What About Barack Obama ? -- Thread for Those who might want to KNOW; here are FREE CLUES!

[FrenchieCat]

***CAUTION! INFORMATIVE THREAD****

Do you know what Barack Obama has accomplished
in the policy area in his 20 years in public life?

Barack Obama has made many proposals as to what he will do to "CHANGE" our government.
But what has he actually done?

here is some of what Obama has DONE--

Judge Him by His Laws

By Charles Peters
Friday, January 4, 2008; A21

...Since most of Obama's legislation was enacted in Illinois, most of the evidence is found there -- and it has been largely ignored by the media in a kind of Washington snobbery that assumes state legislatures are not to be taken seriously. <>

Consider a bill into which Obama clearly put his heart and soul. The problem he wanted to address was that too many confessions, rather than being voluntary, were coerced -- by beating the daylights out of the accused.

Obama proposed requiring that interrogations and confessions be videotaped.
This seemed likely to stop the beatings, but the bill itself aroused immediate opposition. There were Republicans who were automatically tough on crime and Democrats who feared being thought soft on crime. There were death penalty abolitionists, some of whom worried that Obama's bill, by preventing the execution of innocents, would deprive them of their best argument. Vigorous opposition came from the police, too many of whom had become accustomed to using muscle to "solve" crimes. And the incoming governor, Rod Blagojevich, announced that he was against it.
Obama had his work cut out for him.
<>
The police tried to limit the videotaping to confessions, but Obama, knowing that the beatings were most likely to occur during questioning, fought -- successfully -- to keep interrogations included in the required videotaping.

Then he talked Blagojevich into signing the bill, making Illinois the first state to require such videotaping.
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Obama noted that he sponsored successful death-penalty-reform legislation as a lawmaker in Springfield. That legislation, among other things, required the videotaping of homicide interrogations, and he promised to advocate for similar reforms on a national scale.

He backed federal legislation that would ban citizens from carrying weapons, except for law enforcement. He cited Texas as an example of a place where a law allowing people to carry weapons has "malfunctioned" because hundreds of people granted licenses had prior convictions.

said mandatory sentencing laws should be overturned to give judges more discretion and provide more equitable treatment for minorities.
http://www.icadp.org/page236.html
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Obama cites role in death penalty reform
Barack Obama can honestly claim to have made a difference on a matter of life and death.

While an Illinois state senator, Obama was key in getting the state's notorious death penalty laws changed, including a requirement that in most cases police interrogations involving capital crimes must be recorded.

The changes enacted in 2003 reformed a system that had sent 13 people to death row, only to have them released because they were later determine to be innocent or had been convicted using improper methods.

"Without Barack's energy, imagination and commitment I do not believe the very substantial and meaningful reforms that became law in Illinois would have taken place," said author Scott Turow, a member of the state commission that recommended many of the changes.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/12/obama.death.penalty.ap/


Obama didn't stop there. He played a major role in passing many other bills, including the state's first earned-income tax credit to help the working poor

and the first ethics and campaign finance law in 25 years (a law a Post story said made Illinois "one of the best in the nation on campaign finance disclosure").

Obama's commitment to ethics continued in the U.S. Senate, where he co-authored the new lobbying reform law that, among its hard-to-sell provisions, requires lawmakers to disclose the names of lobbyists who "bundle" contributions for them.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/03/AR2008010303303_pf.html

Ethics and Lobbying Reform

Throughout his political career, Barack Obama has been a leader in fighting for open and honest government. During his first year as an Illinois State Senator, he helped lead the fight to pass Illinois' first ethics reform bill in 25 years. As a U.S. Senator, he has spearheaded the effort to clean up Washington in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal.

Senator Obama is one of the authors of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (S. 2180). The bill would lengthen the cooling off period to two years for lawmakers and staff who seek to become lobbyists, and it would require immediate disclosure as soon as any job negotiations begin.

The bill would open conference committee meetings to the public and require that all bills be posted on the Internet for 24 hours before they can be voted on by the Senate. Finally, the bill would end all lobbyist-funded gifts, meals, and travel and strengthen the Senate office that monitors lobbyist disclosure forms.

In addition, Senator Obama has sponsored three other ethics-related bills:

The Congressional Ethics Enforcement Commission Act (S. 2259)

The bill creates an outside ethics commission to receive complaints from the public on alleged ethics violations by members of Congress, staff, and lobbyists. The commission would have the authority to investigate complaints and present public findings of fact about possible violations to the House and Senate Ethics Committee and Justice Department. By taking the initial fact finding out of the hands of members of Congress, who are often reluctant to investigate their colleagues, the bill ensures prompt and fair disposition of public complaints.

To avoid manipulation of the commission for political purposes, any person filing a complaint that they knew to be false would be subject to a fine and/or imprisonment. No complaints could be filed against a member of Congress for 30 days before a primary election and 60 days before a general election.

The bill has been widely endorsed by reform groups. According to Common Cause, "this legislation would do more to reform ethics and lobbying than any other piece of legislation introduced thus far because it goes to the heart of the problem: enforcement."

Public Citizen praised Senator Obama "for having the courage to challenge the business-as-usual environment on Capitol Hill and introduce far-reaching legislation." Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington stated: "This is the first bill that deals seriously with the lack of oversight and enforcement in the existing congressional ethics process. . . . This bill will help restore Americans' confidence in the integrity of Congress.

The Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act (S. 2261)

The bill sheds light on the almost 16,000 earmarks that were included in spending bills in 2005. Under the bill, all earmarks, including the name of the requestor and a justification for the earmark, would have to be disclosed 72 hours before they could be considered by the full Senate. Senators would be prohibited from advocating for an earmark if they have a financial interest in the project or earmark recipient. And, earmark recipients would have to disclose to an Office of Public Integrity the amount that they have spent on registered lobbyists and the names of those lobbyists.

The Curtailing Lobbyist Effectiveness through Advance Notification, Updates, and Posting Act (The CLEAN UP Act)
(S. 2179)

The bill aimed to improve public access to information about all legislation, including conference reports and appropriations legislation, in particular after hurried, end-of-session negotiations. Conference committee meetings and deliberations would have to be open to the public or televised, and conference reports would have to identify changes made to the bill from the House and Senate versions. Finally, no bill could be considered by the full Senate unless the measure has been made available to all Senators and the general public on the Internet for at least 72 hours.

PLUS HE WAS KEY IN THE FOLLOWING......

Destroying Surplus and Unguarded Conventional Weapons

After visiting weapons stockpiles in Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan, Senators Lugar and Obama introduced S. 2566, which would expand the cooperative threat reduction concept to conventional weapons.

cosponsored Dru's Law (S. 792)

which created a nationwide sex offender database and requires greater monitoring of sex offenders upon their release from prison. The bill passed the Senate on July 28, 2005.

He also cosponsored the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. This bill increases the penalties for sex crimes against children under the age of 12, and creates a national Internet site known as the National Sex Offender Public Registry. The bill will also provide grants to local law enforcement to assist in preventing and investigating sex crimes against minors.

Cosponsored the extension of Violence Against Women Act
(S. 1197)

which passed the Senate on October 4, 2005, and was signed into law. The Act provides increased funds to law enforcement to combat violence against women. It also establishes a sexual assault services program and provides grants for education programs to prevent domestic violence and encourage reporting of abuses.

The Senate Immigration Bill

Senator Obama played a key role in the crafting of the immigration reform bill that the Senate passed in May 2006. The bill, which President Bush supports, would provide more funds and technology for border security and prevent employers from skirting our laws by hiring illegal immigrants. The bill also would provide immigrants who are now contributing and responsible members of society an opportunity to remain in the country and earn citizenship. But not all illegal immigrants would be guaranteed the right to remain in the U.S. under this proposal; they would first have to pay a substantial fine and back taxes, learn English, satisfy a work requirement, and pass a criminal background check.

Senator Obama offered three amendments that were included in the Senate bill. The first amendment strengthens the requirement that a job be offered at a prevailing wage to American workers before it is offered to a guestworker. The second amendment makes it simple, but mandatory, for employers to verify that their employees are legally eligible to work in the United States. And the third amendment authorizes $3 million a year for the FBI to improve the speed and accuracy of the background checks required for immigrants seeking to become citizens.

Amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act

which passed the EPW Committee on July 20, 2005. The Obama amendment provides $37.5 million over the next five years to protect the country's drinking water from a terrorist attack. It also instructs Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control to develop the tools needed by drinking water systems to detect and respond to the introduction of biological, chemical, and radiological contaminants by terrorists.

Greater Funding for Veterans Health Care

As early as February 2005, Senator Obama warned of a shortfall in the VA budget. Four months later, the VA reported that in fact it had more than a $1 billion shortfall. Senator Obama cosponsored a bill that led to a $1.5 billion increase in veterans' medical care. During the debate on the Fiscal Year 2007 budget, Senator Obama cosponsored measures that would have provided additional funding increases for veterans.

In September 2006, Senator Obama introduced the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act (S. 3988) to improve the VA’s planning process to avoid budget shortfalls in the future. The bill requires the VA and the Department of Defense to work together and share data so that we know precisely how many troops will be returning home and entering the VA system.

Homeless Veterans

Every year, 400,000 veterans across the country, including an estimated 38,000 in Chicago, spend some time living on the streets. Senator Obama has been a leader in fighting homelessness among veterans. He authored the Sheltering All Veterans Everywhere Act (SAVE Act) (S. 1180) to strengthen and expand federal homeless veteran programs that serve over 100,000 homeless veterans annually. During the debate on the Fiscal Year 2007 budget, Senator Obama passed an amendment to increase funding for homeless veterans programs by $40 million. These funds would benefit programs that provide food, clothing, mental health and substance abuse counseling, and employment and housing assistance to homeless veterans.

In June 2006, Senator Obama introduced the Homes for Heroes Act (S. 3475), which would expand access to long-term affordable housing for homeless veterans by setting aside $225 million to purchase, build or rehabilitate homes and apartments for veterans. The legislation would also greatly expand existing veterans rental assistance programs and create a new office within the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to coordinate services to homeless veterans.

Food for Recovering Soldiers

Senator Obama introduced an amendment that became law providing food services to wounded veterans receiving physical therapy or rehabilitation services at military hospitals. Previously, service members receiving physical therapy or rehabilitation services in a medical hospital for more than 90 days were required to pay for their meals.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and TBI
Senator Obama fought a VA proposal that would have required a reexamination of all PTSD cases in which full benefits were granted. He and Senator Durbin passed an amendment that has become law preventing the VA from conducting a review of cases, without first providing Congress with a complete report regarding the implementation of such review. In November 2005, the VA announced that it was abandoning its planned review.

Senator Obama passed an amendment to ensure that all service members returning from Iraq are properly screened for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). TBI is being called the signature injury of the Iraq war. The blast from improvised explosive devices can jar the brain, causing bruising or permanent damage. Concussions can have huge health effects including slowed thinking, headaches, memory loss, sleep disturbance, attention and concentration deficits, and irritability.

Easing the Transition to the VA Senator Obama passed an amendment that became law requiring the Department of Defense (DOD) to report to Congress on the delayed development of an electronic medical records system compatible with the VA's electronic medical records system. DOD's delay in developing such a system has created obstacles for service members transitioning into the VA health care system.

In September 2006, Senator Obama introduced the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act (S. 3988) which would help veterans transition from the DOD health system to the VA system by extending the window in which new veterans can get mental health care from two years to five years. The Lane Evans bill also would improve transition services for members of the National Guard and Reserves.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/20/201332/807/36/458633

Senate Passes Kerry-Obama Legislation to Close KBR Tax Loophole, Provide Tax Relief for Troops

Thursday, May 22, 2008
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators John Kerry and Barack Obama today announced that the Senate passed the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008 (The "HEART Act"). The Act would provide tax relief to the men and women in our nation's armed services and others volunteering service on behalf of the United States, including Peace Corps volunteers and AmeriCorps volunteers - and is paid for by the Kerry-Obama tax reform that closed the tax loophole that allowed defense contractor KBR to avoid paying its fair share of taxes. The Act passed the House yesterday and now goes to the President for his signature.

Kerry and Obama were instrumental in ensuring that the funds that will be used to pay for these benefits came from defense contractors that were not paying their fair share of taxes. In March, they introduced the Fair Share Act of 2008 to close the loophole that had allowed KBR to fleece the American taxpayer by almost $100 million a year. It was discovered that KBR and another defense contractor have avoided paying their fair share of Social Security and Medicare taxes by creating shell companies in the Cayman Islands. The Fair Share Act of 2008 will end the practice of U.S. government contractors setting up sham companies in foreign jurisdictions to avoid payroll taxes.
http://obama.senate.gov/press/080522-senate_passes_k/

Global Poverty Act of 2007

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Barack Obama (D-IL), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA) today hailed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's passage of the Global Poverty Act (S.2433), which requires the President to develop and implement a comprehensive policy to cut extreme global poverty in half by 2015 through aid, trade, debt relief, and coordination with the international community, businesses and NGOs. This legislation was introduced in December. Smith and Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) sponsored the House version of the bill (H.R. 1302), which passed the House last September.
http://obama.senate.gov /

Legislation would aim to cut extreme global poverty in half by 2015

Barack Obama’s record on rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina.

Sept. 2, 2005: Obama holds press conference urging Illinoisans to contribute to the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

Sept. 5, 2005: Obama goes to Houston to visit evacuees with Presidents Clinton and Bush.

Sept. 7, 2005: Obama introduces bill to create a national emergency family locator system

Sept. 8, 2005: Obama introduces bill to create a National Emergency Volunteers Corps.

Sept. 8, 2005: Obama co-sponsors the Katrina Emergency Relief Act of 2005 introduced by Senator Harry Reid

Sept. 8, 2005: Obama co-sponsors the Hurricane Katrina Bankruptcy Relief and Community Protection Act of 2005 introduced by Senator Russ Feingold

Sept. 12, 2005: Obama introduces legislation requiring states to create an emergency evacuation plan for society’s most vulnerable

Sept. 15, 2005: Obama issues public response to President Bush’s speech about Gulf Coast rebuilding.

Sept. 21, 2005: Obama co-sponsors bill to establish a Katrina commission to investigate response to the disaster introduced by Hillary Clinton

Sept. 21, 2005: Obama appears on NPR to discuss the role of poverty in Hurricane Katrina.

Sept. 22, 2005: Obama and Coburn’s Hurricane Katrina financial oversight bill unanimously passes Senate committee.

Sept. 22, 2005: Obama’s amendment requiring evacuation plans unanimously passes Senate committee.

Sept. 28, 2005: Obama and Coburn issue statement about the need for a Chief Financial Officer to oversee the financial mismanagement and suspicious contracts occurring in the reconstruction process

Sept. 29, 2005: Obama and Coburn investigate possible FEMA refusal of free cruise ship offer

Oct. 6, 2005: Obama and Coburn issue statement on FEMA Decision to re-bid Katrina contracts

Oct. 6, 2005: Obama co-sponsors Gulf Coast Infrastructure Redevelopment and Recovery Act of 2005.

Oct. 21, 2005: Obama releases statement decrying the extension of FEMA director, Michael “Brownie” Brown’s contract. Obama calls Brown’s contract extension, “unconscionable.”

Nov. 17, 2005: Obama and Coburn introduce legislation asking FEMA to immediately re-bid all Katrina reconstruction contracts.

Feb. 1, 2006: Obama gives Senate floor speech on his legislation to help children affected by Hurricane Katrina

Feb. 2, 2006: Obama introduces legislation to help low-income children affected by Hurricane Katrina

Feb. 23, 2006: Obama issues statement responding to a White House report on Hurricane Katrina. Obama noted that the top two recommendations that the report had for the federal government were initiatives he had been working on since immediately after the storm hit. Obama called the administration’s response “delinquent.”

May 2, 2006: Obama gives speech about no-bid contracts in Hurricane Katrina reconstruction

May 4, 2006: Obama’s legislation to end no-bid contracts for Hurricane Katrina reconstruction passed the Senate.

June 15, 2006: Obama and Coburn announce legislation to require amendment to create competitive bidding for Hurricane Katrina reconstruction for federal contracts over $500,000. Although it passed previously, the language was stripped in conference.

June 15, 2006: Obama releases podcast about his pending Katrina reconstruction legislation in the Senate.

June 16, 2006: Obama and Coburn get no-bid Hurricane Katrina reconstruction amendment into Department of Defense authorization bill.

July 14, 2006: Obama and Coburn’s legislation to end abuse of no-bid contracts passes senate as amendment to Department of Defense authorization bill.

August 11, 2006: Obama visits Xavier University in New Orleans to give Commencement address

August 14, 2006: Obama and Coburn ask FEMA to address ballooning no-bid contracts for Gulf Coast reconstruction

Sept. 29, 2006: Obama and Coburn legislation to prevent abuse of no-bid contracts in the wake of disaster passes Senate to be sent to President’s desk to become law.

Feb. 2007-Present: As Obama begins his Presidential campaign he references Katrina as a part of his stump speech as he travels around the country in his familiar line, “That we are not a country which preaches compassion and justice to others while we allow bodies to float down the streets of a major American city. That is not who we are.”

June 20, 2007: Obama co-sponsors Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007 introduced by Senator Chris Dodd.

July 27, 2007: Obama and colleagues get a measure in the Homeland Security bill that will
investigate FEMA trailers that may contain the toxic chemical, formaldehyde.

Aug. 26, 2007: Obama outlines a detailed Hurricane Katrina recovery plan.

December 18, 2007: Obama calls on President Bush to protect affordable housing in New Orleans

February 16, 2008: Obama releases statement on toxic Gulf Coast trailers
http://thinkonthesethings.wordpress.com/2007/08/29/when-the-cameras-are-off-barack-obamas-hurricane-katrina-record/

Will OBAMA uphold the constitution?

Obama Says Gitmo Facility Should Close

The Democratic presidential hopeful pledged to work side-by-side with the rest of the world on issues like nuclear proliferation, poverty, economic development in Latin America and the violence in Darfur.

"While we're at it," he said, "we're going to close Guantanamo. And we're going to restore habeas corpus. ... We're going to lead by example _ by not just word but by deed. That's our vision for the future."

Habeas corpus is a tenet of the Constitution that protects people from unlawful imprisonment
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/24/AR2007062401046.html

---------------

Human Rights Should Be Bigger than Politics

Senator Barack Obama delivered this speech on the floor of the US Senate, in reaction to Senate passage of S. 3930, Military Commissions Act of 2006, which approved US torture of detainees and strips Constitutional rights away from detainees.
Senator Obama decries the placement of politics over human rights, and condemns S. 3930. He states, "This is not how a serious Administration would approach the problem of terrorism."
http://usliberals.about.com/od/extraordinaryspeeches/a/ObamaTorture.htm

excerpts from Obama's statement...

In the five years that the President's system of military tribunals has existed, not one terrorist has been tried. Not one has been convicted. And in the end, the Supreme Court of the United found the whole thing unconstitutional, which is why we're here today.

We could have fixed all of this in a way that allows us to detain and interrogate and try suspected terrorists while still protecting the accidentally accused from spending their lives locked away in Guantanamo Bay. Easily. This was not an either-or question.

Instead of allowing this President - or any President - to decide what does and does not constitute torture, we could have left the definition up to our own laws and to the Geneva Conventions, as we would have if we passed the bill that the Armed Services committee originally offered.

Instead of detainees arriving at Guantanamo and facing a Combatant Status Review Tribunal that allows them no real chance to prove their innocence with evidence or a lawyer, we could have developed a real military system of justice that would sort out the suspected terrorists from the accidentally accused.

And instead of not just suspending, but eliminating, the right of habeas corpus - the seven century-old right of individuals to challenge the terms of their own detention, we could have given the accused one chance - one single chance - to ask the government why they are being held and what they are being charged with.
http://usliberals.about.com/od/extraordinaryspeeches/a/ObamaTorture.htm

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9845595-7.html
For one thing, under an Obama presidency, Americans will be able to leave behind the era of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and "wiretaps without warrants," he said. (He was referring to the lingering legal fallout over reports that the National Security Agency scooped up Americans' phone and Internet activities without court orders, ostensibly to monitor terrorist plots, in the years after the September 11 attacks.)

It's hardly a new stance for Obama, who has made similar statements in previous campaign speeches, but mention of the issue in a stump speech, alongside more frequently discussed topics like Iraq and education, may give some clue to his priorities.

STRONG RECORD ON ELECTION RIGHTS AND ELECTION REFORM

In our own Technology Voters' Guide, when asked whether he supports shielding telecommunications and Internet companies from lawsuits accusing them of illegal spying, Obama gave us a one-word response: "No."

Including this:
In 1992, was the Director of Illinois Project VOTE, which registered approximately 150,000 mostly Democratic voters in Chicago's Cook County
Opposes the death penalty and school vouchers
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=1511

I believe that with Barack Obama as President, we will get meaningful Election reforms passed through the Congress, and it is my opinion that this issue is just if not more important than the rest of the issues being offered during this election.

Barack as a Constitutional Law Expert and an advocate for Civil Rights is the leader that will get this done for us.

----------------------

OBAMA'S US SENATE RECORD:

S.1975 : A bill to prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections.

Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack (introduced 11/8/2005) Cosponsors (4)
Committees: Senate Rules and Administration
Latest Major Action: 11/8/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.

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S.4102 : A bill to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit the use of telecommunications devices for the purposes of preventing or obstructing the broadcast or exchange of election-related information.

Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack (introduced 12/7/2006) Cosponsors (None) Committees: Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Latest Major Action: 12/7/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
--------------------

S.4069 : A bill to prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections.

Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack (introduced 11/16/2006) Cosponsors (4)
Committees: Senate Rules and Administration
Latest Major Action: 11/16/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
--------------------

Obama's Rewards

$13,000 a year, plus $2,000 for a car--a beat-up blue Honda Civic, which Obama drove for the next three years organizing more than twenty congregations to change their neighborhoods.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070416/moberg

Obama's organizing history may give few clues about what policies he would pursue as President, but Obama the presidential candidate still shows his roots--a faith in ordinary citizens, a quest for common ground and a pragmatic inclination toward defining issues in winnable ways.

Even when Obama was an organizer, Augustine-Herron told him he would be the nation's first black President. Now the Rev. Alvin Love, whom Obama recruited to DCP, looks at his candidacy and says, "Everything I see reflects that community organizing experience. I see the consensus-building, his connection to people and listening to their needs and trying to find common ground. I think at his heart Barack is a community organizer. I think what he's doing now is that. It's just a larger community to be organized."
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070416/moberg

What Obama has done in the past, not including what he has done thus far during the primaries; bringing new voters into the frey.

Vote of Confidence
A huge black turnout in November 1992 altered Chicago's electoral landscape—and raised a new political star: a 31-year-old lawyer named Barack Obama.

In the final, climactic buildup to November's general election, with George Bush gaining ground on Bill Clinton in Illinois and the once-unstoppable campaign of senatorial candidate Carol Moseley Braun embroiled in allegations about her mother's Medicare liability, one of the most important local stories managed to go virtually unreported: The number of new voter registrations before the election hit an all-time high. And the majority of those new voters were black. More than 150,000 new African-American voters were added to the city's rolls. In fact, for the first time in Chicago's history-including the heyday of Harold Washington-voter registrations in the 19 predominantly black wards outnumbered those in the city's 19 predominantly white ethnic wards, 676,000 to 526,000.

None of this, of course, was accidental. The most effective minority voter registration drive in memory was the result of careful handiwork by Project Vote!, the local chapter of a not-for-profit national organization.

"It was the most efficient campaign I have seen in my 20 years in politics," says Sam Burrell, alderman of the West Side's 29th Ward and a veteran of many registration drives.

At the head of this effort was a little-known 31-year-old African-American lawyer, community organizer, and writer: Barack Obama.

To understand the full implications of Obama's effort, you first need to understand how voter registration often has worked in Chicago. The Regular Democratic Party spearheaded most drives, doing so using one primary motivator: money. The party would offer bounties to registrars for every new voter they signed up (typically a dollar per registration).

The campaigns did produce new voters. "But bounty systems don't really promote participation," says David Orr, the Cook County clerk, whose office is responsible for voter registration efforts in the Cook County suburbs. "When the money dries up, the voters drop out." Nor did the Democratic Party always vigorously push registration among minorities, Orr says. "It's not that they discouraged it. They just never worked hard to ensure it would happen."
http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-1993/Vote-of-Confidence

-----------------------
Project Vote is the voter-mobilization arm of ACORN. It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose professed purpose is to carry out "non-partisan" voter registration drives; to counsel voters on their rights; and to litigate on behalf of voting rights -- focusing on the rights of the poor and the "disenfranchised."

Project Vote’s major program areas include the following:

Voter Participation Program: “, Project Vote has helped more than 4 million Americans in low-income and minority neighborhoods register to vote, including 1.1 million in 2003-04. In the same period, Project Vote reached more than 2.3 million low-income and minority voters to educate them about the importance of voting. Our methodology is based on face-to-face contact between voters and trusted community messengers, generally a representative of a local community organization.”





This compliments this:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4678548

[BlooInBloo]

1. +20 infomation points!

[AtomicKitten]

2. Excellent compilation, FC. Thanks.

K&R

[FrenchieCat]

3. No problem!

:hi:

[papau]

68. Yes - very Nice post - kudo's to those that did it on what they included and what they excluded - An

MSNBC late night offering has been a a nice Obama bio - but again they are showing only in the very early AM

You may want to get your hands on that MSNBC flick and post a few excerpts to YOUTUBE.

I still dislike and distrust Obama and think Hillary is the better choice - but it looks like from this post that he will run a good campaign in the general. Unfortunately the main thing folks vote on in the general is the answer to the question "Do I want this face/voice/personality on my TV for next 4 years" - and I do not know if he can get over 50% on that question in the electoral state by state count. Many will evaluate him on "arrogance" which perhaps only a perception problem is still a very real problem at this time - and others will measure "arrogance" by the answer to the question "will he toss the senior women vote by no Hillary as VP" - and while I believe he would still be the favorite to win in 08 even without Hillary, if he tosses her, the senior women vote may "permanently" realign itself with Independents or GOP as they leave the Democratic Party. Just a few worries for the Party - or at least the non-Obama fan half of the Party - to think about these days.

In any case, nice post.

[AntiFascist]

4. Great post FrenchieCat !, K&R...

Isn't Obama also an expert on Constitutional Law? If the Constitution ever needed an expert to correct things, now is the time!

[FrenchieCat]

6. Ah...yes. The good news is that Obama has accomplished much....

the bad news is that it is so much, I couldn't fit it all in this post.

As a former President of the Harvard Law Review, he brings extraordinary knowledge of the constitution with him to the Oval Office. A refreshing contrast to Bush, who only knows how to ignore the constitution.

[rebel with a cause]

40. He also taught Constitution Law

he was a senior lecturer who taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School. He was attacked for claiming to be a professor by the Clinton campaign, but The University of Chicago Law School has stated that although he was listed as as Senior Lecturer, they did indeed think of him as a Professor and treated him as such. 1992-2004

http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/was_barack_obama_really_a_constitutional_law.html

Official statement of the University of Chicago Law School

http://www.law.uchicago.edu/media/index.html


By the way, good work FrenchieCat. Lots of facts posted here, more than I would have the patience to gather.

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

5. long may it continue! rec'd

[FSogol]

7. Awesome post. Keep up the good work. n/t

[AuntPatsy]

8. Print this thread I've copied and paste as to why Mcbush does not

deserve the presidency and yours as to why Obama does and go out on the streets and hand them out, let the voters decide after reading it all as to who is more reliable and trustworthy to ensure the average American citizens rights are aknowleged, it would be a good way to get people that are not familiar with Sen Obama or even McClain and ensure they are before going to the booths.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6302176

[FrenchieCat]

25. Call them the Companion threads.....to be handed out before each

"Town Hall" meeting in where McCain will be able to attract an actual "live" audience! LOL!

[AuntPatsy]

49. It really is a good idea you know for Durs to print such information out

and simply give it out to not only family and friends but anyone that might appear interested in discussing politics...

[pnorman]

9. Thnks for that! I'll Google-Bookmark it directly.

I never bought into that "Obama has NO legislative record" meme, but it probably lurked somewhere in my subconscious. But no longer! Once again, THANKS!

pnorman

[FrenchieCat]

10. Information is key. We must arm the voters........

the media should be ashamed of themselves, as they are the ones who have assisted in advancing a notion that Time served equals "accomplishments". Obama accomplished in his public career more than what many public servants can only dream of.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

11. Don't forget his two books.

For people who want a more personal look.

[FrenchieCat]

12. Yes, his books, written by himself.......

are excellent sources of information.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

14. It's my response to questioning people.

- "But I don't know about him!"
- "He's written two books about himself. What more do you need?"

:rofl:

[Fly by night]

13. What else you got? (Just kidding, this is a great and very useful post)

Kay and Are

Fired up. Ready to go.

[FrenchieCat]

18. I've got this....

on IRAQ:

Obama Consistently Opposed the Iraq War.


In January of 2005, Obama criticized Condoleezza Rice for not offering a timetable for withdrawal;

in February he criticized the Administration’s policy in Iraq while praising our troops;

in May and June, he called security in Iraq “horrible” and criticized the Administration for linking the 9/11 attacks and the war in Iraq;

and in October and November, he called for a phased withdrawal of our troops, saying that we should “get out as soon as we can.”

Obama called for a phased withdrawal of our troops in November of 2005 and voted for an amendment stating that the US should not “stay in Iraq indefinitely.”

He consistently called for troop withdrawal throughout 2006, and voted for a resolution in June urging the President to begin troop withdrawal during 2006.

Obama spoke out against the surge the same night Bush announced it, and introduced his bill to end the war at the end of January, which would have prohibited the surge and set a timetable for withdrawal of all combat troops by the end of March 2008.

That bill became the template for the Democratic caucus’ position.

IRAQ: Obama Has Consistently Opposed A Blank Check for Iraq.

Since Obama came to Washington in January of 2005, every single Senate Democrat has voted for every single Iraq funding bill that has come to the Senate floor until President Bush vetoed a timetable for withdrawal.

After that, Obama voted against funding for the war, stating that “This vote is a choice between validating the same failed policy in Iraq that has cost us so many lives and demanding a new one…We should not give the President a blank check to continue down this same, disastrous path. With my vote today, I am saying to the President that enough is enough. We must negotiate a better plan that funds our troops, signals to the Iraqis that it is time for them to act and that begins to bring our brave servicemen and women home safely and responsibly.”

IRAQ: full excerpt from the New York Times:
“He opposed the war in Iraq, and spoke against it during a rally in Chicago in the fall of 2002. He said then that he saw no evidence that Iraq had unconventional weapons that posed a threat, or of any link between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda. “In a recent interview, he declined to criticize Senators Kerry and Edwards for voting to authorize the war, although he said he would not have done the same based on the information he had at the time.

“‘But, I’m not privy to Senate intelligence reports,’ Mr. Obama said. ‘What would I have done? I don’t know. What I know is that from my vantage point the case was not made.’

“But Mr. Obama said he did fault Democratic leaders for failing to ask enough tough questions of the Bush administration to force it to prove its case for war. ‘What I don’t think was appropriate was the degree to which Congress gave the president a pass on this,’ he said.”
http://thepage.time.com/obama-camp-memo-on-clintons-mtp-iraq-statements/

[Fly by night]

28. Alrighty then. Got more? (It's nice -- and rare -- for me to play the straight man here.)

But what you have (and will?) post will be extremely useful information to share here in the Orange State (Tennessee).

Keep it coming.

Fired up. Ready to go.

[FrenchieCat]

39. Obama and Corporate Accountability......

Obama believes that corporations should be responsible for work conditions and pensions and that there should be tax incentives for corporate responsibility. He feels we should close tax loopholes for companies that relocate abroad and end tax breaks for companies that outsource jobs.

Actions: Obama voted AGAINST reforming bankruptcy to include means testing and restrictions (2005) and FOR repealing the tax subsidy for companies that move jobs offshore (2005).
http://www.issue2008.com/obama-on-corporationsregulation/
--------------
Levin, Coleman, Obama Introduce Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act
Bill targets $100 billion in lost tax revenue each year from offshore tax dodges

WASHINGTON – Today, citing $100 billion in revenue drained from the U.S. Treasury at the expense of honest, hardworking American families who pay their fair share, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., introduced comprehensive legislation to stop offshore tax haven and tax shelter abuses.
...
The Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act is a strengthened version of a tax reform bill that Levin, Coleman, and Obama introduced in the last Congress. The legislation was strengthened as a result of a year-long Subcommittee investigation which resulted in a hearing and report on August 1, 2006, examining a series of case studies showing how U.S. taxpayers are using offshore secrecy jurisdictions to dodge U.S. taxes.

the 68-page bill would:

ESTABLISH PRESUMPTIONS TO COMBAT OFFSHORE SECRECY by allowing U.S. tax and securities law enforcement to presume that non-publicly traded, offshore corporations and trusts are controlled by the U.S. taxpayers who formed them or sent them assets, unless the taxpayer proves otherwise;

IMPOSE TOUGHER REQUIREMENTS ON U.S. TAXPAYERS USING OFFSHORE SECRECY JURISDICTIONS by listing 34 jurisdictions which have already been named in IRS court filings as probable locations for U.S. tax evasion;

AUTHORIZE SPECIAL MEASURES TO STOP OFFSHORE TAX ABUSES by giving Treasury authority to take special measures against foreign jurisdictions and financial institutions that impede U.S. tax enforcement;

STRENGTHEN DETECTION OF OFFSHORE ACTIVITIES by requiring U.S. financial institutions that open accounts for foreign entities controlled by U.S. clients, open accounts in offshore secrecy jurisdictions for U.S. clients, or establish entities in offshore secrecy jurisdictions for U.S. clients, to report such actions to the IRS;

CLOSE OFFSHORE TRUST LOOPHOLES by taxing offshore trust income used to buy real estate, artwork and jewelry for U.S. persons, and treating as trust beneficiaries those persons who actually receive offshore trust assets;

STRENGTHEN PENALTIES on tax shelter promoters by increasing the maximum fine to 150% of their ill-gotten gains, and on corporate insiders who hide offshore stock holdings by increasing the maximum fine on them to $1 million per violation of U.S. securities laws;

STOP TAX SHELTER PATENTS by prohibiting the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office from issuing patents for “inventions designed to minimize, avoid, defer, or otherwise affect liability for Federal, State, local, or foreign tax”; and

REQUIRE HEDGE FUNDS AND COMPANY FORMATION AGENTS TO KNOW THEIR OFFSHORE CLIENTS by requiring them to establish anti-money laundering programs like other U.S. financial institutions, under regulations to be issued by the Treasury Department.
http://www.senate.gov/~levin/newsroom/release.cfm?id=269479

US presidential hopeful Obama targets hedge funds with tax haven bill
http://www.hedgeweek.com/articles/detail.jsp?content_id=49947&livehome=true

[Fly by night]

55. Thanks for ALL of this. It will be most helpful to all of us.

[Political Heretic]

80. Outstanding thread. Thank you for all the posting you do.

[zeos3]

82. WOW! I'll have to remember to NEVER debate you

Excellent work!

[bigbrother05]

15. K and R and Bookmarked

[demokatgurrl]

16. This should be PERMANENTLY on the front page

so I can send people here who say "duh, but I don't KNOW anything about Obama...."

[Lerkfish]

23. absolutely

[housewolf]

17. Wow, that's impressive!

Great post, FrenchieCat - Thanks!

[FrenchieCat]

19. yes....I believe that it is an impressive link to those who believe

That Sen. Obama is an "empty vessel".

[Cha]

59. Not quite the "empty vessel"..not by

a long shot.

Obama's young but he's kept himself busy and we know the m$$m is not going to give Americans the real 411 on Obama..so, it's up to us and the internet, KO, and Comedy Central.

[jenmito]

20. Holy cow! GREAT work! K&R! That's almost TOO much information!

I may show this to people outside of the DU if you don't mind! :hi:

[grantcart]

21. I'm going out on a limb but knowing Frenchie the way I do - its ok to share this

[FrenchieCat]

22. True. These kind of threads sometimes don't survive.....because the soundbyte is missing!

Please show it to as many as possible. I have included it in my journal. :)

[jenmito]

26. Thanks!

I will. :hi:

[K Gardner]

24. Bookmarked, K&R. You're the best, Frenchie !

[crickets]

27. Thank you! Bookmarked and recommended.

:dem:

[bhikkhu]

29. Fantastic summary!

Its hard to imagine anyone here reading this and still having a single doubt...

[phrigndumass]

30. Excellent post, Frenchie! K/R

:thumbsup:

[fight4my3sons]

31. great post Frenchie!

happy to recommend :hi:

[dailykoff]

32. Well, other than all those accomplishments, he's an empty vessel.

I heard Wolf say so.

:sarcasm:

[Vattel]

33. very useful post

I love Obama's positions on restoring the Constitution. McCain (Mr. I-pretend-to-be-against-torture) voted for the Military Commissions Act which greatly weakened the War Crimes Act, thereby decriminalizing a lot of the "harsh interrogation techniques." What's frightening is that McCain actually cites his vote for the Military Commissions Act as proof that he is againsat torture. Apparently he has either (a) never read it, (b) doesn't understand it, or (c) didn't have Lieberman around to whisper in his ear that it was actually pro-torture.

edited for typos

[blonndee]

34. "Error: you've already recommended that thread." But here's a kick.

Thanks, Frenchie.

[ms liberty]

35. KR&B - Wow, FrenchieCat. Awesome work - Thanks! n/t

[Rosa Luxemburg]

36. Bookmarked - thanks!

[slinkerwink]

37. great post!

[frog92969]

38. Thank you - K&R

Why do I think not many Obama haters are going to read this?

This is the man we've been desperately waiting for!

[canucksawbones]

41. as Johnny Carson used to say

here's the good shtuff.

brialliant as usual Frenchie

K&R

[onehandle]

42. Rec for the presumptive nominee. nt

[mcollier]

Your work is appreciated

we can all give our fellow Americans a hand in passing on this information to someone you know and ask them to do the same.

[mcollier]

44. Your work is appreciated

we can all give our fellow Americans a hand in passing on this information to someone you know and ask them to do the same.

[FrenchieCat]

45. Aye!

[crankychatter]

43. best of - k/r - frenchie, you rock. - no text

.

[Blue Diadem]

46. Thank you FrenchieCat!

Kick & Rec and bookmark for future use!

[qwlauren35]

47. Can't be said enough...

I think I learned some of these things in February. It was just soooooooo meaty that I couldn't keep it in my brain when I went campaigning.

For those who are rational thinkers, I hope that they will respect the hard evidence. (Bigots be d*mned, we can't win them anyway.)

I confess to having skimmed through what you said he did. But I want to mention what he did NOT do.

If you look at Obama's voting record in the Senate, there are a LOT of abstentions. I looked at them very closely. And it was incredibly strategic. Obama went out of his way not to vote on things that were clearly frivolous. That way, if you pull up his voting record, there isn't a list of 50 proclamations, recognitions, etc. with a sprinkling of meaty decisions.

In fact, if you look VERY closely, you'll find that on a given day, he might have chosen to vote on 1 issue, and then abstained on 2-3 others. No one can suggest that he was ABSENT. He wasn't. He was just determined to use his voice and vote sparingly on the things that "mattered".

It's one of the things that impressed me about him when I had to abandon Richardson.

[kay1864]

48. All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation,

roads, a fresh water system, and public health...

what has Barack Obama ever done for us?






:+






Solidarity!

[juno jones]

50. Thank you Frenchie

I am going to copy this now and give it to a couple of guys at work who have asked good questions and been fed a lot of idiot misinformation in the last weeks.

I'm hoping to steer them here, but hard to say. At least I can give them the info. Great research and summation, Frenchie cat!

[Maine-ah]

51. rec'd, bookmarked

planning a mass emailing.....

Thanks! Awesome information and it would be great if you don't mind us emailing it out to people.

:hi:

on edit,

this should be a sticky at the top of the page.

[cliffordu]

52. Kicked and recommended...

EXCELLENT POST!!! THANKS!!

[madrchsod]

53. 70% of the people in illinois

for one reason or another decided that he was going to represent our state in the senate. little did we know that in a 4 years he would win the democratic nomination for the presidency of the united states...

now we will find another senator to help him do what needs to be done....

[graywarrior]

54. Such valuable information

Thank you for posting

[Cha]

56. It's a Keeper, Frenchie, thank you!

And, it may not mean as much to others as it does to me but, Obama's statement on Oct 2, 2002 at an anti-war rally, as a state senator in Illinois is what cemented my support of him and I would have been on board sooner had I known about "The Speech".

"Remarks of Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama Against Going to War with Iraq"
October 02, 2002

<snips>

.."What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other armchair, weekend warriors in this administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne.

What I am opposed to is the attempt by political hacks like Karl Rove to distract us from a rise in the uninsured, a rise in the poverty rate, a drop in the median income - to distract us from corporate scandals and a stock market that has just gone through the worst month since the Great Depression. That's what I'm opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics. Now let me be clear - I suffer no illusions about Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal man. A ruthless man. A man who butchers his own people to secure his own power. He has repeatedly defied UN resolutions, thwarted UN inspection teams, developed chemical and biological weapons, and coveted nuclear capacity. He's a bad guy. The world, and the Iraqi people, would be better off without him.

But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors, that the Iraqi economy is in shambles, that the Iraqi military a fraction of its former strength, and that in concert with the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of history. I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. 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.

So for those of us who seek a more just and secure world for our children, let us send a clear message to the President today..."

<conclusion snip>

"The consequences of war are dire, the sacrifices immeasurable. We may have occasion in our lifetime to once again rise up in defense of our freedom, and pay the wages of war. But we ought not -- we will not -- travel down that hellish path blindly. Nor should we allow those who would march off and pay the ultimate sacrifice, who would prove the full measure of devotion with their blood, to make such an awful sacrifice in vain."

<much more of Obama's speech>
http://www.barackobama.com/2002/10/02/remarks_of_illinois_state_sen.php

[FrenchieCat]

63. ah, yes.........

His "only has a 2002 speech" speech. :)

[Enthusiast]

78. Now that's a record a guy can run on!

Today I received a horrible article from a place called 'Newsmax'. Their article told of a coming collapse of the economy if Barack is elected president. How ridiculous is that? Keep your eyes out for these right wing propaganda factories.

[eagertolearn]

89. I believe the economy is aleady collapsing! n/t

[Enthusiast]

93. Of course it is.

And those responsible for the deregulation and wild spending, that caused it, are wishing to deflect blame. And who would be better than Obama to blame for a melt down? Anyway, we need to watch their every action. These fascists, for want of a better name. Maybe I should just call them Republicans.

[Cha]

103. They're rinos..republican in name only.

You're right the first time.

[Duder]

57. Well done FrenchieCat

"We Need Barack"
http://www.thefader.com/articles/2008/6/6/freeload-mavado-we-need-barack

[FrenchieCat]

58. I'm just giving folks the direct link to the audio of this great Obama song

set to one of his speeches.
It is excellent! Very energizing. Thank you! :hi:
http://thefader.cachefly.net/mavadobama.mp3

[trickyguy]

60. This should be required reading for everyone working for/with Obama. The man has already done much.

I had no idea before I read this for myself tonight that he had such an indcredible record in Illinois.

This is totally impressive and like I said, a must read. Unreal.:bounce:

[Spooky_D]

61. K & R

Thank you!

[uppityperson]

62. Excellent, wonder if this can be pinned. I've bookmarked.

[papau]

67. delete

[uppityperson]

77. I notice "deleted message" following several of my posts tonight.

wondering what is up?

[papau]

87. not to worry - the system was choosing to post to the wrong person - so "delete" and try again

[uppityperson]

97. Thanks. Not that I am paranoid but it was odd.

[mckara]

64. Great Contribution to the Discussion!

THANKS!

[Lucy Goosey]

65. K&R - thanks for compiling this

[apocalypsehow]

66. K & R. n/t.

[stillcool]

69. Thanks FrenchieCat

one stop shopping!

[D23MIURG23]

70. K&R

[Radio_Lady]

71. K & R, Frenchie -- Hope you get an "A" in your class!

What? You're not in school and you didn't do this for credit? Wow!

Nevermind....

Cordially,

Radio Lady in Portland, Oregon

[Bennyboy]

72. Wow, this is exactly what I was looking for!

Thank you so much for compiling this. it will really help in my efforts to when talking to the rightie tighties. Seriously thank you very much.

[davidinalameda]

73. as usual, great post!

[slay]

74. K&R for a very informative thread!

:)

[concerned canadian]

75. K&R and bookmarked

Thankyou

[jonestonesusa]

76. Thanks for the info!

It is now bookmarked and will come in handy. I appreciate your going the extra mile to keep us familiar with Obama's record.

[Hope And Change]

79. K & R!

:kick:

[DUlover2909]

81. Thank you for this!

[mattclearing]

83. Hey FrenchieCat, can I email this out to people to combat all those bullshit chain emails?

I think everyone I know needs to know this stuff. Do you want credit or can we just viral it out everywhere as is?

[FrenchieCat]

98. No, I don't want credit. Barack gets the credit, cause these are his accomplishments!

so go right ahead....please! :)

[mamalone]

84. Absolutely amazing awesome post!

I am printing this out and am going to keep a copy in my bag to "have handy" when the subject of Obama comes up:D As a matter of fact, I think I'll make extra copies so that I can send folks on their way with this info of their very own!

I really appreciate this kind of thing so much. I really don't have the time or even the know-how to track down this information on my own, but I can put it to good use once it's been handed to me!
Thanks Miss Frenchie:)

[annabanana]

85. This is a MUST bookmark!!. . . . n/t

[Tippy]

86. GET SOME MILAGE OUT OF THIS PIECE......

I plan to use it in our Campaign office..for one..You would probably not believe how many calls we get for candidate info...print and pass out at events.....break it up and use the information in letters to the editor....

If you don't work in campaign office take one to them..this is a valuable tool because it covers so much....It is also a handy tool for phone bankers

[TeamsterDem]

88. Wow thank you very much! n/t

[happygoluckytoyou]

90. FINALLY.... a tight answer for those who think him lacking experience

[Cha]

111. Not only is Obama's experience listed

here but it tells what kind of a man Senator Obama is and huge clues as to how his admin will work.

"In June 2006, Senator Obama introduced the Homes for Heroes Act (S. 3475), which would expand access to long-term affordable housing for homeless veterans by setting aside $225 million to purchase, build or rehabilitate homes and apartments for veterans. The legislation would also greatly expand existing veterans rental assistance programs and create a new office within the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to coordinate services to homeless veterans.

Food for Recovering Soldiers

Senator Obama introduced an amendment that became law providing food services to wounded veterans receiving physical therapy or rehabilitation services at military hospitals. Previously, service members receiving physical therapy or rehabilitation services in a medical hospital for more than 90 days were required to pay for their meals."

[Danger Mouse]

91. Amazing!

:)

[Grandrose]

92. Fantastic compilation! (K&R)

Congratulation on a super job and thank you for ALWAYS keeping it REAL!:applause:

[JNelson6563]

94. Nice job driving the Clue Bus.

I hope many jump on and take the free ride you're offering. Splendid post, bookmarking. :toast:

Julie

[Ysabel]

95. k and r thanks frenchiecat great thread...

:)

[sunnystarr]

96. Very Impressive! I wonder how McCain and Clinton did in the

same timeframe. Were they as impressive as this? Just wondering if this is normal for a senator or extraordinary.

[bloodyohio]

99. WOW!

Awesome source of knowledge. Only wish somebody could have posted this six months ago, as I have been struggling to explain Obama's strong record of accomplishments to various naysayers for quite some time!:-) Great Work!

[NancyG]

100. Rec'd and kicked nt

[njlib]

101. Thank you for this

I'm sending to everyone in my address book!

[tomg]

102. Fantastic job. Thanks. K&R

actually, tried to R, but just found out I missed the cut off by about 4 minutes.

[hiphopnation]

104. bookmarked, kicked and recommended...

thanks

[Buzz Clik]

105. a kick for sentient thought.

[havocmom]

106. Kick and bookmark

cuz we will need great resources like this thread to counter the crap emails that are already coming out from the wingers.

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[eagertolearn]

107. This is a great post! Thank-You. I sent it to many people.

This should be placed somewhere where it is always avaliable!

[Lars39]

108. kick

[dailykoff]

109. Kicking to share

:kick:

[niceypoo]

110. OMG!!

A FrenchieCat thread in GDP that isnt attacking a Democrat!

Maybe there is hope, after all!

[wvbygod]

112. This one needs to be eliminated or hidden

>>He backed federal legislation that would ban citizens from carrying weapons, except for law enforcement.

Criminals will not obey this and nobody needs to be a victim just because they follow thew law.