Barack Obama: Difference between revisions

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'''Barack Hussein Obama''' (born August 4, 1961) is a Grammy Award recipient and United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. He is currently running to be the Democratic Party candidate for President of the United States in the November, 2008 election.
'''Barack Hussein Obama''' (born August 4, 1961) is an attorney, Grammy Award recipient and United States Senator from Illinois.  He is a member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. He is currently running to be the Democratic Party candidate for President of the United States in the November, 2008 election.


==Early life==
==Early life==
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His mother later married Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian foreign student, with whom she had one daughter, Maya.  From his father's side, Obama has two half-sisters and five surviving half-brothers. <ref> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1267352.ece </ref>
His mother later married Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian foreign student, with whom she had one daughter, Maya.  From his father's side, Obama has two half-sisters and five surviving half-brothers. <ref> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1267352.ece </ref>


He lived his early life in Hawaii and later Indonesia.  He returned to live with his maternal grandparents in Hawaii to attend the exclusive private school, Punahou School, graduating in 1979. <ref> http://www2.punahou.edu/index.cfm?fuseaction=ig.page&CategoryID=156 </ref>  He used alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine during his teenage years, Obama writes, to "push questions of who I was out of my mind". <ref> Effect of Obama's Candor Remains to Be Seen, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/02/AR2007010201359.html </ref>
He lived his early life in Hawaii and later Indonesia.  He returned to live with his maternal grandparents in Hawaii to attend the elite private school <ref> http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=3082803 </ref>, Punahou School, graduating in 1979. <ref> http://www2.punahou.edu/index.cfm?fuseaction=ig.page&CategoryID=156 </ref>  While Obama states that he used alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine during his teenage years, Obama writes, to "push questions of who I was out of my mind" <ref> Effect of Obama's Candor Remains to Be Seen, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/02/AR2007010201359.html </ref>, his high school friend denies the drug use. <ref>  http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=2989722&page=4 </ref> He was known at school as "Barry Obama" <ref> http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=3082803 </ref>


==Law Career==
==Law Career==
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Obama was sworn in as a Senator on [[January 4]], [[2005]].<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Barack Obama Sworn in to U.S. Senate | date= | publisher= | url =http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=News&id=2578406 | work =WLS-TV (ABC 7, Chicago) | pages = | accessdate = 2007-07-22 | language = }}</ref>  
Obama was sworn in as a Senator on [[January 4]], [[2005]].<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Barack Obama Sworn in to U.S. Senate | date= | publisher= | url =http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=News&id=2578406 | work =WLS-TV (ABC 7, Chicago) | pages = | accessdate = 2007-07-22 | language = }}</ref>  


Three months into his Senate career, and again in 2007, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine named Obama one of "[[Time 100|the world's most influential people]]."<ref>{{cite news | first=Perry | last=Bacon Jr. | coauthors= | title=Barack Obama: The Future of the Democratic Party? | date=[[April 18]], [[2005]] | publisher= | url =http://www.time.com/time/subscriber/2005/time100/leaders/100obama.html | work =Time | pages = | accessdate = 2007-07-22 | language = }} {{cite news | first=Joe | last=Klein | coauthors= | title=The TIME 100: Barack Obama | date=[[May 14]] [[2007]] | publisher= | url =http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100/article/0,28804,1595326_1615513_1615496,00.html | work =Time | pages = | accessdate = 2007-07-22 | language = }}</ref>  
Three months into his Senate career, and again in 2007, Time magazine named Obama one of "[[Time 100|the world's most influential people]]."<ref>http://www.time.com/time/subscriber/2005/time100/leaders/100obama.html</ref>  


As Senator, Obama co-sponsored the "Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act" introduced by Sen. [[John McCain]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]-[[Arizona|AZ]]).<ref>{{cite news | first=109th Congress, 1st Session | last=U.S. Senate | coauthors= | title= S. 1033, Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act | date=[[May 12]] [[2005]] | publisher= | url =http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN01033: | work =Thomas | pages = | accessdate = 2007-07-22 | language = }}</ref>  
As Senator, Obama co-sponsored the "Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act" introduced by Sen. [[John McCain]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]-[[Arizona|AZ]]).<ref>{{cite news | first=109th Congress, 1st Session | last=U.S. Senate | coauthors= | title= S. 1033, Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act | date=[[May 12]] [[2005]] | publisher= | url =http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN01033: | work =Thomas | pages = | accessdate = 2007-07-22 | language = }}</ref>  


During the first month of the 110th Congress, Obama introduced the "[[Iraq War De-Escalation Act]]," a bill that caps troop levels in Iraq at January 10, 2007 levels, begins phased redeployment on May 1, 2007, and removes all combat brigades from Iraq by [[March 31]] [[2008]].<ref>{{cite news | first=E. Kasak | last=Krystin | coauthors= | title=Obama Introduces Measure to Bring Troops Home | date=[[February 7]], [[2007]] | publisher=nwi.com | url =http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/02/07/news/illiana/doc65cc98d8dc6506b28625727b0011edb5.txt | work =Medill News Service | pages = | accessdate = 2007-07-22 | language = }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first=110th Congress, 1st Session | last=U.S. Senate | coauthors= | title=S. 433, Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007 | date=[[January 30]] [[2007]] | publisher= | url =http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN00433: | work =Thomas | pages = | accessdate = 2007-07-22 | language = }}</ref>  This bill was not successful.  Obama has long stressed his anti-war position. <ref> Obama stresses anti-war stance, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-obama_sun_finalmay20,0,6337865.story </ref>  
During the first month of the 110th Congress, Obama introduced the Iraq War De-Escalation Act, a bill that caps troop levels in Iraq at January 10, 2007 levels, begins phased redeployment on May 1, 2007, and removes all combat brigades from Iraq by [[March 31]] [[2008]].<ref>
http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/02/07/news/illiana/doc65cc98d8dc6506b28625727b0011edb5.txt </ref>  This bill was not successful.  Obama has long stressed his anti-war position. <ref> Obama stresses anti-war stance, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-obama_sun_finalmay20,0,6337865.story </ref>  


===Rezko controversy===
===Rezko controversy===
In November 2007, Obama was subject to controversy over his home purchase with indicted Illinois businessman, Antoin Rezko.  A homeowner sold Obama a house at a discount and an adjacent vacant lot at the asking price to Rezko.  Obama said the arrangement was "boneheaded" but not illegal. <ref> Obama Says He Regrets Land Deal With Fundraiser, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/16/AR2006121600729.html </ref>
In November 2007, Obama was subject to controversy over his home purchase with indicted Illinois businessman, Antoin Rezko.  A homeowner sold Obama a house at a discount and simultaneously an adjacent vacant lot at the full asking price to Rezko's wife.  Obama said the arrangement was "boneheaded" but not illegal. <ref> Obama Says He Regrets Land Deal With Fundraiser, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/16/AR2006121600729.html </ref> Obama has not been charged with any crime.


==Presidential campaign==
==Presidential campaign==

Revision as of 11:42, 27 July 2007

Barack Hussein Obama (born August 4, 1961) is an attorney, Grammy Award recipient and United States Senator from Illinois. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He is currently running to be the Democratic Party candidate for President of the United States in the November, 2008 election.

Early life

Obama was born son of Barack Obama, Sr., a Kenyan national, and Ann Dunham, a United States national in Honolulu, Hawaii. His parents separated when Obama was 2 years old and later divorced.

His mother later married Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian foreign student, with whom she had one daughter, Maya. From his father's side, Obama has two half-sisters and five surviving half-brothers. [1]

He lived his early life in Hawaii and later Indonesia. He returned to live with his maternal grandparents in Hawaii to attend the elite private school [2], Punahou School, graduating in 1979. [3] While Obama states that he used alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine during his teenage years, Obama writes, to "push questions of who I was out of my mind" [4], his high school friend denies the drug use. [5] He was known at school as "Barry Obama" [6]

Law Career

He later worked for the Chicago law firm, Davis Miner Barnhill & Galland. There he drafted contracts and worked on employment law and voting rights cases though, as an associate attorney, he did not bring any cases to trial. [7]

Illinois state legislature

Obama was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1996 representing the 13th District, comprising south-side Chicago neighborhood of Hyde Park and served until resigning in 2004 to take office as United States Senator.[8] 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.[9]

Obama states his major accomplishments as a state legislator include "creating programs like the state Earned Income Tax Credit", "an expansion of early childhood education"; and "legislation requiring the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases."[10] During his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign, the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police initially endorsed Daniel Hynes but, after Hynes lost in the primary, later endorsed Hynes opponent, Obama. Given his support of police restrictions in interrogating suspects and requiring police to collect racial information, his police support was mixed as evidenced by a chilly reception he received at a speech to police. [11]

Keynote address at 2004 Democratic National Convention

Obama received national attention when he delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention while still serving as a state senator. The speech resulted in widespread coverage by national media.[12]

United States Senator

In 2003, Obama began his run for the U.S. Senate open seat vacated by Peter Fitzgerald.

His opponent in the general election was expected to be Republican Party primary winner Jack Ryan. However, Ryan withdrew from the race following public disclosure of child custody divorce records containing sexual allegations by Ryan's ex-wife, actress Jeri Ryan.[13] 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.[14] A long-time resident of Maryland, Keyes established legal residency in Illinois with the nomination.[15] Keynes was widely ridiculed [16] and lost the election to Obama.

Senate career

Obama was sworn in as a Senator on January 4, 2005.[17]

Three months into his Senate career, and again in 2007, Time magazine named Obama one of "the world's most influential people."[18]

As Senator, Obama co-sponsored the "Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act" introduced by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).[19]

During the first month of the 110th Congress, Obama introduced the Iraq War De-Escalation Act, a bill that caps troop levels in Iraq at January 10, 2007 levels, begins phased redeployment on May 1, 2007, and removes all combat brigades from Iraq by March 31 2008.[20] This bill was not successful. Obama has long stressed his anti-war position. [21]

Rezko controversy

In November 2007, Obama was subject to controversy over his home purchase with indicted Illinois businessman, Antoin Rezko. A homeowner sold Obama a house at a discount and simultaneously an adjacent vacant lot at the full asking price to Rezko's wife. Obama said the arrangement was "boneheaded" but not illegal. [22] Obama has not been charged with any crime.

Presidential campaign

In February 2007, Obama announced at the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois, that he was a candidate for U.S. President. [23] He is one of the leading candidates as far as campaign funds raised.

Family life

Obama was married in 1992 and has two daughters, Malia (born 1999) and Natasha or "Sasha" (born 2001).

Books authored

References

  1. ↑ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1267352.ece
  2. ↑ http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=3082803
  3. ↑ http://www2.punahou.edu/index.cfm?fuseaction=ig.page&CategoryID=156
  4. ↑ Effect of Obama's Candor Remains to Be Seen, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/02/AR2007010201359.html
  5. ↑ http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=2989722&page=4
  6. ↑ http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=3082803
  7. ↑ http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/02/20/obama_got_start_in_civil_rights_practice/
  8. ↑ http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070403obama-ballot,1,57567.story
  9. ↑ How Obama Learned to Be a Natural, http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/02/12/obama_natural
  10. ↑ http://obama.senate.gov/about
  11. ↑ Cops Give Obama Subdued Reception, http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/women/chi-0408200105aug20,1,5963637.story
  12. ↑ http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-10-22-obama-president_x.htm
  13. ↑ http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/25/il.ryan/
  14. ↑ 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 2007-07-22.
  15. ↑ Liam, Ford, David Mendell. Keyes Sets Up House in Cal City, Chicago Tribune, August 13, 2004. Retrieved on 2007-07-22.
  16. ↑ http://news.pacificnews.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=b74dd9b6e7cdfbe3754d0c98fc0f1f1d
  17. ↑ Barack Obama Sworn in to U.S. Senate, WLS-TV (ABC 7, Chicago). Retrieved on 2007-07-22.
  18. ↑ http://www.time.com/time/subscriber/2005/time100/leaders/100obama.html
  19. ↑ U.S. Senate, 109th Congress, 1st Session. S. 1033, Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act, Thomas, May 12 2005. Retrieved on 2007-07-22.
  20. ↑ http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/02/07/news/illiana/doc65cc98d8dc6506b28625727b0011edb5.txt
  21. ↑ Obama stresses anti-war stance, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-obama_sun_finalmay20,0,6337865.story
  22. ↑ Obama Says He Regrets Land Deal With Fundraiser, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/16/AR2006121600729.html
  23. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6349081.stm
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