About Senator Barack Obama

“I’m absolutely confident that if all of you decide to take up this cause, that if you have made a determination that you are tired of the America that has been because you imagine the America that is laid out before us; and if you’re willing to put your shoulder to the wheel of history at this moment, that amazing things can happen.”

         — Austin, TX, February 23, 2007

Obama’s experience has been effective and groundbreaking. In his majority years in the Illinois State Senate, he sponsored 780 bills, with 280 having been signed into law. In his first year as US Senator, Obama held 39 town hall  meetings throughout Illinois. He also sponsored 152 bills and resolutions and co–sponsored 427 more. At every step of his career, Senator Obama has shown the experience of a strong leader with high moral standards.

Senator Barack Obama started his career in public service working as a community organizer in Chicago, helping inner–city poor. He earned a mere $13,000 a year in this capacity. During this time, he helped to register 150,000 people to vote. From this experience, the Senator understands very well the struggles and concerns of working Americans.

Senator Obama went on to graduate from Harvard Law School, where he was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. He then passed over 600 high–paying job offers to work in a civil rights practice at fractional pay. Through this career decision, Senator Obama demonstrated his commitment to equal justice for all.

Senator Obama has been a senior lecturer on Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago Law School. Thus, the Senator has a deep understanding of the Constitution which he has sworn to uphold.

Senator Barack Obama has ten years of senatorial experience — eight years in the Illinois State Senate and two years as a U.S. Senator. Senator Obama has a 100% approval rating from the League of Conservation Voters and Planned Parenthood. The National Education Association gives him an “A” on their most recent report card.

To understand Senator Obama’s strong leadership, we only need to look at his record:

As an Illinois State Senator, Obama added health insurance for 20,000 children, while working on welfare reform and earned–income tax credits. His work resulted in an increased minimum wage (from $5.15 to $6.50). His death penalty reforms mean that interrogations must now be video taped. This bill passed Senate 58-0, and was signed into law by a governor who first opposed Obama’s bill. He also sponsored a bill against police profiling.

Obama is known for his unquestionable ethics and intergrity. Upon joining the U.S. Senate, House Speaker Harry Reid designated Barack Obama as the Senate point man on ethics for this very reason.

Senator Obama publically opposed the Iraq war long before the invasion. In 2002, he accurately predicted that the war would be of an undetermined length, fought with an undetermined cost and an undetermined objective. He further realized that the U.S. invasion would result in an Iraqi civil war.

At the same time that Senator Obama has publically opposed the war, he’s worked hard to insure that our nation’s veterans receive the care and support they so richly deserve. Senator Obama has worked on veteran’s issues since he was first elected to the U.S. Senate.

Many of Senator Obama’s accomplishments in the Illinois Senate were the result of building consensus with Republicans. In the U.S. Senate, Senator Obama has continued in this consensus building direction. He worked with Republican Senator Lugar to expand and author a program to locate and dismantle stray Russian WMD's left over from the cold war after the disbanding of the USSR, as but one example.

In January 2007, Senator Obama sponsored a major ethics/lobbying reform bill with Russ Feingold. The law insisted on toughter measures that ban lobbyist gifts and meals as well as the free use of corporate jets. The law requires the disclosure of earmarks and contribution bundling to candidates or committees, and also restricts retiring congresspersons from going into lobbying.

Senator Obama has demonstrated that, not only will he take all positions into consideration, but he’ll work hard at pushing through those reforms that achieve the greatest good for the entire nation. This is the type of experience and strong leadership that we very much need in our nation.