Obama Record,
Voted NO on confirming Samuel Alito as Supreme Court Justice.
Vote on the Nomination -- a YES vote would to confirm Samuel A. Alito,
Jr., of New Jersey, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of
the United States.
Reference: Alito Nomination; Bill PN 1059 ; vote number 2006-002 on
Jan 31, 2006
Voted NO on confirming John Roberts for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Vote on the Nomination (Confirmation John G. Roberts, Jr., of
Maryland, to be Chief Justice of the United States )
Reference: Supreme Court Nomination of John Roberts; Bill PN 801 ;
vote number 2005-245 on Sep 27, 2005
Abortion
For almost a decade, Obama has been a leader in the Illinois
legislature in the battle to protect a woman's right to choose and
promote equal economic rights and opportunities.
Source: Campaign website, ObamaForIllinois.com May 2, 2004
Abortions should be legally available in accordance with Roe v. Wade.
Source: 1998 IL State Legislative National Political Awareness Test
Jul 2, 1998
Spending
Vote to pass a bill that reduces federal spending by $40 billion over
five years by decreasing the amount of funds spent on Medicaid,
Medicare, agriculture, employee pensions, conservation, and student
loans. The bill also provides a down-payment toward hurricane
recovery and reconstruction costs.
Reference: Work, Marriage, and Family Promotion Reconciliation Act;
Bill S. 1932 ; vote number 2005-363 on Dec 21, 2005
African-Americans vote Democratic because of issue stances
I don't think the Democratic Party takes the African-American voters
for granted. I'm happy that the president spoke at the Urban League.
He should have spoke at the NAACP. I want Republicans to compete for
the African-American vote. They're not getting the African-American
vote not because African-Americans aren't open-minded, but because
Democrats have consistently championed those issues-civil rights,
voting rights, concern for working families-that are of greatest
concern to African-American voters. Source: Meet The Press, NBC News
Jul 25, 2004
Supports affirmative action in colleges and government
Indicate the principles you support concerning affirmative action.
Should state government agencies take race and sex into account in the
following sectors?
Q: College and university admissions? A: Yes
Q: Public employment A: Yes
Q: State contracting? A: Yes.
Source: 1998 IL State Legislative National Political Awareness Test Jul 2, 1998
Voted NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage.
Voting YES implies support for amending the constitution to ban
same-sex marriage. This cloture motion to end debate requires a 3/5th
majority. A constitutional amendment requires a 2/3rd majority. The
proposed amendment is:
Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man
and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any
State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal
incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of
a man and a woman.
Reference: Marriage Protection Amendment; Bill S. J. Res. 1 ; vote
number 2006-163 on Jun 7, 2006
Voted NO on reforming bankruptcy to include means-testing & restrictions.
Amends Federal bankruptcy law to revamp guidelines governing dismissal
or conversion of a Chapter 7 liquidation (complete relief in
bankruptcy) to one under either Chapter 11 (Reorganization) or Chapter
13 (Adjustment of Debts of an Individual with Regular Income). Voting
YES would:
Reference: Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of
2005; Bill S 256 ; vote number 2005-44 on Mar 10, 2005
Battles legislatively against the death penalty
Obama?s most significant contribution has been his legislative battles
against the death penalty, and against in the criminal justice system.
In Illinois, it's been a series of shocking exonerations of innocent
people who are on death row. He was involved very intimately in
drafting and passing legislation that requires the video taping of
police interrogations and confessions in all capital cases. And he
also was one of the co-sponsors of this very comprehensive reform or
the death penalty system in Illinois, which many people say may
trigger the retreat on the death penalty in many other states.
Source: Salim Muwakkil and Amy Goodman, Democracy Now Jul 15, 2004
Battles legislatively against the death penalty
He was involved very intimately in drafting and passing legislation
that requires the video taping of police interrogations and
confessions in all capital cases. And he also was one of the
co-sponsors of this very comprehensive reform or the death penalty
system in Illinois, which many people say may trigger the retreat on
the death penalty in many other states.
Source: Salim Muwakkil and Amy Goodman, Democracy Now Jul 15, 2004
Supports alternative sentencing and rehabilitation
Principles that Obama supports to address crime:
Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
Increase state funds for programs which rehabilitate and educate
inmates during and after their prison sentences.
Provide funding for military-style "boot camps" for first-time juvenile felons.
Source: 1998 IL State Legislative National Political Awareness Test Jul 2, 1998
Voted YES on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's AMWR.
To remove the establishment of an oil and gas leasing program in the
Alaskan Coastal Plain. The original bill allows for an oil and gas
leasing program in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Voteing
YES on this amendment would remove that section, hence barring leasing
in ANWR.
Reference: Bar Oil and Gas Leasing amendment; Bill S Amdt 2358 to S
1932 ; vote number 2005-288 on Nov 3, 2005
Voted YES on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Vote to adopt an amendment that would strike a provision in the
concurrent resolution that recognizes revenue from oil drilling in the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The amendment says: "To ensure
that legislation that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,
other federal lands, and the Outer Continental Shelf to oil drilling
receives full consideration and debate in the Senate under regular
order, rather than being fast-tracked under reconciliation procedures;
to ensure that receipts from such drilling destined for the federal
treasury are fairly shared with local jurisdictions; and does not
occur unless prohibitions against the export of Alaskan oil are
enacted."
Reference: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge anti-drilling Amendment;
Bill S AMDT 168 to S.Con.Res. 18 ; vote number 2005-52 on Mar 16, 2005
Voted NO on implementing CAFTA for Central America free-trade.
Approves the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States-Free
Trade Agreement entered into on August 5, 2005, with the governments
of Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, and Nicaragua (CAFTA-DR), and the statement of
administrative action proposed to implement the Agreement. Voting YES
would:
Progressively eliminate customs duties on all originating goods traded
among the participating nations
Preserve US duties on imports of sugar goods over a certain quota
Remove duties on textile and apparel goods traded among participating nations
Prohibit export subsidies for agricultural goods traded among
participating nations
Provide for cooperation among participating nations on customs laws
and import licensing procedures
Recommend that each participating nation uphold the Fundamental
Principles and Rights at Work
Urge each participating nation to obey various international
agreements regarding intellectual property rights
Reference: Central America Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act;
Bill HR 3045 ; vote number 2005-209 on Jul 28, 2005
Ban semi-automatics, and more possession restrictions
Principles that Obama supports on gun issues:
Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.
Source: 1998 IL State Legislative National Political Awareness Test Jul 2, 1998
Voted NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers.
A bill to prohibit civil liability actions from being brought or
continued against manufacturers, distributors, dealers, or importers
of firearms or ammunition for damages, injunctive or other relief
resulting from the misuse of their products by others. Voting YES
would:
Exempt lawsuits brought against individuals who knowingly transfer a
firearm that will be used to commit a violent or drug-trafficking
crime
Exempt lawsuits against actions that result in death, physical injury
or property damage due solely to a product defect
Call for the dismissal of all qualified civil liability actions
pending on the date of enactment by the court in which the action was
brought
Prohibit the manufacture, import, sale or delivery of armor piercing
ammunition, and sets a minimum prison term of 15 years for violations
Require all licensed importers, manufacturers and dealers who engage
in the transfer of handguns to provide secure gun storage or safety
devices
Reference: Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act; Bill S 397 ;
vote number 2005-219 on Jul 29, 2005
Believes health care is a right, not a privilege for the few
Obama believes health care is a right for everyone, not a privilege
for the few. He has made affordable health care a priority - he
delivered coverage to an additional 20,000 children and 65,000 parents
in Illinois and sponsored a bill to protect the uninsured from price
gouging. He has proposed a detailed health plan that covers every
child in America, allows those near retirement to buy into Medicare,
and ensures coverage for those losing jobs through no fault of their
own.
Source: Campaign website, ObamaForIllinois.org, "On the Issues" Sep 28, 2004
Voted NO on extending the PATRIOT Act's wiretap provision.
Vote to invoke cloture on a conference report that extends the
authority of the FBI to conduct "roving wiretaps" and access business
records. Voting YES would recommend, in effect, that the PATRIOT Act
be extended through December 31, 2009, and would makes the provisions
of the PATRIOT Act permanent. Voting NO would extend debate further,
which would have the effect of NOT extending the PATRIOT Act's wiretap
provision.
Reference: Motion for Cloture of PATRIOT Act; Bill HR 3199 ; vote
number 2005-358 on Dec 16, 2005
Extend welfare and Medicaid to immigrants
Obama supports the folowing principles regarding immigration:
Continue to extend state-funded welfare benefits for legal immigrants.
Use state funds to continue some Medicaid coverage for legal immigrants.
Source: 1998 IL State Legislative National Political Awareness Test Jul 2, 1998
Spent time in both Muslim and Catholic schools
In Indonesia, I'd spent 2 years at a Muslim school, 2 years at a
Catholic school. In the Muslim school, the teacher wrote to tell
mother I made faces during Koranic studies. In the Catholic school,
when it came time to pray, I'd pretend to close my eyes, then peek
around the room. Nothing happened. No angels descended. Just a parched
old nun and 30 brown children, muttering words. Sometimes the nun
would catch me, and her stern look would force my lids back shut. But
that didn't change how I felt inside.
Source: Dreams from My Father, by Barack Obama, p.142 Aug 1, 1996
Problems with current Israeli policy
Obama will speak before a Jewish audience and talk about his problems
with Israeli policy in a way that inspires trust, rather than the kind
of disagreement that you often find when that happens.
Source: Salim Muwakkil and Amy Goodman, Democracy Now Jul 15, 2004
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I had the chance to talk live with Don and Roma last week on their WLS Radio program in Chicago last week. It's always a little nerve-wracking to do an interview live, especially for me as I don't have a lot of experience doing it. I can't help it: I think about the risk that I'll say something stupid, that I'll fumble badly over my words, that I'll forget to wear my pants, etc. But Don and Roma were nice to talk to so they put me at ease.
Here's a link where you can hear part of the interview: