Obama's Political Past May Hold Key To '08 Run

[Herman Munster]

http://www.nbc5.com/politics/10578292/detail.html

But on Wednesday, NBC5 political editor Carol Marin looked not so much to Obama's future as to his past. Obama says he makes a mean bowl of chili, likes the music of Miles Davis and the comedy of Chris Rock. But the pursuit of trivial information and fascination will soon give way to an examination of his legislative record. It begins as a political neophyte, elected to the Illinois Legislature in 1996.

According to an Associated Press account, Obama proposed hundreds of new laws in the Illinois General Assembly. Most died in committee. In what he called one of the toughest votes -- and one that could become a presidential issue -- Obama voted against a bill allowing gun owners to claim self-defense when using their own gun in their own home. He said he worried it would take away local governments' right to regulate themselves. In the legislature, he received strong backing by organized labor and got bad marks from the the Illinois Manufacturers' Association over votes deemed bad for business. He voted overwhelmingly along Democratic party lines, but still received praise from Republicans.

Like most politicians, Obama was not averse to bringing home the bacon. According to published reports, Obama secured $100,000 in Illinois FIRST funds from then-Gov. George Ryan. The money went to the Museum of Science and Industry for an exhibit on the concept of time. Whether or not this is the time, politically speaking, for Obama remains to be seen. But days after being elected to the Senate, Obama spoke with NBC5 in a City Desk interview. He strongly denied any presidential ambition for 2008. "I do not think it is appropriate for me … to even consider being on the national ticket," the senator-elect said at the time.

[babylonsister]

1. You know every last potential negative will be brought up.

That's a reason why Hillary isn't such a target; been there, done that.
I applaud anyone who has the will (and past!) to overcome the onslaught; Sen. Obama, get ready.

[Herman Munster]

2. Can you imagine a republican attack ad questioning his experience?

They'll use this quote:

"I do not think it is appropriate for me … to even consider being on the national ticket,"

Over and over and over again.

They'll use every subtle racist imagery known to man that Obama is inexperienced and "uppity" to consider running for president two years out of the senate.

[pnwmom]

5. The Republicans will smear ANY candidate. There is no

candidate, no matter how much of an eagle scout, who they will not smear and attack in every ugly way possible. Who would ever have thought they could make a war hero like Kerry look like some kind of coward?

[goclark]

6. Excellent example, if they could smear Kerry anyone is fair game

Truman said, "If you can't stand the heat stay out of the kitchen."

Obama is more than qualified to lead.

He is the DECIDER if he wants to run or not.
The American people will be the DECIDERS unless Diebold steps in once again.

[pnwmom]

12. I agree. Voting machines, tossed registrations, etc.

are a bigger concern for me than the Republican smear machine. I think we have several candidates prepared to withstand whatever is thrown at them -- and that Kerry and Gore would have won if we had had a fair election. That's what we should be concentrating on now.

[goclark]

13. Agree totally nt

[politicasista]

18. Exactly

Anyone that thinks NO candidate/nominee won't be smeared or swiftboated is in for a rude awakening. If they did it to Gore, Kerry, Murtha, and now Obama with his middle name, they will do it to anyone period.

[illinoisprogressive]

3. Time Changes People's Minds

he fully expected to be a senator for the full term as exhibited by his interview on Meet the Press a year or so ago. Even says now that he was not expecting to run. What changed his mind was the book tour. While on it so many people pleaded and begged him to run and drafts sprung up. The whole thing rolled out of his own time table. People were desparate for him to run.
Dick Durbin has been after him for quite some time to run. Before anyone got a movement going. Like everyone else, Senator Durbin thinks he is incredible and really saw more than a cohort from Illinois.
With all this going on, he had to give it some thought. And when he said he was thinking about it the country and the media went crazy.
He is said to be deciding this week and will tell his family sometime this week.

[babylonsister]

7. Durbin is a big favorite of mine.

While I am a fan of Kerry, I will heed Durbin's opinions. I wish he was running for something I could vote on!

[Withywindle]

11. Same here - I love him!

I've often wished he would run. But he seems...well, to put it tactfully, there's a certain slightly maniacal level of ambition one needs to run for President. And he just doesn't seem to have it, and knows he doesn't, and is fine with that.

As long as he stays such a great Senator, I'm happy. And is he a future Majority Leader? I hope so.

[rebel with a cause]

20. Lets start a "love Durbin club"

I love Durbin also!!

[Oldtimeralso]

4. Pork Barrel?

Published reports say. "Like most politicians, Obama was not averse to bringing home the bacon. According to published reports, Obama secured $100,000 in Illinois FIRST funds from then-Gov. George Ryan. The money went to the Museum of Science and Industry for an exhibit on the concept of time."
This money was used to keep in the public most of a collection of timepieces that were up for sale after the closing of the Time Museum in Rockford IL. Displaying these artifacts in the Museum of Science and Industry not only offered greater exposure to the citizens of Illinois but also added to the fine collection already on display.

[Tinksrival]

10. I saw the exhibition........it was cool!

The idea behind The Time Museum was to illustrate the most significant technical developments in the history of time measurement. Included in the 1,500-object collection were sundials, nocturnals, water clocks, sand-glasses, chronometers, and astronomical regulators as well as domestic clocks and watches. Most time-measuring devices in the collection dated from the 17th- through 19th- centuries and were European or British in origin. The American section focused upon clocks from Colonial times through about 1870 and watches from the 1850's through about 1920.


Among the clocks, watches and instruments which will be sold is the Orrery Clock by Raingo à Paris, c.1820-1824, shown at the left. The clock shows the motion of earth and moon. This is one of only 8 known orreries by Raingo. Of the others, one was acquired originally by King George IV and is located in the royal library at Windsor Castle. Others can be found in the Glasgow Art Gallery; Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers, Paris; Palais de Cinquentenaire, Brussels; and the Royal Collection in Madrid.


Astronomical and world time clock by Christian Gebhard, Germany, 1895. Massive clock (10 ft. high by 10 ft. wide) weighing 6,000 pounds and including 15,000 parts was built by Christian Gebhard, a professor of Mathematics and Astronomy. The most entertaining feature of the clock is the striking apparatus which features a different performance of the automata for each quarter of the hour, en elaborate procession of the twelve Disciples at noon, and a trumpeter who appears once a year at midnight on New Year's Eve #D1039.

http://www.timemuseum.com/ttmop/prhtml.htm

[me b zola]

8. Does Obama scare you?

[WI_DEM]

16. I think he does scare supporters of other candidates

[rebel with a cause]

21. No! And I am afraid of some of the other candidates who

will remain nameless.

[Redneck Socialist]

9. That anti-gun bit will be hung around his neck like a millstone

That will be hard to overcome in many places.

[KamaAina]

14. A bill allowing gun owners to claim self-defense?

Why would such a bill have been thought necessary? Is there some quirk in Illinois law that doesn't allow people to claim self-defense when they're, you know, defending themselves, whether with a gun, baseball bat, peashooter or whatever? More details are called for; it may be that the law Obama voted against gave some sort of special treatment to gun owners.

[benEzra]

17. He'd do well to heed the lessons of 1994-2004...

Dems and the Gun Issue - Now What? (2004)

[WI_DEM]

15. I'll take Obama's intellect, experience and oratorial skills over

Bush any day. Bush didn't have tons of experience when he was nominated. Obama's fellow Illinoisian, Adlai Stevenson, was in his first term as Governor when the Democrats nominated him in 1952. Heck, Abe Lincoln, another famous Illinois politician, only served one term in the House. I think a persons intellect and background say much about them and Obama is not new to politics and he has a rich background in academia and law which is more than Bush had.

[rebel with a cause]

19. Obama was endorsed by Paul Simon before his death in 2003,

and by Durbin in 2006.