Talk:Barack Obama

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Comments re "the country that invented the automobile"

I rolled back this change as it was not accurate. America did not invent the car, although Henry Ford revolutionized vehicle manufacturing with his assembly line.

Also, the prior edit deleted a valid inter-wiki link. Lisa


Comments re Barack Obama: U.S. presidential election, 2008

I'd be disappointed if Obama entered the contest for president in 2007/8. He seems like a fine candidate in all respects other than just not having been in Washington long enough to develop the thick skin required for campaigning against the perverse slander and vitriolic fabrications of the GOP.

Cash Constituents

This article includes ZERO info on Obama's funding sources. Because???? Artificial Intelligence 08:31, 8 February 2007 (EST)

Hello

I am looking to contribute to this article with some rarely covered material, but which has very good sourcing. Am trying to stay neutral in tone and provide only extremely good sources at all times. Very willing to provide sources and discuss adapting of the edits. I notice the page is a bit inactive so I make the edits boldly. Just wanted to notify nonetheless. Feel free to critique changes and sources provided. Also, I will try to avoid adding undue weight to article, and provide further detail on individual pages, creating new pages for detail. --Jzyehoshua 22:43, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

Obama and academic credentials

Recently a birther editor, Josie, complained that references to Barack Obama's education were falsified. SourceWatch is not a proper venue for such baseless nonsense. His academic credentials are not false or missing, and it is absurd to suggest that they are. Even a cursory search for contemporaneous documentation disproves such assertions. For example, Josie disputed that Obama attended Harvard Law School and served as the President of the Harvard Law Review. This fact is documented in multiple locations, including this contemporaneous news report: http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/06/us/first-black-elected-to-head-harvard-s-law-review.html. Rather than consume editing time with endless efforts to persuade irrational birthers who find ways to ignore facts and dispute valid documentation, such groundless edits will be removed and repeat offenders trying to push thier propaganda onto this site will be removed.

Additional material

I have parked this new selective profile material here for further review because the discussion lacks context and documentation:


Obama received an "A" or 100% rating in 2005, 2006 and 2007 from the National Education Association.

Obama has been very active on ethics, election and campaign finance reform since he joined Congress.


Obama was a strong advocate of taxing the rich to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. He threatened to call hearings on what he called the slow reconstruction response of the Bush administration.

Additional Economic Policies continue to be inserted within campaign announcements within key swing states. Obama has included policy ideas regarding the creation of 5 million green energy jobs within during his first term. CBS News indicated that the idea was initially presented by Senator Clinton.

Iraq

Barack Obama opposed the Iraq War even before it began in 2002, though he hedged that opposition during the 2004 election, when the Democratic ticket had voted for the war. In 2007, Obama introduced a bill to remove most troops from Iraq within 16 months, a position he continues to hold, though an advisor has referred to this as a "best case scenario." Obama has a mixed record on Democratic attempts to end the war by defunding it - he has spoken against the tactic but also voted at least once against a bill containing further funding.

While publicly opposed to the war in Iraq, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari claimed that Barack Obama tried to persuade Iraqi leaders to stall a troop withdrawal. According to Zenari, Obama sought in July of 2008 to delay an agreement until after a new administration was established in Washington.

Veterans and soldiers conditions

In the wake of the Walter Reed scandal, Obama introduced legislation increasing standards of care and oversight of VA programs.

Darfur

Obama has called on the Bush administration to support a UN or NATO force in Darfur, increase pressure on Sudan to share power in Darfur, put pressure on nations supporting Sudan, and impose sanctions on Sudan.


Energy issues

In 2006 Obama called for a deal with U.S. auto makers to pick up 10% of their $6.7 billion in retiree health costs in exchange for bringing more fuel-efficient vehicles to market. He also criticized the Bush administration for what he called a failure to back up with policies its call for "energy independence."

In 2007, activists protesting what they called Obama's lack of a clear position on nuclear waste disposal say they were forced to leave one of his presidential rallies.


Minimum wage

In 2006, Obama sponsored a bill that would limit congressional raises to the same rate as increases in the federal minimum wage.




  • 2005: Obama voted to create the "Display of Tobacco Products Act" which makes it unlawful to sell, offer for sale, give away, or display tobacco products for sale at any location where the consumer can acquire those products through self-service. It also requires tobacco products to be displayed from behind a sales or service counter so that consumers cannot access tobacco products without assistance by an employee.
  • 2004: Obama voted to restrict the display of tobacco advertisements.
  • 2003: Obama sponsored a bill to increase the minimum age to buy tobacco to 19 years, a bill making alcohol cigarette wrapping paper illegal, and voted for another bill prohibiting cigarette distribution/sales within 1000 feet of a school..
  • 2002: Obama voted to allow employees of the Department of Revenue to arrest any person violating the Tobacco Products Tax Act of 1995.
  • 2001: Obama sponsored a bill prohibiting distribution of bidis and a bill to tax out out-of-state tobacco distributors who sell products to Illinoisan retailers and consumers. He voted for a bill taxing snuff.
  • 2000: Obama sponsored a bill to ban the sale of bidi cigarettes.[1]


Obama supports network neutrality legislation.


2005 investments

In 2007, it was reported that Obama had invested more than $50,000 in two companies whose major investors were some of his largest political donors. In 2005, Obama had pushed for more funding for avian flu, where one company had interests. The other company's principal backers included four friends and donors who had raised over $150,000 for his political committees. However, the latter company was invested in through a blind trust and a spokesman said that when Obama learned of the investments in late 2005 he sold both at a $13,000 loss.


Civilian National Security Force

On July 2nd, in Colorado Springs, Obama gave a speech where he called for a "civilian national security force" with as much power and funding as the U.S. military.

  1. ↑ Clifford E. Douglas, Esq., Executive Director, University of Michigan Tobacco Research Network Senator Barack Obama's Tobacco Control History, compiled March 8, 2008
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