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Unqualified?
By: Carol O | 18-09-2008
Barack Obama
Following high school, Obama moved to Los Angeles, where he studied at Occidental College for two years. He then transferred to Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science with a specialization in international relations.
Obama graduated with a B.A. from Columbia in 1983, then worked for a year at the Business International Corporation and then at the New York Public Interest Research Group a non-partiotism political group.
After four years in New York City, Obama moved to Chicago to work as a community organizer for three years from June 1985 to May 1988 as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Greater Roseland (Roseland, West Pullman, and Riverdale) on Chicago's far South Side. During his three years as the DCP's director, its staff grew from 1 to 13 and its annual budget grew from $70,000 to $400,000, with accomplishments including helping set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in Altgeld Gardens. Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, a community organizing institute.
Obama entered Harvard Law School in late 1988. At the end of his first year, he was selected, based on his grades and a writing competition, as an editor of the Harvard Law Review. In February 1990, in his second year, he was elected president of the Law Review, a full-time volunteer position functioning as editor-in-chief and supervising the Law Review's staff of 80 editors.
Obama's election as the first black president of the Law Review was widely reported and followed by several long, detailed profiles. During his summers, he returned to Chicago where he worked as a summer associate at the law firms of Sidley & Austin in 1989 and Hopkins & Sutter in 1990. He graduated with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) magna cum laude from Harvard in 1991.
The publicity from his election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations. In an effort to recruit him to their faculty, the University of Chicago Law School provided Obama with a fellowship and an office to work on his book.
He originally planned to finish the book in one year, but it took much longer as the book evolved into a personal memoir. In order to work without interruptions, Obama and his wife, Michelle, traveled to Bali where he wrote for several months. The manuscript was finally published in mid-1995 as Dreams from My Father.
Obama directed Illinois's Project Vote from April to October 1992, a voter registration drive with a staff of 10 and 700 volunteers and which achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African-Americans in the state, and led to Crain's Chicago Business naming Obama to its 1993 list of "40 under Forty" powers to be.
Beginning in 1992, Obama taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years, being first classified as a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and then as a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004.
He also, in 1993, joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a 12-attorney law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development, where he was an associate for three years from 1993 to 1996, then of counsel from 1996 to 2004, with his law license becoming inactive in 2002.
Obama was a founding member of the board of directors of Public Allies in 1992, resigning before his wife, Michelle, became the founding executive director of Public Allies Chicago in early 1993. He served from 1993 to 2002 on the board of directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago, which in 1985 had been the first foundation to fund Obama's DCP, and served from 1994 to 2002 on the board of directors of The Joyce Foundation. Obama served on the board of directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995?2002, as founding president and chairman of the board of directors from 1995?1999. He also served on the board of directors of the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Center for Neighborhood Technology, and the Lugenia Burns Hope Center.
He was elected to the Senate in November 2004 with 70% of the vote.
He's Not Heavy He's My Brother...
By: MarineReconDad | 18-09-2008
For all of Obama's show of caring for his fellow Americans, the reality is a little harder! Obama's half-brother living in Africa on $1 a day, while his multimillionaire brother is having $28,000 a plate dinners with the Hollywood elite. If you can't take care of your brother, what makes you think he is going to take care of YOU!
Bill Cosby for President!!!
By: fredst | 18-09-2008
THE BEST CHOICE!!!! I HAVE DECIDED TO BECOME A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE.
HERE IS MY PLATFORM: (1) 'Press 1 for English' is immediately banned. English is the official language; speak it or wait at the border until you can. (2) We will immediately go into a two year isolationist posture to straighten out the country's attitude. NO imports, no exports. We will use the 'Wal-Mart's policy, 'If we ain't got it, you don't need it.' (3) When imports are allowed, there will be a 100% import tax on it. (4) All retired military personnel will be required to man one of our many observation towers on the southern border. (six month tour) They will be under strict orders not to fire on SOUTHBOUND aliens. (5) Social security will immediately return to its original state. If you didn't put nuttin in, you ain't gettin nuttin out. The president nor any other politician will not be able to touch it.
(6) Welfare - Checks will be handed out on Fridays at the end of the 40 hour school week and the successful completion of urinalysis and a passing grade. (7) Professional Athletes --Steroids - The FIRST time you check positive you're banned for life. (8) Crime - We will adopt the Turkish method, the first time you steal, you lose your right hand. There is no more life sentences. If convicted, you will be put to death by the same method you chose for your victim; gun, knife, strangulation, etc. (9) One export will be allowed; Wheat, The world needs to eat. A bushel of wheat will be the exact price of a barrel of oil. (10) All foreign aid using American taxpayer money will immediately cease, and the saved money will pay off the national debt and ultimately lower taxes. When disasters occur around the world, we'll ask the American people if they want to donate to a disaster fund, and each citizen can make the decision whether it's a worthy cause. (11) The Pledge of Allegiance will be said every day at school and every day in Congress. (12) The National Anthem will be played at all appropriate ceremonies, sporting events, outings, etc. Sorry if I stepped on anyone's toes but a vote for me will get you better than what you have, and better than what you're gonna get. Thanks for listening, and remember to write in my name on the ballot in November.
God Bless America !!!!!!!!!!!
Bill Cosby!!!!!!!!
Thought we need a little fun time in all this "serious" (??) discussion
Is it possible in this day and age for a political ...
By: Iknowsit | 17-09-2008
Is it possible in this day and age for a political candidate to simply make a commercial where they DON'T talk about their competitor at all? Does every commercial have to have mud slinging and negative comparisons? Is it just me or is everybody sick to death of all of this negative campaigning?
America,please wake up !!!.
By: MarineReconDad | 17-09-2008
America,please wake up before we make the biggest economic mistake in our countries history! Though the foundation of our economy (the workers) are strong. The economy is still on the verge of a catastophic collapse! Investors who lack confidence in our system are reluctant, due to almost a 10% freefall on Wall Street! That being said this is NOT the time to raise corporate tax rates and stifle any recovery which may try to occur. To raise the corporate tax rates (even by 4 or 5%) as Obama has vowed to do would be the straw to break the economic back of America. Investors will go to Europe or Malaysia where corporate rate have been cut to attract business investors! This is the time to reduce corporate taxes and bring business and jobs back to America! If the tax rates are raised on personal (two wage earner familes) and corporate taxes as well. Americans will be drained by the taxes and cost of purchased products as well. Businesses who have their taxes raised WILL pass that increase DOWN the line to every low and middle income family in America to maintain their profits. And, Obama won't help you then! If you think it is tough now with gas and, increases in the cost of food and other goods, just wait!Despit tax increases, the higher income bracket of America will still make their money (which they should) while the lower and middle class will suffer!
We need to right our economic ship, but, with common sense economics. Not some smoke and mirrors redistribution of wealth "fleece" scheme! It's not rocket science. Already, when gas prices go up companies tag that increased cost on everything you purchase. We have all seen it and are suffering with it. The guy who makes $6.50 an hour pays the same as the guy making $25 an hour for gas. Everyone's food and utility bills have skyrocketed, just with the cost of fuel. Imagine bread $5 a loaf, milk costing $10 or $12, eggs $6 a dozen! It could happen if we make the WRONG choice! CHANGE? I don't want THAT kind of CHANGE!
What makes you think you know politics?
By: Iknowsit | 17-09-2008
Why is it - that every high school or college aged person thinks they have lived long enough to know everythng about politics?
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