Why Obama? : Part I - Resume

You cannot argue that Barack Obama comes from a diverse heritage that is both unfamiliar and exciting. No one in American political history has offered the possibility of bridging the gap of powerful cultural divides that have been gestating for the better half of this century, with roots that are much deeper than race, religion, culture or privilege.

Fathered by a Kenyan exchange student and raised by a single white mother, spending his childhood in both Hawaii and Indonesia, he has been directly impacted by the cultural divide of race while emerging virtually unscathed by the bitterness of the conflict. He has risen from virtually nothing (at one point living off of food stamps) to graduate with a Juris Doctor magna cum laude from Harvard. He has written two best-selling books. He has devoted his life to public service, first as a community organizer in the battle-scarred South Side district of Chicago, emphasizing his devotion to serving the people. As the first African-American president of the influential Harvard Law Review, he could have devoted his life to intaking large amounts of cash as a successful corporate lawyer. But he didn’t stop there: he moved to teach constitutional law for 12 years at the University of Chicago, served on several boards of charitable organizations, was elected to the Illinois State Senate and, finally, the United States Senate.

So why all the hype about his inexperience? Obama has over 20 years of it. It is obvious that this is a deeply-rooted political tactic that was seeded in the primaries with Hillary Clinton, and the mantle has been taken up by the McCain campaign. (I won’t expound further on this, except to note, IMHO, that McCain seemingly cannot come up with an original idea to save his life, but I digress.) As it always is in American politics – at least in the GOP’s worldview – whittle away at your opponent’s strengths, muting their efficacy.

During the primaries, I was a die-hard Clinton supporter. However, her increasing negative attacks against Obama began to disillusion me (I am NOT a fan of negative politics) and so I decided to learn more about the Illinois Junior Senator. I had heard the circulating rumors – that he was a Muslim, linked to terrorism, racist – and that peaked my interest even more. (These days, the more dirisive the attacks, the more likely the candidate will be aligned with my worldview). So I watched a few speeches (this one really got to me), read Dreams From My Father and The Audacity of Hope, and I was starting to get the hope bug! Being the eternal skeptic that I am, I did extensive research on his background and his policies, which fully convinced me that this man truly has the interests of the American people close to his heart more than any other politician I have ever seen.

So, without further ado, I would like to present Barack Obama’s 20 years of experience to you, and highlight a few of the hundreds of bills he has authored, sponsored or co-sponsored into our country's legislature.

• 1983
  
• Graduated with a B.A. from Columbia University
• Worked as a junior editor for Business International Corporation, a New-York based publisher focused on global finance, then at the New York Public Interest Research Group
  
  1985-1988
• Worked as a community organizer as the Director of the Developing Communities Project, which grew a staff from 1 to 13 and a budget from $70K to $400K and helped to set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenant’s rights organization
  
  1988
• Entered Harvard Law School
  
  1989
• Elected to be the first African-American editor of the Harvard Law Review
• Associate at Hopkins & Sutter, a Chicago law firm
  
  1990
• Elected President of the Harvard Law Review, Editor-In-Chief; supervised the Law Review’s staff of 80 editors
• Associate at Sidley & Austin, a Chicago law firm
  
  1991
• Graduated with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) magna cum laude from Harvard
• Awarded a fellowship at the University of Chicago Law School
  
  1992
• Directed Illinois Project Vote, a voter registration drive with a staff of 10 and 700 volunteers that achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state
• Founding Member of the Board of Directors of Public Allies, a non-profit organization dedicated to youth leadership development
  
  1992-2004 (12 years)
• Taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School
  
  1993-2002 (9 years)
• Served on the Board of Directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago, a philanthropic organization devoted to poverty relief and the promotion of social mobility (smear alert: read this)
  
  1993
• Joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a 12-attorney law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development
• Made it to Crain’s Chicago Business list of “40 under Forty” rising business stars
  
  1995-2002
• Published bestselling autobiography, Dreams from My Father, in 1995, which was commissioned by Columbia University
• Served on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995–2002, a public-private partnership founded in 1995 with a focus to improve school performance, and as founding President and Chairman of the Board of Directors from 1995–1999
• Obama also served on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Center for Neighborhood Technology, and the Lugenia Burns Hope Center.
  
  1996
• Elected to the Illinois State Senate, representing 650,000 people in District 13, was reelected in 1998, and again in 2002. In the Illinois State Senate, Obama has sponsored 820 laws. A visual representation of his Illinois Senate record can be found here.
  
  1998
• Successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform called the Gift Ban Act, which prohibited legislators, state officers and employees, and judges from soliciting or receiving gifts from a person or entity with interests affected by government
  
  2000
• Unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives
• Helped pass a 5% earned-income tax credit for low-income working families in Illinois
  
  2003
• In January, Announced his Campaign for the U.S. Senate; also became Chairman of the Illinois Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee
• Requirement that law enforcement videotape interrogations of suspects for serious crimes
• Successfully sponsored law enforcement study of the race of people pulled over for traffic tickets
• Co-sponsored a prescription drug discount buying club program for seniors and the disabled
• Instrumental in the passage of an overhaul of the state's troubled death penalty system
• Co-sponsored ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation; the measure became law after Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate
  
  2004
• Elected to Senate by receiving 70% of the vote, the largest victory margin for a statewide race in Illinois history
• Sponsored the Health Care Justice Act, a study of ways to implement a universal health care system statewide
• Voted for having Illinois endorse embryonic stem cell research
• Voted to let retired police and military police carry concealed weapons
  
  2005-2008
• Junior US Senator of Illinois
• In the US Senate, Obama has sponsored 136 bills, co-sponsored 653 bills, and authored 152 bills. You can review Obama's record here. Three of them, including S. 3558 ("A bill to provide for enhanced food-borne illness surveillance and food safety capacity") were moved upon just last week. These numbers, along with the number of bills he sponsored in the Illinois legislature, directly clash with the GOP's mockery of his record with "zero accomplishments".
  
  2007
• Sponsored Resolution 25, condemning the recent violent actions of the Government of Zimbabwe against peaceful opposition party activists and members of civil society
• Sponsored and passed the 2007 Feingold-Obama Lobbying & Ethics Reform Bill, the most sweeping package of its kind since Watergate (more on ethics reform and contrast with McCain in upcoming posts)
• Introduced the Security Contractor Accountability Act of 2007, which requires accountability for contractors and contract personnel under Federal contracts, and for other purposes
• Introduced the Military Family Job Protection Act, which provides for a prohibition on discrimination in employment against certain family members caring for recovering members of the Armed Forces
• Worked on the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, designed to slow the revolving door between Congress and the lobbying world, require disclosure of lobbyists who bundle campaign contributions, and increase transparency in the legislative process by requiring earmark transparency and preventing new earmarks from being added in the dead of night
  
  2008
• Introduced Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act
• Ranked by Congress.org as the 11th most powerful senator (McCain is rated 10th in the same report; Clinton is 9th, Biden is 19th. For a man who was been charged with “little experience” and “zero accomplishments”, those comparisons are worth noting.)
• Of bills currently in Congress, Obama is sponsoring 129. In contrast, McCain has only sponsored 38. Review the bills currently in Congress here.
  
  
  Obama is in the following committees:
• Chairman of the Senate's Committee on European Affairs
• member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
• member of the Senate Committee on African Affairs
• member of the Senate Committee on East Asian & Pacific Affairs
  
• member of the International Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs and International Environmental Protection
• member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
• member of the Senate Committee on Children and Families
• member of the Senate Committee on Employment and Workplace Safety
• member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
• member of the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on State, Local, and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration
• member of the Senate Commitee on Homeland Security Investigations
• member of the Senate Committee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security
• member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs

In my next post, I will lay out defining points that demonstrate Obama’s superior leadership and experience, and provide a contrast to that of McCain.

Why Obama?: Introduction

I have been asked, many times, why I feel Barack Obama should be our next president, and why I do so much to support him. I have donated hundreds of dollars and countless hours of research and discussion with undecided voters, have begun volunteering for the campaign full-time, and will even be taking trips across the border to Nevada, the Silver State for the next two months we have before November 4th.

In a recent IM conversation, a close friend who is not an Obama supporter asked this of me again, and it sparked a desire in me to blog about this very subject. I do see many opinions floating around on this very subject, but often these get buried in the media noise, so I’ll be spending the next several posts addressing this topic.

In the conversation, I posit:

I care about us living through the next 20 years. Do we have enough money to sustain ourselves in an international community that looks upon us as largely disconnected from what is going on globally? Or whether or not I feel we are provoking Russia into war? Or whether or not I feel that the US is in a constant media bubble… I don't own a TV. I don't want a part of that.

And my friend replies:

Let me ask you something... and first I'll say this.... I'm not asking you this so I can counter any point you make... or tear down your answer... I'm just genuinely curious with the effort you are putting into this campaign..... grab those last few issues you just mentioned.... barring what thoughts you have about the other side.... what is it about Obama/Biden that makes you feel secure (I mean that financially... physically.... whatever... not the buzzwordy way) and good about their ticket?

The simple answer is: I trust Barack Obama, I take him at his word much more than any other modern politician, and I truly believe that he will change America.

Stay tuned for the longer answers.

Sarah Palin: Run. Run Away!

Ah, Governor Palin.

The woman who very likely could be our next President, even though we had no choice in her selection.

She is truly a scary person for many, many more reasons than just being inexperienced:

• As mayor of Wasilla, requested $27 million in earmarks from the government for a town of 6700 even though she is now "against them"
• Left the small town with a $22 million debt in just 6 years (they had no debt before)
• Deep ties to big oil. Her husband works for BP, Carl Pope (Sierra Club Exec Director) says "no one is closer to the oil industry than Governor Palin". More ties here.
• Signed into law the largest spending budget in Alaska history (6.6 billion)
• Was quoted as "not knowing what a VP does" just two months ago and "I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq" in 2007
• Reintroduced aerial gunning down of wolves from helicopters for sport, which is illegal but she exploited a loophole I'm striking my opinion out, but you can decide after watching it in action.
• Wants to remove polar bears from the endangered species list because it interferes with drilling (I support drilling but not in the ANWR, which has dire economic and environmental consequences. McCain is even against it – at least right now)
• Was for the "Bridge to Nowhere" before she was against it
• McCain admits his vetting team didn't even land in Alaska until less than 24 hours of her announcement in Dayton, so he doesn't know her either
• Doesn't understand operational security; told the public that her son would be deployed to Iraq on 9/11. Releasing a deploy date is a violation of OPSEC, illegal and dangerous.
• Claimed that part of her foreign policy experience includes going to Ireland. She actually was just in Ireland for a refueling stop. (The only other places she has been is Kuwait and Germany as part of a standard governor trip to visit Alaskan troops, and didn't even have a passport until just last year).
• Is so inexperienced that we aren't even allowed to get to know her right now – she's sequestered from the media and the McCain campaign says that the "people don't care" if she answers questions about policy, security etc.
• Republicans state that she oversees the Alaska National Guard as part of her foreign policy experience, but the foreign policy portion of that is completely under federal control – she has nothing to do with that part.

And that doesn't even touch on the personal and extremely right wing religious issues, because honestly, that stuff isn't nearly as important to me as making sure we are secure, we have jobs and our economy is sound. This is enough for me. Vote Obama/Biden 08 and save our country from potential disaster!

Palin: A Plea To Republicans, Christians

73-year-old McCain's health is seriously in question - they try to hide it, but if you dig hard enough, you'll find a bit of concern regarding his bouts of cancer and his life expectancy. Think about it. We just might have a rookie president that we never had a chance to choose or even get to know! (Remember how well an untested, foreign-policy-ignorant governor, from Texas I seem to recall, worked for us last time).

The question that people are just skimming over and not answering, not wanting to answer: McCain's judgement on picking someone so gravely inexperienced in a time of war and severe economic crisis in what clearly is only a pandering to the Christian conservative base. This is one of the most important decisions this man can make, and it truly makes me question his judgment - or his commitment to service - that he would choose her. Obama, on the other hand, picked Biden, whom you cannot argue could totally lead this country - successfully - from "day one".

And just who is to blame for the confusion surrounding the obscure Alaskan governor? John Stewart lets you decide.

I honestly feel that this is a very, very grave situation, and it inspires me to at least attempt to reach out to my die-hard Republican and Christian friends, of which I have several :) I really didn't mind who won one way or another before this pick (though of course I was still voting for Obama), as I felt that McCain would be successful in at least keeping the country intact, and I actually used to like him, but lately the man seems like he's turned into a completely different person, and it's obvious he'll just have someone else pulling the strings.

Some of you may not personally like Obama, but you must at least consider for a moment that Obama DOES have more experience than Palin when it comes to issues that matter (foreign policy, dealing with world leaders, helping us through this horrible financial crisis), he has much more education, intelligence and poise, has a policy record that you can review (ontheissues.org - I strongly encourage you to check every candidate out before voting.) He is also a committed Christian who has spent years in service and helping out his disadvantaged fellow men (as a "community organizer", a noble, selfless form of service that the RNC were quick to mock).

To the pro-lifers: Let's face it - Roe vs. Wade will not be overturned regardless of what they say they will do (haven't pro-life candidates been saying that for years?).

To those opposing gay marriage: This should totally be a non-issue considering the serious issues we are facing today, and btw, Obama doesn't support gay marriage, just civil unions.

It is wonderful to have someone who espouses your values in a seat of power, sure - but I want someone who will pull us out of this mess, not someone who will drag us further down because they lack the political duress or judgment to hold that position.

To the die-hard Republicans: I know it's a longshot, but I pray that you will take a long, hard serious look at who you vote for this November, please don't vote for the Republican ticket just because it's the Republican ticket. I, in turn, promise I won't vote Democrat just because it's the Democratic ticket in future elections (I'm actually registered independent).

For the Christians:
www.matthew25.org

Where candidates stand on the issues:
www.ontheissues.org
(Note that Palin has "no data recorded" for foreign policy, immigration, or welfare/poverty - arguably some of the most important issues today).

To Christians Considering (McCain/)Palin

Ok, all of you (or most of you) know that I am an outspoken, enthusiastically atheist Democrat in full support of Barack Obama for the 44th president of These United States. That being said, I'd like to note that I was once an evangelical, staunch supporter of the Republican Party, and therefore would like to clarify my stance on Christianity, the Republican party of recent years and the very serious, potentially life-changing status of the 2008 election.

I watched the RNC speeches (yes, all of them :-) ) and have been reading commentary on them ever since. I love reading people's comments on news sites - both from the right and the left - and I have been noticing a very interesting dynamic emerging.

Some Christians aren't too pleased with the Republican party these days.

And I think I understand why.

What I saw come out of the RNC was a bunch of hate and belittlement. Attacking with fervor, venom - vicious glee. The laughter of the crowd; they were eating it up. The horrible slam on "community organizing", belittling people who work very, very hard to make a difference in people's lives (in contrast, community organizing was one of the things that initially attracted me to Obama; I'm now beginning active involvement in volunteering in my community, and possibly overseas someday, as a result). This behavior from the RNC is the kind of hypocritical, self-serving behavior that made me turn my back on Christianity, and the Republican party, after the 2000 Bush campaign almost a decade ago.

So, after that awe-inspiring (and not in a good way) performance from St. Paul, how do evangelical voters really feel about the "gift" they have been offered?

I have a bunch of examples here of Christians voicing their opinions regarding Palin's speech (most are graciously compiled by a poster at DailyKos, credit where credit is due). These comments are heartfelt and genuine; I know there are a lot of them, but I encourage you to read them. Please note that I don't necessarily subscribe to these opinions - I am pro-choice and pro-gay - but I deeply respect their convictions. (I have more to say below the comments).

It is so frustrating to try to convince my Christian brothers and sisters that there is more to righteousness than not being a homosexual and not having aborted a baby. While these are both abominations to God, we forget that slander is also an abomination, something John McCain has made his lifestyle in this campaign. This is the main reason why homosexuals and athiests hate us so much. I know we all know John 3:16, but what about John 3:17. "For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved." We spend so much time showing hate to this group of people that they draw further and further away from God, which is in it self us being disobedient to God. Refer to Mark 12:30-31 "And you shall love the Lord your God with with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." Right there it shows that the greatest 2 commandments are to love. There is no other greater, so there is no excuse for the condemning behavior of Christians. Barack Obama's campaign has been based on this commandment because no matter how much his opponents try to tear him down, he turns the other cheek and shows love. The exact thing God tells us to do. And when it comes to abortion and gay marriages, try not to twist peoples words because the Bible tells us that manipulation is witchcraft. He is not in favor of either, nor does he oppose God's views; however, he will not take away anyone's God given right to choose. You all chose to be servants of God, so why take that right away from anybody else. Perhaps if we behaved the way God called for us to, there might be more peace.

Jesus was a community organizer.

As a Christian and as a human being who believes in the sanctity of all human life and that it is time to beat the weapons of war created out of our inability to love one another and to understand what God means, as concerns justice, I tremble at the idea of someone who believes that war is blessed by God. Those who attack us also think that their cause is ordained by God. Peace is ordained by the Jesus I know. I am starting, regrettably, to think of people who agree with Sarah Palin on this point as anti Christian and modern day heretics. I cannot imagine wanting to possibly put Palin's finger on the "N" button.

I have long respected McCain even when I didn't agree with him, but I am sickened by this choice. Out of so many qualified, brilliant women in the republican party, he chose a beauty queen hockey-mom soley based on superficial reasons, mainly her pro-life status. When will we realize there were a million abortions the year before roe, and there will be abortions after roe, overturning roe simply returns to the states, and we all saw what happened in South Dakota, but the common denominator among 2/3 or more seeking abortions is poverty or extreme financial crisis? The way to save babies is to help and empower women, not through punitive measures designed to reprove moral turpitude. That's why in the Netherlands where abortion is safe and legal, its rare, but it skyrockets in Brazil, where illegal, but women lack adequate resources and rights. I'm waiting for a real pro-life candidate, that cares about ALL life, all God's creation...Obama's as close as it gets for now.

Many evangelical will be propelled by the unfortunate personal attacks on her family and the media backlash. How quickly some Christians want to see themselves victimized and sharing the cross of Christ. Too bad the identity of those who are the truly crucified, the poor, unwanted immigrants, and our own mother earth will go unnoticed. I have yet to hear anything from her to indicate that she has her heart with them and a commitment to them._I also thought it audacious that she would dare to speak about the inexperience of Obama, given her own limited knowledge, lack of experience, lack of a passport. We think with our gut in this country and by-pass the head. I pray the truth wins out on this one - if it does, it will be an act of God's grace.

Though likeable, I found her speech to be mean-spirited, full of personal jabs, and divisive. But, she wants the base and I am not a part of the base, so she does not want me. Thank God, Jesus wants us all. By the way, isn't that the Christian way?

I did not see a lot of dignity last night. I am very sincere when I say that I would not have wanted my children to see adults acting in those ways even if they were too young to understand whatever was being said. I saw the darker side of the human ego "electrified." The mocking, the jeering, and the purposeful yet unjustified self-righteousness was shocking. I used to be a proud republican and although I was already an Obama supporter, I saw something in the republican party last night that made me think I could have nothing to do with them until I would see a radical and consistent change in the state of mind and heart. These are the leaders for us and our children?

I just couldn't continue to listen to her speech - there was just too much venom - and as folks have said earlier if she is carrying the marks of a true Christian - God help us - Someone take a look at the Romans 12:9-21 - Somehow this woman misses the "marks" completely! And we have seeing a double standard - I'm still infuriated with the way Hillary was treated - here was a women of integrity, experience, and all the qualities you want in a president - and now the republicians show up with a woman our of no-where and we're all supposed to jump on board - I don't think so...and...I'm also the mom of a young lady who had a baby at 17 - the last thing in the world her father and I would have advised her to do is get married! She was only 17---What is Palin thinking?? Her daughter is only a child - not mature enough to handle a marriage and all the responsibilities that go with it - what kind of future does Palin think these two children will have? My daughter is 32 now - mature and happily married.

I was deeply disappointed to hear such unChrist-like rhetoric coming from all the speakers last night. I disagree with Jim Wallis. While I am all for women's rights and equality, I find it very hard to imagine having a pregnant 17 year old daughter and a 5 month old baby with special needs, and wanting to run for VP. That is certainly not in line with MY family values. And speaking of family values, why does John McCain get a free ride for having "cheated numerous times" on his wife and then finding someone 17years younger, gets a marriage license even before his divorce is final! Again, not in line with MY family values. I was horrified by her address last night. I don't think I have ever seen such glee in a person's eyes as I saw in Palin's as she delivered her sarcasm and outright lies. I am a Christian and as such, I believe in truth and charity. I also do not believe you can use the devil's tools of lies, innuendo and downright nastiness and hope for a good outcome.

She gave a real picture of her character last night... and it didn't have anything to do with Christian, patriotic or family values. She was just plain rude and condescending. What a disappointment.

"experience, depth and temperament to step into the Oval Office. What many of those Americans need to see are qualities like judgment, wisdom, tolerance and flexibility."" depth and temperament are two things I am looking for in both President and VP... does the candidate make decisions with caution, seek advice from several sources, work well with others, consider those with whom there may be strong differences??? the President and Vice President represent all USA citizens, all religions, all walks of life.. and have a responsibility to consider the least among us... one out of three vice presidents has had to step into the Presidential role and so these qualities are crucial for both candidates.

What was missing on the governor's speech was a temperament of tolerance and compassion. what i mean is if she is a follower of christ as she claims to be why is the bulk of her message an attack on a fellow follower? the tone of our political landscape is harsh, mean spirited and without biblical witness. we are called to use our words to encourage and build each other up no matter our political bent, love your enemies and all that.

I am SO heartened that so many Christians apparently found last night's carefully orchestrated drama-speech so basically offensive. Along with all the trappings leading up to last night and what's to surely come....at least from one side of the aisle. The religious right was conned and hypocritically used by Bush-Rove before to our collective grief and sadness, now the obvious pandering used by McCain and the ex-Bush advisors should be a clear wake-up call. Jim (Wallis), you were too kind, you owed it to people to be more open and on point.. John M. has done a waffling 180 degrees from who he was when he was justly respected.

Jim, normally I agree with you, but I must differ on this one: we saw much more than personality last night. We saw a revelation of character, and it wasn't a pretty sight, despite the pretty shade of lipstick on pit bulls. Conventions, I feel, are similar to Sunday morning church services: you can tell a lot about a church by the sermons, the songs chosen, the things that excite the congregation. My old pastor used to call Sunday morning "the frosting on the cake" and always reminded us that the real work of being Christians took place Monday-Saturday. But Sunday showed what we cared about, and got us ready for the challenges of Monday. If I'd been "church-shopping" these past two weeks, I think I could tell where the story of gospel love and inclusion and generosity got proclaimed.

I cannot even begin to describe how refreshing these comments are to read. These people are articulate, speak with conviction, and are not condescending or petty. They have faith and believe in true service. They are not impressed by those who belittle others or hide behind gross misstatements, vicious attacks or who point the finger at the other guy, while virtually ignoring serious issues that voters need to know (illegal immigration? jobs? the housing market? healthcare? a strong plan for the economy?). These people revive my respect for "true" Christians (I've found them increasingly rare these past few years).

I feel like the Republican party has been throwing the Christian faith down the gutter these past eight years, and we on the "outside" find this a stellar example of just that. I would not want Palin as our President - she won't even talk to the media, won't answer questions, and it's likely that this will continue in one regard or another all the way to election day. The question is: why is the media not demanding that she allow interviews? Why is she hiding? It doesn't take a stretch to figure the answer out to that one, but you can decide for yourself.