Obama Sweeps Clinton in 3 States' Presidential Nominating Contests; Huckabee Takes 2 of 3 From McCain
By Greg Flakus
10 February 2008
 |
| Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., acknowledges applause at a campaign rally, Saturday in Bangor, Maine |
About Barack Obama
United States Senator for Illinois
Barack Obama has dedicated his life to public service as a community organizer, civil rights attorney, and leader in the Illinois state Senate. Obama now continues his fight for working families following his recent election to the United States Senate.
Sworn into office January 4, 2005, Senator Obama is focused on promoting economic growth and bringing good paying jobs to Illinois. Obama serves on the important Environment and Public Works Committee, which oversees legislation and funding for the environment and public works projects throughout the country, including the national transportation bill. He also serves on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee where he is focused on investigating the disability pay discrepancies that have left thousands of Illinois veterans without the benefits they earned. Senator Obama will also serve on the Foreign Relations Committee.
During his seven years in the Illinois state Senate, Obama worked with both Democrats and Republicans to help working families get ahead by creating programs like the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which in three years provided over $100 million in tax cuts to families across the state. Obama also pushed through an expansion of early childhood education, and after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Senator Obama enlisted the support of law enforcement officials to draft legislation requiring the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.
Obama is especially proud of being a husband and father of two daughters, Malia, 7 and Sasha, 4. Obama and his wife, Michelle, married in 1992 and live on Chicago ’s South Side where they attend Trinity United Church of Christ. Barack Obama was born on August 4th, 1961, in Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. and Ann Dunham. Obama graduated from Columbia University in 1983, and moved to Chicago in 1985 to work for a church-based group seeking to improve living conditions in poor neighborhoods plagued with crime and high unemployment. In 1991, Obama graduated from Harvard Law School where he was the first African American editor of the Harvard Law Review.
On the Issues
To find out more about specific issues, use the links below. You
will find Senator Obama's positions, actions, and links to legislation
Our federal tax code has become increasingly complex and unfair. Tax
rates should be as low as we can afford them to be; and everyone should
pay their fair share. Reform options should focus on creating a system
that is simple, progressive, easy to comply with and devoid of abusive
shelters. When examining reform options, Senator Obama believes that we
should ensure any changes to the tax code reflect the needs and
everyday worries facing ordinary Americans, while also promoting
America’s competitiveness in the world economy.
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Senator Obama
worked closely with Senator Coburn, to draft and ultimately pass the
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. President Bush
signed this measure into law in September of 2006. This important bill
will...
Senator Obama believes that America must commit to a new national
energy policy focused on improvements in technology, investments in
renewable fuels such as wind and solar power, and greater efforts in
conservation, efficiency, and waste reduction. Shifting from our
current investment and consumption practices to this new direction will
be one of the great leadership challenges in the coming decade.
Since 2002, and now, as a U.S. Senator, Senator Obama has continued
to critique the Administration's mishandling of this war, and believes
that while our troops have done an outstanding job in Iraq, there can
be no military solution to what is inherently a political conflict
between Iraq's warring factions. The only hope to end this burgeoning
civil war is for Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds to come together and
resolve their differences, and that's why Senator Obama agrees with the
Iraq Study Group's conclusion that we must begin a phased redeployment
of American troops to signal to the government and people of Iraq that
ours is not an open-ended commitment.
With the nation facing unprecedented threats, it is essential that
our military continues to be the best in the world. The Pentagon must
adapt to face 21st century threats such as global terrorists and loose
nuclear weapons in the former Soviet states. Senator Obama is working
to ensure that the nation's defense capabilities are strong, agile, and
prepared and that our troops are provided with the equipment they need.
As we transition to an increasingly global economy, many Americans
are at risk of being left behind through no fault of their own. Among
those most affected by these changes are senior citizens, many of whom
are on fixed incomes. We need to modernize our social safety net to
help senior citizens meet these new challenges, but we also must
preserve those elements, such as Social Security and Medicare, that
have enabled us to fulfill our moral commitment to our parents and
grandparents.
Senator Obama is a strong proponent of tougher measures to fight
crime and provide more resources to local law enforcement officers. He
is particularly concerned about the growing problem of methamphetamine,
which is ravaging many communities in Illinois.
As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in
the 109th Congress, Senator Obama worked to ensure our nation's
environmental laws and policies balance America's needs for a healthy,
sustainable environment with economic growth. He will continue to push
for sound environmental policies with his colleagues in the 110th
Congress.
Senator Obama believes that greater attention needs to be paid to
the nation’s homeland security. To that end, he has supported efforts
to distribute more funds to cities like Chicago most at risk of a
terrorist attack. He has also introduced legislation to strengthen
chemical plant and drinking water security and to enhance disaster
preparedness.
Senator Obama shares the growing public concern about illegal
immigration in the United States. The challenge facing President Bush
and Congress is how to effectively stop the flow of illegal immigrants
across our borders, better manage immigration flows going forward, and
deal with illegal aliens who are already living and working in this
country.
As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Committee, Senator Obama is committed to providing every American with
the opportunity to receive a quality education, from pre-kindergarten
to college or vocational school to job retraining programs.
Promoting affordable, accessible, and high-quality health care was a
priority for Barack Obama in the Illinois State Senate and is a
priority for him in the United States Senate. He believes firmly that
health care should be a right for everyone, not a privilege for the
few.
As a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama
is committed to helping the heroes who defend our nation today and the
veterans who fought in years past.
Throughout his political career, Barack Obama has fought for
open and honest government. As an Illinois State Senator, he helped
pass the state’s first major ethics reform bill in 25 years. And as a
U.S. Senator, he has spearheaded the effort to clean up Washington in
the wake of numerous scandals.
peeches
Archive of Speeches Given by Senator Barack Obama
August 21, 2007
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today delivered
the following remarks on the Senate floor in support of the Honest
Government and Leadership Act. This legislation would provide increased
transparency and accountability, reduce the influence of lobbyists and
special interests, and bring about the concrete changes we need in
Washington. In January, Obama joined with Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI)
to introduce Lobbying and Ethics Reform Act, which set a standard for
strong ethics legislation this Congress. Obama also sponsored an
amendment to the Honest Government and Open Leadership Act that
required the disclosure of lobbyists that bundle campaign contributions
for candidates.
June 6, 2007
WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senator Barack Obama today delivered
the following statement on the Senate floor on an amendment to the
immigration reform bill he introduced with Senators Menendez and
Feingold to sunset the points system to obtain citizenship after 5
years:
March 21, 2007
On Thursdays, Senator Durbin and I hold a constituent coffee
so we can hear from the folks back home. A young man came a few months
ago who was about 25, 26 years old. He had been back from Iraq for a
year. The first months of that year he spent in a coma. An explosion
had shattered his face, blinded him in both eyes, and has left him
without the use of one arm.
March 15, 2007
Mr. President, the events of the last few days in Zimbabwe
are outrageous and warrant universal condemnation. It is time for the
government of Robert Mugabe to cease its repressive and divisive
actions, and to allow Zimbabweans to pursue their hopes for legitimate
political change and opportunity.
March 13, 2007
Mr. President, the news from Iraq is very bad.
Last week, a suicide bomber stood outside a bookstore and killed 20
people. Other attacks killed 118 Shiite pilgrims. On Sunday, a car bomb
went off in central Baghdad and more than 30 people died. And the road
from the airport into Baghdad is littered with smoldering debris,
craters from improvised explosive devices, and the memories of our sons
and daughters.
March 8, 2007
Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, later today, President Bush will
start on a six day visit to five countries in the Western Hemisphere –
Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico.
The trip comes at an important time for the region, and for U.S.
relations with our hemispheric neighbors. In an historic convergence,
during a 13 month period beginning in November, 2005, and ending this
past December, a dozen countries throughout Latin America and the
Caribbean held presidential elections. Those elections are a testament
to the tremendous democratic strides made throughout the Americas
during the past two decades, and saw governments elected to power that
span the ideological spectrum.
March 2, 2007
Thank you so much for your kind introduction and the invitation to meet with you this morning.
Last week, this event was described to me as a small gathering of
friends. Looking at all of you here today; seeing so many of you who
care about peace in this world; who care about a strong and lasting
friendship between Israel and the United States, and who care about
what’s on the next page of our shared futures, I think a small
gathering of friends fits this crowd just right.
January 30, 2007
Mr. President, today in Iraq, we sadly find ourselves at the very
point I feared most when I opposed giving the President the open-ended
authority to wage this war in 2002 - an occupation of undetermined
length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences in the
midst of a country torn by civil war. The American people have waited
and the American people have been patient. We have given chance after
chance for a resolution that has not come, and, more importantly,
watched with horror and grief the tragic loss of thousands of brave
young American soldiers.
January 25, 2007
On this January morning of two thousand and seven, more than sixty
years after President Truman first issued the call for national health
insurance, we find ourselves in the midst of an historic moment on
health care. From Maine to California, from business to labor, from
Democrats to Republicans, the emergence of new and bold proposals from
across the spectrum has effectively ended the debate over whether or
not we should have universal health care in this country.
January 19, 2007
Mr. President, I would like to speak briefly on what is a roiling
debate not only in the Senate but across the country, and that is the
President's policy with respect to Iraq. There are countless reasons
the American people have lost confidence in the President's Iraq
policy, but chief among them has been the administration's insistence
on making promises and assurances about progress and victory that do
not appear to be grounded in the reality of the facts.
December 1, 2006
I took my own trip to Africa a few months ago. As I'm sure Rick and
Kay would agree, it's an experience that stays with you for quite some
time. I visited an HIV/AIDS hospital in South Africa that was filled to
capacity with people who walked hours - even days - just for the chance
to seek help. I met courageous patients who refused to give up for
themselves or their families. And I came across AIDS activists who meet
resistance from their own government but keep on fighting anyway.
November 20, 2006
A few Tuesdays ago, the American people embraced this seriousness
with regards to America’s policy in Iraq. Americans were originally
persuaded by the President to go to war in part because of the threat
of weapons of mass destruction, and in part because they were told that
it would help reduce the threat of international terrorism. Neither
turned out to be true. And now, after three long years of watching the
same back and forth in Washington, the American people have sent a
clear message that the days of using the war on terror as a political
football are over. That policy-by-slogan will no longer pass as an
acceptable form of debate in this country.
November 13, 2006
I have two daughters, ages five and eight. And when I see the plans
for this memorial, I think about what it will be like when I first
bring them here upon the memorial's completion. I imagine us walking
down to this tidal basin, between one memorial dedicated to the man who
helped give birth to a nation, and another dedicated to the man who
preserved it. I picture us walking beneath the shadows cast by the
Mountain of Despair, and gazing up at the Stone of Hope, and reading
the quotes on the wall together as the water falls like rain.
September 28, 2006
Mr. President, I am proud to be sponsoring this amendment with the
senior senator from West Virginia. He's absolutely right that Congress
has abrogated its oversight responsibilities, and one way to reverse
that troubling trend is to adopt a sunset provision in this bill. We
did that in the Patriot Act, and that allowed us to make important
revisions to the bill that reflected our experience about what worked
and didn't work during the previous 5 years. We should do that again
with this important piece of legislation.
September 27, 2006
Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, I would like to address the habeas corpus
amendment that is on the floor and that we just heard a lengthy debate
about between Senator Specter and Senator Warner.
A few years ago, I gave a speech in Boston that people talk about from
time to time. In that speech, I spoke about why I love this country,
why I love America, and what I believe sets this country apart from so
many other nations in so many areas.
August 28, 2006
The first time I came to Kenya was in 1987. I had just finished
three years of work as a community organizer in low-income
neighborhoods of Chicago, and was about to enroll in law school. My
sister, Auma, was teaching that year at this university, and so I came
to stay with her for a month.
August 11, 2006
I want to start by thanking you all for allowing me to share in your
miracle today. Over the past year there has been no shortage of doubts
about whether this college would live to see another commencement - and
doubts remain still about the future of this great city. But on this
summer's day in New Orleans, less than one year after the worst storm
in American history beat down your door, I look out at the largest
class to ever graduate from this college and know that one thing is
certain - Xavier University is back.
August 7, 2006
We meet here at a challenging time for labor and a challenging time
for America. All across the country, from nurses in Chicago to
correctional officers in Atlanta to sanitation workers in L.A.,
Americans have been looking to the future with more anxiety than hope.
As transformations in technology and communication have ushered in a
global economy with new rules and new risks, they've watched their
government do its best to try and shift those risks onto the backs of
the American worker. And they wonder how they will ever keep up.
August 1, 2006
Every one of us in Congress has heard from our constituents about
the high cost of gas. A gallon is now $3 or more in most parts of the
country, and there is every reason to believe that figure will continue
to climb throughout the rest of the summer.
July 20, 2006
That's why I stand here today. I would not be in the United States
Senate had it not been for the efforts and courage of so many parents
and grandparents and ordinary people who were willing to reach up and
bend that arc in the direction of justice. I hope we continue to see
that spirit live on, not just during this debate, but throughout all
our work here in the Senate.
July 17, 2006
Mr. President, a few weeks ago I was visited by two of my
constituents-- Mary Schneider and her son Ryan. When Ryan was just two
years old, his parents and doctors noted severe delays in his motor and
speech development, and he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. His
parents were devastated, as the prognosis for many children with
cerebral palsy is quite grim, and given the severity of Ryan's
condition, his doctors didn't have much hope for his improvement.
July 12, 2006
I want to congratulate all of you at Campus Progress for the work
you've been doing to build a new generation of progressive leadership
in this country. At a time when too many in the media have written off
your generation as apathetic or uninvolved, you're proving not only
that you care very deeply about the future of this country, but that
you're willing to do something about it.
June 28, 2006
"...This is why, if we truly hope to speak to people where they're
at - to communicate our hopes and values in a way that's relevant to
their own - we cannot abandon the field of religious discourse. Because
when we ignore the debate about what it means to be a good Christian or
Muslim or Jew; when we discuss religion only in the negative sense of
where or how it should not be practiced, rather than in the positive
sense of what it tells us about our obligations towards one another;
when we shy away from religious venues and religious broadcasts because
we assume that we will be unwelcome - others will fill the vacuum,
those with the most insular views of faith, or those who cynically use
religion to justify partisan ends."
June 21, 2006
Mr. President, in October of 2002, I delivered a speech opposing the War in Iraq.
I said that Saddam Hussein was a ruthless man, but that he posed no imminent and direct threat to the United States.
I said that a war in Iraq would take our focus away from our efforts to defeat al-Qaeda.
June 16, 2006
A few months ago, I came across an article in your student newspaper
by Elaine Meyer. Elaine, give me a little wave if you're out there.
There she is. Glad to see you made it to graduation. So, Elaine wrote
this article entitled, "Challenge us, Senator Obama." I thought this
seemed like a fair request, so I kept reading. And I noticed that
Elaine set out a few expectations for this speech.
June 14, 2006
My friends, we meet here today at a time where we find ourselves at
a crossroads in America's history. It's a time where you can go to any
town hall or street corner or coffee shop and hear people express the
same anxiety about the future; hear them convey the same uncertainty
about the direction we're headed as a country. Whether it's the war or
Katrina or their health care or their jobs, you hear people say that
we've finally arrived at a moment where something must change.
June 5, 2006
Today, we take up the valuable time of the U.S. Senate with a
proposed amendment to our Constitution that has absolutely no chance of
passing. We do this, allegedly, in an attempt to uphold the institution
of marriage in this country. We do this despite the fact that for over
two hundred years, Americans have been defining and defending marriage
on the state and local level without any help from the U.S.
Constitution at all.
June 2, 2006
More than half of you represent the very first member of your family
to ever attend college. In the most diverse university in all of New
England, I look out at a sea of faces that are African-American and
Hispanic-American and Asian-American and Arab-American. I see students
that have come here from over 100 different countries, believing like
those first settlers that they too could find a home in this City on a
Hill - that they too could find success in this unlikeliest of places.
May 25, 2006
We don't expect the President to give the American people every
detail about a classified surveillance program. But we do expect him to
place such a program within the rule of law, and to allow members of
the other two coequal branches of government - Congress and the
Judiciary - to have the ability to monitor and oversee such a program.
Our Constitution and our right to privacy as Americans require as much.
May 24, 2006
There is no more fundamental right accorded to United States
citizens by the Constitution than the right to vote. The unimpeded
exercise of this right is essential to the functioning of our
democracy. Unfortunately, history has not been kind to certain citizens
in protecting their ability to exercise this right.
May 23, 2006
One of the central components of immigration reform is enforcement,
and this bill contains a number of important provisions to beef up
border security. But that's not enough. Real enforcement also means
drying up the pool of jobs that encourages illegal immigration. And
that can only happen if employers don't hire illegal workers.
May 20, 2006
Looking out at this class of 2006, I think my hope is well-placed.
With the field you have chosen, you've already shown how much you care
about the lives of others; how strongly you have heard the calling to
be healers in this world. Today, I ask you to remember that call
always, and to remember how it could include more than the patient
sitting in your office. It could also include the patients who can't
afford to get there, the ones who aren't being provided the best care,
and the general health of all Americans.
May 11, 2006
We meet here today at a time where we find ourselves at a crossroads
in America's history. It's a time where you can go to any town hall or
street corner or coffee shop and hear people express the same anxiety
about the future; hear them convey the same uncertainty about the
direction we're headed as a country. Whether it's the war or Katrina or
their health care or their jobs, you hear people say that we've finally
arrived at a moment where something must change.
May 2, 2006
Mr. President, after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, millions
of Americans opened their hearts, their homes, and their wallets to
help the victims in the Gulf Coast. Even before Katrina’s winds and
rains died down, Americans across the country called national hotlines
and pledged their hard-earned dollars, their time, and their prayers to
the relief effort.
But they didn’t just pledge – they also
delivered. They delivered to the tune of $3.5 billion dollars. Many of
these donations came from working-class families who didn’t have much
to give, but they gave what they could.
April 3, 2006
For decades, we've been warned by legions of scientists and
mountains of evidence that this was coming - that we couldn't just keep
burning fossil fuels and contribute to the changing atmosphere without
consequence. And yet, for decades, far too many have ignored the
warnings, either dismissing the science as a hoax or believing that it
was the concern of enviros looking to save polar bears and rainforests.
April 3, 2006
I come to the floor today to enter the debate on comprehensive
immigration reform. It is a debate that will touch on the basic
questions of morality, the law, and what it means to be an American.
March 20, 2006
The Englewood community vowed that the deaths of two girls will not
be in vain at an anti-violence rally on Monday March 20th.
Officials had to turn people away after hundreds packed Fellowship
Baptist Church to remember Siretha White, 10, and Starkesia Reed, 14,
who were both killed by stray bullets within a span of eight days.
March 13, 2006
The ideal of public education has always been at the heart of this
bargain. From the moment we built the first schools in the towns of New
England, it was the driving force behind Thomas Jefferson's declaration
that "...talent and virtue, needed in a free society, should be
educated regardless of wealth, birth or other accidental condition."
March 8, 2006
I rise today in support of Senator Feingold's amendment to eliminate
a loophole in this bill that would still allow members and staff to
receive free meals from lobbyists up to $50 in value. Now, of all the
ethics reforms we take up this week, this should be an easy one.
Because I can't think of a single reason in the world why we shouldn't
be paying for our own lunches in Washington.
March 7, 2006
The American people are tired of a Washington that's only open to
those with the most cash and the right connections. They're tired of a
political process where the vote you cast isn't as important as the
favors you can do. And they're tired of trusting us with their tax
dollars when they see them spent on frivolous pet projects and
corporate giveaways.
February 28, 2006
"...every single hour we spend $18 million on foreign oil. It
doesn't matter if these countries are budding democracies, despotic
regimes, or havens for the madrassas that plant the seeds of terror in
young minds - they get our money because we need their oil. One need
only glance at headlines around the world to understand how dangerous
this addictive arrangement truly is."
February 16, 2006
Mr. President, four years ago, following one of the most devastating
attacks in our nation's history, Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act to
give our nation's law enforcement the tools they needed to track down
terrorists who plot and lurk within our own borders and all over the
world - terrorists who, right now, are looking to exploit weaknesses in
our laws and our security to carry out even deadlier attacks than we
saw on September 11th.
February 9, 2006
The Lugar-Obama legislation, S.1949, does two basic things. First,
it enhances our ability, working with friends and allies, to detect and
intercept illegal shipments of weapons and materials of mass
destruction. Second, the bill bolsters ongoing efforts to destroy
conventional weapons such as lightweight anti-aircraft missiles.
February 1, 2006
The Amendment achieves two goals. First, it helps keep a promise the
President made to rebuild the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane
Katrina. Second, in a $70 billion bill laden with tax cuts for the
wealthy and well-connected, it sets aside less than 1 percent for the
neediest in our society.
January 26, 2006
As we all know, there's been a lot of discussion in the country
about how the Senate should approach this confirmation process. There
are some who believe that the President, having won the election,
should have the complete authority to appoint his nominee, and the
Senate should only examine whether or not the Justice is intellectually
capable and an all-around nice guy. That once you get beyond intellect
and personal character, there should be no further question whether the
judge should be confirmed.
January 26, 2006
Now, I've been asked by my caucus to take a role in lobbying reform
- a role I'm proud to have. As many of you know I'm from Chicago - a
city that hasn't always had the cleanest reputation when it comes to
politics in this country. But during my first year in the Illinois
State Senate, I helped lead the fight to pass Illinois' first ethics
reform bill in twenty-five years. I hope we can do something like that
here.
December 15, 2005
Four years ago, following the most devastating attack in our
history, this body passed the USA PATRIOT Act in order to give our
nation's law enforcement the tools they need to track down terrorists
who plot and lurk within our own borders and all over the world -
terrorists who, right now, are looking to exploit weaknesses in our
laws and our security to carry out even deadlier attacks than we saw on
September 11th.
November 22, 2005
Today, nearly 160,000 American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and
marines are risking their lives in the Middle East. They are operating
in some of the most dangerous and difficult circumstances imaginable.
Well over 2,000 men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice - given
their full measure of devotion. Thousands more have returned with
wounds like those that I saw at Walter Reed.
November 16, 2005
I come to this with tremendous humility. I was only seven when Bobby
Kennedy died. Many of the people in this room knew him as brother, as
husband, as father, as friend. I knew him only as an icon. In that
sense, it is a distance I share with most of the people who now work in
this Capitol – many of whom were not even born when Bobby Kennedy died.
But what’s interesting is that if you go throughout the offices in the
Capitol, everywhere you’ll find photographs of Kennedy, or collections
of his speeches, or some other memento of his life.
November 10, 2005
As I was thinking about tonight's dinner and all the progress the
women's movement has made in the last century, the first thing that
came to mind wasn't all the legal cases won or the legislation passed;
it wasn't the issues debated or even the individual rights secured. I
thought about my daughters.
November 9, 2005
I want to start by thanking the Kaiser foundation for the work
you've done not only on today's report, but on making these issues of
media and family a part of the national conversation. This is a subject
many of us come to not as politicians or policy makers, as but as
parents most of all.
November 1, 2005
Good morning. As some of you know, Senator Lugar and I recently
traveled to Russia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan to witness firsthand both
the progress we're making in securing the world's most dangerous
weapons, as well as the serious challenges that lie ahead.
October 27, 2005
Senate Floor Statement I rise today as a U.S. Senator, as an
Illinoisan, and as a proud resident of the Southside of Chicago, to
congratulate the Chicago White Sox for winning the 2005 World Series.
As my fellow Southsiders know,...
October 25, 2005
The other day, I was reading through Jonathan Kozol's new book,
Shame of a Nation. In it, he talks about his recent travels to schools
across America, and how fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education,
we have an education system in this country that is still visibly
separate and painfully unequal.
October 25, 2005
Mr. President, today the nation mourns a genuine American hero. Rosa
Parks died yesterday in her home in Detroit. Through her courage and by
her example, Rosa Parks helped lay the foundation for a country that
could begin to live up to its creed.
Her life, and her brave actions, reminded each and every one of us of
our personal responsibilities to stand up for what is right and the
central truth of the American experience that our greatness as a nation
derives from seemingly ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
October 18, 2005
We are continuing to witness the relentless spread of avian flu,
carried slowly but predictably by wild, migratory birds from countries
in Southeast Asia to Western China, to Mongolia, and then over the Ural
Mountains into Russia and Ukraine. From there, avian flu has spread
over the past week to Romania and Turkey, and we have just learned,
possibly into Greece.
September 22, 2005
First of all, let me congratulate Senator Specter and Senator Leahy
for moving the process of confirming the nomination of Judge Roberts
along with such civility, a civility that I believe speaks well of the
Senate. Let me also say that I remain distressed that the White House
during this confirmation process, which overall went smoothly, failed
to provide critical documents as part of the record that could have
provided us with a better basis to make our judgment with respect to
the nomination. This White House continues to stymie efforts on the
part of the Senate to do its job.
September 15, 2005
The days of running a 21st century economy on a 20th century fossil
fuel are numbered - and we need to realize that before it's too late.
Our persistent dependence on oil is a danger our government has known
about for years. And despite constant warnings by researchers and
scientists, major corporations and our own government officials, it's a
danger they have failed to prepare for, listen to, or seriously try to
guard against.
September 6, 2005
I just got back from a trip to Houston with former Presidents
Clinton and Bush. And as we wandered through the crowd, we heard in
very intimate terms the heart-wrenching stories that all of us have
witnessed from a distance over the past several days: mothers separated
from babies, adults mourning the loss of elderly parents, descriptions
of the heat and filth and fear of the Superdome and the Convention
Center.
July 25, 2005
It would be naive of me to start without acknowledging what's been
on everyone's mind during this convention. As America tries to find its
way in a global economy, we meet here at a challenging time for the
labor movement. There are questions of strategy and tactics, leadership
and power. And I can imagine that many of you are anxious not only
about labor's future, but yours. You're wondering, will I be able to
leave my children a better world than I was given? Will I be able to
save enough to send them to college or plan for a secure retirement?
Will my job even be there tomorrow? Who will stand up for me in this
new world?
July 19, 2005
Mr. President, I rise today in support of H.R. 2057, the Foreign
Operations Appropriation Bill. I'd also like to highlight one aspect of
the bill.
Since coming to the Senate six months ago, one of the foreign policy and
health issues I have focused on relates to the avian flu. I am pleased
that this bill includes $10 million to combat the spread of this
potential pandemic, adding to the $25 million that the Senate provided
in the supplemental appropriations bill in April.
July 16, 2005
Over the last few months and throughout the campaign, I've been able
to travel the state and meet veterans from all across Illinois. And no
matter how many stories of heroism I hear, I constantly find myself in
awe of your service and inspired by your sacrifice. Oliver Wendell
Holmes once said that "To fight out a war, you must believe something
and want something with all your might."
June 27, 2005
Thank you. It's an honor to be here with the hundreds of dedicated
librarians who make up the American Library Association. Before we
begin, I'd like to say a special hello to ALA member Nancy Gibbs, who
is the mother of my communications director, Robert Gibbs. Believe me,
I have no idea how the biggest mouth in our office came from a family
of two librarians, but we're proud to have him on board and I'm sure
you are too.
June 13, 2005
Congratulations! After four long years of endless studying,
sleepless nights, and constant stress, who's ready to kick back, relax,
and jump head first into their residency?
June 8, 2005
I rise today to speak on the nomination of California Justice Janice
Rogers Brown to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. Now, let me begin by
saying that the last thing I would like to be spending my time on right
now is talking about judges.
June 4, 2005
Good morning President Taylor, the Board of Trustees, faculty,
parents, family, friends, and the Class of 2005. Congratulations on
your graduation, and thank you for allowing me the honor to be a part
of it.
May 30, 2005
This is my first time visiting the Abraham Lincoln National
Cemetery, and as I was driving through I thought to myself that the
staff and the volunteers who have made this possible should feel very
proud of the work they're doing - this is a beautiful place for our
veterans to come home to.
May 26, 2005
Mr. President, throughout the last half of the 20th Century, one
nation - more than any other on the face of the earth - defined and
shaped the threats posed to the United States.
May 7, 2005
Thank you, and congratulations to all of this year's Young
Americans. Now that you've each received your award, I have one
question for all of you: What are you going to do with it?
May 2, 2005
Thank you. Half a century after the first few hundred people sat for
justice and equality at these tables, I am honored to be here with this
crowd of thousands at the 50th NAACP Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner.
April 26, 2005
Thank you. It's great to be here at the National Press Club - I want
to thank the club as well as the FDR Institute for arranging this
luncheon together. I'd also like to thank Anne Roosevelt and Jim
Roosevelt, who inspire us all by carrying on the proud legacy of their
grandfather.
April 23, 2005
Thank you. It's always great to be here in Carbondale, and a real
honor to speak here at SIUC's first Agriculture Industry Day. Now, I'll
be honest - I haven't done all that much farming living on the South
Side of Chicago. But I have to say, my fondest farming memory is when I
once offered to help out a friend with his harvest. Knowing the full
range of my agricultural experience and expertise, he took one look at
me and said..."no thanks."
April 20, 2005
Let me congratulate all of those who have helped to make this
wonderful vision a reality. But we gather here today not to celebrate a
building. We gather to celebrate a man.
April 14, 2005
Statement of Senator Barack Obama Amendment to Provide Meals and
Phone Service to Wounded Veterans Wednesday, April 14, 2005 M.
President, today I am offering an amendment to the fiscal year 2005
Emergency Supplemental, which I am pleased to announce...
April 13, 2005
Mr. President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to think about the
implications the nuclear option would have on this chamber and this
country. I urge you to think not just about winning every debate, but
about protecting free and democratic debate.
April 11, 2005
Mr. Chairman and Senator Biden, the position of United States
Permanent Representative to the United Nations is one of the most
important diplomatic positions in the entire U.S. government.
April 11, 2005
Thank you for inviting me here tonight. It's been a pretty busy
week, but I figured I'd better do my best to show up here since I can't
think of an easier target for political cartoonists than a tall, skinny
guy with big ears and a funny name.
March 28, 2005
Remarks by Senator Barack Obama American Legion Legislative Rally
Tuesday, March 1st, 2005
March 11, 2005
Since I first learned about this organization from David and Susan,
I've often thought about the simple act of hope that began its journey.
I've thought about three mothers, sitting around a kitchen table,
sharing the pain and the helplessness that go along with watching the
child you love, the child whose happiness you live for, struggle with a
disease that mom and dad can't fix. A disease that doesn't necessarily
go away with the doctor's medicine, that isn't talked about most nights
on the news, that isn't funded and recognized like a lot of the other
diseases.
March 8, 2005
We're here today because when it comes to the global economy, the
rules of the game have changed. This is a fact not only understood by a
roomful of Silicon Valley CEOs, but by families I met all across
Illinois during the campaign. They know that when it comes to their
jobs and their wages, they're not only competing with workers in
Naperville and Carbondale, but in New Delhi and Calcutta.
February 28, 2005
Mr. President, I have come to the floor today to address this
pending legislation. This issue should force us to face a fundamental
question about who we are as a country, how we progress as a society,
and where our values lie as a people:
How do we treat our fellow Americans who have fallen on hard times, and
what is our responsibility to cushion those falls when they occur?
February 21, 2005
Thank you. It's an honor to be here tonight to celebrate one of the
most courageous and compassionate Americans of our time. Happy Birthday
John. When I was first asked to speak here, I thought to myself, never
in a million years would I have guessed that I'd be serving in Congress
with John Lewis.
Committee Assignments
Write to the Committee:
U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-6225
Call the Committee:
Majority Phone: (202) 224-4651
Minority Phone: (202) 224-3953
Write to the Committee:
412 Russell
Senate Office Building
Washington, DC. 20510
Call the Committee:
Democratic Staff (202) 224-9126
Republican Staff (202) 224-2074
Write to the Committee:
428 Senate Dirksen Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Call the Committee:
Write to the Committee
340 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Call the Committee
Democratic Staff (202) 224-2627
Republican Staff (202) 224-4751
Constituent Services
Services available to residents of Illinois
Please make use of this page to research various government
programs. We will also continue to fill this section with information
on programs and services available to Illinois residents through my
office.
Obama Sweeps Clinton in 3 States' Presidential Nominating Contests; Huckabee Takes 2 of 3 From McCain
By Greg Flakus
10 February 2008
|
| Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., acknowledges applause at a campaign rally, Saturday in Bangor, Maine |
| Hillary Clinton takes the stage for a campaign rally in Arlington, Virginia, 7 Feb 2008 |
| Mike Huckabee and his wife Janet in Little Rock, Arkansas, 5 Feb 2008 |
Mike Huckabee and his wife Janet in Little Rock, Arkansas, 5 Feb 2008
.
 |
John McCain and his wife Cindy, 05 Feb 2008
Illinois Senator Barack Obama swept up more
delegates Saturday in his bid for the Democratic presidential
nomination, winning the day's two caucuses and one primary. On the
Republican side, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee won two
victories. VOA's Greg Flakus has more from Houston.
Barack Obama won handily in Louisiana, Nebraska
and Washington state, with a comfortable lead in all three contests
over New York Senator Hillary Clinton. The biggest prize was Washington
state, which has 97 delegates, but Senator Clinton will also get a
share of those delegates since the Democrats divide them
proportionally.
Obama, who is black, won in Louisiana, which has a large
African-American vote, but he also won in the midwestern state of
Nebraska, which is mostly white, and in the diverse state of
Washington, thereby enhancing his image as a candidate who can appeal
across racial lines. Exit polls also indicate that he continued to do
well among better educated and more affluent voters of all races.
Speaking to supporters in Richmond, Virginia, Obama celebrated his
victories, saying "Today voters from the west coast to the Gulf coast
to the heart of America stood up to say, 'Yes, we can.' We won in
Louisiana, we won in Nebraska, we won in Washington state, we won
north, we won south, we won in between."
These wins should help Obama as he moves to the
next set of important contests, in Maryland and the District of
Columbia, where he is heavily favored, and Virginia, which is hotly
contested. Senator Clinton is spending time and money in Virginia in
hopes of impeding Obama's momentum ahead of the contests on March
fourth, when two populous and delegate-rich states, Texas and Ohio, are
in play.
Analysts have speculated that Clinton could have an advantage among
Hispanic voters here in Texas, but Obama has established a large
organizational base in the lone star state and he has more money to
spend on television advertising than Clinton, something that could
prove crucial in a large state where personal appearances do not count
as much as they did in some of the smaller states.
On the Republican side Saturday, Mike Huckabee
chalked up victories in Kansas and Louisiana. Both states border
Arkansas, where he served as governor and in both states there are
substantial numbers of evangelical Christians and conservatives, many
of whom are opposed to Republican frontrunner John McCain. On
Wednesday, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney suspended his
campaign after McCain took most of the states holding contests on Super
Tuesday.
Although McCain, who earned a win in Washington
State Saturday, is widely viewed as the probable Republican nominee, he
faces rifts within his party over positions he has taken on such issues
as tax cuts and immigration reform. Most analysts do not believe
Huckabee can overtake McCain, but the former Baptist minister says he
is in the race to win and that his victories on Saturday will help him
carry his campaign forward.
Malaysia Star
