Barack Obama: Biography and Issues

We have all seen him on TV on just about every channel, doing interviews, making speeches, and we have heard a lot about who he is. Some of it is true, and some of it is not.

Barack Hussein Obama Jr. was born to a Kenyan father and a Kansan mother in Honolulu, Hawaii on August 4, 1961. Barack's father was reared among Muslims, but had become an atheist at some point in his life. At the time of his birth, Barack's parents were students of the East-West Center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. His parents separated when he was only two years old, and later divorced. His father headed to Harvard, and later back to Kenya.

His mother then married another East-West student, by the name of Lolo Soetoro. The family moved to Jakarta in 1967. Barack was only 6. He attended school there, and received an education in the Indonesian language, complete with religious education based on the religion of the father listed. That father was Lolo Soetoro, and the religion was Islam.

At the age of ten, he returned to Hawaii, to live with his mother's parents. He attended the elite prep school, Punahou Acadamy, and graduated from there in 1979. He was one of only three black students that attended that school. From there he headed to the Occidental College in Los Angeles, where he studied for two years before transferring to Columbia University in New York. He graduated from Columbia in 1983 with a degree in political science.

Following graduation, he worked at Business International Corporation and NYPIRG. He then moved to Chicago in 1985. There, he worked as a community organizer, dealing with residents of low-income housing areas on Chicago's South Side. During that time, he became a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ.

He then followed in his father's footsteps, and attended Harvard in 1988. Two years later, he was elected as the first African-American editor of the Harvard Law Review. He graduated from Harvard in 1991. Upon graduating from Harvard, he returned to Chicago, and practiced law at the firm of Miner, Barnhill & Galland. He also spent time teaching at the University of Chicago Law School.

In 1995, he published his first memoir, Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. He won a seat in the Illinois State Senate from the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago in 1996. In 2000, he made a run for the U.S. House of Representatives seat held by the four-term incumbent, Bobby Rush, and lost.

In October of 2002, while still a state senator, he spoke openly at a rally in Chicago against the use of force in Iraq.

2004 was a big year for Barack Obama. He decided to run for the U.S. Senate, for the seat vacated by Peter Fitzgerald, and won the primary, with 52% of the votes. He was also asked to be the keynote speaker at the 2004 Democratic Convention, in support of John Kerry. Returning to his bid for the U.S. Senate, against Republican, Jack Ryan, a scandal broke out about Ryan involving unsubstantiated sexual allegations by Ryan's wife, actress Jerri Ryan. Jack Ryan withdrew, and was replaced by Alan Keyes. On election day, after only having a couple of months to prepare an entire campaign, Keyes lost with only 27% of the votes to Obama's 70%.

Barack Obama was sworn into office on January 4, 2005. His second book, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, was published a little over a year later. In February of 2007, after only two years in the United States Senate, he announced his candidacy for the office of President of the United States.

Barack Obama's running mate is Senator Joe Biden.

So much attention has been brought to this election on the issue of character and experience. Little attention is being brought to the real issues. I hope I can provide some insight into where the candidates stand on most of the issues.

• ABORTION: Obama says he is undecided on whether or not life begins at conception. Supports Roe V Wade. Voted NO on prohibiting minors from crossing state lines to get abortions. Voted YES on expanding stem cell research. Voted NO on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. Sponsored bill providing contraceptives to low-income women. Rated 0% by NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance.
• BUDGET & ECONOMY: Supports a credit card consumer bill of rights. Feels that government regulation is needed for when the market fails. Voted NO on paying down federal debt by rating programs' effectiveness. Voted NO on $40billion in reduced federal overall spending.
• CIVIL RIGHTS:Feels that hate crimes related to the immigration issue is unacceptable. Feels that gays should not face discrimination, but should not marry. Supports affirmative action in colleges and marketplace. Feels that the decision of marriage should be left to the states. Supports health benefit for gay civil unions. Voted NO on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration. Voted NO on Constitutional ban of same-sex marriages. Rated 89% by HRC, indicating pro-gay-rights stance. Rated 100% by NAACP, indicating pro-affirmative-action stance.
• CORPORATIONS: Wants to cap farm subsidies for Fortune 500 companies. Voted YES on repealing tax subsidies for companies which move US jobs overseas. Voted NO on reforming bankruptcy to include means testing & restrictions.
• CRIME: Wants to ban racial profiling and eliminate disparity in sentencing. Does not support extra penalties for gang associations. Supports alternative sentencing and rehabilitation. Voted YES on reinstating $1.15 billion funding for COPS program. Rated 75% by NCJA, indicating mixed record on criminal justice. Supports cautious use of death penalty, but also fought against death penalty..
• DRUGS: Wants to look at needle exchange program and expand treatment. Questions harsh penalties for drug dealers. Admitted to using both pot and cocaine during high school and college years. Does not support lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18.
• EDUCATION: Supports charter schools, and says merit pay is OK, if it's based on career, not just tests. Wants to put billions of dollars into early childhood education. Supports more after-school and summer programs. Wants to add teachers to high-need areas. Voted YES on $52 million for "21st Century Community Learning Centers". Voted YES on $5 billion for grants to local education agencies. Voted YES on shifting $11 billion from corporate tax loopholes to education.
• ENERGY & OIL: Wants to raise fuel-efficiency standards to reduce long-term demand. Does not see drilling as a viable option for the energy issue. Voted YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. Voted YES on making oil-producing and exporting cartels illegal. Voted YES on factoring global warming into federal project planning. Voted YES on disallowing an oil leasing program in ANWR. Voted YES on banning oil drilling in ANWR. Sponsored bill raising CAFE by 4% per year until 2018. Rated 100% by CAF, for energy independence.
• ENVIRONMENT:Promotes green energy solutions & fuel-efficiency standards. Organized inner-city recycling. Organized asbestos removal in Chicago housing projects. Scored 60% on Humane Society Scorecard on animal protection. Supports tax credit to remove lead based house-paint. Sponsored health impact bill for environmental health.
• FAMILIES & CHILDREN: Supports teaching both abstinence and contraception to teens. Supports expanding flex-work & Family and Medical Leave Act. Sponsored bill banning high lead levels in children's toys.
• FOREIGN POLICY: Wants to loosen restrictions on Cuba. Feels that China is a competitor, but not an enemy. Wants to invest in our relationship with Mexico. Wants to strengthen NATO. Wants to increase aid to Republic of Congo. Sponsored aid bill to avert humanitarian crisis in Congo.
• FREE TRADE:Supports more transition assistance for displaced workers. Voted YES on free trade agreement with Oman. Wants to enforce safety laws against Chinese products. Voted NO on implementing CAFTA for Central America Free Trade.
• GOVERNMENT REFORM: In favor of more disclosure around earmarks. Says he never took money from federal lobbyists or their companies. In 2004, used state money for seemingly political mailing. Sponsored bill to disclose earmarks on Internet. Ended corporate jet travel subsidized by lobbyists. Cast 130 "present" votes in the IL Senate. Voted YES on granting the District of Columbia a seat in Congress. Voted YES on establishing the Senate Office of Public Integrity.
• GUN CONTROL:Endorsed Illinois' handgun ban. Respects the Second Amendment, and feels the states should decide bans on guns. Co-sponsored bill to limit purchases to one gun per month. Wants to ban semi-automatic weapons and have more possession restrictions. Voted NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers.
• HEALTH CARE:Feels that reforms in prevention and drug price negotiation will save money. Wants to tackle insurance companies on reimbursment programs. Supports a national smoking ban after local bans. Wants to address minority health needs. Supports Rx drug reimportation. Favored single-payer mandated system, but now denies it. Supports condom distribution to deal with issue of AIDS. Supports leading world in global fight against AIDS. Feels that homophobia prevents people from talking about HIV/AIDS.
• HOMELAND SECURITY:Wants to pursue a world without nuclear weapons. Does not support Presidential power for secret surveillence. Does not support holding US citizens as enemy combatants. Wants to repeal "Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell". passed bill to reduce conventional weapon stockpiles. Supports rebuilding the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. Wants to expand the Peace Corps and Americorps. Wants to register women for the draft, but not for combat. Voted NO on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad. Voted YES on limiting soldiers' deployments to 12 months.
• IMMIGRATION: Encourages every student to learn a second language. Feels that deporting 12 million illegals is ridiculous. Feels that immigration raids are ineffective. Supports the DREAM Act for children of illegal immigrants. Supports granting driver's licenses to illegals. Wants to extend welfare and Medicaid to immigrants. Voted YES on continuing federal funds for declared "sanctuary cities". Voted YES on comprehensive immigration reform. Voted NO on declaring English as official language of U.S. Voted YES on building wall along Mexico border. Voted YES on establishing a guest worker program. Voted YES on allowing illegals to participate in Social Security. Voted YES on giving guest workers a path to citizenship. Wants to provide funding for social services for non-citizens. Rated 8% by USBC, indicating open-border stance.
• JOBS: Wants to focus farm programs on family farms, not big corporations. Supports making the minimum wage a living wage. Wants to make sure African-American men have access to jobs. Says that tax cuts for the rich do not create jobs. Voted NO on terminating legal challanges to English-only job rules. Voted YES on restricting employer interference in union organizing. Voted YES on increasing minimum wage to $7.25. Sponsored a bill allowing an Air Traffic Controllers Union. Supports matching minimum wage increases with Congressional pay increases. Supports extending unemployment compensation.
• PRINCIPLES & VALUES: Ranked most liberal in Senate based on 99 votes. Helped 150,000 blacks to register to vote. Voted with Democratic Party for 96% of 251 votes. In 1996, said "Guilt is a luxury not everyone can afford." Member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.
• SOCIAL SECURITY: Wants to raise cap on payroll tax for 3% of earners over $102,000. Does not support privatization of Social Security. Voted NO on establishing reserve funds & pre-funding for Social Security.
• TAX REFORM: Proposes no tax increase for earnings under $250K, and tax cuts for under $75K. Voted YES on increasing tax rate for people earning over $1 million. Voted NO on allowing AMT reduction without budget offset. Voted NO on raising the Death Tax exemption to $5 million from $1 million. Voted NO on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax. Voted NO on supporting permanence of estate tax cuts. Voted NO on permanently repealing the 'Death Tax'. Voted NO on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends.
• TECHNOLOGY: Organizes campaign events via MySpace.com and Facebook.com. Supports incentives for next-generation broadband technology in every community. Voted NO on restoring $550 million in funding for Amtrak in 2007. Overturn FCC approval of media consolidation.
• WAR & PEACE: Wants to end the war in Iraq, and the mindset that brought about the war. Finally admits that the surge in Iraq was successful, but refuses to admit he was wrong about the surge. Feels we live in a far more dangerous world because of Bush's actions. Supports an open dialogue with Syria and Iran. Long-time critic of Iraq war.
• WELFARE & POVERTY: Wants to cut poverty in half over ten years with help of faith-based organizations. Community organizer on Chicago's South Side. Says that black churches minister to social needs out of neccessity. Wants to develop strategies that eliminate global poverty.