Barack Obama PDF
Barack Obama PDF
Barack Obama PDF
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
44th President of the United States Incumbent Assumed office January20,2009 Vice President Preceded by Joe Biden George W. Bush United States Senator from Illinois In office January3,2005 November16,2008 Preceded by Succeeded by Peter Fitzgerald Roland Burris
Member of the Illinois Senate from the 13th District In office January 8, 1997 November 4, 2004 Preceded by Succeeded by Alice Palmer Kwame Raoul Personal details Born Barack Hussein Obama II August 4, 1961 Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. Democratic Michelle Robinson (m.1992) Malia (b. 1998) Sasha (b. 2001)
Barack Obama
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Residence White House (official) Chicago, Illinois (private) Occidental College Columbia University (B.A.) Harvard Law School (J.D.) Community organizer Lawyer Constitutional law professor Author Christian Nobel Peace Prize
Alma mater
Profession
barackobama.com
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This article is part of a series on Barack Obama Early life and career Illinois Senate U.S. Senate Political positions Public image Family First term 2008 primaries ObamaBiden campaign Transition 1st inauguration Electoral history Presidency Timeline '09 '10 '11 '12 First 100 days Nobel Peace Prize Second term Re-election campaign (International reactions) 2nd inauguration Presidency Timeline '13
Barack Hussein Obama II ( i/brkHelp:IPA for English#KeyhusenHelp:IPA for English#Keyobm/; born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States, the first African American to hold the office. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. He served three terms representing the 13th District in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to
Barack Obama 2004, running unsuccessfully for the United States House of Representatives in 2000. In 2004, Obama received national attention during his campaign to represent Illinois in the United States Senate with his victory in the March Democratic Party primary, his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July, and his election to the Senate in November. He began his presidential campaign in 2007, and in 2008, after a close primary campaign against Hillary Rodham Clinton, he won sufficient delegates in the Democratic Party primaries to receive the presidential nomination. He then defeated Republican nominee John McCain in the general election, and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. Nine months after his election, Obama was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. During his first two years in office, Obama signed into law economic stimulus legislation in response to the Great Recession in the form of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. Other major domestic initiatives in his first term include the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often referred to as "Obamacare"; the DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; and the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010. In foreign policy, Obama ended U.S. military involvement in the Iraq War, increased U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan, signed the New START arms control treaty with Russia, ordered U.S. military involvement in Libya, and ordered the military operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. He later became the first sitting U.S. president to publicly support same-sex marriage. In November 2010, the Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives as the Democratic Party lost a total of 63 seats, and after a lengthy debate over federal spending and whether or not to raise the nation's debt limit, Obama signed the Budget Control Act of 2011 and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. Obama was re-elected president in November 2012, defeating Republican nominee Mitt Romney, and was sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2013. During his second term in domestic policy, Obama has promoted policies related to gun control in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, has called for full equality for LGBT Americans, and his administration filed briefs which urged the Supreme Court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 and California's Proposition 8 as unconstitutional. In foreign policy, Obama has continued the process of ending U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan.
Barack Obama In 1971, Obama returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham, and with the aid of a scholarship attended Punahou School, a private college preparatory school, from fifth grade until his graduation from high school in 1979.[11] Obama lived with his mother and sister in Hawaii for three years from 1972 to 1975 while his mother was a graduate student in anthropology at the University of Hawaii.[12] Obama chose to stay in Hawaii with his grandparents for high school at Punahou when his mother and sister returned to Indonesia in 1975 to begin anthropology field work.[13] His mother spent most of the next two decades in Indonesia, divorcing Lolo in 1980 and earning a PhD in 1992, before dying in 1995 in Hawaii following treatment for ovarian cancer and uterine cancer.[14] Of his early childhood, Obama recalled, "That my father looked nothing like the people around methat he was black as pitch, my mother white as milkbarely registered in my mind." He described his struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage.[15] Reflecting later on his years in Honolulu, Obama wrote: "The opportunity that Hawaii offeredto experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respectbecame an integral part of my world view, and a basis for the values that I hold most dear." Obama has also written and talked about using alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine during his teenage years to "push questions of who I was out of my mind". Obama was also a member of the "choom gang", a self-named group of friends that spent time together and occasionally smoked marijuana.[16] Following high school, Obama moved to Los Angeles in 1979 to attend Occidental College. In February 1981, he made his first public speech, calling for Occidental to divest from South Africa in response to its policy of apartheid. In mid-1981, Obama traveled to Indonesia to visit his mother and half-sister Maya, and visited the families of college friends in Pakistan and India for three weeks. Later in 1981, he transferred to Columbia College, Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science with a specialty in international relations and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1983. He worked for a year at the Business International Corporation, then at the New York Public Interest Research Group.[17]
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Obama grants immunity from civil liability to telecommunications companies complicit with NSA warrantless wiretapping operations. In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act, marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor. In January 2007, Obama and Senator Feingold introduced a corporate jet provision to the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which was signed into law in September 2007.[30] Obama also introduced Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act, a bill to criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections,[31] and the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007, neither of which was signed into law.
Later in 2007, Obama sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act to add safeguards for personality-disorder military discharges. This amendment passed the full Senate in the spring of 2008. He sponsored the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry, which has not passed committee; and co-sponsored legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism. Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the State Children's Health Insurance Program, providing one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries. Committees Obama held assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works and Veterans' Affairs through December 2006. In January 2007, he left the Environment and Public Works committee and took additional assignments with Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. He also became Chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on European Affairs. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. He met with Mahmoud Abbas before Abbas became President of the Palestinian National Authority, and gave a speech at the University of Nairobi in which he condemned corruption within the Kenyan government.
Obama and U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) visit a Russian facility for dismantling mobile missiles (August 2005).
Presidential campaigns
2008 presidential campaign
On February 10, 2007, Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States in front of the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois. The choice of the announcement site was viewed as symbolic because it was also where Abraham Lincoln delivered his historic "House Divided" speech in 1858. Obama emphasized issues of rapidly ending the Iraq War, increasing energy independence, and providing universal health care,[32] in a campaign that projected themes of "hope" and "change". A large number of candidates entered the Democratic Party presidential primaries. The field narrowed to a duel between Obama
Obama stands on stage with his wife and daughters just before announcing his presidential candidacy in Springfield, Illinois, February 10, 2007
Barack Obama
and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton after early contests, with the race remaining close throughout the primary process but with Obama gaining a steady lead in pledged delegates due to better long-range planning, superior fundraising, dominant organizing in caucus states, and better exploitation of delegate allocation rules. On June 7, 2008, Clinton ended her campaign and endorsed Obama. On August 23, Obama announced his selection of Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate. Obama selected Biden from a field speculated to include former Indiana Governor and Senator Evan Bayh and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine. At the President George W. Bush meets with Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, Hillary Clinton President-elect Obama in the Oval Office on called for her supporters to endorse Obama, and she and Bill Clinton November 10, 2008 gave convention speeches in his support. Obama delivered his acceptance speech, not at the center where the Democratic National Convention was held, but at Invesco Field at Mile High to a crowd of over 75,000; the speech was viewed by over 38million people worldwide. During both the primary process and the general election, Obama's campaign set numerous fundraising records, particularly in the quantity of small donations. On June 19, 2008, Obama became the first major-party presidential candidate to turn down public financing in the general election since the system was created in 1976. John McCain was nominated as the Republican candidate and the two engaged in three presidential debates in September and October 2008. On November 4, Obama won the presidency with 365 electoral votes to 173 received by McCain. Obama won 52.9% of the popular vote to McCain's 45.7%. He became the first African American to be elected president. Obama delivered his victory speech before hundreds of thousands of supporters in Chicago's Grant Park.
Barack Obama
9 At the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, former President Bill Clinton formally nominated Obama and Joe Biden as the Democratic Party candidates for president and vice president in the general election, in which their main opponents were Republicans Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, and Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.
On November 6, 2012, Obama won 332 electoral votes, exceeding the 270 required for him to be re-elected as president. With more than 51% of the popular vote, Obama became the first Democratic president Mitt Romney and President Obama shake hands since Franklin D. Roosevelt to twice win the majority of the popular in the Oval Office on November 29, 2012, vote. President Obama addressed supporters and volunteers at following their first meeting since President Chicago's McCormick Place after his reelection and said: "Tonight you Obama's re-election. voted for action, not politics as usual. You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties."
Presidency
First days
The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President took place on January 20, 2009. In his first few days in office, Obama issued executive orders and presidential memoranda directing the U.S. military to develop plans to withdraw troops from Iraq. He ordered the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, but Congress prevented the closure by refusing to appropriate the required funds and preventing moving any Guantanamo detainee into the U.S. or to other countries. Obama reduced the secrecy given to presidential records. He also revoked President George W. Bush's restoration of President Ronald Reagan's Mexico City Policy prohibiting federal aid to international family planning organizations that perform or provide counseling about abortion.
Barack Obama takes the oath of office administered by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. at the Capitol, January 20, 2009
Domestic policy
The first bill signed into law by Obama was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, relaxing the statute of limitations for equal-pay lawsuits. Five days later, he signed the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover an additional 4million uninsured children. In March 2009, Obama reversed a Bush-era policy which had limited funding of embryonic stem cell research and pledged to develop "strict guidelines" on the research.
Barack Obama
10 Obama appointed two women to serve on the Supreme Court in the first two years of his Presidency. Sonia Sotomayor, nominated by Obama on May 26, 2009, to replace retiring Associate Justice David Souter, was confirmed on August 6, 2009, becoming the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice.[34] Elena Kagan, nominated by Obama on May 10, 2010, to replace retiring Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, was confirmed on August 5, 2010, bringing the number of women sitting simultaneously on the Court to three, for the first time in American history.
On September 30, 2009, the Obama administration proposed new regulations on power plants, factories and oil refineries in an attempt to limit greenhouse gas emissions and to curb global warming. On October 8, 2009, Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a measure that expands the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. On March 30, 2010, Obama signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, a reconciliation bill which ends the process of the federal government giving subsidies to private banks to give out federally insured loans, increases the Pell Grant scholarship award, and makes changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In a major space policy speech in April 2010, Obama announced a planned change in direction at NASA, the U.S. space agency. He ended plans for a return of human spaceflight to the moon and development of the Ares I rocket, Ares V rocket and Constellation program, in favor of funding Earth science projects, a new rocket type, and research and development for an eventual manned mission to Mars, and ongoing missions to the International Space Station. On December 22, 2010, Obama signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010, fulfilling a key promise made in the 2008 presidential campaign to end the Don't ask, don't tell policy of 1993 that had prevented gay and lesbian people from serving openly in the United States Armed Forces. President Obama's 2011 State of the Union Address focused on themes of education and innovation, stressing the importance of innovation economics to make the United States more competitive globally. He Obama meets with the Cabinet, November 23, spoke of a five-year freeze in domestic spending, eliminating tax 2009. breaks for oil companies and reversing tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, banning congressional earmarks, and reducing healthcare costs. He promised that the United States would have one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015 and would be 80% reliant on "clean" electricity. As a candidate for the Illinois state senate Obama had said in 1996 that he favored legalizing same-sex marriage; but by the time of his run for the U.S. senate in 2004, he said that while he supported civil unions and domestic partnerships for same-sex partners, for strategic reasons he opposed same-sex marriages. On May 9, 2012, shortly after the official launch of his campaign for re-election as president, Obama said his views had evolved, and he publicly affirmed his personal support for the legalization of same-sex marriage, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to do so. During his second inaugural address on January 21, 2013, Obama called for full equality for gay Americans: "Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well." This was a historic moment, being the first time that a president mentioned gay rights or the word "gay" in an inaugural address. In 2013 the Obama administration filed briefs which urged the Supreme Court to rule in favor of same-sex couples in the
Obama delivering a speech at joint session of Congress with Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on February 24, 2009
Barack Obama cases of Hollingsworth v. Perry (regarding same-sex marriage) and United States v. Windsor (regarding the Defense of Marriage Act). Economic policy On February 17, 2009, Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a $787billion economic stimulus package aimed at helping the economy recover from the deepening worldwide recession. The act includes increased federal spending for health care, infrastructure, education, various tax breaks and incentives, and direct assistance to individuals, which is being distributed over the course of several years.
Obama presents his first weekly address as
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In March, Obama's Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, took further President of the United States on January 24, 2009, discussing the American Recovery and steps to manage the financial crisis, including introducing the Reinvestment Act of 2009 Public-Private Investment Program for Legacy Assets, which contains provisions for buying up to twotrillion dollars in depreciated real estate assets. Obama intervened in the troubled automotive industry in March 2009, renewing loans for General Motors and Chrysler to continue operations while reorganizing. Over the following months the White House set terms for both firms' bankruptcies, including the sale of Chrysler to Italian automaker Fiat and a reorganization of GM giving the U.S. government a temporary 60% equity stake in the company, with the Canadian government taking a 12% stake. In June 2009, dissatisfied with the pace of economic stimulus, Obama called on his cabinet to accelerate the investment. He signed into law the Car Allowance Rebate System, known colloquially as "Cash for Clunkers", that temporarily boosted the economy. Although spending and loan guarantees from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department authorized by the Bush and Obama administrations totaled about $11.5trillion, only $3trillion had been spent by the end of November 2009. However, Obama and the Congressional Budget Office predicted that the 2010 budget deficit will be $1.5trillion or 10.6% of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) compared to the 2009 deficit of $1.4trillion or 9.9% of GDP. For 2011, the administration predicted the deficit will slightly shrink to $1.34trillion, while the 10-year deficit will increase to $8.53trillion or 90% of GDP. The most recent increase in the U.S. debt ceiling to $16.4trillion was signed into law on January 26, 2012. On August 2, 2011, after a lengthy congressional debate over whether to raise the nation's debt limit, Obama signed the bipartisan Budget Control Act of 2011. The legislation enforces limits on discretionary spending until 2021, establishes a procedure to increase the debt limit, creates a Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to propose further deficit reduction with a stated goal of achieving at least $1.5trillion in budgetary savings over 10 years, and establishes automatic procedures for reducing spending by as much as $1.2trillion if legislation originating with the new joint select committee does not achieve such savings. By passing the legislation, Congress was able to prevent a U.S. government default on its obligations.
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As it did throughout 2008, the unemployment rate rose in 2009, reaching a peak in October at 10.0% and averaging 10.0% in the fourth quarter. Following a decrease to 9.7% in the first quarter of 2010, the unemployment rate fell to 9.6% in the second quarter, where it remained for the rest of the year. Between February and December 2010, employment rose by 0.8%, which was less than the average of 1.9% experienced during comparable periods in the past four employment recoveries. By November Employment statistics (changes in unemployment rate and net jobs per month) during 2012, the unemployment rate fell to Obama's tenure as U.S. President 7.7%, decreasing to 7.3% in the second quarter of 2013. GDP growth returned in the third quarter of 2009, expanding at a rate of 1.6%, followed by a 5.0% increase in the fourth quarter. Growth continued in 2010, posting an increase of 3.7% in the first quarter, with lesser gains throughout the rest of the year. In July 2010, the Federal Reserve expressed that although economic activity continued to increase, its pace had slowed, and chairman Ben Bernanke stated that the economic outlook was "unusually uncertain". Overall, the economy expanded at a rate of 2.9% in 2010. The Congressional Budget Office and a broad range of economists credit Obama's stimulus plan for economic growth. The CBO released a report stating that the stimulus bill increased employment by 12.1million, while conceding that "It is impossible to determine how many of the reported jobs would have existed in the absence of the stimulus package." Although an April 2010 survey of members of the National Association for Business Economics showed an increase in job creation (over a similar January survey) for the first time in two years, 73% of 68 respondents believed that the stimulus bill has had no impact on employment. Within a month of the 2010 midterm elections, Obama announced a compromise deal with the Congressional Republican leadership that included a temporary, two-year extension of the 2001 and 2003 income tax rates, a one-year payroll tax reduction, continuation of unemployment benefits, and a new rate and exemption amount for estate taxes. The compromise overcame opposition from some in both parties, and the resulting $858 billion Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 passed with bipartisan majorities in both houses of Congress before Obama signed it on December 17, 2010.
Barack Obama Health care reform Obama called for Congress to pass legislation reforming health care in the United States, a key campaign promise and a top legislative goal. He proposed an expansion of health insurance coverage to cover the uninsured, to cap premium increases, and to allow people to retain their coverage when they leave or change jobs. His proposal was to spend $900billion over 10 years and include a government insurance plan, also known as the public option, to compete with the corporate insurance sector as a main component to lowering costs and improving quality of health care. It would also make it illegal for insurers to drop sick people or deny them coverage for pre-existing conditions, and require every American to carry health coverage. The plan also includes medical spending cuts and taxes on insurance companies that offer expensive plans.
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Obama signs the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at the White House, March 23, 2010
On July 14, 2009, House Democratic leaders introduced a 1,017-page plan for overhauling the U.S. health care system, which Obama wanted Congress to approve by the end of 2009.[] After much public debate during the Congressional summer recess of 2009, Obama delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress on September 9 where he addressed concerns over the proposals. In March 2009, Obama lifted a ban on using federal funds for stem cell research.[35] On November 7, 2009, a health care bill featuring the public option was passed in the House. On December 24, 2009, the Senate passed its own billwithout a public optionon a party-line vote of 6039. On March 21, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by the Senate in December was passed in the House by a vote of 219 to 212. Obama signed the bill into law on March 23, 2010. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes health-related provisions to take effect over four years, including expanding Medicaid eligibility for people Maximum Out-of-Pocket Premium as Percentage of Family Income and federal making up to 133% of the federal poverty poverty level, under Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, starting in 2014. level (FPL) starting in 2014, subsidizing (Source: CRS) insurance premiums for people making up to 400% of the FPL ($88,000 for family of four in 2010) so their maximum "out-of-pocket" payment for annual premiums will be from 2 to 9.5% of income, providing incentives for businesses to provide health care benefits, prohibiting denial of coverage and denial of claims based on pre-existing conditions, establishing health insurance exchanges, prohibiting annual coverage caps, and support for medical research. According to White House and Congressional Budget Office figures, the maximum share of income that enrollees would have to pay would vary depending on their income relative to the federal poverty level. The costs of these provisions are offset by taxes, fees, and cost-saving measures, such as new Medicare taxes for those in high-income brackets, taxes on indoor tanning, cuts to the Medicare Advantage program in favor of
Barack Obama traditional Medicare, and fees on medical devices and pharmaceutical companies;[36] there is also a tax penalty for those who do not obtain health insurance, unless they are exempt due to low income or other reasons. In March 2010, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the net effect of both laws will be a reduction in the federal deficit by $143 billion over the first decade. The law faced several legal challenges, primarily based on the argument that an individual mandate requiring Americans to buy health insurance was unconstitutional. On June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court ruled by a 54 vote in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius that the Commerce Clause does not allow the government to require people to buy health insurance, but the mandate was constitutional under the US Congress's taxing authority. Energy policy Barack Obama expressed reservations about Keystone XL pipeline in July 2013.[37] Barack Obama's advisers called for a halt to petroleum exploration in the Arctic in January 2013.[38] Gulf of Mexico oil spill On April 20, 2010, an explosion destroyed an offshore drilling rig at the Macondo Prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, causing a major sustained oil leak. The well's operator, BP, initiated a containment and cleanup plan, and began drilling two relief wells intended to stop the flow. Obama visited the Gulf on May 2 among visits by members of his cabinet, and again on May 28 and June 4. On May 22, he announced a federal investigation and formed a bipartisan commission to recommend new safety standards, after a review by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and concurrent Congressional hearings. On May 27, he announced a six-month moratorium on new deepwater drilling permits and leases, pending regulatory review. As multiple efforts by BP failed, some in the media and public expressed confusion and criticism over various aspects of the incident, and stated a desire for more involvement by Obama and the federal government. Gun control On January 16, 2013, one month after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, President Obama signed 23 executive orders and outlined a series of sweeping proposals regarding gun control. He urged Congress to reintroduce an expired ban on "military-style" assault weapons, such as those used in several recent mass shootings, impose limits on ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, introduce background checks on all gun sales, pass a ban on possession and sale of armor-piercing bullets, introduce harsher penalties for gun-traffickers, especially unlicensed dealers who buy arms for criminals and approving the appointment of the head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the first time since 2006. 2010 midterm elections Obama called the November 2, 2010 election, where the Democratic Party lost 63 seats in, and control of, the House of Representatives, "humbling" and a "shellacking". He said that the results came because not enough Americans had felt the effects of the economic recovery.
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President Obama visiting shooting victims at University of Colorado Hospital on July 22, 2012
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Foreign policy
In February and March 2009, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made separate overseas trips to announce a "new era" in U.S. foreign relations with Russia and Europe, using the terms "break" and "reset" to signal major changes from the policies of the preceding administration. Obama attempted to reach out to Arab leaders by granting his first interview to an Arab cable TV network, Al Arabiya. On March 19, Obama continued his outreach to the Muslim world, releasing a New Year's video message to the people and government of Iran. In April, Obama gave a speech in Ankara, Turkey, which was well received by many Arab governments. On June 4, 2009, Obama delivered a speech at Cairo University in Egypt calling for "A New Beginning" in relations between the Islamic world and the United States and promoting Middle East peace. On June 26, 2009, in response to the Iranian government's actions towards protesters following Iran's 2009 presidential election, Obama said: "The violence Obama speaking on "A New perpetrated against them is outrageous. We see it and we condemn it." On July 7, Beginning" at Cairo University on June 4, 2009 while in Moscow, he responded to a Vice President Biden comment on a possible Israeli military strike on Iran by saying: "We have said directly to the Israelis that it is important to try and resolve this in an international setting in a way that does not create major conflict in the Middle East." On September 24, 2009, Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to preside over a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.[39] In March 2010, Obama took a public stance against plans by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue building Jewish housing projects in predominantly Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem.[40] During the same month, an agreement was reached with the administration of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with a new pact reducing the number of long-range nuclear weapons in the arsenals of both countries by about one-third.[41] Obama and Medvedev signed the New START treaty in April 2010, and the U.S. Senate ratified it in December 2010. On December 6, 2011, he instructed agencies to consider LGBT rights when issuing financial aid to foreign countries. Iraq War On February 27, 2009, Obama announced that combat operations in Iraq would end within 18 months. His remarks were made to a group of Marines preparing for deployment to Afghanistan. Obama said, "Let me say this as plainly as I can: by August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end." The Obama administration scheduled the withdrawal of combat troops to be completed by August 2010, decreasing troop's levels from 142,000 while leaving a transitional force of about 50,000 in Iraq until the end of 2011. On August 19, 2010, the last U.S. combat brigade exited Iraq. Remaining troops transitioned from combat operations to counter-terrorism and the training, equipping, and advising of Iraqi security forces.[42] On August 31, 2010, Obama announced that the United States combat mission in Iraq was over. On October 21, 2011 President Obama announced that all U.S. troops would leave Iraq in time to be "home for the holidays".
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War in Afghanistan Early in his presidency, Obama moved to bolster U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan. He announced an increase to U.S. troop levels of 17,000 in February 2009 to "stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan", an area he said had not received the "strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires". He replaced the military commander in Afghanistan, General David D. McKiernan, with former Special Forces commander Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal in May 2009, indicating Meeting with British Prime Minister David that McChrystal's Special Forces experience would facilitate the use of Cameron during the 2010 G-20 Toronto summit counterinsurgency tactics in the war. On December 1, 2009, Obama announced the deployment of an additional 30,000 military personnel to Afghanistan and proposed to begin troop withdrawals 18 months from that date;[43] this took place in July 2011. David Petraeus replaced McChrystal in June 2010, after McChrystal's staff criticized White House personnel in a magazine article. In February 2013 Obama said the U.S. military would reduce the troop level in Afghanistan from 68,000 to 34,000 US troops by February 2014. Israel Obama referred to the bond between the United States and Israel as "unbreakable."[44] During the initial years of the Obama administration, the U.S. increased military cooperation with Israel, including increased military aid, re-establishment of the U.S.-Israeli Joint Political Military Group and the Defense Policy Advisory Group, and an increase in visits among high-level military officials of both countries.[45] The Obama administration asked Congress to allocate money toward funding the Iron Dome program in response to the waves of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel.[46]
In 2011, the United States vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, with the United States being the only nation to do so.[47] Obama supports the two-state solution to the ArabIsraeli conflict based on the 1967 borders with land swaps.[48] In 2013, one journalist reported that, in Obama's view, "with each new settlement announcement, Netanyahu is moving his country down a path toward near-total isolation." War in Libya In March 2011, as forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi advanced on rebels across Libya, calls for a no-fly zone came from around the world, including Europe, the Arab League, and a resolution passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate. In response to the unanimous passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 on March 17, Gaddafiwho had previously vowed to "show no mercy" to the rebels of Benghaziannounced an immediate cessation of military activities, yet reports came in that his forces continued shelling Misrata. The next day, on Obama's orders, the U.S. military took part in air strikes to destroy the Libyan government's air defense capabilities to protect civilians and enforce a no-fly-zone, including the use of Tomahawk missiles, B-2 Spirits, and fighter jets. Six days later, on March 25, by unanimous vote of all of its 28 members, NATO took over leadership of the effort, dubbed Operation Unified Protector. Some Representatives questioned whether Obama had the constitutional authority to order military action in addition to questioning its cost, structure and aftermath.
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President Obama's address (Full Text) President Obama on Osama bin Laden's Death audio only version Problems playing these files? See media help.
Starting with information received in July 2010, intelligence developed by the CIA over the next several months determined what they believed to be the location of Osama bin Laden in a large compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, a suburban area 35 miles from Islamabad. CIA head Leon Panetta reported this intelligence to President Obama in March 2011. Meeting with his national security advisers over the course of the next six weeks, Obama rejected a plan to bomb the compound, and authorized a "surgical raid" to be conducted by United President Barack Obama along with members of States Navy SEALs. The operation took place on May 1, 2011, the national security team, receive an update on resulting in the death of bin Laden and the seizure of papers, computer Operation Neptune's Spear, in the White House drives and disks from the compound.[49][50] DNA testing identified bin Situation Room, May 1, 2011. See also: The Situation Room (photograph) Laden's body, which was buried at sea several hours later. Within minutes of the President's announcement from Washington, DC, late in the evening on May 1, there were spontaneous celebrations around the country as crowds gathered outside the White House, and at New York City's Ground Zero and Times Square. Reaction to the announcement was positive across party lines, including from former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and from many countries around the world.
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Obama's family history, upbringing, and Ivy League education differ markedly from those of African-American politicians who launched their careers in the 1960s through participation in the civil rights movement.[51] Expressing puzzlement over questions about whether he is "black enough", Obama told an August 2007 meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists that "we're still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong". Obama acknowledged his youthful image in an October 2007 campaign speech, saying: "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation."[52] Obama is frequently referred to as an exceptional orator. During his pre-inauguration transition period and continuing into his presidency, Obama has delivered a series of weekly Internet video addresses.
According to the Gallup Organization, Obama began his presidency with a 68% approval rating before gradually declining for the rest of the year, and eventually bottoming out at 41% in August 2010, a trend similar to Ronald Reagan's and Bill Clinton's first years in office. He experienced a small poll bounce shortly after the death of Osama bin Laden, which lasted until around June 2011, when his approval numbers dropped back to where they were prior to the Obama conducting the first completely virtual operation.[53][54][55] His approval ratings rebounded around the same interview from the White House in 2012 time as his re-election in 2012, with polls showing an average job approval of 52% shortly after his second inauguration. Polls show strong support for Obama in other countries, and before being elected President he met with prominent foreign figures including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Italy's Democratic Party leader and Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. In a February 2009 poll conducted in Western Europe and the U.S. by Harris Interactive for France 24 and the International Herald Tribune, Obama was rated as the most respected world leader, as well as the most powerful. In a similar poll conducted by Harris in May 2009, Obama was rated as the most popular world leader, as well as the one figure most people would pin their hopes on for pulling the world out of the economic downturn. Obama won Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Awards for abridged audiobook versions of Dreams from My Father in February 2006 and for The Audacity of Hope in February 2008. His concession speech after the New Hampshire primary was set to music by independent artists as the music video "Yes We Can", which was viewed 10million times on YouTube in its first month and received a Daytime Emmy Award. In December 2008, Time magazine named Obama as its Person of the Year for his historic candidacy and election, which it described as "the steady march of seemingly impossible accomplishments". He was again named Person of the Year in 2012.[56]
On October 9, 2009, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that Obama had won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples". Obama accepted this award in Oslo, Norway on December 10, 2009, with "deep gratitude and great humility." The award drew a mixture of praise and criticism from world leaders and media figures. Obama is the fourth U.S. president to
Barack Obama be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and the third to become a Nobel laureate while in office.
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Barack Obama In December 2007, Money estimated the Obama family's net worth at $1.3million.[64] Their 2009 tax return showed a household income of $5.5millionup from about $4.2million in 2007 and $1.6million in 2005mostly from sales of his books. On his 2010 income of $1.7 million, he gave 14% to non-profit organizations, including $131,000 to Fisher House Foundation, a charity assisting wounded veterans' families, allowing them to reside near where the veteran is receiving medical treatments. As per his 2012 financial disclosure, Obama may be worth as much as $10 million. Obama tried to quit smoking several times, sometimes using nicotine replacement therapy, and, in early 2010, Michelle Obama said that he had successfully quit smoking.[65][66]
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Religious views
Obama is a Christian whose religious views developed in his adult life. He wrote in The Audacity of Hope that he "was not raised in a religious household". He described his mother, raised by non-religious parents (whom Obama has specified elsewhere as "non-practicing Methodists and Baptists"), as being detached from religion, yet "in many ways the most spiritually awakened person that I have ever known". He described his father as a "confirmed atheist" by the time his parents met, and his stepfather as "a man who saw religion as not particularly useful." Obama explained how, through working with black churches as a community organizer while in his twenties, he came to understand "the power of the African-American religious tradition to spur social change". In an interview with the evangelical periodical Christianity Today, Obama stated: "I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life." On September 27, 2010, Obama released a statement commenting on his religious views saying "I'm a Christian by choice. My family didn'tfrankly, they weren't folks who went to church every week. And my mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn't raise me in the church. So I came to my Christian faith later in life, and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to leadbeing my brothers' and sisters' keeper, treating others as they would treat me."[67] Obama met Trinity United Church of Christ pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright in October 1987, and became a member of Trinity in 1992. He resigned from Trinity in May 2008 during his first presidential campaign after controversial statements by Wright were publicized. After a prolonged effort to find a church to attend regularly in Washington, Obama announced in June 2009 that his primary place of worship would be the Evergreen Chapel at Camp David.
Notes
[1] http:/ / www. barackobama. com/ [2] Obama (1995, 2004), p. 12. [3] Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 910. Scott (2011), pp. 8086. Jacobs (2011), pp. 115118. Maraniss (2012), p. 154160. [4] Scott (2011), p. 86. Jacobs (2011), pp. 125127. Maraniss (2012), p. 160163. [5] Scott (2011), pp. 8793. Jacobs (2011), pp. 115118, 125127, 133161. Maraniss (2012), pp. 170183, 188189. [6] Scott (2011), pp. 142144. Jacobs (2011), pp. 161177, 227230. Maraniss (2012), pp. 190194, 201209, 227230. Jacobs (2011), pp. 251255. Maraniss (2012), pp. 411417.
Barack Obama
[8] Scott (2011), pp. 97103. Maraniss (2012), pp. 195201, 225230. [9] Maraniss (2012), pp. 195201, 209223, 230244. [10] Maraniss (2012), pp. 216, 221, 230, 234244. Obama (1995, 2004), Chapters 3 and 4. Scott (2012), pp. 131134. Maraniss (2012), pp. 264269. [12] Scott (2011), pp. 139157. Maraniss (2012), pp. 279281. [13] Scott (2011), pp. 157194. Maraniss (2012), pp. 279281, 324326. [14] Scott (2011), pp. 214, 294, 317346. Obama (1995, 2004), Chapters 4 and 5. Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 9394 (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=HRCHJp-V0QUC& pg=PA93). Maraniss (2012), pages with "choom gang" (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=Wnna9CLtblAC& & q=choom). for analysis of the political impact of the quote and Obama's more recent admission that he smoked marijuana as a teenager ("When I was a kid, I inhaled"), see: Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 133140. Mendell (2007), pp. 6263. Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 140295.
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Mendell (2007), pp. 6383. [19] reprinted in: [20] Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 299437. Maraniss (2012), pp. 564570. Maraniss (2012), p. 564. Mendell (2007), pp. 8092. Obama (1995, 2004), pp. xiiixvii.
State Sen. District 13 = State Rep. Districts 25 & 26. [25] See also: [26] See also: Mendell (2007), pp. 260271. [28] See also: [29] See also: and USAspending.gov (http:/ / www. USAspending. gov/ ) [30] See also: [31] See also: [32] See also: [33] Wells, Charlie (November 6, 2012). "Empire State Building lights up to broadcast election results" (http:/ / www. nydailynews. com/ news/ national/ new-york-state-building-displays-election-results-article-1. 1197707). Daily News (New York). [34] Obama nominates Sotomayor to Supreme Court (http:/ / www. cnn. com/ 2009/ POLITICS/ 05/ 26/ supreme. court/ index. html), CNN. Retrieved May 26, 2009. [35] "Stem cell" (http:/ / www. guardian. co. uk/ world/ 2009/ mar/ 10/ obama-stem-cell-research). The Guardian. Retrieved March 19, 2011 [36] Grier, Peter (March 21, 2010). "Health care reform bill 101: Who will pay for reform?" (http:/ / www. csmonitor. com/ USA/ Politics/ 2010/ 0321/ Health-care-reform-bill-101-Who-will-pay-for-reform). The Christian Science Monitor (Boston). [37] Goldenberg, Suzanne (July 28, 2013). "Barack Obama expresses reservations about Keystone XL pipeline project" (http:/ / www. theguardian. com/ environment/ 2013/ jul/ 28/ obama-reservations-keystone-pipeline-project). The Guardian (London). [38] Goldenberg, Suzanne (January 18, 2013). "Shell's plans in Arctic at risk as Obama advisers call for halt to oil exploration" (http:/ / www. theguardian. com/ environment/ 2013/ jan/ 18/ shell-oil-drilling-arctic-environment). The Guardian (London). [39] Rajghatta, Chidanand (September 24, 2009). "Barack 'No Bomb' Obama pushes for world without nukes" (http:/ / articles. timesofindia. indiatimes. com/ 2009-09-24/ us/ 28063316_1_nuclear-security-summit-nuclear-weapons-resolution). The Times of India (Mumbai). [40] Robert Berger, "Israel Refuses to Halt Construction in East Jerusalem" (http:/ / www1. voanews. com/ english/ news/ Netanyahus-Office-No-Change-on-East-Jerusalem-Plans-89258402. html), Voice of America, March 26, 2010. [41] Baker, Peter (March 26, 2010). "Obama Seals Arms Control Deal With Russia" (http:/ / www. nytimes. com/ 2010/ 03/ 27/ world/ europe/ 27start. html). The New York Times. [42] Johnes, Athena (February 27, 2009). "Obama announces Iraq plan". (http:/ / firstread. msnbc. msn. com/ archive/ 2009/ 02/ 27/ 1814247. aspx) MSNBC.
Barack Obama
[43] Associated Press. (December 1, 2009). "Obama details Afghan war plan, troop increases" (http:/ / www. msnbc. msn. com/ id/ 34218604/ ) msnbc.com. [44] Johnston, Nicholas. "Obama Says U.S. Connection With Israel Is 'Unbreakable.'" (http:/ / www. bloomberg. com/ news/ 2011-06-20/ obama-says-u-s-connection-with-israel-is-unbreakable-. html) Bloomberg. June 20, 2012. October 26, 2012. [45] Levinson, Charles (August 14, 2010). "U.S., Israel Build Military Cooperation" (http:/ / online. wsj. com/ article/ SB10001424052748703321004575427272550050504. html). The Wall Street Journal (New York). Retrieved March 1, 2011. [46] Kampeas, Ron (October 26, 2012). "For Obama campaign, trying to put to rest persistent questions about 'kishkes.'" (http:/ / www. jewishjournal. com/ nation/ article/ for_obama_campaign_trying_to_put_to_rest_persistent_questions_about_kishkes) Jewish Journal. [47] "United States vetoes Security Council resolution on Israeli settlements" (http:/ / www. un. org/ apps/ news/ story. asp?NewsID=37572& Cr=palestin& Cr1), United Nations News Centre. February 18, 2011. Retrieved March 1, 2011 [48] Levy, Elior (May 22, 2011). "PA challenges Netanyahu to accept 1967 lines." (http:/ / www. ynetnews. com/ articles/ 0,7340,L-4072210,00. html) Ynetnews. Retrieved May 22, 2011. [49] "Osama bin Laden is killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan" washingtonpost.com (http:/ / www. washingtonpost. com/ politics/ osama-bin-laden-is-killed-by-us-forces-in-pakistan/ 2011/ 05/ 01/ AFXMZyVF_story. html). Retrieved May 2, 2011 [50] "Official offers details of bin Laden raid" (http:/ / www. newsday. com/ news/ breaking/ official-offers-details-of-bin-laden-raid-1. 2853079) newsday.com. Retrieved May 2, 2011 [51] See also: [52] See also: [53] Oliphant, James (May 11, 2011). "Bin Laden bounce? New poll shows jump in Obama approval" (http:/ / articles. latimes. com/ 2011/ may/ 11/ news/ la-pn-obama-bounce-20110511), Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 7, 2011 [54] Balz, Dan; Cohen, John (June 6, 2011). "Obama loses bin Laden bounce; Romney on the move among GOP contenders" (http:/ / www. washingtonpost. com/ politics/ obama-loses-bin-laden-bounce-romney-on-the-move-among-gop-contenders/ 2011/ 06/ 06/ AGT5wiKH_story. html), The Washington Post. Retrieved June 7, 2011 [55] Henningsen, Patrick (May 23, 2011). "Washington Still Working Hard to Plug Gaps in The Bin Laden Story" (http:/ / 21stcenturywire. com/ 2011/ 05/ 23/ washington-still-working-hard-to-plug-gaps-in-the-bin-laden-story/ ), 21st Century Wire. Retrieved June 7, 2011 [56] Scherer, Michael (2012). 2012 Person of the Year: Barack Obama, the President (http:/ / poy. time. com/ 2012/ 12/ 19/ person-of-the-year-barack-obama/ ) TIME. Published December 19, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012. [57] See also: [58] Obama (1995, 2004), p. 13. For reports on Obama's maternal genealogy, including slave owners, Irish connections, and common ancestors with George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Harry Truman, see: [59] See also: [60] Obama (2006), pp. 327332. See also: [61] Obama (2006), p. 329. [62] Obama (1995, 2004), p. 440, and Obama (2006), pp. 339340. See also: [63] "Obamas choose private Sidwell Friends School" (http:/ / www. iht. com/ articles/ ap/ 2008/ 11/ 22/ america/ Obama-School. php), International Herald Tribune, November 22, 2008 [64] See also: [65] Elsner, Alan (December 7, 2008). Obama says he won't be smoking in White House" (http:/ / www. reuters. com/ article/ 2008/ 12/ 07/ us-usa-obama-smoking-idUSTRE4B61GF20081207). Reuters. Retrieved February 28, 2010. [66] Zengerle, Patricia (February 8, 2011). "Yes, he did: first lady says Obama quit smoking" (http:/ / www. reuters. com/ article/ 2011/ 02/ 08/ us-obama-smoking-idUSTRE7176EL20110208). Reuters. Retrieved May 9, 2011. [67] Video "President Obama: 'I am a Christian By Choice'" (http:/ / blogs. abcnews. com/ politicalpunch/ 2010/ 09/ president-obama-i-am-a-christian-by-choicethe-precepts-of-jesus-spoke-to-me. html). ABC News blog. September 29, 2010.
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References
Jacobs, Sally H. (2011). The Other Barack: The Bold and Reckless Life of President Obama's Father. New York: PublicAffairs. ISBN978-1-58648-793-5. Maraniss, David (2012). Barack Obama: The Story. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN978-1-4391-6040-4. Mendell, David (2007). Obama: From Promise to Power. New York: Amistad/HarperCollins. ISBN978-0-06-085820-9. Obama, Barack (1995, 2004). Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. New York: Three Rivers Press. ISBN978-1-4000-8277-3. Obama, Barack (2006). The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. New York: Crown Publishing Group. ISBN978-0-307-23769-9.
Barack Obama Scott, Janny (2011). A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mother. New York: Riverhead Books. ISBN978-1-59448-797-2.
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Further reading
Graff, Garrett. " The Legend of Barack Obama (http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/mediapolitics/1836. html)", Washingtonian, November 1, 2006. Retrieved January 14, 2008. Koltun, Dave (2005) "The 2004 Illinois Senate Race: Obama Wins Open Seat and Becomes National Political "Star"" in "The Road to Congress 2004" Editors: Sunil Ahuja (Youngstown State University) and Robert Dewhirst (Truman State University), Nova Science Publishers, Hauppauge, New York, 2005, ISBN 1-59454-360-7 Lizza, Ryan. " Above the Fray (http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/200708/ obama-barack-election-president)", GQ, September 2007. Retrieved October 27, 2010. MacFarquhar, Larissa. " The Conciliator: Where is Barack Obama Coming From? (http://www.newyorker. com/reporting/2007/05/07/070507fa_fact_macfarquhar)", The New Yorker, May 7, 2007. Retrieved January 14, 2008. McClelland, Edward, Young Mr. Obama: Chicago and the Making of a Black President (http://www. bloomsburypress.com/books/catalog/young_mr_obama_hc_607), Bloomsbury Press, 2010. Zutter, Hank De. " What Makes Obama Run? (http://www.chicagoreader.com/obama/951208/)", Chicago Reader, December 8, 1995. Retrieved January 14, 2008.
External links
Library resources
About Barack Obama
Online books (http://tools.wmflabs.org/ftl/cgi-bin/ftl?st=viaf&su=52010985&library=OLBP) Resources in your library (http://tools.wmflabs.org/ftl/cgi-bin/ftl?st=viaf&su=52010985) Resources in other libraries (http://tools.wmflabs.org/ftl/cgi-bin/ftl?st=viaf&su=52010985&library=0CHOOSE0) By Barack Obama
Online books (http://tools.wmflabs.org/ftl/cgi-bin/ftl?at=viaf&au=52010985&library=OLBP) Resources in your library (http://tools.wmflabs.org/ftl/cgi-bin/ftl?at=viaf&au=52010985) Resources in other libraries (http://tools.wmflabs.org/ftl/cgi-bin/ftl?at=viaf&au=52010985&library=0CHOOSE0)
Official President Barack Obama (http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president_obama/) White House official website BarackObama.com (official re-election campaign website) (http://www.barackobama.com/) Other Biography (http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=o000167) at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Biography (http://www.nndb.com/people/208/000055043) at NNDB Biography (http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/9490), voting record (http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/ key-votes/9490), and interest group ratings (http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/9490) at Project Vote Smart Congressional profile (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/400629) at GovTrack Financial information (federal office) (http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_detail/S4IL00180) at the Federal Election Commission
Barack Obama Financial information (federal office) (http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary. php?cid=N00009638) at OpenSecrets.org Financial information (state office) (http://www.followthemoney.org/database/uniquecandidate. phtml?uc=17677) at the National Institute for Money in State Politics Issue positions and quotes (http://www.ontheissues.org/Barack_Obama.htm) at On the Issues Voting record (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/o000167) at The Washington Post Works by or about Barack Obama (http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n94-112934) in libraries (WorldCat catalog) Appearances (http://www.c-spanvideo.org/barackobama) on C-SPAN programs Appearances (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1682433) at the Internet Movie Database Collected news and commentary (http://www.theguardian.com/world/barack-obama) at The Guardian Collected news and commentary (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/ barack_obama/index.html) at The New York Times Collected news and commentary (http://topics.wsj.com/person/person/O/barack-obama/4328) at The Wall Street Journal (paywall) Collected news and commentary (http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gJQAugUh6W_topic.html) at The Washington Post Collected news and commentary (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/keyword/barack-obama) at the Chicago Tribune Collected news and commentary (http://web.archive.org/web/20081006221648/http://www.springfield-ma. gov/COS/control_board.0.html) at the Annenberg Public Policy Center's FactCheck.org Collected news and commentary (http://www.politifact.com/personalities/barack-obama/) at the Tampa Bay Times's PolitiFact.com Collected news and commentary (http://www.washingtonpost.com/2011/02/25/ABjfuEJ_category. html?blogId=fact-checker&tag=barack obama) at The Washington Post's Fact Checker blog Barack Obama (http://www.dmoz.org/Society/History/By_Region/North_America/United_States/ Presidents/Obama,_Barack/) at the Open Directory Project
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License
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