Barack Obama

"Barack" and "Obama" redirect here. For other uses, see Barak (disambiguation) and Obama (disambiguation). For the Kenyan economist, Obama's father, see Barack Obama, Sr. Barack Obama 44th President of the United States Incumbent Assumed office  January 20, 2009 Vice President Joe Biden Preceded by George W. Bush United States Senator from Illinois In office January 3, 2005 – November 16, 2008 Preceded by Peter Fitzgerald Succeeded by Roland Burris Member of the Illinois Senate from the 13th district In office January 8, 1997 – November 4, 2004 Preceded by Alice Palmer Succeeded by Kwame Raoul Born August 4, 1961 (1961-08-04) (age 49)1 Honolulu, Hawaii2 Political party Democratic Party Spouse(s) Michelle Robinson Obama Children Malia Sasha Residence White House (official) Chicago, Illinois (private) Alma mater Occidental College Columbia University Harvard University Profession Community organizer Lawyer Constitutional law professor Author Religion Christianity3 Signature Website The White House Barack Obama This article is part of a series on Barack Obama Background  · Illinois Senate  · U.S. Senate · Political positions · Public image · Family · 2008 primaries · Obama–Biden campaign · Transition · Inauguration · Electoral history · Presidency (Timeline '09, '10, First 100 days)  · Nobel Peace Prize more... Barack Hussein Obama II (i /bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/; born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned after his election to the presidency in November 2008. A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. Obama served three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. Following an unsuccessful bid against a Democratic incumbent for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, he ran for United States Senate in 2004. Several events brought him to national attention during the campaign, including his victory in the March 2004 Democratic primary and his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004. He won election to the U.S. Senate in November 2004. His presidential campaign began in February 2007, and after a close campaign in the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries against Hillary Rodham Clinton, he won his party's nomination. In the 2008 general election, he defeated Republican nominee John McCain and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. As president, Obama signed economic stimulus legislation in the form of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in February 2009 and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 in December 2010. Other domestic policy initiatives include the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010. In foreign policy, Obama gradually withdrew combat troops from Iraq, increased troop levels in Afghanistan, and signed an arms control treaty with Russia. In October 2009, Obama was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Contents 1 Early life and career 1.1 Chicago community organizer and Harvard Law School 1.2 University of Chicago Law School and civil rights attorney 2 Legislative career: 1997–2008 2.1 State Senator: 1997–2004 2.2 U.S. Senate campaign 2.3 U.S. Senator: 2005–2008 2.3.1 Legislation 2.3.2 Committees 3 Presidential campaign: 2008 4 Presidency 4.1 First days 4.2 Domestic policy 4.2.1 Economic policy 4.2.2 Health care reform 4.2.3 Gulf of Mexico oil spill 4.3 Foreign and defense policy 4.3.1 Iraq war 4.3.2 War in Afghanistan 4.4 2010 midterm election 4.5 Cultural and political image 5 Family and personal life 5.1 Religious views 6 Notes 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External links // Early life and career Main article: Early life and career of Barack Obama Obama was born on August 4, 1961, at Kapi'olani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital (now called Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children) in Honolulu, Hawaii,4 the first President to have been born in Hawaii.5 His mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, was born in Wichita, Kansas.6 Of mostly English descent, her family also traces to Germany and Ireland;7 his great-great-great grandfather was born in County Offaly.8 His father, Barack Obama, Sr., was a Luo from Nyang'oma Kogelo, Nyanza Province, Kenya. Obama's parents met in 1960 in a Russian language class at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, where his father was a foreign student on scholarship.9 10 The couple married on February 2, 1961,11 separated when Obama Sr. went to Harvard University on scholarship, and divorced in 1964.9 Obama Sr. remarried and returned to Kenya, visiting Barack in Hawaii only once, in 1971. He died in an automobile accident in 1982.12 After her divorce, Dunham married Indonesian student Lolo Soetoro, who was attending college in Hawaii. When Suharto, a military leader in Soetoro's home country, came to power in 1967, all Indonesian students studying abroad were recalled, and the family moved to the Menteng neighborhood of Jakarta.13 From ages six to ten, Obama attended local schools in Jakarta, including Besuki Public School and St. Francis of Assisi School.14 In 1971, Obama returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Armour Dunham, and attended Punahou School, a private college preparatory school, from the fifth grade until his graduation from high school in 1979.15 Obama's mother returned to Hawaii in 1972, remaining there until 1977 when she went back to Indonesia to work as an anthropological field worker. She finally returned to Hawaii in 1994 and lived there for one year, before dying of ovarian cancer.1116 Barack Obama and half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng, with their mother Ann Dunham and grandfather Stanley Dunham, in Hawaii (early 1970s) Of his early childhood, Obama recalled, "That my father looked nothing like the people around me—that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk—barely registered in my mind."17 He described his struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage.18 Reflecting later on his formative years in Honolulu, Obama wrote: "The opportunity that Hawaii offered—to experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respect—became an integral part of my world view, and a basis for the values that I hold most dear."19 Obama has also written and talked about using alcohol, marijuana and cocaine during his teenage years to "push questions of who I was out of my mind."20 At the 2008 Civil Forum on the Presidency, Obama identified his high-school drug use as a great moral failure.21 Following high school, Obama moved to Los Angeles in 1979 to attend Occidental College.22 In February 1981, he made his first public speech, calling for Occidental's divestment from South Africa.22 In mid-1981, Obama traveled to Indonesia to visit his mother and sister Maya, and visited the families of college friends in India and Pakistan for three weeks.22 Later in 1981 he transferred to Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science with a specialty in international relations23 and graduated with a B.A. in 1983. He worked for a year at the Business International Corporation,24 then at the New York Public Interest Research Group.2526 Chicago community organizer and Harvard Law School After four years in New York City, Obama was hired in Chicago 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. He worked there as a community organizer from June 1985 to May 1988.2627 During his three years as the DCP's director, its staff grew from one to thirteen. He helped set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in Altgeld Gardens.28 Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, a community organizing institute.29 In mid-1988, he traveled for the first time in Europe for three weeks and then for five weeks in Kenya, where he met many of his paternal relatives for the first time.30 He returned in August 2006 for a visit to his father's birthplace, a village near Kisumu in rural western Kenya.31 In late 1988, Obama entered Harvard Law School. He was selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review at the end of his first year,32 and president of the journal in his second year.2833 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 1990.34 After graduating with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) magna cum laude35 from Harvard in 1991, he returned to Chicago.32 Obama's election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review gained national media attention2833 and led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations,36 which evolved into a personal memoir. The manuscript was published in mid-1995 as Dreams from My Father.36 University of Chicago Law School and civil rights attorney In 1991, Obama accepted a two-year position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School to work on his first book.3637 He then served as a professor at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years—as a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and as a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004—teaching constitutional law.38 From April to October 1992, Obama directed Illinois's Project Vote, a voter registration drive with ten staffers and seven hundred volunteer registrars; it 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.39 In 1993 he joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a 13-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 2002.40 From 1994 to 2002, Obama served on the boards of directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago, which in 1985 had been the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project, and of the Joyce Foundation.26 He served on the board of directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995 to 2002, as founding president and chairman of the board of directors from 1995 to 1999.26 Legislative career: 1997–2008 State Senator: 1997–2004 Main article: Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996, succeeding State Senator Alice Palmer as Senator from Illinois's 13th District, which at that time spanned Chicago South Side neighborhoods from Hyde Park – Kenwood south to South Shore and west to Chicago Lawn.41 Once elected, Obama gained bipartisan support for legislation reforming ethics and health care laws.42 He sponsored a law increasing tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for childcare.43 In 2001, as co-chairman of the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, Obama supported Republican Governor Ryan's payday loan regulations and predatory mortgage lending regulations aimed at averting home foreclosures.44 Obama was reelected to the Illinois Senate in 1998, defeating Republican Yesse Yehudah in the general election, and was reelected again in 2002.45 In 2000, he lost a Democratic primary run for the U.S. House of Representatives to four-term incumbent Bobby Rush by a margin of two to one.46 In January 2003, Obama became chairman of the Illinois Senate's Health and Human Services Committee when Democrats, after a decade in the minority, regained a majority.47 He sponsored and led unanimous, bipartisan passage of legislation to monitor racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drivers they detained, and legislation making Illinois the first state to mandate videotaping of homicide interrogations.4348 During his 2004 general election campaign for U.S. Senate, police representatives credited Obama for his active engagement with police organizations in enacting death penalty reforms.49 Obama resigned from the Illinois Senate in November 2004 following his election to the U.S. Senate.50 U.S. Senate campaign See also: United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004 In May 2002, Obama commissioned a poll to assess his prospects in a 2004 U.S. Senate race; he created a campaign committee, began raising funds and lined up political media consultant David Axelrod by August 2002, and formally announced his candidacy in January 2003.51 Obama was an early opponent of the George W. Bush administration's 2003 invasion of Iraq.52 On October 2, 2002, the day President Bush and Congress agreed on the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War,53 Obama addressed the first high-profile Chicago anti-Iraq War rally,54 and spoke out against the war.55 He addressed another anti-war rally in March 2003 and told the crowd that "it's not too late" to stop the war.56 County results of the 2004 race. Decisions by Republican incumbent Peter Fitzgerald and his Democratic predecessor Carol Moseley Braun to not participate in the election resulted in wide-open Democratic and Republican primary contests involving fifteen candidates.57 In the March 2004 primary election, Obama won in an unexpected landslide—which overnight made him a rising star within the national Democratic Party, started speculation about a presidential future, and led to the reissue of his memoir, Dreams from My Father.58 In July 2004, Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts,59 and it was seen by 9.1 million viewers. His speech was well received and elevated his status within the Democratic Party.60 Obama's expected opponent in the general election, Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, withdrew from the race in June 2004.61 Six weeks later, Alan Keyes accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination to replace Ryan.62 In the November 2004 general election, Obama won with 70% of the vote.63 U.S. Senator: 2005–2008 Main article: United States Senate career of Barack Obama Obama delivering a speech at the University of Southern California, on October 28, 2006. Obama was sworn in as a senator on January 4, 2005,64 becoming the only Senate member of the Congressional Black Caucus.65 CQ Weekly characterized him as a "loyal Democrat" based on analysis of all Senate votes in 2005–2007. The National Journal ranked him among the "most liberal" senators during 2005 through 200766 (the ranking has been criticized by liberal groups such as Media Matters for America6768). He enjoyed high popularity as senator with a 72% approval in Illinois.69 Obama announced on November 13, 2008, that he would resign his Senate seat on November 16, 2008, before the start of the lame-duck session, to focus on his transition period for the presidency.70 Legislation See also: List of bills sponsored by Barack Obama in the United States Senate Senate bill sponsors Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Obama discussing the Coburn–Obama Transparency Act71 Obama cosponsored the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act.72 He introduced two initiatives bearing his name: Lugar–Obama, which expanded the Nunn–Lugar cooperative threat reduction concept to conventional weapons,73 and the Coburn–Obama Transparency Act, which authorized the establishment of USAspending.gov, a web search engine on federal spending.74 On June 3, 2008, Senator Obama, along with Senators Tom Carper, Tom Coburn, and John McCain, introduced follow-up legislation: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008.75 Obama sponsored legislation that would have required nuclear plant owners to notify state and local authorities of radioactive leaks, but the bill failed to pass in the full Senate after being heavily modified in committee.76 Regarding tort reform, Obama voted for the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 and the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, which grants immunity from civil liability to telecommunications companies complicit with NSA warrantless wiretapping operations.77 Obama and U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) visit a Russian mobile launch missile dismantling facility in August 2005.78 In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act, marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor.79 In January 2007, Obama and Senator Feingold introduced a corporate jet provision to the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which was signed into law in September 2007.80 Obama also introduced Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act, a bill to criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections,81 and the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007,82 neither of which has been signed into law. Later in 2007, Obama sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act adding safeguards for personality disorder military discharges.83 This amendment passed the full Senate in the spring of 2008.84 He sponsored the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry, which has not passed committee, and co-sponsored legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism.85 Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the State Children's Health Insurance Program providing one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries.86 Committees Obama held assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works and Veterans' Affairs through December 2006.87 In January 2007, he left the Environment and Public Works committee and took additional assignments with Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.88 He also became Chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on European Affairs.89 As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. He met with Mahmoud Abbas before Abbas became President of the Palestinian Authority, and gave a speech at the University of Nairobi condemning corruption within the Kenyan government.90 Presidential campaign: 2008 Main articles: United States presidential election, 2008, Barack Obama presidential primary campaign, 2008, and Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008 Obama stands on stage with his wife and two daughters just before announcing his presidential candidacy in Springfield, Illinois, Feb. 10, 2007. On February 10, 2007, Obama announced his candidacy for president of the United States in front of the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois.919293 The choice of the announcement site was viewed as symbolic9194 because it was also where Abraham Lincoln delivered his historic "House Divided" speech in 1858.93 Obama emphasized the issues of rapidly ending the Iraq War, increasing energy independence, and providing universal health care,95 in a campaign that projected themes of "hope" and "change".96 Obama delivers his presidential election victory speech in Chicago's Grant Park. A large number of candidates entered the Democratic Party presidential primaries. The field narrowed to a duel between Obama and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton after early contests, with the race remaining close throughout the primary process but with Obama gaining a steady lead in pledged delegates due to better long-range planning, superior fundraising, dominant organizing in caucus states, and better exploitation of delegate allocation rules.97 Clinton ended her campaign and endorsed him on June 7, 2008.98 Obama announced on August 23 that he had selected Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate,99 from a field speculated to include Senator Evan Bayh and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine.100 At the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, Hillary Clinton called for her delegates and supporters to endorse Obama, and she and Bill Clinton gave convention speeches in support of Obama.101 Obama delivered his acceptance speech, not at the convention center where the Democratic National Convention was held,102 but at Invesco Field at Mile High to a crowd of over 75,000103 and presented his policy goals; the speech was viewed by over 38 million people worldwide.104 President George W. Bush meets with President-Elect Obama in the Oval Office on November 10, 2008. During both the primary process and the general election, Obama's campaign set numerous fundraising records, particularly in the quantity of small donations.105 On June 19, 2008, Obama became the first major-party presidential candidate to turn down public financing in the general election since the system was created in 1976.106 McCain was nominated as the Republican candidate and the two engaged in three presidential debates in September and October 2008.107 On November 4, Obama won the presidency by winning 365 electoral votes to 173 received by McCain,108 capturing 52.9% of the popular vote to McCain's 45.7%,109 to become the first African American110 to be elected president. Obama delivered his victory speech before hundreds of thousands of supporters in Chicago's Grant Park.111 Presidency Main article: Presidency of Barack Obama See also: Confirmations of Barack Obama's Cabinet and List of presidential trips made by Barack Obama First days Wikinews has related news: Barack Obama elected 44th President of the United States The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President, and Joe Biden as Vice President, took place on January 20, 2009. In his first few days in office Obama issued executive orders and presidential memoranda directing the U.S. military to develop plans to withdraw troops from Iraq,112 and ordered the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp "as soon as practicable and no later than" January 2010.113 Obama also reduced the secrecy given to presidential records114 and changed procedures to promote disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.115 The president also reversed George W. Bush's ban on federal funding to foreign establishments that allow abortions.116 Domestic policy Barack Obama takes the oath of office as President of the United States. The first bill signed into law by Obama was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, relaxing the statute of limitations for equal-pay lawsuits.117 Five days later, he signed the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover an additional 4 million children currently uninsured.118 In March 2009, Obama reversed a Bush-era policy which had limited funding of embryonic stem cell research. Obama stated that he believed "sound science and moral values...are not inconsistent" and pledged to develop "strict guidelines" on the research.119 Obama appointed two women to serve on the Supreme Court in the first two years of his Presidency. Sonia Sotomayor, nominated by Obama on May 26, 2009, to replace retiring Associate Justice David Souter, was confirmed on August 6, 2009,120 becoming the first Hispanic to be a Supreme Court Justice.121 Elena Kagan, nominated by Obama on May 10, 2010, to replace retiring Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, was confirmed on August 5, 2010, bringing the number of women sitting simultaneously on the Court to three, for the first time in American history.122 On September 30, 2009, the Obama administration proposed new regulations on power plants, factories and oil refineries in an attempt to limit greenhouse gas emissions and to curb global warming.123124 On October 8, 2009, Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a measure that expands the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.125126127 On March 30, 2010, Obama signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, a reconciliation bill which ends the process of the federal government giving subsidies to private banks to give out federally insured loans, increases the Pell Grant scholarship award, and makes changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.128129130131 In a major space policy speech in April 2010, Obama announced a planned change in direction at NASA, the U.S. space agency. He ended plans for a return of manned spaceflight to the moon and ended development of the Ares I rocket, Ares V rocket and Constellation program. He is focusing funding (which is expected to rise modestly) on Earth science projects and a new rocket type, as well as research and development for an eventual manned mission to Mars. Missions to the International Space Station are expected to continue until 2020.132 Economic policy On February 17, 2009, Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a $787 billion economic stimulus package aimed at helping the economy recover from the deepening worldwide recession.133 The act includes increased federal spending for health care, infrastructure, education, various tax breaks and incentives, and direct assistance to individuals,134 which is being distributed over the course of several years. President Barack Obama signs the ARRA into law on February 17, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. Vice President Joe Biden stands behind him. In March, Obama's Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, took further steps to manage the financial crisis, including introducing the Public-Private Investment Program for Legacy Assets, which contains provisions for buying up to $2 trillion in depreciated real estate assets.135 Obama intervened in the troubled automotive industry136 in March 2009, renewing loans for General Motors and Chrysler to continue operations while reorganizing. Over the following months the White House set terms for both firms' bankruptcies, including the sale of Chrysler to Italian automaker Fiat137 and a reorganization of GM giving the U.S. government a temporary 60% equity stake in the company, with the Canadian government shouldering a 12% stake.138 In June 2009, dissatisfied with the pace of economic stimulus, Obama called on his cabinet to accelerate the investment.139 He signed into law the Car Allowance Rebate System, known colloquially as "Cash for Clunkers", that had mixed results.140141142 Although spending and loan guarantees from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department authorized by the Bush and Obama administrations totaled about $11.5 trillion, only $3 trillion had actually been spent by the end of November 2009.143 However, Obama and the Congressional Budget Office predict that the 2010 budget deficit will be $1.5 trillion or 10.6% of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) compared to the 2009 deficit of $1.4 trillion or 9.9% of GDP.144145 For 2011, the administration predicted the deficit will slightly shrink to $1.34, while the 10-year deficit will increase to $8.53 trillion or 80% of GDP.146 Unemployment numbers rose briefly to as high as 10.1% in October 2009 (the highest since 1983)147 before decreasing to 9.5% in June 2010.148 In the first quarter of 2010, the U.S. economy expanded at a 2.7% pace149 after growing at its fastest rate in six years in the fourth quarter, 5.7%.150 In July 2010, the Federal Reserve expressed that although economic activity continued to increase, its pace had slowed and its Chairman, Ben Bernanke, stated that the economic outlook was "unusually uncertain."151 The Congressional Budget Office and a broad range of economists credit Obama's stimulus plan for economic growth.152153 The CBO released a report stating that the stimulus bill increased employment by 1–2.1 million,153154155156 while conceding that "It is impossible to determine how many of the reported jobs would have existed in the absence of the stimulus package."157 Although an April 2010 survey of members of the National Association for Business Economics showed an increase in job creation (over a similar January survey) for the first time in two years, 73% of the 68 respondents believed that the stimulus bill has had no impact on employment.158 Within a month of the 2010 midterm elections, Obama announced a compromise deal with the Congressional Republican leadership that included a temporary, two-year extension of the 2001 and 2003 income tax rates, a one-year payroll tax reduction, continuation of unemployment benefits, and a new rate and exemption amount for estate taxes.159 The compromise overcome opposition from some in both parties, and the resulting $858 billion Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 passed with bipartisan majorities in both houses of Congress before Obama signed it on December 17, 2010.160 Health care reform Main article: Health care reform in the United States Barack Obama signs the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at the White House, March 23, 2010. Obama called for Congress to pass legislation reforming health care in the United States, a key campaign promise and a top legislative goal.161 He proposed an expansion of health insurance coverage to cover the uninsured, to cap premium increases, and to allow people to retain their coverage when they leave or change jobs. His proposal was to spend $900 billion over 10 years and include a government insurance plan, also known as the public option, to compete with the corporate insurance sector as a main component to lowering costs and improving quality of health care. It would also make it illegal for insurers to drop sick people or deny them coverage for pre-existing conditions, and require every American carry health coverage. The plan also includes medical spending cuts and taxes on insurance companies that offer expensive plans.162163 On July 14, 2009, House Democratic leaders introduced a 1,017-page plan for overhauling the U.S. health care system, which Obama wanted Congress to approve by the end of 2009.161 After much public debate during the Congressional summer recess of 2009, Obama delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress on September 9 where he addressed concerns over his administration's proposals.164 On November 7, 2009, a health care bill featuring the public option was passed in the House.165166 On December 24, 2009, the Senate passed its own bill—without a public option—on a party-line vote of 60–39.167 On March 21, 2010, the health care bill passed by the Senate in December was passed in the House by a vote of 219 to 212.168 Obama signed the bill into law on March 23, 2010.169 Gulf of Mexico oil spill Main article: Deepwater Horizon oil spill On April 20, 2010, an explosion destroyed an offshore drilling rig at the Macondo Prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, causing a major sustained oil leak. The well's operator, BP, initiated a containment and cleanup plan, and began drilling two relief wells intended to stop the flow. Obama visited the Gulf on May 2 among visits by members of his cabinet, and again on May 28 and June 4. He began a federal investigation and formed a bipartisan commission to recommend new safety standards, after a review by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and concurrent Congressional hearings. On May 27, he announced a 6-month moratorium on new deepwater drilling permits and leases, pending regulatory review.170 As multiple efforts by BP failed, some in the media and public expressed confusion and criticism over various aspects of the incident, and stated a desire for more involvement by Obama and the federal government.171172173174175 Foreign and defense policy President Obama in discussion with Chinese President Hu Jintao at the 2009 Pittsburgh G-20 Summit Main article: Foreign policy of the Barack Obama administration In February and March, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made separate overseas trips to announce a "new era" in U.S. foreign relations with Russia and Europe, using the terms "break" and "reset" to signal major changes from the policies of the preceding administration.176 Obama's granting of his first television interview as president to an Arabic cable network, Al Arabiya, was seen as an attempt to reach out to Arab leaders.177 On March 19, Obama continued his outreach to the Muslim world, releasing a New Year's video message to the people and government of Iran.178 This attempt at outreach was rebuffed by the Iranian leadership.179 In April, Obama gave a speech in Ankara, Turkey, which was well received by many Arab governments.180 On June 4, 2009, Obama delivered a speech at Cairo University in Egypt calling for "a new beginning" in relations between the Islamic world and the United States and promoting Middle East peace.181 British Prime Minister David Cameron and President Barack Obama, during the 2010 G-20 Toronto summit. On June 26, 2009, in response to the Iranian government's actions towards protesters following Iran's 2009 presidential election, Obama said: "The violence perpetrated against them is outrageous. We see it and we condemn it."182 On July 7, while in Moscow, he responded to a Vice President Biden comment on a possible Israeli military strike on Iran by saying: "We have said directly to the Israelis that it is important to try and resolve this in an international setting in a way that does not create major conflict in the Middle East."183 On September 24, 2009, Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to preside over a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.184 In March 2010, Obama took a public stance against plans by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue building Jewish housing projects in predominantly Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem.185186 During the same month, an agreement was reached with the administration of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with a new pact reducing the number of long-range nuclear weapons in the arsenals of both countries by about one-third.187 The New START treaty was signed by Obama and Medvedev in April 2010, and was ratified by the U.S. Senate in December 2010.188 On December 22, 2010, Obama signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010, a bill that provides for repeal of the Don't ask, don't tell policy of 1993 that has prevented gay and lesbian people from serving openly in the United States Armed Forces.189 Repealing "Don't ask, don't tell" had been a key campaign promise that Obama had made during the 2008 presidential campaign.190191 Iraq war Obama declares the end of combat operations in Iraq. Main article: Iraq War During his presidential transition, President-elect Obama announced that he would retain the incumbent Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, in his Cabinet.192 On February 27, 2009, Obama declared that combat operations would end in Iraq within 18 months. His remarks were made to a group of Marines preparing for deployment to Afghanistan. Obama said, "Let me say this as plainly as I can: By August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end."193 The Obama administration scheduled the withdrawal of combat troops to be completed by August 2010, decreasing troops levels from 142,000 while leaving a transitional force of 35,000 to 50,000 in Iraq until the end of 2011. On August 19, 2010, the last United States combat brigade exited Iraq. The plan is to transition the mission of the remaining troops from combat operations to counter-terrorism and the training, equipping, and advising of Iraqi security forces.194195 On August 31, 2010, Obama announced that the United States combat mission in Iraq was over.196 War in Afghanistan Main article: War in Afghanistan (2001–present) Early in his presidency, Obama moved to bolster U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan.197 He announced an increase to U.S. troop levels of 17,000 in February 2009 to "stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan", an area he said had not received the "strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires".198 He replaced the military commander in Afghanistan, General David D. McKiernan, with former Special Forces commander Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal in May 2009, indicating that McChrystal's Special Forces experience would facilitate the use of counterinsurgency tactics in the war.199 On December 1, 2009, Obama announced the deployment of an additional 30,000 military personnel to Afghanistan.200 He also proposed to begin troop withdrawals 18 months from that date.201202 McChrystal was replaced by David Petraeus in June 2010 after McChrystal's staff criticized White House personnel in a magazine article.203 2010 midterm election Obama called the November 2, 2010 election, where the Democratic Party lost many seats in, and control of, the House of Representatives,204 "humbling" and a "shellacking".205 He said that the results came because not enough Americans had felt the effects of the economic recovery.206 Cultural and political image President George W. Bush invited then-President-elect Barack Obama and former Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter to a meeting in the Oval Office on January 7, 2009. Main article: Public image of Barack Obama See also: International media reaction to Barack Obama's 2008 election Obama's family history, early life and upbringing, and Ivy League education differ markedly from those of African-American politicians who launched their careers in the 1960s through participation in the civil rights movement.207 Obama is also not a descendant of American slaves.208 Expressing puzzlement over questions about whether he is "black enough", Obama told an August 2007 meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists that "we're still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong."209 Obama acknowledged his youthful image in an October 2007 campaign speech, saying: "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation."210 Obama is frequently referred to as an exceptional orator.211 During his pre-inauguration transition period and continuing into his presidency, Obama has delivered a series of weekly Internet video addresses.212 Obama presents his first weekly address as President of the United States on January 24, 2009, discussing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. According to the Pew Research Center, Obama's approval ratings dropped from 64% in February, 2009 to 49% in December, a trend similar to Ronald Reagan's and Bill Clinton's first years.213 Polls show strong support for Obama in other countries,214 and before being elected President he has met with prominent foreign figures including then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair,215 Italy's Democratic Party leader and then Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni,216 and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.217 According to a May 2009 poll conducted by Harris Interactive for France 24 and the International Herald Tribune, Obama was rated as the most popular world leader, as well as the one figure most people would pin their hopes on for pulling the world out of the economic downturn.218 Obama won Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Awards for abridged audiobook versions of Dreams from My Father in February 2006 and for The Audacity of Hope in February 2008.219 His concession speech after the New Hampshire primary was set to music by independent artists as the music video "Yes We Can", which was viewed by 10 million people on YouTube in its first month220 and received a Daytime Emmy Award.221 In December 2008, Time magazine named Barack Obama as its Person of the Year for his historic candidacy and election, which it described as "the steady march of seemingly impossible accomplishments".222 On October 9, 2009, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that Obama had won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples".223 Obama accepted this award in Oslo, Norway on December 10, 2009, with "deep gratitude and great humility."224 The award drew a mixture of praise and criticism from world leaders and media figures.225226 Obama is the fourth U.S. president to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and the third to become a Nobel laureate while in office. A 2010 Siena College poll of 238 Presidential scholars found that Obama was ranked 15th out of 43, with high ratings for imagination, communication ability and intelligence and a low rating for background (family, education and experience).227 Family and personal life Barack Obama together with his family and a costumed Easter Bunny, as they wave from the South Portico of the White House to guests attending the White House Easter Egg Roll. Main articles: Early life and career of Barack Obama and Family of Barack Obama In a 2006 interview, Obama highlighted the diversity of his extended family: "It's like a little mini-United Nations", he said. "I've got relatives who look like Bernie Mac, and I've got relatives who look like Margaret Thatcher."228 Obama has seven half-siblings from his Kenyan father's family – six of them living – and a half-sister with whom he was raised, Maya Soetoro-Ng, the daughter of his mother and her Indonesian second husband.229 Obama's mother was survived by her Kansas-born mother, Madelyn Dunham,230 until her death on November 2, 2008,231 two days before his election to the Presidency. In Dreams from My Father, Obama ties his mother's family history to possible Native American ancestors and distant relatives of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.232 Obama's great-uncle served in the 89th Division that overran Ohrdruf,233 the first of the Nazi concentration camps to be liberated by U.S. troops during World War II.234 Obama was known as "Barry" in his youth, but asked to be addressed with his given name during his college years.235 Besides his native English, Obama speaks Indonesian at the conversational level, which he learned during his four childhood years in Jakarta.236 He plays basketball, a sport he participated in as a member of his high school's varsity team.237 Obama playing basketball with U.S. military at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti in 2006238 Obama receiving a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey from Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who campaigned for Obama in 2008239 Obama is a well known supporter of the Chicago White Sox, and threw out the first pitch at the 2005 ALCS when he was still a senator.240 In 2009, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the all star game while wearing a White Sox jacket.241 He is also primarily a Chicago Bears fan in the NFL, but is known to also support the Pittsburgh Steelers, and openly rooted for them ahead of their victory in Super Bowl XLIII 12 days after Obama took office as President.239 In June 1989, Obama met Michelle Robinson when he was employed as a summer associate at the Chicago law firm of Sidley Austin.242 Assigned for three months as Obama's adviser at the firm, Robinson joined him at group social functions, but declined his initial requests to date.243 They began dating later that summer, became engaged in 1991, and were married on October 3, 1992.244 The couple's first daughter, Malia Ann, was born on July 4, 1998,245 followed by a second daughter, Natasha ("Sasha"), on June 10, 2001.246 The Obama daughters attended the private University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. When they moved to Washington, D.C., in January 2009, the girls started at the private Sidwell Friends School.247 The Obamas have a Portuguese Water Dog named Bo, a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy.248 Applying the proceeds of a book deal, the family moved in 2005 from a Hyde Park, Chicago condominium to a $1.6 million house in neighboring Kenwood, Chicago.249 The purchase of an adjacent lot and sale of part of it to Obama by the wife of developer, campaign donor and friend Tony Rezko attracted media attention because of Rezko's subsequent indictment and conviction on political corruption charges that were unrelated to Obama.250 In December 2007, Money magazine estimated the Obama family's net worth at $1.3 million.251 Their 2009 tax return showed a household income of $5.5 million—up from about $4.2 million in 2007 and $1.6 million in 2005—mostly from sales of his books.252253 Obama tried to quit smoking several times over the years and has used nicotine replacement therapy.254255256 In June 2010, during a congratulatory phone call to president-elect Benigno Aquino of the Philippines, Obama told Aquino that he had quit and would offer advice on how to stop smoking when Aquino was himself ready for that step.257 Religious views As he described in The Audacity of Hope, Obama is a Christian whose religious views developed in his adult life. He wrote that he "was not raised in a religious household". He described his mother, raised by non-religious parents (whom Obama has specified elsewhere as "non-practicing Methodists and Baptists"), to be detached from religion, yet "in many ways the most spiritually awakened person that I have ever known". He described his father as "raised a Muslim", but a "confirmed atheist" by the time his parents met, and his stepfather as "a man who saw religion as not particularly useful". Obama explained how, through working with black churches as a community organizer while in his twenties, he came to understand "the power of the African-American religious tradition to spur social change".258 On September 27, 2010, Obama released a statement commenting on his religious views saying "I'm a Christian by choice. My family didn't—frankly, they weren't folks who went to church every week. And my mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn't raise me in the church. So I came to my Christian faith later in life, and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead—being my brothers' and sisters' keeper, treating others as they would treat me."259260 Obama was baptized at the Trinity United Church of Christ in 1988 and was an active member there for two decades.261 Obama resigned from Trinity during the Presidential campaign after controversial statements made by Rev. Jeremiah Wright became public.262 After a prolonged effort to find a church to attend regularly in Washington, Obama announced in June 2009 that his primary place of worship would be the Evergreen Chapel at Camp David.263 Notes ^ . (2008). "President Barack Obama". Washington, D.C.: The White House. http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president-obama. Retrieved December 12, 2008.  ^ . (June 12, 2008). "Certification of Live Birth: Barack Hussein Obama II, August 4, 1961, 7:24 PM, Honolulu". Department of Health, State of Hawaii. PolitiFact.com. http://static.politifact.com.s3.amazonaws.com/graphics/birthCertObama.jpg. Retrieved December 12, 2008.  ^ . (2009). "American President: Barack Obama". Charlottesville, Va.: Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/obama. Retrieved January 23, 2009. "Religion: Christian" . . (November 12, 2007). "Obama has never been a Muslim, and is a committed Christian". Organizing for America (barackobama.com). http://www.barackobama.com/factcheck/2007/11/12/obama_has_never_been_a_muslim_1.php. Retrieved February 4, 2010.  Miller, Lisa (July 18, 2008). "Finding his faith". Newsweek.com. http://www.newsweek.com/id/145971. Retrieved February 4, 2010. "He is now a Christian, having been baptized in the early 1990s at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago." . Barakat, Matthew (Associated Press) (November 17, 2008). "Obama's church choice likely to be scrutinized; D.C. churches have started extending invitations to Obama and his family". msnbc.com. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27775757. Retrieved January 20, 2009. "The United Church of Christ, the denomination from which Obama resigned when he left Wright's church, issued a written invitation to join a UCC denomination in Washington and resume his connections to the church." . . (January 20, 2009). "Barack Obama, long time UCC member, inaugurated forty-fourth U.S. President". News. Cleveland: United Church of Christ. http://www.ucc.org/news/obama-inauguration.html. Retrieved January 21, 2009. "Barack Obama, who spent more than 20 years as a UCC member, is the forty-fourth President of the United States." . Sullivan, Amy (June 29, 2009). "The Obama's find a church home—away from home". Time.com. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1907610,00.html. Retrieved February 5, 2010. "… instead of joining a congregation in Washington, D.C., he will follow in George W. Bush's footsteps and make his primary place of worship Evergreen Chapel, the nondenominational church at Camp David." . Kornblut, Anne E. (February 4, 2010). "Obama's spirituality is largely private, but it's influential, advisers say". The Washington Post: p. A6. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR2010020303619.html. Retrieved February 5, 2010. "… Obama prays privately … And when he takes his family to Camp David on the weekends, a Navy chaplain ministers to them, with the daughters attending a form of Sunday school there." . ^ Henig, Jess; Miller, Joe (August 21, 2008). "Born in the U.S.A.; The truth about Obama's birth certificate". FactCheck.org. http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html. Retrieved October 24, 2008.  Maraniss, David (August 24, 2008). "Though Obama had to leave to find himself, it is Hawaii that made his rise possible". The Washington Post: p. A22. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/23/AR2008082301620.html. Retrieved October 28, 2008.  Nakaso, Dan (December 22, 2008). "Twin sisters, Obama on parallel paths for years". The Honolulu Advertiser: p. B1. http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Dec/22/ln/hawaii812220320.html. Retrieved January 22, 2011. "at the old Kapiolani Maternity and Gynecological Hospital" . ^ Martin, Michel (October 29, 2008). "Asian writer ponders first Asian president too (transcript)". Tell Me More. NPR.org. http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=96126355. Retrieved April 18, 2010. "He'd be the first president born in Hawaii, for example." . Rudin, Ken (December 23, 2009). "Today's Junkie segment On TOTN: a political review Of 2009". Talk of the Nation (Political Junkie blog). NPR.org. http://www.npr.org/blogs/politicaljunkie/2009/12/todays_junkie_segment_on_totn_5.html. Retrieved April 18, 2010. "We began with the historic inauguration on Jan. 20—yes, the first president ever born in Hawaii ..." . ^ for Stanley Ann's first name, see Obama (1995, 2004), p. 19. ^ Smolenyak, Megan Smolenyak (November/December 2008). "The quest for Obama's Irish roots". Ancestry 26 (6): 46–47, 49. ISSN 1075-475X. http://books.google.com/books?id=ITgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA46&dq=obama+irish+smolenyak&hl=en&ei=augMTe7OPIOglAei38i6BQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=obama%20irish%20smolenyak&f=false. Retrieved December 20, 2011.  Rising, David; Noelting, Christoph (Associated Press) (June 4, 2009). "Researchers: Obama has German roots". USAToday.com. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-06-04-obama-roots_N.htm. Retrieved May 13, 2010.  Hutton, Brian (Press Association of Ireland); Nickerson, Matthew (May 3, 2007). "For sure, Obama's South Side Irish; One of his roots traces back to small village" (paid archive). Chicago Sun-Times: p. 3. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=(For%20sure)%20(%20Obama's%20South%20Side%20Irish)%20AND%20date(all)&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=(For%20sure)%20(%20Obama's%20South%20Side%20Irish)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no. Retrieved November 24, 2008.  Jordon, Mary (May 13, 2007). "Tiny Irish village is latest place to claim Obama as its own". The Washington Post: p. A14. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/12/AR2007051201551.html. Retrieved May 13, 2007.  ^ Elliott, Philip (Associated Press) (March 17, 2009). "Barack Obama on Saint Patrick's Day: I'm a little bit Irish". HuffingtonPost.com. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/17/obama-on-st-patricks-day_n_175901.html. Retrieved October 4, 2010.  ^ a b Jones, Tim (March 27, 2007). "Barack Obama: Mother not just a girl from Kansas; Stanley Ann Dunham shaped a future senator". Chicago Tribune: p. 1 (Tempo). http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-0703270151mar27-archive,0,5853572,full.story. Retrieved March 27, 2007.  ^ Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 9–10. For book excerpts, see: Obama, Barack (November 1, 2004). "Barack Obama: Creation of tales (serialisation of Dreams from My Father)". The EastAfrican. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070927225314/http://www.nationmedia.com/EastAfrican/01112004/Features/PA2-2212.html. Retrieved April 14, 2008.  ^ a b Ripley, Amanda (April 9, 2008). "The story of Barack Obama's mother". Time.com. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1729524,00.html. Retrieved April 9, 2007.  (online) ^ Ochieng, Philip (November 1, 2004). "From home squared to the US Senate: how Barack Obama was lost and found". The EastAfrican. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070927223905/http://www.nationmedia.com/EastAfrican/01112004/Features/PA2-11.html. Retrieved June 25, 2008.  Merida, Kevin (December 14, 2007). "The ghost of a father". The Washington Post: p. A12. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2007/12/13/ST2007121301893.html. Retrieved June 25, 2008.  ^ Karana, Kinanti Pinta (December 9, 2009). "Statue of a young Obama to watch over Indonesian capital". Jakarta Globe. http://thejakartaglobe.com/home/statue-of-us-president-barack-obama-to-be-unveiled-in-jakarta-park/346178. Retrieved December 8, 2009.  Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 44–45. ^ Pickler, Nedra (Associated Press) (January 24, 2007). "Obama debunks claim about Islamic school". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/24/AR2007012400371_pf.html. Retrieved December 31, 2009.  . (December 10, 2009). "Statue of boy Obama erected in Jakarta". Xinhuanet.com. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/10/content_12624443.htm. Retrieved December 31, 2009.  ^ Serafin, Peter (March 21, 2004). "Punahou grad stirs up Illinois politics". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. http://archives.starbulletin.com/2004/03/21/news/story4.html. Retrieved March 20, 2008.  Obama (1995, 2004), Chapters 3 and 4. ^ Suryakusuma, Julia (November 29, 2006). "Obama for President... of Indonesia". Jakarta Post. http://www.juliasuryakusuma.com/column.php?menu_id=1&year=2006&month=11&column_id=111. Retrieved June 25, 2008.  ^ Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 9–10. ^ Serrano, Richard A. (March 11, 2007). "Obama's peers didn't see his angst". Los Angeles Times: p. A20. http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-obamahawaii11-2007mar11,0,199085,full.story. Retrieved March 13, 2007.  Obama (1995, 2004), Chapters 4 and 5. ^ Reyes, B.J. (February 8, 2007). "Punahou left lasting impression on Obama". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. http://archives.starbulletin.com/2007/02/08/news/story02.html. Retrieved February 10, 2007. "As a teenager, Obama went to parties and sometimes sought out gatherings on military bases or at the University of Hawaii that were mostly attended by blacks." . ^ Elliott, Philip (Associated Press) (November 21, 2007). "Obama gets blunt with N.H. students". The Boston Globe: p. 8A. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/11/21/obama_gets_blunt_with_nh_students. Retrieved January 4, 2008.  Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 93–94. "Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it." for analysis of the political impact of the quote and Obama's more recent admission that he smoked marijuana as a teenager ("When I was a kid, I inhaled"), see: Seelye, Katharine Q. (October 24, 2006). "Obama offers more variations from the norm". The New York Times: p. A21. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D07E2DB173FF937A15753C1A9609C8B63. Retrieved October 29, 2006.  Romano, Lois (January 3, 2007). "Effect of Obama's candor remains to be seen". The Washington Post: p. A1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/02/AR2007010201359.html. Retrieved January 14, 2007.  ^ Hornick, Ed (August 17, 2008). "Obama, McCain talk issues at pastor's forum". CNN.com. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/16/warren.forum. Retrieved January 4, 2009.  ^ a b c Gordon, Larry (January 29, 2007). "Occidental recalls 'Barry' Obama". Los Angeles Times: p. B1. http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jan/29/local/me-oxy29. Retrieved May 12, 2010.  Possley, Maurice (March 30, 2007). "Activism blossomed in college". Chicago Tribune: p. 20. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0703291042mar30-archive,0,1533921.story. Retrieved May 12, 2010.  Kovaleski, Serge F. (February 9, 2008). "Old friends say drugs played bit part in Obama's young life". 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FactCheck.org. http://www.factcheck.org/2009/06/more-birther-nonsense-obamas-1981-pakistan-trip. Retrieved May 12, 2010.  Remnick, David (2010). The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 98–112. ISBN 9781400043606.  Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 92–112. Mendell (2007), pp. 55–62. ^ Boss-Bicak, Shira (January 2005). "Barack Obama '83". Columbia College Today. ISSN 0572-7820. http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct_archive/jan05/cover.php. Retrieved October 1, 2006.  ^ Obama, Barack (1998). "Curriculum vitae". The University of Chicago Law School. Archived from the original on May 9, 2001. http://web.archive.org/web/20010509024017/http://www.law.uchicago.edu/faculty/obama/cv.html. Retrieved October 1, 2006.  Issenberg, Sasha (August 6, 2008). "Obama shows hints of his year in global finance; Tied markets to social aid" (paid archive). 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Press release. http://obama.senate.gov/press/050823-obama_to_visit/.  ^ Quel giorno di tre anni fa a Washington Barack mi raccontò la sua speranza Rome Mayor's Leadership Bid May Lead to Early Italian Elections; VELTRONI A NEW YORK – Il politico prevale sull' amministratore ^ Pedder, Sophie (February 20, 2008). "Sarkozy, Obama and McCain". The Economist. http://www.economist.com/blogs/certainideasofeurope/2008/02/sarkozy_obama_and_mccain.cfm. Retrieved November 20, 2008.  ^ Obama remains a popular symbol of hope France 24 ^ Goodman, Dean (February 10, 2008). "Obama or Clinton? Grammys go for Obama". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/musicNews/idUSN0852813420080210. Retrieved November 24, 2008.  ^ Strange, Hannah (March 5, 2008). "Celebrities join YouTube revolution". The Times (UK) (London). http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article3491460.ece. Retrieved December 18, 2008.  ^ Wappler, Margaret (June 20, 2008). 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"Obama Wins Nobel Prize in Part for Confronting 'Great Climatic Challenges'". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/10/09/09greenwire-obama-wins-nobel-prize-in-part-for-confronting-55250.html. Retrieved April 18, 2010.  ^ Rushmore Plus One; FDR joins Mountainside Figures Washington, Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Lincoln as Top Presidents, Siena Research Institute, July 1, 2010 ^ "Keeping Hope Alive: Barack Obama Puts Family First". The Oprah Winfrey Show. October 18, 2006. http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/oprahshow1_ss_20061018/10. Retrieved June 24, 2008.  ^ Fornek, Scott (September 9, 2007). "Half Siblings: 'A Complicated Family'". Chicago Sun-Times. http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/familytree/545462,BSX-News-wotrees09.stng. Retrieved June 24, 2008.  See also:"Interactive Family Tree". Chicago Sun-Times. September 9, 2007. http://www.suntimes.com/images/cds/special/family_tree.html. Retrieved June 24, 2008.  ^ Fornek, Scott (September 9, 2007). 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The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/12/AR2007051201551.html. Retrieved June 24, 2008. "Obama's Family Tree Has a Few Surprises". CBS 2 (Chicago). Associated Press. September 8, 2007. Archived from the original on June 2, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080602215833/http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/Barack.Obama.family.2.339709.html. Retrieved June 24, 2008.  ^ Johnson, Carla K., Associated Press Writer (July 24, 2008). "Obama's great-uncle recalls liberating Nazi camp". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2008-07-24-1654309354_x.htm. Retrieved March 12, 2009.  ^ "The 89th Infantry Division". United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10006140. Retrieved March 12, 2009.  ^ "When Barry Became Barack". Newsweek. March 31, 2008. http://www.newsweek.com/id/128633. Retrieved November 6, 2008.  ^ Zimmer, Benjamin (2009). "Obama's Indonesian Redux". Language Log. http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=1025. Retrieved March 12, 2009.  "Obama: Saya Kangen Nasi Goreng, Bakso, dan Rambutan". http://cetak.kompas.com/read/xml/2008/11/26/00223862/obama.saya.kangen.nasi.goreng.bakso.dan.rambutan.  ^ Kantor, Jodi (June 1, 2007). "One Place Where Obama Goes Elbow to Elbow". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/01/us/politics/01hoops.html. Retrieved April 28, 2008.  See also:"The Love of the Game" (video). HBO: Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (YouTube (BarackObama.com)). April 15, 2008. http://www.hbo.com/realsports/stories/2008/episode.133.s1.html. Retrieved April 28, 2008.  ^ "Senator Barack Obama Visit to CJTF-HOA and Camp Lemonier: August 31 – September 1, 2006" (video). Combined Joint Task Force—Horn of Africa (YouTube). February 6, 2007. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9GqdzQeCz0. Retrieved April 28, 2008.  ^ a b Branigin, William (January 30, 2009). "Steelers Win Obama's Approval". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/29/AR2009012903196.html. "But other than the Bears, the Steelers are probably the team that's closest to my heart. All right?"  ^ "Barack Obama: White Sox 'serious' ball". The Swamp. August 25, 2008. http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/08/barack_obama_white_sox_serious.html. Retrieved December 6, 2009.  ^ "Barack Obama Explains White Sox Jacket, Talks Nats in All-Star Booth Visit". MLB Fanhouse. July 14, 2009. http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/07/14/barack-obama-explains-white-sox-jacket-talks-nats-in-all-star-b/. Retrieved December 6, 2009.  ^ Obama (2006), pp. 327–332. See also:Brown, Sarah (December 7, 2005). "Obama '85 masters balancing act". The Daily Princetonian. http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2005/12/07/14049. Retrieved February 9, 2009.  ^ Obama (2006), p. 329. ^ Fornek, Scott (October 3, 2007). "Michelle Obama: 'He Swept Me Off My Feet'". Chicago Sun-Times. http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/585261,CST-NWS-wedding03.stng. Retrieved April 28, 2008.  ^ Martin, Jonathan (July 4, 2008). "Born on the 4th of July". The Politico. http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0708/Born_on_the_4th_of_July.html. Retrieved July 10, 2008.  ^ Obama (1995, 2004), p. 440, and Obama (2006), pp. 339–340. See also:"Election 2008 Information Center: Barack Obama". Gannett News Service. http://www.gannettnewsservice.com/?cat=153. Retrieved April 28, 2008.  ^ "Obamas choose private Sidwell Friends School", International Herald Tribune, November 22, 2008 ^ Cooper, Helene (2009-04-13). "One Obama Search Ends With a Puppy Named Bo". Nytimes.com. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/us/politics/13obama.html. Retrieved 2010-12-22.  ^ Zeleny, Jeff (December 24, 2005). "The first time around: Sen. Obama's freshman year". Chicago Tribune. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-051224obama,0,1779783,full.story. Retrieved April 28, 2008.  ^ Slevin, Peter (December 17, 2006). "Obama says he regrets land deal with fundraiser". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/16/AR2006121600729.html. Retrieved June 10, 2008.  Robinson, Mike (June 4, 2008). "Rezko found guilty in corruption case". Associated Press. msnbc.com. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24973282/. Retrieved June 24, 2008.  ^ Harris, Marlys (December 7, 2007). "Obama's Money". CNNMoney.com. http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0712/gallery.candidates.moneymag/5.html. Retrieved April 28, 2008.  See also:Goldfarb, Zachary A (March 24, 2007). "Measuring Wealth of the '08 Candidates". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/24/AR2007032400305.html. Retrieved April 28, 2008.  ^ Zeleny, Jeff (April 17, 2008). "Book Sales Lifted Obamas' Income in 2007 to a Total of $4.2 Million". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/us/politics/17obama.html. Retrieved April 28, 2008.  ^ Shear, Michael D.; Hilzenrath, David S. (April 16, 2010). "Obamas report $5.5 million in income on 2009 tax return". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/15/AR2010041504485.html. Retrieved 2010-12-22.  ^ "Obama says he won't be smoking in White House". Reuters. December 7, 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4B61GF20081207. Retrieved February 28, 2010.  ^ Hook, Janet (March 1, 2010), "Obama in excellent health, doctor says, but he should quit smoking", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 28, 2010. ^ "Obama still trying to kick smoking habit", KABC-TV, December 10, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2011. ^ Calica, Aurea (June 11, 2010). "Obama offers to help Noy quit smoking". The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 24, 2010. ^ Obama (2006), pp. 202–208. Portions excerpted in:Obama, Barack (October 23, 2006). "My Spiritual Journey". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1546579,00.html. Retrieved April 28, 2008.  Obama, Barack (June 28, 2006). "'Call to Renewal' Keynote Address". Barack Obama: U.S. Senator for Illinois (website). http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060628-call_to_renewal/. Retrieved June 16, 2008.  ^ Obama 'Christian By Choice': President Responds To Questioner by Charles Babington and Darlene Superville, Associated Press, September 28, 2010 ^ Video - President Obama: "I am a Christian By Choice" by ABC News, September 29, 2010 ^ Kantor, Jodi (April 30, 2007). "Barack Obama's search for faith". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/world/americas/30iht-30obama.5501905.html. Retrieved April 30, 2007.  Obama, Barack (October 23, 2006). "My Spiritual Journey". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1546579,00.html. Retrieved 30 January 2011.  ^ "Obama's church choice likely to be scrutinized". Associated Press. msnbc.com. November 17, 2008. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27775757/. Retrieved January 20, 2009.  ^ Sullivan, Amy (June 29, 2009). "The Obamas Find a Church Home—Away from Home". Time. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1907610,00.html. Retrieved December 14, 2009.  References Mendell, David (2007). Obama: From Promise to Power. New York: Amistad/HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-085820-6.  Obama, Barack (1995, 2004). Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. New York: Three Rivers Press. ISBN 1-4000-8277-3.  Obama, Barack (2006). The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. New York: Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 0-307-23769-9.  Further reading Curry, Jessica. "Barack Obama: Under the Lights", Chicago Life, Fall 2004. Retrieved on January 14, 2008. Graff, Garrett. "The Legend of Barack Obama", Washingtonian, November 1, 2006. Retrieved on January 14, 2008. Koltun, Dave (2005) "The 2004 Illinois Senate Race: Obama Wins Open Seat and Becomes National Political "Star"" in "The Road to Congress 2004" Editors: Sunil Ahuja (Youngstown State University) and Robert Dewhirst (Truman State University), Nova Science Publishers, Hauppauge, New York, Binding: Hardcover Pub. Date: 2005, ISBN 1-59454-360-7 Lizza, Ryan. "Above the Fray", GQ, September 2007. Retrieved on October 27, 2010. MacFarquhar, Larissa. "The Conciliator: Where is Barack Obama Coming From?", New Yorker, May 7, 2007. Retrieved on January 14, 2008. McClelland, Edward, Young Mr. Obama: Chicago and the Making of a Black President, Bloomsbury Press, 2010. Zutter, Hank De. "What Makes Obama Run?", Chicago Reader, December 8, 1995. Retrieved on January 14, 2008. External links Chicago portal Hawaii portal Biography portal African American portal Government of the United States portal Wikinews has news related to: Barack Obama Find more about Barack Obama on Wikipedia's sister projects: Images and media from Commons News stories from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Listen to this article (info/dl) This audio file was created from a revision of Barack Obama dated January 13, 2010, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. (Audio help) More spoken articles Official sites President Barack Obama official White House website Full transcript and video of President Obama's inaugural address (from whitehouse.gov) BarackObama.com (official website) Directories Barack Obama at the Open Directory Project Works by or about Barack Obama in libraries (WorldCat catalog) News media Appearances on C-SPAN Barack Obama on Charlie Rose Collected news and commentary at The New York Times Government service links Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Voting record maintained by The Washington Post Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post Congressional profile at GovTrack.us Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues Financial information at OpenSecrets.org Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission Campaign contributions at the National Institute for Money in State Politics  Barack Obama succession and navigation boxes Illinois Senate Preceded by Alice Palmer Illinois State Senator from the 13th district 1997–2004 Succeeded by Kwame Raoul Party political offices Preceded by Carol Moseley Braun Democratic Party nominee for Senator from Illinois (Class 3) 2004 Succeeded by Alexi Giannoulias Preceded by Harold Ford Keynote Speaker of the Democratic National Convention 2004 Succeeded by Mark Warner Preceded by John Kerry Democratic Party presidential nominee 2008 Most recent United States Senate Preceded by Peter Fitzgerald United States Senator (Class 3) from Illinois 2005–2008 Served alongside: Dick Durbin Succeeded by Roland Burris Preceded by George Allen Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs 2007–2008 Succeeded by Jeanne Shaheen Political offices Preceded by George W. Bush President of the United States 2009–present Incumbent Awards and achievements Preceded by Martti Ahtisaari Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2009 Succeeded by Liu Xiaobo United States order of precedence First United States order of precedence President of the United States Succeeded by Joe Biden as Vice President v · d · eBarack Obama Presidency Transition · Inauguration · Timeline: 2009, 2010, 2011 · Judiciary (Supreme Court candidates) · Foreign policy (Obama Doctrine) · First 100 days · Health care reform · Presidential trips (2009, 2010, 2011) · People pardoned Life and politics Early life and career · Illinois Senate career · U.S. House election in Illinois, 2000 · 2004 Democratic National Convention · U.S. Senate election in Illinois, 2004 · U.S. Senate career · Presidential primary campaign · Obama–Biden 2008 · Electoral history · Political positions (Economic, Social, Energy, Foreign/Administration foreign policy) · Nobel Peace Prize Books Dreams from My Father · The Audacity of Hope · Of Thee I Sing Speeches The Audacity of Hope (2004) · A More Perfect Union (2008) · Change Has Come to America (2008) · A New Birth of Freedom (2009) · Joint session of Congress (February 2009) · A New Beginning (2009) · Joint session of Congress (September 2009) · State of the Union (2010) · Fighting for Health Insurance Reform (2010) · Barack Obama Tucson memorial speech (2011) · State of the Union (2011) Family Michelle Obama (spouse) · Stanley Ann Dunham (mother) · Barack Obama, Sr. (father) · Lolo Soetoro (stepfather) · Maya Soetoro-Ng (half-sister) · Stanley Armour Dunham (grandfather) · Madelyn Payne Dunham (grandmother) · Marian Shields Robinson (mother-in-law) · Craig Robinson (brother-in-law) · Bo (family dog)  Public image News and political events Speeches · Tea Party protests · Oprah Winfrey's endorsement · Citizenship conspiracy theories · Religion conspiracy theories · Bill Ayers controversy · Jeremiah Wright controversy · Republican and conservative support (2008) · Barack Obama assassination threats  · 2008 assassination scare in Denver · 2008 assassination scare in Tennessee · Inauguration invitations · Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial · Citizen's Briefing Book · Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 · New Energy for America · American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 · Gates-Crowley Rose Garden meeting · Resignation of Shirley Sherrod Books about Self-authored (Dreams from My Father · The Audacity of Hope) · Obama: From Promise to Power · Barack Obama - Der schwarze Kennedy · The Case Against Barack Obama · The Obama Nation · Culture of Corruption · Catastrophe · Barack and Michelle · Game Change · The Speech Music Obama Girl ("I Got a Crush... on Obama") · "Barack the Magic Negro" · will.i.am ("Yes We Can" · "We Are the Ones") · "There's No One as Irish as Barack O'Bama" · "Sí Se Puede Cambiar" · "My President" · "Deadheads for Obama" · "Air and Simple Gifts"  · Change Is Now · Hope! – Das Obama Musical Other media Artists for Obama · "Hope" poster · "Joker" poster · Obama logo · In comics Miscellaneous Places named after Obama · Obama Day (Kenya) Book:Barack Obama · Category:Barack Obama · Portal:Barack Obama v · d · ePresidents of the United States George Washington · John Adams · Thomas Jefferson · James Madison · James Monroe · John Quincy Adams · Andrew Jackson · Martin Van Buren · William Henry Harrison · John Tyler · James K. Polk · Zachary Taylor · Millard Fillmore · Franklin Pierce · James Buchanan · Abraham Lincoln · Andrew Johnson · Ulysses S. Grant · Rutherford B. Hayes · James A. Garfield · Chester A. Arthur · Grover Cleveland · Benjamin Harrison · Grover Cleveland · William McKinley · Theodore Roosevelt · William Howard Taft · Woodrow Wilson · Warren G. Harding · Calvin Coolidge · Herbert Hoover · Franklin D. Roosevelt · Harry S. Truman · Dwight D. Eisenhower · John F. Kennedy · Lyndon B. Johnson · Richard Nixon · Gerald Ford · Jimmy Carter · Ronald Reagan · George H. W. Bush · Bill Clinton · George W. Bush · Barack Obama v · d · eUnited States presidential election, 2008 United States elections, 2008 · Candidates (Comparison) · Debates · Congressional support · Fundraising · Ballot access · Timeline · Super Tuesday · Potomac primary · Super Tuesday II · General polls · Statewide general polls · International polls · International reaction Democratic Party Convention • Primary polls • General polls • Debates • Primaries • Primary results • Superdelegates Nominee: Barack Obama (campaign, positions) VP nominee: Joe Biden (positions) Candidates: Evan Bayh (campaign) • Joe Biden (campaign) • Hillary Rodham Clinton (campaign) • Chris Dodd (campaign) • John Edwards (campaign) • Mike Gravel (campaign) • Dennis Kucinich (campaign) • Dal LaMagna • Bill Richardson (campaign) • Tom Vilsack (campaign) Republican Party Convention • Primary polls • General polls • Debates • Primaries • Primary results Nominee: John McCain (campaign, positions) VP nominee: Sarah Palin (positions) Candidates: Sam Brownback • Hugh Cort • John Cox • Dan Gilbert • Jim Gilmore (campaign) • Rudy Giuliani (campaign) • Mike Huckabee (campaign) • Duncan Hunter (campaign) • Alan Keyes (campaign) • Ray McKinney • Ron Paul (campaign)  • Mitt Romney (campaign) • Tom Tancredo (campaign) • Fred Thompson (campaign) • Tommy Thompson (campaign) Draft movements Democratic Party: Al Gore  • Mark Warner (movement)  • Republican Party: Newt Gingrich • Condoleezza Rice (movement) • Independent: Michael Bloomberg (movement)  Third-Party and independent candidates America's Independent Party Nominee: Alan Keyes (campaign) VP Nominee: Brian Rohrbough Boston Tea Party Nominee: Charles Jay VP Nominee: Thomas Knapp Constitution Party Convention Nominee: Chuck Baldwin (campaign) VP Nominee: Darrell Castle Candidates: Daniel Imperato • Alan Keyes (campaign) Green Party Convention Nominee: Cynthia McKinney (campaign, positions) VP Nominee: Rosa Clemente Candidates: Elaine Brown • Jesse Johnson • Kent Mesplay • Kat Swift Libertarian Party Convention Nominee: Bob Barr (campaign, positions) VP Nominee: Wayne Allyn Root Candidates: Mike Gravel (campaign) • Daniel Imperato • Steve Kubby • Wayne Allyn Root • Mary Ruwart • Doug Stanhope Peace and Freedom Party Nominee: Ralph Nader (campaign) VP Nominee: Matt Gonzalez Prohibition Party Nominee: Gene Amondson VP Nominee: Leroy Pletten Candidates: Earl Dodge Reform Party Nominee: Ted Weill VP Nominee:Frank McEnulty Socialism and Liberation Party Nominee: Gloria La Riva VP Nominee: Eugene Puryear Socialist Party Nominee:Brian Moore (campaign) VP Nominee: Stewart Alexander Candidates: Eric Chester Socialist Workers Party Nominee: Róger Calero · Alternate nominee: James Harris VP Nominee: Alyson Kennedy Independents Joe Schriner Other 2008 elections: House • Senate • Gubernatorial v · d · eUnited States Senators from Illinois Class 2: Thomas • McLean • Baker • Robinson • McRoberts • Semple • S. Douglas • Browning • Richardson • Yates • Logan • Davis • Cullom • Lewis • McCormick • Deneen • Lewis • Slattery • Brooks • P. Douglas • Percy • Simon • Durbin Class 3: Edwards • McLean • Kane • Ewing • Young • Breese • Shields • Trumbull • Oglesby • Logan • Farwell • Palmer • Mason • Hopkins • Lorimer • Sherman • McKinley • Glenn • Dieterich • Lucas • Dirksen • Smith • Stevenson III • Dixon • Moseley Braun • Fitzgerald • Obama • Burris • Kirk Authority control: PND: 132522136 | LCCN: n94112934 | VIAF: 52010985 Persondata Name Obama, Barack Alternative names Short description american politician, 44th President of the United States Date of birth August 4, 1961 Place of birth Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Date of death Place of death