BARACK OBAMA

'Barack Hussein Obama' (born August 4, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party. The U.S. Senate Historical Office lists him as the fifth African American Senator in U.S. history and the only African American currently serving in the U.S. Senate.^[1]
Born to a black Kenyan father and a white American mother, Obama grew up in culturally diverse surroundings. He spent most of his childhood in the majority-minority U.S. state of Hawaii and lived for four years in 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.^[2][3] 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.
He is among the Democratic Party's leading candidates for nomination in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.^[4] Since announcing his candidacy in February 2007, Obama has emphasized ending the Iraq War and implementing universal health care as campaign themes. Obama Launches Presidential Bid Video at Brightcove.com.^[5] He married in 1992 and has two daughters. He has authored 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.^[6]

Contents

Early life and career

State legislature

Keynote address at 2004 Democratic National Convention

Senate campaign

Senate career

109th Congress

110th Congress

Presidential campaign

Political advocacy

Personal life

Books authored

Cultural and political image

Recognition and honors

References

Cited works

Further reading

External links

Early life and career

Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. (born in Nyanza Province, Kenya) and Ann Dunham (born in Wichita, Kansas).^[7] His parents met while both were attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where his father was enrolled as a foreign student.^[8] Obama's parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced.^[9] His father went to Harvard University to pursue Ph.D. studies, then returned to Kenya, where he died in an auto accident when the younger Obama was twenty-one years old.^[10] His mother married Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian foreign student, with whom she had one daughter, Maya.^[11] The family moved to Jakarta in 1967, where Obama attended local schools from ages 6 to 10.^[12] He then returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents while attending Punahou School from 5th grade until his graduation in 1979.^[13] Obama's mother died of ovarian cancer a few months after the publication of his 1995 memoir, ''Dreams from My Father''.^[14]
In the memoir, Obama describes his experiences growing up in his mother's American middle class family. His knowledge about his absent Luo father came mainly through family stories and photographs.^[15] 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."^[16] The book describes his struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage.^[17] He used alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine during his teenage years, Obama writes, to "push questions of who I was out of my mind."^[18]
After graduating from Punahou, Obama studied at Occidental College for two years, then transferred to Columbia University, where he majored in political science with a specialization in international relations.^[19] Barack Obama ’83: Is He the New Face of The Democratic Party? Shira Boss-Bicak He received his B.A. degree in 1983, then worked for one year at Business International Corporation^[20] before moving to Chicago to take a job as a community organizer.^[21] He entered Harvard Law School in 1988.^[22] In 1990, ''The New York Times'' reported his election as the ''Harvard Law Review's'' "first black president in its 104-year history."^[23] He completed his J.D. degree ''magna cum laude'' in 1991. Curriculum Vitae On returning to Chicago, Obama directed a voter registration drive. Curriculum Vitae As an associate attorney with Miner, Barnhill & Galland from 1993 to 1996, he represented community organizers, discrimination claims, and voting rights cases. Law Graduate Obama Got His Start in Civil Rights Practice 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.^[24]

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.^[25] 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.^[26] He was reelected to the Illinois Senate in 1998 and 2002, officially resigning in November 2004 following his election to the U.S. Senate.^[27][28] As a state legislator, Obama worked with both Democrats and Republicans in drafting successful legislation on ethics and health care reform. Obama Forged Political Mettle in Illinois Capitol Peter Slevin See also: Obama Record May Be Gold Mine for Critics In-Depth Look at Obama's Political Career (video) He sponsored a law enhancing tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for child care. In Illinois, Obama Proved Pragmatic and Shrewd Janny Scott 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. In Illinois, Obama Proved Pragmatic and Shrewd Janny Scott ^[29] 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.^[30] 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. Obama Forged Political Mettle in Illinois Capitol Peter Slevin ^[31]

Keynote address at 2004 Democratic National Convention

Obama wrote and delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts, while still serving as a state legislator.^[32][33] 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. Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention Barack Obama Video at Brightcove.com.

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.^[34]

Senate campaign

Main articles: Illinois United States Senate election, 2004

In 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. Obama Routs Democratic Foes; Ryan Tops Crowded GOP Field David Mendell However, Hull's popularity declined following allegations of domestic abuse. Obama Routs Democratic Foes; Ryan Tops Crowded GOP Field David Mendell 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''.^[35][36] Obama received over 52% of the vote in the March 2004 primary, emerging 29% ahead of his nearest Democratic rival. Illinois Primary 2004: Primary Elections Results
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.^[37] 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.^[38] A long-time resident of Maryland, Keyes established legal residency in Illinois with the nomination.^[39] Through three televised debates, Obama and Keyes expressed opposing views on stem cell research, abortion, gun control, school vouchers, and tax cuts.^[40] In the November 2004 general election, Obama received 70% of the vote to Keyes's 27%. America Votes 2004: U.S. Senate / Illinois

Senate career

Obama was sworn in as a Senator on January 4, 2005.^[41] 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.^[42] 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. Great Expectations Jodi Enda In July 2005, Samantha Power, Pulitzer-winning author on human rights and genocide, joined Obama's team.^[43] He holds assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and Veterans' Affairs,^[44] and is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.^[45]

109th Congress

Obama sponsored 152 bills and resolutions brought before the 109th Congress in 2005 and 2006, and cosponsored another 427.^[46][47] He 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).^[48] He later added three amendments to S. 2611, the "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act," sponsored by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA).^[49][50] S. 2611 passed the Senate in May 2006, but failed to gain majority support in the U.S. House of Representatives.^[51] 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.^[52] President Bush signed the Secure Fence Act into law in October 2006, calling it "an important step toward immigration reform."^[53]

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.^[55][56] 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.^[57][58] 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.^[59]
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.^[60]
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."^[61] He left for his third official trip in August 2006, traveling to South Africa, Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Chad. 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.^[62] In a public gesture aimed to encourage more Kenyans to undergo voluntary HIV testing, Obama and his wife took HIV tests at a Kenyan clinic.^[63] In a nationally televised speech at the University of Nairobi, he spoke forcefully on the influence of ethnic rivalries and corruption in Kenya.^[64] The speech touched off a public debate among rival leaders, some formally challenging Obama's remarks as unfair and improper, others defending his positions.^[65][66]

110th Congress

On the first day of the newly Democratic-controlled 110th Congress, in a column published in the ''Washington Post'', Obama called for an end to "any and all practices that would lead a reasonable person to believe that a public servant has become indebted to a lobbyist."^[67] He joined with Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) in strengthening restrictions on travel in corporate jets to S.1, the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007, which passed the Senate with a 96-2 majority.^[68][69] Obama 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.^[70][71] Obama's energy initiatives scored pluses and minuses with environmentalists, who welcomed his sponsorship with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) of a climate change bill to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by two-thirds by 2050, but were skeptical of Obama's support for a bill promoting liquefied coal production.^[72][73] Also during the first month of the 110th Congress, Obama introduced the "Iraq War De-Escalation Act," a bill proposing to cap troop levels in Iraq, begin phased redeployment, and remove all combat brigades from Iraq before April 2008.^[74][75]

Presidential campaign

Main articles: Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008


In February 2007, standing before the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois, Obama announced his candidacy for the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Obama Launches Presidential Bid Video at Brightcove.com. 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."^[77] The announcement followed months of speculation on whether Obama would run in 2008.
Through the fall of 2006, Obama had spoken at political events across the country in support of Democratic candidates for the midterm elections.^[78] In September 2006, he was the featured speaker at Iowa Senator Tom Harkin's annual steak fry, an event traditionally attended by presidential hopefuls in the lead-up to the Iowa caucus.^[79] Speculation intensified in October 2006 when Obama first said he had "thought about the possibility" of running for president, departing from earlier statements that he intended to serve out his six-year Senate term through 2010.^[80] Following Obama's statement, opinion polling organizations added his name to surveyed lists of Democratic candidates. The first such poll, taken in November 2006, ranked Obama in second place with 17% support among Democrats after Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) who placed first with 28% of the responses.^[81] In December 2006, Obama spoke at a New Hampshire event celebrating Democratic Party midterm election victories in the first-in-the-nation U.S. presidential primary state.^[82][83]
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.^[84] Observing that $9.7 million of his $33 million in second quarter donations came from contributions of $200 or less, the ''Los Angeles Times'' commented that it was "an unusually large number and one that surprises campaign finance experts."^[85] In May 2007, Obama became the first presidential candidate to be newly assigned Secret Service protection more than 18 months before a general election.^[86] The Rasmussen polling organization reported in May 2007 that 49% of Americans consider it "somewhat likely" or "very likely" that Obama will be elected.^[87] Also in May and again two months later, Zogby International reported that Obama leads all prospective Republican opponents in polling for the 2008 general election.^[88] If elected, Obama would become the first black U.S. president.^[89]

Political advocacy

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."^[90] Speaking before the National Press Club in April 2005, Obama defended the New Deal social welfare policies of Franklin D. Roosevelt, associating Republican proposals to establish private accounts for Social Security with Social Darwinism.^[91] In May 2006, he joined four other Midwest farming state Senators in calling for the preservation of a US$0.54 per gallon tariff on imported ethanol.^[92] Obama spoke out in June 2006 against making recent, temporary estate tax cuts permanent, calling the cuts a "Paris Hilton" tax break for "billionaire heirs and heiresses."^[93] In a speech to the health care advocacy group Families USA, made shortly before announcing his presidential campaign, Obama said: "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."^[94]
Obama favors tying the minimum wage to inflation and has been a vocal advocate for labor rights.^[95] In November 2006, he told members of Wake Up Wal-Mart, a union-backed campaign group, "You gotta pay your workers enough that they can actually not only shop at Wal-Mart, but ultimately send their kids to college and save for retirement."^[96] Courting support for his presidential campaign from Iowa members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees in July 2007, Obama said: "We are facing a Washington that has thrown open its doors to the most anti-union, anti-worker forces we've seen in generations." At the same forum he also vowed to walk a picket line with union organizers if elected.^[97] At a May 2007 AFL-CIO meeting in Trenton, New Jersey, he said: "Let’s all acknowledge that to some degree globalization is here.… The world is smaller than it used to be." Obama added, "When we negotiate trade deals, we’ve got to make sure there are strong labor and environmental provisions in those trade deals."^[98]
He was an early opponent of Bush administration policies on Iraq. In the fall of 2002, before the start of the Iraq War, Obama 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. You want a fight, President Bush? Let's finish the fight with Bin Laden and al-Qaeda, through effective, coordinated intelligence, and a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism, and a homeland security program that involves more than color-coded warnings.^[99]

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.^[100] In March 2007, in a 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."^[101] In August 2007, in a speech detailing his strategy for fighting global terrorism, Obama said:

I understand that President Musharraf [of Pakistan] has his own challenges. But let me make this clear. There are terrorists holed up in those mountains who murdered 3,000 Americans. They are plotting to strike again. It was a terrible mistake to fail to act when we had a chance to take out an al Qaeda leadership meeting in 2005. If we have actionable
intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won’t act, we
will.^[103]

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.^[104][105] He has divested US$180,000 in personal holdings of Sudan-related stock, and has urged divestment from companies doing business in Iran.^[106][107] 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."^[108]
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."^[109][110] 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.^[111] Together with Warren and Brownback, Obama took an HIV test, as he had done in Kenya less than four months earlier. He encouraged "others in public life to do the same" to show "there is no shame in going for an HIV test."^[112] 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."^[113] 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."^[114]

Personal life

In 1988, while employed as a summer associate at the Chicago law firm of Sidley & Austin, Obama met Michelle Robinson, who also worked there.^[115] They were married in 1992 and have two daughters, Malia, born in 1999, and Natasha ("Sasha"), born in 2001.^[116] The family moved from their Hyde Park, Chicago condominium to a nearby US$1.6-million home in 2005.^[117] Obama plays basketball, a sport he participated in as a member of his high school's varsity team.^[118][119] 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."^[120] 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. Asked to name a "hidden talent," Obama answered: "I'm a pretty good poker player."^[121]
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.^[122] 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 step-father 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."^[123]

Books authored

Obama has authored 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."^[124] ''Time'' magazine's Joe Klein wrote that the book "may be the best-written memoir ever produced by an American politician."^[125] The audio book edition earned Obama the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album.^[126]
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 number 1 on the New York Times Best Seller List by early November 2006.^[127] The ''Chicago Tribune'' credits the large crowds that gathered at book signings with influencing Obama's decision to run for president.^[128] 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."^[129] 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."^[130] An Italian translation was published in April 2007 with a preface by Walter Veltroni, Mayor of Rome.^[131] Spanish and German editions were published in June 2007.^[132]

Cultural and political image

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. Great Expectations Jodi Enda See also: The Legend of Barack Obama Garrett M. Graff ^[134] Obama's own self-narrative reinforces what a May 2004 ''New Yorker'' magazine article described as his "everyman" image.^[135] 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.^[136] Speaking to an elderly Jewish audience during his 2004 campaign for U.S. Senate, Obama linked the linguistic roots of his East African first name ''Barack'' to the Hebrew word ''baruch'', meaning "blessed."^[137] 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."^[138]
With his Kenyan father, 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.^[139] 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. How Obama Learned to Be a Natural Edward McClelland ^[140] 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."^[141] 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."^[142]
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.^[143] Obama, who defines himself in ''The Audacity of Hope'' as "a Democrat, after all,"^[144] has been criticized for his political actions by self-described progressive commentator David Sirota,^[145] and complimented for his "can't we all just get along?" manner by conservative columnist George Will.^[146] 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 get "down from your tippy toes" and avoid becoming too quickly excited about Obama's still early political career. Agreeing with Obama's own assessment that "people project their hopes on him," Noonan attributed some of Obama's popularity to "a certain unknowability."^[147]

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."^[148] Three months into his Senate career, and again in 2007, ''Time'' magazine named Obama one of "the world's most influential people."^[149]
During his first two and a half years in the Senate, Obama received Honorary Doctorates of Law from Knox College,^[150] University of Massachusetts Boston,^[151] Northwestern University,^[152] Xavier University of Louisiana,^[153] and Southern New Hampshire University.^[154]

References

1. Breaking New Ground: African American Senators
2. The Illinois Candidate; Day After, Keynote Speaker Finds Admirers Everywhere Randal C Archibold
3. U.S. Senate and House - Illinois
4. 2008 US Presidential Campaign in Full Swing Jim Malone See also: White House 2008: Democratic Nomination Top Democratic Contenders: Support in National Samples of Democratic Voters
5. Obama Calls for Wider and Less Costly Health Care Coverage Robin Toner Obama Fires Up Crowd in Seattle Angela Galloway
6. Obama's Books Drive Talk of '08 Presidential Run Carol Memmott
7. Meet Barack See also: Obama (1995), Chapter 1. Throughout his early years, Obama was commonly known at home and school as "Barry Obama." The Not-So-Simple Story of Barack Obama's Youth Kirsten Scharnberg
8. Obama (1995), pp. 9–10. For book excerpts, see Barack Obama: Creation of Tales
9. Obama (1995), pp. 125–126. See also: Obama's Mom: Not Just a Girl from Kansas Tim Jones
10. Obama (1995), pp. 3–5, 9–10. See also: From Home Squared to the US Senate: How Barack Obama Was Lost and Found Philip Ochieng
11. From his father's side, Obama has two half-sisters and five surviving half-brothers. Secrets of Obama Family Unlocked Michael Sheridan See also: Obama (1995), Chapter 2 and Chapters 15–19 (Part 3: Kenya).
12. For details of Obama's early primary schooling in Indonesia, see Obama (1995), p. 154, and Obama (2006), p. 274. For media responses to the January 2007 ''Insight'' article titled "Hillary's Team Has Questions About Obama's Muslim Background", see : Obama Madrassa Myth Debunked Kim Barker Feeding Frenzy for a Big Story, Even If It’s False David D Kirkpatrick See also: Debunked Insight Magazine and Fox News Smear Campaign Obama, School Deny Radical Islam Claim
13. 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: Punahou Left Lasting Impression on Obama Reyes B.J.
14. Obama (1995), Preface to the 2004 Edition, p. xi. See also: Obama for President ... of Indonesia Julia Suryakusuma
15. Obama writes: "He was an African, I would learn, a Kenyan of the Luo tribe, born on the shores of Lake Victoria in a place called Alego." Obama (1995), p. 9. See also Obama Receives Hero's Welcome at His Family's Ancestral Village in Kenya Nico Gnecchi
16. Obama (1995), pp. 9–10.
17. Obama (1995), Chapters 4 and 5. See also: Obama's Peers Didn't See His Angst Richard A Serrano
18. In the book, 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: Effect of Obama's Candor Remains to Be Seen Lois Romano Obama Offers More Variations From the Norm Katharine Q Seelye
19. Occidental Recalls 'Barry' Obama Larry Gordon
20. Curriculum Vitae See also: Obama (1995), pp. 135–136.
21. As Director of the Developing Communities Project, Obama worked "alongside low-income residents in the Roseland community and the Altgeld Gardens public housing development." Portrait of a Pragmatist Bob Secter See also: The Agitator: Barack Obama's Unlikely Political Education Ryan Lizza (alternate site)
22. At Harvard Law, a Unifying Voice Michael Levenson
23. First Black Elected to Head Harvard's Law Review Fox Butterfield
24. Professor Obama was a Listener, Students Say Abdon M Pallasch
25. Obama Knows His Way Around a Ballot David Jackson
26. A Streetwise Veteran Schooled Young Obama Janny Scott
27. 13th District: Barack Obama 13th District: Barack Obama
28. Obama's Springfield Seat Goes to Lawyer Jodi S Cohen
29. See also: Careful Steps, Looking Ahead Rick Pearson
30. Obama’s Crime Votes Are Fodder for Rivals Sam Youngman
31. A Big Split Over Abortion, Stem Cells John Chase See also: Abortion Foes Target Obama Because of His Vote Record on Illinois Legislation Sam Youngman
32. For details about the speech's genesis and delivery, see: Barack Obama ’83: Is He the New Face of The Democratic Party? Shira Boss-Bicak
33. The Speech David Bernstein
34. Illinois' Obama Revisits Idea of 2008 Run for White House Richard Wolf
35. Obama's Appeal Spans Racial Lines Scott Fornek
36. Check Bounce Christopher Hayes
37. Ryan Drops Out of Senate race in Illinois
38. Alan Keyes Enters U.S. Senate Race in Illinois Against Rising Democratic Star Maura Kelly Lannan
39. Keyes Sets Up House in Cal City Ford Liam
40. Keyes-Obama Debates
41. Barack Obama Sworn in to U.S. Senate
42. The Outsider's Insider Perry Bacon Jr.
43. Power to Advise Obama for Year Brendan R. Linn
44. Committee Assignments
45. Member Info See also: When It Comes to Race, Obama Makes His Point—With Subtlety Jeff Zeleny
46. Bills, Resolutions > Search Results
47. Bills, Resolutions > Search Results
48. S. 1033, Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act 109th Congress, 1st Session U.S. Senate
49. S. 2611, Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 109th Congress, 2nd Session U.S. Senate See also: S. Amdt. 3971
50. Obama Statement on Senate Passage of Immigration Reform Bill
51. Immigration Bill Divides House, Senate
52. Latinos Upset Obama Voted for Border Fence
53. President Bush Signs Secure Fence Act
54. President Bush Signs Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act
55. S. 2566, Cooperative Proliferation Detection, Interdiction Assistance, and Conventional Threat Reduction Act of 2006 109th Congress, 2nd Session U.S. Senate See also: Junkyard Dogs of War Richard G. Lugar
56. Lugar-Obama Signed into Law
57. S. 2590, Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 109th Congress, 2nd Session U.S. Senate
58. President Bush Signs Coburn-Obama Transparency Act
59. S. 2125, Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act 109th Congress, 2nd Session U.S. Senate
60. Hoosier Daddy: What Rising Democratic Star Barack Obama Can Learn from an Old Lion of the GOP Christina Larson
61. Obama Meets with Arafat's Successor Chuck Goudie
62. Walking the World Stage Ellis Cose See also: Africa: Kenya Glimpses a New Kind of Hero Michela Wrong
63. Screaming Crowds Welcome U.S. Senator 'Home'
64. Obama Slates Kenya for Fraud
65. Envoy Hits at Obama Over Graft Remark Chris Wamalwa
66. Leaders Support Obama on Graft Claims Vincent Moracha
67. A Chance To Change The Game Barack Obama
68. Senate OKs Tougher Ethics Bill 96-2 Christi Parsons
69. S. 1, Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007 110th Congress, 1st Session U.S. Senate
70. Obama-Schumer Bill Proposal Would Criminalize Voter Intimidation Seth Stern
71. S. 453, Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007 110th Congress, 1st Session U.S. Senate
72. Congress Begins Tackling Climate Issues Hebert H. Josef
73. The Green Gripe With Obama: Liquefied Coal Is Still . . . Coal Elizabeth Williamson
74. Obama Introduces Measure to Bring Troops Home E. Kasak Krystin
75. S. 433, Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007 110th Congress, 1st Session U.S. Senate
76. For other photos of this event, see: Presidential Campaign Announcement
77. Presidential Campaign Announcement
78. A Senate Newcomer, Helping Fellow Democrats on the Trail and Drawing Big Crowds Anne E Kornblut
79. For This Red Meat Crowd, Obama's '08 Choice Is Clear Anne E. Kornblut
80. MTP Transcript for Oct. 22
81. Poll: Obama Now Trails Only Clinton on '08 List
82. Obama Fever Grips NH Scott Brooks
83. Obama's New Hampshire Trip Sparks Interest in 2008 Presidential Race
84. Obama Fundraising Suggests Close Race for Party Nomination Jim Malone
85. Small Donors Give Big to Obama Dan Morain
86. Sen. Hillary Clinton was already under Secret Service protection because of her status as wife of former President Bill Clinton. Obama Gets Earliest-Ever Secret Service Detail Helen Kennedy
87. 49% Say Obama May Be Next President
88. Obama Remains Strong Against GOPers
89. Is America Ready? Jonathan Alter
90. Obama (2006), p. 159.
91. The Fifth Black Senator in U.S. History Makes F.D.R. His Icon Ben A. Franklin
92. Harkin Urges Bush to Stop Undercutting U.S. Ethanol Production Tom Harkin See also: Barack Obama Inc.: The Birth of a Washington Machine Ken Silverstein
93. Remarks by Senator Barack Obama on the Paris Hilton Tax Break Barack Obama
94. Obama Calls for Universal Health Care within Six Years Nedra Pickler Obama's campaign published a detailed health care reform plan in May 2007. Obama Channels Hillary on Health Care Karen Tumulty See also: Creating a Healthcare System that Works
95. Outlook is Modest on Effect of Minimum-Wage Increase
96. Can Barack Wake Up Wal-Mart? Pallavi Gogoi See also: Sen. Obama: 'You Gotta Pay Your Workers Enough'
97. Obama Says He Would Walk Picket Line Glover Mike
98. Trust at Issue as Obama Courts Union Voters Tom Curry A May 2007 article in ''The Economist,'' on reviewing Obama's writings, economic proposals, and cadre of close advisers, concluded that "Obamanomics" is "more concerned with helping people deal with globalization than trying to slow it down." Who's the Real Left-Winger?
99. Remarks of Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama Against Going to War with Iraq Barack Obama
100. A Way Forward in Iraq Barack Obama Retrieved on 2007-08-04.
101. AIPAC Policy Forum Remarks Barack Obama For Obama's 2004 Senate campaign remarks on possible missile strikes against Iran, see: Obama Would Consider Missile Strikes on Iran David Mendell
102. Celebrities, Activists Rally Against Darfur Genocide Kasie Hunt For excerpts from Obama's speech, see: More Must Be Done in Darfur
103. Obama Warns Pakistan on Al-Qaeda For full text of the speech, see: Policy Address on Terrorism by The Honorable Barack Obama, United States Senator from Illinois For analysis by Samantha Power, one of Obama's leading foreign policy advisers, on this statement and two other widely reported Obama statements regarding the appropriate uses of military force and diplomacy, see: 'Conventional Washington' v. Change
104. Policy Adrift on Darfur Barack Obama
105. Tens of Thousands Rally for Darfur Jim Doyle
106. Giuliani, Edwards Have Sudan Holdings Jim Kuhnhenn
107. Obama, Brownback Want Iran Divestment
108. Renewing American Leadership Barack Obama
109. U.S. Senator Barack Obama Critiques Democrats' Religiophobia Michael Lerner
110. Sen. Barack Obama: Call to Renewal Keynote Address
111. At Global AIDS Summit, Churches Challenged to Take the Lead Manda Gibson
112. Race Against Time—World AIDS Day Speech Barack Obama
113. Rick Warren/Barack Obama AIDS Partnership Must End, Say Pro-Life Groups See also: The Real Losers in the Obama-Warren Controversy David Van Biema
114. Barack Obama: Faith Has Been 'Hijacked' See also: Obama to CBN News: We're No Longer Just a Christian Nation David Brody
115. Obama (2006), pp. 327–332. See also: Family Ties: Brown Coach, Barack Obama Eric Tucker
116. Obama (1995), p. 440, and Obama (2006), pp. 339–340. See also: The Woman Behind Obama Rosalind Rossi
117. The First Time Around: Sen. Obama's Freshman Year Jeff Zeleny The house purchase and subsequent acquisition of an adjoining strip of land drew media scrutiny in November 2006 because of financial links with controversial Illinois businessman Antoin Rezko. Obama Says He Regrets Land Deal With Fundraiser Peter Slevin See also: Show Trial: Barack Obama's Non-Scandal Conor Clarke
118. One Place Where Obama Goes Elbow to Elbow Jodi Kantor
119. The 'Rat-Ballers': Obama's High School Crew Neal Karlinsky Dan Morris
120. Obama Launches an '07 Campaign—To Quit Smoking Christi Parsons
121. Questions for the Candidates
122. A Candidate, His Minister and the Search for Faith Jodi Kantor See also: Obama (1995), pp. 292–295.
123. Obama (2006), pp. 202–208. Portions excerpted in: My Spiritual Journey Barack Obama See also: Barack Obama, Candidate for President, is 'UCC' J. Bennett Guess
124. Obama (1995), p. vii.
125. The Fresh Face Joe Klein
126. Sen. Obama Finally Gets His Grammy Brooks Boliek
127. Obama’s New Book Is a Surprise Best Seller Julie Bosman Best Sellers: Hardcover Nonfiction
128. Carefully Crafting the Obama 'Brand' Mike Dorning
129. American Idol Gary Hart
130. The Phenomenon Michael Tomasky
131. L’Audacia Della Speranza. Il Sogno Americano Per Un Mondo Nuovo
132. Obama, en Español Annelena Lobb Riemann - Barack Obama - Hoffnung wagen
133. More Than 20,000 Gather for Barack Obama See also: Obama Measuring Campaign Success not Just in Cash, but Crowds Too Philip Elliott
134. Obama: Rorschach Candidate John Podhoretz
135. The Candidate: How the Son of a Kenyan Economist Became an Illinois Everyman William Finnegan See also: In Obama Candidacy, America Examines Itself Jonathan Tilove
136. Obama (1995), p. 13. See also: A New Twist to an Intriguing Family History David Nitkin Tiny Irish Village Is Latest Place to Claim Obama as Its Own Mary Jordan
137. Obama, Democrats’ Rising Star, Known for Harmony with Jews Ron Kampeas
138. Keeping Hope Alive: Barack Obama Puts Family First
139. The Great Black Hope: What's Riding on Barack Obama? Benjamin Wallace-Wells
140. How Obama Is Shaking Up Campaign Richard Wolffe
141. Colorblind Debra J Dickerson For a sampling of views by other black commentators see: Obama: Black Like Me Gary Younge What Obama Isn't: Black Like Me Stanley Crouch Whites May Embrace Obama, But Do 'Regular Black Folks'? Laura Washington Is Barack Black Enough? Now That's a Silly Question Clarence Page
142. Sen. Barack Obama: In America, a Dual Audience Les Payne
143. The Moment for This Messenger? Eugene Robinson See also: Dreaming of Obama Jennifer Senior
144. Obama (2006), p. 10. See also: The Phenomenon Michael Tomasky
145. Mr. Obama Goes to Washington David Sirota
146. Run Now, Obama George F Will
147. The Man From Nowhere Peggy Noonan
148. Revolutionising the Future: From Tennis to Teleportation William Skidelsky
149. Barack Obama: The Future of the Democratic Party? Perry Bacon Jr. The TIME 100: Barack Obama Joe Klein
150. Commencement 2005: Knox honors U.S. Senator Barack Obama
151. U.S. Sen. Barack Obama to Receive Honorary Degree, Address 2,500 UMass Boston Graduates
152. Commencement 2006: Sen. Obama to Address Grads
153. Sen. Obama Addresses Xavier Graduates
154. SNHU Commencement with Sen. Barack Obama

Cited works

★ Obama, Barack. ''Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance'', Times Books, 1995. Reprint edition, 2004; ISBN 1-4000-8277-3

★ Obama, Barack.''The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream'', Crown, 2006. ISBN 0-307-23769-9.

Further reading

★ Barack Obama: Under the Lights Jessica Curry

★ Obama Tones Foreign-Policy Muscle Neil King

★ Above the Fray Ryan Lizza

★ The Conciliator: Where is Barack Obama Coming From? Larissa MacFarquhar

★ A Series of Fortunate Events Liza Mundy

★ Destiny's Child Ben Wallace-Wells

★ What Makes Obama Run? Hank De Zutter

External links

;Official sites

★ Obama '08 — BarackObama.com (includes links to other official Obama campaign sites)

★ U.S. Senate office
;Site directory and selected databases

★

★ On The Issues

★ Project Vote Smart

★ U.S. Congress votes, ''Washington Post''

★ Campaign financing, ''OpenSecrets.org (Center for Responsive Politics)''