Barack+Obama

Barack Hussein Obama Jr. (August 4, 1961) is the junior Senato of Illinois who is running in the presidential campaign of 2008 for the Democratic nomination for president. He is the fifth African American Senator in history, the only African American currently in the .S. Senate, and the third to be popularly elected. He is currently running in the 2008 Presidential campaign




 * Biography**

Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Obama Sr. and Ann Dunham (father born in Kenya from a Luo tribe and mother born in Wichita, Kentucky). Obama's mother and father, while attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa, had their son in the East-West Center of the school. At two years old, his parents were separated from each other and later divorced. Obama went with his father to Harvard, where Obama Sr. pursued a Ph.D., and later moved back to Kenya with his son. His mother took him at the age of 6-10 to Indonesia where he attended classes that taught Indonesian. Later on, he moved back to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents and attended Punahou Academy for the 5th grade up to his graduation in 1979.

He attended Occidental College for two years, then transferred to the Colombian University in New York City and majored in political science. He moved to Chicagoin 1985 where he became a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ. Obama attended Havard Law School in 1988, and graduated magna cum laude in 1991.


 * 2008 presidental election**

In February 2007, in front of the Old State Capital building in Springfield, Illinois, Obama announced his canidancy in the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign. He described his work life in Illinois, linking his campaign with Abraham Lincoln's "House Divided" speech,stating: "That is why, in the shadow of the Old State Capital, where Lincoln once called on a house divided to stand together, where common dreams still live, I stand before you today to announce my candidancy for __President of the United States of America__." He made his role on the Democratic side of the campaign, with other Democratic campaigners first lady Hilary Rodham Clinton and vice presidential nominee John McCain.

[[image:http://obama.senate.gov/img/pic_obama_bio.jpg width="200"]] [[image:http://www.buttonzup.com/08_Obama_Buttons_page.jpg width="338" height="558"]]
__Health Care__ FactCheck: Reducing obesity would save $18B, not $1T. (Dec 2007) Being poor in this country is hazardous to your health. (Dec 2007) Problem isn't mandating coverage, but affording it. (Nov 2007) FactCheck: Coverage plan might leave 8.5 million uninsured. (Nov 2007) Tackle insurance companies on reimbursement system. (Oct 2007) Help young people deal with the cost of medical education. (Oct 2007) Government healthcare like members of Congress have. (Sep 2007) Morally wrong that terminally ill must consider money. (Sep 2007) FactCheck: Correct that insurance lobbying cost $1B. (Sep 2007) National smoking bans only after trying local bans. (Sep 2007) Increase competition in the insurance and drug markets. (Aug 2007) National Health Insurance Exchange for private coverage. (Aug 2007) Reform failed in '90s because of drug company lobbying. (Jul 2007) Health plan cuts typical family's premium by $2,500 a year. (Jun 2007) Give people the choice to buy affordable health care. (Jun 2007) Take on insurance companies; drive down health care costs. (Jun 2007) National insurance pool & catastrophic insurance. (Apr 2007) Employers are going to have to pay or play. (Mar 2007) Need political will to accomplish universal coverage. (Mar 2007) Address minority health needs by more coverage & targeting. (Mar 2007) Healthcare system is broken without lifetime employment. (Oct 2006) The market alone can't solve our health-care woes. (Oct 2006) Health care tied to balancing costs and taxes nation wide. (Jun 2006) Allowing seniors to bulk purchase will save taxpayers' money. (Oct 2004) Crises happen in our lives and healthcare is necessary. (Oct 2004) Believes health care is a right, not a privilege for the few. (Sep 2004) Allow prescription drug re-importation. (May 2004) Will expand health coverage & allow meds to be re-imported. (May 2004) Ensure access to basic care. (Jul 1998)
 * Issues on the U.S.**

__Economy and Budget__

Bush & GOP dug budget hole; need 1 or 2 years to dig out. (Dec 2007) Take China "to the mat" about currency manipulation. (Dec 2007) Regulate financial instruments to protect home mortgages. (Aug 2007) Return to PayGo: compensate for all new spending. (Oct 2006) Bush's economic policies are not working. (May 2004) Supports federal programs to protect rural economy. (May 2004) Voted NO on paying down federal debt by rating programs' effectiveness. (Mar 2007) Voted NO on $40B in reduced federal overall spending. (Dec 2005)

__Education__ We need a sense of urgency about improving education system. (Sep 2007) Nationwide program to reconstruct crumbling school buildings. (Sep 2007) STEP UP: summer learning opportunities for disadvantaged. (Aug 2007) We left the money behind for No Child Left Behind. (Aug 2007) Pay "master teachers" extra, but with buy-in from teachers. (Aug 2007) Sends kids to private school; but wants good schools for all. (Jul 2007) Supreme Court was wrong on school anti-integration ruling. (Jul 2007) Incentives to hire a million teachers over next decade. (Jun 2007) Pay teachers more money & treat them like professionals. (Jun 2007) Public school system status quo is indefensible. (Oct 2006) More teacher pay in exchange for more teacher accountability. (Oct 2006) Guarantee affordable life-long, top-notch education. (Jun 2006) Provide decent funding and get rid of anti-intellectualism. (Jul 2004) Address the growing achievement gap between students. (May 2004) Will add 25,000 teachers in high-need areas. (May 2004) Supports charter schools and private investment in schools. (Jul 1998) Free public college for any student with B-average. (Jul 1998)

__Immigration__ Comprehensive solution includes employers & borders. (Nov 2007) Undocumented workers come here to work, not to drive. (Nov 2007) Support granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. (Nov 2007) FactCheck: Lightning IS likelier than employer prosecution. (Nov 2007) Illegal immigrants' lack of ID is a public safety concern. (Oct 2007) Immigration system is broken for legal immigrants. (Sep 2007) Reform must include more border security, and border wall. (Sep 2007) Sanctuary cities show that feds are not enforcing law. (Sep 2007) Pathway to citizenship, but people have to earn it. (Aug 2007) Let's be a nation of laws AND a nation of immigrants. (Aug 2007) Do a better job patrolling the Canadian and Mexican borders. (Jun 2007) Give immigrants who are here a rigorous path to citizenship. (Jun 2007) Extend welfare and Medicaid to immigrants. (Jul 1998) Voted YES on comprehensive immigration reform. (Jun 2007) Voted NO on declaring English as the official language of the US government. (Jun 2007) Voted YES on building a fence along the Mexican border. (Sep 2006) Voted YES on establishing a Guest Worker program. (May 2006) Voted YES on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security. (May 2006) Voted YES on giving Guest Workers a path to citizenship. (May 2006) Rated 8% by USBC, indicating an open-border stance. (Dec 2006)

__Iraq__ Surge strategy has made a difference in Iraq but failed. (Nov 2007) Clinton has not been consistent on the Iraq War. (Oct 2007) Leave troops for protection of Americans & counterterrorism. (Sep 2007) Hopes to remove all troops from Iraq by 2013, but no pledge. (Sep 2007) Surge has not succeeded because it ignores political issues. (Sep 2007) Tell people the truth: quickest is 1-2 brigades per month. (Sep 2007) No good options in Iraq--just bad options & worse options. (Aug 2007) Be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in. (Jul 2007) Troops not dying in vain; but we need plans for success. (Jul 2007) We live in a more dangerous world because of Bush's actions. (Jun 2007) Case for war was weak, but people voted their best judgment. (Jun 2007) War in Iraq is "dumb" but troops still need equipment. (Apr 2007) Increase ground forces in Iraq to decrease troop rotations. (Apr 2007) Open-ended Iraq occupation must end: no military solution. (Apr 2007) Begin withdrawal May 1 2007; finish by March 31 2008. (Apr 2007) Open dialogue with both Syria and Iran. (Apr 2007) Withdraw gradually and keep some troops in Iraq region. (Mar 2007) Iraq 2002: ill-conceived venture; 2007: waste of resources. (Feb 2007) Longtime critic of Iraq war. (Nov 2006) Saddam did not own and was not providing WMD to terrorists. (Oct 2004) Initial military was extraordinarily successful in Iraq. (Oct 2004) Invading Iraq was a bad strategic blunder. (Oct 2004) We must make sure that Iraq is stable having gone in there. (Oct 2004) Advance the training speed and get the reconstruction moving. (Oct 2004) Democratizing Iraq will be more difficult than Afghanistan. (Oct 2004) Never fudge numbers or shade the truth about war. (Jul 2004) Set a new tone to internationalize the Iraqi reconstruction. (Jul 2004) Iraq war was sincere but misguided, ideologically driven. (Jul 2004) Not opposed to all wars, but opposed to the war in Iraq. (Jul 2004) International voice in Iraq in exchange for debt forgiveness. (Jul 2004)

Primaries

February 19, 2008 ||  ||   ||   ||
 * State || Date || Place in poll || Votes and Percentage || Total Delegates ||
 * Alabama || February 05, 2008 || Winner || 302,684-56% || 21 ||
 * Alaska || February 05, 2008 || Winner || 302-75% || 10 ||
 * Arizona || February 05, 2008 || 2nd Place || 191,681-42% || 23 ||
 * Arkansas || February 05, 2008 || 2nd Place || 80,774-26% || 8 ||
 * California || February 05, 2008 || 2nd Place || 1,890,026-42% || 35 ||
 * Colorado || February 05, 2008 || Winner || 79,344-67% || 15 ||
 * Connecticut || February 05, 2008 || Winner || 179,349-51% || 29 ||
 * Delaware || February 05, 2008 || Winner || 51,124-53% || 9 ||
 * Florida || January 29 2008 || 2nd place || 569,041-33% || 0 ||
 * Georgia || February 05, 2008 || Winner || 700,357-67% || 30 ||
 * Hawaii || February 19, 2008 ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Idaho || February 05, 2008 || Winner || 16,880-79% || 17 ||
 * Illinois || February 05, 2008 || Winner || 1,256,543-65% || 92 ||
 * Indiana || May 06, 2008 ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Iowa || January 19, 2008 || Winner || 940-38% || 18 ||
 * Kansas || February 05, 2008 || Winner || 27,172-74% || 24 ||
 * Kentucky ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Louisiana || February 09, 2008 || Winner || 220,588-57% || 35 ||
 * Maine ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Maryland || February 13, 2008 || Winner || 457,053-60% || 34 ||
 * Massachusetts || February 05, 2008 || 2nd Place || 511,887-41% || 43 ||
 * Michigan ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Minnesota || February 05, 2008 || Winner || 137,281-67% || 51 ||
 * Mississipi || March 11, 2008 || Winner || 255,809-67% || 22 ||
 * Missouri || February 05, 2008 || Winner || 405,284-49% || 40 ||
 * Montana ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Nebraska || February 09, 2008 ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Nevada || January 19, 2008 || 2nd Place || 4,773-45% || 14 ||
 * New Hampshire || January 08, 2008 || 2nd Place || 104,772-37% || 12 ||
 * New Jersey || February 05, 2008 || 2nd Place || 492,186-44% || 52 ||
 * New Mexico || February 05, 2008 || 2nd Place || 71,396-48% || 14 ||
 * New York || February 05, 2008 || 2nd Place || 679,914-40% || 94 ||
 * North Carolina || May 06, 2008 ||  ||   ||   ||
 * North Dakota || February 05, 2008 || Winner || 11,625-61% || 12 ||
 * Ohio ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Oklahoma || February 05, 2008 || 2nd Place || 130,087-31% || 14 ||
 * Oregon || March 04, 2008 || 2nd || 979,025-44% || 69 ||
 * Pennsylvania || April 22, 2008 ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Rhode Island || March 04, 2008 || 2nd || 75,115-40% || 10 ||
 * South Carolina || January 26, 2008 || Winner || 295,091-55% || 26 ||
 * South Dakota || June 03, 2008 ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Tennessee || February 05, 2008 || 2nd Place || 250,730-41% || 22 ||
 * Texas || March 04, 2008 || 2nd || 1,358,785-47% || 71 ||
 * Utah || February 05, 2008 || Winner || 70,373-57% || 14 ||
 * Vermont || March 04, 2008 || Winner || 91,740-59% || 14 ||
 * Virginia || February 12, 2008 || Winner || 623,141-64% || 58 ||
 * Washington || February 09, 2008
 * West Virginia ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Wisconsin || February 19, 2008 || Winner || 646,007-58% || 51 ||
 * Wyoming ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * American Samoa || February 05, 2008 ||  ||   ||   ||
 * District of Colombia || February 12, 2008 || Winner || 85,534-75% || 15 ||