 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-18.
^ Chase, John. "
A Big Split Over Abortion, Stem Cells", Chicago Tribune,
October 4 2004. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. See also: Youngman, Sam. "
Abortion Foes Target Obama Because of His Vote Record on Illinois Legislation", The Hill,
February 15 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ For details about the speech's genesis and delivery, see: Boss-Bicak, Shira. "
Barack Obama ’83: Is He the New Face of The Democratic Party?", Columbia College Today, January 2005. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. See also: Bernstein, David. "
The Speech", Chicago Magazine, June 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Obama, Barack. "
Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention", BarackObama.com,
July 27 2004. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
Video at Brightcove.TV.
^ Wolf, Richard. "
Illinois' Obama Revisits Idea of 2008 Run for White House", USA Today,
October 22 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^
a b Mendell, David. "
Obama Routs Democratic Foes; Ryan Tops Crowded GOP Field", Chicago Tribune,
March 17,
2004. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Fornek, Scott. "
Obama's Appeal Spans Racial Lines", Chicago Sun-Times, at Find Articles,
March 18,
2004. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Hayes, Christopher. "
Check Bounce", TNR Online,
March 17,
2004. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. (
alternate site)
^ Davey, Monica. "
From Crowded Field, Democrats Choose State Legislator to Seek Senate Seat", New York Times,
May 17 2004. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. See also: Jackson, John S. "
The Making of a Senator: Barack Obama and the 2004 Illinois Senate Race", Occasional Paper of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, Southern Illinois University, August 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
Ryan Drops Out of Senate race in Illinois", CNN,
June 25,
2004. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Lannan, Maura Kelly. "
Alan Keyes Enters U.S. Senate Race in Illinois Against Rising Democratic Star", Associated Press, Union-Tribune (San Diego),
August 9,
2004. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Liam, Ford; David Mendell. "
Keyes Sets Up House in Cal City", Chicago Tribune,
August 13,
2004. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ For debate transcripts and video, see Alan Keyes Archives:
Alan Keyes and Barack Obama debate, hosted by Illinois Radio Network (
October 12 2004).
U.S. Senate debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters in Illinois (
October 21 2004).
Debate sponsored by WTTW and the City Club of Chicago (
October 26 2004). Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
America Votes 2004: U.S. Senate / Illinois", CNN. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. Slevin, Peter. "
For Obama, a Handsome Payoff in Political Gambles", Washington Post,
November 13 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-18.
^ "
Barack Obama Sworn in to U.S. Senate", WLS-TV (ABC 7, Chicago). Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Bacon Jr., Perry. "
The Outsider's Insider", Washington Post,
August 27 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Enda, Jodi. "
Great Expectations", The American Prospect,
February 5,
2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Traub, James. "
Is (His) Biography (Our) Destiny?", New York Times,
November 4 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-06. King, Neil. "
Obama Tones Foreign-Policy Muscle", Wall Street Journal,
September 5 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-06. Sweet, Lynn. "
Obama Taps Influential Foreign Policy Experts", Chicago Sun-Times,
May 10 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-06.
^ "
Committee Assignments", Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
Member Info", Congressional Black Caucus. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. See also: Zeleny, Jeff. "
When It Comes to Race, Obama Makes His Point—With Subtlety", Chicago Tribune,
June 26 2005. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ U.S. Senate, 109th Congress.
Bills, Resolutions > Search Results. Thomas. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ U.S. Senate, 109th Congress.
Bills, Resolutions > Search Results. Thomas. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ U.S. Senate, 109th Congress, 1st Session. "
S. 1033, Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act", Thomas,
May 12 2005. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ U.S. Senate, 109th Congress, 2nd Session. "
S. 2611, Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006", Thomas,
May 25,
2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. See also: "
S. Amdt. 3971", Thomas,
January 14 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
Obama Statement on Senate Passage of Immigration Reform Bill", Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office,
May 25 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
Immigration Bill Divides House, Senate", USA Today,
September 22,
2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
Latinos Upset Obama Voted for Border Fence", CBS 2 (Chicago),
November 20 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
President Bush Signs Secure Fence Act", White House,
October 26 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
President Bush Signs Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act", White House,
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^ U.S. Senate, 109th Congress, 2nd Session. "
S. 2566, Cooperative Proliferation Detection, Interdiction Assistance, and Conventional Threat Reduction Act of 2006", Thomas,
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Junkyard Dogs of War", Washington Post,
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2005. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
Lugar-Obama Nonproliferation Legislation Signed into Law by the President", Richard Lugar U.S. Senate Office,
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2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. The Lugar-Obama initiative subsequently received $48 million in funding. "
Obama, Lugar Secure Funding for Implementation of Nonproliferation Law", Richard Lugar U.S. Senate Office,
June 28 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ U.S. Senate, 109th Congress, 2nd Session. "
S. 2590, Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006", Thomas,
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^ "
President Bush Signs Coburn-Obama Transparency Act", Tom Coburn U.S. Senate Office,
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^ U.S. Senate, 109th Congress, 2nd Session. "
S. 2125, Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act", Thomas,
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^ Larson, Christina. "
Hoosier Daddy: What Rising Democratic Star Barack Obama Can Learn from an Old Lion of the GOP", The Washington Monthly, September 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Goudie, Chuck. "
Obama Meets with Arafat's Successor", ABC 7 News (Chicago),
January 12,
2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
Obama Slates Kenya for Fraud", News24.com,
August 28,
2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Wamalwa, Chris. "
Envoy Hits at Obama Over Graft Remark", The Standard (Nairobi),
September 2,
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^ Moracha, Vincent; Mangoa Mosota. "
Leaders Support Obama on Graft Claims", The Standard (Nairobi),
September 4,
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^ Weixel, Nathaniel. "
Feingold, Obama Go After Corporate Jet Travel", The Hill,
November 15 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26. Weixel, Nathaniel. "
Lawmakers Press FEC on Bundling Regulation", The Hill,
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Federal Election Commission Announces Plans to Issue New Regulations to Implement the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007", Federal Election Commission,
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^ Stern, Seth. "
Obama-Schumer Bill Proposal Would Criminalize Voter Intimidation", CQPolitics.com, New York Times,
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S. 453, Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007", Thomas,
January 31 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26. See also: "
Honesty in Elections" (editorial), New York Times,
January 31 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
^ H. Josef, Hebert. "
Congress Begins Tackling Climate Issues", Associated Press, CBS News,
January 29 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26. Williamson, Elizabeth. "
The Green Gripe With Obama: Liquefied Coal Is Still… Coal", Washington Post,
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^ Krystin, E. Kasak. "
Obama Introduces Measure to Bring Troops Home", Medill News Service, nwi.com,
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S. 433, Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007", Thomas,
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^ "
Obama, Bond Hail New Safeguards on Military Personality Disorder Discharges, Urge Further Action", Kit Bond U.S. Senate Office,
October 1 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26. See also: Dine, Philip. "
Bond Calls for Review of Military Discharges", St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
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^ U.S. Senate, 110th Congress, 1st Session. "
S. 1430, Iran Sanctions Enabling Act", Thomas,
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Despite Flurry of Action in House, Congress Unlikely to Act Against Iran", CQ Today,
September 12 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
^ "
Obama, Schiff Provision to Create Nuclear Threat Reduction Plan Approved", Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office,
December 20 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
^ "
Senate Passes Obama, McCaskill Legislation to Provide Safety Net for Families of Wounded Service Members", Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office,
August 2 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
^ Pugh, Tony; Margaret Talev. "
Battles Set After Health Bill Veto", Philadelphia Inquirer,
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^ For other photos of this event, see:
Presidential Campaign Announcement (photo gallery). Barack Obama, Flickr (
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^ "
Presidential Campaign Announcement" (video), Obama for America, Brightcove.TV,
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^ "
Barack Obama at the DNC Winter 2007 Meeting" (video), Democratic National Committee,
February 2 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26. Full text from
CQ Transcripts Wire. Retrieved on 2007-12-26. See also: Harris, Paul. "
The Obama Revolution", Guardian Unlimited,
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Obama Fundraising Suggests Close Race for Party Nomination", Voice of America,
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Small Donors Rewrite Fundraising Handbook", Politico,
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^ Cooper, Michael; Aron Pilhofer. "
Democratic Candidates Keep Outraising Republicans", New York Times,
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^ Kennedy, Helen. "
Obama Gets Earliest-Ever Secret Service Detail", New York Daily News,
May 4 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
^ Newton-Small, Jay. "
Obama (Sort of) Takes the Gloves Off", Time,
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Obama Rolls Out Aggressive Approach to Clinton's Campaign", International Herald Tribune,
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^ Balz, Dan; Shailagh Murray. "
On Campaign Bus, Obama Opens Up About Challengers", Washington Post,
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^ "
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Iowa Jefferson-Jackson Dinner", BarackObama.com,
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^ Obama, Huckabee win Iowa caucuses CNN.com, Jan. 3, 2008
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Obama Impresses Crowd at CCU", Sun News, MyrtleBeachOnline,
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^ Obama (2006), p. 159.
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The Fifth Black Senator in U.S. History Makes F.D.R. His Icon", Washington Spectator,
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^ Zeleny, Jeff. "
Judicious Obama Turns Up Volume", Chicago Tribune,
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^ Pickler, Nedra. "
Obama Calls for Universal Health Care within Six Years", Associated Press, Union-Tribune (San Diego),
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Obama Channels Hillary on Health Care", Time,
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Creating a Healthcare System that Works", BarackObama.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
^ Kurtzman, Laura. "
Obama Talks to the Tech Crowd at Google Town Hall", Associated Press, SFGate.com,
November 14 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-25.
^ Mark, Roy. "
Obama Promises Federal Technology Czar", eWeek,
November 15 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-25.
^ Schoenberg, Shira. "
Obama Shares School Plan", Concord Monitor,
November 21 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-25.
^ Davis, Teddy; Sunlen Miller. "
Obama Bucks Party Line on Education", ABC News,
November 20 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-25.
^ "
A Speech On the Economy, Opportunity and Tax Policy with Senator Barack Obama", Tax Policy Center,
September 18 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-18.
^ "
Obama Tax Plan: $80 Billion in Cuts, Five-Minute Filings", CNN,
September 18 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-18.
^ Zeleny, Jeff. "
Obama Proposes Capping Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Making Polluters Pay", New York Times,
October 9 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
^ Obama, Barack. "
Remarks of Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama Against Going to War with Iraq", BarackObama.com,
October 26 2002. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ For audio and text, see: Obama, Barack. "
A Way Forward in Iraq", Chicago Council on Global Affairs,
November 20 2006. Retrieved on 2007-11-25.
^ Obama, Barack. "
AIPAC Policy Forum Remarks", Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office,
March 2 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-25. For Obama's 2004 Senate campaign remarks on possible missile strikes against Iran, see: Mendell, David. "
Obama Would Consider Missile Strikes on Iran", Chicago Tribune,
September 25 2004. Retrieved on 2007-11-25.
^ "
Obama Warns Pakistan on Al-Qaeda", BBC News,
August 1 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-25. For video and text of the speech, see: "
Policy Address on Terrorism by The Honorable Barack Obama, United States Senator from Illinois", Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars,
August 1 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-25. For details of the aborted 2005 military operation, see Mazzetti, Mark. "
Rumsfeld Called Off 2005 Plan to Capture Top Qaeda Figures", International Herald Tribune,
July 8 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-25.
^ Hunt, Kasie. "
Celebrities, Activists Rally Against Darfur Genocide", USA Today,
May 1 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. For excerpts from Obama's speech, see: "
More Must Be Done in Darfur", The Hill,
April 30 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Obama, Barack; Sam Brownback. "
Policy Adrift on Darfur", Washington Post,
December 27 2005. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. Doyle, Jim. "
Tens of Thousands Rally for Darfur", San Francisco Chronicle,
May 1 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Kuhnhenn, Jim. "
Giuliani, Edwards Have Sudan Holdings", Associated Press, SFGate.com,
May 17 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. Obama, Barack. "
Hit Iran Where It Hurts", New York Daily News,
August 30 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Obama, Barack. "
Renewing American Leadership", Foreign Affairs, July-August 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Lerner, Michael. "
U.S. Senator Barack Obama Critiques Democrats' Religiophobia", Tikkun Magazine,
July 3 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
Sen. Barack Obama: Call to Renewal Keynote Address. Beliefnet (
June 28 2006). Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Gibson, Manda. "
At Global AIDS Summit, Churches Challenged to Take the Lead", PurposeDriven.com,
June 28 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
Screaming Crowds Welcome U.S. Senator 'Home'", CNN,
August 27,
2006. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
^ Obama, Barack. "
Race Against Time—World AIDS Day Speech", Obama U.S. Senate Office,
December 1 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
Rick Warren/Barack Obama AIDS Partnership Must End, Say Pro-Life Groups", Christian Newswire Press Release,
November 28 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. See also: Van Biema, David. "
The Real Losers in the Obama-Warren Controversy", Time,
December 1 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
Barack Obama: Faith Has Been 'Hijacked'", Associated Press, CBS News,
June 24 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. See also: Brody, David. "
Obama to CBN News: We're No Longer Just a Christian Nation", Christian Broadcasting Network,
July 30 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Obama (2006), pp. 327–332. See also: Tucker, Eric. "
Family Ties: Brown Coach, Barack Obama", Associated Press, ABC News,
March 1 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
^ Obama (2006), p. 329.
^ Fornek, Scott. "
Michelle Obama: 'He Swept Me Off My Feet'", Chicago Sun-Times,
October 3 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
^ Obama (1995), p. 440, and Obama (2006), pp. 339–340. See also: Rossi, Rosalind. "
The Woman Behind Obama", Chicago Sun-Times,
January 21 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
^ Zeleny, Jeff. "
The First Time Around: Sen. Obama's Freshman Year", Chicago Tribune,
December 24 2005. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
^ Slevin, Peter. "
Obama Says He Regrets Land Deal With Fundraiser", Washington Post,
December 17 2006. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
^ McKinney, Dave. "
Obama on Rezko deal: It was a mistake", Chicago Sun-Times,
November 5 2006. Retrieved on 2008-01-06.
^ Kantor, Jodi. "
One Place Where Obama Goes Elbow to Elbow", New York Times,
June 1 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Dan Morris, Neal Karlinsky. "
The 'Rat-Ballers': Obama's High School Crew", Nightline, ABC News. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Parsons, Christi. "
Obama Launches an '07 Campaign—To Quit Smoking", Chicago Tribune,
February 6 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
Questions for the Candidates", Associated Press, USA Today,
May 15 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
Gambling Buddies: Obama Flush with Poker Prowess", Associated Press, CNN,
September 24 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Kantor, Jodi. "
A Candidate, His Minister and the Search for Faith", New York Times,
April 30 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. See also: Obama (1995), pp. 292–295.
^ Obama (2006), pp. 202–208. Portions excerpted in: Obama, Barack. "
My Spiritual Journey", TIME,
October 23 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. See also: Guess, J. Bennett. "
Barack Obama, Candidate for President, is 'UCC'", United Church News,
February 9 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Obama (1995), p. vii.
^ Klein, Joe. "
The Fresh Face", Time,
October 23 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Boliek, Brooks. "
Sen. Obama Finally Gets His Grammy", Reuters/Hollywood Reporter,
September 6,
2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Bosman, Julie. "
Obama’s New Book Is a Surprise Best Seller", New York Times,
November 9 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Dorning, Mike; Christi Parsons. "
Carefully Crafting the Obama 'Brand'", Chicago Tribune,
June 12 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Hart, Gary. "
American Idol", New York Times,
December 24 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Tomasky, Michael. "
The Phenomenon", New York Review of Books, Internet Archive,
November 30 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ L’Audacia Della Speranza. Il Sogno Americano Per Un Mondo Nuovo. Libreria Rizzoli. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Lobb, Annelena. "
Obama, en Español", Wall Street Journal Online,
June 19 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. "
Riemann - Barack Obama - Hoffnung wagen", Riemann, June 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Slater, Wayne. "
Obama Reels in Austin Crowd", Dallas Morning News,
February 24 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. See also: Elliott, Philip. "
Obama Measuring Campaign Success not Just in Cash, but Crowds Too", Associated Press, Boston Globe,
May 28 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Enda, Jodi. "
Great Expectations", The American Prospect,
February 5 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. See also: Graff, Garrett M.. "
The Legend of Barack Obama", Washingtonian,
November 1 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Podhoretz, John. "
Obama: Rorschach Candidate", New York Post,
December 12 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Finnegan, William. "
The Candidate: How the Son of a Kenyan Economist Became an Illinois Everyman", New Yorker,
24 May 2004. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. See also: Tilove, Jonathan. "
In Obama Candidacy, America Examines Itself", Times-Picayune (New Orleans),
February 8 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Obama (1995), p. 13. For reports on Obama's maternal genealogy, including slave owners, Irish connections, and common ancestors with
George W. Bush,
Dick Cheney, and
Harry Truman, see: Nitkin, David; Harry Merritt. "
A New Twist to an Intriguing Family History", Baltimore Sun,
March 2 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. Jordan, Mary. "
Tiny Irish Village Is Latest Place to Claim Obama as Its Own", Washington Post,
May 13 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. "
Obama's Family Tree Has a Few Surprises", Associated Press, CBS 2 (Chicago),
September 8 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-17.
Genealogy
Wikia has an article with a tree illustrating the relations of Truman, Obama and Cheney.: Mareen Duvall (c1630) descendants tree
^ Kampeas, Ron. "
Obama, Democrats’ Rising Star, Known for Harmony with Jews", Jewish News Weekly of Northern California,
August 6 2004. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Keeping Hope Alive: Barack Obama Puts Family First. The Oprah Winfrey Show (
October 18 2006). Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Wallace-Wells, Benjamin. "
The Great Black Hope: What's Riding on Barack Obama?", Washington Monthly, November 2004. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. See also: Scott, Janny. "
A Member of a New Generation, Obama Walks a Fine Line", International Herald Tribune,
December 28 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
^ McClelland, Edward. "
How Obama Learned to Be a Natural", Salon,
February 12 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. See also: Wolffe, Richard; Daren Briscoe. "
How Obama Is Shaking Up Campaign", Newsweek, MSNBC,
July 16 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. Helman, Scott. "
Early Defeat Launched a Rapid Political Climb", Boston Globe,
October 12 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
^ Dickerson, Debra J. "
Colorblind", Salon,
January 22 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. For a sampling of views by other black commentators see: Younge, Gary. "
Obama: Black Like Me", The Nation, posted
October 27 2006 (
November 13,
2006 issue). Retrieved on 2007-09-30. Crouch, Stanley. "
What Obama Isn't: Black Like Me", New York Daily News,
November 2 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. Archived from
the original on 2007-03-08. Washington, Laura. "
Whites May Embrace Obama, But Do 'Regular Black Folks'?", Chicago Sun-Times,
January 1 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. Page, Clarence. "
Is Barack Black Enough? Now That's a Silly Question", Houston Chronicle,
February 25 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. Archived from
the original on 2007-03-08.
^ Ehrenstein, David. "
Obama the 'Magic Negro'", Los Angeles Times,
March 19 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
^ Payne, Les. "
Sen. Barack Obama: In America, a Dual Audience", Newsday,
August 19 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Robinson, Eugene. "
The Moment for This Messenger?", Washington Post,
March 13 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. See also: Senior, Jennifer. "
Dreaming of Obama", New York Magazine,
October 2 2006. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^ Obama (2006), p. 10. Sirota wrote that Obama's
confirmation of
Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State and his reluctant support of a Senate
filibuster opposing President Bush's
nomination of Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court may disappoint "those who see him as a bold challenger of the system". Sirota, David. "
Mr. Obama Goes to Washington", The Nation,
June 26 2006. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. Will, George F. "
Run Now, Obama", Washington Post,
December 14 2006. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^ Noonan, Peggy. "
The Man From Nowhere", OpinionJournal (Wall Street Journal),
December 15 2006. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. See also: Obama (2006), pp. 122–124. For Noonan's comments on Obama winning the January 2008 Iowa Caucus, see: Noonan, Peggy. "
Out With the Old, In With the New", OpinionJournal (Wall Street Journal),
January 4 2008. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^ Dorning, Mike. "
Obama Reaches Across Decades to JFK" (paid archive), Chicago Tribune,
October 4 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. See also: Harnden, Toby. "
Barack Obama is JFK Heir, Says Kennedy Aide", Daily Telegraph,
October 15 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
^ Skidelsky, William. "
Revolutionising the Future: From Tennis to Teleportation", New Statesman,
October 17,
2005. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ Bacon Jr., Perry. "
Barack Obama: The Future of the Democratic Party?", Time,
April 18,
2005. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. Klein, Joe. "
The TIME 100: Barack Obama", Time,
May 14 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
Commencement 2005: Knox honors U.S. Senator Barack Obama", Knox College,
May 10,
2005. Retrieved on 2007-07-22.
^ "
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama to Receive Honorary Degree, Address 2,500 UMass Boston Graduates", University of Massachusetts Boston,
May 26,
2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
Commencement 2006: Sen. Obama to Address Grads", Northwestern University,
June 6,
2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
Sen. Obama Addresses Xavier Graduates", Associated Press, USA Today,
August 13,
2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
SNHU Commencement with Sen. Barack Obama", Southern New Hampshire University,
May 19 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
^ "
Obama Calls the 'Joshua Generation'", Boston Globe,
September 28 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
Cited works
Obama, Barack.
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, Times Books, 1995. Reprint edition, 2004;
ISBN 1-4000-8277-3Obama, Barack.
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, Crown, 2006.
ISBN 0-307-23769-9.
Further reading
Curry, Jessica. "
Barack Obama: Under the Lights", Chicago Life, Fall 2004. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
Lizza, Ryan. "
Above the Fray", GQ, September 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
MacFarquhar, Larissa. "
The Conciliator: Where is Barack Obama Coming From?", New Yorker,
May 7 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
Mundy, Liza. "
A Series of Fortunate Events", Washington Post Magazine,
August 12 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
Wallace-Wells, Ben. "
Destiny's Child", Rolling Stone,
February 7 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
Zutter, Hank De. "
What Makes Obama Run?", Chicago Reader,
December 8 1995. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
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GubernatorialPersondata
NAME
Obama, Barack, Jr.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION
US Jr. Senator from Illinois
DATE OF BIRTH
August 4,
1961PLACE OF BIRTH
Honolulu,
HawaiiDATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
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