���

Obama redirects here. For the city in Japan, see Obama, Fukui.

Barack Hussein Obama (born August 4, 1961) is the junior U.S. Senator from Illinois. According to the U.S. Senate Historical Office, he is the fifth African American Senator in U.S. history and the only African American now serving in the U.S. Senate.U.S. Senate Historical Office, Breaking New Ground: African American Senators Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention while still serving in the Illinois State Senate. In November 2004, he was elected to the United States Senate as a Democrat by a landslide in a presidential election year marked by Republican gains. Recent opinion polls identify Obama as the second most popular choice among Democratic voters for their party's nomination in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, after Hillary Clinton.Polling Report, White House 2008: Democratic Nomination

Early life and career

See also: Dreams from My Father

Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. of Nyangoma-Kogelo, Siaya District, Kenya, and Ann Dunham of Wichita, Kansas. His parents met while both were attending the East-West Center of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where his father was enrolled as a foreign student. In his 1995 memoir, Dreams from My Father, Obama describes a nearly race-blind early childhood. He 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."Barack Obama, Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, New York: Times Books, 1995.Barack Obama: Creation of Tales, The East African, November 1, 2004 (book excerpts)

When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced and his father returned to Kenya. His mother then married an Indonesian foreign student, moving to Jakarta with Obama when he was six years old. Four years later, Obama returned to Hawaii to live with his maternal grandparents.William Finnegan, The Candidate: How the Son of a Kenyan Economist Became an Illinois Everyman, New Yorker, 24 May 2004 He was enrolled in the fifth grade at Punahou School where he graduated from high school in 1979.Peter Serafin, Punahou grad stirs up Illinois politics, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, March 21, 2004

In Dreams from My Father, Obama writes about smoking marijuana and trying cocaine during his teenage years. Inviting journalists to contrast his earlier admission with Bill Clinton's "didn't inhale" remarks made during the 1992 presidential campaign, Obama recently stated: "I inhaled—that was the point."Media Bistro, Barack Obama: 'I Inhaled — That Was The Point', Daily Fishbow NY Feed, October 23, 2006 Obama added: "It was reflective of the struggles and confusion of a teenage boy; teenage boys are frequently confused."Katharine Q. Seelye, Barack Obama, asked about drug history, admits he inhaled, New York Times article reprinted in International Herald Tribune, October 24, 2006

After high school, Obama studied for two years at Occidental College, before transferring to Columbia College, an undergraduate division of Columbia University. There he majored in political science, with a specialization in international relations. Upon graduation in 1983, Obama worked for one year at Business International Corporation before moving to Chicago and taking a job with a non-profit organization helping local churches organize job training programs for residents of poor neighborhoods.Shira Boss-Bicak, Barack Obama ’83, Columbia College Today, January 2005

Obama then left Chicago for three years to study at Harvard Law School. He was elected president of the Harvard Law Review, obtaining his Juris Doctor degree, magna cum laude, in 1991. On returning to Chicago, Obama supported a voter registration drive, then worked for the civil rights law firm Miner, Barnhill and Galland, and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1993 until his federal election.University of Chicago Law School, Faculty / Barack Obama / Curriculum Vitae

State legislature

In 1996, Obama was elected to the Illinois State Senate from the 13th District in the south side neighborhood of Hyde Park, in Chicago. In January 2003, Democrats regained control of the chamber, and Sen. Obama was named chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.Jesse White, ed., Illinois Blue Book: 2003-2004, page 81.

Obama helped to author an Earned Income Tax Credit for the state that provided benefits to the working poor. He also worked for legislation that would cover residents who could not afford health insurance, and helped pass bills to increase funding for AIDS prevention and care programs.State of Illinois, Senator Barack Obama, 91st General Assembly

In 2000, Obama made an unsuccessful Democratic primary run for the U.S. House of Representatives seat held by four-term incumbent candidate Bobby Rush. Rush, a former Black Panther and community activist, charged that Obama hadn't "been around the first congressional district long enough to really see what's going on".Noam Scheiber, Race Against History, The New Republic, May 31, 2004 Rush received 61% of the vote, while Obama received 30%.Federal Election Commission, 2000 U.S. House of Representatives Results

After the loss, Obama rededicated his efforts to the state Senate. In his 2002 campaign, he ran unopposed. Obama authored a law requiring police to videotape interrogations for crimes punishable by the death penalty. He also pushed through legislation that would force insurance companies to cover routine mammograms.State Legislation Relating to the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act of 2000, National Conference of State Legislatures, July 2002State of Illinois, Senator Barack Obama, 92nd General Assembly

Reviewing Obama's career in the Illinois State Senate, commentators noted his ability to work effectively with both Democrats and Republicans, and to build coalitions.Richard S. Dunham, After Sharpton: The Great Black Hopes, Business Week, April 12, 2004Bob Herbert, A Leap of Faith, New York Times, June 4, 2004 In his subsequent campaign for the U.S. Senate, Obama won the endorsement of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, whose officials cited his "longtime support of gun control measures and his willingness to negotiate compromises", this despite his support for some bills that the police union had opposed.Colleen Mastony, Cops give Obama subdued reception, Chicago Tribune, August 20, 2004

Keynote address

See also: 2004 Democratic National Convention

Midway through his campaign for U.S. Senator, Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts.Barack Obama, Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, July 27, 2004

After describing his maternal grandfather's experiences as a World War II veteran and a beneficiary of the New Deal's FHA and GI 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 handling 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 was 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 our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.

Senate campaign

A campaign banner used by Obama supporters during his 2004 bid for the Senate.

Main article: Illinois United States Senate election, 2004

In 2004, Obama ran 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. However, Hull's popularity declined following allegations of domestic abuse. David Mendell, Obama routs Democratic foes; Ryan tops crowded GOP field, Chicago Tribune, March 17, 2004 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.Scott Fornek, Obama's appeal spans racial lines, Chicago Sun-Times, Mar 18, 2004Christopher Hayes, Check Bounce, TNR Online, March 17, 2004 From a crowded field of seven candidates, Obama received over 52% of the vote in the March 16, 2004 primary, emerging well ahead of his Democratic rivals.Illinois Primary 2004: Primary Elections Results, Chicago Tribune

Obama was then matched in the general election against Jack Ryan, winner of the Republican primary. However, Ryan withdrew from the race on June 25, 2004 following public disclosure of child custody divorce records containing embarrassing sexual allegations by Ryan's ex-wife.CNN, Ryan drops out of Senate race in Illinois, June 25, 2004 On August 8, 2004, with less than three months to go before election day, Alan Keyes accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination to replace Ryan.Maura Kelly Lannan, Alan Keyes enters U.S. Senate race in Illinois against rising Democratic star, Union-Tribune (AP), August 9, 2004 A long-time resident of Maryland, Keyes established legal residency in Illinois with the nomination.Liam Ford and David Mendell, Keyes sets up house in Cal City, Chicago Tribune, August 13, 2004 Through three televised debates, Obama and Keyes expressed opposing views on stem cell research, abortion, gun control, school vouchers, and tax cuts.Alan Keyes Archives, 2004 Illinois Debates In the general election held November 2, 2004, Obama received 70% of the popular vote to Keyes' 27%--one of the most one-sided results ever for a statewide race in Illinois.CNN, America Votes 2004: U.S. Senate / Illinois Many pundits believed that Ryan's withdrawal from the race all but assured Obama of a seat in the Senate.

Senate career

Obama was sworn in as a Senator on January 4, 2005. He then ranked 99th out of 100 Senators in terms of official seniority, ranking ahead of only new fellow freshman Democrat Ken Salazar of Colorado. During his first months in office Obama drew praise for his perceived attempts to avoid the limelight and focus on being a senator when the Washington Post article reported an anecdote of Obama refusing an upgrade to first-class on a flight home. Mark Leibovich, The Senator's Humble Beginning, Washington Post, February 2005

Obama's public profile continued to climb through 2005 and 2006. TIME magazine named Obama one of "the world's most influential people," listing him among twenty "Leaders and Revolutionaries" for his high-profile entrance to federal politics and his popularity within the Democratic Party.TIME magazine, The 2005 Time 100: Leaders and Revolutionaries An October 2005 article in the British journal New Statesman listed Obama as one of "10 people who could change the world."William Skidelsky, Revolutionising the future: from tennis to teleportation, October 17, 2005 During his first two years in the Senate, Obama received Honorary Doctorates of Law from Knox College, University of Massachusetts Boston, Northwestern University, and Xavier University of Louisiana.Knox College, Knox honors U.S. Senator Barack Obama, May 10, 2005University of Massachusetts Boston, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama to Receive Honorary Degree, June 2, 2006Northwestern University, Sen. Obama to Address Grads, June 6, 2006USA Today (AP), Sen. Obama addresses Xavier graduates, August 13, 2006

Sponsored legislation

Education

In April 2005, Obama sponsored his first Senate bill, the "Higher Education Opportunity through Pell Grant Expansion Act", S. 697.Higher Education Opportunity Through Pell Grant Expansion Act, S 697 IS, 109th Congress, April 5, 2005 Entered in fulfillment of a campaign promise to help needy students pay their college tuitions, the bill proposed increasing the maximum amount of Pell Grant awards to $5,100.Lynne Sweet, Obama's 1st bill: raising Pell Grants, Chicago Sun-Times, March 29, 2005 Provision for Pell Grant awards was later incorporated into the "Deficit Reduction Act", S. 1932, signed by President George W. Bush on February 8, 2006.AASCU, Alerts and Advisories: Impact of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2006, March 3, 2006

Immigration

Obama was a co-sponsor of the "Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act", S. 1033, introduced by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on May 12, 2005.Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act, S. 1033, 109th Congress, May 12, 2005 Obama also supported a later revision, the "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act", S. 2611, passed by the Senate on May 25, 2006.Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, S. 2611, 109th Congress, May 25, 2006 He offered three amendments that were included in the bill passed by the Senate: (1) to protect American workers against unfair job competition from guest workers; (2) require employer verification of their employees' legal immigration status through improved verification systems; and (3) fund improvements in FBI background checks of immigrants applying for U.S. citizenship.Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office, Obama Statement on Senate Passage of Immigration Reform Bill, Press Release, May 25, 2006 In December 2005, the U.S. House of Representatives had passed a parallel bill, H.R. 4437, which provides for enhanced border security measures, but does not address the broader immigration reforms contained in the Senate's bill. As of November 2006, the House and Senate were unable to reconcile the two versions.Immigration bill divides House, Senate, USA Today (AP), September 22, 2006

Nonproliferation

In November 2005, Obama and Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) introduced the "Cooperative Proliferation Detection, Interdiction Assistance, and Conventional Threat Reduction Act" to expand the Nunn-Lugar cooperative threat reduction concept to conventional weapons, including shoulder-fired missiles and anti-personnel mines.Richard G. Lugar and Barack Obama, Junkyard Dogs of War, Washington Post, December 3, 2005Cooperative Proliferation Detection, Interdiction Assistance, and Conventional Threat Reduction Act of 2006, S. 2566, 109th Congress, May 25, 2006 The bill, also known as "Lugar-Obama", was passed out of committee and reported to the Senate in May 2006.Richard Lugar U.S. Senate Office, Lugar-Obama Bill Heads to Senate Floor, May 23, 2006

Transparency

Obama joined with Senators Coburn (R-OK), Carper (D-DE), and McCain (R-AZ) in sponsoring the "Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act", S. 2590, to provide citizens with a website, 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.Steve Lilienthal, Coburn-Obama Effort To Curb Wasteful Federal Spending, Accuracy In Media, August 17, 2006 President George W. Bush signed the bill, also referred to as the "Coburn-Obama Transparency Act", into law on September 26, 2006.Tom Coburn U.S. Senate Office, President Bush Signs Coburn-Obama Transparency Act, Press Release, September 26, 2006

Congressional delegations

Russia and Eastern Europe

During the August recess of 2005, Obama traveled with Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to Russia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan. The latest in Lugar's series of Nunn-Lugar visits to the region, the trip focused on strategies to control the world's supply of conventional weapons, biological weapons, and weapons of mass destruction as a strategic first defense against the threat of future terrorist attacks.Christina Larson, Hoosier Daddy: What rising Democratic star Barack Obama can learn from an old lion of the GOP, The Washington Monthly, September 2006

Lugar and Obama inspected a Nunn-Lugar program supported nuclear warhead destruction facility at Saratov, in southern European Russia.Richard G. Lugar U.S. Senate Office, Lugar visits Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan to Advance Nunn-Lugar Agreements, The Lugar Letter, September 2005 In a diplomatic incident the Moscow Times reported as reminiscent of the Cold War, the delegation's departure from an airport in the city of Perm, at the foot of the Ural Mountains, was delayed for three hours when Russian guards sought unsuccessfully to search their plane.Stephen Boykewich, Nukes Giving Old Rivals a Rough Ride, Moscow Times, October 26, 2005] (alternate link) In Ukraine, Lugar and Obama toured a disease control and prevention facility and witnessed the signing of a bilateral pact to secure biological pathogens and combat risks of infectious disease outbreaks from natural causes or bioterrorism.Jeff Zeleny, U.S., Ukraine sign pact on germ threat, Chicago Tribune, August 30, 2005 (alternate link)

Middle East

In January 2006 Obama joined Senators Bayh (D-IN), Bond (R-MO), and Congressman Ford (D-TN) for meetings with U.S. military in Kuwait and Iraq. After the visits, Obama split off from the others for more meetings in Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories. While in Israel, Obama met with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom. A planned meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had been cancelled due to his recent stroke.Associated Press, Obama meets Shalom, offers support for Israel, Israel Insider, January 11, 2006

Obama also met with a group of Palestinian students two weeks before Hamas won the January 2006 Palestinian legislative election. ABC News 7 (Chicago) reported Obama telling the students that "the US will never recognize winning Hamas candidates unless the group renounces its fundamental mission to eliminate Israel", and that he had conveyed the same message in his meeting with Palestinian authority President Mahmoud Abbas.Chuck Goudie, Obama meets with Arafat's successor, ABC 7 News (Chicago), January 12, 2006 After the election, Obama said: "My hope is that as a consequence of now being responsible for electricity and picking up garbage and basic services to the Palestinian people, that they recognize it's time to moderate their stance."Joseph Braude, Islamists and Pragmatic Governance, New Republic Online, April 18, 2006 Referring to Obama's comment, editorial columnist George F. Will coined the phrase "Garbage Collection Theory of History."George F. Will, The State Of Our Cynicism, Washington Post, January 31, 2006

Africa

In August 2006, Obama left for his third official trip, traveling as a Congressional delegation of one to South Africa and Kenya, and making stops in Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Chad.

The trip's Kenya segment merged policy and personal elements. Obama flew his wife and two daughters from Chicago to join him in a visit to his father's birthplace, the village of Nyangoma-Kogelo, Siaya District, located near Kisumu in Kenya's rural west. Newspapers reported enthusiastic crowds at Obama's public appearances.Michela Wrong, Africa: Kenya glimpses a new kind of hero, New Statesman, September 11, 2006 In a public gesture aimed to capitalize on his celebrity and encourage more Kenyans to undergo voluntary HIV testing, Obama and his wife took HIV tests at a Kenyan clinic.CNN (AP), "Kenya 'beats the drums' for Sen. Obama", August 24, 2006

In a nationally televised speech to students and faculty at the University of Nairobi, Obama spoke forcefully on the influence of ethnic rivalries in Kenyan politics: "Ethnic-based politics has to stop. It is rooted in the bankrupt ideology that the goal of politics is to pile as much as possible to one's family, tribe or friends. It fractures the fabric of society", Obama stated.News24.com, Obama slates Kenya for fraud, August 28, 2006 The speech touched off a public debate among rival leaders, some formally challenging Obama's remarks as unfair and improper, others defending his positions.Chris Wamalwa, Envoy hits at Obama over graft remark, The Standard (Nairobi), September 2, 2006Vincent Moracha and Mangoa Mosota, Leaders support Obama on graft claims, The Standard (Nairobi), September 4, 2006

Political advocacy

Speaking before the National Press Club in April 2005, Obama defended the New Deal social welfare policies of Franklin D. Roosevelt, equating Republican proposals to establish private accounts for Social Security with Social Darwinism.Ben A. Franklin, The Fifth Black Senator in U.S. History Makes F.D.R. His Icon, Washington Spectator, June 1, 2005

Also in 2005, in a move more typically taken after several years of holding high political office, Obama established his own leadership political action committee devoted to channeling financial support for Democratic candidates. He has become an effective Democratic fundraiser and much sought after ally. According to an article in the Chicago Sun-Times, Obama participated in 38 fundraising events in 2005, helping to pull in $6.55 million for political issues and candidates he supports.Lynn Sweet, Obama opens new chapter, Chicago Sun-Times, January 22, 2006

Obama is among the first national politicians to actively engage the public through new Internet communication tools. In late 2005, he began podcasting from his U.S. Senate official web site. It has been reported that Obama responds to and has personally participated in online discussions hosted on politically-oriented blogosphere sites. Daniel Terdiman, Congress catching on to the value of blogs, CNET News.com, January 26, 2006

In May 2006, Obama campaigned to maintain a $0.54 per gallon tariff on imported ethanol. Obama justified the tariff by joining Senator Durbin in stating that "ethanol imports are neither necessary nor a practical response to current gasoline prices," arguing instead that domestic ethanol production is sufficient and expanding.Tom Harkin U.S. Senate Office, Harkin urges Bush to stop undercutting U.S. ethanol production, May 9, 2006

In June 2006, Obama campaigned against making recent, temporary estate tax cuts permanent, calling the cuts a "Paris Hilton" tax break for "billionaire heirs and heiresses".Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office, Remarks by Senator Barack Obama on the Paris Hilton Tax Break, June 7, 2006

Also in June 2006, Obama worked to broaden his party's political base, encouraging Democrats to reach out to evangelicals and other church-going 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."Michael Lerner, U.S. Senator Barack Obama Critiques Democrats' Religiophobia, Tikkun, July 3, 2006

Hill Monitor, a nonpartisan vote tracking group, ranked Obama fourth in frequency of voting with the majority of his party during the 109th Congress, as of September 2006. Obama's rank follows Democratic Party Senators Mikulski (D-MD), Sarbanes (D-MD), and Durbin (D-IL).Hill Monitor,