Barack+Obama

= = Barack Obama **

…The **New** Face of Change = = Biography

Barack Obama is a native Hawaiian, born on the 4th of August, 1961. His father was from Kenya and his mother was a small town American girl. They met at the University of Hawaii. Barack spent his childhood on the island, and later moved with his mother to Indonesia, while his father returned to Kenya. He moved to New York City for college, and gradated from Columbia University in 1983. After graduation, he moved to Chicago where he worked with a church group to help improve the conditions in poor neighborhoods with high crime and unemployment rates. He did eventually cause some improvements, but he also realized that real change wasn’t going to come about at the local level. He was going to have to look beyond anywhere he’d ever been so far in his life. He went back to school and earned his law degree from Harvard in 1991. He was the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. Afterwards, he returned to Chicago where he devoted his time to both teaching constitutional law and practicing as a civil rights lawyer. He was elected to the Illinois State legislature where he served on the senate for 8 years. In 2004, he ran and was elected into the U.S. Senate as a senator from Illinois. In February 2007, he announced his candidacy for the presidency. = = =Views on Important Issues:=


 * The Economy**: As president, Barack plans to ensure that America will be able to compete in a global economy. He wants to maintain a thriving and growing middle class, and he wants to simplify the tax system so that it provides greater opportunity and relief to more Americans. More money will be invested in infrastructure, energy independence, education, and research and development. Trade policies will be implemented that increase exports and benefit American workers. Barack feels that it is unfair how the current administration has given tax breaks to the wealthy and large corporate. He wants to cut taxes for America’s working class and small business owners who struggle to pay the bills. With his “Make Work Pay” tax cut plan, he would lower taxes for 150 million Americans. 10 million would be completed freed of the income tax. The income tax would also be eliminated for all senior citizens making less than $50,000 a year which would allow millions to retire securely. Barack realizes the effects of globalization and will promote business abroad. He will guarantee proper treatment of these companies. Barack wants to help small business owners by cutting their health care costs, expanding loan programs, and ensuring competitive markets. Barack will raise the minimum wage so that full time workers will be able to support their families and provide basic necessities.


 * National Security**: Barack Obama believes that over six years after 9/11, America is still not safe against another terrorist attack. He realizes that chemical plants are an easy target and he wants to introduce comprehensive chemical plant security legislation. He has also introduced legislation for $37.5 million to upgrade the security of drinking water systems. He plans to better monitor nuclear facilities and keeps track of spent nuclear fuel. Barack was appalled by the inefficiency of evacuating people with special needs during Hurricane Katrina. He has passed legislation to require mandatory planning for evacuating people with special needs. He also wants to create a centralized, federal database that would allow victims of natural disasters to locate family members more quickly.


 * Supreme Court Appointments**: Barack is extremely dissatisfied with the Republican and conservative Supreme Court justices. He feels that they have a misguided view of the constitution, and have done little to enforce civil rights and the struggle for equality. As president, he plans to appoint justices that understand the true importance of Brown vs. the Board of Education. Barack criticized several decisions made by the panel of Supreme Court Justices - five out of nine whom are conservative. He denounced rulings like the Court's ruling on diversity in schools, accusing the Justices of "turning back the clock on years of progress made by our country".


 * War in Iraq:** Barack Obama does not agree with the Iraq war. In fact, he strongly opposes it. He feels that a phased redeployment would be the best way to withdraw, taking out troops until the only that remained were those who had to protect the US bases and civilians, as well as help the counterterrorism activity in Iraq. His hope is to remove all troops by 2013, but he would not pledge anything definite because of the multiple factors that could change how things could be in the future. He feels that sending troops to Iraq in the first place was a bad idea, but he does not blame anyone for it. His thought process is along the lines that the decision was made with the best judgment that Bush had at the time, in the situation. There is no blame to be put on anyone. We should instead focus our energy on being “as careful taking troops out as we were careless sending them in.” He is not necessarily against all wars, simply against the Iraq war and the reasons our troops are currently present there.


 * Education:** Our countries education system is failing millions of children. The No Child Left Behind policy has been “false advertising”. A new education plan has to be taken into account with a sense of urgency. Barack Obama plans to recruit a new generation of teachers of more professional standards and pay them more. He wants to improve the current situation by cooperating with improvements instead of opposing them. He proposes a nationwide program to help improve both the achievement gap and the physical condition of schools across the nation. He alsowants to create opportunities of summer schools for the disadvantaged students, which he named the STEP UP plan. He disapproves of the recent Supreme Court decision on anti-integration. While an Illinois state representative, he endorsed the idea of free public college for anyone with a B-average through state funding.


 * Tax Cuts:** Barack Obama denounced the idea of nationwide tax cuts that were signed into law by President Bush during his term. He believes that tax cuts are a risky economic maneuver that will eventually lead to a nationwide economic slump if continued. He called maneuvers to endorse and effect tax cuts "reflecting poor economic discipline on the part of President Bush and Congress". Obama believes that the excessive tax cuts in place will cost the economy nearly $2.9 trillion by 2009. The basis of tax cuts is that they stimulate the economy by increasing the average consumer's disposable income. However, this creates a large increase in the federal debt. If the growth spur in the economy doesn't continue for long, it will lead the government into a severe debt crisis. Increased inflation also occurs, and the burden falls hardest on the poor. Obama cites these reasons for his plan to slash nationwide tax cuts. He advocates any tax modifications on a very moderate level, making any effects also moderate. Barack Obama wants to keep the tax cuts for the poor, but get rid of them for the rich, thereby decreasing poverty and the national debt at the same time. Finally, Barack Obama wants to eliminate the tax loopholes for oil and gas companies. These loopholes have allowed oil & gas companies to post record profits over the last few years. Instead, Obama wants to put these industries on an equal footing with other industries.


 * Nuclear Weapons:** Barack Obama is a strong supporter of nuclear non-proliferation. Obama works on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and he has traveled to developing nations such as Russia, Azerbaijain, and Israel in order to convince nations to sign treaties limiting nuclear weapons production. He denounced Russia when a report showed that over 80% of its nuclear weapons plants were totally unguarded. Expressing fears that terrorists could seize the weapons, he worked with Russia to provide increased security. Obama also does not advocate using nuclear weapons as strikes against terrorist strongholds, citing the huge numbers of civilian deaths. He also passed bills limiting conventional weaponry use. Obama calls for a revision of the internationally binding treaties limiting worldwide production and use of nuclear weapons.


 * Health Care:** Barack Obama believes that every person in America should have portable, quality, and affordable health care. Obama has proposed a plan to give every American health care. This health care will be much like the health care provided to Congress and this coverage will take power away from major health care industries. Employers that do not offer health plans to their employees must contribute a small percent of payroll towards the cost of the national plan. Individuals would still be able to have private coverage, but that coverage must be affordable and must provide quality care. The coverage in this plan is portable and can move from occupation. This plan is for everyone and no one can be excluded because of illness or pre-existing conditions. It will have affordable premiums, co-pays, and deductibles. Through this plan, Americans will be able to buy prescription drugs from other countries, as long as they are cheaper than those provided in America. All medical costs must be transparent and have no hidden fees. Through this plan Americans will be able to afford quality health care and through this plan America will be up to the standards of other counties around the world.


 * Energy & Environment:** One of the main issues facing the world today is global climate change. Barack Obama has a plan to reduce carbon emmisions 80% by 2050. To do this Obama supports implementing a cap-and-trade system, in which companies and businesses are to set a limit on their carbon emissions and them they are given credits. For a company to increase pollution they would need to buy credit from a company that has reduced their emissions. So the companies that can decrease emissions will do so and gain money and companies that want to expand would have to pay more money to do so. Obama will create rewards for every tree planted that fights deforestation. Obama will also invest $150 Billion in clean energy over 10 years. This money will go to car manufacturers for creating hybrid cars, invest in low-emissions coal plants, and begin the transition to a new digital electricity grid. The money received from the cap-and-trade system will be invested in a skilled clean technologies workforce that will help businesses adapt to clean technologies. Obama will invest in biofuels to help lessen our dependence on oil.


 * Ethics (scientific):** For scientfic ethics, Barack Obama is a left-wing leaning moderate. On the issue of abortion,Obama believes that there are moral implications, but the woman involved should still be able to choose (he is pro-choice). He urges, however, that abortion should only be a last resort after every other option has been exhausted, and he does warn people about the gravity of the decision. He believes women know that the decision can't be made casually, and he fears that if banned, abrtion will work in America illegally. During his term in the 109th Congress, Barack Obama opposed bill SB 230, which would have banned partial-birth abortion. He also voted against a bill in 2000 banning any state funding for abortion. Obama, in general, is a moderate with left-wing leanings. For example, Obama believes that we owe it to the public to explore the potential of embryonic stem cells, which have been proven to save lives and treat the millions in America with fatal and debilitating diseases. Stem cells promise treatments and cures for over 70 major diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, spinal cord injuries and diabetes. As president, Obama would... Support Medical Advancement and Innovation Expand the Number of Stem Cell Lines Available for Research Ensure Ethical Standards Obama introduced legislature in Illinois to ensure only embryos that would otherwise be discarded would be used for research and organs, and that all donors would have to provide written consent before giving embryos for research and organ production. Obama was given a score of 0% by the National Right to Life Committee, indicating that he is a liberal. This is in line with his party views (Democratic)


 * Ethics (political):** Barack Obama strongly opposes the power that lobbyists from major industries (such as the National Rifle Association) hold in Congress. Obama will create an online database that keeps records of lobbying reports and ethics records, to better be informed about the policies used by lobbyists in Congress. Barack Obama will also introduce mesures to give the American people more of a say in Congress, rather than lobbyists. He will require Cabinet members to hold periodic broadband national discussions with the public, and he will not sign any non-emergency bill until it has been posted on the White House website for at least five days. This will give the American public time to send responses and input.


 * Abortion:** Barack Obama is pro choice. He feels that the woman has the right to choose. He knows that she has thought very hard about the decision and she has consulted with a lot of people before making it. He did vote “no” on a bill that stated that the parents had to be notified of an out-of-state abortion. He also voted “yes” on a bill to spend $100 million on preventing teen pregnancies by education and contraceptives. So he wants to prevent it but if it does happen he wants the woman to be able to choose.


 * Poverty:** Barack Obama has fought as the Senator of Illinois for the working class. He was the driving force behind Illinois' Earned Income Tax Credit, which has provided more than $100 million in tax relief to working families. He was also the chief sponsor of the law that extended the Comprehensive Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by three years and increased the number of children eligible for the program. As a result, 65,000 additional families qualify for health insurance coverage. So he sides more with the less fortunate than with the rich. He will invest $1 billion over five years in transitional jobs and career pathway programs that implement proven methods of helping low-income Americans succeed in the workforce. He will also create a program to directly engage disadvantaged youth in energy efficiency opportunities to strengthen their communities, while also providing them with practical skills in this important high-growth career field. He will work to ensure that low-income Americans have transportation access to jobs. He will double the federal Jobs Access and Reverse Commute program to ensure that additional federal public transportation dollars flow to the highest-need communities and that urban planning initiatives take this aspect of transportation policy into account. He will work to ensure that ex-offenders have access to job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling, and employment opportunities. He will also create a prison-to-work incentive program and reduce barriers to employment. He will raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation to make sure that full-time workers can earn a living wage that allows them to raise their families and pay for basic needs such as food, transportation, and housing. He will create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund to develop affordable housing in mixed-income neighborhoods.

=**Democratic Debate Blog:**=

- Clinton's health care plan will give health care to all, but will force people to buy it. The problem isn't that people don't want to buy health care, the problem is that it is not affordable. Barack plans to lower prices so that it is available to all. It is not fair to force people to by it. Anyone who does want health care, though will be able to buy it under Obama's plan.
 * Josh:**

- Barack is much more flexible and open, when it comes to meeting with world leaders. Negotiations!

- Barack wants to invest in finding alternative fuel resources, because it will not only make us energy independent, but it will create millions of new industries and jobs.

- It is not enough to crack down on illegal immigrants, the legal immigration process should be simplified.

- Barack believes that everyone has the right to live, as opposed to Clinton who would deny health care o illegal immigrants.

- Barack also plans to implement a 0-5 plan to work with young children. He plans to cut up to 2/3 of college costs. More stress will be put on math and science. While in the Illinois state legislature, he endorsed a bill that would make college free for anyone with a B-average or higher.

- Barack believes that Bush's tax cut will put us in a $2.9 trillion debt by 2009. With his "make work pay" tax cut plan, he will cut taxes for 150,000,000 working Americans, not just the rich. He will raise the minimum wage and eliminate the income tax for 10 million Americans. He will eliminate the income tax for senior citizens making less than $50,000 a year. Obama wants to especially help small buisness owners.

- Barack agrees with the one gun a month program.

- Edwards says that he felt the war was wrong from the start, but this is inconsistent. Edwards and Clinton, both voted for the war, while Obama was always opposed. Clinton wants to yank the troops out of Iraq quickly and carelessly. Obama also wants to leave Iraq, but with care.

- Our nation's safety is Barack's highest priority. He will not let a dangerous terrorist like Osama Bin Laden go free

- Barack is opposed to torture on any level and under any circumstances. He wants to get rid of Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

- Although Obama is opposed to same sex marraiges because of his religion, but he is a strong supporter of gay rights. He is for civil unions.

- Obama wants to invest $150 billion in alternative fuels to make us energy independent, create new markets and new jobs. He also wants to reduce carbon emissions 80% by 2050. He will do this by putting caps on the emissions of big companies.

- Barack believes in affirmative action, but not by race. He wants to help lower class Americans, regardless of race.

- Obama wants to open up diplomatic relations with countries like Iran, Syria, and North Korea. Negotiations can prevent war.

- Obama wants to get rid of pork barrel politics. Hillary Clinton claims to be for small buisnesses ad universal health care, but she was on the board of Wal-Mart which is a major corporation and denies its employees health care. Hypocritical!

- Obama wants to crack down on poverty. Hillary wants to pull out the troops quickly with total disregard to the situation. Such a withdrawl would be careless and disasterous, de-stabilizing the entire region.

- Obama will improve our education system by raising teacher salaries and having professionals teach our teachers.

- Obama wants to make health care affordable to all, not force people to buy it like Clinton. Edwards claims to be for universal health care now, but he wasn't four years ago. This is inconsistent.