From last December.
If you are a local supporter of any of the three leading Democratic candidates, Clinton, Edwards, or Obama, I'll give you a chance to put up your argument here. There are three conditions: First, your argument should be limited to what they have accomplished, especially as elected officials. I do not care whether they look good in a swimming suit (or bad in a pants suit), or whether they have had interesting lives, or whether they can talk really pretty. I want to know what, if anything, they have done. Second, each entry should be no more than a thousand words long. Third, you should email it to me no later than the end of the year, so that I can post it before the Iowa caucus on January 3rd.
As you probably know, I didn't get any takers.
Yesterday, former Democratic aide (and current "mainstream" journalist) Chris Matthews asked an Obama supporter to name Obama's legislative accomplishments and got this reply.
Well, I'm not going to be able to name you specific items of legislative accomplishments.
I like to think that I am no more cynical than the average person, but I am beginning to suspect that Barack Obama doesn't have any significant legislative accomplishments. I am even beginning to wonder whether he has significant accomplishments, period.
I try to be no more cynical than the facts require. I don't like to think that our Democratic friends would give so much support to an empty suit. And so, tomorrow, I will be renewing my offer to local supporters of the two remaining Democratic candidates. I am even going to challenge one local Obama supporter directly. (I have picked him because I think he is especially well qualified to tell us what, if anything, Barack "Arugula" Obama has accomplished. I haven't identified a local Clinton supporter for a similar direct challenge; if you have any suggestions, please email me.)
Posted by Jim Miller at February 20, 2008 12:08 PM | Email ThisHere are Senate bills during the 110th Congress that Barack sponsored. By comparison, here are the bills McCain sponsored (according to this website), which are less than Barack's. Plus, three of Barack's passed the Senate, whereas, the website doesn't list any for McCain. As far as the 110th Senate, Hillary does beat them both in bills sponsored and bills that passed the senate.
I will try to come up with the 109th Congress list and the older Illinios legislature list, when I get a chance.
your invitation rings hollow.
p.s. is mccain for torture or against torture? is mcain for the 01 tax cuts or against the 01 tax cuts? is mccain campaign finance reform or against campaign finance reform?
perhaps you should focus on your own party's issues and worry less about the opposition.
Posted by: dinesh on February 20, 2008 01:04 PMThe fact is, though, that they've done it with no personal achievements, no plans to make specific changes, and certainly without highlighting the kind of world their policies would lead us says little about them, but volumes about the people who would support such a reckless, dangerous, and completely unpredictable direction if either were elected.
The one thing they both have in common is that they would govern by poll and personal political benefit, focused on the most radical elements of the left. That is a combination that would be a disaster for this nation, and the world.
Posted by: Reality on February 20, 2008 01:04 PMIt's OK to go play with your toys now. No more need for childish wordplay. Say bye bye now.
Posted by: REBEL on February 20, 2008 01:15 PMthe republicans are screwed. after wasting 7 years of power, having next to nothing to show for it (except a series of legal convictions, 1 unnecessary war, and a troubled economy compounded by huge deficits), all they can serve up is tired, old mccain.
rebel, stick your head in the sand and come up in 2012.
Posted by: dinesh on February 20, 2008 01:23 PMBush the Younger had two successful terms as governor of Texas. And please don't start whining about the 2000 election. Gore LOST after several recounts (including one sponsored by the New York Times).
Posted by: Burdabee on February 20, 2008 01:30 PMI will pick on McCain's policies and disagree with him on numerous things, but will NEVER denigrate his opinion on what constitutes torture. In your zeal to take a shot at him, you surely forgot that he was subjected to actual torture.
That was a low-blow.
Posted by: SouthernRoots on February 20, 2008 01:39 PMAfter taking office she helped bring millions of aid to New York after 9-11. She helped lead the fight to allow Bush to go into Iraq. She has consistently voted moderate while secretly adhering to her core socialistic beliefs.
She has raised millions for the Democrats, such as Cantwell and Murray, to help in their reelection campaigns.
Need I go on?
Posted by: swatter on February 20, 2008 01:50 PMAn accomplishment of Barry Hussein, v2
An accomplishment of Barry Hussein, v3
An accomplishment of Barry Hussein, v4
An accomplishment of Barry Hussein, v5
An accomplishment of Barry Hussein, v6
The single most important accomplishment of Barry Hussein
You see, it doesn't matter WHAT bills you introduce. What matters is WHAT bills get SIGNED INTO LAW.
Since the leftists here can't address the question of legislative accomplishment, given that no such accomplishment exists, they naturally attempt to shift focus by attacking anything and anyone else.
Children, the question is, what has Obama done, outside racking up the most liberal, expensive voting record in the Senate?
The answer is simple: nothing.
It's just a shame the kool aid drinkers here can't admit it and move on.
Posted by: Hinton on February 20, 2008 02:12 PMWho cares about your little point you try so hard to make and that you can't let go of...
Posted by: Revoke Jim's Posting Permissions on February 20, 2008 02:19 PMHere's an article where Schwarzenegger praises Obama for his legislation.
Hey Jim, do your homework and stop expecting others to do it for you.
Just from the time Barack Obama has been a US Senator:
** First legislation, the HOPE Act, which increased Pell Grants to $5100, and later joined Senator Kennedy on the Higher Education legislation that passed July 20, by a vote of 78-18. That legislation also included funding for Predominantly Black Colleges to assist with counseling, tutoring and other needs of low income students. It also creates the Teaching Residency Act which will create a school-based teacher preparation program in high needs schools to provide each teacher with a mentor, content instruction, classroom management skills, a master’s degree and state certification, and a 2 year follow-up program.
**The Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006
is an act that requires the full disclosure of all entities or organizations receiving federal funds beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2007 on a website maintained by the Office of Management and Budget.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Funding_Accountabi...
**The Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act
Authored by U.S. Sens. Dick Lugar (R-IN) and Barack Obama (D-IL), the Lugar-Obama initiative expands U.S. cooperation to destroy conventional weapons. It also expands the State Department's ability to detect and interdict weapons and materials of mass destruction.
Signed into Law on January 11, 2007.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/chrisblas...
**The 2007 Government Ethics Bill
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/53_17/news/19664-1.html?...
http://www.commonblog.com/story/2007/9/14/164837/331
** The “Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-2125
** S116 - Summer Learning demonstration project to provide summer learning grants and encourage new teaching methods.
http://www.pasesetter.org/demonstrationPrograms/nasd.ht...
and this one, moved out of committee just a few days ago:
Obama's Global Poverty Act of 2007, passed out of committee just a few days ago
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 /
Amendments, that have all passed:
S.Amdt.159 to S.Con.Res.18 - To prevent and, if necessary, respond to an international outbreak of the avian flu.
S.Amdt.390 to H.R.1268 - To provide meal and telephone benefits for members of the Armed Forces who are recuperating from injuries incurred on active duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom.
S.Amdt.670 to H.R.3 - To provide for Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) refueling capability at new and existing refueling station facilities to promote energy security and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
S.Amdt.808 to H.R.6 - To establish a program to develop Fischer-Tropsch transportation fuels from Illinois basin coal.
S.Amdt.851 to H.R.6 - To require the Secretary to establish a Joint Flexible Fuel/Hybrid Vehicle Commercialization Initiative, and for other purposes.
S.Amdt.1362 to S.1042 - To require a report on the Department of Defense Composite Health Care System II.
S.Amdt.1453 to S.1402 - To ensure the protection of military and civilian personnel in the Department of Defense from an influenza pandemic, including an avian influenza pandemic.
S.Amdt.2301 to H.R.3010 - To increase funds to the Thurgood Marshall Legal Educational Opportunity Program and to the Office of Special Education Programs of the Department of Education for the purposes of expanding positive behavioral interventions and supports.
S.Amdt.2605 to S.2020 - Expressing the sense of the Senate that the Federal Emergency Management Agency should immediately address issues relating to no-bid contracting.
S.Amdt.2930 to S.2349 - To clarify that availability of legislation does not include nonbusiness days.
S.Amdt.3144 to S.Con.Res.83 - To provide a $40 million increase in FY 2007 for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program and to improve job services for hard-to-place veterans
S. Amdt 41 to S. 1 To require lobbyists to disclose the candidates, leadership PACs, or political parties for whom they collect or arrange contributions, and the aggregate amount of the contributions collected or arranged.
----------------------------------------------
Barack has Written a total of 890 Bills and Co-sponsored Another 1096 since he started serving in the U.S. Senate.
Fellow politician supporters on LIBERAL MSNBC can't even name one accomplishment. I was embarrassed for the poor fool as the tingly legged Barry cheerleader Matthews humilated him with the challenge
Barry Hussein says he has "plans"... oh gee are they a flipping SECRET?... "Senator Barack Obama has made it clear how he sees the world. To him, our troubles are mere "misunderstandings" that the senator believes can be solved by talking. He has promised that as soon as he is sworn into office, he will meet with Kim Jong Il of North Korea, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Holocaust-denying, Jew-hating thug who leads Iran."
"Obama is vague (CALL ME SHOCKED!) about what the agenda will be in those meetings, but he is
convinced that the same charisma that has helped him take audiences of young Americans to extraordinary levels of adoration will also work with the world's "Hitler-wannabes."
Look up the words EMPTY SUIT... you'll see Barry
"If you listen to an Obama speech -- if you actually take the time to really listen to it -- it's possible your IQ will shrink by the time the speech is over."
As I pointed out, the number, depth, breadth and subject of bills are utterly meaningless.
What matters is WHAT GOT DONE.
So far, his only real accomplishment is lying about taking public campaign money.
"writing bills," "amending bills" don't mean squat. Fir iof that was indicative of qualifications for the presidency, about 150 current and former senators are far more qualified then your empty suit.
Posted by: Hinton on February 20, 2008 03:10 PMLet's call that humilation.
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on February 20, 2008 03:15 PMLet's call that embarassing.
Name Obama's Accomplishments, V3
"That he served in the senate..."
"That he voted in the senate..."
"That he he gave a great speech..."
"That he's the only African-American senator!"
Let's call THAT downright appalling.
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on February 20, 2008 03:24 PM(not that I'm at all against hope. Reagan brought a whole bunch of that with him back when. It's just that he had substance to back it up.)
Posted by: Michele on February 20, 2008 03:25 PMAnd how many as he actually PASSED...
Senators don't pass bills on their own, it takes 50 others (or 30 in Illinois Senate) to join in to make a bill pass. Maybe you should take a basic civics class. =)
How about we play a different game Ragnar, can you tell me what accomplishments Dubya had before he got into office (specifically ones he got without his Daddy's help/connections/staff)?
Can you definitively prove that W's accomplishments were his and his alone? Or is W. just an empty vessel driven by his Father and his fathers former staff?
" I think it is great that so many of you support Obama. I remember so many of you arguing in 2004* that voting in a president with no real leadership experience was a terrible mistake and that you couldn't vote for any person who didn't have leadership experience. What happened to that line in the sand? Where is Obama's leadership experience? Where is his accomplishments? What has he done with his time in the Senate even? Has he been a sponsor on any important legislation? "
" At the end of the day, he is selling hope because it is all he has to sell. He has never been tested in the political maelstorm. I heard a Clinton supporter say that Obama has pretty much spent his first term hiding from controversy and not proposing real legislation. Is that what this election is about? A clean, unproven slate? The candidate who the democrats can run and nobody can challenge because he hasn't tried to do anything? One where you cannot attack his character without people throwing up the racism shield? "
" From where I sit, the democrats are putting up the perfect candidate. A person with no track record, has not taken a serious stand on any issue in his long Senate career, not offered any significant legislation, and cannot attack his character without someone arguing it is racism. "
" Let's hope Obama has more than hope, because he has a damn good chance of winning because so many people on the left will vote him in for the same reasons they called republicans sheep in 2004*. Welcome to the herd. "
*(2000?)
Perhaps we should call him BAAAAHrack OBAAAAHma.... "follow ME, little sheep!"... and really isn't that just the epitome of liberalism... DON'T think for yourself... follow me!
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on February 20, 2008 03:45 PMOf course, I predict you'll run off as you usually do... TA!
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on February 20, 2008 03:49 PMCan you give me a list of Dubya accomplishments or bills had before he got into office (specifically ones he got without his Daddy's help/connections/staff)?
Can you definitively prove that W's accomplishments were his and his alone? Or is W. just an empty vessel driven by his Father and his fathers former staff?
Can you blear BAAAAHrack OBAAAAHma?
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on February 20, 2008 03:58 PMWhat more do you want than what John Wyble listed above? If you answer my question, I'll be happy to contribute to yours. It may have to be tomorrow since I plan on going home soon.
But leaders get people to follow, they forge alliances, they get the job done. Of these bills, which ones show his leadership and ability to get the job done. How many times did he convince a majority of Senators to follow his lead?
As president, Obama will not be able to dictate what laws are introduced or passed.
Posted by: SouthernRoots on February 20, 2008 04:04 PMTHE MAN'S GREATEST SENATORIAL (you know, his 2 yr stint in the senate for most of which he's been away campaigning) IS "PRESENT!"
Posted by: raehfvad on February 20, 2008 04:05 PM2. But since the question has been brought up, I will mention that I answered that question in 2000. (The formatting is a little odd, because at that time I was emailing my ideas, not posting them.)
And I must say that I am quite hurt that some of our regulars read my site so seldom that they do not know about this piece.
Dear Ragnut, it has all the relevance in the world. By discounting it you obviously means can't do it. it's one thing to claim the Dem's are running an empty suit when you can't back up the empty suit that ran for office 8 years ago.
You voted for President Bush in 2000, you have stated in prior threads that you are quite proud of Dubya's accomplishments in these past 8 years. By your line of reasoning it would seem that people with little or no accomplishments make fine Presidents thereby making your empty suit argument ring hollow.
Stand up for your man, if you can. Give me a list of what Bush accomplished prior to running for President without the help of his Daddy? What specific bills did he propose in Texas? Considering that the role of Governor in Texas is quite limited I look forward to seeing this list.
others have done the work you refuse to acknowledge.
read hilzoy's post at andrewsullivan.com--the following is an excerpt:
"* Ethics Reform: Obama was the Senate's point person on ethics reform, and sponsored or co-sponsored the bills that made up what the Washington Post called "the strongest ethics legislation to emerge from Congress yet." I'm also a fan of this bill, which I think of as the Journalists, Bloggers, and Citizens' Muckraking Empowerment Act: it creates a searchable database of recipients of federal grants and contracts.
* The Lugar-Obama initiative to strengthen the Nunn-Luger framework for securing loose nukes, and to extend it to securing and destroying stockpiles of conventional arms. (For instance, shoulder-fired missiles that could be used against passenger airlines, fired at our forces, or used to make any number of ongoing conflicts more deadly.)
* Various bills concerning the response to Hurricane Katrina, including an amendment putting strict limits on the use of no-bid contracts after disasters, requiring planning for the evacuation of people with special needs and senior citizens, creating a National Emergency Family Locator System, etc."
Posted by: dinesh on February 20, 2008 04:16 PMGotta love the hypocrisy of the situation.
Or, my guy, Kasich, the budget wonk in the early and mid-90s who played in a big part in balancing the budget.
Or, your guy, Clinton, who was governor of a State known for its pro-business environment.
Or, McCain in his undying support of our mission against radical Islam, the biggest issue of our day.
Or, someone's guy Arnie, who has done a pretty good job in California dealing with a Democrat environment.
Or, Rudy tackling the mob as Asst. US Attorney General and then cleaning up NYC.
Or, Romney at the Olympics.
Come on, give me something for Obama.
Posted by: swatter on February 20, 2008 04:34 PMGranted none of his accomplishment are as public or spectacular as some of the other candidates have accomplished (Guiliani/Arnold/Romeny). He seems to be able to run a tight scandal free campaign that has been able to hold off one of the best funded and well-known candidates the Dem's have put out. I don't know how well that will translate in the White House but the friends he picks up on the trail can certainly help him out. Hopefully he will be able to sort of the good friends from the bad ones.
Looks at the poll numbers, Congress and the President are both at all time lows. People are tired of what we have and are reaching out for something new. Obama seems to have tapped into that feeling and given it a face. Here is a man who is pretty squeaky clean, a fresh political face, and inspiring orator, and has a background that pretty much defines the American Dream. It's fresh it's new, it's working for him.
Whether that will prove to be a good President remains to be seen. Obama still has to beat back the Clintons, and face a hardened war-hero come Fall. A lot remains to be seen but given the feelings toward Dubya and Congress people are looking for change and he is representing that to a lot of people, especially the youth who seem to be tired of the fighting and ready to move on.
If anything Obama is an ordinary person with an extraordinary ability to inspire and bring people together. Maybe that's what America is looking for in their next President. Experience be dammed.
I challenge you to find citations for those claims.
ps, I KNOW for a fact you won't.
You're problem cato, is that you are the very worst of the ASSumers. You ASSume that one who posts here MUST think, act in a specific way that YOU have delinated as conservative, or un-liberal. You tolerate no detour from your pre-conceived prejudices.
In your own little way you are a flagrant political racist: a non-thinking, mind-numb robotic follower who, because your far left leaders tell you so, judge anyone or anything you see, hear or read conservative you automatically lump them all into your neat little koolaid package.
Be bold cato: think for yourself; judge outside the box.
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on February 20, 2008 05:54 PMMaking my day!
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on February 20, 2008 05:59 PMIsn't that what they said about a Austrian fellow named Adolph?
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on February 20, 2008 06:07 PMSince then, the Democratic Congress has caved in to the Bush administration's demands on virtually every issue of substance under threat of veto. The disapproval ratings for Congress reflects the fact that Congress isn't doing the things voters elected them to do.
FWIW, I think this is the same thing driving Obama's popularity -- the majority of voters in the last elections wanted a change in the direction of the country and didn't get it, and (rightly or wrongly) many of them perceive Obama as their best chance to get one in the next election.
Hmm. if you break that down, it was limited to "the black community" of Chicago so exactly what bridges were divided? and who did he bring together? Light-skinned blacks and dark skinned blacks?
A true glimpse into B.O.'s life reveals he belongs (up until recently when he realized it was an albatross he had to distance himself from) to a very afro-centric church headed by Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Obama's admitted mentor and spiritual advisor. http://www.tucc.org/home.htm
Wright is the Black version of David Duke and has said some pretty ignorant things in his newsletter http://www.cmaucc.org/EMRJeremiahWright2.pdf
Keep your head in the sand if you choose and drink the Obama kool aid if you prefer, but let's try to keep some degree of forthrightness about the messiah shall we?
Posted by: Rick D. on February 20, 2008 06:46 PMBUDGET & TAXES=
Voted to end $300 million worth of tax breaks for businesses. (2004)
HEALTH CARE=
Successfully sponsored the Health Care Justice Act, a study of ways to implement a universal health care system statewide. (2004)
Voted against restrictions on public funding of abortion. (2000)
CRIME & GUN CONTROL
Voted against letting people argue self-defense in court if charged with violating local weapons bans by using a gun in their home. (2004)
Unsuccessfully sponsored measure to expunge some criminal records and create an employment grant program for ex-criminals. (2002)
Voted against making gang members eligible for the death penalty if they kill someone to help their gang. (2001)
Voted NO!!!
SB 1661 (2002)
A part of the Born Alive Infant Protection Package. Would create a cause of action if a child is born alive after an abortion and the child is then neglected through failure to provide medial care after birth.
yup, what a unifier......and a man of God as you can see above.
Posted by: Rick D. on February 20, 2008 08:11 PMMaybe, but Sen. Obama has never been in jail is not running on a platform of blaming others for the social ills of the world.
In fact Sen. Obama has run quite a positive campaign and I think that broadens his appeal.
Lincoln was a great orator with very little experience. His newly formed party put extra emphisis on his down home American dream story. needless to say he won and that newly formed party is still around.
being the twice elected governor of the second most populus state is not?
A Governor (which has very little power) of a state his daddy ran. Again tell me how this is better experience than Sen. Obama's?
Yeah that's a good one CATO... explain why is Congress so much lower than Bush.. the dems control.
Does the poll break it down by which party people dislike? Nope, just a general statment about Congress. Maybe it's because the Dem's are in control, but the GOP in full control of all the brances got us int he situation we're in today (Recession/Credit Crisis).
In your own little way you are a flagrant political racist
Haha, you never cease to prove your idiocy. I took your challenge, I gave you an answer. I defended my poisition (right or wrong), and then you turned around and called me a racist. Ignorance is not an answer. I posed a question to you and I expect an answer to it. I will give you all the time you need.
Seriously Rick if all you've got is Sen. Obama's connections with a black church leader that's pretty sad in comparison to the charges I'm sure you could level against Sen. Clinton.
I provided you only a snippet of Obama's voting record above which I see you seem to have glossed over and did not address.There is plenty more to dissect in the coming months, which I assure you, will expose Sen. Obama for the dangerous socialist/Marxist he is.
Currently, his style is winning over his substance. In time though, when the light is turned on, and the rock is kicked over, the snake oil salesman with slogans like "Yes,we can","Change","audacity of Hope" etc. will be sent packing with the rest of the charlatan's in this campaign (John Edwards, Mike Huckabee) this November.
If not, we'll have 4 years reminiscent of the Carter administration on steroids (with an equally disasterous foreign and domestic situation) that Republican's can unite ,run against, and begin to rebuild this country on January 20th, 2013.
Thanks to Jimmy Carter, we've already scene the trailer to this movie.
Posted by: Rick D. on February 20, 2008 09:47 PMFrankly I wouldn't want to take over the mess the current President has left us in. Huge deficits, enconomy in a recession, housing bubble aftermath because the banks were more interested in wall street profit than sound fiscal policy, mismanaged war overseas, interest rates dropping to all time lows because the economy stinks so bad, massive defualts on loans. Putty Poot taking control of Russia via proxy, unstable situation in out ally Pakistan. I'm more than happy to let McCain take over the situation. I mean who better to lead the country out of this mess than the mornons who got us here in the first place.
IMHO, NONE of these candidates are "qualified" to be President because none of them have any experience managing even a hot dog stand.
The other bit of trivia regarding the two previous senators elected President?....both died during their first term in office.
Posted by: Dave on February 20, 2008 10:26 PMActually Bush was in his second term. Basically the same amount of experience Bubba had. And Carter had LESS governing experience when he was elected, having served only ONE term (to be fair Georgia law prohibited a governor succeeded himself)
Bush beat out Ann Richards the prohibitive favorite for Governor. In his second term he won in a landslide, getting 69% of the vote. The first governor of Texas to win two consecutive terms in 25 years.
It's quite amazing what this dope of a guy is able to do. Beat more experienced politicians for high office. First Governor, then President. TWICE in each office How does he do it?
Either way, you statement only serves to reinforce my argument.
Posted by: Dave on February 20, 2008 10:44 PMHe's never accomplished a thing before, his wife is an angry lout.
His whole campaign is full of air.
Posted by: Jimmy PeanutFarmer on February 20, 2008 11:31 PM1. Dr. Wright is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. If one had to do a spectrum of church doctrine, they are on the liberal end, they are not the Southern Baptists and take a view toward social justice as they define it over a literal view of the Scripture.
If one were to examine the current tenents of the dem party, this sect of Christianity would likely be more welcome than either Southern Baptists or Pope benedict's version of Christianity.
2. Rick D said this about Dr. Wright:
"Wright is the Black version of David Duke and has said some pretty ignorant things in his newsletter http://www.cmaucc.org/EMRJeremiahWright2.pdf"
He is a Black Nationalist and yes, some Black Nationalists can be racist, Farrakan for example. This is the definition of Black Nationalism:
black nationalism
Encyclopædia Britannica Article
political and social movement prominent in the 1960s and early '70s in the United States among some African Americans. The movement, which can be traced back to Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association of the 1920s, sought to acquire economic power and to infuse among blacks a sense of community and group feeling.
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9015495/black-nationalism
The primary emphasis is acquire economic power and sense of community among Blacks.
Now this are David Duke's issues from the ADL site. You have given a link to Dr. Wright's message at post #52:
NOFEAR was intended to be an antidote to the alleged "massive discrimination" faced by whites from the nation's growing population of minorities. According to Duke, "European Americans face a situation where we're going to be outnumbered and outvoted in our own country." Low birthrates, interracial marriages and immigration rates were cited by Duke as key factors reducing the white share of the population. The NOFEAR home pages on the davidduke.com Web site maintain that "the civil rights of European Americans are being violated by affirmative action, forced integration and anti-European immigration policies....We face cultural discrimination in the media and education....An example is the media hate crime hysteria that highlights and publicizes any white crime against minorities."
http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/duke.asp
The emphasis by Duke is exterior to his defined group, not working on the interior to make the group better.
Now, regarding the specific political positions of Dr. Wright, I suspect that were you to go to dem platforms, many of those issues would be in the platform.
3. Rick D said this:
"Cato Uttered: "How about Obama's work doing community organizing in Chicago and his ability to bridge divides by brining people together."
Hmm. if you break that down, it was limited to "the black community" of Chicago so exactly what bridges were divided? and who did he bring together? Light-skinned blacks and dark skinned blacks?"
So many of the posters here have no clue of urban areas particularly large cities like Chicago, Philly, Boston, and DC where the housing patterns are fairly segregated and the neighborhoods are defined, Italians here, Irish there, Jews here and so on. To be able to navgitate the political waters of the ethnic spoils systems in large cities is a concept that someone from a homogenous rural area would have no clue about.
Do you live in a city or urban area? Have you ever lived in a place like Chicago?
4. Jimmy Nut said this:
He's never accomplished a thing before, his wife is an angry lout.
An awkward and stupid person; an oaf.
Now, Nut, Mrs. Obama made a statement about not being proud of this country. I suspect that should you talk to many liberals, they make the same statements. You may not agree with the statement, but she has First Amendment rights. So, are you going to call those Upper West and Georgetown denizens, stupid or is it that you simply have different world views. By the way she was a hospital executive, and you?
He never accomplished anything before. Really, how many people out of a population of 250 million get to be US Senators?
Now for both of you. The Clintons, the Edwards, and the Obamas are all dems who fit within the mattrix of the dem party and party platform. The Clintons and Edwards are dems who happen to be white. Apparently, the two of you unlike many voters can't get beyond the fact that the Obamas are dems who happen to be Black. Lest Rick D get in a huff about the capitalization of Black, it comes from a John Mc Whorter essay.
It seems that what you object to is the dem party platform, but if there is this Black in the race, you have to focus on that.
Posted by: WVH on February 21, 2008 12:37 AMLike WVH may be saying, his greatest accomplishment is rising above the stereotypes and expectations of being black, graduating from college, entering politics and be on the verge of being POTUS.
I have many black friends that have done all of the above except do the POTUS thing. But, is this accomplishment much more than thousands of other black families throughout the country? Is it that much different or is the press making it so?
I know the press is because he is a Democrat, but did that same press really go overboard on Colin Powell or Condi Rice with their lofty positions on the Cabinet? Wasn't Powell offered the VP role? Wasn't Condi courted by many for the same POTUS but turned it down?
Posted by: swatter on February 21, 2008 07:15 AMI never said anything about race or being black. Nice try on the race game. It pretty much invalidates more than half of your argument.
As far as becoming a senator.. Look at Ted Kennedy. He killed someone and he's a Senator.
Toodloo.
Posted by: Jimmy PeanutFarmer on February 21, 2008 07:22 AMI broke down cato's argument of "How about Obama's work doing community organizing in Chicago and his ability to bridge divides by brining (sic)people together."
Now, at first blush, it sounds like Obama was going throughout Chicago areas bridging racial divides and bringing people together of all walks of life and cultural backgrounds. Truth is, he did it only in 2 areas of Chicago that are 97% percent african-American (google it if you'd like). So that pretty much destroys that myth of "Community" organizer. I think Bill Cosby can rightly be given that title, and he's accomplished it without the bigotry expressed by Obama's spiritual advisor Dr. Wright. We get judged by our associates in life and so far Mr. Obama has been given a pass on this significant fact in his life.
So if you're trying to find a leader in the black community, look towards Mr. Cosby and not get sucked in by the race baiters like Farrakhan, Wright, Jackson or Sharpton.You actually might see a sea change in the community. Instead, we hear of "Social justice" (i.e. Marxist collectivism). Don't blame the messenger for the message.
Posted by: Rick D. on February 21, 2008 07:23 AMAbout the only thing you can say is he was smart enough to surround himself with intelligent people who did know how to get the job done, but this was probably only due to his dad's help.
I liked GHW Bush. In fact, I liked him over Reagon in the 1980 election. His son however, didn't have to earn his right. At least one thing you could say about Mitt Romney was he did earn his credentials on his own.
Posted by: tc on February 21, 2008 07:36 AMFor this insight he will most likely become president - I only hope he brings in capable people with him.
Posted by: Wilson Thomas on February 21, 2008 07:52 AMSenator 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 would create 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 would shed 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 aims 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.
Health Care
The United States is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, yet more than 45 million Americans have no health insurance. Too many hard-working Americans cannot afford their medical bills, and thus, health-related issues are the number one cause for personal bankruptcy. Too many employers are finding it difficult to offer the coverage their employees need.
Promoting affordable, accessible, and high-quality health care was a priority for Barack Obama in the Illinois State Senate and is a priority for him in the United States Senate. He believes firmly that health care should be a right for everyone, not a privilege for the few.
Medicare
Senator Obama is a cosponsor of the Medicare Informed Choice Act (S. 1841), which would extend enrollment without penalty until the end of 2006. This bill would also allow all Part D beneficiaries to change their plan once during 2006.
Improving Quality of Health Care
Senator Obama is pursuing legislative initiatives to help improve health care quality.
He helped draft and introduce the National MEDiC Act (S. 1784), which promotes patient safety initiatives, including early disclosure and compensation to patients injured by medical errors. He also introduced the Hospital Quality Report Card Act (S. 2359), which will use federal hospital quality reporting requirements to inform and assist patients and other consumers in making their health care decisions.
Senator Obama strongly believes that greater use of health information technology can contain costs and improve the efficiency of our health care system. He introduced the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Efficiency Act (S. 2247), which would leverage the federal government's purchasing power to encourage increased adoption of technology by participating health plans.
Avian Flu
Avian influenza - or bird flu - is a potentially grave health threat to the U.S. and other countries around the world. Senator Obama was an early leader in bringing this problem before Congress and pushing for greater funding to improve preparedness.
Starting in March 2005, he obtained $25 million for international efforts to combat the avian flu and called for an inter-agency task force to immediately address this issue. This funding is now being used to mitigate the effects of the pandemic in Southeast Asia.
Senator Obama introduced the Attacking Viral Influenza Across Nations Act (S. 969), which calls for collaboration and cooperation at the state, national, and international level to ensure preparedness in the event of pandemic influenza. Such preparedness includes the procurement of antivirals, development of effective vaccines, and improvement of the public health infrastructure and medical surge capacity in hospitals.
Senator Obama also worked to push $7.9 billion through the Senate to help the U.S. prepare for the possibility of an avian flu pandemic.
Environmental Health
Senator Obama is deeply concerned with the hazards of lead poisoning. Almost 400,000 children have elevated blood lead levels, including many in Illinois. Over the past year, one of his legislative priorities has been highlighting the problems associated with elevated blood lead levels in children. As a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator Obama pressured the Environmental Protection Agency to issue long overdue rules for home remodeling and renovation that could prevent 28,000 lead-related illnesses each year, resulting in an annual net economic benefit of more than $4 billion.
In 2005, Senator Obama introduced the Lead Free Toys Act (S. 2048), requiring the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to ban any children's product containing lead.
He also introduced the Healthy Communities Act (S. 2047) to identify and address problems in communities that are at high risk from environmental contaminants. In addition, recognizing the contribution of housing, parks, trails, roadways, and public transportation to healthy lifestyles, Senator Obama introduced the Healthy Places Act (S. 2506) to assess and support improvements to the built environment.
Genomics
Genomics is the study of how a person's genetic makeup affects propensity for disease and response to treatment. Research in this area has the potential to predict which people will get sick, diagnose illnesses earlier, and screen patients to determine which drugs will be safe and effective. In August 2006, Senator Obama introduced the Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act of 2006 (S. 3822), which would increase funding for research on genomics, expand the genomics workforce, provide a tax credit for the development of diagnostic tests that can improve the safety or effectiveness of drugs, and reaffirm the need to protect genetic privacy.
Environment
Lead
Since coming to Washington, Senator Obama has made the elimination of childhood lead poisoning one of his top priorities.
Lead is also present in many children's products. In 2003 and 2004, nearly 150 million pieces of toy jewelry were recalled because of toxic levels of lead. To address this problem, Senator Obama introduced the Lead-Free Toys Act (S. 2048) to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban any children's product containing lead.
Senator Obama is also an original cosponsor of the Home Lead Safety Tax Credit Act (S. 2053), which would provide tax credits to property owners who eliminate or contain paint hazards in homes where low-income young children or women of child-bearing age live.
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes store one-fifth of the world's surface water, and Lake Michigan alone provides drinking water for an estimated six million residents in Illinois. The Great Lakes are also important for recreation, transportation, and economic development. To preserve this national treasure, Senator Obama has been a strong supporter of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration and is a cosponsor of the Great Lakes Environmental Restoration Act (S. 508).
One of the greatest threats facing the Great Lakes is aquatic invasive species. Senator Obama was successful in ensuring that Illinois receives adequate federal funding to operate a barrier to prevent Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan and disrupting the balance of the lake's ecosystem.
Global Climate Change
In addition to protecting the quality of the air we breathe, Senator Obama believes the U.S. needs to do more to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. He is a cosponsor of the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act (S. 1151), which was introduced by Senators McCain and Lieberman.
Mercury
Sampling conducted by the Tribune showed surprisingly high levels of mercury concentrations in freshwater and saltwater fish purchased in the Chicago area. The Tribune series also reported on how existing programs at the Food and Drug Administration and EPA have failed to adequately test and evaluate mercury levels in fish.
To address this problem, Senator Obama introduced two bills - the Mercury Market Minimization Act (S. 3627) and the Missing Mercury in Manufacturing Monitoring and Mitigation Act (S. 3631) . These bills would significantly reduce the amount of mercury that is deposited in oceans, lakes, and rivers, which in turn would reduce the amount of mercury in fish.
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. The Lugar-Obama bill would energize the U.S. program against unsecured lightweight anti-aircraft missiles and other conventional weapons and would strengthen the ability of America's allies to detect and interdict illegal shipments of weapons and materials of mass destruction. Funding would be provided to eliminate unsecured conventional weapons and assist countries in improving their ability to detect and interdict materials and weapons of mass destruction.
Health Care
Senator Obama successfully passed legislation in the Senate to force the Pentagon to work towards an efficient electronic medical records system that will help ensure better care for our nation's troops. It is Senator Obama's goal for each separating service member to receive a secure electronic copy of his or her military and medical records at the time of discharge to smooth the transition to the Department of Veterans' Affairs health care system.
Traumatic Brain Injury
As a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Senator Obama has been tracking the high incidence of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) among the veterans returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. TBI is being called the signature injury of the Iraq war. Often caused by the shock wave of improvised explosive devices, TBI can result in permanent brain damage. In order to ensure that these returning heroes receive appropriate medical attention, Senator Obama passed legislation in the Senate that requires all soldiers to be assessed for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) after they return from deployments.
Emergency Preparedness
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Senator Obama introduced legislation to prevent another tragedy in which the poor and elderly are left behind during a natural disaster or terrorist attack. His proposal, which was included in the recent port security law, requires states and localities to have emergency evacuation plans in place that take into account the special needs of senior citizens.
Fighting the Spread of Methamphetamines
Senator Obama cosponsored the Combat Meth Act (S. 103) which provides more money for fighting methamphetamines, tightens up control on the sale of meth ingredients, and provides assistance to children of meth abusers. The legislation would limit access to cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, the primary ingredient used to make methamphetamine. This bill passed the Senate on September 15, 2005, and was signed into law.
Senator Obama has supported greater funding to fight meth through the use of Byrne Justice Assistance Grants. The Byrne Grant program provides important funding to many local Illinois law enforcement groups. For example, the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group (SIEG), a meth taskforce that polices 31 Illinois counties, pays for 5 of its 12 agents through Byrne grants. During Senate consideration of the Department of Justice funding bill, Senator Obama cosponsored an amendment to raise Byrne funding to $900 million in 2006; the amendment passed the Senate.
Support for Local Law Enforcement
Senator Obama has been a strong supporter of efforts to increase funding and support for our local law enforcement. He supported the reauthorization of the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program in the 109th Congress (PL 109-162) and supports efforts to increase COPS funding. The COPS program provides local law enforcement funding for: (1) hiring and training law enforcement officers; (2) procuring equipment and support systems (3) paying officers to perform intelligence, anti-terror, or homeland security duties; and (4) developing new technologies, including interoperable communications and forensic technology. Since 1994, the COPS program has funded more than 5,800 additional police officers and sheriffs deputies in Illinois and over $45 million in crime fighting technology assistance.
Sex Offenders
Senator Obama cosponsored Dru's Law (S. 792) which creates 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.
Violence Against Women Act
Senator Obama cosponsored 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.
Security for Federal Judges
After the horrific murder of an Illinois federal judge's mother and husband, Senator Obama and Senator Durbin worked together to beef up security at our federal courthouses. The Illinois senators secured $12 million to improve security for federal judges. Senator Obama also joined Senator Durbin in requesting a Government Accountability Office investigation into additional steps that can be taken to protect judges.
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.
Chemical Plant Security
Senator Obama, working with Senator Lautenberg, introduced tough legislation to drastically improve security at our nation's chemical plants. The Chemical Safety and Security Act (S. 2486) would establish a clear set of federal regulations that all plants must follow. Plants that are considered a high risk to large population areas or critical infrastructure would face more stringent standards. The bill requires chemical facilities to take steps to enhance security, including improving barriers, containment, mitigation, and safety training, and, where possible, using safer technology, such as less toxic chemicals or safer procedures.
Transit Security
Senator Obama is deeply concerned about the safety of the millions of Americans who use our nation's public transportation systems everyday. Unfortunately, non-aviation security has been under-funded since the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, and our subways and buses remain vulnerable. Only days after the July 2005 bombings in London, England, Senator Obama cosponsored and voted for an amendment that would have increased rail and transit security by $1.2 billion. Although that amendment was defeated, Senator Obama remains committed to improving rail and transit security.
Disaster Response
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, improving our nation's emergency planning and response capacity has become a priority for Senator Obama. He has introduced legislation to ensure that the mistakes witnessed before and after Katrina are not repeated in the future. Senator Obama's legislation includes provisions to establish a national family locator system for missing persons, a mobile corps of volunteer health professions, and mandatory planning for the emergency evacuation of people with special needs, including low-income individuals, the elderly, and the disabled.
Terrorism Risk Insurance
Senator Obama cosponsored the extension of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (which became Public Law 109-144). The Act provides important protections to real estate in large cities such as Chicago.
Nuclear Waste
Within the past five years, three nuclear power plants have reported missing spent fuel. Senator Obama introduced the Spent Nuclear Fuel Tracking and Accountability Act (S. 1194), which would establish specific and uniform guidelines for tracking, controlling, and accounting for individual spent fuel rods or segments at nuclear power plants, including procedures for conducting physical inventories. These provisions were included in S. 864, which passed the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee on June 8, 2005.
Drinking Water Security
Senator Obama drafted an amendment, which was included in the Safe Drinking Water Act, which passed the EPW Committee on July 20, 2005. The Obama amendment would provide $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.
Primary & Secondary Education
Senator Obama has introduced the Innovation Districts for School Improvement Act (S. 2441). Under this initiative, school districts would submit plans on how they would become centers of reform. Twenty districts nationwide would be selected based on the best plans to increase achievement for all students and put effective teachers in all classrooms. These districts would receive substantial federal resources but would be required to implement systemic reforms and show convincing results.
Differences in learning opportunities during the summer contribute to the achievement gaps that separate struggling poor and minority students from their middle-class peers. Senator Obama introduced the Summer Term Education Programs for Upward Progress Act (STEP UP) (S. 2149) to address the achievement gaps among schoolchildren in the early grades. STEP UP establishes a grant program to support summer learning opportunities to be offered by local schools or community organizations.
Post-Secondary Education
Senator Obama believes that every high school graduate should have the opportunity to go to college or vocational school. Student loans provide critical financial aid for many Americans. Not long ago, financial aid was primarily in the form of grants. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. Graduates now have more and more difficulty keeping up with loan payments. At a minimum, our government has the responsibility to ensure that the most affordable and sensible loans are available to our students. But government and students are not the only ones who need to act. Tuition costs have been rising at an average rate of 8% per year, well above the overall rate of inflation. Colleges and universities must also do their part to rein in costs and pass those savings on to students.
To address this problem, Barack Obama's first bill as a U.S. Senator was the HOPE Act (Higher Education Opportunity Through Pell Grant Expansion Act) (S.697), which would help make college more affordable for many Americans. The bill would increase the maximum Pell Grant from the current limit of $4,050 to a new maximum of $5,100.
Veterans Benefits Disparities
Following reports in December 2004 that Illinois veterans have for decades ranked nearly last in average disability pay received, Senator Obama led efforts to uncover the reasons for this disparity and to correct it. As a result of this pressure, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) opened an investigation into the matter, agreed to hire a dozen new claims specialists for the Chicago regional office, and agreed to re-examine the claims of Illinois veterans who felt they have been treated unfairly. Senators Obama and Durbin introduced an amendment that became law requiring the VA to notify Illinois veterans about their right to seek a review of their past claims. The resulting outreach to Illinois veterans in the summer of 2006, led to an increase in the number of Illinois veterans getting the benefits and services they deserve.
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.
--
He's going to be your president, so live with it.
What has he accomplished? I know he was against the Iraq War before he was really against it, but other than pandering for his presidential run, what has he done?
I do know he has supported giving driver's licenses to illegal aliens. Forget that one?
Posted by: swatter on February 21, 2008 09:22 AMI am just so underwhelmed by this list of NON-accomplishments you copied...er, itemized:
They ask for achievements, but when present with lists of achievements they cast it off.
Obama voted
Obama introduced
Obama authored
Obama sponsored
obama made heathcare a "priority"
obama promoted
Obama co-sponsored
obama pursued
Obama strongly believes
Obama also worked
Obama is deeply concerned
obama made lead poisoning a "priority"
Obama has been tracking
Obama played a key role
Obama drafted an amendment
Obama led efforts to uncover the reasons
Obama warned of a shortfall
and, my personal favorite:
Obama is also an original cosponsor
Ivan, INTENTIONS and FEELINGS are not accomplishments. There is absolutely NOTHING on that list that cannot be claimed by 200+ years of US senators.
Nice attempt at trying to fill an empty suit.
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on February 21, 2008 09:29 AM1. First Rick D., you never answered the question about whether you ever lived in a big city and are familiar with the politics. I suspect that you have no clue of large urban environments. Now, I expect you support the affirmative action program for the Mafia in construction, garbage collection, and cement along the eastcoast and that big social welfare experiment for construction, Boston's Big Dig.
2. Rick D said this:
"Now, at first blush, it sounds like Obama was going throughout Chicago areas bridging racial divides and bringing people together of all walks of life and cultural backgrounds. Truth is, he did it only in 2 areas of Chicago that are 97% percent african-American (google it if you'd like). So that pretty much destroys that myth of "Community" organizer. I think Bill Cosby can rightly be given that title, and he's accomplished it without the bigotry expressed by Obama's spiritual advisor Dr. Wright. We get judged by our associates in life and so far Mr. Obama has been given a pass on this significant fact in his life.
So if you're trying to find a leader in the black community, look towards Mr. Cosby and not get sucked in by the race baiters like Farrakhan, Wright, Jackson or Sharpton.You actually might see a sea change in the community. Instead, we hear of "Social justice" (i.e. Marxist collectivism). Don't blame the messenger for the message."
You still can't read. Dr. Wright is a minister in the United Church of Christ. That is one segment of the Black Community and the white comunity, for that matter. Paris Hilton is for some a leader in the Caucasian community, does she represent all of you? You are correct, people can be judged by their associates. Obama held a news conference to publicly disavow Farrakan. Have you seen that press conference where Dr. Paul disavows David Duke? Oh, groups, for better or worse choose their leaders, you have your First Amendment rights to an opinion, but you have no standing to choose leaders. I think you folks should get rid of Paris Hilton, David Duke, and others like them. Now, for those that have actual experience in the world and have traveled and gone beyond bigotry, the fact that Obama was able to navigitate the political dynamics of an urban setting is one skill. I suppose in your bigoted world a pol that works primarily in Chinatown in NYC or little Italy in NYC or some of the Irish wards in Boston lacks skill because those areas are primarily one ethnic group, right? Careful, your bigotry is showing through.
I don't blame the messenger for the message, I blame your bigotry and David Duke's racism for your very slanted views of the world.
It totally digusts you that there is a Black man running in this race for president. He and John Edwards share many of the same opinions, but even though you are either a republican or libertarian you can handle Edwards better because he is white. Glad that many of the younger people of all political persuasians don't share your bigotry.
3. Now Nut,
See above and by the way have you made it to senator, yet. Bigots will always drag out someone they dislike to prove a point. I assume that you like a person like Senator Thompson who ran for president. You simply think he earned the spot because he is white, right. The fact of the matter is no matter the state, to convince enough citizens of your state to vote for you over other candidates, is an achievement. You couldn't do it because you haven't got the intelligence, skill, and organizing ability. Heck, bigots like you hide behind nom de plumes, what's your group, White Citizens Council or KKK?
The fact of the matter is that neither of you can address differences in policy between liberalism and conservatism in an objective manner because you can't get beyond the issue of race. Had Edwards won the nomination, you might not like his ideas, but at least the thought is, he is one of us. Bigots.
Posted by: WVH on February 21, 2008 09:59 AMHe has his Daddy do it for him just like with everything else in his life.
Daddy's connections got Dubya a coveted National Guard position during Vietnam, Daddy's connections got him into Yale, Daddy was the Governor of Texas before Ann Richards, Daddy held the Presidency before Clinton, Daddy's Chief of Staff is his VP.
All roads with Dubya go back to Daddy. All roads with Sen. Obama go back to a man who pulled himself up by his bootstraps and accomplished a successful run in politics to become a member of the most elite old boys club in the world, the US Senate.
His color doesn't matter a whit... the vapid rhetoric of his empty suit does.
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on February 21, 2008 10:10 AM
I'm here to tell you that MY daddy did absolutely everything to pave my way in life.
Our sons all have a daddy to pave theirs... to give them educations, to support them in all ways that matter, to help them with jobs and careers.
Perhaps you should rail against the policies that destroyed the importance of daddys in your world instead of trashing those that have daddys of influence and accomplishment. Your riff is shameful... and old.
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on February 21, 2008 10:22 AM1. I beat up anyone supporting Duke or Farrakan. Bigots of a feather flock together.
2. I don't have a problem with anyone who questions a candidates policies or ideas, that is legitimate. That is not the tone of either Rick D.'s or Nuts comments. It might not matter to you the color or gender of a candidate, it very much matters to both of them.
3. On the question of Obama's color, genetically he may be 50/50. He is Black because that is what he looks like and that is the group he has chosen to identify with.
4. Obama has had a very public press conference to disavow Farrakan, has Paul?
5. The issue of denominations in the Christian faith is interesting because there are groups all along the spectrum. The United Church of Christ and some of the Methodists along with some Anglican ideas would probably be difficult for most conservatives to endorse. The point is those are ideas held by a wide number of people and many of them are in the dem platform, so the question is whether you are attacking ideas or policies or you are attacking a candidate because of ethnicity.
Still say Rick D. and Nut would have fewer problems with Edwards.
I absolutely do not endorse racists of any flavor.
Posted by: WVH on February 21, 2008 10:22 AMI agree you don't, but you do seem to take any mention of race as an insult and signal to get your back up. It doesn't help any of us, especially you. While I disagree with you on many things, you have always been thoughtful and elucidate in your presentation of them. Stop falling into the trap of defining yourself with your gender, your race, your religion. You are more than just those parts.
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on February 21, 2008 10:29 AMSo Ragnar, are you proud of the Empty Suit we have now? Can you prove he's not an empty suit? No one here can.
Every time I ask, people keep pointing to his accomplishments in the WH and not to his numerous accomplishments (made without Daddy's help) prior to the WH.
Ragnar, since you yourself are an empty headed sheep with few (if any) original thoughts of your own I expect this to be a very hard question for you. Come on little sheepie, take the challenge, defend your boy Dubya.
There you go again with the bigot/racist line. The thing that bothers me most about you doing this is that I actually agree with you from time to time; I find you at least well written and so I assume well spoken also. I don't see why you have to resort to the lame tactic of calling racist or bigot so readily. I always find it somewhat upsetting when people I have respected do embarrasing things. Like GWB unable to say nuclear if his life depended on it and other improper uses of the english language.
So please check yourself before you go down that road and make sure that it is actually pertinent to the conversation. It causes you to lose credibility and I think that your opinions should be considered. I don't necessarily agree with all of the positions you take on things, but I think sometimes you are unfairly attacked for saying things that you did not say. I did not see anything bigotted or racist in anything Jimmy PeanutFarmer said.
Posted by: REBEL on February 21, 2008 10:35 AMIt seems to me you inconveniently ignored Jims Bush post specific to you. I don't have to justify anything of or for GW... he is now a large part of America's history and nothing I say or that you whine about will change that.
Barry Hussein has to answer his emptiness. Barry Hussein has to answer HIS daddy's commie sympathizer connections
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on February 21, 2008 10:45 AMThanks for your thoughts. This election is about many things including a generational change. For many of one generation, there is one style of leadership in communities of color represented by Sharpton/Jackson. Obama and many of the younger generation of pols of color represent a different style. Yes, race is pertinent to this particular discussion because many comments are not directed toward specific policies or ideas but they are directed to the particular person's background, not qualifications. The three major dem candidates pretty much share a similar philosophy, the differences are that one is a woman and one is Black. Both Rick D. and Nut chose not to address their ideas which are embodied in the dem platform. In fact, many ideas from liberal Christian denominations are embodied in the dem platform. So, isn't the real issue whether one accepts the philosophy of one party over another?
People of a certain generational outlook are not capable of getting beyond race to look at the issues. My theory is Rick D. and Nut are two such people.
Posted by: WVH on February 21, 2008 10:45 AMGood for him but your not answering the question, your just digging yourself into a hole. How is the current President not an empty suit himself? Are you implying that President Bush is not doing a good job?
Your "Obama is an Empty Suit" argument rings hollow cause the current President is a true Empty Suit and yet your 100% behind him. He had everything run by his father. While Obama built himself up without the help of his daddy.
Who's life story rings more hollow? The silver spoon boy from the elite New England family who had everything in his life handed to him by his Daddy, or the man who used his wisdom and natural abilities to propel himself to his current position without handout of any kind?
On top of everything else, you aren't even original in your 'insults'. I'm glad to have you mimic. Imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery.
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on February 21, 2008 10:55 AMWhatever it takes to get you to answer the question. Now quit stalling and changing the subject.
Jim's email certainly didn't list much (I like how the cockpit of an fighter plane in Texas is somehow more dangerous than going to 'Nam...that one gave me a good laugh), how about you list your own arguments defending Dubya against the empty suit charge instead of having others do it for you.
You would be right. The philosophies of Clinton, Edwards, and Obama are the same with very minor differences. The platforms of both parties are being drafted, but I suspect there will be major differences in the political outlook and philosophy of each party. There are two issues I will be looking for when reading each party's platform:
1. Education
2. We are headed for financial meltdown because of the subprime mess, overspending, and lack of clear economic priorities.
I really don't care what the background of the person is, I do want to know what they are running on.
Posted by: WVH on February 21, 2008 11:04 AMIn Obama's book, "Dreams From My Father," he repeatedly refers to his friend and adviser as "Frank."
The mysterious "Frank" cited as a friend and adviser by Democratic president contender Barack Obama while he was growing up in Hawaii has been identified as Frank Marshall Davis, a member of the old Moscow-controlled Communist Party USA.
Davis was a known communist who belonged to a party subservient to the Soviet Union. In fact, the 1951 report of the Commission on Subversive Activities to the Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii identified him as a CPUSA member. What's more, anti-communist congressional committees, including the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), accused Davis of involvement in several Communist front organizations,"
A history professor in Houston reported that Davis "befriended" a family whose son was named Barack Obama, "who retracing the steps of Davis eventually decamped to Chicago."
"It was in Chicago that Obama became a 'community organizer' and came into contact with more far-left political forces, including the Democratic Socialists of America...,"
The SDS laid siege to college campuses across America in the 1960s, mostly in order to protest the Vietnam War, and spawned the terrorist Weather Underground organization."
Sorry, WHV as much as I agree with you in theory I would have to argue that experience shapes a person and the choices they make.
Do the experiences in your life not shape your view of the world?
George W Bush has taken his place in history. NOTHING you claim, cry or whine about will change that or is relevant any longer.
Barry Hussein (BAAAHHrack OBAAAHHHma) has evidently convinced you based... on hot air.
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on February 21, 2008 11:13 AMThe whole argument is somewhat riduculous. They are saying that Obama needs more seasoning. He is just too young. He hasn't been around the block enough. They forget the fact that a significant portion of the American public is dissatisfied with they the way the "experienced" politicians have been doing the job. They aren't voting for him because he has been well seasoned, they are voting for him because he is not of the same old, well-seasoned, non-performing elect that currently holds the reigns in Washington. This election will be about continuing the old or changing direction. What McCain has to do is tell the story how his approach is also different from a continuation of the failed Bush policies. Running on Bush platform will lose McCain the election. This is why HRC is a much easier candidate for McCain to run against, because it would be one set of old ideas running against another set of old ideas. Another big issue for McCain will also be how to get a mandate for his ideas, especially given the larger number of Republican seats up this year in the Senate.
Fellow bloggers fail to "catch" what Obama is really saying. It isn't just words. He wants the process to change. He wants young voters and new voters involved in the process. He doesn't want this Red State, Blue State, 50-50, nothing gets done mentality. If that is the result, the naysayers will be correct and he won't be able to get anything done. For Obama to win, it won't be just a win of the election, but a win of the hearts of the public that we do need to progress in a new direction. It will be the opening up of Washington via today's technologies so all can see who is making what deal to get a better slice of the pie. It is opening up of Washington so the public at large can be more involved in the process. In essence, if accomplished, it could probably do away with at least half the lobbyist. Can you imagine a Washington with less layers between it and the common person? This is the underlying message that Obama speaks. It isn't about running the same old policies the same way, to change one has to change the system. It reminds me of Dr. Deming's Red Bead example. Without a change of the system, nothing will change.
Posted by: tc on February 21, 2008 11:17 AMSo what? Is that a crime? Last I checked being a member of the Communist, Socialist, Constitutional, Green, Republican, Democrat, Birthday Party was guaranteed under the first amendments Freedom of Speech/Assembly. Are you implying that the first Amendment doesn't apply to people who choose believe in Communism? Yet another hollow distraction from Ragnar.
George W Bush has taken his place in history. NOTHING you claim, cry or whine about will change that or is relevant any longer.
Again, another dodge. You going to answer the question or keep posting useless distractions that hold no merit to the conversation?
Face it, your "empty suit" argument is a lost cause because you and the rest of the GOP have rallied behind the true Empty Suit for the last eight years.
I agree TC, nice to see some intelligent thought going up here as opposed to Ragnar's insane childlike babble.
Gee, is there possibly a day or thread that goes by in which the real bigot here, WVH, doesn't call someone else a bigot that she/he disagrees with?
WVH, you lack critical thinking skills and in large part, reading comprehension skills which I don't have the time nor inclination to explain to you. You're a linear thinker with a thin skin which is a very bad combination to have in life without being offended by completely innocuous statements 24/7.
Perhaps try some relaxation methods or therapeutic remedies for that complex. Either way, in the future when you get the urge to send a mouth breathing response to one of my posts, don't bother. You've pretty much exposed yourself as a squealing, chatroom-type squawker that appears to have limitless time to spend alot of time, but saying very little worth hearing.
Or as I like to say, you suffer from
"Delusions of adequacy"
Cheers!
Posted by: Rick D. on February 21, 2008 01:56 PMCan give me a shred of evidence that Dubya's not an Empty Suit? Can you list a major accomplishment that Dubya did without his Daddy's help?
I'll be here as long as it takes.
Many of the "accomplishments" were bills or amendments introduced or supported by Obama that, on their own, never went anywhere - according to Thomas (Library of Congress). I have made only a few editorial comments. I must admit that it is very confusing to see multiple different bills with the same bill number - go to Thomas and look it up to see for yourself.
A quick tally: Based on what I could find on the entries given us by Ivan, Obama sponsored 21 bills. 17 of these bills had 3 or fewer cosponsors. Why wasn't Obama able to obtain more sponsors for his bills?
Obama was a co-sponsor on 21 bills. 11 of these bills had 12 or more co-sponsors. In 8 cases, Obama was a "co-author" with more than 20 other Senators.
Only five Public Laws came out of these bills.
Many of Obama's bills are listed only as being "introduced". Nothing else appears to have happened, in some cases for two or more years. Does he follow through?
I've promised my wife that we'll go to Hawaii. So far, we haven't, but do I get full credit for the promise?
Ivan's list:
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.
5 . [109th] Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2006 (Introduced in Senate)[S.2180.IS ]
S.2180
Title: A bill to provide more rigorous requirements with respect to disclosure and enforcement of ethics and lobbying laws and regulations, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 1/20/2006) Cosponsors (40)
Related Bills: H.RES.772, H.R.2412, H.R.4575, H.R.4667, H.R.4682, H.R.4948, H.R.4975, H.R.4988, H.R.5677, S.RES.525
Latest Major Action: 1/25/2006 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Hearings held.
S.230
Title: A bill to provide greater transparency in the legislative process.
Sponsor: Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] (introduced 1/9/2007) Cosponsors (3)
Related Bills: S.1, S.192
Latest Major Action: 1/9/2007 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
S.192
Title: A bill providing greater transparency with respect to lobbying activities, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen McCain, John [AZ] (introduced 1/4/2007) Cosponsors (3)
Related Bills: S.1, S.230
Latest Major Action: 2/27/2007 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security. Hearings held.
S.1
Title: A bill to provide greater transparency in the legislative process.
Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 1/4/2007) Cosponsors (17)
Related Bills: S.192, S.230
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 110-81
In addition, Senator Obama has sponsored three other ethics-related bills: The Congressional Ethics Enforcement Commission Act (S. 2259) The bill would create 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.
4 . [109th] Congressional Ethics Enforcement Commission Act of 2006 (Introduced in Senate)[S.2259.IS ]
S.2259
Title: A bill to establish an Office of Public Integrity in the Congress and a Congressional Ethics Enforcement Commission.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 2/8/2006) Cosponsors (2)
Latest Major Action: 2/8/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
The Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act (S. 2261) The bill would shed 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.
3 . [109th] Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act of 2006 (Introduced in Senate)[S.2261.IS ]
S.2261
Title: A bill to provide transparency and integrity in the earmark process.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 2/8/2006) Cosponsors (1)
Related Bills: S.2265
Latest Major Action: 2/8/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
Related bill s. 2265 (Pork-Barrel Reduction Act) Sponsored by McCain (9 cosponsors)
The Curtailing Lobbyist Effectiveness through Advance Notification, Updates, and Posting Act (The CLEAN UP Act) (S. 2179) The bill aims 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.
2 . [109th] CLEAN UP Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.2179.IS ]
S.2179
Title: A bill to require openness in conference committee deliberations and full disclosure of the contents of conference reports and all other legislation.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 1/18/2006) Cosponsors (9)
Latest Major Action: 1/18/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
Health Care The United States is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, yet more than 45 million Americans have no health insurance. Too many hard-working Americans cannot afford their medical bills, and thus, health-related issues are the number one cause for personal bankruptcy. Too many employers are finding it difficult to offer the coverage their employees need. Promoting affordable, accessible, and high-quality health care was a priority for Barack Obama in the Illinois State Senate and is a priority for him in the United States Senate. He believes firmly that health care should be a right for everyone, not a privilege for the few. Medicare Senator Obama is a cosponsor of the Medicare Informed Choice Act (S. 1841), which would extend enrollment without penalty until the end of 2006. This bill would also allow all Part D beneficiaries to change their plan once during 2006.
1 . [109th] The Medicare Informed Choice Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.1841.IS ]
S.1841
Title: A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide extended and additional protection to Medicare beneficiaries who enroll for the Medicare prescription drug benefit during 2006.
Sponsor: Sen Nelson, Bill [FL] (introduced 10/6/2005) Cosponsors (30)
Related Bills: H.R.3861
Latest Major Action: 10/6/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Improving Quality of Health Care Senator Obama is pursuing legislative initiatives to help improve health care quality. He helped draft and introduce the National MEDiC Act (S. 1784), which promotes patient safety initiatives, including early disclosure and compensation to patients injured by medical errors. He also introduced the Hospital Quality Report Card Act (S. 2359), which will use federal hospital quality reporting requirements to inform and assist patients and other consumers in making their health care decisions.
5 . [109th] National MEDiC Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.1784.IS ]
S.1784
Title: A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to promote a culture of safety within the health care system through the establishment of a National Medical Error Disclosure and Compensation Program.
Sponsor: Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] (introduced 9/28/2005) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 9/28/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Senator Obama strongly believes that greater use of health information technology can contain costs and improve the efficiency of our health care system. He introduced the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Efficiency Act (S. 2247), which would leverage the federal government's purchasing power to encourage increased adoption of technology by participating health plans.
3 . [109th] Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Efficiency Act of 2006 (Introduced in Senate)[S.2247.IS ]
S.2247
Title: A bill to promote greater use of information technology in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program under chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code, to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 2/6/2006) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 3/28/2006 Referred to Senate subcommittee. Status: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs referred to Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia.
Avian Flu Avian influenza - or bird flu - is a potentially grave health threat to the U.S. and other countries around the world. Senator Obama was an early leader in bringing this problem before Congress and pushing for greater funding to improve preparedness. Starting in March 2005, he obtained $25 million for international efforts to combat the avian flu and called for an inter-agency task force to immediately address this issue. This funding is now being used to mitigate the effects of the pandemic in Southeast Asia. Senator Obama introduced the Attacking Viral Influenza Across Nations Act (S. 969), which calls for collaboration and cooperation at the state, national, and international level to ensure preparedness in the event of pandemic influenza. Such preparedness includes the procurement of antivirals, development of effective vaccines, and improvement of the public health infrastructure and medical surge capacity in hospitals. Senator Obama also worked to push $7.9 billion through the Senate to help the U.S. prepare for the possibility of an avian flu pandemic.
6 . [109th] Attacking Viral Influenza Across Nations Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.969.IS ]
S.969
Title: A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to preparation for an influenza pandemic, including an avian influenza pandemic, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 4/28/2005) Cosponsors (9)
Related Bills: H.R.3369
Latest Major Action: 4/28/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Environmental Health
Senator Obama is deeply concerned with the hazards of lead poisoning. Almost 400,000 children have elevated blood lead levels, including many in Illinois. Over the past year, one of his legislative priorities has been highlighting the problems associated with elevated blood lead levels in children. As a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator Obama pressured the Environmental Protection Agency to issue long overdue rules for home remodeling and renovation that could prevent 28,000 lead-related illnesses each year, resulting in an annual net economic benefit of more than $4 billion.
In 2005, Senator Obama introduced the Lead Free Toys Act (S. 2048), requiring the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to ban any children's product containing lead.
2 . [109th] Lead Free Toys Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.2048.IS ]
S.2048
Title: A bill to direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to classify certain children's products containing lead to be banned hazardous substances.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 11/17/2005) Cosponsors (3)
Related Bills: H.R.668
Latest Major Action: 11/17/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
He also introduced the Healthy Communities Act (S. 2047) to identify and address problems in communities that are at high risk from environmental contaminants. In addition, recognizing the contribution of housing, parks, trails, roadways, and public transportation to healthy lifestyles, Senator Obama introduced the Healthy Places Act (S. 2506) to assess and support improvements to the built environment.
4 . [109th] Healthy Communities Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.2047.IS ]
S.2047
Title: A bill to promote healthy communities.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 11/17/2005) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 11/17/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
3 . [109th] Healthy Places Act of 2006 (Introduced in Senate)[S.2506.IS ]
S.2506
Title: A bill to require Federal agencies to support health impact assessments and take other actions to improve health and the environmental quality of communities, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 4/4/2006) Cosponsors (6)
Related Bills: H.R.5088
Latest Major Action: 4/4/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Genomics Genomics is the study of how a person's genetic makeup affects propensity for disease and response to treatment. Research in this area has the potential to predict which people will get sick, diagnose illnesses earlier, and screen patients to determine which drugs will be safe and effective. In August 2006, Senator Obama introduced the Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act of 2006 (S. 3822), which would increase funding for research on genomics, expand the genomics workforce, provide a tax credit for the development of diagnostic tests that can improve the safety or effectiveness of drugs, and reaffirm the need to protect genetic privacy.
1 . [109th] Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act of 2006 (Introduced in Senate)[S.3822.IS ]
S.3822
Title: A bill to improve access to and appropriate utilization of valid, reliable and accurate molecular genetic tests by all populations thus helping to secure the promise of personalized medicine for all Americans.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 8/3/2006) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 8/3/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Environment Lead Since coming to Washington, Senator Obama has made the elimination of childhood lead poisoning one of his top priorities. Lead is also present in many children's products. In 2003 and 2004, nearly 150 million pieces of toy jewelry were recalled because of toxic levels of lead. To address this problem, Senator Obama introduced the Lead-Free Toys Act (S. 2048) to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban any children's product containing lead.
2 . [109th] Lead Free Toys Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.2048.IS ]
S.2048
Title: A bill to direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to classify certain children's products containing lead to be banned hazardous substances.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 11/17/2005) Cosponsors (3)
Related Bills: H.R.668
Latest Major Action: 11/17/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Senator Obama is also an original cosponsor of the Home Lead Safety Tax Credit Act (S. 2053), which would provide tax credits to property owners who eliminate or contain paint hazards in homes where low-income young children or women of child-bearing age live.
2 . [109th] Home Lead Safety Tax Credit Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.2053.IS ]
S.2053
Title: A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit for property owners who remove lead-based paint hazards.
Sponsor: Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] (introduced 11/18/2005) Cosponsors (3)
Related Bills: H.R.4464, S.2073
Latest Major Action: 11/18/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
S.2073
Title: A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit for property owners who remove lead-based paint hazards.
Sponsor: Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] (introduced 11/18/2005) Cosponsors (None)
Related Bills: H.R.4464, S.2053
Latest Major Action: 11/18/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Great Lakes The Great Lakes store one-fifth of the world's surface water, and Lake Michigan alone provides drinking water for an estimated six million residents in Illinois. The Great Lakes are also important for recreation, transportation, and economic development. To preserve this national treasure, Senator Obama has been a strong supporter of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration and is a cosponsor of the Great Lakes Environmental Restoration Act (S. 508). One of the greatest threats facing the Great Lakes is aquatic invasive species. Senator Obama was successful in ensuring that Illinois receives adequate federal funding to operate a barrier to prevent Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan and disrupting the balance of the lake's ecosystem.
7 . [109th] Great Lakes Environmental Restoration Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.508.IS ]
S.508
Title: A bill to provide for the environmental restoration of the Great Lakes.
Sponsor: Sen DeWine, Mike [OH] (introduced 3/3/2005) Cosponsors (7)
Latest Major Action: 3/3/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Global Climate Change In addition to protecting the quality of the air we breathe, Senator Obama believes the U.S. needs to do more to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. He is a cosponsor of the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act (S. 1151), which was introduced by Senators McCain and Lieberman.
4 . [109th] Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.1151.IS ]
S.1151
Title: A bill to provide for a program to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States by establishing a market-driven system of greenhouse gas tradeable allowances, to limit greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and reduce dependence upon foreign oil, to support the deployment of new climate change-related technologies, and ensure benefits to consumers.
Sponsor: Sen McCain, John [AZ] (introduced 5/26/2005) Cosponsors (3)
Latest Major Action: 5/26/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Mercury Sampling conducted by the Tribune showed surprisingly high levels of mercury concentrations in freshwater and saltwater fish purchased in the Chicago area. The Tribune series also reported on how existing programs at the Food and Drug Administration and EPA have failed to adequately test and evaluate mercury levels in fish. To address this problem, Senator Obama introduced two bills - the Mercury Market Minimization Act (S. 3627) and the Missing Mercury in Manufacturing Monitoring and Mitigation Act (S. 3631) . These bills would significantly reduce the amount of mercury that is deposited in oceans, lakes, and rivers, which in turn would reduce the amount of mercury in fish.
1 . [109th] Mercury Market Minimization Act of 2006 (Introduced in Senate)[S.3627.IS ]
S.3627
Title: A bill to prohibit the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy from selling, distributing, or transferring elemental mercury, to prohibit the export of elemental mercury, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 6/29/2006) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 6/29/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
1 . [109th] Missing Mercury in Manufacturing Monitoring and Mitigation Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.3631.IS ]
S.3631
Title: A bill to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to phase out the use of mercury in the manufacture of chlorine and caustic soda, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 7/11/2006) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 7/11/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
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. The Lugar-Obama bill would energize the U.S. program against unsecured lightweight anti-aircraft missiles and other conventional weapons and would strengthen the ability of America's allies to detect and interdict illegal shipments of weapons and materials of mass destruction. Funding would be provided to eliminate unsecured conventional weapons and assist countries in improving their ability to detect and interdict materials and weapons of mass destruction.
4 . [109th] Cooperative Proliferation Detection, Interdiction Assistance, and Conventional Threat Reduction Act of 2006 (Reported in Senate)[S.2566.RS ]
S.2566
Title: A bill to provide for coordination of proliferation interdiction activities and conventional arms disarmament, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Lugar, Richard G. [IN] (introduced 4/6/2006) Cosponsors (26)
Related Bills: S.1949
Latest Major Action: 5/25/2006 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 456.
S.1949
Title: A bill to provide for coordination of proliferation interdiction activities and conventional arms disarmament, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Lugar, Richard G. [IN] (introduced 11/1/2005) Cosponsors (1)
Related Bills: S.2566
Latest Major Action: 2/9/2006 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Foreign Relations. Hearings held.
Health Care Senator Obama successfully passed legislation in the Senate to force the Pentagon to work towards an efficient electronic medical records system that will help ensure better care for our nation's troops. It is Senator Obama's goal for each separating service member to receive a secure electronic copy of his or her military and medical records at the time of discharge to smooth the transition to the Department of Veterans' Affairs health care system.Traumatic Brain Injury
As a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Senator Obama has been tracking the high incidence of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) among the veterans returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. TBI is being called the signature injury of the Iraq war. Often caused by the shock wave of improvised explosive devices, TBI can result in permanent brain damage. In order to ensure that these returning heroes receive appropriate medical attention, Senator Obama passed legislation in the Senate that requires all soldiers to be assessed for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) after they return from deployments.
Editorial: Search criteria - "traumatic brain injury Obama". That was fun. Without a citation, could not find where Senator Obama "passed legislation in the Senate that requires all soldiers to be assessed for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) after they return from deployments."
S.1349
Title: A bill to ensure that the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs provide to members of the Armed Forces and veterans with traumatic brain injury the services that best meet their individual needs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] (introduced 5/9/2007) Cosponsors (9)
Latest Major Action: 5/9/2007 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
S.793
Title: A bill to provide for the expansion and improvement of traumatic brain injury programs.
Sponsor: Sen Hatch, Orrin G. [UT] (introduced 3/7/2007) Cosponsors (20)
Related Bills: H.R.1418
Latest Major Action: 12/12/2007 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Senate Reports: 110-140
S.1999
Title: A bill to provide for the establishment of a Center of Excellence in Prevention, Diagnosis, Mitigation, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Military Eye Injuries, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 8/3/2007) Cosponsors (4)
Related Bills: H.R.3558
Latest Major Action: 8/3/2007 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
S.1606
Title: A bill to provide for the establishment of a comprehensive policy on the care and management of wounded warriors in order to facilitate and enhance their care, rehabilitation, physical evaluation, transition from care by the Department of Defense to care by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and transition from military service to civilian life, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Levin, Carl [MI] (introduced 6/13/2007) Cosponsors (46)
Related Bills: H.R.1538
Latest Major Action: 6/18/2007 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 203.
S.3988
Title: A bill to amend title 10 and 38, United States Code, to improve benefits and services for members of the Armed Forces, veterans of the Global War on Terrorism, and other veterans, to require reports on the effects of the Global War on Terrorism, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 9/28/2006) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 9/28/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Emergency Preparedness In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Senator Obama introduced legislation to prevent another tragedy in which the poor and elderly are left behind during a natural disaster or terrorist attack. His proposal, which was included in the recent port security law, requires states and localities to have emergency evacuation plans in place that take into account the special needs of senior citizens.
Without a citation, am unable to confirm that "Senator Obama introduced legislation...."
Fighting the Spread of Methamphetamines Senator Obama cosponsored the Combat Meth Act (S. 103) which provides more money for fighting methamphetamines, tightens up control on the sale of meth ingredients, and provides assistance to children of meth abusers. The legislation would limit access to cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, the primary ingredient used to make methamphetamine. This bill passed the Senate on September 15, 2005, and was signed into law. Senator Obama has supported greater funding to fight meth through the use of Byrne Justice Assistance Grants. The Byrne Grant program provides important funding to many local Illinois law enforcement groups. For example, the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group (SIEG), a meth taskforce that polices 31 Illinois counties, pays for 5 of its 12 agents through Byrne grants. During Senate consideration of the Department of Justice funding bill, Senator Obama cosponsored an amendment to raise Byrne funding to $900 million in 2006; the amendment passed the Senate.
5 . [109th] Combat Meth Act of 2005 (Reported in Senate)[S.103.RS ]
S.103
Title: A bill to respond to the illegal production, distribution, and use of methamphetamine in the United States, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Talent, Jim [MO] (introduced 1/24/2005) Cosponsors (49)
Related Bills: H.R.314, H.R.3199
Latest Major Action: 7/28/2005 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 184.
Note: Similar provisions were enacted as Title VII (the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005), of H.R. 3199, the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005.
Support for Local Law Enforcement Senator Obama has been a strong supporter of efforts to increase funding and support for our local law enforcement. He supported the reauthorization of the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program in the 109th Congress (PL 109-162) and supports efforts to increase COPS funding. The COPS program provides local law enforcement funding for: (1) hiring and training law enforcement officers; (2) procuring equipment and support systems (3) paying officers to perform intelligence, anti-terror, or homeland security duties; and (4) developing new technologies, including interoperable communications and forensic technology. Since 1994, the COPS program has funded more than 5,800 additional police officers and sheriffs deputies in Illinois and over $45 million in crime fighting technology assistance.
S.1197
Title: A bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.
Sponsor: Sen Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [DE] (introduced 6/8/2005) Cosponsors (58)
Related Bills: H.R.2876, H.R.3171, H.R.3402
Latest Major Action: 10/6/2005 Held at the desk.
Note: Provisions on international marriage broker activity were enacted in H.R. 3402, the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005. H.R. 3402 became Public Law 109-162 on 1/5/2006.
Sex Offenders Senator Obama cosponsored Dru's Law (S. 792) which creates 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.
2 . [109th] Dru's Law (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by Senate)[S.792.ES ]
S.792
Title: A bill to establish a National sex offender registration database, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Dorgan, Byron L. [ND] (introduced 4/14/2005) Cosponsors (18)
Related Bills: H.R.95
Latest Major Action: 9/19/2005 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
Violence Against Women Act Senator Obama cosponsored 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.
S.1197
Title: A bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.
Sponsor: Sen Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [DE] (introduced 6/8/2005) Cosponsors (58)
Related Bills: H.R.2876, H.R.3171, H.R.3402
Latest Major Action: 10/6/2005 Held at the desk.
Note: Provisions on international marriage broker activity were enacted in H.R. 3402, the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005. H.R. 3402 became Public Law 109-162 on 1/5/2006.
Security for Federal Judges After the horrific murder of an Illinois federal judge's mother and husband, Senator Obama and Senator Durbin worked together to beef up security at our federal courthouses. The Illinois senators secured $12 million to improve security for federal judges. Senator Obama also joined Senator Durbin in requesting a Government Accountability Office investigation into additional steps that can be taken to protect judges.
S.378
Title: A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to protect judges, prosecutors, witnesses, victims, and their family members, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Leahy, Patrick J. [VT] (introduced 1/24/2007) Cosponsors (12)
Related Bills: H.R.660
Latest Major Action: 4/20/2007 Held at the desk.
Senate Reports: 110-42
Note: For further action, see H.R.660, which became Public Law 110-177 on 1/7/2008.
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.Without a citation, am unable to confirm that "Senator Obama played a key role" or "offered three amendments..."
Chemical Plant Security Senator Obama, working with Senator Lautenberg, introduced tough legislation to drastically improve security at our nation's chemical plants. The Chemical Safety and Security Act (S. 2486) would establish a clear set of federal regulations that all plants must follow. Plants that are considered a high risk to large population areas or critical infrastructure would face more stringent standards. The bill requires chemical facilities to take steps to enhance security, including improving barriers, containment, mitigation, and safety training, and, where possible, using safer technology, such as less toxic chemicals or safer procedures.
2 . [109th] Chemical Security and Safety Act of 2006 (Introduced in Senate)[S.2486.IS ]
S.2486
Title: A bill to ensure that adequate actions are taken to detect, prevent, and minimize the consequences of chemical releases that result from terrorist attacks and other criminal activity that may cause substantial harm to public health and safety and the environment.
Sponsor: Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ] (introduced 3/30/2006) Cosponsors (6)
Latest Major Action: 3/30/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Transit Security Senator Obama is deeply concerned about the safety of the millions of Americans who use our nation's public transportation systems everyday. Unfortunately, non-aviation security has been under-funded since the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, and our subways and buses remain vulnerable. Only days after the July 2005 bombings in London, England, Senator Obama cosponsored and voted for an amendment that would have increased rail and transit security by $1.2 billion. Although that amendment was defeated, Senator Obama remains committed to improving rail and transit security.
Editorial note: Me too.
Disaster Response In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, improving our nation's emergency planning and response capacity has become a priority for Senator Obama. He has introduced legislation to ensure that the mistakes witnessed before and after Katrina are not repeated in the future. Senator Obama's legislation includes provisions to establish a national family locator system for missing persons, a mobile corps of volunteer health professions, and mandatory planning for the emergency evacuation of people with special needs, including low-income individuals, the elderly, and the disabled.
1 . [109th] National Emergency Family Locator Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.1630.IS ]
3 . [109th] Hurricane Katrina Recovery Act of 2006 (Introduced in Senate)[S.2319.IS ]
S.1630
Title: A bill to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish the National Emergency Family Locator System.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 9/7/2005) Cosponsors (9)
Latest Major Action: 9/7/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
S.2319
Title: A bill to provide for the recovery from Hurricane Katrina, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 2/16/2006) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 2/16/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Terrorism Risk Insurance Senator Obama cosponsored the extension of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (which became Public Law 109-144). The Act provides important protections to real estate in large cities such as Chicago.
S.467
Title: A bill to extend the applicability of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002.
Sponsor: Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT] (introduced 2/18/2005) Cosponsors (33)
Related Bills: H.R.4314, H.R.4513
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 109-144
S.2285
Title: An original bill to reauthorize the Federal terrorism risk insurance program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT] (introduced 11/1/2007) Cosponsors (None)
Related Bills: H.R.2761, H.R.4299
Latest Major Action: 11/1/2007 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 461.
Senate Reports: 110-215
Note: For further action, see H.R.2761, which became Public Law 110-160 on 12/26/2007.
H.R.6342
Title: To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend certain expiring provisions of law administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to expand eligibility for the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 12/5/2006) Cosponsors (1)
Related Bills: H.R.6314
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 109-444
Nuclear Waste Within the past five years, three nuclear power plants have reported missing spent fuel. Senator Obama introduced the Spent Nuclear Fuel Tracking and Accountability Act (S. 1194), which would establish specific and uniform guidelines for tracking, controlling, and accounting for individual spent fuel rods or segments at nuclear power plants, including procedures for conducting physical inventories. These provisions were included in S. 864, which passed the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee on June 8, 2005.
1 . [109th] Spent Nuclear Fuel Tracking and Accountability Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.1194.IS ]
S.1194
Title: A bill to direct the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to establish guidelines and procedures for tracking, controlling, and accounting for individual spent fuel rods and segments.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 6/8/2005) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 6/8/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
3 . [109th] Nuclear Safety and Security Act of 2005 (Reported in Senate)[S.864.RS ]
S.864
Title: A bill to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to modify provisions relating to nuclear safety and security, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Inhofe, James M. [OK] (introduced 4/20/2005) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 7/1/2005 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 152.
Senate Reports: 109-98
Drinking Water Security Senator Obama drafted an amendment, which was included in the Safe Drinking Water Act, which passed the EPW Committee on July 20, 2005. The Obama amendment would provide $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.
S.1426
Title: A bill to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize and extend provisions relating to contaminant prevention detection, and response.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 7/19/2005) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 7/19/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Primary & Secondary Education Senator Obama has introduced the Innovation Districts for School Improvement Act (S. 2441). Under this initiative, school districts would submit plans on how they would become centers of reform. Twenty districts nationwide would be selected based on the best plans to increase achievement for all students and put effective teachers in all classrooms. These districts would receive substantial federal resources but would be required to implement systemic reforms and show convincing results. Differences in learning opportunities during the summer contribute to the achievement gaps that separate struggling poor and minority students from their middle-class peers. Senator Obama introduced the Summer Term Education Programs for Upward Progress Act (STEP UP) (S. 2149) to address the achievement gaps among schoolchildren in the early grades. STEP UP establishes a grant program to support summer learning opportunities to be offered by local schools or community organizations.
1 . [109th] Innovation Districts for School Improvement Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.2441.IS ]
S.2441
Title: A bill to authorize resources for a grant program for local educational agencies to create innovation districts.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 3/16/2006) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 3/16/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
1 . [109th] STEP UP Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.2149.IS ]
S.2149
Title: A bill to authorize resources to provide students with opportunities for summer learning through summer learning grants.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 12/20/2005) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 12/20/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Post-Secondary Education Senator Obama believes that every high school graduate should have the opportunity to go to college or vocational school. Student loans provide critical financial aid for many Americans. Not long ago, financial aid was primarily in the form of grants. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. Graduates now have more and more difficulty keeping up with loan payments. At a minimum, our government has the responsibility to ensure that the most affordable and sensible loans are available to our students. But government and students are not the only ones who need to act. Tuition costs have been rising at an average rate of 8% per year, well above the overall rate of inflation. Colleges and universities must also do their part to rein in costs and pass those savings on to students. To address this problem, Barack Obama's first bill as a U.S. Senator was the HOPE Act (Higher Education Opportunity Through Pell Grant Expansion Act) (S.697), which would help make college more affordable for many Americans. The bill would increase the maximum Pell Grant from the current limit of $4,050 to a new maximum of $5,100.
1 . [109th] Higher Education Opportunity Through Pell Grant Expansion Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.697.IS ]
S.697
Title: A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve higher education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 4/5/2005) Cosponsors (2)
Latest Major Action: 4/5/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Veterans Benefits Disparities Following reports in December 2004 that Illinois veterans have for decades ranked nearly last in average disability pay received, Senator Obama led efforts to uncover the reasons for this disparity and to correct it. As a result of this pressure, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) opened an investigation into the matter, agreed to hire a dozen new claims specialists for the Chicago regional office, and agreed to re-examine the claims of Illinois veterans who felt they have been treated unfairly. Senators Obama and Durbin introduced an amendment that became law requiring the VA to notify Illinois veterans about their right to seek a review of their past claims. The resulting outreach to Illinois veterans in the summer of 2006, led to an increase in the number of Illinois veterans getting the benefits and services they deserve.
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.
1 . [109th] Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act of 2006 (Introduced in Senate)[S.3988.IS ]
S.3988
Title: A bill to amend title 10 and 38, United States Code, to improve benefits and services for members of the Armed Forces, veterans of the Global War on Terrorism, and other veterans, to require reports on the effects of the Global War on Terrorism, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 9/28/2006) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 9/28/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
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.
1 . [109th] SAVE Reauthorization Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.1180.IS ]
S.1180
Title: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to reauthorize various programs servicing the needs of homeless veterans for fiscal years 2007 through 2011, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 6/7/2005) Cosponsors (6)
Latest Major Action: 6/9/2005 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.
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.
1 . [109th] Homes for Heroes Act of 2006 (Introduced in Senate)[S.3475.IS ]
S.3475
Title: A bill to provide housing assistance for very low-income veterans.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 6/7/2006) Cosponsors (3)
Related Bills: H.R.5561
Latest Major Action: 6/7/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
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.
1 . [109th] Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act of 2006 (Introduced in Senate)[S.3988.IS ]
S.3988
Title: A bill to amend title 10 and 38, United States Code, to improve benefits and services for members of the Armed Forces, veterans of the Global War on Terrorism, and other veterans, to require reports on the effects of the Global War on Terrorism, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 9/28/2006) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 9/28/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
As we've repeatedly pointed out, Obama lacks the experience, the record, the aptitude, the leadership skills and the knowledge to be president.
You and your bunk mates have cut and pasted a great deal of verbiage, amounting to the list at 72... which unfortunately amounts to nothing.
As for his race, if you have no problem with thousands voting for the man because he's black (even tho he's only 1/2 black) then why would you have a problem with people voting AGAINST him for the same reason?
Why is one form of bigotry OK, while the other form isn't? Outside of standard, leftist, situational ethics, I mean?
Posted by: Hinton on February 21, 2008 09:16 PMDUDE! A life... I have one.... and it doesn't consist of sitting here waiting for a breathless leg tingling oBAAAAAAHma hurrah of some vapid speech by a grape lipped koolaid drinking sheep.
~~~
Have at it, kiddies... er, lambs.... Baaaahhhh...
Southernroots... SEE # 72... The same applies to your cut and paste: he participated as a senator... which is why we're PAYING him... whoop-de-flippin doo... There is absolutely NOTHING on that list that cannot be claimed by 200+ years of US senators.
Nice attempt at trying to fill an empty suit.
~~~
TJ: Fellow bloggers fail to "catch" what Obama is really saying. It isn't just words.
Well, actually it is!
You made a cute impassioned interpretation of what YOU think, of what YOU hope OBAHHHHHma means when he talks... BUT he has never actually said anything beyond his buzz words. YOU are the perfect prey to his con: you get to hear what YOU want to hear; the fainters get to hear what they want to hear, the ObAAAAAHma girls get to hear what the want hear... what WE thinking Americans (aka conservatives) hear is a fancy shod conman promising high taxes, bowing to the world, singing kumbaya with dictators while hoping no one notices he's incapable of anything beyond rhetoric. The senator has no clothes... and you silly sheep are telling the world he's dressed in glorious finery.
~~~
Ben Shapiro has one of my favorite quotes regarding BAAAAAHrack OBAAAAAHma: "[Barack] Obama is a candidate whose empty bombast could float a fleet of hot air balloons... Obama's speeches never actually capture a struggling thought--and if they did, they'd have to waterboard it for information. Obama's speechmaking isn't deep. It is profundity for dunces."
Furthermore, LEFTY news media have begun to catch up to the empty vapidity that is BAAAAAHrack OBAAAAAHma:
Media Start Falling Out of Love With Obama: Margaret Carlson...
MARGARET CARLSON! for God sake!--- ain't it delicious!~
`Cult of Personality' ...Paul Krugman, also of the Times, fearing he'd been too subtle in his criticism of Obama, went ballistic over the Illinois senator's rhetoric. ``I won't try for fake evenhandedness here,'' he wrote. The Obama campaign is ``dangerously close to becoming a cult of personality.''....
or just a cult... can you bleat bahhhhh?
Over at ABC, ``Nightline'' anchor Terry Moran picked up the mantle with a piece called ``Obamania,'' a phenomenon as ``baffling'' to adults as ``Beatlemania,'' he said. He described ``impassioned fans'' screaming and tearing their clothes.
``Is this a political movement or a personality cult?'' he said. He asked if ``there's going to be some kind of reckoning or hangover.''
How about the BOSTON HERALD?
When backing Barack feels like joining a cult I'm nervous because too many Obama-philes sound like Moonies, or Hare Krishnas, or the Hale-Bopp-Is-Coming-To-Get-Me nuts. OUCH!....
...I'm nervous because nobody's quite sure what Obama stands for, even his supporters. ("I can't wait to see," said actress/activist Susan Sarandon, declaring full support nonetheless).
...I'm nervous because even his biggest fans can't name Obama's accomplishments, including Texas state Sen. Kirk Watson, an Obama-man who humiliated himself when MSNBC's Chris Matthews asked him about five times to name something, anything, Obama's done. Watson hemmed. Watson hawed. Watson gave up.
Obama Campaign: Share Feelings, Avoid Substance
The Sacramento Bee reveals the fundamental strategy of the Obama campaign: warm, fuzzy emotionalism and no specifics about policy.
It's obvious that Obama can charm, but is that any reason to promote a State Senator who got into the US Senate by a fluke to the White House? The more I see of him the more convinced I am that he should be selling cars.
The Obama Cult of Nonthreatening Personality "The focus of the general election campaign will be hard questions that will require specific answers. It will take more than an open personality and a national defense based on thinking encouraging thoughts about the bad guys' intentions to win the trust of the electorate.
Reviewing Obama's Blueprint for Change
You could say that the Obama operation acts like a marketing-driven winery, selling an ordinary wine with a colorful label and promoting it onto supermarket shelves everywhere....
Barack Obama's platform is standard Democratic boilerplate. He proposes universal health insurance to cover the presently uninsured. On education he proposes a Zero to Five program of learning and care for children and families, adds funding to No Child Left Behind, and makes college more affordable. On Social Security he is "strongly opposed" to privatization, opposes raising the retirement age and proposes to "choose a payroll tax reform package" to keep Social Security solvent. He'll bring all our combat brigades home from Iraq in 16 months. There will be no permanent bases in Iraq, but there's an out. If al Qaeda "attempts to build a base in Iraq" he'll use US troops for "targeted strikes" on al Qaeda....
Obama's Politics of Collective Redemption
A lust for transformation is a common feature of revolutionaries, and when they succeed in grabbing power, the results usually are brutal. Less than a century ago, massive numbers of people fell for a different political messiah on the European continent, and they were products of an education system and cultural establishment widely regarded as a world leader.
That place was, of course, Germany. And the political messiah promoting "change" was Adolph Hitler.
Hitler's slogan: "Alles muss anders sein!" ("Everything must be different!")
Hitler used each of these phrases to describe his own political program:
"A declaration of war against the order of things which exist, against the state of things which exist, in a word, against the structure of the world which presently exists."
"revolutionary creative will" which had "no fixed aim, no permanency, only eternal change."
"an ethic of self-sacrifice"
"people's community"
"public need before private greed"
"communally-minded social consciousness"
All of these expressions came from Adolph Hitler.
Obama says, "Yes we can!" change...
Exactly what should change and how is unclear.
The Cult of Obama
Simply stated, and as a significant number of critics, both liberal and conservative have pointed out, Senator Obama is an empty suit; a candidate who talks in endless platitudes, but says nothing of substance, except that he wants to enact a myriad of tax and spend programs at home, while ignoring the true nature of its enemies abroad and emasculating the military. Perhaps he believes that the foreign dictators are foolish enough to fall for his charm. If elected, he will quickly learn that they will be more than willing to say anything, and then do exactly the opposite if it suits their interest at the time. As Neville Chamberlain sold out Europe to Nazi Germany, Senator Obama is willing to sell out the United States anyone and everyone who has an axe to grind and is willing to say the right things in public, regardless of their true intentions....
Barack Obama is counting on a non-thinking, poorly educated public to sweep him into office. He is counting on people having decided that there is no longer any real threat from Islamo-fascists. He is also counting on no one understanding that a high tax, big government; super-regulatory state is a recipe for economic disaster. It seems that the vast number of his followers fit this model to a T. They don't care about anything except the nebulous mantras of "hope" and unspecified "change." ...
What America truly needs is not a sycophantic public following a cult leader on a path of foolishness. What they need is to believe in themselves; to believe that they can lead themselves and take control of their own lives. They need to educate themselves to take charge of their own futures and avoid the empty promises of political con artists of any and all stripes. They need to be able to separate the true statesmen from those offering platitudes in the interest of self aggrandizement. And, if Americans need a messianic figure, then let it be the one they find in their church, rather than a self appointed demagogue who offers nothing more than smoke and mirrors.
And finally (well actually no, NOT finally), what we all know about lefty's
Obama and the Childish Left
What adult would vote for a totally untested presidential candidate by falling in love? Maureen Dowd, Frank Rich, Senator Joe Biden, and a million other Democrats -- that's who. The New York Times stable of Leftie pundits is reliving the Decade of Love. The Washington press corps has the teenie bopper hots over Barack Obama -- such a romantic name. A real African! Almost.
What does he believe? What has he actually done? Uhmmmm... Well...
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on February 21, 2008 09:26 PM
Here's how a 20-year-old woman in Seattle described that Obama feeling: "When he was talking about hope, it actually almost made me cry. Like it really made sense, like, for the first, like, whoa ... "
You wouldn't know a critical thinking skill had touched you if one slapped you to the floor and knocked you out. Your problem is the 1870s days of Plessy v. Ferguson are gone and you are left adrift. People like you can never see the worth of any person you perceive as different from you.
Guess what, Clinton, Edwards are dems and as such they believe in and adhere to dem platform issues. They differ only as to minor points. I don't know if this is the election or not, but a woman or person of color will be President in the next few years. What are you going to do then, give up your citizenship and follow Duke:
"....he spent much of 2001-2002 in Russia and the Ukraine promoting anti-Semitism...."
http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/duke.asp
So, when we elect either a woman or person of color, I guess you'll be headed for Russia. Bon Voyage and don't let the door hit your lame a$$ on the way out.
Posted by: WVH on February 21, 2008 09:44 PMHere is the dictionary defintion:
Web definitions for person of color
(formal) any non-European non-White person
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn -
I suppose that as long as one is not albino, you are correct all are persons of some color.
SAY IT, DON'T SPRAY IT
Re: George Neumayr's If It Feels Good, Say It:
" Mr. Neumayr has caught the essence of the Obama campaign. Indeed, the entire liberal movement is here in a nutshell. The platitudes uttered by Obama and also by Hillary Clinton are verbal placebos for the multitudes who believe that good intentions are the most important things politicians can provide. The Democratic Party, a party to which I belonged for more than half my life, has descended into morass of unclear intentions and vague solutions. This is the ultimate triumph of style over substance and Obama is the high priest of the Democratic Party church. The credo is the buzz word "change," the catechism is public policy, the tithe is the over taxation, and the sacrament is the redistribution of wealth via the government. "
" Obama is a textbook socialist who no longer even tries to hide it. He is so confident that the American voter is both too stupid to see the dangers of his vague proposals, and/or too busy to care. If History has shown us anything, it has shown us that demagogues make very poor leaders after they have been empowered. The lesson for the multitudes will come too late if Obama is allowed to make a Jonestown out of the USA. " -- Joseph Baum, Garrettsville, Ohio
" As for Obamamania, it is but one of the prices that we are now paying for allowing the Left to have a near monopoly in the running of the public schools. Today's public schooling involves more than just dumbing down traditional subjects like reading & writing, American history, math & science, etc. It also includes substituting emotion and feelings for the ability to think and reason as well as indoctrinating the kiddies in the comfort of the collective. "
" Given the state of public education, a phenomenon like Obama was due to happen sooner or later. Let's hope that the attraction for Obama's sugary emptiness is confined to the Democratic Party. " -- Peter Skurkiss,
Stow, Ohio
" My own generation of Baby Boomers was taught that thinking and feeling are interchangeable. They passed that pernicious nonsense on to their kids. Liberalism exploits this terminal adolescence, but Obama has apparently mastered the nuances better than Clinton. "
" Here's hoping the majority of American elect an adult -- warts and all -- in November. " -- Arnold Ahlert, Boca Raton, Florida
Blah,Blah,Blah,...Bigot!!,Blah,Blah,...Racist!!,
blah,blah,...Did I mention I'm Black?,Blah,blah,blah,...I wish I had a real hobby,blah,blah.
A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Ooops, that is not a problem you will have any time soon. So, keep posting. Oh, have you got a current passport, just in case. Bon Voyage.
Posted by: WVH on February 21, 2008 11:44 PMWrong, yet again WVH. Albinic people lack pigment, but not color (white). Can I call you a bigot for this oversight? I could, but that'd be taking a play from your playbook.
Cheers!
You are an ignorant bigot of the first order. Albinoism is a genetic defect. Africans can be albinos:
"....Except when people are of mixed ancestry, red hair in Africans is usually caused by a kind of albinism. When people think of albinos, they tend to think of white hair, pale skin and red eyes. While this is true for Caucasians, albinism works differently in people of African descent.
There are a few different kinds of albinism in people of African descent, but the one that gives red hair is called rufous albinism. People with this condition have a red-bronze skin color, ginger-red hair, and blue or brown eyes.
How is someone an albino? All of our coloring - our skin, hair, and eye colors - comes from melanin. Melanin is just a pigment, or colored chemical substance, like the ones that are used to dye your clothes or maybe even your hair! Melanin comes in two different forms - pheomelanin (the red kind) and eumelanin (the brown kind).
Being an albino just means that your body doesn't make melanin the right way. There are lots of different genes that can be mutated to cause albinism...."
http://www.techmuseum.net/exhibits/online/ugenetics/ask.php?id=67
Another cite about African albinos:
International Journal of Dermatology - Fulltext: Volume 46(7) July ...Basal cell carcinoma in five albino Africans from the south-eastern equatorial rain .... Skin cancer in African albinos. Acta Oncol 1993; 32: 621-622. ...
pt.wkhealth.com/pt/re/ijdm/fulltext.00004342-200707000-00019.htm
So, now do you finally acknowledge that you are a bigot and simply hate Black people?
Actually I'm encouraged that you took the time to wikipedia the subject. I'm also glad I could stimulate your ability to learn about albinism in order that you don't make such ignorant statements in the future as the one that ended your post @ 107. Consider it a lesson learned.
Cheers!
Cut the bullshit, neither cite came from Wiki. The only lesson learned is that you are an ignorant bigot who hates Black people. Contrary to what you probably believe, hate is a condition of the heart, not the intellect. Now regarding ignorant statements you said this:
"Wrong, yet again WVH. Albinic people lack pigment, but not color (white)."
Albinoism is simply a genetic effect. Any race can have this genetic defect. You can't bring yourself to say Black or African in any context that is positive. You simply are a hater. How sad. You are like those people in a war who are losing and who say let's declare victory and retreat. What you can't retreat from is your core of hatred.
Posted by: WVH on February 22, 2008 01:04 AMLet me urge all of you to be slow to charge others with serious faults, such as racism, or lying, et cetera. Using them too often, when there is little evidence to support such charges, actually weakens your argument, and makes others less likely to take you seriously in future arguments.
And let me observe something about the original post. I said that I could write a post giving accomplishments for both Clinton and Obama -- but that I could not see how to write one for John Edwards. In other words, I think the first two have some real accomplishments in politics, but that Edwards does not.
Posted by: Jim Miller on February 22, 2008 04:42 AM
