Senator Barack Obama’s Accomplishments (Please Pass on)

   Many republicans persist in spreading untruths and propaganda that Senator Barack Obama has not accomplished anything in his career, they insist that he only gives great speeches.  Those statements are hogwash and pure ‘campaign rhetoric’.

This post lists public information that his opponent knows to be true but choose to ignore because it’s not good for republicans if democrats, independents and progressive republicans know all the positive facts about Senator Obama.  Republicans only want us to know damaging facts about Obama so that when we hear negative things (even if they are untrue) they will make us doubtful about him.  Senator Obama served on the Board of Directors for several civic organizations and sits on several Senate committees which I didn’t list because it would make this extremely lengthy. The accomplishments listed here show that Senator Obama is not just a great orator; he is also a VERY HARD WORKER and an accomplished achiever. 

Below is a précis on Senator Obama’s life and career.

Religion	Christian. Saved. Has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. ·       Barack Obama’s father left Barack’s life when he was 2 years old.  Therefore Senator Obama had no Muslim influence in his life.  At the age of 6 in Indonesia, Senator Obama attended Catholic schools where he studied the catechism.  Both CNN and the AP visited the Basuki School, the actual school Obama attended that has been called a madrassa elementary school.  Obama attended the school before the age 6.  The reporters from CNN and the AP found that it is a public school that does not focus on any religion.  The children wear uniforms and the teachers wear western clothing.  Both CNN and the AP investigated and confirmed that the school Obama attended has no similarity to any madrassa school.
Swore on a Quran	This is completely false.  A black congressman from Minnesota, Keith Ellison after he swore on a Bible during his official oath, took a picture for a photo-op with his hand placed on a Quran which was owned by President Thomas Jefferson.  Ellison did not swear on the Quran; it was a personal photo since Ellison is Muslim and historic because the Quran was owned by Jefferson.
Obama will not recite the Pledge of Allegiance	Senator Obama often leads the Pledge of Allegiance on the Senate floor.  The picture that started this rumor was taken during the playing of the national anthem.  It’s not necessary to place your hand over your heart during the playing of the national anthem even though some people do.  US Flag Code, section 4 states: Sec. 4. – Pledge of allegiance to the flag; manner of delivery The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all., should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform men should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute.
August 4, 1961	Born in Honolulu, Hawaii
May 1979	Graduated Punahou High School, Hawaii
May 1983	Graduated Columbia University, New York City Major: Political Science Specialization: International relations
June 1985-May 1988	Director of Developing Communities Project.  Worked as a church-based community organizer for 8 Catholic parishes on Chicago’s South Side. During his tenure, the DCP staff grew from 1 to 13; its budget grew from $70K to $400K with major accomplishments including setting up job training programs, college preparatory tutoring program and creating a tenants’ rights organization.
Summer 1988	Travelled to Europe for 3 weeks and then to Kenya for 5 weeks where he met his Kenyan relatives for the first time.
Fall 1988	Entered Harvard Law School
June – August 1989	Met Michelle Robinson while he was a Summer Associate at Sidley Austin law firm.
Fall 1989	Started dating Michelle Robinson
1990	President, Harvard Law Review
1991	Graduated from Harvard magna cum laude. Returned to Chicago and started writing his first book, Dreams from My Father
Fall 1991	Became engaged to Michelle Robinson
April – October 1992	Director of Illinois Project Vote!  He had a staff of 10 and 700 volunteers.  They were successful in registering 150,000 out of 400,000 unregistered African-Americans.  Crain’s Chicago Business named Obama to its 1993 list of ’40 under Forty’ powers to be, because of this accomplishment.
October 3, 1992	Married Michelle Robinson Obama
1995	Published his first book, Dreams from My Father
1998	Malia Ann Obama was born
2001	Natasha (Sasha) Obama was born
1993-2002	Associate Attorney with Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland. ·       After 1996 he worked with David, Miner, Barnhill & Galland only during the summers when the Illinois Senate was not in session.  He worked on cases where the firm represented community organizers, pursued discrimination claims and worked on voting rights cases.
1993-2004	Taught constitutional law part-time at the University of Chicago Law School
January 3, 1997 – November 4, 2004	Elected to Illinois State Senate
January 4, 2005 – Present	Elected to United State Senate
2006	Published his second book, The Audacity of Hope

 

  Senate Accomplishments:

 

Since entering the U.S. Senate in January 2005, Senator Obama has written approximately 890 bills and co-sponsored an additional 1096.

Senators Obama and McCain have been running to be the nominee for President for their parties since January 2007.  Therefore the 890 bills written by Senator Obama and the 1096 he co-sponsored all occurred in a 2-year span.  That shows that he is a prolific and tireless Senator. 

Because of the long-drawn-out nature of passing laws in the Senate many of his bills are still in committee and some were vetoed by republicans. Senator Obama has an impressive record by anyone’s standard.

For someone who supposedly has no record (according to his competitors) his record of accomplishments are extraordinarily impressive and inspiring.

 

·       Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act.  (This is the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor)	Became law
·       Secure Fence Act.  Authorized construction of fencing and other security improvements along the United States–Mexico border	Became law
·       The Lugar–Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act.  The Bill expanded the Nunn–Lugar cooperative threat reduction concept to conventional weapons, including shoulder-fired missiles and anti-personnel mines	Became Law
·       The “Coburn–Obama Transparency Act” eliminated gifts of travel on corporate jets by lobbyists to members of Congress and the establishment of USAspending.gov, a web search engine launched in December 2007 and run by the Office of Management and Budget to require lobbyists to disclose the candidates, leadership PACS or political parties for whom they collect or arrange contribution and the combined amount of the contributions	Became law
·       Amendment to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program providing one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries	Passed in Senate
·       Energy Policy Act of 2005 to add $200 million for Function 270 (Energy) for the demonstration and monitoring of carbon capture and sequestration technology by the Department of Energy	Passed in Senate
·       The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act (after amendments became the Secure Fence Act which became law)	Passed in Senate
·       Education Bill.  Require that the Director of Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education to establish a program to recruit and provide mentors for women and underrepresented minorities who are interested in careers in mathematics, science and engineering.	Passed in Senate
·       Summer Term Education Program.  Supports summer learning opportunities for low-income students in the early grades to lessen summer learning losses that contribute to the achievement gaps separating low-income students from their middle-class peers	Passed in Senate
·       Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007 a bill to cap troop levels in Iraq, begin phased redeployment, and remove all combat brigades from Iraq before April 2008.	Republicans voted against
·       Iran Sanctions Enabling Act supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran’s oil and gas industry	Republicans voted against
·       Sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act adding safeguards for personality disorder military discharges, and calling for an official review following reports that the procedure had been used inappropriately to reduce government costs	Republicans voted against

 

Senator Obama sponsored approximately 820 bills in the Senate, since they are too numerous to list, I have categorized them:

·       233 regarding healthcare reform
·       125 on poverty and public assistance
·       112 crime fighting bills
·       97 economic bills
·       60 human rights and anti-discrimination bills
·       21 ethics reform bills
·       15 gun control bills
·       6 veterans affairs bills

I would love to see the Obama campaign create a pamphlet that lists the Senator’s accomplishments.

I am sure that this is not as complete as I would like it to be.  Please let me know if I have missed anything. Please feel free to pass this on to all you know.

Paulette

Obama for America 2008!