US Senate career of Barack Obama explained

Barack Obama
Jr/Sr:United States Senator
State:Illinois
Term Start:January 3, 2005
Term End:November 16, 2008
Predecessor:Peter Fitzgerald
Successor:Roland Burris
Office2:Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs
Term Start2:January 3, 2007
Term End2:November 16, 2008
Predecessor2:George Allen
Successor2:Jeanne Shaheen

The United States Senate career of Barack Obama began on January 3, 2005, and ended on November 16, 2008.[1] A member of the Democratic Party from the state of Illinois, Obama previously served three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2005. He resigned his seat in the U.S. Senate upon being elected President of the United States.

Obama won the seat in an election against Alan Keyes who replaced Republican Primary election winner Jack Ryan. Prior to his election but after Ryan withdrew from the race, he rose to national prominence by delivering the 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address. Upon his election, he became the fifth African-American Senator in U.S. history, the third to have been popularly elected.

As a Senator, Obama served on a variety of committees and chaired the United States Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs. His bill sponsorship and voting records indicates that he was a loyalist to the Democratic Party. He was considered to be among the most liberal by various analyses. In his first session (109th Congress), he was involved in immigration reform. Legislation bearing his name was passed for armament reduction and federal transparency as well as relief aid.

In the first year of the 110th Congress, he worked on lobbying and campaign finance reform, election reform, climate control and troop reduction. In the second year, he legislated for oversight of certain military discharges, Iran divestment and nuclear terrorism reduction, but President George W. Bush vetoed his legislation for State Children's Health Insurance Program-related military family job protections. Obama resigned his seat in the U.S. Senate upon being elected President of the United States, after winning the 2008 presidential election.

2004 U.S. Senate campaign in Illinois

See also: 2004 United States Senate election in Illinois. In May 2002, Obama began considering a run for the U.S. Senate, enlisting political strategist David Axelrod that Fall and formally announcing his candidacy in January 2003.[2] Before deciding to run, Obama met with Jesse Jackson Jr., who was known to be considering a bid for the seat. "He said, 'Jesse, if you’re running for the U.S. Senate I’m not going to run'", Jackson said in recounting the conversation to The New York Times in 2008. Jackson told Obama he had already decided not to run.[3]

Decisions by Republican incumbent Peter Fitzgerald and his Democratic predecessor Carol Moseley Braun not to contest the race launched wide-open Democratic and Republican primary contests involving fifteen candidates.[4] Obama's candidacy was boosted by Axelrod's advertising campaign featuring images of the late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington and an endorsement by the daughter of the late Paul Simon, former U.S. Senator for Illinois.[5] He received over 52% of the vote in the March 2004 primary, emerging 29% ahead of his nearest Democratic rival.[6] [7]

Obama's expected opponent in the general election, Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, withdrew from the race in June 2004.[8] 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.[9] A long time resident of Maryland, Keyes established legal residency in Illinois with the nomination.[10]

Through three televised debates, Obama and Keyes expressed opposing views on stem cell research, abortion, gun control, school vouchers, and tax cuts.[11] Obama was criticized by Keyes, as he had also been by rival pro-choice candidates in the Democratic primary, for a series of "present" votes on late-term abortion and parental notification issues.[12] The charge that Obama's "present" votes suggested he was not firmly pro choice was refuted by two lobbyists for pro-choice groups (including Planned Parenthood).

In the general election of November 2004, Obama received 70% of the vote to Keyes's 27%, the largest victory margin for a statewide race in Illinois history.[13] He won 92 of the state's 102 counties, including several where Democrats have not historically done well.

Keynote address

See main article: 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address. In July 2004, he wrote and delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts.[14] After describing his maternal grandfather's experiences as a World War II veteran and a beneficiary of the New Deal's FHA and G.I. Bill programs, Obama spoke about changing the U.S. government's economic and social priorities.

He questioned the Bush administration's management of the Iraq War, and highlighted America's obligations to its soldiers. Drawing examples from U.S. history, he criticized heavily partisan views of the electorate and asked Americans to find unity in diversity, saying, "There is not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America."[15] Broadcasts of the speech by major news organizations launched Obama's status as a national political figure and boosted his campaign for U.S. Senate.[16]

With Obama facing nearly certain victory in his U.S. Senate race against Alan Keyes at the time combined with an overwhelmingly positive reaction to his address, speculation grew about the possibility of a potential Obama candidacy for President of the United States in 2008 or later. Following the speech, Chris Mathews even went as far as predicting that Obama would become the first African-American president.

If he decided to run for President, he would join other African-Americans like Alan Keyes and Shirley Chisholm who had previous presidential runs. But as of 2004, no African-American had received a major party's presidential nomination and no African-American had won a presidential primary since Jesse Jackson in 1988.

In addition, Hillary Clinton was favored by many to become the Democratic nominee and first ever female presidential nominee in 2008 while in contrast to Clinton, Obama's background and issue positions were still unknown to the majority of the public. For the next two years, Obama would downplay speculation of a future presidential run and focus instead on his duties as a U.S. Senator.

Initial work

Although a newcomer to Washington, he recruited a team of established, high-level advisers devoted to broad themes that exceeded the usual requirements of an incoming first-term senator.[17] Obama hired Pete Rouse, a 30-year veteran of national politics and former chief of staff to Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, as his chief of staff, and economist Karen Kornbluh, former deputy chief of staff to Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin, as his policy director.[18]

His key foreign policy advisers have included former Clinton administration officials Anthony Lake and Susan Rice, as well as Samantha Power, author on human rights and genocide (who resigned March 7, 2008).[19] Obama held assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations;[20] Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and Veterans' Affairs, and he was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.[21]

He was a chairman of the Subcommittee on European Affairs.[22] Nonpartisan analyses of bill sponsorship and voting records placed him as a "rank-and-file Democrat" and "Democratic Party loyalist."[23] The U.S. Senate Historical Office lists him as the fifth African-American Senator in U.S. history, the third to have been popularly elected, and the only African-American serving in the Senate until he resigned his seat in November 2008 in preparation for his new job as the 44th President of the United States[24]

Committees

Source: United States Senate 109th Congress[25] Source: United States Senate 110th Congress[26]

109th Congress

Obama took an active role in the Senate's drive for improved border security and immigration reform. In May 2005, he cosponsored the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act introduced by Sen. John McCain (R–AZ).[27]

He later added three amendments to the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, which passed the Senate in May 2006, but failed to gain majority support in the U.S. House of Representatives.[28]

In September 2006, Obama voted for a related bill, the Secure Fence Act, authorizing construction of fencing and other security improvements along the United States–Mexico border.[29] President Bush signed the Secure Fence Act into law in October 2006, calling it "an important step toward immigration reform."[30]

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.[31] [32] [33] The Lugar-Obama initiative subsequently received $48 million in funding.[34]

The Coburn-Obama Transparency Act provides for the web site USAspending.gov, managed by the Office of Management and Budget. The site lists all organizations receiving Federal funds from 2007 onward and provides breakdowns by the agency allocating the funds, the dollar amount given, and the purpose of the grant or contract.[35]

Obama and Coburn also collaborated on repeated efforts to end the abuse of no-bid contracting in the aftermath of natural disasters.[36] 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.[37]

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 with Richard Lugar 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.[38]

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."[39]

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.[40] The speech touched off a public debate among rival leaders, some formally challenging Obama's remarks as unfair and improper, others defending his positions.[41]

On June 2, 2006, Obama delivered the commencement speech at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Among other topics, he discussed his keynote address to the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston.[42]

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.[43]

He joined Chuck 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.[44]

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.[45] Obama also introduced the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007, a bill to cap troop levels in Iraq, begin phased redeployment, and remove all combat brigades from Iraq before April 2008.[46]

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 Accountability Office following reports that the procedure had been used inappropriately to reduce government costs.[47]

He sponsored the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry,[48] and joined Chuck Hagel (R–NE) in introducing legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism.[49]

A provision from the Obama-Hagel bill was passed by Congress in December 2007 as an amendment to the State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill. 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.[50] 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".[51]

Legislation and voting record

See also: List of bills sponsored by Barack Obama in the United States Senate. One analysis of bill co-sponsorship classified Obama as a "rank-and-file Democrat". Another, of party-line votes, tagged him a "Democratic Party loyalist".[52] The National Journal, in its 27th annual vote ratings, identified Obama as "the most liberal senator" in 2007,[53] though this conclusion was rated "Barely True" by PolitiFact.[54]

Asked about the Journals characterization of his voting record, Obama expressed doubts about the survey's methodology and blamed "old politics" categorization of political positions as conservative or liberal for creating predispositions that prevent problem-solving.[55]

Ratings of Obama's liberalism by the Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), based on 20 ADA-selected votes each year, declined from 100% in 2005 to 95% in 2006, with one vote the ADA counted as not-liberal in 2006, and 75%, with five missed votes, in 2007.[56] [57] A study of the voting records of all one hundred senators, using an average of the ratings of seven liberal interest groups, described Obama as "among the least liberal", of the Democrats, scoring an 80%.[58]

Resignation and replacement in the U.S. Senate

After his election to President of the United States, Obama announced on November 13, 2008 his plan to resign his Senate seat, effective on November 16, 2008.[59] On January 12, 2009, the Senate accepted former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris as Obama's replacement after he was controversially appointed by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.[60]

Recognition and honors

While in the U.S. Senate, Obama had a number of awards and honors bestowed on him by various groups. An October 2005 article in the British journal New Statesman listed Obama as one of 10 people who could change the world,[61] the only politician included on the list. In 2005 and again in 2007, Time magazine named him one of the world's most influential people.[62]

During his first three years in the U.S. Senate, Obama received Honorary Doctorates of Law from Knox College (2005),[63] University of Massachusetts Boston (2006),[64] Northwestern University (2006),[65] Xavier University of Louisiana (2006),[66] Southern New Hampshire University (2007),[67] Howard University (2007),[68] and Wesleyan University (2008).[69]

The audiobook edition of Dreams from My Father earned Obama the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 2006.[70] He won the award a second time in 2008 for the spoken word edition of The Audacity of Hope.[71] A school in Obama's father's hometown, which the senator visited on his 2006 Kenya trip, was renamed the Senator Barack Obama Primary School.[72]

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: About Barack Obama . January 14, 2008 . Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office . https://web.archive.org/web/20080425044909/http://obama.senate.gov/about/ . April 25, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
  2. News: Scott . Helman . Early Defeat Launched a Rapid Political Climb . October 12, 2007 . Boston Globe . April 13, 2008.
  3. Becker, Jo and Drew, Christopher, "Pragmatic Politics, Forged on the South Side", The New York Times, May 11, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2008
  4. News: Davey . Monica . Closely Watched Illinois Senate Race Attracts 7 Candidates in Millionaire Range . The New York Times . March 7, 2004 . April 13, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090416015834/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/07/politics/campaign/07ILLI.html . April 16, 2009 .
  5. News: Ben . Wallace-Wells . Obama's Narrator . April 1, 2007 . . April 13, 2008.
  6. News: Monica . Davey . From Crowded Field, Democrats Choose State Legislator to Seek Senate Seat . May 17, 2004 . The New York Times . April 13, 2008 . See also: News: John S . Jackson . The Making of a Senator: Barack Obama and the 2004 Illinois Senate Race . August 2006 . Occasional Paper of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute . Southern Illinois University . April 13, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080413172719/http://www.siu.edu/~ppi/PDF/papers/Obama.pdf . April 13, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
  7. Web site: Official results from the Illinois State Board of Elections . June 11, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110718213326/http://www.elections.state.il.us/ElectionInformation/VoteTotalsList.aspx?officeid=2364 . July 18, 2011 . dead . mdy-all .
  8. News: Ryan Drops Out of Senate Race in Illinois . June 25, 2004 . CNN . April 13, 2008.
  9. News: Maura Kelly . Lannan . Alan Keyes Enters U.S. Senate Race in Illinois Against Rising Democratic Star . August 9, 2004 . Union-Tribune (San Diego) . Associated Press . April 13, 2008.
  10. News: Ford . Liam . David Mendell . Keyes Sets Up House in Cal City . August 13, 2004 . Chicago Tribune . April 13, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080516070203/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/specials/elections/chi-0408130201aug13,1,7640082.story . May 16, 2008 . dead . mdy .
  11. For debate transcripts and video, see Alan Keyes Archives: Web site: Alan Keyes and Barack Obama Debate, Hosted by Illinois Radio Network . October 12, 2004. Web site: U.S. Senate Debate Sponsored by the League of Women Voters in Illinois . October 21, 2004. Web site: Debate Sponsored by WTTW and the City Club of Chicago . April 13, 2008 . October 26, 2004.
  12. News: Eric . Zorn . Disparagement of Obama Votes Doesn't Hold Up . https://web.archive.org/web/20110524191802/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/573751701.html?dids=573751701:573751701&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT . May 24, 2011 . March 9, 2004 . Chicago Tribune . January 14, 2008. Alt URL News: Keyes Assails Obama's Abortion Views . August 9, 2004 . NBC News . Associated Press . January 14, 2008. See also: News: Sam . Youngman . Abortion Foes Target Obama Because of His Vote Record on Illinois Legislation . February 15, 2007 . The Hill . January 14, 2008.
  13. News: America Votes 2004: U.S. Senate / Illinois . CNN . April 13, 2008. News: Peter . Slevin . For Obama, a Handsome Payoff in Political Gambles . November 13, 2007 . The Washington Post . April 13, 2008.
  14. For details about the speech's genesis and delivery, see: News: Shira . Boss-Bicak . Barack Obama '83: Is He the New Face of The Democratic Party? . January 2005 . Columbia College Today . April 13, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070104022834/http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/jan05/cover.php . January 4, 2007 . dead . mdy-all . See also: News: David. Bernstein. The Speech. June 2007. Chicago Magazine. April 13, 2008.
  15. Web site: Barack . Obama . Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention . text or video . July 27, 2004 . BarackObama.com . April 13, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080403144623/http://www.barackobama.com/2004/07/27/keynote_address_at_the_2004_de.php . April 3, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
  16. News: Randal C . Archibold . The Illinois Candidate; Day After, Keynote Speaker Finds Admirers Everywhere . July 29, 2004 . The New York Times . April 13, 2008 . News: Ronald . Roach . Obama Rising . October 7, 2004 . Black Issues in Higher Education . DiverseEducation.com . April 13, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080616045409/http://www.diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_4041.shtml . June 16, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
  17. News: Charles . Babington . Shailagh Murray . For Now, an Unofficial Rivalry . December 8, 2006 . The Washington Post . January 21, 2008.
    News: Mike . Dorning . Obama's Policy Team Loaded with All-Stars . September 17, 2007 . Chicago Tribune . January 21, 2008.
  18. News: Jodi . Enda . Great Expectations . February 5, 2006 . The American Prospect . January 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080203105143/http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?articleId=10828 . February 3, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
    News: Perry . Bacon Jr. . The Outsider's Insider . August 27, 2007 . The Washington Post . January 14, 2008 .
  19. News: James . Traub . Is (His) Biography (Our) Destiny? . November 4, 2007 . The New York Times . January 14, 2008 .
    News: Neil . King . Obama Tones Foreign-Policy Muscle . September 5, 2007 . The Wall Street Journal . January 14, 2008 .
    News: Lynn . Sweet . Obama Taps Influential Foreign Policy Experts . May 10, 2007 . Chicago Sun-Times . January 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110204104954/http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/379187,CST-EDT-sweet10.article . February 4, 2011 . dead . mdy-all .
  20. http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2007/12/29/obama_europe/ Barack Obama's chairmanship of the Senate Subcommittee on European Affairs
  21. News: Committee Assignments . January 14, 2008 . Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office . https://web.archive.org/web/20061209190827/http://obama.senate.gov/committees/ . December 9, 2006 . dead . mdy-all .
    News: Member Info . Congressional Black Caucus . January 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071228111351/http://www.house.gov/kilpatrick/cbc/member_info.html . December 28, 2007 . dead . mdy .
    See also: News: Jeff . Zeleny . When It Comes to Race, Obama Makes His Point—With Subtlety . June 26, 2005 . Chicago Tribune . January 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080216014942/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-050626obama-race%2C1%2C7205709.story . February 16, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
  22. Tom Baldwin, 'Stay-at-home' Barack Obama comes under fire for a lack of foreign experience, The Times
  23. News: Members of Congress: Barack Obama . GovTrack . March 31, 2008.
    News: Tom . Curry . What Obama's Senate Votes Reveal . February 21, 2008 . NBC News . March 31, 2008.
  24. News: Breaking New Ground: African-American Senators . U.S. Senate Historical Office . February 11, 2008.
  25. Book: Committee and Subcommittee Assignments for the One Hundred Ninth Congress . Erickson, Nancy . Nancy Erickson . . 2011.
  26. Book: Committee and Subcommittee Assignments for the One Hundred Tenth Congress . Erickson, Nancy . Nancy Erickson . . 2011.
  27. News: 109th Congress, 1st Session . U.S. Senate . S. 1033, Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act . May 12, 2005 . Thomas . January 14, 2008 . July 4, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160704184523/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN01033: . dead .
  28. News: Immigration Bill Divides House, Senate . September 22, 2006 . USA Today . January 14, 2008 . See also: News: Obama Statement on Senate Passage of Immigration Reform Bill . May 25, 2006 . Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office . January 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080118105919/http://obama.senate.gov/press/060525-obama_statement_on_senate_passage_of_immigration_reform_bill/index.html . January 18, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
  29. News: Latinos Upset Obama Voted for Border Fence . November 20, 2006 . CBS 2 (Chicago) . January 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927231949/http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_324192245.html . September 27, 2007 . dead . mdy .
  30. News: President Bush Signs Secure Fence Act . October 26, 2006 . White House . January 14, 2008.
  31. News: 109th Congress, 2nd Session . U.S. Senate . S. 2566, Cooperative Proliferation Detection, Interdiction Assistance, and Conventional Threat Reduction Act of 2006 . May 25, 2006 . Thomas . January 14, 2008 . July 28, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130728212446/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN02566: . dead .
  32. News: Richard G . Lugar . Barack Obama . Junkyard Dogs of War . December 3, 2005 . The Washington Post . January 14, 2008.
  33. News: Lugar-Obama Nonproliferation Legislation Signed into Law by the President . January 11, 2007 . Richard Lugar U.S. Senate Office . January 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081218154746/http://obama.senate.gov/press/070111-lugar-obama_non/ . December 18, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
  34. News: Obama, Lugar Secure Funding for Implementation of Nonproliferation Law . Richard Lugar U.S. Senate Office . June 28, 2007 . January 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071227024616/http://lugar.senate.gov/press/record.cfm?id=278019 . December 27, 2007 . dead . mdy .
  35. News: 109th Congress, 2nd Session . U.S. Senate . S. 2590, Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 . April 6, 2006 . Thomas . January 14, 2008 . July 28, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130728212438/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN02590: . dead . News: President Bush Signs Coburn-Obama Transparency Act . September 26, 2006 . Tom Coburn U.S. Senate Office . January 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080110033800/http://coburn.senate.gov/ffm/index.cfm?FuseAction=LegislativeFloorAction.Home&ContentRecord_id=eb582f19-802a-23ad-41db-7a7cb464cfdb . January 10, 2008 . dead . mdy .
  36. News: Elana . Schor . Obama and Coburn revive effort to stop no-bid FEMA contracts . September 14, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080209173848/http://thehill.com/the-executive/obama-and-coburn-revive-effort-to-stop-no-bid-fema-contracts-2006-09-14.html. dead. February 9, 2008. The Hill . September 9, 2008.
  37. News: 109th Congress, 2nd Session . U.S. Senate . S. 2125, Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act . January 3, 2006 . Thomas . January 14, 2008 . January 23, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160123152943/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN02125: . dead .
  38. News: Christina . Larson . Hoosier Daddy: What Rising Democratic Star Barack Obama Can Learn from an Old Lion of the GOP . September 2006 . Washington Monthly . January 14, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080430232404/http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2006/0609.larson.html . April 30, 2008 . mdy .
  39. News: Chuck . Goudie . Obama Meets with Arafat's Successor . January 12, 2006 . ABC 7 News (Chicago) . January 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070211134944/http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=3806933 . February 11, 2007 . dead .
  40. News: Obama Slates Kenya for Fraud . August 28, 2006 . News24.com . January 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080605213213/http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0%2C%2C2-11-1447_1989646%2C00.html . June 5, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
  41. News: Chris . Wamalwa . Envoy Hits at Obama Over Graft Remark . September 2, 2006 . The Standard (Nairobi) . October 19, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071010050740/http://www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143957666 . October 10, 2007 . dead . mdy . News: Vincent . Moracha . Mangoa Mosota . Leaders Support Obama on Graft Claims . September 4, 2006 . The Standard (Nairobi) . October 19, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071007115436/http://www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143957752 . October 7, 2007 . dead . mdy .
  42. http://www.umb.edu/news/2006news/releases/june/obama.html Transcript of Barack Obama commencement remarks at UMASS/Boston
  43. News: Nathaniel . Weixel . Feingold, Obama Go After Corporate Jet Travel . November 15, 2007 . The Hill . January 14, 2008. News: Nathaniel . Weixel . Lawmakers Press FEC on Bundling Regulation . December 5, 2007 . The Hill . January 14, 2008. See also: News: Federal Election Commission Announces Plans to Issue New Regulations to Implement the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 . September 24, 2007 . Federal Election Commission . January 14, 2008.
  44. News: Seth . Stern . Obama-Schumer Bill Proposal Would Criminalize Voter Intimidation . January 31, 2007 . The New York Times . January 14, 2008 . News: 110th Congress, 1st Session . U.S. Senate . S. 453, Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007 . January 31, 2007 . Thomas . January 14, 2008 . September 18, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080918054841/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN00453: . dead . See also: News: Honesty in Elections . January 31, 2007 . The New York Times . editorial . January 14, 2008 .
  45. News: Hebert . H. Josef . Congress Begins Tackling Climate Issues . January 29, 2007 . CBS News . Associated Press . January 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080519182405/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/29/ap/politics/mainD8MV8LBG0.shtml . May 19, 2008 . dead . mdy . News: Elizabeth . Williamson . The Green Gripe With Obama: Liquefied Coal Is Still... Coal . January 10, 2007 . The Washington Post . January 14, 2008 .
  46. News: E. Kasak . Krystin . Obama Introduces Measure to Bring Troops Home . February 7, 2007 . Medill News Service . nwi.com . January 14, 2008 . "Latest Major Action: 1/30/2007 Referred to Senate committee." News: 110th Congress, 1st Session . U.S. Senate . S. 433, Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007 . January 30, 2007 . Thomas . January 14, 2008 . April 14, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160414011940/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN00433: . dead .
  47. News: Obama, Bond Hail New Safeguards on Military Personality Disorder Discharges, Urge Further Action . October 1, 2007 . Kit Bond U.S. Senate Office . January 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101205075008/http://bond.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=5C1EBFEB-1321-0E36-BA7D-04630AEFAD31 . December 5, 2010 . dead . mdy-all . See also: News: Philip . Dine . Bond Calls for Review of Military Discharges . December 23, 2007 . St. Louis Post-Dispatch . February 11, 2008 .
  48. News: 110th Congress, 1st Session . U.S. Senate . S. 1430, Iran Sanctions Enabling Act . May 17, 2007 . Thomas . January 14, 2008 . November 28, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081128063917/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN01430: . dead . See also: News: Adam . Graham-Silverman . Despite Flurry of Action in House, Congress Unlikely to Act Against Iran . September 12, 2007 . CQ Today . January 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081030085402/http://public.cq.com/docs/cqt/news110-000002583189.html . October 30, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
  49. News: Obama, Schiff Provision to Create Nuclear Threat Reduction Plan Approved . December 20, 2007 . Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office . January 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081218154751/http://obama.senate.gov/press/071220-obama_schiff_pr/ . December 18, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
  50. News: Senate Passes Obama, McCaskill Legislation to Provide Safety Net for Families of Wounded Service Members . August 2, 2007 . Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office . January 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081218154819/http://obama.senate.gov/press/070802-senate_passes_o_1/ . December 18, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
  51. News: Tony . Pugh . Margaret Talev . Battles Set After Health Bill Veto . October 4, 2007 . Philadelphia Inquirer . January 14, 2008.
  52. News: Members of Congress: Barack Obama . GovTrack . March 31, 2008 .
    News: David . Nather . The Space Between Clinton and Obama . January 14, 2008 . CQ Weekly . April 8, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080724001128/http://public.cq.com/docs/cqw/weeklyreport110-000002654703.html . July 24, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
    See also: News: Tom . Curry . What Obama's Senate Votes Reveal . February 21, 2008 . NBC News . April 8, 2008 .
  53. News: Obama: Most Liberal Senator In 2007. National Journal. January 31, 2008. April 27, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080428055419/http://nj.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/. April 28, 2008. dead. mdy-all. See also: Web site: From The Editor . April 28, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080415000404/http://nj.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/qanda.htm . April 15, 2008 . dead . mdy-all . and Web site: Key Votes Used To Calculate The Ratings . April 28, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080413115051/http://nj.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/votes.htm . April 13, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
  54. Web site: Is Obama a liberal?.
  55. News: Obama Interview . transcript . February 12, 2008 . WJLA-TV . April 27, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080625055338/http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=0B213312-3048-5C12-000E0262A76D6B18 . June 25, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
  56. Web site: Senator Barack H. Obama Jr. (IL) . Project Vote Smart . April 27, 2008.
  57. Web site: 2007 Congressional Voting Record Inside . ADA Today . Americans for Democratic Action . February 2008 . April 27, 2008.
  58. Web site: Election 2008: Presidential, Senate and House Races . electoral-vote.com . April 10, 2008 . April 9, 2008.
  59. News: ON THE WHITE HOUSE; If the Senate Reconvenes, Two Seats May Be Empty . November 21, 2008. November 14, 2008 . The New York Times. Baker, Peter.
  60. News: Dems accept Burris into the Senate . Raju . Manu; Bresnahan, John . January 12, 2009 . Politico .
  61. News: William . Skidelsky . Revolutionising the Future: From Tennis to Teleportation . October 17, 2005 . New Statesman . January 14, 2008.
  62. Perry . Bacon Jr. . Barack Obama: The Future of the Democratic Party? . April 18, 2005 . Time . January 14, 2008 . February 8, 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070208175236/http://www.time.com/time/subscriber/2005/time100/leaders/100obama.html . dead . Joe . Klein . The TIME 100: Barack Obama . May 14, 2007 . Time . January 14, 2009 . August 24, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130824170755/http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100/article/0,28804,1595326_1615513_1615496,00.html . dead .
  63. News: Commencement 2005: Knox honors U.S. Senator Barack Obama . May 10, 2005 . Knox College . January 14, 2008.
  64. News: U.S. Sen. Barack Obama to Receive Honorary Degree, Address 2,500 UMass Boston Graduates . May 26, 2006 . University of Massachusetts Boston . January 14, 2008.
  65. News: Commencement 2006: Sen. Obama to Address Grads . June 6, 2006 . Northwestern University . January 14, 2008.
  66. News: Sen. Obama Addresses Xavier Graduates . August 13, 2006 . USA Today . Associated Press . January 14, 2008.
  67. News: SNHU Commencement with Sen. Barack Obama . May 19, 2007 . Southern New Hampshire University . January 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070704024303/http://www.snhu.edu/6736.asp . July 4, 2007.
  68. News: Obama Calls the 'Joshua Generation' . September 28, 2007 . Boston Globe . January 14, 2008 . Scott . Helman.
  69. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX5WEgqw6pM Barack Obama at Wesleyan Commencement Ceremony – YouTube
  70. News: Brooks . Boliek . Sen. Obama Finally Gets His Grammy . September 6, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070118054250/http://www.entertainment-news.org/breaking/54592/sen-obama-finally-gets-his-grammy.html . dead . January 18, 2007 . Reuters/Hollywood Reporter . January 14, 2008 .
  71. News: Obama Wins a Grammy for 'Hope' Book . February 10, 2008 . KVOA.com . Associated Press . February 17, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080421103217/http://www.kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=7850708&nav=HMO6HMaY . April 21, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
  72. News: Nico . Gnecchi . Obama Receives Hero's Welcome at His Family's Ancestral Village in Kenya . https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20090825213415/http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2006-08/2006-08-27-voa17.cfm . dead . August 25, 2009 . . August 27, 2006 . February 25, 2008 . mdy .

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