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Hillary Rodham Clinton

2013-06-21T01:14:21Z

TedA: /* Secretary of State */ Hillary is pro-sexual assault

{{Officeholder
|name=Hillary Rodham Clinton
|image=Hillary-6.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=[[Bill Clinton]]
|religion=[[Methodist]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/secretary (cabinet)
|of=State
|state=United States
|number=67th
|deputy=n
|governor=
|president=[[Barack Hussein Obama]]
|terms=January 21, 2009-January 30, 2013
|preceded=[[Condoleezza Rice]]
|former=n
|succeeded=[[John Forbes Kerry]]
}}
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=New York
|terms=January 3, 2001 – January 21, 2009
|preceded=[[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]]
|former=y
|succeeded=[[Kirsten Gillibrand]]
}}
}}
'''Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton''' (b. 1947) was the 67th [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State of the United States]]. From 2001 to 2008 she was a [[United States Senate|Senator]] from [[New York]], and from 1993 to 2001 was [[First Lady]] of the United States while her husband [[Bill Clinton]] was president. Hillary Clinton resigned from her job as [[Obama]]'s [[Secretary of State]] after her incompetence led to the deaths of four Americans during the Islamic terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.<ref>http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/05/09/senator-lindsey-graham-hillary-clinton-testify-benghazi-subpoena/2147869/</ref>

She is a [[pro-abortion]] advocate, supports the death penalty, has yet to embrace same sex marriage publicly but does support civil unions, and supports federal funding for embryotic stem-cell research.

Hillary Clinton has practiced an "open marriage" in the nearly four decade relationship with her husband, former President Bill Clinton.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=foWUM2R1K0wC&pg=PA211&lpg=PA211&dq=barbara+olson%22open+marriage%22&source=bl&ots=08qLt6ftjN&sig=njP7QlpBV08LenTCyo4KVx3JBEQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=htMZT4-UC-7CsQKitZTjCw&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Barbara Olsen, ''Hell to Pay''], p.211.</ref><ref>[http://search.opinionarchives.com/Summary/AmericanSpectator/V27I45P32-1.htm ''Love and Hate in Arkansas], ''The American Spectator, Daniel Wattenberg, April 1994.</ref>

==Early life==
She was born October 26, 1947, in Chicago, [[Illinois]] to a middle class family. Her father Hugh Rodham operated a small business. He was born into a coal mining family in Pennsylvania, graduated from Penn State University, voted Republican and was known as a martinet. Hillary grew up in Park Ridge, an upscale suburb of Chicago along with two older brothers. Hillary attended Maine East High School, where she was involved in many extracurricular activities, was active in the Methodist church, and worked for Republican campaigns as a Goldwater Girl. As a tenth-grader, she heard the Rev. [[Martin Luther King]] speak in person. In the eleventh grade, she was class vice-president. She attended Wellesley College, an elite woman's college near Boston and was elected class president in 1968.

===Goldwater Girl===
Speaking at Selma, [[Alabama]]'s First Baptist Church on the 42nd anniversary of the "bloody Sunday" freedom march Hillary Clinton declared: "As a young girl I had the great privilege of hearing [[Martin Luther King|Dr. King]] speak in Chicago. The year was 1963....[Dr. King] called on us, he challenged us that evening to stay awake during the great revolution that the [[civil rights]] pioneers were waging on behalf of a more perfect union." In her memoirs Hillary Clinton described herself in 1964 as "an active Young Republican" and "a [[Barry Goldwater|Goldwater]] girl, right down to my cowgirl outfit." Columnist [[Robert Novak]] observed, "As a politically attuned honor student, she must have known that Goldwater was one of only six Republican senators who joined [[Solid South|Southern Democratic]] [[segregation]]ists opposing the historic [[Voting Rights Act|voting rights act of 1964]] inspired by King."<ref>[http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertDNovak/2007/03/12/hillary,_king_and_goldwater Hillary, King and Goldwater], by Robert D. Novak, [[Townhall.com]], March 12, 2007.</ref>

===College===
Starting college as a Republican activist, she became a liberal by her senior year. During the summer of 1968, she participated (as a Republican) in Wellesley's Washington internship Program. where she worked as an intern in the office of [[Melvin Laird]], then congressman from Wisconsin, and attended the Republican convention in Miami as a [[Nelson Rockefeller]] supporter (he lost the nomination to [[Richard Nixon]]). She was the commencement speaker at her graduation from Wellesley in 1969, during which she argued forcefully against the war in Vietnam and said, "And the challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible." In her speech, she also acknowledged the influence of her roomate and friend Eleanor D. Acheson in helping Hillary become the first student in Wellesley College history to deliver its commencement address.<ref name="WesleyHillary">{{Cite web
|title=Wellesley College 1969 Student Commencement Speech |url=http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/Commencement/1969/053169hillary.html
|publisher=Wellesley College
|date=31 May 1969 |accessdate=30 June 2011
}}</ref> Ms. Acheson, a lawyer and lesbian lobbyst,.<ref name="wcaddr">
{{cite web
|title=Changes under way in Task Force Public Policy & Government Affairs Department |url=http://www.thetaskforce.org/Update/2006/34_06_1219/index.htm
|publisher=National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
|date=19 December 2006
|accessdate=30 June 2011 }}</ref> - the granddaughter of President [[Harry Truman|Harry Truman’s]] secretary of state Dean Acheson - is credited for having introduced the young Hillary to political circles.
A photo and the report of her Wellesley commencement speech were featured in ''Life Magazine''.

==Early Career==
In 1969, she attended Yale law school, where she was one of only 27 women among 235 law students. On May 7, 1970, she addressed the League of Women Voters in Washington, a sign of her growing prominence. Always active in campus politics, she ended up becoming something of a communications facilitator, as she had been at Wellesley, between potentially radical student elements and the college administration during the era of extreme student unrest in 1970. She was written up on hometown and New England newspapers, and was interviewed on Irv Kupcinet's nationally syndicated TV talk show from Chicago. That summer, she worked in Washington for Marian Wright Edelman's Washington Research Project, where she conducted research on migrant children's health and education difficulties, especially in the South. Her subsequent studies at Yale were concentrated on how the law affected children. At Yale in 1971, she met Bill Clinton, her future husband, also a law student at Yale.

She graduated from Yale Law School (JD 1973) a year later than necessary, having remained an extra year to be near Bill. As a staff attorney for the Children's Defense Fund, she specialized in children's advocacy law. She married Bill on October 11, 1975; daughter Chelsea was born in 1980.

===Arkansas===
As her husband built a political career in Arkansas as governor, she was a partner in the locally prestigious Rose Law Firm, 1976-1992. Nationally she continued her legal advocacy for children and chaired the American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession, which played a pioneering role in raising awareness of issues like sexual harassment and equal pay.

During the 1970s and '80s, the Clintons invested in the Whitewater Development Corporation which later became the subject of a federal investigation, prosecutions and convictions. Jim and Susan McDougal, and then-Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker were convicted of multiple counts of financial fraud, even though President Clinton testified for four hours for the defense.<ref>Once upon a Time in Arkansas, [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/arkansas/docs/clintondepo.html Transcript of Clinton's Sworn Deposition], PBS.</ref>

On the evening Bill Clinton lost his bid for a Congressional seat in 1974, Hillary is reported to have cursed out a Jewish aide using nasty words. <ref>Jerry Oppenheimer, ''State of a Union: Inside the Complex Marriage of Bill and Hillary Clinton'' (2000_ cites three witnesses to the incident. </ref>

===Legal Services Corporation===
Hillary Clinton was appointed by President [[Jimmy Carter]] to head the controversial [[Public defender|Legal Services Corporation]] (LSC) in 1978 and remained on the Board until 1983. <ref>[http://www.nlpc.org/view.asp?action=viewArticle&aid=225 Thwarting the Will of Congress: How the Legal Services Corporation Evaded, Diluted, and Ignored Reform], Testimony of Kenneth F. Boehm before the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, House Judiciary Committee, February 28, 2002. </ref>
Under Hillary Clinton's leadership, the LSC began moving away from its legislated task of providing poor people with free lawyers and began an [[activist]] agenda to influence [[public policy]] through [[class action]] lawsuits. One case involved bringing lawsuits to force New York's Transit Authority to hire [[heroin]] addicts. The LSC also violated its own rules by organizing political campaigns against a state referendum and against Ronald Reagan. <ref>Michael Barone , [http://www.jewishworldreview.com/michael/barone070899.asp ''Taking Hillary seriously], ''Jewish World Review'', July 8, 1999. </ref>

Clinton failed the District of Columbia [[Bar Exam]] in the 1970s.<ref>[http://mediamatters.org/items/200706010006 On Today, Bernstein omitted key fact in purported disclosure of Clinton's D.C. bar exam failure: It's not news], ''[[MediaMatters]]'' June 1, 2007. Retrieved from MediaMatters.org October 4, 2007.</ref>

== 1992 Presidential campaign ==
===Alleged civil rights violations===
''The Hill'' magazine reported Hillary Clinton may have been involved in [[civil rights]] violations by monitoring illegal wiretaps and domestic spying on political opponents during the 1992 camapaign.<ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gop-targeting-clinton-on-phone-call-snooping-2007-10-16.html GOP targeting Clinton on phone-call snooping], By Alexander Bolton, ''The Hill'', October 16, 2007.</ref> After the revelations came to light in a book entitled, ''Her Way'' [http://www.amazon.com/Her-Way-Ambitions-Hillary-Clinton/dp/0316017426] by Don Van Natta Jr., an investigative reporter at the ''[[New York Times]]'', and Jeff Gerth, who spent 30 years as an investigative reporter at the paper, a [[Republican]] official remarked,
{{Cquote|it is rather unbelievable that [Hillary] Clinton would listen in to conversations being conducted by political opponents, but refuse to allow our intelligence agencies to listen in to conversations being conducted by [[terrorist]]s as they plot and plan to kill us.<ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gop-targeting-clinton-on-phone-call-snooping-2007-10-16.html GOP targeting Clinton on phone-call snooping], By Alexander Bolton, ''The Hill'', October 16, 2007.</ref> }}

== First Lady ==

During [[Bill Clinton]]'s presidency, Hillary initially played an important role. Immediately after his [[inauguration]] in 1993, she led a task force to create a national health care system. The secrecy of the Task Force was at issue in court cases which resulted in disclosures to comply with the law.

Her friend [[Vince Foster]] supervised the defense of the litigation, but died under mysterious circumstances at the height of the controversy; the death was ruled a suicide by the U.S Park Service. The Task Force proposals lacked public support and support from the Democrats in Congress, and came to nothing but an ambarassment for the Clinton presidency.

Subsequently, the Republicans won a landslide victory in 1994, taking over both Houses of Congress.

===Healthcare task force scandals ===
:''Main article: [[Clinton health care plan]]''
Hillary was asked by her husband to play a central role in secretly crafting a plan to overhaul Health Care. Joe Klein. author of ''Primary Colors'', the fawning rendition of the phenomenae of Clintonism on the 1992 campaign trail remarked,
{{Cquote |Bill Clinton really believed that if anybody was going to come up with the answer to the most vexing public policy problem out there, it was going to be Hillary. It was one of the stupidest political decisions that Bill Clinton ever made.<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/transcript/clinton-transcript/ Program Transcript, Clinton, WGBH American Experience, PBS.]</ref>}}
Democrats were divided, and conservatives counterattacked. The Democratically controlled Congress refused to even vote on it, given its unpopularity and having to publicly take a stand in support of the Clintons before the 1994 Midterm Elections.

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), along with several other groups, filed a lawsuit over closed-door meetings related to the HillaryCare. The AAPS sued to gain access to the list of members of the task force which the Clinton administration had kept secret from the public.<ref>[http://nlpc.org/government-integrity-project?page=74 National Legal Policy Center, Government Integrity Project]</ref> On June 14, 1993 the ''Washington Times'' reported Hillary's task force records were being shredded.

Along with the failed tasks force's membership sealed from the public, so was it's budget, accounting, and spending authority. Hillary's task force was given a budget of $100,000. In secret, it spent almost $14 million.<ref>[http://gao.justia.com/department-of-justice/1995/3/cost-of-health-care-task-force-related-activities-t-ggd-95-114/ Cost of Health Care Task Force Related Activities]. GAO Report. Gao ID: T-GGD-95-114. March 14, 1995.</ref>

The long-term impact was an embarrassment to Hillary, especially in her 2008 presidential campaign.

===Removal of documents from Vince Foster's office===
After the death of White House staffer Vince Foster, 20 year Secret Service veteran Henry O' Neill testified before Congress he observed as Hillary Clinton's chief of staff, Margaret Williams, carry boxes of papers out of Foster's office and up to the White House residence quarters on First Lady Hillary Clinton's instructions. The documents related to the Clinton's blind trust and Whitehouse real estate investments. Under oath, Hillary Clinton denied issuing the instructions or recieving the documents. The documents were now considered evidence in the investigation of the death of Vince Foster.

Two years later, some of the documents were retrieved from the private White House quarters. FBI investigators determined Hillary Clinton's fingerprints were on the documents.<ref>http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?r104:./temp/~r104dYXUst</ref>

===Conspiracy theories and enemies list===
[[File:Hillary-5.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Hillary made a pointed reference to "a vast right-wing conspiracy" as being responsible for her husbands infidelity and the myriad scandals which have plagued the Clintons since thier early days in Arkansas.]]
:''Main article: [[Vast right wing conspiracy theory]]
Hillary Clinton branded opponents of the Administration and critics of the Clinton's scandelous lifestyles as "a vast right-wing conspiracy." White House staffers made up an enemies list of persons and organizations who subsequently endured IRS audits and harassment. <ref>Larry Klayman, WorldNetDaily 7/9/99. [http://www.alamo-girl.com/0311.htm]</ref>

===Reaction to infidelity and criticizing opponents===
Although Hillary Clinton told CBS's Steve Kroft in an intereview on ''60 Minutes'' to address her husband's infidelity, Clinton emphatically stated,
{{Cquote|I'm not sitting here – some little woman standing by my man like Tammy Wynette. <ref>[http://www.angelfire.com/wa/starreport/60min.html Transcript ''60 Minutes'' interview].</ref>}}

Clinton likewise mocked stay-at-home-moms for baking cookies while she was employed at a "high powered" law firm making more money than her husband. She was lauded by liberal media and pundits as "a strong women."

In the end, when confronted with the infidelity of her husband, she blamed "a vast right-wing conspiracy" and stood by her man.
<blockquote>
'Why didn’t you leave the White House when you found out about the cheating of your husband?'
[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1381198/Libya-war-2011-Aisha-Gaddafi-taunts-Obama-Hillary-Clinton.html#ixzz1Q2ALmYp2 Gaddafi's daughter Aisha Gaddafi.]
</blockquote>

===Accusations of stolen gifts===
When the Clintons left the White House, they were accused of taking furniture that belonged not to them, but to the White House and the American people. Clinton spokespeople claimed that the movers "inadvertently" packed the wrong items. Most of the articles were quietly returned. <ref>"Clinton Shipped Furniture Year Ago," Washington Post, February 10, 2001.</ref>

== U.S. Senate ==
[[Image:070917graveconcern-x.gif|right|thumb|400px]]
In 2000, Clinton ran for the New York Senate seat vacated by the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] Senator [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]]. Backed by the White House, she obtained the Democratic nomination for this Senate seat, and then won easily against Republican Rick Lazio (who entered the race when [[Rudy Giuliani]] withdrew). Clinton was a high visibility show horse, working to develop a base in upstate regions. She initiated no major legislation.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_7_54/ai_84454903 Hillary Clinton's spending of taxpayer money], ''[[National Review]], April 22, 2002.</ref> Clinton is said to have belonged to a conservative prayer group with the purpose of "bringing Jesus back to Capitol Hill."<ref>http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/09/hillarys-prayer.html</ref> A few of her collaborators in the group include Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan) and Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa).

In preparation for her Senate bid, President Clinton offered clemency to members of the [[Armed Forces of National Liberation]] (FALN) [[terrorist]] group <ref>[http://rpc.senate.gov/_files/92199CoddlingTerrorists.pdf U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee] testimony available at http://www.senate.gov/~judiciary/wl91599.htm, ''The Tampa Tribune'', S.J.Res. 33 (passed 95-2).</ref> to curry favor with [[radical]] [[Puerto Rican]] voters among the New York electorate.<ref>[http://www.jonathanpollard.org/senate.htm FALN Clemency and NY Senate Race], (2000). Retrieved from http://www.jonathanpollard.org September 20,2007.</ref> The FALN bombed Fraunces Tavern in [[Manhattan]], killing four people in 1975. Over a six-year period, the group claimed responsibility for more than 100 bombings that took six lives and injured some 130 people.<ref>[http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/puertorico/sep4.htm Clinton Pardons Terror], ''New York Post'', August 13, 1999. retrieved from http://www.latinamericanstudies.org September 14, 2007.</ref>

===FEC fined campaign for failing to accurately report $721,895 in contributions===

In January 2006 Hillary Clinton's New York Senate 2000 campaign was fined $35,000 for failing to accurately report $721,895 in contributions. <ref>[http://www.fec.gov/press/press2006/20060126mur.html Federal Elections Commission] Press Release, January 26, 2006. </ref>

===Saddam's weapons of mass destruction===
[[File:Hillary-4.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Among Democrats, Hillary Clinton's views on Iraq were highly regarded, including accounting for Saddam's WMD. ]]
Speaking on [[Saddam Hussein]]'s possession of [[weapons of mass destruction]] (WMD), Hillary invoked her experience in the Clinton White House:,
{{Cquote|I have to say that this is something that I have followed for a decade. If he [Saddam] were serious about disarming, he would have been much more forthcoming. There may be progress, we may be destroying his missiles, there is no accounting for the [[Weapons of mass destruction|chemical and biological stocks]].<ref>[http://www.archive.org/details/HillaryClintonsviewsongoingtowarSaddamandWMDs Hillary Clinton's views on going to war, Saddam, and WMD]</ref>}}

Hillary Clinton further described the situation after weapons inspectors we're expelled during the time when America had two in the position of presidential leadership, "for the price of one."<ref>[http://www.townhall.com/columnists/CharlesKrauthammer/2007/11/02/two_for_the_price_of_one Two For the Price of One], By Charles Krauthammer, November 2, 2007.</ref>
{{Cquote|In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his [[nuclear]] program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to [[terrorist]]s, including [[al Qaeda]] members ... It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.<ref>[http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=6390 Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), October 10, 2002]. Retrieved from Zmag.org December 4, 2007.</ref>}}

===Failure to reform earmarks===
The noted newspaper which covers legislative affairs, ''The Hill'', reported Hillary Clinton received more [[earmark]]s for Congressional [[pork barrel]] projects than only one other United States Senator. Reforming the earmark process had been among the Democrats top priorities in the [[110th Congress]], up until the time Democrats voted to rescind the rules aimed at reform that were passed in the first 100 hours of the new Congress in January. Ethics reform and the earmark process is widely attributed as the cause why Republicans lost control of both Houses of Congress after several members had been caught up in ethical scandals. ''The Hill'' reported Sen. Clinton received 26 earmarks worth about $148.4 million total, much going to [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] contractors. <ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/clinton-can-boast-wealth-of-earmarks-2007-06-13.html Clinton can boast wealth of earmarks], By Roxana Tiron and Ilan Wurman, ''The Hill'', June 13, 2007.</ref>

===Voted against raising the minimum wage===

After voting to send troops to Iraq Hillary Clinton voted against funding the troops in Iraq. In May of 2007 Clinton voted against raising the minimum wage. <ref>[http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=12952&can_id=55463 Senate Concurrence on HR 2206] Title 8 Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, Record Vote Number 181, 05/24/2007. [http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_member.php?cs_id=12952]</ref>

== 2008 Presidential campaign ==
[[File:Aufzumsieg.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Hillary as the universally acclaimed presidential frontrunner and titular head of the Democratic party in 2007.]]
She ran for the [[United States Presidential Election, 2008 - Primaries|2008 Democratic presidential candidacy]], winning more primaries than any woman in history. On June 7th, 2008 she conceded defeat to [[Barack Obama]] after a closely challenged campaign, although she did not release her delegates until the convention itself.

===Attacks on Barack Obama===
A pro-Hillary website, [http://www.stop-obama.org/ stop-obama.org], which billed itself as, " a multiracial team of Democrats dedicated to critaclly think about BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA...will challenge the Obama image through scrutiny and analysis. We will ask tough questions about Obama’s past, present, his associations, and identity."<ref>http://www.stop-obama.org/?page_id=23</ref> The group stated,
{{quotebox|Obama had the misfortune of rich grandparents who lavishly spent their time and money on him, pampering him with attention and prep-school. Far from thanks, Obama grew resentful, and instead of softening his drive to “Rule the World,” only increased it. As his relatives and colleagues witness, it would come to define his life.<ref>http://www.stop-obama.org/?p=48</ref>}}
Hillary regularly relied upon the so-called "opposition research"<ref>[http://www.jeffkuhner.com/printer.php?q=jk-7895-phpgzkqyx-&page=articles Distortions and lies at The New York Times], Jeffrey T. Kuhner, Jan. 30-Feb. 5, 2007. www.insightmag.com </ref> of the same sources from the group to attack and denigrate the person, character, identity, and motives of Barack Obama.<ref>http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=92143</ref><ref>http://www.qando.net/details.aspx?Entry=5300</ref>

===Promises made, promises broken===
In late August 2007 Senator [[Bill Nelson]] and other members of Florida's Congressional delegation protested the Democratic National Committee's scheme<ref>[http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_DEMOCRATIC_PRIMARY_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME Fla. Democrats warn of voting rights probe if state sanctioned], By Rasha Madkour, Associated Press, Aug 23, 2007. Retrieved from ''St. Petersburg Times'' August 24, 2007.</ref> to deprive Floridians of equal voting rights protection<ref>[http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_DEMOCRATIC_PRIMARY_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME Fla. Democrats warn of voting rights probe if state sanctioned], By Rasha Madkour, Associated Press, Aug 23, 2007. Retrieved from ''St. Petersburg Times'' August 24, 2007.</ref> in selection of delegates to the 2008 DNC Presidential nominating convention. A letter sent to DNC Chairman [[Howard Dean]], threatened legal action "to determine whether this could violate any state or [[federal law]]s governing and protecting individual [[Voting Rights Act|voting rights]].... It always has been a priority of our party to protect the rights of every eligible American to vote...We would hope the DNC will continue to honor this right."<ref>[http://www.nelsonforsenate.com/feature/dean/ Letter from Florida Congressional Democrats to DNC Chairman Howard Dean], August 22, 2007. Retrieved from nelsonforsenate.com/feature/dean/ September 13, 2007.</ref> The move prompted Hillary Clinton to pledge not to campaign in Florida.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/us/politics/02dems.html?ex=1346472000&en=d7f7216c6188da2e&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink Clinton, Obama and Edwards Join Pledge to Avoid Defiant States], By Jeff Zeeleny, ''New York Times'', September 2, 2007.</ref> A week later she was campaigning in Florida.<ref>[http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/09/11/news/iowa/c07662f8adc84f9a8625735300091c7f.txt Candidates have events in Florida despite pledge], By Charlotte Eby, ''Sioux City Journal'', September 11, 2007.</ref>

===Abuse of Mother Teresa's image and reputation===
Hillary Clinton was chastised by a [[Catholic]] Advocacy group for using an image of [[Mother Teresa]] in a campaign ad. Clinton continues to support abortion. <ref>[http://www.fidelis.org/gw3/articles-news/articles.php?CMSArticleID=1456&CMSCategoryID=10 Fidelis Covered by Catholic News Agency on Mother Teresa Video Controversy], ''Catholic News Agency,'' 05-18-2007.</ref> The U.S. Catholic-based advocacy group Fidelis, an organization working with people of faith to defend the [[sanctity of life]], [[traditional marriage]], and [[Religious freedom|religious liberty]] rights, called for Hillary Clinton to remove the image of Mother Teresa from their campaign video. In a press release the group declared the video, narrated by her Bill Clinton,
{{Cquote|is wholly inappropriate, disrespectful and disturbing ...using an image of blessed Mother Teresa as a political tool, especially given their [[radical]]ly different views on abortion...Mother Teresa tirelessly fought to protect unborn children, while Hillary Clinton staunchly supports [[abortion]] on demand in all nine months of pregnancy, including [[partial birth abortion]] and [[taxpayer funding of abortion]]}}

When the image of Hillary and Mother Teresa appears in the video the former president is heard saying “Hillary, in effect, was the face of America … in India;” the video then cuts to a clip of the former first lady addressing the 1995 Beijing Conference where an effort was made to declare abortion a fundamental “human right.”

===Nixon's legacy===
Barbara Olson in her 1990 book ''Hell to Pay'' <ref>[http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0895262746/102-6782111-3076127?SubscriptionId=11NRD61HE570TCSR99R2]</ref> made a convincing case that the former Goldwater girl, raised in a Republican home, while working for the staff of the House Judiciary Committee preparing impeachment Articles against [[President Nixon]], studied Nixon very closely. Olson and others have now commented how Hillary Clinton built her political career by learning to think and act as Nixon did, and modeling herself after him. These writers cite instance after instance of such behavior. <ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45138 Hillary's Secret War], The plan to silence Internet journalists, Joseph Farah, ''WorldNetDaily.com'', July 6, 2005.</ref> When Democratic competitor [[Barack Obama]] made a public statement vowing not to use [[nuclear weapons]], Hillary Clinton shot back,
{{Cquote|I don't believe that any president should make any blanket statements with respect to the use or nonuse of nuclear weapons}} reflecting Nixon's thoughts in ''The Real War'' :
{{Cquote|[[Eisenhower]] said... "You should never let the enemy know what you will do, but it's more important that you never let the enemy know what you will not do." }}
Nixon referred to it as "the Madman theory,"
{{Cquote|... statements that appear to rule out the use of force, while perhaps meant to be unprovocative, will in fact provoke an antagonist to push for more. ...we should not make statements that we will never launch a preemptive strike. Whether or not we would ever exercise that option, we should always leave open the possibility that in extreme circumstances we might. <ref>[http://nobsnews.blogspot.com/1996/10/real-war.html#hole_card ''The Real War''], Richard Nixon, Warner Books, May 1980, pgs. 253 - 260.</ref>}}

===Alleged embellishment of career events===
[[Peggy Noonan]] observed Hillary Clinton's distortions of her record on the campaign trail:
{{quotebox|She is having the worst case of [[cognitive dissonance]] in the history of modern politics. She cannot come up with a credible, realistic path to the nomination. ... But she is a scrapper, a fighter, and she's doing what she knows how to do: scrap and fight. Only harder. So that she ups the ante every day. She helped Ireland achieve peace. She tried to stop NAFTA. She's been a leader for 35 years. She landed in Bosnia under siege and bravely dodged bullets. It was as if she'd watched the movie ''Wag the Dog,'' with its fake footage of a terrified refugee woman running frantically from mortar fire, and found it not a cautionary tale about manipulation and politics, but an inspiration. <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html</ref>}}

===PolitiFact Awards===
Hillary received a "Pants on Fire" award from [[PolitiFact]] for saying Obama "basically threatened to bomb Pakistan."<ref> http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/375/ Et tu, Clinton?</ref>
Hillary received a second "Pants on Fire" award from [[PolitiFact]] for this false statement to a Washington, D.C. crowd on March 17th, 2008. {{cquote| I remember landing under sniper fire.<ref> http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/411/ Video shows tarmac welcome, no snipers</ref>}}

==Secretary of State==
After [[Barack Obama]] won the election, Hillary was widely speculated to be offered a role in the upcoming Obama Administration. On 1 December 2008 Obama announced that he was nominating Hillary to become his [[Secretary of State]], succeeding [[Condoleezza Rice]] in January 2009. Hillary touted her role as "Tough Smart Foreign Policy." It was later revealed by Mrs. Biden that Joe was first offered the Secretary of State position, an unintended swipe at Hillary. She would criticize the White House for delaying a key appointment to her staff saying, "White House vetting process as a "nightmare," "frustrating beyond words" and "ridiculous."

[[Mark Rudd]] of [[Progressives for Obama]] said of the appointment, "the mere mention of the names Hillary Clinton and [[Lawrence Summers]] alone conjure up a litany of horrendous [[right-wing]]ers appointed to top level positions.... On foreign policy and the wars and the use of the military there will be no change at all. That's what keeping Gates at the Pentagon and Clinton at State..." <ref>http://www.markrudd.com/?organizing-and-activism-now/lets-get-smart-about-obama-nov-2008.html</ref>

In July 2009, Bill Clinton trtavelled to [[North Korea]] to attempt to negotiate for the release of Americans held hostage. She was asked by a Congolese university student what her husband thought of international relations. She responded annoyed, "My husband is not secretary of state, I am," and "I am not going to be channeling my husband." Diplomats laughed when Clinton took umbrage at a Congolese questioner whom she took to be asking her husband's opinion, but it later surfaced that the question had been mistranslated.

In addition, a U.S. senator flew to Burma to bargain for the release of yet another American. Also, envoys of the reclusive North Korean regime have come to the U.S. for a meeting privately with New Mexico Gov. [[Bill Richardson]]. All this had America wondering if Hillary has been marginalized in her Obama Administration role.

While Hillary was Sec. of State, her department covered up sexual assaults <ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57588456/state-department-memo-reveals-possible-cover-ups-halted-investigations/</ref> and pedophilia by her employees <ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57588456/state-department-memo-reveals-possible-cover-ups-halted-investigations/</ref>. Hillary has a long history of supporting individuals accused of sexual assault, including her husband, Bill Clinton, after he was accused of rape by [[Juanita Broaddrick]] <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KZ8ICvutc0</ref>. Broaddrick complained publicly about Hillary's pro-sexual assault viewpoint. <ref>http://www.apfn.org/apfn/Juanita.htm</ref>

===Foreign Policy===
====Libyan War and the Benghazi attack====
:''See also [[Libyan War]] and [[Benghazi attack]]''
[[File:Hillary-3.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Upon hearing the news of Gaddafi's murder, Sec. Clinton joked, "We Came, We Saw, He Died."]]
Obama Takes Hard Line With Libya After Shift by Clinton: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton found herself juggling the inconsistencies of American foreign policy in a turbulent Middle East. She criticized the foreign minister of the [[United Arab Emirates]] for sending troops to quash protests in Bahrain even as she pressed him to send planes to intervene in Libya. She was the driving force behind the United States military action in Libya (It is said on March 14 she met in Paris with members of the Libyan [[jihad]]is and [[Bernard Henri Levy]]). Mrs. Clinton was one of a handful of top administration aides who had been arguing for intervention. Within hours, Mrs. Clinton and the aides had convinced Obama that the United States had to act, and the president ordered up military plans, which Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hand-delivered to the White House the next day. On Thursday (March 17), during an hour-and-a -half meeting, Obama signed off on using American pilots to join Europeans and jihadists in military strikes against the Libyan government... The president had a caveat, though. The American involvement in military action in Libya should be limited — no ground troops — and finite. “Days, not weeks,” a senior White House official recalled him saying. [http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/world/africa/19policy.html?_r=2&hp]

On March 17, in Tunisia, Hillary said: ''"Gaddafi must go," calling him "a ruthless dictator that has no conscience and will destroy anyone or anything in his way." "If Gaddafi does not go, he will just make trouble," she said. "That is just his nature. There are some creatures that are like that."'' [http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/17/hillary-clinton-in-tunisia-need-plan-for-economic-development/]

In joining Ms. Susan Rice and Ms. Samantha Power, Mrs. Clinton made an unusual break with Secretary of Defense [[Robert Gates]], who, along with the national security adviser, Thomas E. Donilon, and the counterterrorism chief, [[John O. Brennan]], had urged caution. Libya was not vital to American national security interests, the men argued, and Mr. Brennan worried that the Libyan rebels remained largely unknown to American officials, and could have ties to Al Qaeda. [[http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/world/africa/19policy.html?_r=2&hp]]

Hillary stated:
{{cquote|We are currently doing everything we can to bomb, strafe and use missiles to carry the rebels into power in Libya. We want them to win. We just don’t know who they are.” Hillary Rodham Clinton. [http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/06/23/hillary-clinton-to-libya-skeptics-whose-side-are-you-on/]}}

The president fully articulated American foreign policy toward Libya as formulated by Hillary Clinton: "Left unchecked... a humanitarian crisis would ensue.... The democratic values that we stand for would be overrun."<ref>http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fas.org%2Fsgp%2Fcrs%2Fnatsec%2FR41725.pdf&ei=kJkNUeedJ43DiwLCm4H4DQ&usg=AFQjCNHhRCTBkk8zUd7wMWao9DKaab8bww&sig2=8SrhE1X08403SM783aYujg&bvm=bv.41867550,d.cGE Congressional Research Service report].</ref> Nonetheless, after being captured on October 20, 2011 by forces backed by Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration, Gaddafi was first brutally sodomized, murdered, and his lifeless body paraded through the streets.<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20123348-503544/clinton-on-qaddafi-we-came-we-saw-he-died/</ref>

On September 11, 2012, the anniversary of the [[9/11 terror attacks]], Islamist terrorists attacked the American embassy and killed four people. In testimony before Congress on January the 23th, 2013 Clinton was asked why the [[Obama administration]] deliberately put out false information about the attack just prior to the [[Presidential Election of 2012]], Clinton screamed at Senators, "WHAT DIFFERENCE AT THIS POINT DOES IT MAKE?".<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/23/senator-calls-for-top-to-bottom-review-state-department-ahead-clinton-testimony/</ref>

====Mali & Algeria====
Hillary Clinton further testified in the wake of the Benghazi murders that occurred under her stewardship, that weapons and fighters equipped by the Obama administration made their way into [[Mali]] and [[Algeria]]:
{{cquote|There is no doubt that the Algerian terrorists had weapons from Libya. There is no doubt that the Malian remnants of AQIM ([[Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb]]) have weapons from Libya.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/clinton-says-militants-used-weapons-libya-algeria-attack-154222664.html Clinton says militants used weapons from Libya in Algeria attack,] Reuters, Jan 23, 2013.]</ref>}}
Two more Americans were killed, along with 35 others, after being taken hostage by rebel jihadists in Mali shortly after the Libyan upheaval.<ref>[http://world.time.com/2013/01/21/algeria-37-foreigner-hostages-killed-in-attack/ Algeria: 37 Foreigner Hostages Killed in Attack], Associated Press, Jan. 21, 2013. ''TIME'' magazine.</ref>

President [[Vladimir Putin]] of Russia observed, "Upheaval in Libya, accompanied by the uncontrolled proliferation of arms, contributed to the deterioration of the situation in Mali. Terrorist attacks in Algeria that took away the lives of innocent people – including those from foreign countries – became the consequences of such tragic developments."<ref>[http://rt.com/news/putin-libya-mali-algeria-704/ Putin links Algeria attack, Mali unrest to Libyan upheaval], January 25, 2013. rt.com</ref>

====Middle East====
[[File:Hillary Clinton Shimon Peres Jesusalem 2009.jpg|thumb|Israel's President Shimon Peres kisses U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as he gives her flowers after their meeting in Jerusalem March 3, 2009.]]
In November 2009 before George Mitchell's awkward removal as Middle East emissary, Clinton finally took a foreign policy initiative in the highly sensitive Palestine-Israeli peace process. However, she offended the Palestinians by praising Israel for offering to curb its settlement-building program in the [[West Bank]]. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/01/palestinians-accuse-clinton-undermining-peace-talks-shift-settlements/ Palestinians Accuse Clinton of Undermining Peace Talks With Shift on Settlements, FoxNews, November 1, 2009]</ref> The Palestinians accused her of undermining progress toward Mideast peace talks(the Palestinians want to see all settlements dismantled). To try and make amends and smooth over Palestinians, she issued a new statement saying the US wants [[Israel]] settlement halt forever, “We do not accept the legitimacy of settlement activity and we have a very firm belief that ending all settlement activity, current and future, would be preferable.” <ref>[http://www.jewishjournal.com/israel/article/in_cairo_clinton_clarifies_settlement_position_20091104/ "In Cairo, Clinton clarifies settlement position," ''Jewish Journal'', November 4, 2009]</ref>

Once again, Clinton's failure as Secretary of State came into question as [[John Kerry]] planned a visit to [[Iran]], which Iran rejected. <ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126161465189603571.html?mod=WSJ_newsreel_us Kerry Floats Plan to Visit Tehran, Wall Street Journal. December 24, 2009]</ref> Kerry was named as the replacement of Hillary Clinton after President Obama's embarrassing failure to garner support fort Amb. Susan Rice's nomination.<ref>[http://www.philly.com/inquirer/world_us/20091022_Kerry_plays_key_role_for_the_president.html Kerry plays key role for the president, Philly.com, October 22, 2009]</ref>

====Africa====
Clinton went to Africa to demonstrate the administration is giving Africa a higher priority than usual. Clinton has long been outspoken on causes like development, health, poverty, and gender violence. Her first stop was [[Kenya]], where the U.S. policy is to stabilize the political situation which has been on the brink of civil war. Also important is economic development, with a continentwide economic conference. Under Bill Clinton the "African Growth and Opportunity Act" expanded the number of tariff-free goods sub-Saharan countries could export to the United States. Kenya is an economic engine in eastern Africa, and needs encouragement to seek economic growth and leadership rather than risk an ethnic civil war.

[[South Africa]] is the superpower on the continent, but relations were strained with the U.S. under the country's erratic former president, Thabo Mbeki. He for example, fought against American effort to stamp out AIDS, suggesting the disease was a Western conspiracy. The new president, Jacob Zuma, is an unknown quantity. South Africa is in its first recession in more than a decade. With riots on the streets over his failure to deliver on promises to the country's poor, Zuma may hope to capitalize on improved relations with the United States. That bodes well for Clinton.One of the biggest splits was over Zimbabwe, where Bush wanted Mbeki to take a more pro-active role, while Mbeki wanted the United States to stay out of his tyranny.
[[Angola]] is now the top oil exporter in Africa, with the usual corrupt pattern of concentrated oil wealth, wobbly, and a 48% unemployment rate. American oil companies are active and the U.S. is providing business and military support. American support for Angola causes resentment in the rest of Africa, where critics attack the American friendship with President José Eduardo Dos Santos, who has held power for more than 30 years. President Bush's oft-stated concern for human rights and democracy in Angola was seen by African nationalists as little more than a pretence.
<blockquote>
Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, embarked on an official African trip that took her to Zambia, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
In a press conference in Lusaka, Clinton is reported to have warned her host continent about ‘new colonialism' in Africa from external actors and investors interested only in extracting Africa's natural resources... Clinton did not mention [[China]] by name, but as her officials later confirmed to reporters, she wanted to stress that African countries should beware of the Chinese and hold their investors to high standards.[http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13585:interpreting-clintons-new-colonialism&catid=39:opinion&Itemid=132]
</blockquote>

====East Asia====
[[File:021910 dalailama13 slideshow 604x500.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hillary Clinton negotiated the debt deal with China that piled $2 trillion unto the [[national debt]]; to mollify Chinese Communists concerns about granting [[Tibet]] the honor and dignity due a head of state, here the [[Dalai Lama]] is walked past piles of garbage after meeting with President Obama in the [[Oval Office]] <ref>http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/18/obama.dalailama/index.html ''CNN''</ref>]]
Clinton's first foreign visit in early 2009 was to [[China]] to convince them to purchase trillions in [[U.S. Treasury]] debt to finance President Obama and the Democrats [[stimulus]] programs and the [[federal deficit]].<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.42a44b0f5d9cf5c9762e80574e79a3d5.831&show_article=1 Clinton wraps Asia trip by asking China to buy US debt,] Briebart, Feb 22 2009.</ref> Clinton told Chinese leaders the [[Obama administration]] considered [[human rights]] secondary to economic wellbeing.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/4735087/Hillary-Clinton-Chinese-human-rights-secondary-to-economic-survival.html Hillary Clinton: Chinese human rights secondary to economic survival,] Richard Spencer, ''London Telegraph,'' 20 Feb 2009.</ref>

The [[Dalai Lama]] was made [[Tibet]]an head of state in 1950, the same year that China invaded and occupied Tibet.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/02/18/analysis.china.dalai.lama/index.html Analysis: Why the Dalai Lama angers China,] Jaime FlorCruz, CNN Beijing Bureau Chief, February 18, 2010.</ref> [[CNN]] reports the Chinese find it "unacceptable when they see the Dalai Lama treated as a VIP, or even akin to a head of state." <ref>Ibid.</ref>

After the Dalai Lama met with President Obama in February, 2010 he was unceremoniously escorted through a side door that trash is regularly carried out to a photo op with awaiting cameras.

In [[Japan]], she met publicly with Yukio Hatoyama, the former opposition leader, who won a landslide election in Sept, 2009. The question was over whether the new government would continue to follow American foreign policy regarding economic affairs, [[North Korea]]'s development of [[nuclear weapons]],<ref>[http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=20448 Appeasing North Korea: the Clinton Legacy,] Ben Johnson, January 03, 2003. FrontPageMagazine.com</ref> and the issue of 47,000 troops American troops stationed there. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in his election campaign vowed to review a 2006 agreement to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Base from an urban to a coastal part of the southern island of Okinawa. The base has angered residents because of aircraft noise and friction with U.S. servicemen; while in opposition, Hatoyama suggested it could be moved off the island altogether, a move the United States under Bush strongly opposed.

====South America====
Hillary's trip to [[Argentina]] became controversial as she meddled into a touchy subject by attempting to force [[Britain]] to accept talks on the future of the [[Falkland Islands]]. This action will undoubtedly strain relationships between the U.S., the U.K. and Argentina. Residents of the Falklands were outraged. <ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7047309.ece Argentina celebrates diplomatic coup as Hillary Clinton calls for talks over Falklands, Timesonline.uk, March , 2010]</ref>
===Wikipedia===
On the issue of the controversial, biased online encyclopedia, [[Wikipedia]], Clinton sent a message of congratulations that was read at the opening session of the Wikimania 2012 conference in Washington, DC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.wikimedia.org/2012/07/17/wikimania-2012-swan-song/|title=Wikimania 2012 swan song|accessdate=February 19, 2012}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Bill Clinton]]
*[[Hillary Clinton for President Exploratory Committee]]
*[[Freedom of Choice Act]]
*[[Previous Breaking News/Hillary Clinton|Articles about '''Hillary Clinton''' from previous "Breaking News"]]
*[[Charles Schumer]]
*[[Abbottabad raid]]

==References==

{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.thenation.com/doc/19990809/kaminer Hillary's No Liberal], Wendy Kaminer, ''The Nation'', July 22, 1999 (August 9, 1999 issue).
*[http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13585:interpreting-clintons-new-colonialism&catid=39:opinion&Itemid=132 Interpreting Clinton’s ‘new colonialism’.]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifZK6SVlQ1Y Hillary Clinton Admits the U.S. Government Created al-Qaeda.] Video YouTube.

{{Liberalism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clinton, Hillary Rodham}}
[[Category:Illinois]]
[[Category:Arkansas]]
[[Category:New York]]
[[Category:Liberals]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[Category:First Ladies]]
[[Category:Clinton administration]]
[[Category:Former United States Senators]]
[[Category:2008 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Obama Cabinet]]
[[Category: United States Secretaries of State]]

Mark E. Kelly

2013-05-18T03:06:47Z

TedA: /* Personal Life */

[[File:NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, STS-134 commander.jpg|thumb|NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, STS-134 commander.]]
'''Mark Edward Kelly''' (1964 - ), born in Orange, [[New Jersey]], is an [[American]] [[astronaut]] who has piloted [[Space Shuttle Endeavour|space shuttles Endeavour]] and Discovery. In 1982, he received a bachelor of science degrees in marine engineering and marine transportation (with highest honors) from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1986, and a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1994. Mark Kelly's brother, Scott J. Kelly, is the current commander of the International Space Station, Expedition 26 (ISS), a veteran of two space shuttle missions. [[Gabrielle Giffords]] is married to astronaut Mark E. Kelly; the two met in China in 2003 while they were serving on a committee there, and were married in January 2007. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40978517/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/]

Since retiring from NASA, Kelly has become an outspoken, but hypocritical proponent of gun control. <ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57578786/giffords-kelly-own-guns-while-pushing-gun-control/</ref> Kelly tried to buy an AR-15 from an Arizona gun store as part of a publicity stunt, but the purchase was denied after he made public statements saying that he was not buying the rifle for personal use. <ref>http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/03/26/Denied-Gun-Store-Owner-Refuses-To-Hand-AR-15-Over-To-Mark-Kelly</ref> Kelly was also featured in a bizzare video where he bragged about owning a 9mm Glock saying “This is the same kind of gun Gabby was shot with.” <ref>http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/gabrielle-giffords-mark-kelly-guns-89793.html#ixzz2Q9n1FR8O</ref> In that video, Kelly proceeded to shoot at several targets setting on a rock formation, but failed to injure himself or anyone else with ricochets. <ref>http://www.wsbtv.com/videos/news/mark-kelly-shoots-glock-9-while-gabby-giffords/vxd6q/</ref>

==Personal Life==
Mark Kelly is currently married to Gabrielle Giffords. He has two children from a previous marriage.
In 2013, Kelly and one of his daughters were walking their pit bull on a California beach when the dog attacked and killed a baby seal.<ref>http://www.kgun9.com/news/local/200051321.html</ref> Killing a baby seal is illegal, but under the Obama regime prominent supporters of gun control such as Mark Kelly, journalist [[David Gregory]]<ref>http://legalinsurrection.com/2013/05/legal-insurrection-and-judicial-watch-file-suit-to-obtain-david-gregory-gun-law-violation-documents/</ref>, and cocaine-addicted<ref>http://patdollard.com/2012/02/media-matters-insiders-ratting-out-organization-to-daily-caller-chief-david-brock-revealed-to-be-literal-paranoid-schizophrenic-msnbc-prime-time-shows-mostly-written-by-mmfa-white-house-illegally-u/</ref> propagandist [[David Brock]]<ref>http://dailycaller.com/2013/01/27/illegal-guns-david-brock-media-matters/</ref> are not prosecuted for breaking laws.

== Awards ==
Awarded Defense Superior Service Medal (2 awards), four Air Medals (2 individual/2 strike flight) with Combat “V,” 2 Navy Commendation Medals (one with combat “V”), Navy Commendation Medal with “V,” Navy Achievement Medal, two Southwest Asia Service Medals, Navy Expeditionary Medal, two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, Overseas Service Ribbon, and various other unit awards. [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/kellyme.html]

==References==
<references/>

== External links ==

*[http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/kellyme.html Biographical Data]

[[Category:Astronauts]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Mark E.}}

M1 Garand

2013-05-18T02:51:42Z

TedA: Only standard issue semi-auto of WWII

[[Image:m1garand.jpg|thumb|right]]

The M1 Garand rifle was the standard infantry rifle for the US Army and US Marines before and after the [[Second World War]] and also during the [[Korean War]]. The Garand was issued in 1936 and by the year 1941, it became the standard front line weapon in almost every branch of service. After the war, Garands became available to the public through the Civialian Marksmanship Program. The rifle fires .30-06 Springfield rounds from an 8-shot en-block clip. The Garand was the only semi-automatic standard issue rifle during World War II and it gave American troops a distinct advantage over their enemies during that conflict.

General [[George S. Patton]], one of the greatest heroes of [[World War II]], praised the M1 Garand thusly: "In my opinion, the M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised."<ref>Bill Shadish [http://www.fulton-armory.com/tea/article11-98.htm The M1 Garand in Cyberspace ] Nov 1998</ref>

Unfortunately, due to political considerations involving America's joining [[NATO]], the US military shelved the M1 Garand, replacing it with the experimental T44 rifle (in the slightly weaker 7.62 mm NATO chambering) as the [[M14]]. Fortunately, the M1 Garand is still held in high esteem by civilian firearms advocates within the United States, and regularly used for competitive shooting, and is well-regarded as a [[Homeland Defense Rifle]] (HDR).

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Guns]]

Harry Reid

2013-05-18T02:47:54Z

TedA: Idiot and mumbling gangster

{{Officeholder
|name=Harry Reid
|image=Reid- 2009 Official Photo.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=Landra Gould
|religion=[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Nevada
|terms=January 3, 1987 - Present
|preceded=[[Paul Laxalt]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/representative
|state=Nevada
|district=1st
|terms=January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1987
|preceded=James David Santini
|former=n
|succeeded=James Bilbray
}}
}}

'''Harry Reid''', born December 2, 1939 (age {{age|1939|12|2}}), is the senior Senator from [[Nevada]] and U.S. Senate Majority Leader in the 111th Congress for the [[Democratic Party|Democrats]]. He became Minority Whip (the #2 job) in 1998, and Minority Leader in 2005 and Majority Leader in 2007. He won reelection from Nevada in 2010 despite low approval ratings and a strong challenge amid suspicions of voting irregularities.<ref>http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/early-voting-irregularities-create-suspicion-of-fraud/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OTB+%28Outside+The+Beltway+|+OTB%29</ref> He is the first member of the Church of Latter-day Saints to become Senate Majority Leader. He is known for making insensitive and provocative [[racial]]ly charged comments and his far left [[liberal]] views. He is an idiot<ref>http://www.wnd.com/2013/01/senator-harry-reid-is-still-an-idiot/</ref> and a "mumbling gangster"<ref>http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/aug/7/hurt-improbable-reign-harry-reid-mumbling-gangster/</ref>, so he was an natural choice to lead the Democrats in the Senate.

==Early Life and Education==

Born in Searchlight, Nevada, Reid converted to [[Mormonism]] while attending [[Utah State University]] in 1960. <ref>http://www.adherents.com/largecom/lds_Reid.html</ref> He went on to earn a law degree from [[George Washington University]] in 1964. <ref>http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Nov-14-Sun-2004/news/25258027.html</ref>

==Political Career==
Reid's career in politics began in 1967 when he was elected to the Nevada State Assembly and in 1970 was elected Lieutenant Governor. He unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate in 1974. From 1977 to 1981, Harry Reid was the Nevada state gaming commissioner. This led his character to be parodied in the 1995 film "Casino" played by Dick Smothers. During Reid's tenure as gaming commissioner, he allowed the [[FBI]] to videotape businessman Jack Gordon, offering him a $12,000 bribe. Then, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal account, Reid "put his hands around Gordon's neck and said, 'You son of a b-tch, you tried to bribe me!'" <ref>http://www.nndb.com/people/292/000032196/</ref> In 1979 Gordon was arrested and sentenced to six months in jail.

After serving two terms in the [[House of Representatives]], Reid was elected to the Senate in 1986 and reelected three times. He served as Minority Whip from 1999 through 2001, again from 2003 through 2005, Minority Leader from 2005 through 2007, and was elected Senate Majority Leader in 2007.

===Reelection 2010===
Reid is facing a tough reelection in 2010. The "Cook Political Report" in September 2009 rates the contest as "Toss Up". His status weakened in summer 2009, as discontent with President Obama and the Democrats' health plan mounted, and as the Recession of 2008 continues to batter Las Vegas and the entire Nevada economy, with no relief in sight from the stimulus bill Reid pushed through the Senate. Reid's inability to improve his standing in the polls, coupled with the deteriorating political environment for Democrats nationally, are clear indications that his political problems are deep and will be difficult (though not impossible) to fix, says Cook.

After receiving the endorsement of the [[Tea Party Express]] and [[Club for Growth]], former Assemblywoman [[Sharron Angle]] defeated former State Senator [[Sue Lowden]] by 14 points and businessman [[Danny Tarkanian]] in the Republican primary by 17 points.

Reid eventually defeated Angle by a 50.3% to 44.6% margin.

==Political Views==

[[Image:HarryReid.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid with House Speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]] (left) and Senator [[Chris Dodd]] (right)]]Harry Reid has voted with a majority of his Democratic colleagues 94.8% of the time during the current [[Congress]]. <ref>http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/r000146/</ref> He has been a key spokesman for liberal positions on taxes, health care, government bailouts, unions and immigration. In 2009 Reid called opponents of [[universal health care]] "evil-mongers." He later explained "I maybe could have been less descriptive, I doubt you’ll hear it from me again." <ref>http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/harry_reid_protesters_evil-mongers/</ref> Reid voted to authorize military force in [[Iraq]] in 1991 and again in 2002. However, he later became a proponent of troop withdrawal.

His major accomplishment has been to block the use of Yucca Mountain in Nevada for the safe storage of nuclear wastes from around the country.

At one point Reid described himself as [[pro-life]], saying "Abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered." <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/npat.php?can_id=53320#408</ref> Reid voted to express opposition to [[Roe v. Wade]] <ref>http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00048</ref> and supported the ban on [[Partial birth abortion]]. <ref>http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00402</ref> However, since being elected to his leadership position he has proven himself to be a staunch pro-Abortion advocate and has even voted to use taxpayer dollars to fund overseas abortions. <ref>http://www.lifenews.com/state4369.html</ref> From 2007-2008, the [[National Right to Life Committee]] gave Harry Reid a 28% rating. <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=4321</ref>

Reid cosponsored a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning. He opposes environmentalists on mining issues. He is a strong supporter of the gaming industry, which forms the basis of the state's economy.

Reid opposes gun control, and in 2007 Gun Owners of America gave Reid a grade of ''F''. <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=53320&type=category&category=37&go.x=4&go.y=5</ref>

==Controversies==

As a United States Senator Harry Reid has been the subject of Controversy and Criticism. In 2006 he was ranked the 10th most corrupt person in Washington by Judicial Watch. <ref>http://www.judicialwatch.org/printer_6091.shtml</ref> Reid was investigated by the FBI in 2008 for illegal campaign donations.<ref>http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/fbi-reid-campaig-finance/2013/04/17/id/500006</ref>

==Romney's taxes==
Reid ludicrously claimed in 2012 that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney hadn't paid taxes in 10 years - without, of course, offering any substantiation. [http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/07/politics/reid-romney-taxes/index.html] The IRS may have illegally leaked Romney's tax information to Reid. <ref>http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/16/did-the-irs-give-romneys-tax-returns-to-harry-reid/</ref>

===Connections with Jack Abramoff===

Reid has received over $60,000 from groups that are related to convicted lobbyist [[Jack Abramoff]], including about $50,000 from [[Native American]] gaming interests. Several times, Native American tribes that were clients of Jack Abramoff donated money to Reid after Reid's votes produced favorable results for the tribes. However, Reid described the Abramoff affair as "a Republican scandal."

===Boxing credentials===
Reid has accepted free tickets valued at hundreds of dollars for boxing matches between 2003 and 2005 from the Nevada Athletic Commission. Senate ethics rules permit gifts from such governmental agencies.

===Las Vegas land deal===
Senator Reid came under fire in 2006 for failing to properly report to Congress a $700,000 land deal. Harry Reid's member interest in limited liability company (LLC) was allocated $1.1 million of the gross proceeds attributable to the sale of a parcel of land. In 1998, Reid bought a plot of land for $400,000, fair market value at the time. One of the sellers was a developer who arranged a land swap that Reid supported.

===Iraq "lost"===

On April 19 2007, representatives of 50 Iraqi Sunni tribes announced the formation of a new democratic political party called [[Iraq Awakening]], with the aim of fielding candidates in elections at all levels of government, including the parliamentary elections in 2009. In the predominantly [[Shiite]] country, a large scale political organization among the [[Sunni]] is precisely what [[al-Qaeda]] insurgents have opposed. Later the same day, Sen. Reid demanded the pullout of American forces, on the basis that Iraq had been "lost". <ref>[http://www.therealitycheck.org/StaffWriter/dclark_NMA053107.html Reid The Reaper: Dems plan Iraq Awakening's wake], by Daniel Clark, ''New Media Alliance. Retrieved 06/04/07.</ref> In May, Majority Leader Reid voted to fund the "lost" cause anyway. In a scathing rebuke [[MSNBC]]'s liberal [[Keith Olbermann]] said,
{{cquote|'''Mr. Reid, Mr. [[Steny Hoyer|Hoyer]], and the other Democrats... have failed us. They negotiated away that which they did not own, but had only been entrusted by us to protect: our collective will as the citizens of this country....Mr. Reid has failed.''' <ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18831132/ The entire government has failed us on Iraq], Keith Olbermann, MSNBC ''Countdown'', May 24, 2007.</ref>}}

Ironically after Reid proclaimed the war lost, sectarian violence significantly declined.

[[File:Incompetent Harry Reid.jpg|left|300px]]

===Rush Limbaugh Phony Soldier Incident===
On October 2, 2007, Senator Reid wrote a letter to Mark P. Mays, Chairman-of-the-board and CEO of Clear Channel Communications, who are [[Rush Limbaugh]]'s chief patrons. In it Senator Reid essentially demanded that Mr. Mays order Mr. Limbaugh apologize for certain remarks that Mr. Limbaugh allegedly made, to the effect that soldiers who opposed the prosecution of the war in [[Iraq]] were "phony soldiers."<ref name=ReidText>Reid, Harry, ''et al.'' "[http://reid.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=284699 Letter to Mark P. Mays of Clear Channel Communications]." [http://reid.senate.gov/ Electronic Office of US Senator Harry Reid], October 2, 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2007.</ref> In composing his letter and his later remarks, Reid relied heavily on a presentation and alleged analysis by [[Media Matters for America]]. In fact, the only soldiers that Mr. Limbaugh ever alleged to be "phony" were certain persons who falsely claimed to have served in Iraq; some of those persons were in fact tried for and convicted of misrepresentation of service and drew prison sentences for their conduct. Nevertheless Mr. Reid obtained the signatures of forty of his Senate colleagues on his accusatory letter and read the letter aloud on the floor of the Senate.

The letter was delivered, and Mr. Limbaugh ultimately obtained it. Mr. Limbaugh publicly exhibited it to an audience in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], on October 11. The next day he placed the letter for sale at public auction at eBay.com.<ref name=eBay>[http://cgi.ebay.com/Original-Harry-Reid-Rush-Limbaugh-Smear-Letter_W0QQitemZ260170172469QQihZ016QQcategoryZ4105QQcmdZViewItem Auction listing of original of Harry Reid letter]. [http://www.ebay.com/ eBay.com]. Retrieved October 19, 2007.</ref> The letter was sold for $2.1 million. Rush donated the entire proceeds to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, and included a matching contribution of his own. In his remarks on the air on the day that the auction ended, and for several days before that, Mr. Limbaugh speculated that Senator Reid probably never imagined that his letter would even be made public, much less set a record for the most expensive charity auction in the records of eBay.com.<ref name=Limbaugh>Limbaugh, Rush H., remarks heard on his radio program on October 19, 2007, at about 12:15 p.m. EDT, or 16:15 p.m. UTC</ref>

At noon EDT October 19, 2007, Senator Reid spoke again to this issue on the floor of the Senate, taking note of the astonishing auction price that the letter was sure to fetch (the auction was still running at the time). He suggested in his remarks that he had spoken to Mr. Mays personally about the prospect of the public auction and had expressed doubts that such an auction would fetch more than a trifling sum.<ref name=ReidVid>Reid, Harry M. "[http://www.breitbart.tv/html/6938.html Remarks on the Floor of the United States Senate regarding Letter to Mark P. Mays]." Captured and published by ''Breitbart TV''. Retrieved October 19, 2007.</ref> Rush Limbaugh played the recording of Mr. Reid's remarks on his radio program and scathingly suggested that Mr. Reid was now attempting to take credit after the fact for the success of the auction and the massive charitable donation that would result from it.<ref name=Limbaugh2>Reid, Harry; remarks on the floor of the United States Senate on October 19, 2007, at 12:00 noon EDT. Played and commented upon by Rush H. Limbaugh on his radio program, beginning 12:35 p.m. EDT.</ref>

Images of the text of the letter, and the signatures of the Senators, appear below:

<gallery>
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Body.jpg|Body of the letter
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Sig1.jpg|Rest of the body and twelve signatures
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Sig2.jpg|Eighteen signatures
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Sig3.jpg|Eleven signatures
</gallery>
===Remarks about slavery and race===

A month after Reid compared Republican opponents of [[government health care]] to supporters of [[slavery]],<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/07/reid-compares-health-care-reform-foes-slavery-supporters/</ref> it came to light that
Reid had made remarks referring to [[Barack Obama]]'s race during the presidential campaign.<ref>Reid's comments were included in the book ''Game Change''. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100109/ap_on_el_se/us_obama_reid]</ref>
Reid had called then-Senator Obama during the 2008 Democratic primaries "light skinned" and "with no [[Negro dialect]], unless he wanted to have one."

* The authors describe Reid assessing Obama's strengths as a candidate. Reid, they write, "believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama -- a 'light-skinned' African American 'with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,' as he said privately. Reid was convinced, in fact, that Obama's race would help him more than hurt him in a bid for the Democratic nomination."<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/09/AR2010010902141.html Washington Post] - January 10, 2010 </ref>

After that, political commentators began "arguing over whether those comments by Reid constitute racism".<ref>[http://spectator.org/archives/2010/01/12/bigots-and-the-press Bigots and the Press] - Mark Hyman</ref>
On January 9, 2010 Reid apologized for his "poor choice of words"

A Boston Globe op-ed said Senator Reid "said nothing wrong".<ref> [http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/01/13/whats_wrong_with_negro_anyway/ What’s wrong with ‘Negro,’ anyway?]</ref>
[[Ann Coulter]] wrote, "[[Democrat]]s regularly say things that would end the career of any [[conservative]] who said them." [http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=35188]

In August 2010, Reid tries some [[racial politics]] and told a crowd of supporters that he doesn’t know "how anyone of [[Hispanic]] heritage could be a Republican."

* In a follow-up remark, again more obsession with [[Race baiting]], ''“because the wave of immigrants we have now — their skin's a tone darker than ours — doesn't make it any different.”'' <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/11/rubio-blasts-reid-asking-hispanics-republicans/ Rubio Blasts Reid for Saying He Doesn't Understand How Hispanics Could Be Republican, FOXNews, August 11, 2010]</ref>

==See also==
*[[ACORN]]
*[[Phonemark]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/11/abramoff_report_1.html Abramoff Reports to Prison; Officials Focus on Reid, Others], Brian Ross and Rhonda Schwartz, ''ABC News'', November 15, 2006.
*[http://www.politico.com/blogs/anneschroeder/0809/House_switchboard_getting_pranked_by_Harry_Reid.html House switchboard getting pranked by Harry Reid?]. Politico. August 11, 2009.
*[http://health.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/08/11/dr-manny-dear-senator-reid-i%E2%80%99m-not-stupid/ Dr. Manny: Dear Senator Reid, I’m Not Stupid!]
{{Liberalism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT: Reid, Harry}}
[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[Category: 110th United States Congress]]
[[Category:111th United States Congress]]
[[Category:112th United States Congress]]
[[Category:113th United States Congress]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[category:2010 Midterm Elections]]
[[Category:Mormons]]
[[Category:Abortion Advocates]]
[[Category:Nevada]]

Harry Reid

2013-05-18T02:44:30Z

TedA: /* Romney's taxes */ Reid's involvement in illegal tax leaks

{{Officeholder
|name=Harry Reid
|image=Reid- 2009 Official Photo.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=Landra Gould
|religion=[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Nevada
|terms=January 3, 1987 - Present
|preceded=[[Paul Laxalt]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/representative
|state=Nevada
|district=1st
|terms=January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1987
|preceded=James David Santini
|former=n
|succeeded=James Bilbray
}}
}}

'''Harry Reid''', born December 2, 1939 (age {{age|1939|12|2}}), is the senior Senator from [[Nevada]] and U.S. Senate Majority Leader in the 111th Congress for the [[Democratic Party|Democrats]]. He became Minority Whip (the #2 job) in 1998, and Minority Leader in 2005 and Majority Leader in 2007. He won reelection from Nevada in 2010 despite low approval ratings and a strong challenge amid suspicions of voting irregularities.<ref>http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/early-voting-irregularities-create-suspicion-of-fraud/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OTB+%28Outside+The+Beltway+|+OTB%29</ref> He is the first member of the Church of Latter-day Saints to become Senate Majority Leader. He is known for making insensitive and provocative [[racial]]ly charged comments and his far left [[liberal]] views.

==Early Life and Education==

Born in Searchlight, Nevada, Reid converted to [[Mormonism]] while attending [[Utah State University]] in 1960. <ref>http://www.adherents.com/largecom/lds_Reid.html</ref> He went on to earn a law degree from [[George Washington University]] in 1964. <ref>http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Nov-14-Sun-2004/news/25258027.html</ref>

==Political Career==
Reid's career in politics began in 1967 when he was elected to the Nevada State Assembly and in 1970 was elected Lieutenant Governor. He unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate in 1974. From 1977 to 1981, Harry Reid was the Nevada state gaming commissioner. This led his character to be parodied in the 1995 film "Casino" played by Dick Smothers. During Reid's tenure as gaming commissioner, he allowed the [[FBI]] to videotape businessman Jack Gordon, offering him a $12,000 bribe. Then, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal account, Reid "put his hands around Gordon's neck and said, 'You son of a b-tch, you tried to bribe me!'" <ref>http://www.nndb.com/people/292/000032196/</ref> In 1979 Gordon was arrested and sentenced to six months in jail.

After serving two terms in the [[House of Representatives]], Reid was elected to the Senate in 1986 and reelected three times. He served as Minority Whip from 1999 through 2001, again from 2003 through 2005, Minority Leader from 2005 through 2007, and was elected Senate Majority Leader in 2007.

===Reelection 2010===
Reid is facing a tough reelection in 2010. The "Cook Political Report" in September 2009 rates the contest as "Toss Up". His status weakened in summer 2009, as discontent with President Obama and the Democrats' health plan mounted, and as the Recession of 2008 continues to batter Las Vegas and the entire Nevada economy, with no relief in sight from the stimulus bill Reid pushed through the Senate. Reid's inability to improve his standing in the polls, coupled with the deteriorating political environment for Democrats nationally, are clear indications that his political problems are deep and will be difficult (though not impossible) to fix, says Cook.

After receiving the endorsement of the [[Tea Party Express]] and [[Club for Growth]], former Assemblywoman [[Sharron Angle]] defeated former State Senator [[Sue Lowden]] by 14 points and businessman [[Danny Tarkanian]] in the Republican primary by 17 points.

Reid eventually defeated Angle by a 50.3% to 44.6% margin.

==Political Views==

[[Image:HarryReid.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid with House Speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]] (left) and Senator [[Chris Dodd]] (right)]]Harry Reid has voted with a majority of his Democratic colleagues 94.8% of the time during the current [[Congress]]. <ref>http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/r000146/</ref> He has been a key spokesman for liberal positions on taxes, health care, government bailouts, unions and immigration. In 2009 Reid called opponents of [[universal health care]] "evil-mongers." He later explained "I maybe could have been less descriptive, I doubt you’ll hear it from me again." <ref>http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/harry_reid_protesters_evil-mongers/</ref> Reid voted to authorize military force in [[Iraq]] in 1991 and again in 2002. However, he later became a proponent of troop withdrawal.

His major accomplishment has been to block the use of Yucca Mountain in Nevada for the safe storage of nuclear wastes from around the country.

At one point Reid described himself as [[pro-life]], saying "Abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered." <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/npat.php?can_id=53320#408</ref> Reid voted to express opposition to [[Roe v. Wade]] <ref>http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00048</ref> and supported the ban on [[Partial birth abortion]]. <ref>http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00402</ref> However, since being elected to his leadership position he has proven himself to be a staunch pro-Abortion advocate and has even voted to use taxpayer dollars to fund overseas abortions. <ref>http://www.lifenews.com/state4369.html</ref> From 2007-2008, the [[National Right to Life Committee]] gave Harry Reid a 28% rating. <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=4321</ref>

Reid cosponsored a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning. He opposes environmentalists on mining issues. He is a strong supporter of the gaming industry, which forms the basis of the state's economy.

Reid opposes gun control, and in 2007 Gun Owners of America gave Reid a grade of ''F''. <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=53320&type=category&category=37&go.x=4&go.y=5</ref>

==Controversies==

As a United States Senator Harry Reid has been the subject of Controversy and Criticism. In 2006 he was ranked the 10th most corrupt person in Washington by Judicial Watch. <ref>http://www.judicialwatch.org/printer_6091.shtml</ref> Reid was investigated by the FBI in 2008 for illegal campaign donations.<ref>http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/fbi-reid-campaig-finance/2013/04/17/id/500006</ref>

==Romney's taxes==
Reid ludicrously claimed in 2012 that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney hadn't paid taxes in 10 years - without, of course, offering any substantiation. [http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/07/politics/reid-romney-taxes/index.html] The IRS may have illegally leaked Romney's tax information to Reid. <ref>http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/16/did-the-irs-give-romneys-tax-returns-to-harry-reid/</ref>

===Connections with Jack Abramoff===

Reid has received over $60,000 from groups that are related to convicted lobbyist [[Jack Abramoff]], including about $50,000 from [[Native American]] gaming interests. Several times, Native American tribes that were clients of Jack Abramoff donated money to Reid after Reid's votes produced favorable results for the tribes. However, Reid described the Abramoff affair as "a Republican scandal."

===Boxing credentials===
Reid has accepted free tickets valued at hundreds of dollars for boxing matches between 2003 and 2005 from the Nevada Athletic Commission. Senate ethics rules permit gifts from such governmental agencies.

===Las Vegas land deal===
Senator Reid came under fire in 2006 for failing to properly report to Congress a $700,000 land deal. Harry Reid's member interest in limited liability company (LLC) was allocated $1.1 million of the gross proceeds attributable to the sale of a parcel of land. In 1998, Reid bought a plot of land for $400,000, fair market value at the time. One of the sellers was a developer who arranged a land swap that Reid supported.

===Iraq "lost"===

On April 19 2007, representatives of 50 Iraqi Sunni tribes announced the formation of a new democratic political party called [[Iraq Awakening]], with the aim of fielding candidates in elections at all levels of government, including the parliamentary elections in 2009. In the predominantly [[Shiite]] country, a large scale political organization among the [[Sunni]] is precisely what [[al-Qaeda]] insurgents have opposed. Later the same day, Sen. Reid demanded the pullout of American forces, on the basis that Iraq had been "lost". <ref>[http://www.therealitycheck.org/StaffWriter/dclark_NMA053107.html Reid The Reaper: Dems plan Iraq Awakening's wake], by Daniel Clark, ''New Media Alliance. Retrieved 06/04/07.</ref> In May, Majority Leader Reid voted to fund the "lost" cause anyway. In a scathing rebuke [[MSNBC]]'s liberal [[Keith Olbermann]] said,
{{cquote|'''Mr. Reid, Mr. [[Steny Hoyer|Hoyer]], and the other Democrats... have failed us. They negotiated away that which they did not own, but had only been entrusted by us to protect: our collective will as the citizens of this country....Mr. Reid has failed.''' <ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18831132/ The entire government has failed us on Iraq], Keith Olbermann, MSNBC ''Countdown'', May 24, 2007.</ref>}}

Ironically after Reid proclaimed the war lost, sectarian violence significantly declined.

[[File:Incompetent Harry Reid.jpg|left|300px]]

===Rush Limbaugh Phony Soldier Incident===
On October 2, 2007, Senator Reid wrote a letter to Mark P. Mays, Chairman-of-the-board and CEO of Clear Channel Communications, who are [[Rush Limbaugh]]'s chief patrons. In it Senator Reid essentially demanded that Mr. Mays order Mr. Limbaugh apologize for certain remarks that Mr. Limbaugh allegedly made, to the effect that soldiers who opposed the prosecution of the war in [[Iraq]] were "phony soldiers."<ref name=ReidText>Reid, Harry, ''et al.'' "[http://reid.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=284699 Letter to Mark P. Mays of Clear Channel Communications]." [http://reid.senate.gov/ Electronic Office of US Senator Harry Reid], October 2, 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2007.</ref> In composing his letter and his later remarks, Reid relied heavily on a presentation and alleged analysis by [[Media Matters for America]]. In fact, the only soldiers that Mr. Limbaugh ever alleged to be "phony" were certain persons who falsely claimed to have served in Iraq; some of those persons were in fact tried for and convicted of misrepresentation of service and drew prison sentences for their conduct. Nevertheless Mr. Reid obtained the signatures of forty of his Senate colleagues on his accusatory letter and read the letter aloud on the floor of the Senate.

The letter was delivered, and Mr. Limbaugh ultimately obtained it. Mr. Limbaugh publicly exhibited it to an audience in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], on October 11. The next day he placed the letter for sale at public auction at eBay.com.<ref name=eBay>[http://cgi.ebay.com/Original-Harry-Reid-Rush-Limbaugh-Smear-Letter_W0QQitemZ260170172469QQihZ016QQcategoryZ4105QQcmdZViewItem Auction listing of original of Harry Reid letter]. [http://www.ebay.com/ eBay.com]. Retrieved October 19, 2007.</ref> The letter was sold for $2.1 million. Rush donated the entire proceeds to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, and included a matching contribution of his own. In his remarks on the air on the day that the auction ended, and for several days before that, Mr. Limbaugh speculated that Senator Reid probably never imagined that his letter would even be made public, much less set a record for the most expensive charity auction in the records of eBay.com.<ref name=Limbaugh>Limbaugh, Rush H., remarks heard on his radio program on October 19, 2007, at about 12:15 p.m. EDT, or 16:15 p.m. UTC</ref>

At noon EDT October 19, 2007, Senator Reid spoke again to this issue on the floor of the Senate, taking note of the astonishing auction price that the letter was sure to fetch (the auction was still running at the time). He suggested in his remarks that he had spoken to Mr. Mays personally about the prospect of the public auction and had expressed doubts that such an auction would fetch more than a trifling sum.<ref name=ReidVid>Reid, Harry M. "[http://www.breitbart.tv/html/6938.html Remarks on the Floor of the United States Senate regarding Letter to Mark P. Mays]." Captured and published by ''Breitbart TV''. Retrieved October 19, 2007.</ref> Rush Limbaugh played the recording of Mr. Reid's remarks on his radio program and scathingly suggested that Mr. Reid was now attempting to take credit after the fact for the success of the auction and the massive charitable donation that would result from it.<ref name=Limbaugh2>Reid, Harry; remarks on the floor of the United States Senate on October 19, 2007, at 12:00 noon EDT. Played and commented upon by Rush H. Limbaugh on his radio program, beginning 12:35 p.m. EDT.</ref>

Images of the text of the letter, and the signatures of the Senators, appear below:

<gallery>
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Body.jpg|Body of the letter
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Sig1.jpg|Rest of the body and twelve signatures
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Sig2.jpg|Eighteen signatures
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Sig3.jpg|Eleven signatures
</gallery>
===Remarks about slavery and race===

A month after Reid compared Republican opponents of [[government health care]] to supporters of [[slavery]],<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/07/reid-compares-health-care-reform-foes-slavery-supporters/</ref> it came to light that
Reid had made remarks referring to [[Barack Obama]]'s race during the presidential campaign.<ref>Reid's comments were included in the book ''Game Change''. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100109/ap_on_el_se/us_obama_reid]</ref>
Reid had called then-Senator Obama during the 2008 Democratic primaries "light skinned" and "with no [[Negro dialect]], unless he wanted to have one."

* The authors describe Reid assessing Obama's strengths as a candidate. Reid, they write, "believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama -- a 'light-skinned' African American 'with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,' as he said privately. Reid was convinced, in fact, that Obama's race would help him more than hurt him in a bid for the Democratic nomination."<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/09/AR2010010902141.html Washington Post] - January 10, 2010 </ref>

After that, political commentators began "arguing over whether those comments by Reid constitute racism".<ref>[http://spectator.org/archives/2010/01/12/bigots-and-the-press Bigots and the Press] - Mark Hyman</ref>
On January 9, 2010 Reid apologized for his "poor choice of words"

A Boston Globe op-ed said Senator Reid "said nothing wrong".<ref> [http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/01/13/whats_wrong_with_negro_anyway/ What’s wrong with ‘Negro,’ anyway?]</ref>
[[Ann Coulter]] wrote, "[[Democrat]]s regularly say things that would end the career of any [[conservative]] who said them." [http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=35188]

In August 2010, Reid tries some [[racial politics]] and told a crowd of supporters that he doesn’t know "how anyone of [[Hispanic]] heritage could be a Republican."

* In a follow-up remark, again more obsession with [[Race baiting]], ''“because the wave of immigrants we have now — their skin's a tone darker than ours — doesn't make it any different.”'' <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/11/rubio-blasts-reid-asking-hispanics-republicans/ Rubio Blasts Reid for Saying He Doesn't Understand How Hispanics Could Be Republican, FOXNews, August 11, 2010]</ref>

==See also==
*[[ACORN]]
*[[Phonemark]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/11/abramoff_report_1.html Abramoff Reports to Prison; Officials Focus on Reid, Others], Brian Ross and Rhonda Schwartz, ''ABC News'', November 15, 2006.
*[http://www.politico.com/blogs/anneschroeder/0809/House_switchboard_getting_pranked_by_Harry_Reid.html House switchboard getting pranked by Harry Reid?]. Politico. August 11, 2009.
*[http://health.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/08/11/dr-manny-dear-senator-reid-i%E2%80%99m-not-stupid/ Dr. Manny: Dear Senator Reid, I’m Not Stupid!]
{{Liberalism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT: Reid, Harry}}
[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[Category: 110th United States Congress]]
[[Category:111th United States Congress]]
[[Category:112th United States Congress]]
[[Category:113th United States Congress]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[category:2010 Midterm Elections]]
[[Category:Mormons]]
[[Category:Abortion Advocates]]
[[Category:Nevada]]

Paula Jones

2013-05-18T02:38:27Z

TedA: IRS harassment of conservatives

'''Paula Jones''' (b. 1966) was an [[Arkansas]] state employee who was allegedly propositioned by [[Bill Clinton]] at a [[Little Rock]], Arkansas hotel during Clinton's [[governor|governorship]] of the state. She subsequently sued Clinton, during his [[president|presidency]], for sexual harassment, but the suit was dropped after Clinton paied her $850,000. Seven months earlier, Jones' case was dismissed by the district court, but Jones appealed.

In the course of a legal deposition in the Jones case, Clinton denied having had a relationship with [[Monica Lewinsky]], thus opening himself to charges of [[perjury]].

The Clinton administration used the IRS to harass Jones with an audit of her taxes.<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/pjones/stories/pj091597.htm</ref> Liberal harassment of conservatives using the IRS was common during the Clinton <ref>http://abcnews.go.com/Business/irs-irs-long-history-dirty-tricks/story?id=19177178</ref> and Obama<ref>http://www.redstate.com/dloesch/2013/05/14/reporter-claims-irs-harassment-after-tough-obama-interview/</ref> administrations.

==References==
<references/>

==Further information==
*http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/pjones/pjones.htm
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Paula}}
[[Category:Women]]
[[Category:Corruption]]

Landmark Legal Foundation

2013-05-18T02:32:22Z

TedA: IRS/Obama scandal

[[File:Landmark logo.jpg]]

'''Landmark Legal Foundation''' (The Ronald Reagan Legal Center) is a conservative public interest law firm in Washington D.C., established in 1976. The current organizational president is [[Mark Levin]]. Per their website, "We fight for the values and ideals the Founding Fathers gave voice to in the [[Declaration of Independence]] and the [[U.S.]] [[Constitution]]."

==NEA==
Landmark legal is currently focused on the [[National Education Association]] accountability project. Targeting them at the national level, as well as the states where the union spends millions in tax exempt funds on unreported and hence illegal political activities.

==Public Accountability==
Landmark Legal focuses on public accountability of activist judges who rely on foreign laws, fabricate “rights” to advance an extremist social agenda. "A decade of rejection at the ballot box has led [[liberal]]s to turn to the courts to implement their policy goals, regardless of the will of the people or the parameters on the authority of the judiciary established by the Framers of the Constitution."

==Environmental Accountability==
After learning that many of the nation's most extreme environmental groups have received billions of taxpayer dollars from the federal government, Landmark Legal consistently forces the [[EPA]] to disclose what they are up to by submitting [[Freedom of Information Act|Freedom of Information]] requests. They were instrumental in getting changes after the people at the EPA were held in contempt for destroying files. Landmark also maintains the most comprehensive searchable database of information about federal grants to nonprofit environmental groups anywhere on the Internet. Per their website, "The EPA has already produced a list of nearly 14,000 grants totaling more than $2 billion made to nonprofit organizations since 1993." <ref>[http://www.landmarklegal.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=7 Environment Grants Database, Landmark Legal Foundation]</ref>

==IRS Harassment of Conservatives==
The Landmark Legal Foundation has been credited with making IRS harassment of conservative organizations a scandal for the Obama admistration.<ref>http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/10/mark-levin-may-have-prompted-irs-conservative-group-revelations/</ref>

==See Also==
*[[Mark Levin]]

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
* [http://www.landmarklegal.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=7 Official Website]

[[Category:Conservative Organizations]]

Mark E. Kelly

2013-05-09T23:59:42Z

TedA:

[[File:NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, STS-134 commander.jpg|thumb|NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, STS-134 commander.]]
'''Mark Edward Kelly''' (1964 - ), born in Orange, [[New Jersey]], is an [[American]] [[astronaut]] who has piloted [[Space Shuttle Endeavour|space shuttles Endeavour]] and Discovery. In 1982, he received a bachelor of science degrees in marine engineering and marine transportation (with highest honors) from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1986, and a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1994. Mark Kelly's brother, Scott J. Kelly, is the current commander of the International Space Station, Expedition 26 (ISS), a veteran of two space shuttle missions. [[Gabrielle Giffords]] is married to astronaut Mark E. Kelly; the two met in China in 2003 while they were serving on a committee there, and were married in January 2007. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40978517/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/]

Since retiring from NASA, Kelly has become an outspoken, but hypocritical proponent of gun control. <ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57578786/giffords-kelly-own-guns-while-pushing-gun-control/</ref> Kelly tried to buy an AR-15 from an Arizona gun store as part of a publicity stunt, but the purchase was denied after he made public statements saying that he was not buying the rifle for personal use. <ref>http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/03/26/Denied-Gun-Store-Owner-Refuses-To-Hand-AR-15-Over-To-Mark-Kelly</ref> Kelly was also featured in a bizzare video where he bragged about owning a 9mm Glock saying “This is the same kind of gun Gabby was shot with.” <ref>http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/gabrielle-giffords-mark-kelly-guns-89793.html#ixzz2Q9n1FR8O</ref> In that video, Kelly proceeded to shoot at several targets setting on a rock formation, but failed to injure himself or anyone else with ricochets. <ref>http://www.wsbtv.com/videos/news/mark-kelly-shoots-glock-9-while-gabby-giffords/vxd6q/</ref>

==Personal Life==
Mark Kelly is currently married to Gabrielle Giffords. He has two children from a previous marriage.
In 2013, Kelly and one of his daughters were walking their pit bull on a California beach when the dog attacked and killed a baby seal.<ref>http://www.kgun9.com/news/local/200051321.html</ref> Killing a baby seal is illegal, but under the Obama regime prominent supporters of gun control such as Mark Kelly and journalist [[David Gregory]] are not prosecuted for breaking laws.

== Awards ==
Awarded Defense Superior Service Medal (2 awards), four Air Medals (2 individual/2 strike flight) with Combat “V,” 2 Navy Commendation Medals (one with combat “V”), Navy Commendation Medal with “V,” Navy Achievement Medal, two Southwest Asia Service Medals, Navy Expeditionary Medal, two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, Overseas Service Ribbon, and various other unit awards. [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/kellyme.html]

==References==
<references/>

== External links ==

*[http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/kellyme.html Biographical Data]

[[Category:Astronauts]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Mark E.}}

Hillary Rodham Clinton

2013-05-09T23:55:52Z

TedA: Benghazi

{{Officeholder
|name=Hillary Rodham Clinton
|image=Hillary-6.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=[[Bill Clinton]]
|religion=[[Methodist]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/secretary (cabinet)
|of=State
|state=United States
|number=67th
|deputy=n
|governor=
|president=[[Barack Hussein Obama]]
|terms=January 21, 2009-January 30, 2013
|preceded=[[Condoleezza Rice]]
|former=n
|succeeded=[[John Forbes Kerry]]
}}
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=New York
|terms=January 3, 2001 – January 21, 2009
|preceded=[[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]]
|former=y
|succeeded=[[Kirsten Gillibrand]]
}}
}}
'''Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton''' (b. 1947) was the 67th [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State of the United States]]. From 2001 to 2008 she was a [[United States Senate|Senator]] from [[New York]], and from 1993 to 2001 was [[First Lady]] of the United States while her husband [[Bill Clinton]] was president. Hillary Clinton resigned from her job as [[Obama]]'s [[Secretary of State]] after her incompetence led to the deaths of four Americans during the Islamic terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.<ref>http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/05/09/senator-lindsey-graham-hillary-clinton-testify-benghazi-subpoena/2147869/</ref>

She is a [[pro-abortion]] advocate, supports the death penalty, has yet to embrace same sex marriage publicly but does support civil unions, and supports federal funding for embryotic stem-cell research.

Hillary Clinton has practiced an "open marriage" in the nearly four decade relationship with her husband, former President Bill Clinton.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=foWUM2R1K0wC&pg=PA211&lpg=PA211&dq=barbara+olson%22open+marriage%22&source=bl&ots=08qLt6ftjN&sig=njP7QlpBV08LenTCyo4KVx3JBEQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=htMZT4-UC-7CsQKitZTjCw&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Barbara Olsen, ''Hell to Pay''], p.211.</ref><ref>[http://search.opinionarchives.com/Summary/AmericanSpectator/V27I45P32-1.htm ''Love and Hate in Arkansas], ''The American Spectator, Daniel Wattenberg, April 1994.</ref>

==Early life==
She was born October 26, 1947, in Chicago, [[Illinois]] to a middle class family. Her father Hugh Rodham operated a small business. He was born into a coal mining family in Pennsylvania, graduated from Penn State University, voted Republican and was known as a martinet. Hillary grew up in Park Ridge, an upscale suburb of Chicago along with two older brothers. Hillary attended Maine East High School, where she was involved in many extracurricular activities, was active in the Methodist church, and worked for Republican campaigns as a Goldwater Girl. As a tenth-grader, she heard the Rev. [[Martin Luther King]] speak in person. In the eleventh grade, she was class vice-president. She attended Wellesley College, an elite woman's college near Boston and was elected class president in 1968.

===Goldwater Girl===
Speaking at Selma, [[Alabama]]'s First Baptist Church on the 42nd anniversary of the "bloody Sunday" freedom march Hillary Clinton declared: "As a young girl I had the great privilege of hearing [[Martin Luther King|Dr. King]] speak in Chicago. The year was 1963....[Dr. King] called on us, he challenged us that evening to stay awake during the great revolution that the [[civil rights]] pioneers were waging on behalf of a more perfect union." In her memoirs Hillary Clinton described herself in 1964 as "an active Young Republican" and "a [[Barry Goldwater|Goldwater]] girl, right down to my cowgirl outfit." Columnist [[Robert Novak]] observed, "As a politically attuned honor student, she must have known that Goldwater was one of only six Republican senators who joined [[Solid South|Southern Democratic]] [[segregation]]ists opposing the historic [[Voting Rights Act|voting rights act of 1964]] inspired by King."<ref>[http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertDNovak/2007/03/12/hillary,_king_and_goldwater Hillary, King and Goldwater], by Robert D. Novak, [[Townhall.com]], March 12, 2007.</ref>

===College===
Starting college as a Republican activist, she became a liberal by her senior year. During the summer of 1968, she participated (as a Republican) in Wellesley's Washington internship Program. where she worked as an intern in the office of [[Melvin Laird]], then congressman from Wisconsin, and attended the Republican convention in Miami as a [[Nelson Rockefeller]] supporter (he lost the nomination to [[Richard Nixon]]). She was the commencement speaker at her graduation from Wellesley in 1969, during which she argued forcefully against the war in Vietnam and said, "And the challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible." In her speech, she also acknowledged the influence of her roomate and friend Eleanor D. Acheson in helping Hillary become the first student in Wellesley College history to deliver its commencement address.<ref name="WesleyHillary">{{Cite web
|title=Wellesley College 1969 Student Commencement Speech |url=http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/Commencement/1969/053169hillary.html
|publisher=Wellesley College
|date=31 May 1969 |accessdate=30 June 2011
}}</ref> Ms. Acheson, a lawyer and lesbian lobbyst,.<ref name="wcaddr">
{{cite web
|title=Changes under way in Task Force Public Policy & Government Affairs Department |url=http://www.thetaskforce.org/Update/2006/34_06_1219/index.htm
|publisher=National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
|date=19 December 2006
|accessdate=30 June 2011 }}</ref> - the granddaughter of President [[Harry Truman|Harry Truman’s]] secretary of state Dean Acheson - is credited for having introduced the young Hillary to political circles.
A photo and the report of her Wellesley commencement speech were featured in ''Life Magazine''.

==Early Career==
In 1969, she attended Yale law school, where she was one of only 27 women among 235 law students. On May 7, 1970, she addressed the League of Women Voters in Washington, a sign of her growing prominence. Always active in campus politics, she ended up becoming something of a communications facilitator, as she had been at Wellesley, between potentially radical student elements and the college administration during the era of extreme student unrest in 1970. She was written up on hometown and New England newspapers, and was interviewed on Irv Kupcinet's nationally syndicated TV talk show from Chicago. That summer, she worked in Washington for Marian Wright Edelman's Washington Research Project, where she conducted research on migrant children's health and education difficulties, especially in the South. Her subsequent studies at Yale were concentrated on how the law affected children. At Yale in 1971, she met Bill Clinton, her future husband, also a law student at Yale.

She graduated from Yale Law School (JD 1973) a year later than necessary, having remained an extra year to be near Bill. As a staff attorney for the Children's Defense Fund, she specialized in children's advocacy law. She married Bill on October 11, 1975; daughter Chelsea was born in 1980.

===Arkansas===
As her husband built a political career in Arkansas as governor, she was a partner in the locally prestigious Rose Law Firm, 1976-1992. Nationally she continued her legal advocacy for children and chaired the American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession, which played a pioneering role in raising awareness of issues like sexual harassment and equal pay.

During the 1970s and '80s, the Clintons invested in the Whitewater Development Corporation which later became the subject of a federal investigation, prosecutions and convictions. Jim and Susan McDougal, and then-Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker were convicted of multiple counts of financial fraud, even though President Clinton testified for four hours for the defense.<ref>Once upon a Time in Arkansas, [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/arkansas/docs/clintondepo.html Transcript of Clinton's Sworn Deposition], PBS.</ref>

On the evening Bill Clinton lost his bid for a Congressional seat in 1974, Hillary is reported to have cursed out a Jewish aide using nasty words. <ref>Jerry Oppenheimer, ''State of a Union: Inside the Complex Marriage of Bill and Hillary Clinton'' (2000_ cites three witnesses to the incident. </ref>

===Legal Services Corporation===
Hillary Clinton was appointed by President [[Jimmy Carter]] to head the controversial [[Public defender|Legal Services Corporation]] (LSC) in 1978 and remained on the Board until 1983. <ref>[http://www.nlpc.org/view.asp?action=viewArticle&aid=225 Thwarting the Will of Congress: How the Legal Services Corporation Evaded, Diluted, and Ignored Reform], Testimony of Kenneth F. Boehm before the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, House Judiciary Committee, February 28, 2002. </ref>
Under Hillary Clinton's leadership, the LSC began moving away from its legislated task of providing poor people with free lawyers and began an [[activist]] agenda to influence [[public policy]] through [[class action]] lawsuits. One case involved bringing lawsuits to force New York's Transit Authority to hire [[heroin]] addicts. The LSC also violated its own rules by organizing political campaigns against a state referendum and against Ronald Reagan. <ref>Michael Barone , [http://www.jewishworldreview.com/michael/barone070899.asp ''Taking Hillary seriously], ''Jewish World Review'', July 8, 1999. </ref>

Clinton failed the District of Columbia [[Bar Exam]] in the 1970s.<ref>[http://mediamatters.org/items/200706010006 On Today, Bernstein omitted key fact in purported disclosure of Clinton's D.C. bar exam failure: It's not news], ''[[MediaMatters]]'' June 1, 2007. Retrieved from MediaMatters.org October 4, 2007.</ref>

== 1992 Presidential campaign ==
===Alleged civil rights violations===
''The Hill'' magazine reported Hillary Clinton may have been involved in [[civil rights]] violations by monitoring illegal wiretaps and domestic spying on political opponents during the 1992 camapaign.<ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gop-targeting-clinton-on-phone-call-snooping-2007-10-16.html GOP targeting Clinton on phone-call snooping], By Alexander Bolton, ''The Hill'', October 16, 2007.</ref> After the revelations came to light in a book entitled, ''Her Way'' [http://www.amazon.com/Her-Way-Ambitions-Hillary-Clinton/dp/0316017426] by Don Van Natta Jr., an investigative reporter at the ''[[New York Times]]'', and Jeff Gerth, who spent 30 years as an investigative reporter at the paper, a [[Republican]] official remarked,
{{Cquote|it is rather unbelievable that [Hillary] Clinton would listen in to conversations being conducted by political opponents, but refuse to allow our intelligence agencies to listen in to conversations being conducted by [[terrorist]]s as they plot and plan to kill us.<ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gop-targeting-clinton-on-phone-call-snooping-2007-10-16.html GOP targeting Clinton on phone-call snooping], By Alexander Bolton, ''The Hill'', October 16, 2007.</ref> }}

== First Lady ==

During [[Bill Clinton]]'s presidency, Hillary initially played an important role. Immediately after his [[inauguration]] in 1993, she led a task force to create a national health care system. The secrecy of the Task Force was at issue in court cases which resulted in disclosures to comply with the law.

Her friend [[Vince Foster]] supervised the defense of the litigation, but died under mysterious circumstances at the height of the controversy; the death was ruled a suicide by the U.S Park Service. The Task Force proposals lacked public support and support from the Democrats in Congress, and came to nothing but an ambarassment for the Clinton presidency.

Subsequently, the Republicans won a landslide victory in 1994, taking over both Houses of Congress.

===Healthcare task force scandals ===
:''Main article: [[Clinton health care plan]]''
Hillary was asked by her husband to play a central role in secretly crafting a plan to overhaul Health Care. Joe Klein. author of ''Primary Colors'', the fawning rendition of the phenomenae of Clintonism on the 1992 campaign trail remarked,
{{Cquote |Bill Clinton really believed that if anybody was going to come up with the answer to the most vexing public policy problem out there, it was going to be Hillary. It was one of the stupidest political decisions that Bill Clinton ever made.<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/transcript/clinton-transcript/ Program Transcript, Clinton, WGBH American Experience, PBS.]</ref>}}
Democrats were divided, and conservatives counterattacked. The Democratically controlled Congress refused to even vote on it, given its unpopularity and having to publicly take a stand in support of the Clintons before the 1994 Midterm Elections.

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), along with several other groups, filed a lawsuit over closed-door meetings related to the HillaryCare. The AAPS sued to gain access to the list of members of the task force which the Clinton administration had kept secret from the public.<ref>[http://nlpc.org/government-integrity-project?page=74 National Legal Policy Center, Government Integrity Project]</ref> On June 14, 1993 the ''Washington Times'' reported Hillary's task force records were being shredded.

Along with the failed tasks force's membership sealed from the public, so was it's budget, accounting, and spending authority. Hillary's task force was given a budget of $100,000. In secret, it spent almost $14 million.<ref>[http://gao.justia.com/department-of-justice/1995/3/cost-of-health-care-task-force-related-activities-t-ggd-95-114/ Cost of Health Care Task Force Related Activities]. GAO Report. Gao ID: T-GGD-95-114. March 14, 1995.</ref>

The long-term impact was an embarrassment to Hillary, especially in her 2008 presidential campaign.

===Removal of documents from Vince Foster's office===
After the death of White House staffer Vince Foster, 20 year Secret Service veteran Henry O' Neill testified before Congress he observed as Hillary Clinton's chief of staff, Margaret Williams, carry boxes of papers out of Foster's office and up to the White House residence quarters on First Lady Hillary Clinton's instructions. The documents related to the Clinton's blind trust and Whitehouse real estate investments. Under oath, Hillary Clinton denied issuing the instructions or recieving the documents. The documents were now considered evidence in the investigation of the death of Vince Foster.

Two years later, some of the documents were retrieved from the private White House quarters. FBI investigators determined Hillary Clinton's fingerprints were on the documents.<ref>http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?r104:./temp/~r104dYXUst</ref>

===Conspiracy theories and enemies list===
[[File:Hillary-5.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Hillary made a pointed reference to "a vast right-wing conspiracy" as being responsible for her husbands infidelity and the myriad scandals which have plagued the Clintons since thier early days in Arkansas.]]
:''Main article: [[Vast right wing conspiracy theory]]
Hillary Clinton branded opponents of the Administration and critics of the Clinton's scandelous lifestyles as "a vast right-wing conspiracy." White House staffers made up an enemies list of persons and organizations who subsequently endured IRS audits and harassment. <ref>Larry Klayman, WorldNetDaily 7/9/99. [http://www.alamo-girl.com/0311.htm]</ref>

===Reaction to infidelity and criticizing opponents===
Although Hillary Clinton told CBS's Steve Kroft in an intereview on ''60 Minutes'' to address her husband's infidelity, Clinton emphatically stated,
{{Cquote|I'm not sitting here – some little woman standing by my man like Tammy Wynette. <ref>[http://www.angelfire.com/wa/starreport/60min.html Transcript ''60 Minutes'' interview].</ref>}}

Clinton likewise mocked stay-at-home-moms for baking cookies while she was employed at a "high powered" law firm making more money than her husband. She was lauded by liberal media and pundits as "a strong women."

In the end, when confronted with the infidelity of her husband, she blamed "a vast right-wing conspiracy" and stood by her man.
<blockquote>
'Why didn’t you leave the White House when you found out about the cheating of your husband?'
[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1381198/Libya-war-2011-Aisha-Gaddafi-taunts-Obama-Hillary-Clinton.html#ixzz1Q2ALmYp2 Gaddafi's daughter Aisha Gaddafi.]
</blockquote>

===Accusations of stolen gifts===
When the Clintons left the White House, they were accused of taking furniture that belonged not to them, but to the White House and the American people. Clinton spokespeople claimed that the movers "inadvertently" packed the wrong items. Most of the articles were quietly returned. <ref>"Clinton Shipped Furniture Year Ago," Washington Post, February 10, 2001.</ref>

== U.S. Senate ==
[[Image:070917graveconcern-x.gif|right|thumb|400px]]
In 2000, Clinton ran for the New York Senate seat vacated by the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] Senator [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]]. Backed by the White House, she obtained the Democratic nomination for this Senate seat, and then won easily against Republican Rick Lazio (who entered the race when [[Rudy Giuliani]] withdrew). Clinton was a high visibility show horse, working to develop a base in upstate regions. She initiated no major legislation.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_7_54/ai_84454903 Hillary Clinton's spending of taxpayer money], ''[[National Review]], April 22, 2002.</ref> Clinton is said to have belonged to a conservative prayer group with the purpose of "bringing Jesus back to Capitol Hill."<ref>http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/09/hillarys-prayer.html</ref> A few of her collaborators in the group include Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan) and Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa).

In preparation for her Senate bid, President Clinton offered clemency to members of the [[Armed Forces of National Liberation]] (FALN) [[terrorist]] group <ref>[http://rpc.senate.gov/_files/92199CoddlingTerrorists.pdf U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee] testimony available at http://www.senate.gov/~judiciary/wl91599.htm, ''The Tampa Tribune'', S.J.Res. 33 (passed 95-2).</ref> to curry favor with [[radical]] [[Puerto Rican]] voters among the New York electorate.<ref>[http://www.jonathanpollard.org/senate.htm FALN Clemency and NY Senate Race], (2000). Retrieved from http://www.jonathanpollard.org September 20,2007.</ref> The FALN bombed Fraunces Tavern in [[Manhattan]], killing four people in 1975. Over a six-year period, the group claimed responsibility for more than 100 bombings that took six lives and injured some 130 people.<ref>[http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/puertorico/sep4.htm Clinton Pardons Terror], ''New York Post'', August 13, 1999. retrieved from http://www.latinamericanstudies.org September 14, 2007.</ref>

===FEC fined campaign for failing to accurately report $721,895 in contributions===

In January 2006 Hillary Clinton's New York Senate 2000 campaign was fined $35,000 for failing to accurately report $721,895 in contributions. <ref>[http://www.fec.gov/press/press2006/20060126mur.html Federal Elections Commission] Press Release, January 26, 2006. </ref>

===Saddam's weapons of mass destruction===
[[File:Hillary-4.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Among Democrats, Hillary Clinton's views on Iraq were highly regarded, including accounting for Saddam's WMD. ]]
Speaking on [[Saddam Hussein]]'s possession of [[weapons of mass destruction]] (WMD), Hillary invoked her experience in the Clinton White House:,
{{Cquote|I have to say that this is something that I have followed for a decade. If he [Saddam] were serious about disarming, he would have been much more forthcoming. There may be progress, we may be destroying his missiles, there is no accounting for the [[Weapons of mass destruction|chemical and biological stocks]].<ref>[http://www.archive.org/details/HillaryClintonsviewsongoingtowarSaddamandWMDs Hillary Clinton's views on going to war, Saddam, and WMD]</ref>}}

Hillary Clinton further described the situation after weapons inspectors we're expelled during the time when America had two in the position of presidential leadership, "for the price of one."<ref>[http://www.townhall.com/columnists/CharlesKrauthammer/2007/11/02/two_for_the_price_of_one Two For the Price of One], By Charles Krauthammer, November 2, 2007.</ref>
{{Cquote|In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his [[nuclear]] program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to [[terrorist]]s, including [[al Qaeda]] members ... It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.<ref>[http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=6390 Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), October 10, 2002]. Retrieved from Zmag.org December 4, 2007.</ref>}}

===Failure to reform earmarks===
The noted newspaper which covers legislative affairs, ''The Hill'', reported Hillary Clinton received more [[earmark]]s for Congressional [[pork barrel]] projects than only one other United States Senator. Reforming the earmark process had been among the Democrats top priorities in the [[110th Congress]], up until the time Democrats voted to rescind the rules aimed at reform that were passed in the first 100 hours of the new Congress in January. Ethics reform and the earmark process is widely attributed as the cause why Republicans lost control of both Houses of Congress after several members had been caught up in ethical scandals. ''The Hill'' reported Sen. Clinton received 26 earmarks worth about $148.4 million total, much going to [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] contractors. <ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/clinton-can-boast-wealth-of-earmarks-2007-06-13.html Clinton can boast wealth of earmarks], By Roxana Tiron and Ilan Wurman, ''The Hill'', June 13, 2007.</ref>

===Voted against raising the minimum wage===

After voting to send troops to Iraq Hillary Clinton voted against funding the troops in Iraq. In May of 2007 Clinton voted against raising the minimum wage. <ref>[http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=12952&can_id=55463 Senate Concurrence on HR 2206] Title 8 Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, Record Vote Number 181, 05/24/2007. [http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_member.php?cs_id=12952]</ref>

== 2008 Presidential campaign ==
[[File:Aufzumsieg.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Hillary as the universally acclaimed presidential frontrunner and titular head of the Democratic party in 2007.]]
She ran for the [[United States Presidential Election, 2008 - Primaries|2008 Democratic presidential candidacy]], winning more primaries than any woman in history. On June 7th, 2008 she conceded defeat to [[Barack Obama]] after a closely challenged campaign, although she did not release her delegates until the convention itself.

===Attacks on Barack Obama===
A pro-Hillary website, [http://www.stop-obama.org/ stop-obama.org], which billed itself as, " a multiracial team of Democrats dedicated to critaclly think about BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA...will challenge the Obama image through scrutiny and analysis. We will ask tough questions about Obama’s past, present, his associations, and identity."<ref>http://www.stop-obama.org/?page_id=23</ref> The group stated,
{{quotebox|Obama had the misfortune of rich grandparents who lavishly spent their time and money on him, pampering him with attention and prep-school. Far from thanks, Obama grew resentful, and instead of softening his drive to “Rule the World,” only increased it. As his relatives and colleagues witness, it would come to define his life.<ref>http://www.stop-obama.org/?p=48</ref>}}
Hillary regularly relied upon the so-called "opposition research"<ref>[http://www.jeffkuhner.com/printer.php?q=jk-7895-phpgzkqyx-&page=articles Distortions and lies at The New York Times], Jeffrey T. Kuhner, Jan. 30-Feb. 5, 2007. www.insightmag.com </ref> of the same sources from the group to attack and denigrate the person, character, identity, and motives of Barack Obama.<ref>http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=92143</ref><ref>http://www.qando.net/details.aspx?Entry=5300</ref>

===Promises made, promises broken===
In late August 2007 Senator [[Bill Nelson]] and other members of Florida's Congressional delegation protested the Democratic National Committee's scheme<ref>[http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_DEMOCRATIC_PRIMARY_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME Fla. Democrats warn of voting rights probe if state sanctioned], By Rasha Madkour, Associated Press, Aug 23, 2007. Retrieved from ''St. Petersburg Times'' August 24, 2007.</ref> to deprive Floridians of equal voting rights protection<ref>[http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_DEMOCRATIC_PRIMARY_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME Fla. Democrats warn of voting rights probe if state sanctioned], By Rasha Madkour, Associated Press, Aug 23, 2007. Retrieved from ''St. Petersburg Times'' August 24, 2007.</ref> in selection of delegates to the 2008 DNC Presidential nominating convention. A letter sent to DNC Chairman [[Howard Dean]], threatened legal action "to determine whether this could violate any state or [[federal law]]s governing and protecting individual [[Voting Rights Act|voting rights]].... It always has been a priority of our party to protect the rights of every eligible American to vote...We would hope the DNC will continue to honor this right."<ref>[http://www.nelsonforsenate.com/feature/dean/ Letter from Florida Congressional Democrats to DNC Chairman Howard Dean], August 22, 2007. Retrieved from nelsonforsenate.com/feature/dean/ September 13, 2007.</ref> The move prompted Hillary Clinton to pledge not to campaign in Florida.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/us/politics/02dems.html?ex=1346472000&en=d7f7216c6188da2e&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink Clinton, Obama and Edwards Join Pledge to Avoid Defiant States], By Jeff Zeeleny, ''New York Times'', September 2, 2007.</ref> A week later she was campaigning in Florida.<ref>[http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/09/11/news/iowa/c07662f8adc84f9a8625735300091c7f.txt Candidates have events in Florida despite pledge], By Charlotte Eby, ''Sioux City Journal'', September 11, 2007.</ref>

===Abuse of Mother Teresa's image and reputation===
Hillary Clinton was chastised by a [[Catholic]] Advocacy group for using an image of [[Mother Teresa]] in a campaign ad. Clinton continues to support abortion. <ref>[http://www.fidelis.org/gw3/articles-news/articles.php?CMSArticleID=1456&CMSCategoryID=10 Fidelis Covered by Catholic News Agency on Mother Teresa Video Controversy], ''Catholic News Agency,'' 05-18-2007.</ref> The U.S. Catholic-based advocacy group Fidelis, an organization working with people of faith to defend the [[sanctity of life]], [[traditional marriage]], and [[Religious freedom|religious liberty]] rights, called for Hillary Clinton to remove the image of Mother Teresa from their campaign video. In a press release the group declared the video, narrated by her Bill Clinton,
{{Cquote|is wholly inappropriate, disrespectful and disturbing ...using an image of blessed Mother Teresa as a political tool, especially given their [[radical]]ly different views on abortion...Mother Teresa tirelessly fought to protect unborn children, while Hillary Clinton staunchly supports [[abortion]] on demand in all nine months of pregnancy, including [[partial birth abortion]] and [[taxpayer funding of abortion]]}}

When the image of Hillary and Mother Teresa appears in the video the former president is heard saying “Hillary, in effect, was the face of America … in India;” the video then cuts to a clip of the former first lady addressing the 1995 Beijing Conference where an effort was made to declare abortion a fundamental “human right.”

===Nixon's legacy===
Barbara Olson in her 1990 book ''Hell to Pay'' <ref>[http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0895262746/102-6782111-3076127?SubscriptionId=11NRD61HE570TCSR99R2]</ref> made a convincing case that the former Goldwater girl, raised in a Republican home, while working for the staff of the House Judiciary Committee preparing impeachment Articles against [[President Nixon]], studied Nixon very closely. Olson and others have now commented how Hillary Clinton built her political career by learning to think and act as Nixon did, and modeling herself after him. These writers cite instance after instance of such behavior. <ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45138 Hillary's Secret War], The plan to silence Internet journalists, Joseph Farah, ''WorldNetDaily.com'', July 6, 2005.</ref> When Democratic competitor [[Barack Obama]] made a public statement vowing not to use [[nuclear weapons]], Hillary Clinton shot back,
{{Cquote|I don't believe that any president should make any blanket statements with respect to the use or nonuse of nuclear weapons}} reflecting Nixon's thoughts in ''The Real War'' :
{{Cquote|[[Eisenhower]] said... "You should never let the enemy know what you will do, but it's more important that you never let the enemy know what you will not do." }}
Nixon referred to it as "the Madman theory,"
{{Cquote|... statements that appear to rule out the use of force, while perhaps meant to be unprovocative, will in fact provoke an antagonist to push for more. ...we should not make statements that we will never launch a preemptive strike. Whether or not we would ever exercise that option, we should always leave open the possibility that in extreme circumstances we might. <ref>[http://nobsnews.blogspot.com/1996/10/real-war.html#hole_card ''The Real War''], Richard Nixon, Warner Books, May 1980, pgs. 253 - 260.</ref>}}

===Alleged embellishment of career events===
[[Peggy Noonan]] observed Hillary Clinton's distortions of her record on the campaign trail:
{{quotebox|She is having the worst case of [[cognitive dissonance]] in the history of modern politics. She cannot come up with a credible, realistic path to the nomination. ... But she is a scrapper, a fighter, and she's doing what she knows how to do: scrap and fight. Only harder. So that she ups the ante every day. She helped Ireland achieve peace. She tried to stop NAFTA. She's been a leader for 35 years. She landed in Bosnia under siege and bravely dodged bullets. It was as if she'd watched the movie ''Wag the Dog,'' with its fake footage of a terrified refugee woman running frantically from mortar fire, and found it not a cautionary tale about manipulation and politics, but an inspiration. <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html</ref>}}

===PolitiFact Awards===
Hillary received a "Pants on Fire" award from [[PolitiFact]] for saying Obama "basically threatened to bomb Pakistan."<ref> http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/375/ Et tu, Clinton?</ref>
Hillary received a second "Pants on Fire" award from [[PolitiFact]] for this false statement to a Washington, D.C. crowd on March 17th, 2008. {{cquote| I remember landing under sniper fire.<ref> http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/411/ Video shows tarmac welcome, no snipers</ref>}}

==Secretary of State==
After [[Barack Obama]] won the election, Hillary was widely speculated to be offered a role in the upcoming Obama Administration. On 1 December 2008 Obama announced that he was nominating Hillary to become his [[Secretary of State]], succeeding [[Condoleezza Rice]] in January 2009. Hillary touted her role as "Tough Smart Foreign Policy." It was later revealed by Mrs. Biden that Joe was first offered the Secretary of State position, an unintended swipe at Hillary. She would criticize the White House for delaying a key appointment to her staff saying, "White House vetting process as a "nightmare," "frustrating beyond words" and "ridiculous."

[[Mark Rudd]] of [[Progressives for Obama]] said of the appointment, "the mere mention of the names Hillary Clinton and [[Lawrence Summers]] alone conjure up a litany of horrendous [[right-wing]]ers appointed to top level positions.... On foreign policy and the wars and the use of the military there will be no change at all. That's what keeping Gates at the Pentagon and Clinton at State..." <ref>http://www.markrudd.com/?organizing-and-activism-now/lets-get-smart-about-obama-nov-2008.html</ref>

In July 2009, Bill Clinton trtavelled to [[North Korea]] to attempt to negotiate for the release of Americans held hostage. She was asked by a Congolese university student what her husband thought of international relations. She responded annoyed, "My husband is not secretary of state, I am," and "I am not going to be channeling my husband." Diplomats laughed when Clinton took umbrage at a Congolese questioner whom she took to be asking her husband's opinion, but it later surfaced that the question had been mistranslated.

In addition, a U.S. senator flew to Burma to bargain for the release of yet another American. Also, envoys of the reclusive North Korean regime have come to the U.S. for a meeting privately with New Mexico Gov. [[Bill Richardson]]. All this had America wondering if Hillary has been marginalized in her Obama Administration role.

===Foreign Policy===
====Libyan War and the Benghazi attack====
:''See also [[Libyan War]] and [[Benghazi attack]]''
[[File:Hillary-3.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Upon hearing the news of Gaddafi's murder, Sec. Clinton joked, "We Came, We Saw, He Died."]]
Obama Takes Hard Line With Libya After Shift by Clinton: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton found herself juggling the inconsistencies of American foreign policy in a turbulent Middle East. She criticized the foreign minister of the [[United Arab Emirates]] for sending troops to quash protests in Bahrain even as she pressed him to send planes to intervene in Libya. She was the driving force behind the United States military action in Libya (It is said on March 14 she met in Paris with members of the Libyan [[jihad]]is and [[Bernard Henri Levy]]). Mrs. Clinton was one of a handful of top administration aides who had been arguing for intervention. Within hours, Mrs. Clinton and the aides had convinced Obama that the United States had to act, and the president ordered up military plans, which Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hand-delivered to the White House the next day. On Thursday (March 17), during an hour-and-a -half meeting, Obama signed off on using American pilots to join Europeans and jihadists in military strikes against the Libyan government... The president had a caveat, though. The American involvement in military action in Libya should be limited — no ground troops — and finite. “Days, not weeks,” a senior White House official recalled him saying. [http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/world/africa/19policy.html?_r=2&hp]

On March 17, in Tunisia, Hillary said: ''"Gaddafi must go," calling him "a ruthless dictator that has no conscience and will destroy anyone or anything in his way." "If Gaddafi does not go, he will just make trouble," she said. "That is just his nature. There are some creatures that are like that."'' [http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/17/hillary-clinton-in-tunisia-need-plan-for-economic-development/]

In joining Ms. Susan Rice and Ms. Samantha Power, Mrs. Clinton made an unusual break with Secretary of Defense [[Robert Gates]], who, along with the national security adviser, Thomas E. Donilon, and the counterterrorism chief, [[John O. Brennan]], had urged caution. Libya was not vital to American national security interests, the men argued, and Mr. Brennan worried that the Libyan rebels remained largely unknown to American officials, and could have ties to Al Qaeda. [[http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/world/africa/19policy.html?_r=2&hp]]

Hillary stated:
{{cquote|We are currently doing everything we can to bomb, strafe and use missiles to carry the rebels into power in Libya. We want them to win. We just don’t know who they are.” Hillary Rodham Clinton. [http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/06/23/hillary-clinton-to-libya-skeptics-whose-side-are-you-on/]}}

The president fully articulated American foreign policy toward Libya as formulated by Hillary Clinton: "Left unchecked... a humanitarian crisis would ensue.... The democratic values that we stand for would be overrun."<ref>http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fas.org%2Fsgp%2Fcrs%2Fnatsec%2FR41725.pdf&ei=kJkNUeedJ43DiwLCm4H4DQ&usg=AFQjCNHhRCTBkk8zUd7wMWao9DKaab8bww&sig2=8SrhE1X08403SM783aYujg&bvm=bv.41867550,d.cGE Congressional Research Service report].</ref> Nonetheless, after being captured on October 20, 2011 by forces backed by Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration, Gaddafi was first brutally sodomized, murdered, and his lifeless body paraded through the streets.<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20123348-503544/clinton-on-qaddafi-we-came-we-saw-he-died/</ref>

On September 11, 2012, the anniversary of the [[9/11 terror attacks]], Islamist terrorists attacked the American embassy and killed four people. In testimony before Congress on January the 23th, 2013 Clinton was asked why the [[Obama administration]] deliberately put out false information about the attack just prior to the [[Presidential Election of 2012]], Clinton screamed at Senators, "WHAT DIFFERENCE AT THIS POINT DOES IT MAKE?".<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/23/senator-calls-for-top-to-bottom-review-state-department-ahead-clinton-testimony/</ref>

====Mali & Algeria====
Hillary Clinton further testified in the wake of the Benghazi murders that occurred under her stewardship, that weapons and fighters equipped by the Obama administration made their way into [[Mali]] and [[Algeria]]:
{{cquote|There is no doubt that the Algerian terrorists had weapons from Libya. There is no doubt that the Malian remnants of AQIM ([[Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb]]) have weapons from Libya.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/clinton-says-militants-used-weapons-libya-algeria-attack-154222664.html Clinton says militants used weapons from Libya in Algeria attack,] Reuters, Jan 23, 2013.]</ref>}}
Two more Americans were killed, along with 35 others, after being taken hostage by rebel jihadists in Mali shortly after the Libyan upheaval.<ref>[http://world.time.com/2013/01/21/algeria-37-foreigner-hostages-killed-in-attack/ Algeria: 37 Foreigner Hostages Killed in Attack], Associated Press, Jan. 21, 2013. ''TIME'' magazine.</ref>

President [[Vladimir Putin]] of Russia observed, "Upheaval in Libya, accompanied by the uncontrolled proliferation of arms, contributed to the deterioration of the situation in Mali. Terrorist attacks in Algeria that took away the lives of innocent people – including those from foreign countries – became the consequences of such tragic developments."<ref>[http://rt.com/news/putin-libya-mali-algeria-704/ Putin links Algeria attack, Mali unrest to Libyan upheaval], January 25, 2013. rt.com</ref>

====Middle East====
[[File:Hillary Clinton Shimon Peres Jesusalem 2009.jpg|thumb|Israel's President Shimon Peres kisses U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as he gives her flowers after their meeting in Jerusalem March 3, 2009.]]
In November 2009 before George Mitchell's awkward removal as Middle East emissary, Clinton finally took a foreign policy initiative in the highly sensitive Palestine-Israeli peace process. However, she offended the Palestinians by praising Israel for offering to curb its settlement-building program in the [[West Bank]]. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/01/palestinians-accuse-clinton-undermining-peace-talks-shift-settlements/ Palestinians Accuse Clinton of Undermining Peace Talks With Shift on Settlements, FoxNews, November 1, 2009]</ref> The Palestinians accused her of undermining progress toward Mideast peace talks(the Palestinians want to see all settlements dismantled). To try and make amends and smooth over Palestinians, she issued a new statement saying the US wants [[Israel]] settlement halt forever, “We do not accept the legitimacy of settlement activity and we have a very firm belief that ending all settlement activity, current and future, would be preferable.” <ref>[http://www.jewishjournal.com/israel/article/in_cairo_clinton_clarifies_settlement_position_20091104/ "In Cairo, Clinton clarifies settlement position," ''Jewish Journal'', November 4, 2009]</ref>

Once again, Clinton's failure as Secretary of State came into question as [[John Kerry]] planned a visit to [[Iran]], which Iran rejected. <ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126161465189603571.html?mod=WSJ_newsreel_us Kerry Floats Plan to Visit Tehran, Wall Street Journal. December 24, 2009]</ref> Kerry was named as the replacement of Hillary Clinton after President Obama's embarrassing failure to garner support fort Amb. Susan Rice's nomination.<ref>[http://www.philly.com/inquirer/world_us/20091022_Kerry_plays_key_role_for_the_president.html Kerry plays key role for the president, Philly.com, October 22, 2009]</ref>

====Africa====
Clinton went to Africa to demonstrate the administration is giving Africa a higher priority than usual. Clinton has long been outspoken on causes like development, health, poverty, and gender violence. Her first stop was [[Kenya]], where the U.S. policy is to stabilize the political situation which has been on the brink of civil war. Also important is economic development, with a continentwide economic conference. Under Bill Clinton the "African Growth and Opportunity Act" expanded the number of tariff-free goods sub-Saharan countries could export to the United States. Kenya is an economic engine in eastern Africa, and needs encouragement to seek economic growth and leadership rather than risk an ethnic civil war.

[[South Africa]] is the superpower on the continent, but relations were strained with the U.S. under the country's erratic former president, Thabo Mbeki. He for example, fought against American effort to stamp out AIDS, suggesting the disease was a Western conspiracy. The new president, Jacob Zuma, is an unknown quantity. South Africa is in its first recession in more than a decade. With riots on the streets over his failure to deliver on promises to the country's poor, Zuma may hope to capitalize on improved relations with the United States. That bodes well for Clinton.One of the biggest splits was over Zimbabwe, where Bush wanted Mbeki to take a more pro-active role, while Mbeki wanted the United States to stay out of his tyranny.
[[Angola]] is now the top oil exporter in Africa, with the usual corrupt pattern of concentrated oil wealth, wobbly, and a 48% unemployment rate. American oil companies are active and the U.S. is providing business and military support. American support for Angola causes resentment in the rest of Africa, where critics attack the American friendship with President José Eduardo Dos Santos, who has held power for more than 30 years. President Bush's oft-stated concern for human rights and democracy in Angola was seen by African nationalists as little more than a pretence.
<blockquote>
Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, embarked on an official African trip that took her to Zambia, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
In a press conference in Lusaka, Clinton is reported to have warned her host continent about ‘new colonialism' in Africa from external actors and investors interested only in extracting Africa's natural resources... Clinton did not mention [[China]] by name, but as her officials later confirmed to reporters, she wanted to stress that African countries should beware of the Chinese and hold their investors to high standards.[http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13585:interpreting-clintons-new-colonialism&catid=39:opinion&Itemid=132]
</blockquote>

====East Asia====
[[File:021910 dalailama13 slideshow 604x500.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hillary Clinton negotiated the debt deal with China that piled $2 trillion unto the [[national debt]]; to mollify Chinese Communists concerns about granting [[Tibet]] the honor and dignity due a head of state, here the [[Dalai Lama]] is walked past piles of garbage after meeting with President Obama in the [[Oval Office]] <ref>http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/18/obama.dalailama/index.html ''CNN''</ref>]]
Clinton's first foreign visit in early 2009 was to [[China]] to convince them to purchase trillions in [[U.S. Treasury]] debt to finance President Obama and the Democrats [[stimulus]] programs and the [[federal deficit]].<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.42a44b0f5d9cf5c9762e80574e79a3d5.831&show_article=1 Clinton wraps Asia trip by asking China to buy US debt,] Briebart, Feb 22 2009.</ref> Clinton told Chinese leaders the [[Obama administration]] considered [[human rights]] secondary to economic wellbeing.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/4735087/Hillary-Clinton-Chinese-human-rights-secondary-to-economic-survival.html Hillary Clinton: Chinese human rights secondary to economic survival,] Richard Spencer, ''London Telegraph,'' 20 Feb 2009.</ref>

The [[Dalai Lama]] was made [[Tibet]]an head of state in 1950, the same year that China invaded and occupied Tibet.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/02/18/analysis.china.dalai.lama/index.html Analysis: Why the Dalai Lama angers China,] Jaime FlorCruz, CNN Beijing Bureau Chief, February 18, 2010.</ref> [[CNN]] reports the Chinese find it "unacceptable when they see the Dalai Lama treated as a VIP, or even akin to a head of state." <ref>Ibid.</ref>

After the Dalai Lama met with President Obama in February, 2010 he was unceremoniously escorted through a side door that trash is regularly carried out to a photo op with awaiting cameras.

In [[Japan]], she met publicly with Yukio Hatoyama, the former opposition leader, who won a landslide election in Sept, 2009. The question was over whether the new government would continue to follow American foreign policy regarding economic affairs, [[North Korea]]'s development of [[nuclear weapons]],<ref>[http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=20448 Appeasing North Korea: the Clinton Legacy,] Ben Johnson, January 03, 2003. FrontPageMagazine.com</ref> and the issue of 47,000 troops American troops stationed there. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in his election campaign vowed to review a 2006 agreement to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Base from an urban to a coastal part of the southern island of Okinawa. The base has angered residents because of aircraft noise and friction with U.S. servicemen; while in opposition, Hatoyama suggested it could be moved off the island altogether, a move the United States under Bush strongly opposed.

====South America====
Hillary's trip to [[Argentina]] became controversial as she meddled into a touchy subject by attempting to force [[Britain]] to accept talks on the future of the [[Falkland Islands]]. This action will undoubtedly strain relationships between the U.S., the U.K. and Argentina. Residents of the Falklands were outraged. <ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7047309.ece Argentina celebrates diplomatic coup as Hillary Clinton calls for talks over Falklands, Timesonline.uk, March , 2010]</ref>
===Wikipedia===
On the issue of the controversial, biased online encyclopedia, [[Wikipedia]], Clinton sent a message of congratulations that was read at the opening session of the Wikimania 2012 conference in Washington, DC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.wikimedia.org/2012/07/17/wikimania-2012-swan-song/|title=Wikimania 2012 swan song|accessdate=February 19, 2012}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Bill Clinton]]
*[[Hillary Clinton for President Exploratory Committee]]
*[[Freedom of Choice Act]]
*[[Previous Breaking News/Hillary Clinton|Articles about '''Hillary Clinton''' from previous "Breaking News"]]
*[[Charles Schumer]]
*[[Abbottabad raid]]

==References==

{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.thenation.com/doc/19990809/kaminer Hillary's No Liberal], Wendy Kaminer, ''The Nation'', July 22, 1999 (August 9, 1999 issue).
*[http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13585:interpreting-clintons-new-colonialism&catid=39:opinion&Itemid=132 Interpreting Clinton’s ‘new colonialism’.]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifZK6SVlQ1Y Hillary Clinton Admits the U.S. Government Created al-Qaeda.] Video YouTube.

{{Liberalism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clinton, Hillary Rodham}}
[[Category:Illinois]]
[[Category:Arkansas]]
[[Category:New York]]
[[Category:Liberals]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[Category:First Ladies]]
[[Category:Clinton administration]]
[[Category:Former United States Senators]]
[[Category:2008 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Obama Cabinet]]
[[Category: United States Secretaries of State]]

Boston Marathon

2013-05-09T23:42:15Z

TedA: Marathon bombing my Islamic Obama supporters.

The '''Boston Marathon''' is the oldest annual, continuous-running [[marathon]] in the world, beginning more than a century ago.

It is held on Patriot's Day each year in [[Boston]], attracting thousands of contestants and tens of thousands of spectators.

[[Category:Sports]]

==2013 Bombing==

In 2013, the Boston Marathon was bombed by two radical [[Islamic]] <ref>ttp://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/04/ap-boston-bombers-were-motivated-by-radical-islam-just-as-russia-warned-us/</ref> brothers. These Islamic radicals killed a boy and two women.<ref>http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/u/news/fbi-on-trail-of-boston-bombers-who-killed-three.1366106338</ref> Being radical Islamics these murderers were, or course, supporters of [[Obama|Barack Hussien Obama]]<ref>http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/04/figures-boston-bomber-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-supported-obama/</ref>. Though they were not U.S. citizens, Obama rewarded these terrorists with welfare benefits.<ref>http://www.humanevents.com/2013/04/24/welfare-benefits-for-the-boston-bombers/</ref>

==References==
<references/>

Joe Biden

2013-05-04T22:22:42Z

TedA: More info on Joe's plagarism

{{Officeholder
|name=Joseph Biden
|image=JoeBiden.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=[[Jill Biden]]
|religion=[[Roman Catholic]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/vice president
|country=the United States
|number=47th
|terms=January 20, 2009-Present
|president=[[Barack Obama]]
|preceded=[[Dick Cheney]]
|former=Hopefully
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Delaware
|terms=January 3, 1973 – January 15, 2009
|preceded=[[Cale Boggs]]
|former=y
|succeeded=[[Ted Kaufman]]
}}
}}
'''Joe Biden''' (born Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. on 20 November 1942) is the [[Vice President of the United States]]. Biden, notorious for his long-winded speeches and his foot-in-mouth moments, as illustrated by his declaration that "we have to go spend money to keep from going [[bankrupt]]."<ref>http://cnsnews.com/news/article/joe-biden-we-have-go-spend-money-keep-going-bankrupt</ref> A favorite of the [[liberal]] media, Biden avoids the mockery that greeted a less gaffe-prone predecessor, [[Dan Quayle]].

Biden got a pass from fellow [[liberal]]s in the media despite acting like a rude clown during his vice presidential debate with [[Paul Ryan]] in October 2012. Biden repeatedly interrupted Ryan and engaged in other offensive behavior, and even complained about not getting more time despite talking more than Ryan did. At one point Biden even nonsensically interjected, "so now you're Jack Kennedy?" in interrupting a valid point being made by Ryan.

Biden is the first [[Roman Catholic]] Vice President. He won few votes when running for [[2008 Presidential election|president in 2008]]; he dropped out after placing fifth in Iowa in January, 2008. Biden became Barack Obama's vice-presidential running mate. His campaign stressed his Irish Catholic roots in appeals to working class Democrats, who had deserted Obama in the primaries but returned in the fall.

Biden, as a senator from [[Delaware]] from 1973-2009, chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee and subsequently the Committee on Foreign Relations. Biden in 2007 was ranked as the third most liberal Senator by the non-partisan ''National Journal''. <ref>http://www.nationaljournal.com/conventions/co_20080823_9669.php</ref> Biden is a serial plagiarizer. He was punished for plagiarism while a student at Syracuse Law School. <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/17/us/biden-was-accused-of-plagiarism-in-law-school.html</ref> He ran for President in 1988 but dropped out of the race after admitting he had [[plagiarism#Joe Biden|plagiarized ]] a speech by the leader of the British Labour Party.<ref>
[http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/history_lesson/2008/08/the_write_stuff.html Why Biden's plagiarism shouldn't be forgotten.] - The Slate - Aug. 25, 2008</ref>

==Early Life and Education==
Biden was born at Scranton State General Hospital in Scranton, [[Pennsylvania]]<ref name="timeline">Joe Biden Timeline [http://biden.senate.gov/senator/timeline/]</ref> and grew up in New Castle County, Delaware, <ref name="bio">Joe Biden Biography [http://biden.senate.gov/senator/]</ref> in a middle class family. His father was a white collar businessmen who did well, but had fallen on hard times when Biden was a youth.<ref name="bluecollar">http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/08/joe_bidens_mythical_bluecollar.html</ref> Biden attended Archmere Academy, a private Catholic college-preparatory high school in the Wilmington, Delaware area, graduating in 1961.<ref name="bio" /> Biden took a summer job to help his family pay for his schooling.<ref name="bluecollar" /><ref>Archmere Academy [http://www.archmereacademy.com/Default.aspx?tabid=74]Tuition for 2008-2009 is $18,450.</ref> He graduated from the University of Delaware in 1965, and from the Syracuse University College of Law in 1968 near the bottom of his class.<ref name="bio" /> While attending Syracuse Law School, he submitted a paper in which he plagiarized from a law review article. After receiving a grade of F, he was permitted to retake the course.<ref>Biden Admits Plagiarism in School But Says It Was Not 'Malevolent', By E. J. DIONNE JR., SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES, Published: September 18, 1987 [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE3DB143FF93BA2575AC0A961948260]</ref>

In 1966, while still in law school, Biden married Neilia Hunter.<ref name="timeline" /> They had three children together: Joseph R. "Beau" Dien, III, Robert Hunter, and Naomi. Shortly after his election to the Senate in 1972, his wife and infant daughter were killed in a car accident, and his two sons were seriously injured.<ref name="timeline" /> He eventually remarried to Dr. Jill Biden (nee Jacobs), an educator in Delaware's schools.<ref name="bio" /> She currently is an instructor<ref>http://www.dtcc.edu/catalog/pdf/personnel.pdf</ref> teaching at Delaware Technical Community College. Together, the couple added a daughter, Ashley Biden, to the family.<ref name="bio" />

Since 1991, Biden has been an [[adjunct professor]] at the Widener University School of Law, where he teaches a seminar on constitutional law.<ref name="bio" />

==United States Senate==
[[Image:Biden_on_Meet_the_Press.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Biden on Meet The Press, 09/09/07]] In 1972, Biden unseated the liberal Republican Senator [[Cale Boggs]]. In 1973, he hence became the fifth youngest U.S. Senator in U.S. history. He was later reelected six times. On the [[abortion issue]], Biden calls himself [[pro-choice]] and opposed President [[George W. Bush]]'s two nominees to the U.S. [[Supreme court]]. On [[Roe v. Wade]] he said, "I strongly support Roe v. Wade....That’s why I led the fight to defeat [Robert] Bork. Thank [[God]] he is not in the Court or Roe v. Wade would be gone by now." <ref>http://nrlc.org/Election2008/comparison0909084c.pdf</ref> He received a 100% rating from [[NARAL Pro-Choice America]] in 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2006. <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=53279</ref> However, not in other years because of his opposition to [[partial-birth abortion]] and public funding for abortions. <ref>http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Joe_Biden_Abortion.htm</ref> On government spending Biden requested 116 congressional earmarks in 2008 alone, resulting in $342 million in taxpayer money. <ref>http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/23/biden.earmarks/?iref=hpmostpop</ref> He is a strong opponent of 2nd-amendment rights, earning an F by the [[National Rifle Association]]. Biden has also voted to give [[Social Security]] benefits and citizenship to [[illegal aliens]]. On energy, he opposes more domestic oil production, saying proponents of offshore drilling want to "rape" the Outer Continental Shelf. <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/speech_detail.php?sc_id=400058</ref>

As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden was a major player in making foreign policy. He voted against the Persian [[Gulf War]] in 1991, but voted for the Iraq War Resolution in 2002, although he criticized the [[Bush administration]]'s management of the war. He voted against setting a timetable for troop withdrawal and is against cutting off funding for the troops on the ground. In a 2005 interview with Meet the Press, Biden said, "I’ve been calling for more troops [in Iraq] for over two years, along with [[John McCain]] and others subsequent to my saying that." On July 23, 2007 Biden said, "there's not a single [[military]] man in this [[audience]], who will tell this Senator he can get those troops out in six months if the order goes today, lets start telling the truth." <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wylferBh3IA</ref> He has also proposed dividing the Iraqi Population by giving Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis their own regions.

Biden was a long-time member of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which he chaired from 1987 until 1995 and served as ranking minority member from 1981 until 1987 and again from 1995 until 1997. He almost never supported a supreme court nominee who was not in his party and presided over two of the more contentious [[U.S. Supreme Court]] confirmation hearings ever, [[Robert Bork]] in 1987 and the [[racism|racially motivated]] hearings for [[Clarence Thomas]]<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egTyaIAaqz8 Clarence Thomas High-Tech Lynching]</ref> in 1991.

Joe Biden has close ties with lobbyists, receiving $5,133,072 in contributions from [[lawyer]]s and [[lobbyist]]s since 2003. <ref>http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12735.html</ref> One of Biden’s sons, Hunter Biden, has been a registered [[Washington]] lobbyist since 2001. <ref>http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-08-24-Biden-son_N.htm</ref>

==Embarrassing or silly remarks==

*When Representative [[Gabrielle Giffords]] returned to Congress after a long hiatus (which was the result of her being shot in the head), Biden (who had a brain surgery in the past) remarked to her that "Now we're both members of the Cracked Head Club".<ref>[http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2011/08/gabrielle-giffords-joe-biden-cracked-head-club-/1]</ref>

*When he met Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, Biden said "God rest her soul" in reference to Cowen's mother. However, it was Cowen's father that died, not his mother.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7469323/Joe-Biden-loses-the-gift-of-the-gab-on-St-Patricks-Day.html Joe Biden loses the gift of the gab on St Patrick's Day - The Daily Telegraph]</ref>

==Hostile comments==

*At one 2005 political event he said, ''"The next [[Republican]] that tells me I'm not religious, I'm going to shove my rosary down their throat."'' <ref>[http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1840965,00.html#ixzz0xxjisdkg]</ref>

*In March 2007, Biden was criticizing President [[George W. Bush]] for vetoing a bill that would set a time line for troops to be removed from Iraq, saying that [[Congress]] should "shove it down his throat."<ref>http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/5/1/144042.shtml?s=us</ref>

==Remarks about race or ethnicity==

*In July 2006, while speaking to a group of Indian-Americans in Delaware, Biden stated, "You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking." His comment was caught on C-SPAN. <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13757367/</ref>

*In August of 2006, Biden was on [[Fox News]] Sunday and bragged about his state being a former [[slave]] state. "You don't know my state. My state was a slave state. My state is a border state. My state is the eighth largest black population in the country. My state is anything from a northeast liberal state." <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFduMuP7v-k</ref>

*Talking about his fellow Democratic presidential candidate [[Barack Obama]] he said in January of 2007, "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy, ... I mean, that's a storybook, man." <ref>http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/31/biden.obama/</ref>

==Quotations about Guns==

* During a February 2013 interview, Biden said that if there was a “problem” that his wife should “walk out on the balcony here, walk out, put that double-barrel shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house.” <ref>http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/biden-shotgun-advice-draws-quizzical-response/</ref> Doing so is of course, illegal, and would leave his wife holding an empty shotgun while dealing with the “problem”.

* In another February 2013 interview, Biden said "[if] you want to keep someone away from your house, just fire the shotgun through the door." Coincidently, a man from Virginia Beach had done just that a few days before, and was arrested. <ref>http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/02/28/biden-advises-shooting-shotgun-through-door</ref>

==Erroneous comments==

*Joe Biden once told voters that his [[helicopter]] was "forced down" on "the superhighway of terror" by Afghan extremists. When actually, snow forced the helicopter pilot to land and wait out a [[storm]]. <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,431604,00.html</ref>

*In the Oct. 2008 VP debate, Biden made numerous misstatements, on topics ranging from the Constitution to the Mideast. <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,433314,00.html</ref>

*He said he was second in line to be President when he was first and Nancy Pelosi was second at the time.<ref>http://redblueamerica.com/blog/2010-09-21/biden-admits-being-second-line-hillary-spruces-be-first-8008</ref>

*During the 2008 presidential campaign, Biden said that "When the stock market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on the television and didn't just talk about the princes of greed. He said, 'look, here's what happened.'"<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/22/eveningnews/main4470063.shtml Behind The Scenes With Joe Biden - CBS]</ref> In actuality the president during the 1929 stock market crash was [[Herbert Hoover]], not [[Franklin Roosevelt]].

*In another erroneous remark made during the presidential campaign, Biden referred to [[Sarah Palin]] as lieutenant Governor of Alaska, when in fact she the state's Governor at the time.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1643290_1643292_1841625,00.html Biden's Palin Demotion - Time Magazine]</ref>

==Other quotations==

*During the 2008 presidential elections Joe Biden gave a speech in Springfield, Illinois in which he introduced the Democratic nominee for president as "Barack America".<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2008/08/obama-misspea-1/</ref>

*Biden remarked about the 2010 Midterm “I was amazed at the amount of money, this $200 billion of money that is — where there’s no accountability.” Clearly he meant $200 million says the New York Times. <ref>[http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/200-billion-in-ads-mr-biden-thats-real-money/?ref=politics $200 Billion in Ads, Mr. Biden? That’s Real Money, New York Times, October 22, 2010]</ref> Though just a moment later. “So it really — I’ve never seen this before, so the only caveat I’d put in terms of the House is how much impact this $200 billion are going to mean.”

*During the 2005 confirmation hearings for Justice [[John Roberts]], Biden asked Roberts, "Can a microscopic tag be planted in someones body to track his every move, you will rule on that." <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbPvWm9ZkYw</ref>

*In 2008 Biden told a wheelchair bound State Senator from [[Missouri]] to "stand up".<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2008/09/oh-that-joe-n-6-2/</ref>

*He said "Its easy being Vice President." Then a lawmaker said "It's like being the grandpa and not the parent," to which he responded "Yeah, that's it!"<ref>http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/02/26/biden-its-easy-being-vice-president/</ref>

*After [[ObamaCare]] was signed into law, Biden was caught swearing on camera while expressing his joy.<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/7508111/US-health-care-Joe-Biden-swears-after-Barack-Obama-signs-historic-reforms.html</ref>

*Biden was caught swearing again while speaking to a former Senate colleague.<ref>http://www.examiner.com/republican-in-denver/vice-president-biden-visiting-denver-to-talk-about-the-middle-class</ref>

Read more: http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/02/26/biden-its-easy-being-vice-president/#ixzz1X7ju3pUC

==1988 Presidential Campaign==
Joe Biden announced his candidacy for President in 1987. He ran on his experience, saying in an campaign advertisement "The [[White House]] isn't the place to learn how to deal with international crisis, the balance of power, war and peace, and the economic future of the next generation." <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121919956426355701.html</ref> His campaign was short-lived due to controversies. While campaigning in [[New Hampshire]] in 1987, a civilian asked about his grades in college, to which Biden yelled, "I think I have a much higher I.Q. than you do." He went on to say that he "went to law school on a full academic scholarship - the only one in my class to have a full academic scholarship" adding that he "ended up in the top half" of his class (Biden graduated 76th in a class of 85) and "graduated with three degrees from college."

Biden explained his comments "I did not graduate in the top half of my class at law school and my recollection of this was inacurate...I graduated from the University of Delaware with a double major in history and political science. My reference to degrees at the Claremont event was intended to refer to these majors - I said 'three' and should have said 'two'." <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/22/us/biden-admits-errors-and-criticizes-latest-report.html</ref>

Later in the campaign he was found to have plagiarized a speech from British Labour Party (UK) leader [[Neil Kinnock]]. The plagiarism was considered all the more serious, because it included details of Kinnock's life which were not true in Biden's case. Biden dropped out of the race in December 1987, and did not participate in the 1988 Democratic caucuses and primaries.

== 2004 Presidential Election ==
Joe Biden considered running as a Presidential candidate for the 2004 elections, but then decided against it, saying that it would be "now too much of a long shot."<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/special/president/candidates/whos.in.out.html CNN: Who is in, who is out 2004]</ref>. He was later mentioned as a possible running mate for Democratic Senator [[John Kerry]], but he instead urged Kerry to chose Senator John McCain.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4961694/</ref>

== 2008 Presidential Campaign ==

Biden declared his candidacy for [[President]] on January 31, 2007 after months of prior discussions, but later withdrew after the [[Iowa Caucus]] when his candidacy failed to catch on with the voters.<ref> FOX News: [http://youdecide08.foxnews.com/2008/01/04/chris-dodd-abandons-presidential-campaign-after-poor-showing-in-iowa/ Biden, Dodd Bow Out of Presidential Race After Poor Showings in Iowa]</ref>

He ran on his foreign policy experience and credentials in the Senate. On November 15, 2007, during the CNN presidential debate, he said

"This is not about experience. It's not about change. It's about action. Who among us is going to be able to, on Day 1, step in and end the war?".

In the 2007 ABC debate with the Democratic presidential candidates, Biden was asked about the statement he made earlier regarding [[Barack Obama]]. He said:

<blockquote>"I think he can be ready but right now, I don’t believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training." Biden replied "I think that I stand by the statement." <ref>[http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/08/23/mccain-launches-tv-ad-using-bidens-words-against-obama/ McCain Launches TV Ad Using Biden’s Words Against Obama] Fox News, August 23, 2008</ref></blockquote>

Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race on January 3, after coming 5th in the Iowa caucus, receiving only 1% of the vote.

==Vice Presidential Nomination==
[[Image:0.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Biden campaigning for Barack Obama, 09/24/08]] Biden had been mentioned as a Vice Presidential candidate for Senator [[Barack Obama]], in that he would add foreign policy experience to the ticket. When asked in June over the speculation, Biden stated, "I'd make a great president. I'd make a great [[Secretary of State]]. I'd make a great vice president." <ref>The Hill's Blog Briefing Room: [http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2008/06/17/biden-id-make-a-great-president-secretary-of-state-vice-president/ Biden: I'd Make a Great President, Secretary of State, Vice President]</ref> On August 19th, Biden was asked by reporters of his VP status, to which he replied "Hey guys, I'm not the guy. See ya." <ref>[http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/08/biden-on-obamas.html?cid=127045696 Biden on Obama's VP Pick: 'I'm Not The Guy'] ABC News, August 19, 2008</ref>

In August 2005 Biden paradoxically and nonsensically said, "[[John McCain]] is a personal friend, a great friend, and I would be honored to run with or against John McCain, because I think the country would be better off."<ref>National Review Online: [http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NGRhNzJlMWY5NjdiNzhjMTRkYjMzNjYwOGJmYzNjMTY= 'Just Words' That Joe Biden Would Like To Forget]</ref>

However, on August 23rd it was announced that Biden would be Obama's 2008 running mate. They appeared together in [[Springfield]], [[Illinois]]. Obama proudly introduced Senator Biden,
''

''"Let me introduce to you, the next president — the next vice president of the United States of America, Joe Biden."''

Biden took the stage and endorsed Obama, saying,
''

''"In this election year the choice is clear, one man stands ready to deliver change we desperately need, a man I'm proud to call my friend, a man who will be the next President of the [[United States]], Barack America."''
''

Obama hoped Biden would help the ticket in multiple ways:

* Biden has extensive foreign policy experience in the United States Senate and as such could have helped to bolster Obama's comparative lack of experience in this area.
* Biden is [[Catholic]], and Obama was weak with that key voting bloc; however, the [[Catholic Church]] may have taken offense at Biden's pro-[[abortion]] positions (see below).
* Biden was born in [[Pennsylvania]], a must-win state for Obama where he was thought to be weak;<ref>[[Hillary Clinton]] defeated Obama by a wide margin in the [[Pennsylvania]] primary; in August polls show Obama leading McCain by an average of only 5.8% in [[Pennsylvania]] [http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/pa/pennsylvania_mccain_vs_obama-244.html RealClearPolitics Pennsylvania Tracking]</ref>
* Biden's son is going to [[Iraq]], which may have helped to rehabilitate Obama's image as anti-military; however, Biden himself never served.

Almost immediately after his selection, the conflict between his pro-[[abortion]] position and that of his church surfaced:<ref>Reuters: [http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS29316+23-Aug-2008+PRN20080823 Choice of Biden Re-Opens Catholic Wound]</ref>

:Biden has said: "I am a long-standing supporter of ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' and a woman's right to choose." But Biden's own bishop, Bishop Michael Saltarelli of Wilmington, Del., has ... denounced the notion that politicians can 'personally oppose' abortion, but refuse to pass laws protecting the unborn. He made clear that pro-abortion Catholic politicians should refrain from receiving the Eucharist:

:"The promotion of abortion by any Catholic is a grave and serious matter. Objectively, according to the constant teaching of the Scriptures and the Church, it would be more spiritually beneficial for such a person to refrain from receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. I ask Catholics in this position to have the integrity to respect the Eucharist, Catholic teaching and the Catholic faithful."

In September of the campaign Biden asked [[Missouri]] State Senator Chuck Graham, who has [[paralysis]], to "Stand up, Chuck, let 'em see you. Oh, God love you. What am I talking about? I tell you what, you're making everybody else stand up, though, pal. I tell you what, stand up for Chuck." <ref>http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_091008/content/01125107.guest.html</ref>

Biden's [[Republican]] opponent for the Vice Presidency was [[Alaska]] [[Governor]] [[Sarah Palin]]. They participated in their first and only Vice Presidential debate on October 2nd in [[St. Louis]], [[Missouri]]. Biden was elected the 47th Vice President of the United States on November 4, 2008.

==Vice Presidency==
[[File:Biden-flu.jpg|thumb|300px]] Biden's responsibilities as vice president are not yet clear. He has no specific portfolio of responsibilities. He alarmed the nation on April 30, 2009, by going on network television to warn Americans to stay out of confined spaces such as subways and airplanes, lest they catch [[Swine Flu]]. People health officials rejected his scare tactics and the White House immediately repudiated them.

Under President Obama the budget [[deficit]] reached over $1 trillion for the first time in history. When asked over the fate of the United States' going into bankruptcy, Biden stated at an [[AARP]] meeting, "Now, people when I say that look at me and say, "What are you talking about, Joe? You’re telling me we have to go spend money to keep from going bankrupt?’" Biden said. "The answer is yes, that's what I’m telling you." <ref>http://www.cnsnews.com/public/Content/Article.aspx?rsrcid=51162</ref>

Biden was placed in charge of promoting the Administration's [[Recovery Summer]] in 2010, an attempt to highlight the Democratic Congress's [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]], or "[[economic stimulus]] program. During Recovery Summer, the workforce shrank, [[unemployment]] swelled, and [[economic growth]] slowed to less than 2%. As more Americans became the victims of joblessness, by the [[2010 Midterm elections]] more than 27,000,000 people were unemployed or underemployed.
[[File:Varvel-11-19-09.jpg|thumb|320px|left|Gary Varvel pokes fun at VP Biden's outlandish claims as the unemployment rate keeps rising]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==See also==
*[[Obama Administration]]
*[[2008 Presidential Election]]
*[[John McCain]]
*[[Democratic Party]]

[[category:Obama Administration]]

==External Links==
*[http://biden.senate.gov/ Official Site]
*[http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Joe_Biden.htm Biden On the Issues]
*[http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/b000444/ Voting Record]
*[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000444, Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]
*[http://www.joebiden.com/ Presidential Race Site]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Biden, Joseph}}
{{USVicePresidents}}

[[Category:Former United States Senators]]
[[Category:2008 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Obama Administration]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[Category:Liberals]]
[[Category:Reagan Era]]
[[Category:Vice Presidents of the United States]]
[[Category:Catholic Politicians]]
[[Category:Irish-Americans]]
[[Category:Abortion Advocates]]
[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]
{{liberalism}}

Joe Biden

2013-05-04T22:22:07Z

TedA: More info on Joe's plagarism

{{Officeholder
|name=Joseph Biden
|image=JoeBiden.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=[[Jill Biden]]
|religion=[[Roman Catholic]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/vice president
|country=the United States
|number=47th
|terms=January 20, 2009-Present
|president=[[Barack Obama]]
|preceded=[[Dick Cheney]]
|former=Hopefully
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Delaware
|terms=January 3, 1973 – January 15, 2009
|preceded=[[Cale Boggs]]
|former=y
|succeeded=[[Ted Kaufman]]
}}
}}
'''Joe Biden''' (born Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. on 20 November 1942) is the [[Vice President of the United States]]. Biden, notorious for his long-winded speeches and his foot-in-mouth moments, as illustrated by his declaration that "we have to go spend money to keep from going [[bankrupt]]."<ref>http://cnsnews.com/news/article/joe-biden-we-have-go-spend-money-keep-going-bankrupt</ref> A favorite of the [[liberal]] media, Biden avoids the mockery that greeted a less gaffe-prone predecessor, [[Dan Quayle]].

Biden got a pass from fellow [[liberal]]s in the media despite acting like a rude clown during his vice presidential debate with [[Paul Ryan]] in October 2012. Biden repeatedly interrupted Ryan and engaged in other offensive behavior, and even complained about not getting more time despite talking more than Ryan did. At one point Biden even nonsensically interjected, "so now you're Jack Kennedy?" in interrupting a valid point being made by Ryan.

Biden is the first [[Roman Catholic]] Vice President. He won few votes when running for [[2008 Presidential election|president in 2008]]; he dropped out after placing fifth in Iowa in January, 2008. Biden became Barack Obama's vice-presidential running mate. His campaign stressed his Irish Catholic roots in appeals to working class Democrats, who had deserted Obama in the primaries but returned in the fall.

Biden, as a senator from [[Delaware]] from 1973-2009, chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee and subsequently the Committee on Foreign Relations. Biden in 2007 was ranked as the third most liberal Senator by the non-partisan ''National Journal''. <ref>http://www.nationaljournal.com/conventions/co_20080823_9669.php</ref> Biden is a serial plagiarizer. He was punished for plagiarism while a student at Syracuse Law School. <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/17/us/biden-was-accused-of-plagiarism-in-law-school.html</ref> He ran for President in 1988 but dropped out of the race after admitting he had [[plagiarism#Joe Biden|plagiarized ]] a speech by the leader of the British Labour Party.<ref>
[http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/history_lesson/2008/08/the_write_stuff.html Why Biden's plagiarism shouldn't be forgotten.] - The Slate - Aug. 25, 2008</reF>

==Early Life and Education==
Biden was born at Scranton State General Hospital in Scranton, [[Pennsylvania]]<ref name="timeline">Joe Biden Timeline [http://biden.senate.gov/senator/timeline/]</ref> and grew up in New Castle County, Delaware, <ref name="bio">Joe Biden Biography [http://biden.senate.gov/senator/]</ref> in a middle class family. His father was a white collar businessmen who did well, but had fallen on hard times when Biden was a youth.<ref name="bluecollar">http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/08/joe_bidens_mythical_bluecollar.html</ref> Biden attended Archmere Academy, a private Catholic college-preparatory high school in the Wilmington, Delaware area, graduating in 1961.<ref name="bio" /> Biden took a summer job to help his family pay for his schooling.<ref name="bluecollar" /><ref>Archmere Academy [http://www.archmereacademy.com/Default.aspx?tabid=74]Tuition for 2008-2009 is $18,450.</ref> He graduated from the University of Delaware in 1965, and from the Syracuse University College of Law in 1968 near the bottom of his class.<ref name="bio" /> While attending Syracuse Law School, he submitted a paper in which he plagiarized from a law review article. After receiving a grade of F, he was permitted to retake the course.<ref>Biden Admits Plagiarism in School But Says It Was Not 'Malevolent', By E. J. DIONNE JR., SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES, Published: September 18, 1987 [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE3DB143FF93BA2575AC0A961948260]</ref>

In 1966, while still in law school, Biden married Neilia Hunter.<ref name="timeline" /> They had three children together: Joseph R. "Beau" Dien, III, Robert Hunter, and Naomi. Shortly after his election to the Senate in 1972, his wife and infant daughter were killed in a car accident, and his two sons were seriously injured.<ref name="timeline" /> He eventually remarried to Dr. Jill Biden (nee Jacobs), an educator in Delaware's schools.<ref name="bio" /> She currently is an instructor<ref>http://www.dtcc.edu/catalog/pdf/personnel.pdf</ref> teaching at Delaware Technical Community College. Together, the couple added a daughter, Ashley Biden, to the family.<ref name="bio" />

Since 1991, Biden has been an [[adjunct professor]] at the Widener University School of Law, where he teaches a seminar on constitutional law.<ref name="bio" />

==United States Senate==
[[Image:Biden_on_Meet_the_Press.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Biden on Meet The Press, 09/09/07]] In 1972, Biden unseated the liberal Republican Senator [[Cale Boggs]]. In 1973, he hence became the fifth youngest U.S. Senator in U.S. history. He was later reelected six times. On the [[abortion issue]], Biden calls himself [[pro-choice]] and opposed President [[George W. Bush]]'s two nominees to the U.S. [[Supreme court]]. On [[Roe v. Wade]] he said, "I strongly support Roe v. Wade....That’s why I led the fight to defeat [Robert] Bork. Thank [[God]] he is not in the Court or Roe v. Wade would be gone by now." <ref>http://nrlc.org/Election2008/comparison0909084c.pdf</ref> He received a 100% rating from [[NARAL Pro-Choice America]] in 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2006. <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=53279</ref> However, not in other years because of his opposition to [[partial-birth abortion]] and public funding for abortions. <ref>http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Joe_Biden_Abortion.htm</ref> On government spending Biden requested 116 congressional earmarks in 2008 alone, resulting in $342 million in taxpayer money. <ref>http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/23/biden.earmarks/?iref=hpmostpop</ref> He is a strong opponent of 2nd-amendment rights, earning an F by the [[National Rifle Association]]. Biden has also voted to give [[Social Security]] benefits and citizenship to [[illegal aliens]]. On energy, he opposes more domestic oil production, saying proponents of offshore drilling want to "rape" the Outer Continental Shelf. <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/speech_detail.php?sc_id=400058</ref>

As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden was a major player in making foreign policy. He voted against the Persian [[Gulf War]] in 1991, but voted for the Iraq War Resolution in 2002, although he criticized the [[Bush administration]]'s management of the war. He voted against setting a timetable for troop withdrawal and is against cutting off funding for the troops on the ground. In a 2005 interview with Meet the Press, Biden said, "I’ve been calling for more troops [in Iraq] for over two years, along with [[John McCain]] and others subsequent to my saying that." On July 23, 2007 Biden said, "there's not a single [[military]] man in this [[audience]], who will tell this Senator he can get those troops out in six months if the order goes today, lets start telling the truth." <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wylferBh3IA</ref> He has also proposed dividing the Iraqi Population by giving Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis their own regions.

Biden was a long-time member of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which he chaired from 1987 until 1995 and served as ranking minority member from 1981 until 1987 and again from 1995 until 1997. He almost never supported a supreme court nominee who was not in his party and presided over two of the more contentious [[U.S. Supreme Court]] confirmation hearings ever, [[Robert Bork]] in 1987 and the [[racism|racially motivated]] hearings for [[Clarence Thomas]]<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egTyaIAaqz8 Clarence Thomas High-Tech Lynching]</ref> in 1991.

Joe Biden has close ties with lobbyists, receiving $5,133,072 in contributions from [[lawyer]]s and [[lobbyist]]s since 2003. <ref>http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12735.html</ref> One of Biden’s sons, Hunter Biden, has been a registered [[Washington]] lobbyist since 2001. <ref>http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-08-24-Biden-son_N.htm</ref>

==Embarrassing or silly remarks==

*When Representative [[Gabrielle Giffords]] returned to Congress after a long hiatus (which was the result of her being shot in the head), Biden (who had a brain surgery in the past) remarked to her that "Now we're both members of the Cracked Head Club".<ref>[http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2011/08/gabrielle-giffords-joe-biden-cracked-head-club-/1]</ref>

*When he met Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, Biden said "God rest her soul" in reference to Cowen's mother. However, it was Cowen's father that died, not his mother.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7469323/Joe-Biden-loses-the-gift-of-the-gab-on-St-Patricks-Day.html Joe Biden loses the gift of the gab on St Patrick's Day - The Daily Telegraph]</ref>

==Hostile comments==

*At one 2005 political event he said, ''"The next [[Republican]] that tells me I'm not religious, I'm going to shove my rosary down their throat."'' <ref>[http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1840965,00.html#ixzz0xxjisdkg]</ref>

*In March 2007, Biden was criticizing President [[George W. Bush]] for vetoing a bill that would set a time line for troops to be removed from Iraq, saying that [[Congress]] should "shove it down his throat."<ref>http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/5/1/144042.shtml?s=us</ref>

==Remarks about race or ethnicity==

*In July 2006, while speaking to a group of Indian-Americans in Delaware, Biden stated, "You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking." His comment was caught on C-SPAN. <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13757367/</ref>

*In August of 2006, Biden was on [[Fox News]] Sunday and bragged about his state being a former [[slave]] state. "You don't know my state. My state was a slave state. My state is a border state. My state is the eighth largest black population in the country. My state is anything from a northeast liberal state." <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFduMuP7v-k</ref>

*Talking about his fellow Democratic presidential candidate [[Barack Obama]] he said in January of 2007, "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy, ... I mean, that's a storybook, man." <ref>http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/31/biden.obama/</ref>

==Quotations about Guns==

* During a February 2013 interview, Biden said that if there was a “problem” that his wife should “walk out on the balcony here, walk out, put that double-barrel shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house.” <ref>http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/biden-shotgun-advice-draws-quizzical-response/</ref> Doing so is of course, illegal, and would leave his wife holding an empty shotgun while dealing with the “problem”.

* In another February 2013 interview, Biden said "[if] you want to keep someone away from your house, just fire the shotgun through the door." Coincidently, a man from Virginia Beach had done just that a few days before, and was arrested. <ref>http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/02/28/biden-advises-shooting-shotgun-through-door</ref>

==Erroneous comments==

*Joe Biden once told voters that his [[helicopter]] was "forced down" on "the superhighway of terror" by Afghan extremists. When actually, snow forced the helicopter pilot to land and wait out a [[storm]]. <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,431604,00.html</ref>

*In the Oct. 2008 VP debate, Biden made numerous misstatements, on topics ranging from the Constitution to the Mideast. <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,433314,00.html</ref>

*He said he was second in line to be President when he was first and Nancy Pelosi was second at the time.<ref>http://redblueamerica.com/blog/2010-09-21/biden-admits-being-second-line-hillary-spruces-be-first-8008</ref>

*During the 2008 presidential campaign, Biden said that "When the stock market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on the television and didn't just talk about the princes of greed. He said, 'look, here's what happened.'"<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/22/eveningnews/main4470063.shtml Behind The Scenes With Joe Biden - CBS]</ref> In actuality the president during the 1929 stock market crash was [[Herbert Hoover]], not [[Franklin Roosevelt]].

*In another erroneous remark made during the presidential campaign, Biden referred to [[Sarah Palin]] as lieutenant Governor of Alaska, when in fact she the state's Governor at the time.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1643290_1643292_1841625,00.html Biden's Palin Demotion - Time Magazine]</ref>

==Other quotations==

*During the 2008 presidential elections Joe Biden gave a speech in Springfield, Illinois in which he introduced the Democratic nominee for president as "Barack America".<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2008/08/obama-misspea-1/</ref>

*Biden remarked about the 2010 Midterm “I was amazed at the amount of money, this $200 billion of money that is — where there’s no accountability.” Clearly he meant $200 million says the New York Times. <ref>[http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/200-billion-in-ads-mr-biden-thats-real-money/?ref=politics $200 Billion in Ads, Mr. Biden? That’s Real Money, New York Times, October 22, 2010]</ref> Though just a moment later. “So it really — I’ve never seen this before, so the only caveat I’d put in terms of the House is how much impact this $200 billion are going to mean.”

*During the 2005 confirmation hearings for Justice [[John Roberts]], Biden asked Roberts, "Can a microscopic tag be planted in someones body to track his every move, you will rule on that." <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbPvWm9ZkYw</ref>

*In 2008 Biden told a wheelchair bound State Senator from [[Missouri]] to "stand up".<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2008/09/oh-that-joe-n-6-2/</ref>

*He said "Its easy being Vice President." Then a lawmaker said "It's like being the grandpa and not the parent," to which he responded "Yeah, that's it!"<ref>http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/02/26/biden-its-easy-being-vice-president/</ref>

*After [[ObamaCare]] was signed into law, Biden was caught swearing on camera while expressing his joy.<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/7508111/US-health-care-Joe-Biden-swears-after-Barack-Obama-signs-historic-reforms.html</ref>

*Biden was caught swearing again while speaking to a former Senate colleague.<ref>http://www.examiner.com/republican-in-denver/vice-president-biden-visiting-denver-to-talk-about-the-middle-class</ref>

Read more: http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/02/26/biden-its-easy-being-vice-president/#ixzz1X7ju3pUC

==1988 Presidential Campaign==
Joe Biden announced his candidacy for President in 1987. He ran on his experience, saying in an campaign advertisement "The [[White House]] isn't the place to learn how to deal with international crisis, the balance of power, war and peace, and the economic future of the next generation." <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121919956426355701.html</ref> His campaign was short-lived due to controversies. While campaigning in [[New Hampshire]] in 1987, a civilian asked about his grades in college, to which Biden yelled, "I think I have a much higher I.Q. than you do." He went on to say that he "went to law school on a full academic scholarship - the only one in my class to have a full academic scholarship" adding that he "ended up in the top half" of his class (Biden graduated 76th in a class of 85) and "graduated with three degrees from college."

Biden explained his comments "I did not graduate in the top half of my class at law school and my recollection of this was inacurate...I graduated from the University of Delaware with a double major in history and political science. My reference to degrees at the Claremont event was intended to refer to these majors - I said 'three' and should have said 'two'." <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/22/us/biden-admits-errors-and-criticizes-latest-report.html</ref>

Later in the campaign he was found to have plagiarized a speech from British Labour Party (UK) leader [[Neil Kinnock]]. The plagiarism was considered all the more serious, because it included details of Kinnock's life which were not true in Biden's case. Biden dropped out of the race in December 1987, and did not participate in the 1988 Democratic caucuses and primaries.

== 2004 Presidential Election ==
Joe Biden considered running as a Presidential candidate for the 2004 elections, but then decided against it, saying that it would be "now too much of a long shot."<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/special/president/candidates/whos.in.out.html CNN: Who is in, who is out 2004]</ref>. He was later mentioned as a possible running mate for Democratic Senator [[John Kerry]], but he instead urged Kerry to chose Senator John McCain.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4961694/</ref>

== 2008 Presidential Campaign ==

Biden declared his candidacy for [[President]] on January 31, 2007 after months of prior discussions, but later withdrew after the [[Iowa Caucus]] when his candidacy failed to catch on with the voters.<ref> FOX News: [http://youdecide08.foxnews.com/2008/01/04/chris-dodd-abandons-presidential-campaign-after-poor-showing-in-iowa/ Biden, Dodd Bow Out of Presidential Race After Poor Showings in Iowa]</ref>

He ran on his foreign policy experience and credentials in the Senate. On November 15, 2007, during the CNN presidential debate, he said

"This is not about experience. It's not about change. It's about action. Who among us is going to be able to, on Day 1, step in and end the war?".

In the 2007 ABC debate with the Democratic presidential candidates, Biden was asked about the statement he made earlier regarding [[Barack Obama]]. He said:

<blockquote>"I think he can be ready but right now, I don’t believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training." Biden replied "I think that I stand by the statement." <ref>[http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/08/23/mccain-launches-tv-ad-using-bidens-words-against-obama/ McCain Launches TV Ad Using Biden’s Words Against Obama] Fox News, August 23, 2008</ref></blockquote>

Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race on January 3, after coming 5th in the Iowa caucus, receiving only 1% of the vote.

==Vice Presidential Nomination==
[[Image:0.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Biden campaigning for Barack Obama, 09/24/08]] Biden had been mentioned as a Vice Presidential candidate for Senator [[Barack Obama]], in that he would add foreign policy experience to the ticket. When asked in June over the speculation, Biden stated, "I'd make a great president. I'd make a great [[Secretary of State]]. I'd make a great vice president." <ref>The Hill's Blog Briefing Room: [http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2008/06/17/biden-id-make-a-great-president-secretary-of-state-vice-president/ Biden: I'd Make a Great President, Secretary of State, Vice President]</ref> On August 19th, Biden was asked by reporters of his VP status, to which he replied "Hey guys, I'm not the guy. See ya." <ref>[http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/08/biden-on-obamas.html?cid=127045696 Biden on Obama's VP Pick: 'I'm Not The Guy'] ABC News, August 19, 2008</ref>

In August 2005 Biden paradoxically and nonsensically said, "[[John McCain]] is a personal friend, a great friend, and I would be honored to run with or against John McCain, because I think the country would be better off."<ref>National Review Online: [http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NGRhNzJlMWY5NjdiNzhjMTRkYjMzNjYwOGJmYzNjMTY= 'Just Words' That Joe Biden Would Like To Forget]</ref>

However, on August 23rd it was announced that Biden would be Obama's 2008 running mate. They appeared together in [[Springfield]], [[Illinois]]. Obama proudly introduced Senator Biden,
''

''"Let me introduce to you, the next president — the next vice president of the United States of America, Joe Biden."''

Biden took the stage and endorsed Obama, saying,
''

''"In this election year the choice is clear, one man stands ready to deliver change we desperately need, a man I'm proud to call my friend, a man who will be the next President of the [[United States]], Barack America."''
''

Obama hoped Biden would help the ticket in multiple ways:

* Biden has extensive foreign policy experience in the United States Senate and as such could have helped to bolster Obama's comparative lack of experience in this area.
* Biden is [[Catholic]], and Obama was weak with that key voting bloc; however, the [[Catholic Church]] may have taken offense at Biden's pro-[[abortion]] positions (see below).
* Biden was born in [[Pennsylvania]], a must-win state for Obama where he was thought to be weak;<ref>[[Hillary Clinton]] defeated Obama by a wide margin in the [[Pennsylvania]] primary; in August polls show Obama leading McCain by an average of only 5.8% in [[Pennsylvania]] [http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/pa/pennsylvania_mccain_vs_obama-244.html RealClearPolitics Pennsylvania Tracking]</ref>
* Biden's son is going to [[Iraq]], which may have helped to rehabilitate Obama's image as anti-military; however, Biden himself never served.

Almost immediately after his selection, the conflict between his pro-[[abortion]] position and that of his church surfaced:<ref>Reuters: [http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS29316+23-Aug-2008+PRN20080823 Choice of Biden Re-Opens Catholic Wound]</ref>

:Biden has said: "I am a long-standing supporter of ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' and a woman's right to choose." But Biden's own bishop, Bishop Michael Saltarelli of Wilmington, Del., has ... denounced the notion that politicians can 'personally oppose' abortion, but refuse to pass laws protecting the unborn. He made clear that pro-abortion Catholic politicians should refrain from receiving the Eucharist:

:"The promotion of abortion by any Catholic is a grave and serious matter. Objectively, according to the constant teaching of the Scriptures and the Church, it would be more spiritually beneficial for such a person to refrain from receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. I ask Catholics in this position to have the integrity to respect the Eucharist, Catholic teaching and the Catholic faithful."

In September of the campaign Biden asked [[Missouri]] State Senator Chuck Graham, who has [[paralysis]], to "Stand up, Chuck, let 'em see you. Oh, God love you. What am I talking about? I tell you what, you're making everybody else stand up, though, pal. I tell you what, stand up for Chuck." <ref>http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_091008/content/01125107.guest.html</ref>

Biden's [[Republican]] opponent for the Vice Presidency was [[Alaska]] [[Governor]] [[Sarah Palin]]. They participated in their first and only Vice Presidential debate on October 2nd in [[St. Louis]], [[Missouri]]. Biden was elected the 47th Vice President of the United States on November 4, 2008.

==Vice Presidency==
[[File:Biden-flu.jpg|thumb|300px]] Biden's responsibilities as vice president are not yet clear. He has no specific portfolio of responsibilities. He alarmed the nation on April 30, 2009, by going on network television to warn Americans to stay out of confined spaces such as subways and airplanes, lest they catch [[Swine Flu]]. People health officials rejected his scare tactics and the White House immediately repudiated them.

Under President Obama the budget [[deficit]] reached over $1 trillion for the first time in history. When asked over the fate of the United States' going into bankruptcy, Biden stated at an [[AARP]] meeting, "Now, people when I say that look at me and say, "What are you talking about, Joe? You’re telling me we have to go spend money to keep from going bankrupt?’" Biden said. "The answer is yes, that's what I’m telling you." <ref>http://www.cnsnews.com/public/Content/Article.aspx?rsrcid=51162</ref>

Biden was placed in charge of promoting the Administration's [[Recovery Summer]] in 2010, an attempt to highlight the Democratic Congress's [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]], or "[[economic stimulus]] program. During Recovery Summer, the workforce shrank, [[unemployment]] swelled, and [[economic growth]] slowed to less than 2%. As more Americans became the victims of joblessness, by the [[2010 Midterm elections]] more than 27,000,000 people were unemployed or underemployed.
[[File:Varvel-11-19-09.jpg|thumb|320px|left|Gary Varvel pokes fun at VP Biden's outlandish claims as the unemployment rate keeps rising]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==See also==
*[[Obama Administration]]
*[[2008 Presidential Election]]
*[[John McCain]]
*[[Democratic Party]]

[[category:Obama Administration]]

==External Links==
*[http://biden.senate.gov/ Official Site]
*[http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Joe_Biden.htm Biden On the Issues]
*[http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/b000444/ Voting Record]
*[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000444, Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]
*[http://www.joebiden.com/ Presidential Race Site]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Biden, Joseph}}
{{USVicePresidents}}

[[Category:Former United States Senators]]
[[Category:2008 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Obama Administration]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[Category:Liberals]]
[[Category:Reagan Era]]
[[Category:Vice Presidents of the United States]]
[[Category:Catholic Politicians]]
[[Category:Irish-Americans]]
[[Category:Abortion Advocates]]
[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]
{{liberalism}}

User:TedA

2013-04-21T01:08:17Z

TedA:

I'm a [[Conservative]], but I vote [[Republican]].

Harry Reid

2013-04-21T01:07:57Z

TedA: FBI investigation of Reid

{{Officeholder
|name=Harry Reid
|image=Reid- 2009 Official Photo.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=Landra Gould
|religion=[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Nevada
|terms=January 3, 1987 - Present
|preceded=[[Paul Laxalt]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/representative
|state=Nevada
|district=1st
|terms=January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1987
|preceded=James David Santini
|former=n
|succeeded=James Bilbray
}}
}}

'''Harry Reid''', born December 2, 1939 (age {{age|1939|12|2}}), is the senior Senator from [[Nevada]] and U.S. Senate Majority Leader in the 111th Congress for the [[Democratic Party|Democrats]]. He became Minority Whip (the #2 job) in 1998, and Minority Leader in 2005 and Majority Leader in 2007. He won reelection from Nevada in 2010 despite low approval ratings and a strong challenge amid suspicions of voting irregularities.<ref>http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/early-voting-irregularities-create-suspicion-of-fraud/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OTB+%28Outside+The+Beltway+|+OTB%29</ref> He is the first member of the Church of Latter-day Saints to become Senate Majority Leader. He is known for making insensitive and provocative [[racial]]ly charged comments and his far left [[liberal]] views.

==Early Life and Education==

Born in Searchlight, Nevada, Reid converted to [[Mormonism]] while attending [[Utah State University]] in 1960. <ref>http://www.adherents.com/largecom/lds_Reid.html</ref> He went on to earn a law degree from [[George Washington University]] in 1964. <ref>http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Nov-14-Sun-2004/news/25258027.html</ref>

==Political Career==
Reid's career in politics began in 1967 when he was elected to the Nevada State Assembly and in 1970 was elected Lieutenant Governor. He unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate in 1974. From 1977 to 1981, Harry Reid was the Nevada state gaming commissioner. This led his character to be parodied in the 1995 film "Casino" played by Dick Smothers. During Reid's tenure as gaming commissioner, he allowed the [[FBI]] to videotape businessman Jack Gordon, offering him a $12,000 bribe. Then, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal account, Reid "put his hands around Gordon's neck and said, 'You son of a b-tch, you tried to bribe me!'" <ref>http://www.nndb.com/people/292/000032196/</ref> In 1979 Gordon was arrested and sentenced to six months in jail.

After serving two terms in the [[House of Representatives]], Reid was elected to the Senate in 1986 and reelected three times. He served as Minority Whip from 1999 through 2001, again from 2003 through 2005, Minority Leader from 2005 through 2007, and was elected Senate Majority Leader in 2007.

===Reelection 2010===
Reid is facing a tough reelection in 2010. The "Cook Political Report" in September 2009 rates the contest as "Toss Up". His status weakened in summer 2009, as discontent with President Obama and the Democrats' health plan mounted, and as the Recession of 2008 continues to batter Las Vegas and the entire Nevada economy, with no relief in sight from the stimulus bill Reid pushed through the Senate. Reid's inability to improve his standing in the polls, coupled with the deteriorating political environment for Democrats nationally, are clear indications that his political problems are deep and will be difficult (though not impossible) to fix, says Cook.

After receiving the endorsement of the [[Tea Party Express]] and [[Club for Growth]], former Assemblywoman [[Sharron Angle]] defeated former State Senator [[Sue Lowden]] by 14 points and businessman [[Danny Tarkanian]] in the Republican primary by 17 points.

Reid eventually defeated Angle by a 50.3% to 44.6% margin.

==Political Views==

[[Image:HarryReid.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid with House Speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]] (left) and Senator [[Chris Dodd]] (right)]]Harry Reid has voted with a majority of his Democratic colleagues 94.8% of the time during the current [[Congress]]. <ref>http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/r000146/</ref> He has been a key spokesman for liberal positions on taxes, health care, government bailouts, unions and immigration. In 2009 Reid called opponents of [[universal health care]] "evil-mongers." He later explained "I maybe could have been less descriptive, I doubt you’ll hear it from me again." <ref>http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/harry_reid_protesters_evil-mongers/</ref> Reid voted to authorize military force in [[Iraq]] in 1991 and again in 2002. However, he later became a proponent of troop withdrawal.

His major accomplishment has been to block the use of Yucca Mountain in Nevada for the safe storage of nuclear wastes from around the country.

At one point Reid described himself as [[pro-life]], saying "Abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered." <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/npat.php?can_id=53320#408</ref> Reid voted to express opposition to [[Roe v. Wade]] <ref>http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00048</ref> and supported the ban on [[Partial birth abortion]]. <ref>http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00402</ref> However, since being elected to his leadership position he has proven himself to be a staunch pro-Abortion advocate and has even voted to use taxpayer dollars to fund overseas abortions. <ref>http://www.lifenews.com/state4369.html</ref> From 2007-2008, the [[National Right to Life Committee]] gave Harry Reid a 28% rating. <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=4321</ref>

Reid cosponsored a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning. He opposes environmentalists on mining issues. He is a strong supporter of the gaming industry, which forms the basis of the state's economy.

Reid opposes gun control, and in 2007 Gun Owners of America gave Reid a grade of ''F''. <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=53320&type=category&category=37&go.x=4&go.y=5</ref>

==Controversies==

As a United States Senator Harry Reid has been the subject of Controversy and Criticism. In 2006 he was ranked the 10th most corrupt person in Washington by Judicial Watch. <ref>http://www.judicialwatch.org/printer_6091.shtml</ref> Reid was investigated by the FBI in 2008 for illegal campaign donations.<ref>http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/fbi-reid-campaig-finance/2013/04/17/id/500006</ref>

==Romney's taxes==
Reid ludicrously claimed in 2012 that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney hadn't paid taxes in 10 years - without, of course, offering any substantiation. [http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/07/politics/reid-romney-taxes/index.html]

===Connections with Jack Abramoff===

Reid has received over $60,000 from groups that are related to convicted lobbyist [[Jack Abramoff]], including about $50,000 from [[Native American]] gaming interests. Several times, Native American tribes that were clients of Jack Abramoff donated money to Reid after Reid's votes produced favorable results for the tribes. However, Reid described the Abramoff affair as "a Republican scandal."

===Boxing credentials===
Reid has accepted free tickets valued at hundreds of dollars for boxing matches between 2003 and 2005 from the Nevada Athletic Commission. Senate ethics rules permit gifts from such governmental agencies.

===Las Vegas land deal===
Senator Reid came under fire in 2006 for failing to properly report to Congress a $700,000 land deal. Harry Reid's member interest in limited liability company (LLC) was allocated $1.1 million of the gross proceeds attributable to the sale of a parcel of land. In 1998, Reid bought a plot of land for $400,000, fair market value at the time. One of the sellers was a developer who arranged a land swap that Reid supported.

===Iraq "lost"===

On April 19 2007, representatives of 50 Iraqi Sunni tribes announced the formation of a new democratic political party called [[Iraq Awakening]], with the aim of fielding candidates in elections at all levels of government, including the parliamentary elections in 2009. In the predominantly [[Shiite]] country, a large scale political organization among the [[Sunni]] is precisely what [[al-Qaeda]] insurgents have opposed. Later the same day, Sen. Reid demanded the pullout of American forces, on the basis that Iraq had been "lost". <ref>[http://www.therealitycheck.org/StaffWriter/dclark_NMA053107.html Reid The Reaper: Dems plan Iraq Awakening's wake], by Daniel Clark, ''New Media Alliance. Retrieved 06/04/07.</ref> In May, Majority Leader Reid voted to fund the "lost" cause anyway. In a scathing rebuke [[MSNBC]]'s liberal [[Keith Olbermann]] said,
{{cquote|'''Mr. Reid, Mr. [[Steny Hoyer|Hoyer]], and the other Democrats... have failed us. They negotiated away that which they did not own, but had only been entrusted by us to protect: our collective will as the citizens of this country....Mr. Reid has failed.''' <ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18831132/ The entire government has failed us on Iraq], Keith Olbermann, MSNBC ''Countdown'', May 24, 2007.</ref>}}

Ironically after Reid proclaimed the war lost, sectarian violence significantly declined.

[[File:Incompetent Harry Reid.jpg|left|300px]]

===Rush Limbaugh Phony Soldier Incident===
On October 2, 2007, Senator Reid wrote a letter to Mark P. Mays, Chairman-of-the-board and CEO of Clear Channel Communications, who are [[Rush Limbaugh]]'s chief patrons. In it Senator Reid essentially demanded that Mr. Mays order Mr. Limbaugh apologize for certain remarks that Mr. Limbaugh allegedly made, to the effect that soldiers who opposed the prosecution of the war in [[Iraq]] were "phony soldiers."<ref name=ReidText>Reid, Harry, ''et al.'' "[http://reid.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=284699 Letter to Mark P. Mays of Clear Channel Communications]." [http://reid.senate.gov/ Electronic Office of US Senator Harry Reid], October 2, 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2007.</ref> In composing his letter and his later remarks, Reid relied heavily on a presentation and alleged analysis by [[Media Matters for America]]. In fact, the only soldiers that Mr. Limbaugh ever alleged to be "phony" were certain persons who falsely claimed to have served in Iraq; some of those persons were in fact tried for and convicted of misrepresentation of service and drew prison sentences for their conduct. Nevertheless Mr. Reid obtained the signatures of forty of his Senate colleagues on his accusatory letter and read the letter aloud on the floor of the Senate.

The letter was delivered, and Mr. Limbaugh ultimately obtained it. Mr. Limbaugh publicly exhibited it to an audience in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], on October 11. The next day he placed the letter for sale at public auction at eBay.com.<ref name=eBay>[http://cgi.ebay.com/Original-Harry-Reid-Rush-Limbaugh-Smear-Letter_W0QQitemZ260170172469QQihZ016QQcategoryZ4105QQcmdZViewItem Auction listing of original of Harry Reid letter]. [http://www.ebay.com/ eBay.com]. Retrieved October 19, 2007.</ref> The letter was sold for $2.1 million. Rush donated the entire proceeds to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, and included a matching contribution of his own. In his remarks on the air on the day that the auction ended, and for several days before that, Mr. Limbaugh speculated that Senator Reid probably never imagined that his letter would even be made public, much less set a record for the most expensive charity auction in the records of eBay.com.<ref name=Limbaugh>Limbaugh, Rush H., remarks heard on his radio program on October 19, 2007, at about 12:15 p.m. EDT, or 16:15 p.m. UTC</ref>

At noon EDT October 19, 2007, Senator Reid spoke again to this issue on the floor of the Senate, taking note of the astonishing auction price that the letter was sure to fetch (the auction was still running at the time). He suggested in his remarks that he had spoken to Mr. Mays personally about the prospect of the public auction and had expressed doubts that such an auction would fetch more than a trifling sum.<ref name=ReidVid>Reid, Harry M. "[http://www.breitbart.tv/html/6938.html Remarks on the Floor of the United States Senate regarding Letter to Mark P. Mays]." Captured and published by ''Breitbart TV''. Retrieved October 19, 2007.</ref> Rush Limbaugh played the recording of Mr. Reid's remarks on his radio program and scathingly suggested that Mr. Reid was now attempting to take credit after the fact for the success of the auction and the massive charitable donation that would result from it.<ref name=Limbaugh2>Reid, Harry; remarks on the floor of the United States Senate on October 19, 2007, at 12:00 noon EDT. Played and commented upon by Rush H. Limbaugh on his radio program, beginning 12:35 p.m. EDT.</ref>

Images of the text of the letter, and the signatures of the Senators, appear below:

<gallery>
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Body.jpg|Body of the letter
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Sig1.jpg|Rest of the body and twelve signatures
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Sig2.jpg|Eighteen signatures
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Sig3.jpg|Eleven signatures
</gallery>
===Remarks about slavery and race===

A month after Reid compared Republican opponents of [[government health care]] to supporters of [[slavery]],<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/07/reid-compares-health-care-reform-foes-slavery-supporters/</ref> it came to light that
Reid had made remarks referring to [[Barack Obama]]'s race during the presidential campaign.<ref>Reid's comments were included in the book ''Game Change''. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100109/ap_on_el_se/us_obama_reid]</ref>
Reid had called then-Senator Obama during the 2008 Democratic primaries "light skinned" and "with no [[Negro dialect]], unless he wanted to have one."

* The authors describe Reid assessing Obama's strengths as a candidate. Reid, they write, "believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama -- a 'light-skinned' African American 'with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,' as he said privately. Reid was convinced, in fact, that Obama's race would help him more than hurt him in a bid for the Democratic nomination."<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/09/AR2010010902141.html Washington Post] - January 10, 2010 </ref>

After that, political commentators began "arguing over whether those comments by Reid constitute racism".<ref>[http://spectator.org/archives/2010/01/12/bigots-and-the-press Bigots and the Press] - Mark Hyman</ref>
On January 9, 2010 Reid apologized for his "poor choice of words"

A Boston Globe op-ed said Senator Reid "said nothing wrong".<ref> [http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/01/13/whats_wrong_with_negro_anyway/ What’s wrong with ‘Negro,’ anyway?]</ref>
[[Ann Coulter]] wrote, "[[Democrat]]s regularly say things that would end the career of any [[conservative]] who said them." [http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=35188]

In August 2010, Reid tries some [[racial politics]] and told a crowd of supporters that he doesn’t know "how anyone of [[Hispanic]] heritage could be a Republican."

* In a follow-up remark, again more obsession with [[Race baiting]], ''“because the wave of immigrants we have now — their skin's a tone darker than ours — doesn't make it any different.”'' <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/11/rubio-blasts-reid-asking-hispanics-republicans/ Rubio Blasts Reid for Saying He Doesn't Understand How Hispanics Could Be Republican, FOXNews, August 11, 2010]</ref>

==See also==
*[[ACORN]]
*[[Phonemark]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/11/abramoff_report_1.html Abramoff Reports to Prison; Officials Focus on Reid, Others], Brian Ross and Rhonda Schwartz, ''ABC News'', November 15, 2006.
*[http://www.politico.com/blogs/anneschroeder/0809/House_switchboard_getting_pranked_by_Harry_Reid.html House switchboard getting pranked by Harry Reid?]. Politico. August 11, 2009.
*[http://health.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/08/11/dr-manny-dear-senator-reid-i%E2%80%99m-not-stupid/ Dr. Manny: Dear Senator Reid, I’m Not Stupid!]
{{Liberalism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT: Reid, Harry}}
[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[Category: 110th United States Congress]]
[[Category:111th United States Congress]]
[[Category:112th United States Congress]]
[[Category:113th United States Congress]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[category:2010 Midterm Elections]]
[[Category:Mormons]]
[[Category:Abortion Advocates]]
[[Category:Nevada]]

Chevrolet Volt

2013-04-21T01:04:33Z

TedA: Updates to page

The '''Chevy Volt''' is a [[hybrid car]] produced by [[GM]]. Unlike the Prius it uses lithium-ion batteries and can run on only the electric motor for an extended period. The tiny gas engine is not hooked up to the wheels and functions as a generator to charge the batteries. {{fact}} This is a highly inefficient system as there are losses in both the charging of the battery and in the electric motor which would not exist if the engine was connected to the wheels with a transmission and drive shafts. The government is subsidizing the purchase of the Volt, with each car reportedly costing GM $49,000 more than what they are selling them for.<ref>http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/09/10/Insight--GMs-Volt---The-ugly-math-of-low-sales--high-costs</ref> The Volt is a typical example of the Obama's administration's failed green energy investments.<ref>http://blog.heritage.org/2012/10/18/president-obamas-taxpayer-backed-green-energy-failures/</ref>

== Ownership Satisfaction==
Volt owners have the highest rate of owner satisfaction of any new car in 2011 and 2012. 93% of Volt owners would purchase the car again. <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/12/01/survey-finds-chevrolet-volt-owners-most-satisfied/</ref> <ref>http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2012/1129/Chevy-Volt-tops-customer-satisfaction-survey-again</ref>

==Popularity==

From a list of the top best-selling vehicles sold during the 2012 model year, the Volt was ranked 133 out of 262.
<ref>http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2012/09/august-2012-ytd-all-vehicle-rankings.html</ref>
Volt sales are paltry. About one car per month per dealership. <ref>http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2013/04/chevy_volt_sales_fiasco.html</ref>

==Safety==
General Motors collaborated with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), Illinois Professional Firefighters’ Association (IFPA), National Emergency Number Association (NENA), and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to train first responders in handling the peculiarities of electric vehicle accidents. GM also created an emergency response guide for emergency professionals and public use.
<ref>http://www.greencarcongress.com/2010/08/gmfr-20100827.html</ref>

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concluded the Chevy Volt does not constitute a fire safety risk and is quoted as saying, ‘no discernible defect trend exists’ after investigating a battery compartment fire that started two weeks after a Volt was destroyed in a crash test. GM has responded further by modifying existing and future Volts to better withstand crashes in the future.
<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/21/business/us-finds-no-defect-in-volt.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&ref=automobiles&adxnnlx=1365182169-63HN9ZydY/7fcl60xagalA</ref>

==Further reading==
* [http://www.conservativenewsandviews.com/2012/09/22/news/general-motors-sour-deal/ Roseann Salanitri, "General Motors'Sour Deal," ''Conservative News and Views'', 22 September 2012]

<references/>
[[Category: Cars]]

The New York Times

2013-04-20T23:02:01Z

TedA: NYT Sympathy for Boston Marathon Bombers

'''''The New York Times''''' (NYT) is a [[newspaper]] published in [[New York City]] and distributed worldwide. It was first published in 1851, and is often referred to as the ''Old Grey Lady''. Declining in popularity and credibility, ''The New York Times'' is the third most widely circulated newspaper in the United States behind and ''[[Wall Street Journal|The Wall Street Journal]]'' and ''[[USA Today]]''.<ref>http://accessabc.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/the-top-u-s-newspapers-for-march-2012/</ref>

''The New York Times'' is generally thought to promote a [[liberal]] point of view.<ref>[http://www.timeswatch.org/ TimesWatch: Documenting and Exposing the Liberal Political Agenda of the ''New York Times'']</ref><ref>[http://www.nationalreview.com/nrof_luskin/luskin200407290744.asp Just Say It, Dan Okrent], National Review Online</ref> This was recently acknowledged by Arthur Brisbane, the departing public editor at the New York Times:
* The "public editor" of the New York Times accused his employers of harboring progressive bias on topics like [[gay marriage]] and the [[occupy movement]]. [http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/08/ny-times-public-editor-progressive-worldview-bleeds-133188.html]

Its publisher, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. has denied this, claiming instead that the paper has an "urban" viewpoint.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/25/weekinreview/25bott.html?ei=5088&en=452926dcb11511a3&ex=1248667200&pagewanted=all&position=</ref> However, in the summer of 2004, the newspaper's then public editor (ombudsman), Daniel Okrent, published a piece on the ''Times''' liberal bias, citing the example of its coverage of [[Homosexuality and Marriage|homosexual marriage]].<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/25/weekinreview/25bott.html?ei=5088&en=452926dcb11511a3&ex=1248667200&pagewanted=all&position=</ref>
__TOC__
Conservative organizations claim that the ''Times'' promotes the [[homosexual agenda]], because it employs homosexuals and wins praise from homosexual groups. In 2001 Richard Berke, the ''Times''' national political correspondent, revealed that "on any given day, three-fourths of those attending the daily meeting where it is decided what will be on the front page of the Times, are likely to be 'not-so-closeted' homosexuals." <ref>http://www.aim.org/publications/aim_report/2001/23.html</ref> In 2004, the [[Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]] (GLAAD) gave the New York Times an award for "Outstanding Newspaper Overall Coverage", specifically citing journalist Frank Rich's article attacking President [[Ronald Reagan]]'s record on [[AIDS]].<ref>http://www.aim.org/media-monitor/gay-lobby-honors-new-york-times/</ref>

In 2008, [[ABC]] journalist John Stossel claimed: "The reason the ''Times'', and to a lesser extent the ''Post'', are so important, and they are, is because the TV and radio - all of the media - copy it sycophantically. That's how bias at the ''Times'' becomes bias in other media."<ref>http://cnsnews.com/news/article/abcs-stossel-rips-network-hostility-conservatives</ref>

Examples of types of [[liberal bias]] utilized by the ''New York Times'' include:
*[[placement bias]]
*[[photo bias]]
*[[genius bias]]

As further reflection of the newspaper's liberal bias, it has been awarded the most [[Pulitzer Prize]]s of any newspaper.<ref>Totaling at least 106.</ref>

The NYT publishes 18 other newspapers, including the ''International Herald Tribune'' (based in Paris) and ''The Boston Globe.'' The parent company has suffered repeated financial crises in recent years.

==Newspaper of Record==
===Soviet crimes against humanity===
[[Image:Holodomor2.jpg|right|thumb|Victims of Soviet government "agricultural reform" policies.]]
:''Main article:'' [[Holodomor]]
In 1931, ''Times'' correspondent [[Walter Duranty]] intentionally covered up the [[Soviet]] [[Holodomor|genocide]] of the [[Ukraine|Ukrainians]].<ref>[http://www.nytco.com/company/awards/statement.html New York Times Statement About 1932 Pulitzer Prize Awarded to Walter Duranty]</ref> Duranty not only helped conceal all evidence of Holodomor, but also called other journalists who reported on it liars.<ref>[http://www.ucca.org/famine/ Ukrainian Congress Committee of America]</ref><ref>Robert Conquest </ref> The lack of knowledge of this genocide was observed by English writer [[George Orwell]], who commented "''huge events like the Ukraine famine of 1933, involving the deaths of millions of people, have actually escaped the attention of the majority of English Russophiles"''.<ref>"''Notes on Nationalism''" in "The ''Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters of George Orwell''" ([[London]], 1968), Vol. 3, p. 370.</ref> The Soviets managed to cover this up until Ukraine’s independence in 1991. Official Soviet documents recently declassified revealed that the genocide was indeed intended to target the Ukrainian people<ref>http://5tv.com.ua/eng/newsline/184/0/33564/</ref>.

===Maosim===
:''Main article: [[Maoism]]''
The ''New York Times'' reported:<ref>Foster Hailey, ''New York Times Magazine'', (December 22, 1946), pp. 40-41.</ref>
{{QuoteBox|Most Americans who have visited Red China are accused of arriving at their judgements according to previously held prejudices. None denies, however, that in Communist China they have found matters of law and order, public health, equitable distribution of food and wealth, and other operations of Government carried out with greater earnestness and success than elsewhere in China or in most of Asia. . . 
Another certainty is that the idea they represent, the [[hope]] they hold for the landless, overtaxed Chinese peasant, is not one that can be destroyed by force. . .}}

By 1956, during the [[Three Years of Disasters]], U.S. Ambassador Joseph C. Grew commented,
{{QuoteBox|The appalling figures on [[murder]]s committed by the Beijing Communist government are neither propaganda, exaggerations nor guesses. Since the Communists drove [[Chiang Kai-shek]] and the Nationalists off the mainland in 1949, official accounts in Red newspapers have listed the executions of millions of Chinese. . . 
. . . The real total of Chinese deaths administered by Beijing probably would total a great deal more than the estimates. Few Chinese marked for death by Beijing had a chance to escape their executioners. The Communists masked their real intentions with a deceptively mild, restrained and orderly entry to power.<ref>Joseph C. Grew, ''Invasion Alert!'' (Baltimore, Maran Publishers, 1956), pp. 42-44. [http://openlibrary.org/works/OL4721833W/Invasion_alert!]</ref><ref>R.J. Rummel,
[http://freedomspeace.blogspot.com/2005/11/reevaluating-chinas-democide-to-be.html Reevaluating China's Democide to be 73,000,000], November 20, 2005.</ref>}}

===Promoting Castro===
[[Image:Batista4.gif|right|250px|thumb|Cuban President [[Fulgencio Batista]] (left) welcoming U.S. President [[Franklin Roosevelt]] (right). Batista, a signatory of the [[Atlantic Charter]], was overtherown by communist revolutionary [[Fidel Castro]].]]
The front page of the ''New York Times'' on April 18, 1959 read, "Premier [[Fidel Castro]] of [[Cuba]] denied today charges of [[Communist]] influence in his regime. In a speech before the American Society of Newspaper Editors he asserted: 'I have said very clearly that we are not Communists...our revolution is a humanistic one'". In an editorial later, the ''Times'' commented Castro "made it quite clear that neither he nor anyone of importance in his Government so far as he knew was Communist or in agreement with communism."

On May 23, 1959, on the front page, the ''Times'' recorded the following: "Extremists have no place in the [[Cuban revolution]], Premier Fidel Castro said in a television interview....In the same broadcast the Premier dashed hopes of United States sugar interests to save their properties from seizure under the new land reform law." An editorial in the same issue the ''Times'' declared: "It is encouraging to see Premier Fidel Castro of Cuba facing up to the Communists as he did in his television interview . . . The aims of the Cuban Reds, with their links to Moscow and their [[totalitarian]] philosophy, were bound to be contrary, in the long run, to the aims of the 26th of July movement, which fought for [[democracy]], freedom, [[social justice]] and - rather unhappily - for an extreme nationalism."

After Castro seized power, on July 16, 1959 the ''New York Times'' front page carried a story by Herbert L. Matthews:
{{QuoteBox|This is not a Communist revolution in any sense of the word and there are no Communists in positions of control. This is the overwhelming consensus among Cubans in the best position to know and this writer subscribes to that opinion after searching inquiries and talks with Cubans in all walks of life and with many Americans.... There seem to be very few in Cuba - and one need have no hesitation in saying this - who believe Fidel Castro is a Communist, is under Communist influence or is a dupe of communism... There are no Reds in the Cabinet and none in high positions in the Government or army in the sense of being able to control either governmental or defense policies. The only power worth considering in Cuba is in the hands of Premier Castro, who is not only not Communist but decidedly [[anti-Communist]]. . . Premier Castro is avoiding [[election]]s in Cuba for two reasons. He feels that his social revolution now has dynamism and vast popular consent, and he does not want to interrupt the process. Moreover, most observers would agree that Cubans today do not want elections. The reason is that elections in the past have merely meant to them the coming of corrupt politicians seeking the spoils of power. }}On December 2, 1961 Castro announced that he was forming:{{QuoteBox| a "united party of Cuba's [[Socialist]] revolution," a monolithic organization like the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Soviet Communist party]] with restricted membership....[He] acknowledged that he was a Marxist-Leninist and said that he was taking Cuba down the path to communism. He maintained that the world, too, "is on the road toward communism." . . .I am a Marxist-Leninist and will be one until the day I die".}}Castro added that by 1953, three years before his insurrection in Cuba, his political thinking "was more or less like what it is now." Herbert L Matthews after his days as a reporter in [[Havana]] was promoted to the Editorial Board of the ''New York Times.''

===Evil Empire===
*When on March 8, 1983 [[Ronald Regan]] called the Soviet Union where people were routinely sent to [[Gulag]]s an “Evil Empire”, a prominent liberal intellectual Anthony Lewis of the New York Times commented two days later that the speech was “primitive...simplistic theology” and "a mirror image of crude Soviet rhetoric". But when news of the speech reached Natan Sharansky, confined to an eight-by-ten foot cell on the Siberian border, the reaction was different: “Tapping on walls and talking through toilets, word of Reagan’s ‘provocation’ quickly spread throughout the prison. We dissidents were ecstatic. Finally, the leader of the free world had spoken the truth — a truth that burned inside the heart of each and every one of us.”<ref>{{cite web |author=Fr. George Rutler
|title=Recollections of Reagan
|publisher=Pewsitter.com
|aceessdate=2012-10-19
|url=http://www.pewsitter.com/view_news_id_49370.php
|quote=Many of our cultural elite were uncomfortable when on March 8, 1983 he called the Soviet Union an “Evil Empire.” Anthony Lewis of the New York Times said the speech was “primitive...simplistic theology” and Henry Steele Commager of Columbia University called it “the worst speech ever given by an American president.” But when news of the speech reached Natan Sharansky, confined to an eight-by-ten foot cell on the Siberian border, the reaction was different: “Tapping on walls and talking through toilets, word of Reagan’s ‘provocation’ quickly spread throughout the prison. We dissidents were ecstatic. Finally, the leader of the free world had spoken the truth — a truth that burned inside the heart of each and every one of us.”}}</ref>
===Fabrications and scandals===
*In 2003, ''Times'' reporter [[Jayson Blair]] resigned after it was found that he had engaged in repeated [[plagiarism]] and [[deceit]], copying articles from other newspapers and fabricating information. <ref>[http://www.pbs.org/newshour/media/media_ethics/casestudy_blair.php Jayson Blair: A Case Study of What Went Wrong at The New York Times]</ref>
===War on Terror===
*[[Michelle Malkin]] says the NYT has violated an agreement regarding [[Journalism|journalist]]s covering [[war|war casualties]]. <ref> [http://michellemalkin.com/2007/02/01/the-nytimes-unspeakable-violation/ The NYTimes’ unspeakable violation]</ref>

*The ''New York Times'' subsidized<ref>[http://www.investors.com/editorial/editorialcontent.asp? Subsidizing Sedition], Investor's Business Daily Editorial, 9/13/2007.</ref> what Peter D. Feaver of the ''[[Boston Globe]]'' referred to as a "vicious" attack on the person and charter of a respected professional soldier, Gen. [[David Petraeus]].<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/09/11/moveons_mccarthy_moment/ MoveOn's McCarthy moment], By Peter D. Feaver, ''Boston Globe'', September 11, 2007.</ref> The [[radical]] [[liberal]] group [[MoveOn.org]], an organization which advocated maintaining the [[corrupt]] [[United Nations]] [[Iraq#Oil_for_food_scandal|Oil For Food]] program's support for the [[fascist]] [[Ba'athist]] regime in [[Iraq]], ran a full page ad in the ''Times'' at roughly half the cost of regular price impugning Gen. Petraeus credibility as a traitor.<ref>[http://www.nypost.com/seven/09132007/news/nationalnews/times_gives_lefties_a_hefty_di.htm Time Gives Lefties a Hefty Discount for "Betray us" Ad], Charles Hurt, ''New York Post'', September 13, 2007.</ref>

*The New York Times is known to defend America's enemies, discount terrorist acts or present stories as not to offend Muslim feelings. As with the case of American students who carried out suicide bombings in [[Somalia]]. In the NYT article ''"A Call to Jihad, Answered in America,"'' the issue was a “crisis of belonging,” “They want to belong, but who do they belong to?” Then the author states that these jihadist were “born-agains” or “fundis,” not how the rest of America describes [[Islamic]] fascism. <ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/us/12somalis.html?_r=1&em A Call to Jihad, Answered in America New York Times July 11, 2009]</ref>

===Coverage of the Military===
Like everything else liberal, supporting [[America]]'s fighting men and women is a burden for the paper. If it is a sensitive matter that would endanger the lives of our troops, they shrug the concerns off and post photos of American troops abusing prisoners in Iraq. In a liberal 'cause for concern', a New York Times repoter was kidnapped in [[Afghanistan]] by the [[Taliban]], December 2008. The Times colluded with all the news organizations to keep it secret, not to endanger the reporter. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,527886,00.html New York Times Reporter Held Hostage by Taliban in Afghanistan Escapes] Fox News, June 20 2009</ref> {{cquote|The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.}}

===Boston Maration Bombing===
After much liberal media speculation that the Boston Marathon bombing was caused by right-wingers <ref>http://www.wnd.com/2013/04/look-who-liberal-media-blame-for-blasts/</ref> or tea-partiers<ref>http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/041913-652673-msnbc-salon-blamed-bombing-on-tea-party.htm</ref>, it was discovered that the bombing was done by two Islamic brothers. At that point, the liberal media became very sympathetic toward the bombers, who killed two women and a child, then shot and killed a police officer. The New York Times wrote a piece excusing their actions since they grew up in a bad country (Chechyna).<ref>http://dailycaller.com/2013/04/19/new-york-times-sympathy-for-the-devil/</ref>

==See Also==
*[[Previous Breaking News/New York Times|Articles about '''''New York Times''''' from previous "Breaking News"]]
*[[Homosexuality in the Media]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External Links==
*[http://www.nytimes.com/ Official Website]
*[http://www.timeswatch.org/ TimesWatch - Documenting and Exposing the Liberal Political Agenda of the New York Times]
*[http://www.blockthenytimes.org/ Block the NYT - Exposing the New York Times crimes against the state]

[[Category:United States Newspapers|New York Times]]

Hank Johnson

2013-04-14T23:49:40Z

TedA: Rep. Johnson thinks islands are boats. Liberals really are that stupid.

Rep. '''Hank Johnson''', D-Ga. is a congressman from [[Georgia]]. Rep. Johnson is a liberal. As Michael Savage has noted, liberalism is a mental disorder. <ref>http://newsbusters.org/blogs/rusty-weiss/2012/01/22/yes-liberalism-mental-disorder</ref> The specific mental disorder that Johnson suffers from is mental retardation. Proof of his mental retardation is obvious to anyone who has watched Johnson's House Armed Services Committee statements where he told the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet that if too many troops were moved to the island of Guam, that it might tip over. Johnson said, "My fear is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize." <ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20001567-503544.html</ref>

==References==
<references>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Hank}}
[[Category:Politicians]]

MS NOW

2013-04-12T03:03:13Z

TedA: typo

[[Image:April 2nd MSNBC.png|right]]
'''MSNBC''' is a [[liberal propaganda]] 24-hour cable "news" channel and website aligned with the [[Democrat]] party. Jointly owned by [[Comcast]] and [[General Electric]], MSNBC is considered by many to be one of the most liberal cable news channels of all the [[mainstream media]]. For years, MSNBC trailed [[Fox News]] and [[CNN]] in the ratings. However, it has been beating CNN since the ratings for that network are in freefall. <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/business/media/cnn-ratings-decline-stirs-worries.html</ref> It typically garners ratings that are just one-third those of the [[Fox News Channel]]. Some consider it to be the liberal counterpart to the conservative Fox News. In 2012, Microsoft fully divested itself from MSNBC resulting in a the creation of NBC news and NBCnews.com. <ref> http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-16/msnbc-website-renamed-nbcnews-com-after-microsoft-split.html </ref> It is possible Microsoft divested due to MSNBC's [[liberal hypocrisy]] since they opined that "we wanted to show different perspectives."

The ''Daily Caller'' observed that MSNBC "might be trying a little too hard to push" its agenda: "MSNBC duped: Network runs satirical fake news," and that wasn't the first time.<ref>http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/05/msnbc-duped-network-runs-satirical-fake-news-from-daily-kos-as-a-real-story/</ref>

The MSNBC channel was started in 1996 as a joint venture between [[Microsoft]] and [[NBC]]. On December 23, 2005, ending a partnership that had soured long before, Microsoft and NBC announced that they would dissolve their joint ownership of the cable news channel, with NBC taking control. NBC completed a deal to assume majority control of the channel, with an 82% stake.<ref>[http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30610F93E540C778EDDAB0994DD404482]</ref> The joint venture with Microsoft has come to an end.<ref>http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/microsoft-nbc-dissolve-msnbccom-joint-venture/article4418455/</ref>

In 2010, parent company General Electric reached a tentative agreement with the [[France|French]] media conglomerate [[Vivendi]] that cleared the way for the sale of NBCUniversal, including the flagship [[NBC]] network, to Comcast, America's largest cable operator.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/business/media/01deal.html New York Times; With Deal, G.E. Clears Path to Sale of NBC]</ref> <ref>[http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20101028/ARTICLE/10281045/2055/NEWS?p=2&tc=pg Sarasota Herald-Tribune; Corporate Report]</ref> The takeover will go into effect January 28, 2011 following the Comcast company’s next pay cycle. <ref> http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/done-deal-fcc-department-of-justice-approve-comcast-nbc-universal-acquisition_b48942 </ref> Comcast acquired a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal from General Electric Co, creating a $30 billion business that would include broadcast, cable networks, movie studios and theme parks. <ref> http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110118/bs_nm/us_nbc_comcast_13 </ref> Some liberals fear that Comcast might turn into a more conservative outlet. <ref>http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2010/11/09/socialist-senator-wants-comcast-nbc-deal-blocked-due-olbermanns-suspe</ref> <ref>http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/11/6/145630/235</ref> Some critics and supporters of [[Keith Olbermann]] blame Comcast for his firing from MSNBC.

MSNBC is blatantly [[Communist]]. One of their anchors, [[Melissa Harris-Perry]], was featured in an MSNBC prmotional video explaining that children "belong to whole communities". <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/04/09/critics-slam-msnbc-hosts-claim-that-kids-belong-to-community-not-parents/</ref> The promo is part of the Marxist "Forward" (MSNBC refers to it as "Lean Forward") campaign that has been going on since the late 19th century. <ref>http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2012/apr/30/new-obama-slogan-has-long-ties-marxism-socialism/</ref>

== State Run ==
Publicly, the channel claims to be a non-biased, journalist driven news network. In reality, they are Democrat-aligned to the point that they are perceived as a mouthpiece for the [[Obama Administration]]. On several occasions, Obama Administration officials have stated their public support for MSNBC.

Opinion-driven news is common and a successful formula at Fox News. MSNBC opinion news includes attacking Republicans relentlessly and promoting or whitewashing Democrat politicians. Their remarks are so outlandish, choke full of proven lies and mean spirited that their TV hosts often get suspended from the air.

== Low Ratings ==
The MSNBC network has perennially had very low ratings. In 2002, the network was regularly beaten in the ratings by [[CNN Headline News]]. The CEO of Microsoft once even admitted that he wouldn't have started MSNBC knowing what he knew later.<ref>http://news.com.com/2100-1023-268073.html</ref> In June of 2006, [[CNN]] co-founder Reese Schoenfeld told journalist Don Kaplan that "Everybody compares MSNBC to Fox and CNN - when its real competition is Headline News". Schoenfeld pointed out that the ratings for MSNBC and Headline News are roughly the same, about 300,000 viewers on average and that "by comparison, Fox and CNN regularly average three or four times as many viewers." Kaplan even joked that "the running joke in TV news is Fox and CNN are news channels with websites, but MSNBC is a website with a cable channel".<ref>http://newsbusters.org/node/5891</ref>

Shock jock Don Imus's radio show ''Imus in the Morning'' was simulcast on MSNBC for over ten years. During this time, the program become well-known for displaying offensive commentary. However, MSNBC continued to support the show. In April of 2007, the network sparked outrage when during a broadcast of ''Imus in the Morning'', Don Imus and another MSNBC staff member made remarks about the Rutgers University women's basketball team, considered to be both racist and sexist. Initially, MSNBC refused to cancel the show. After sponsors started withdrawing their advertisements from the show, MSNBC canceled the simulcast of ''Imus in the Morning''.

== Liberal Bias ==
MSNBC has been criticized regarding the channel's [[liberal]] slant. The media watchdog group the Media Research Center<ref> [http://www.mediaresearch.org/about/aboutwelcome.asp About Media Research Center] www.mediaresearch.org</ref> has cited MSNBC shows by [[Keith Olbermann]], [[Dan Abrams]] and [[Chris Matthews]] in its criticism of the network's bias reporting.

Olbermann has denounced President [[George W. Bush|Bush]] and the [[Republican Party]], calling the latter a "terrorist organization". He has called on President Bush and Vice President [[Dick Cheney|Cheney]] to resign.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19588942/</ref>
Olbermann has conducted post-debate interviews of Republican presidential candidates and led live coverage of presidential primaries. In the February 2008 issue of ''Men's Journal'' magazine, a senior executive at MSNBC stated that Olbermann "runs MSNBC" and that "because of his success, he's in charge" of the network.<ref>http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/olbermann_talks_office_politics_other_politics_74648.asp</ref>

The [[left-wing]] advocacy group Media Matters for America<ref> [http://mediamatters.org/ Media Matters for America homepage] www.mediamatters.org</ref> has criticized the MSNBC's commitment to promoting a left-wing agenda since the channel has had shows hosted by [[Libertarian|left-libertarian]] [[Tucker Carlson]] and former moderate [[Republican]] Congressman [[Joe Scarborough]]. Ironically, on August 16, 2007 Scarborough revealed an incident in which people in the MSNBC newsroom ceaselessly booed [[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush|Bush]] during a State of the Union address.<ref>http://newsbusters.org/node/14899/print</ref>
[[Image:Msnbc dem.jpg|right|150px]]
In the past, MSNBC shows have featured [[Mitch Albom]], [[Ann Coulter]], [[Phil Donahue]], [[Bill Moyers]], [[Maury Povich]], and [[Michael Savage]], among others. That varied programming was gradually reduced as MSNBC veered more [[leftist]] in its point-of-view. Among MSNBC's 2008 lineup, [[Patrick Buchanan]] was perhaps the most conservative voice.

In 2003, in an apparent effort to appear more balanced, MSNBC fired talk-show host Phil Donahue. An internal memo read, in part, "Donahue represents a difficult public face for NBC in a time of war. At the same time, our competitors are waving the flag at every opportunity." <ref>http://mediamatters.org/items/200410290004</ref>
<ref>http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/03/24/1446244</ref>
<ref>http://www.allyourtv.com/0203season/news/02252003donahue.html</ref>

On November 5, 2007, the ''[[New York Times]]'' reported that the cable news channel was in serious discussions with [[Rosie O'Donnell]] to have a prime-time show on the network. Under one scenario, O'Donnell would be given the 9 p.m. slot where she would compete with ''Larry King Live'' on [[CNN]] and ''Hannity & Colmes'' on the [[Fox News Channel]]. Her show would replace ''Live with Dan Abrams'', a low-rated program that only recently replaced ''Scarborough Country''.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/business/media/05cnd-msnbc.html?_r=1&oref=slogin</ref> The deal later fell through as O'Donnell leaked information about the agreement without MSNBC's permission.

Later in November of 2007, the president of MSNBC, Phil Griffin, flat out admitted that the network has a left-wing liberal bias. In a ''New York Times'' article, he said that "it happened naturally" and that "there is a Go for it" mentality when it comes to pushing the liberal agenda among the MSNBC staff.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/business/media/06msnb.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin</ref>

Continuing its offensive against the [[Bush administration]] and its reposition as a left-wing "news" outlet, in December of 2007, the network ran a series titled ''Bush League Justice'' with the explicit purpose of attacking the [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Justice Department]] under the presidency of [[George W. Bush]].

In October 2010, MSNBC has publicly acknowleged its liberalism in October 2010 while launching a marketing campaign with the tagline "Lean Forward," <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39507182/ns/business-media_biz/</ref> <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/business/media/05adco.html?_r=1</ref> <ref>http://theweek.com/article/index/207856/msnbcs-new-slogan-what-does-it-even-mean</ref> <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkinYM4EPy0</ref> following several years in which many observers noted a leftward shift in the channel's programming <ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/30/study-nbc-news-doesnt-fol_n_139162.html</ref> <ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090800008_pf.html</ref> <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/08/business/media/08msnbc.html?pagewanted=print</ref>. As a result, NBC Universal and Microsoft is considering changing the name of the less partisan msnbc.com, a separate news company, to prevent confusion with the liberal TV network, MSNBC <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/business/media/07msnbc.html</ref>. Some of the NBC News correspondents and producers, who attempt to be straightforward reporters, say they are embarrassed to be associated with the liberal cable outlet and fear being “tainted” by association with it <ref>http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=39332</ref>. The situation became more apparent when NBC News decided to keep Brian Williams and Tom Brokaw away from MSNBC during the November 2, 2010 midterm election coverage <ref>http://mediaconfidential.blogspot.com/2010/10/nbc-news-separates-itself-from-partisan.html</ref>.

==The MSNBC – White House Conneciton==
During coverage of the Gulf Oil Spill, Democrat party apparatchik Mika Brzezinski, who is also an anchor of the MSNBC show Morning Joe, worked with the White House to distribute propaganda falsely claiming that Obama was doing an effective job managing the problem. Brzezinski, who is the daughter of NSA Zbigniew Brzezinski from the failed Carter administration, admitted on the air that "I have a file that I've been working on with the White House."<ref>http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-finkelstein/2010/06/21/mika-admits-im-working-white-house-oil-spill-talking-points#ixzz2PpmYB7O3</ref>

==The MSNBC – Media Matters Connection==
[[Media Matters for America]] is a very popular source of information within MSNBC’s prime time lineup. Some might argue [[MSNBC]] is a defacto mouth piece for the organization..<ref>[http://bigjournalism.com/sright/2011/07/12/media-matters-propaganda-watch-the-tax-exempt-research-department-of-msnbc-martin-bashir-edition/ Media Matters Propaganda Watch: The Tax-Exempt Research Department of MSNBC, Martin Bashir Edition]</ref> In prime time alone, since 2005 Media Matters has either been booked as a guest and/or mentioned on the network nearly 200 times. Media Matters has been particularly popular with MSNBC’s producers during the last 2 years.
Below are some interesting tid bits about Media Matters and its growing relationship with MSNBC’s prime time programming:

* 197 guest appearances and/or on-air mentions on MSNBC’s prime time since January 2005
* Of the roughly 390 broadcast evenings on MSNBC since July 2010, Media Matters has either been booked as a guest and/or mentioned on air 26% of the possible broadcast evenings (1 out of every 4 days).
* In 2011, on average, a Media Matters representative appeared on MSNBC at least once per week
* [[Eric Boehlert]] has been the most popular Media Matters representative on MSNBC, accounting for 43% of all Media Matters appearances on the cable network
* [[The Ed Show]] is the most popular show for Media Matters representatives, accounting for 72 Media Matters guest appearances since 2009<ref>[http://www.nexis.com Search and analysis on MSNBC's primetime transcripts via Nexis.com]</ref>

== See also ==
* [[NBC]]
* [[Liberal media]]
* [[Keith Olbermann]]
* [[Chris Matthews]]
* [[Pat Buchanan]]
* [[Rachel Maddow]]

==External Links==
* [http://msnbc.msn.com Official Site]
* [http://www.setstudio.com/pages/msnbc/ Photos of the MSNBC studio]
* [http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-sheffield/2007/11/16/msnbc-president-admits-lineup-tilts-leftward MSNBC President Admits: Lineup Tilts Leftward]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/business/media/06msnb.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin Cable Channel Nods to Ratings and Leans Left]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category: Media]]
[[Category: Cable TV Networks]]

MS NOW

2013-04-12T03:02:37Z

TedA: typo

[[Image:April 2nd MSNBC.png|right]]
'''MSNBC''' is a [[liberal propaganda]] 24-hour cable "news" channel and website aligned with the [[Democrat]] party. Jointly owned by [[Comcast]] and [[General Electric]], MSNBC is considered by many to be one of the most liberal cable news channels of all the [[mainstream media]]. For years, MSNBC trailed [[Fox News]] and [[CNN]] in the ratings. However, it has been beating CNN since the ratings for that network are in freefall. <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/business/media/cnn-ratings-decline-stirs-worries.html</ref> It typically garners ratings that are just one-third those of the [[Fox News Channel]]. Some consider it to be the liberal counterpart to the conservative Fox News. In 2012, Microsoft fully divested itself from MSNBC resulting in a the creation of NBC news and NBCnews.com. <ref> http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-16/msnbc-website-renamed-nbcnews-com-after-microsoft-split.html </ref> It is possible Microsoft divested due to MSNBC's [[liberal hypocrisy]] since they opined that "we wanted to show different perspectives."

The ''Daily Caller'' observed that MSNBC "might be trying a little too hard to push" its agenda: "MSNBC duped: Network runs satirical fake news," and that wasn't the first time.<ref>http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/05/msnbc-duped-network-runs-satirical-fake-news-from-daily-kos-as-a-real-story/</ref>

The MSNBC channel was started in 1996 as a joint venture between [[Microsoft]] and [[NBC]]. On December 23, 2005, ending a partnership that had soured long before, Microsoft and NBC announced that they would dissolve their joint ownership of the cable news channel, with NBC taking control. NBC completed a deal to assume majority control of the channel, with an 82% stake.<ref>[http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30610F93E540C778EDDAB0994DD404482]</ref> The joint venture with Microsoft has come to an end.<ref>http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/microsoft-nbc-dissolve-msnbccom-joint-venture/article4418455/</ref>

In 2010, parent company General Electric reached a tentative agreement with the [[France|French]] media conglomerate [[Vivendi]] that cleared the way for the sale of NBCUniversal, including the flagship [[NBC]] network, to Comcast, America's largest cable operator.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/business/media/01deal.html New York Times; With Deal, G.E. Clears Path to Sale of NBC]</ref> <ref>[http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20101028/ARTICLE/10281045/2055/NEWS?p=2&tc=pg Sarasota Herald-Tribune; Corporate Report]</ref> The takeover will go into effect January 28, 2011 following the Comcast company’s next pay cycle. <ref> http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/done-deal-fcc-department-of-justice-approve-comcast-nbc-universal-acquisition_b48942 </ref> Comcast acquired a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal from General Electric Co, creating a $30 billion business that would include broadcast, cable networks, movie studios and theme parks. <ref> http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110118/bs_nm/us_nbc_comcast_13 </ref> Some liberals fear that Comcast might turn into a more conservative outlet. <ref>http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2010/11/09/socialist-senator-wants-comcast-nbc-deal-blocked-due-olbermanns-suspe</ref> <ref>http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/11/6/145630/235</ref> Some critics and supporters of [[Keith Olbermann]] blame Comcast for his firing from MSNBC.

MSNBC is blatantly [[Communist]]. One of their anchors, [[Melissa Harris-Perry]], was featured in an MSNBC prmotional video explaining that children "belong to whole communities". <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/04/09/critics-slam-msnbc-hosts-claim-that-kids-belong-to-community-not-parents/</ref> The promo is part of the Marxist "Forward" (MSNBC refers to it as "Lean Forward") campaign that has been going on since the last 19th century. <ref>http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2012/apr/30/new-obama-slogan-has-long-ties-marxism-socialism/</ref>

== State Run ==
Publicly, the channel claims to be a non-biased, journalist driven news network. In reality, they are Democrat-aligned to the point that they are perceived as a mouthpiece for the [[Obama Administration]]. On several occasions, Obama Administration officials have stated their public support for MSNBC.

Opinion-driven news is common and a successful formula at Fox News. MSNBC opinion news includes attacking Republicans relentlessly and promoting or whitewashing Democrat politicians. Their remarks are so outlandish, choke full of proven lies and mean spirited that their TV hosts often get suspended from the air.

== Low Ratings ==
The MSNBC network has perennially had very low ratings. In 2002, the network was regularly beaten in the ratings by [[CNN Headline News]]. The CEO of Microsoft once even admitted that he wouldn't have started MSNBC knowing what he knew later.<ref>http://news.com.com/2100-1023-268073.html</ref> In June of 2006, [[CNN]] co-founder Reese Schoenfeld told journalist Don Kaplan that "Everybody compares MSNBC to Fox and CNN - when its real competition is Headline News". Schoenfeld pointed out that the ratings for MSNBC and Headline News are roughly the same, about 300,000 viewers on average and that "by comparison, Fox and CNN regularly average three or four times as many viewers." Kaplan even joked that "the running joke in TV news is Fox and CNN are news channels with websites, but MSNBC is a website with a cable channel".<ref>http://newsbusters.org/node/5891</ref>

Shock jock Don Imus's radio show ''Imus in the Morning'' was simulcast on MSNBC for over ten years. During this time, the program become well-known for displaying offensive commentary. However, MSNBC continued to support the show. In April of 2007, the network sparked outrage when during a broadcast of ''Imus in the Morning'', Don Imus and another MSNBC staff member made remarks about the Rutgers University women's basketball team, considered to be both racist and sexist. Initially, MSNBC refused to cancel the show. After sponsors started withdrawing their advertisements from the show, MSNBC canceled the simulcast of ''Imus in the Morning''.

== Liberal Bias ==
MSNBC has been criticized regarding the channel's [[liberal]] slant. The media watchdog group the Media Research Center<ref> [http://www.mediaresearch.org/about/aboutwelcome.asp About Media Research Center] www.mediaresearch.org</ref> has cited MSNBC shows by [[Keith Olbermann]], [[Dan Abrams]] and [[Chris Matthews]] in its criticism of the network's bias reporting.

Olbermann has denounced President [[George W. Bush|Bush]] and the [[Republican Party]], calling the latter a "terrorist organization". He has called on President Bush and Vice President [[Dick Cheney|Cheney]] to resign.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19588942/</ref>
Olbermann has conducted post-debate interviews of Republican presidential candidates and led live coverage of presidential primaries. In the February 2008 issue of ''Men's Journal'' magazine, a senior executive at MSNBC stated that Olbermann "runs MSNBC" and that "because of his success, he's in charge" of the network.<ref>http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/olbermann_talks_office_politics_other_politics_74648.asp</ref>

The [[left-wing]] advocacy group Media Matters for America<ref> [http://mediamatters.org/ Media Matters for America homepage] www.mediamatters.org</ref> has criticized the MSNBC's commitment to promoting a left-wing agenda since the channel has had shows hosted by [[Libertarian|left-libertarian]] [[Tucker Carlson]] and former moderate [[Republican]] Congressman [[Joe Scarborough]]. Ironically, on August 16, 2007 Scarborough revealed an incident in which people in the MSNBC newsroom ceaselessly booed [[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush|Bush]] during a State of the Union address.<ref>http://newsbusters.org/node/14899/print</ref>
[[Image:Msnbc dem.jpg|right|150px]]
In the past, MSNBC shows have featured [[Mitch Albom]], [[Ann Coulter]], [[Phil Donahue]], [[Bill Moyers]], [[Maury Povich]], and [[Michael Savage]], among others. That varied programming was gradually reduced as MSNBC veered more [[leftist]] in its point-of-view. Among MSNBC's 2008 lineup, [[Patrick Buchanan]] was perhaps the most conservative voice.

In 2003, in an apparent effort to appear more balanced, MSNBC fired talk-show host Phil Donahue. An internal memo read, in part, "Donahue represents a difficult public face for NBC in a time of war. At the same time, our competitors are waving the flag at every opportunity." <ref>http://mediamatters.org/items/200410290004</ref>
<ref>http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/03/24/1446244</ref>
<ref>http://www.allyourtv.com/0203season/news/02252003donahue.html</ref>

On November 5, 2007, the ''[[New York Times]]'' reported that the cable news channel was in serious discussions with [[Rosie O'Donnell]] to have a prime-time show on the network. Under one scenario, O'Donnell would be given the 9 p.m. slot where she would compete with ''Larry King Live'' on [[CNN]] and ''Hannity & Colmes'' on the [[Fox News Channel]]. Her show would replace ''Live with Dan Abrams'', a low-rated program that only recently replaced ''Scarborough Country''.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/business/media/05cnd-msnbc.html?_r=1&oref=slogin</ref> The deal later fell through as O'Donnell leaked information about the agreement without MSNBC's permission.

Later in November of 2007, the president of MSNBC, Phil Griffin, flat out admitted that the network has a left-wing liberal bias. In a ''New York Times'' article, he said that "it happened naturally" and that "there is a Go for it" mentality when it comes to pushing the liberal agenda among the MSNBC staff.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/business/media/06msnb.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin</ref>

Continuing its offensive against the [[Bush administration]] and its reposition as a left-wing "news" outlet, in December of 2007, the network ran a series titled ''Bush League Justice'' with the explicit purpose of attacking the [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Justice Department]] under the presidency of [[George W. Bush]].

In October 2010, MSNBC has publicly acknowleged its liberalism in October 2010 while launching a marketing campaign with the tagline "Lean Forward," <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39507182/ns/business-media_biz/</ref> <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/business/media/05adco.html?_r=1</ref> <ref>http://theweek.com/article/index/207856/msnbcs-new-slogan-what-does-it-even-mean</ref> <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkinYM4EPy0</ref> following several years in which many observers noted a leftward shift in the channel's programming <ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/30/study-nbc-news-doesnt-fol_n_139162.html</ref> <ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090800008_pf.html</ref> <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/08/business/media/08msnbc.html?pagewanted=print</ref>. As a result, NBC Universal and Microsoft is considering changing the name of the less partisan msnbc.com, a separate news company, to prevent confusion with the liberal TV network, MSNBC <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/business/media/07msnbc.html</ref>. Some of the NBC News correspondents and producers, who attempt to be straightforward reporters, say they are embarrassed to be associated with the liberal cable outlet and fear being “tainted” by association with it <ref>http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=39332</ref>. The situation became more apparent when NBC News decided to keep Brian Williams and Tom Brokaw away from MSNBC during the November 2, 2010 midterm election coverage <ref>http://mediaconfidential.blogspot.com/2010/10/nbc-news-separates-itself-from-partisan.html</ref>.

==The MSNBC – White House Conneciton==
During coverage of the Gulf Oil Spill, Democrat party apparatchik Mika Brzezinski, who is also an anchor of the MSNBC show Morning Joe, worked with the White House to distribute propaganda falsely claiming that Obama was doing an effective job managing the problem. Brzezinski, who is the daughter of NSA Zbigniew Brzezinski from the failed Carter administration, admitted on the air that "I have a file that I've been working on with the White House."<ref>http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-finkelstein/2010/06/21/mika-admits-im-working-white-house-oil-spill-talking-points#ixzz2PpmYB7O3</ref>

==The MSNBC – Media Matters Connection==
[[Media Matters for America]] is a very popular source of information within MSNBC’s prime time lineup. Some might argue [[MSNBC]] is a defacto mouth piece for the organization..<ref>[http://bigjournalism.com/sright/2011/07/12/media-matters-propaganda-watch-the-tax-exempt-research-department-of-msnbc-martin-bashir-edition/ Media Matters Propaganda Watch: The Tax-Exempt Research Department of MSNBC, Martin Bashir Edition]</ref> In prime time alone, since 2005 Media Matters has either been booked as a guest and/or mentioned on the network nearly 200 times. Media Matters has been particularly popular with MSNBC’s producers during the last 2 years.
Below are some interesting tid bits about Media Matters and its growing relationship with MSNBC’s prime time programming:

* 197 guest appearances and/or on-air mentions on MSNBC’s prime time since January 2005
* Of the roughly 390 broadcast evenings on MSNBC since July 2010, Media Matters has either been booked as a guest and/or mentioned on air 26% of the possible broadcast evenings (1 out of every 4 days).
* In 2011, on average, a Media Matters representative appeared on MSNBC at least once per week
* [[Eric Boehlert]] has been the most popular Media Matters representative on MSNBC, accounting for 43% of all Media Matters appearances on the cable network
* [[The Ed Show]] is the most popular show for Media Matters representatives, accounting for 72 Media Matters guest appearances since 2009<ref>[http://www.nexis.com Search and analysis on MSNBC's primetime transcripts via Nexis.com]</ref>

== See also ==
* [[NBC]]
* [[Liberal media]]
* [[Keith Olbermann]]
* [[Chris Matthews]]
* [[Pat Buchanan]]
* [[Rachel Maddow]]

==External Links==
* [http://msnbc.msn.com Official Site]
* [http://www.setstudio.com/pages/msnbc/ Photos of the MSNBC studio]
* [http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-sheffield/2007/11/16/msnbc-president-admits-lineup-tilts-leftward MSNBC President Admits: Lineup Tilts Leftward]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/business/media/06msnb.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin Cable Channel Nods to Ratings and Leans Left]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category: Media]]
[[Category: Cable TV Networks]]

MS NOW

2013-04-12T03:01:45Z

TedA: added link

[[Image:April 2nd MSNBC.png|right]]
'''MSNBC''' is a [[liberal propaganda]] 24-hour cable "news" channel and website aligned with the [[Democrat]] party. Jointly owned by [[Comcast]] and [[General Electric]], MSNBC is considered by many to be one of the most liberal cable news channels of all the [[mainstream media]]. For years, MSNBC trailed [[Fox News]] and [[CNN]] in the ratings. However, it has been beating CNN since the ratings for that network are in freefall. <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/business/media/cnn-ratings-decline-stirs-worries.html</ref> It typically garners ratings that are just one-third those of the [[Fox News Channel]]. Some consider it to be the liberal counterpart to the conservative Fox News. In 2012, Microsoft fully divested itself from MSNBC resulting in a the creation of NBC news and NBCnews.com. <ref> http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-16/msnbc-website-renamed-nbcnews-com-after-microsoft-split.html </ref> It is possible Microsoft divested due to MSNBC's [[liberal hypocrisy]] since they opined that "we wanted to show different perspectives."

The ''Daily Caller'' observed that MSNBC "might be trying a little too hard to push" its agenda: "MSNBC duped: Network runs satirical fake news," and that wasn't the first time.<ref>http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/05/msnbc-duped-network-runs-satirical-fake-news-from-daily-kos-as-a-real-story/</ref>

The MSNBC channel was started in 1996 as a joint venture between [[Microsoft]] and [[NBC]]. On December 23, 2005, ending a partnership that had soured long before, Microsoft and NBC announced that they would dissolve their joint ownership of the cable news channel, with NBC taking control. NBC completed a deal to assume majority control of the channel, with an 82% stake.<ref>[http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30610F93E540C778EDDAB0994DD404482]</ref> The joint venture with Microsoft has come to an end.<ref>http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/microsoft-nbc-dissolve-msnbccom-joint-venture/article4418455/</ref>

In 2010, parent company General Electric reached a tentative agreement with the [[France|French]] media conglomerate [[Vivendi]] that cleared the way for the sale of NBCUniversal, including the flagship [[NBC]] network, to Comcast, America's largest cable operator.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/business/media/01deal.html New York Times; With Deal, G.E. Clears Path to Sale of NBC]</ref> <ref>[http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20101028/ARTICLE/10281045/2055/NEWS?p=2&tc=pg Sarasota Herald-Tribune; Corporate Report]</ref> The takeover will go into effect January 28, 2011 following the Comcast company’s next pay cycle. <ref> http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/done-deal-fcc-department-of-justice-approve-comcast-nbc-universal-acquisition_b48942 </ref> Comcast acquired a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal from General Electric Co, creating a $30 billion business that would include broadcast, cable networks, movie studios and theme parks. <ref> http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110118/bs_nm/us_nbc_comcast_13 </ref> Some liberals fear that Comcast might turn into a more conservative outlet. <ref>http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2010/11/09/socialist-senator-wants-comcast-nbc-deal-blocked-due-olbermanns-suspe</ref> <ref>http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/11/6/145630/235</ref> Some critics and supporters of [[Keith Olbermann]] blame Comcast for his firing from MSNBC.

MSNBC is blatantly [[Communist]]. One of their anchors, [[Melissa Harris-Perry]], was featured in an MSNBC prmotional video explaining that children "kids belong to whole communities". <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/04/09/critics-slam-msnbc-hosts-claim-that-kids-belong-to-community-not-parents/</ref> The promo is part of the Marxist "Forward" (MSNBC refers to it as "Lean Forward") campaign that has been going on since the last 19th century. <ref>http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2012/apr/30/new-obama-slogan-has-long-ties-marxism-socialism/</ref>

== State Run ==
Publicly, the channel claims to be a non-biased, journalist driven news network. In reality, they are Democrat-aligned to the point that they are perceived as a mouthpiece for the [[Obama Administration]]. On several occasions, Obama Administration officials have stated their public support for MSNBC.

Opinion-driven news is common and a successful formula at Fox News. MSNBC opinion news includes attacking Republicans relentlessly and promoting or whitewashing Democrat politicians. Their remarks are so outlandish, choke full of proven lies and mean spirited that their TV hosts often get suspended from the air.

== Low Ratings ==
The MSNBC network has perennially had very low ratings. In 2002, the network was regularly beaten in the ratings by [[CNN Headline News]]. The CEO of Microsoft once even admitted that he wouldn't have started MSNBC knowing what he knew later.<ref>http://news.com.com/2100-1023-268073.html</ref> In June of 2006, [[CNN]] co-founder Reese Schoenfeld told journalist Don Kaplan that "Everybody compares MSNBC to Fox and CNN - when its real competition is Headline News". Schoenfeld pointed out that the ratings for MSNBC and Headline News are roughly the same, about 300,000 viewers on average and that "by comparison, Fox and CNN regularly average three or four times as many viewers." Kaplan even joked that "the running joke in TV news is Fox and CNN are news channels with websites, but MSNBC is a website with a cable channel".<ref>http://newsbusters.org/node/5891</ref>

Shock jock Don Imus's radio show ''Imus in the Morning'' was simulcast on MSNBC for over ten years. During this time, the program become well-known for displaying offensive commentary. However, MSNBC continued to support the show. In April of 2007, the network sparked outrage when during a broadcast of ''Imus in the Morning'', Don Imus and another MSNBC staff member made remarks about the Rutgers University women's basketball team, considered to be both racist and sexist. Initially, MSNBC refused to cancel the show. After sponsors started withdrawing their advertisements from the show, MSNBC canceled the simulcast of ''Imus in the Morning''.

== Liberal Bias ==
MSNBC has been criticized regarding the channel's [[liberal]] slant. The media watchdog group the Media Research Center<ref> [http://www.mediaresearch.org/about/aboutwelcome.asp About Media Research Center] www.mediaresearch.org</ref> has cited MSNBC shows by [[Keith Olbermann]], [[Dan Abrams]] and [[Chris Matthews]] in its criticism of the network's bias reporting.

Olbermann has denounced President [[George W. Bush|Bush]] and the [[Republican Party]], calling the latter a "terrorist organization". He has called on President Bush and Vice President [[Dick Cheney|Cheney]] to resign.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19588942/</ref>
Olbermann has conducted post-debate interviews of Republican presidential candidates and led live coverage of presidential primaries. In the February 2008 issue of ''Men's Journal'' magazine, a senior executive at MSNBC stated that Olbermann "runs MSNBC" and that "because of his success, he's in charge" of the network.<ref>http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/olbermann_talks_office_politics_other_politics_74648.asp</ref>

The [[left-wing]] advocacy group Media Matters for America<ref> [http://mediamatters.org/ Media Matters for America homepage] www.mediamatters.org</ref> has criticized the MSNBC's commitment to promoting a left-wing agenda since the channel has had shows hosted by [[Libertarian|left-libertarian]] [[Tucker Carlson]] and former moderate [[Republican]] Congressman [[Joe Scarborough]]. Ironically, on August 16, 2007 Scarborough revealed an incident in which people in the MSNBC newsroom ceaselessly booed [[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush|Bush]] during a State of the Union address.<ref>http://newsbusters.org/node/14899/print</ref>
[[Image:Msnbc dem.jpg|right|150px]]
In the past, MSNBC shows have featured [[Mitch Albom]], [[Ann Coulter]], [[Phil Donahue]], [[Bill Moyers]], [[Maury Povich]], and [[Michael Savage]], among others. That varied programming was gradually reduced as MSNBC veered more [[leftist]] in its point-of-view. Among MSNBC's 2008 lineup, [[Patrick Buchanan]] was perhaps the most conservative voice.

In 2003, in an apparent effort to appear more balanced, MSNBC fired talk-show host Phil Donahue. An internal memo read, in part, "Donahue represents a difficult public face for NBC in a time of war. At the same time, our competitors are waving the flag at every opportunity." <ref>http://mediamatters.org/items/200410290004</ref>
<ref>http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/03/24/1446244</ref>
<ref>http://www.allyourtv.com/0203season/news/02252003donahue.html</ref>

On November 5, 2007, the ''[[New York Times]]'' reported that the cable news channel was in serious discussions with [[Rosie O'Donnell]] to have a prime-time show on the network. Under one scenario, O'Donnell would be given the 9 p.m. slot where she would compete with ''Larry King Live'' on [[CNN]] and ''Hannity & Colmes'' on the [[Fox News Channel]]. Her show would replace ''Live with Dan Abrams'', a low-rated program that only recently replaced ''Scarborough Country''.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/business/media/05cnd-msnbc.html?_r=1&oref=slogin</ref> The deal later fell through as O'Donnell leaked information about the agreement without MSNBC's permission.

Later in November of 2007, the president of MSNBC, Phil Griffin, flat out admitted that the network has a left-wing liberal bias. In a ''New York Times'' article, he said that "it happened naturally" and that "there is a Go for it" mentality when it comes to pushing the liberal agenda among the MSNBC staff.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/business/media/06msnb.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin</ref>

Continuing its offensive against the [[Bush administration]] and its reposition as a left-wing "news" outlet, in December of 2007, the network ran a series titled ''Bush League Justice'' with the explicit purpose of attacking the [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Justice Department]] under the presidency of [[George W. Bush]].

In October 2010, MSNBC has publicly acknowleged its liberalism in October 2010 while launching a marketing campaign with the tagline "Lean Forward," <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39507182/ns/business-media_biz/</ref> <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/business/media/05adco.html?_r=1</ref> <ref>http://theweek.com/article/index/207856/msnbcs-new-slogan-what-does-it-even-mean</ref> <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkinYM4EPy0</ref> following several years in which many observers noted a leftward shift in the channel's programming <ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/30/study-nbc-news-doesnt-fol_n_139162.html</ref> <ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090800008_pf.html</ref> <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/08/business/media/08msnbc.html?pagewanted=print</ref>. As a result, NBC Universal and Microsoft is considering changing the name of the less partisan msnbc.com, a separate news company, to prevent confusion with the liberal TV network, MSNBC <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/business/media/07msnbc.html</ref>. Some of the NBC News correspondents and producers, who attempt to be straightforward reporters, say they are embarrassed to be associated with the liberal cable outlet and fear being “tainted” by association with it <ref>http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=39332</ref>. The situation became more apparent when NBC News decided to keep Brian Williams and Tom Brokaw away from MSNBC during the November 2, 2010 midterm election coverage <ref>http://mediaconfidential.blogspot.com/2010/10/nbc-news-separates-itself-from-partisan.html</ref>.

==The MSNBC – White House Conneciton==
During coverage of the Gulf Oil Spill, Democrat party apparatchik Mika Brzezinski, who is also an anchor of the MSNBC show Morning Joe, worked with the White House to distribute propaganda falsely claiming that Obama was doing an effective job managing the problem. Brzezinski, who is the daughter of NSA Zbigniew Brzezinski from the failed Carter administration, admitted on the air that "I have a file that I've been working on with the White House."<ref>http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-finkelstein/2010/06/21/mika-admits-im-working-white-house-oil-spill-talking-points#ixzz2PpmYB7O3</ref>

==The MSNBC – Media Matters Connection==
[[Media Matters for America]] is a very popular source of information within MSNBC’s prime time lineup. Some might argue [[MSNBC]] is a defacto mouth piece for the organization..<ref>[http://bigjournalism.com/sright/2011/07/12/media-matters-propaganda-watch-the-tax-exempt-research-department-of-msnbc-martin-bashir-edition/ Media Matters Propaganda Watch: The Tax-Exempt Research Department of MSNBC, Martin Bashir Edition]</ref> In prime time alone, since 2005 Media Matters has either been booked as a guest and/or mentioned on the network nearly 200 times. Media Matters has been particularly popular with MSNBC’s producers during the last 2 years.
Below are some interesting tid bits about Media Matters and its growing relationship with MSNBC’s prime time programming:

* 197 guest appearances and/or on-air mentions on MSNBC’s prime time since January 2005
* Of the roughly 390 broadcast evenings on MSNBC since July 2010, Media Matters has either been booked as a guest and/or mentioned on air 26% of the possible broadcast evenings (1 out of every 4 days).
* In 2011, on average, a Media Matters representative appeared on MSNBC at least once per week
* [[Eric Boehlert]] has been the most popular Media Matters representative on MSNBC, accounting for 43% of all Media Matters appearances on the cable network
* [[The Ed Show]] is the most popular show for Media Matters representatives, accounting for 72 Media Matters guest appearances since 2009<ref>[http://www.nexis.com Search and analysis on MSNBC's primetime transcripts via Nexis.com]</ref>

== See also ==
* [[NBC]]
* [[Liberal media]]
* [[Keith Olbermann]]
* [[Chris Matthews]]
* [[Pat Buchanan]]
* [[Rachel Maddow]]

==External Links==
* [http://msnbc.msn.com Official Site]
* [http://www.setstudio.com/pages/msnbc/ Photos of the MSNBC studio]
* [http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-sheffield/2007/11/16/msnbc-president-admits-lineup-tilts-leftward MSNBC President Admits: Lineup Tilts Leftward]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/business/media/06msnb.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin Cable Channel Nods to Ratings and Leans Left]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category: Media]]
[[Category: Cable TV Networks]]

Melissa Harris-Perry

2013-04-12T03:00:56Z

TedA: Adding one of the stinking Commies at MSNBC. This one wants your children!

'''Melissa Harris-Perry''' is an anchor on the low-rated [[MSNBC]] network. She was an unknown until she filmed a promotional video for MSNBC were she stated America needs a "collective notion of these are our children" and that "we have to break through our kind of private idea that kids belong to their parents".<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/04/09/critics-slam-msnbc-hosts-claim-that-kids-belong-to-community-not-parents/#ixzz2QDK2AH2L</ref> When criticized for wanting to take children from their parents into the her utopian collective, she used the classic liberal tactic of claiming to be a victim. <ref>http://dailycaller.com/2013/04/08/msnbcs-melissa-harris-perry-wants-your-children/</ref>

Her comments have earned her the nickname "Stranger Danger" in the Conservative Twittersphere. <ref>http://dailycaller.com/2013/04/08/msnbcs-melissa-harris-perry-wants-your-children/</ref>

==References==
<references/>

MS NOW

2013-04-12T02:50:19Z

TedA: MSNBC is communist and they want your children for their collective

[[Image:April 2nd MSNBC.png|right]]
'''MSNBC''' is a [[liberal propaganda]] 24-hour cable "news" channel and website aligned with the [[Democrat]] party. Jointly owned by [[Comcast]] and [[General Electric]], MSNBC is considered by many to be one of the most liberal cable news channels of all the [[mainstream media]]. For years, MSNBC trailed [[Fox News]] and [[CNN]] in the ratings. However, it has been beating CNN since the ratings for that network are in freefall. <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/business/media/cnn-ratings-decline-stirs-worries.html</ref> It typically garners ratings that are just one-third those of the [[Fox News Channel]]. Some consider it to be the liberal counterpart to the conservative Fox News. In 2012, Microsoft fully divested itself from MSNBC resulting in a the creation of NBC news and NBCnews.com. <ref> http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-16/msnbc-website-renamed-nbcnews-com-after-microsoft-split.html </ref> It is possible Microsoft divested due to MSNBC's [[liberal hypocrisy]] since they opined that "we wanted to show different perspectives."

The ''Daily Caller'' observed that MSNBC "might be trying a little too hard to push" its agenda: "MSNBC duped: Network runs satirical fake news," and that wasn't the first time.<ref>http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/05/msnbc-duped-network-runs-satirical-fake-news-from-daily-kos-as-a-real-story/</ref>

The MSNBC channel was started in 1996 as a joint venture between [[Microsoft]] and [[NBC]]. On December 23, 2005, ending a partnership that had soured long before, Microsoft and NBC announced that they would dissolve their joint ownership of the cable news channel, with NBC taking control. NBC completed a deal to assume majority control of the channel, with an 82% stake.<ref>[http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30610F93E540C778EDDAB0994DD404482]</ref> The joint venture with Microsoft has come to an end.<ref>http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/microsoft-nbc-dissolve-msnbccom-joint-venture/article4418455/</ref>

In 2010, parent company General Electric reached a tentative agreement with the [[France|French]] media conglomerate [[Vivendi]] that cleared the way for the sale of NBCUniversal, including the flagship [[NBC]] network, to Comcast, America's largest cable operator.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/business/media/01deal.html New York Times; With Deal, G.E. Clears Path to Sale of NBC]</ref> <ref>[http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20101028/ARTICLE/10281045/2055/NEWS?p=2&tc=pg Sarasota Herald-Tribune; Corporate Report]</ref> The takeover will go into effect January 28, 2011 following the Comcast company’s next pay cycle. <ref> http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/done-deal-fcc-department-of-justice-approve-comcast-nbc-universal-acquisition_b48942 </ref> Comcast acquired a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal from General Electric Co, creating a $30 billion business that would include broadcast, cable networks, movie studios and theme parks. <ref> http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110118/bs_nm/us_nbc_comcast_13 </ref> Some liberals fear that Comcast might turn into a more conservative outlet. <ref>http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2010/11/09/socialist-senator-wants-comcast-nbc-deal-blocked-due-olbermanns-suspe</ref> <ref>http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/11/6/145630/235</ref> Some critics and supporters of [[Keith Olbermann]] blame Comcast for his firing from MSNBC.

MSNBC is blatantly [[Communist]]. One of their anchors, Melissa Harris-Perry, was featured in an MSNBC prmotional video explaining that children "kids belong to whole communities". <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/04/09/critics-slam-msnbc-hosts-claim-that-kids-belong-to-community-not-parents/</ref> The promo is part of the Marxist "Forward" (MSNBC refers to it as "Lean Forward") campaign that has been going on since the last 19th century. <ref>http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2012/apr/30/new-obama-slogan-has-long-ties-marxism-socialism/</ref>

== State Run ==
Publicly, the channel claims to be a non-biased, journalist driven news network. In reality, they are Democrat-aligned to the point that they are perceived as a mouthpiece for the [[Obama Administration]]. On several occasions, Obama Administration officials have stated their public support for MSNBC.

Opinion-driven news is common and a successful formula at Fox News. MSNBC opinion news includes attacking Republicans relentlessly and promoting or whitewashing Democrat politicians. Their remarks are so outlandish, choke full of proven lies and mean spirited that their TV hosts often get suspended from the air.

== Low Ratings ==
The MSNBC network has perennially had very low ratings. In 2002, the network was regularly beaten in the ratings by [[CNN Headline News]]. The CEO of Microsoft once even admitted that he wouldn't have started MSNBC knowing what he knew later.<ref>http://news.com.com/2100-1023-268073.html</ref> In June of 2006, [[CNN]] co-founder Reese Schoenfeld told journalist Don Kaplan that "Everybody compares MSNBC to Fox and CNN - when its real competition is Headline News". Schoenfeld pointed out that the ratings for MSNBC and Headline News are roughly the same, about 300,000 viewers on average and that "by comparison, Fox and CNN regularly average three or four times as many viewers." Kaplan even joked that "the running joke in TV news is Fox and CNN are news channels with websites, but MSNBC is a website with a cable channel".<ref>http://newsbusters.org/node/5891</ref>

Shock jock Don Imus's radio show ''Imus in the Morning'' was simulcast on MSNBC for over ten years. During this time, the program become well-known for displaying offensive commentary. However, MSNBC continued to support the show. In April of 2007, the network sparked outrage when during a broadcast of ''Imus in the Morning'', Don Imus and another MSNBC staff member made remarks about the Rutgers University women's basketball team, considered to be both racist and sexist. Initially, MSNBC refused to cancel the show. After sponsors started withdrawing their advertisements from the show, MSNBC canceled the simulcast of ''Imus in the Morning''.

== Liberal Bias ==
MSNBC has been criticized regarding the channel's [[liberal]] slant. The media watchdog group the Media Research Center<ref> [http://www.mediaresearch.org/about/aboutwelcome.asp About Media Research Center] www.mediaresearch.org</ref> has cited MSNBC shows by [[Keith Olbermann]], [[Dan Abrams]] and [[Chris Matthews]] in its criticism of the network's bias reporting.

Olbermann has denounced President [[George W. Bush|Bush]] and the [[Republican Party]], calling the latter a "terrorist organization". He has called on President Bush and Vice President [[Dick Cheney|Cheney]] to resign.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19588942/</ref>
Olbermann has conducted post-debate interviews of Republican presidential candidates and led live coverage of presidential primaries. In the February 2008 issue of ''Men's Journal'' magazine, a senior executive at MSNBC stated that Olbermann "runs MSNBC" and that "because of his success, he's in charge" of the network.<ref>http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/olbermann_talks_office_politics_other_politics_74648.asp</ref>

The [[left-wing]] advocacy group Media Matters for America<ref> [http://mediamatters.org/ Media Matters for America homepage] www.mediamatters.org</ref> has criticized the MSNBC's commitment to promoting a left-wing agenda since the channel has had shows hosted by [[Libertarian|left-libertarian]] [[Tucker Carlson]] and former moderate [[Republican]] Congressman [[Joe Scarborough]]. Ironically, on August 16, 2007 Scarborough revealed an incident in which people in the MSNBC newsroom ceaselessly booed [[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush|Bush]] during a State of the Union address.<ref>http://newsbusters.org/node/14899/print</ref>
[[Image:Msnbc dem.jpg|right|150px]]
In the past, MSNBC shows have featured [[Mitch Albom]], [[Ann Coulter]], [[Phil Donahue]], [[Bill Moyers]], [[Maury Povich]], and [[Michael Savage]], among others. That varied programming was gradually reduced as MSNBC veered more [[leftist]] in its point-of-view. Among MSNBC's 2008 lineup, [[Patrick Buchanan]] was perhaps the most conservative voice.

In 2003, in an apparent effort to appear more balanced, MSNBC fired talk-show host Phil Donahue. An internal memo read, in part, "Donahue represents a difficult public face for NBC in a time of war. At the same time, our competitors are waving the flag at every opportunity." <ref>http://mediamatters.org/items/200410290004</ref>
<ref>http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/03/24/1446244</ref>
<ref>http://www.allyourtv.com/0203season/news/02252003donahue.html</ref>

On November 5, 2007, the ''[[New York Times]]'' reported that the cable news channel was in serious discussions with [[Rosie O'Donnell]] to have a prime-time show on the network. Under one scenario, O'Donnell would be given the 9 p.m. slot where she would compete with ''Larry King Live'' on [[CNN]] and ''Hannity & Colmes'' on the [[Fox News Channel]]. Her show would replace ''Live with Dan Abrams'', a low-rated program that only recently replaced ''Scarborough Country''.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/business/media/05cnd-msnbc.html?_r=1&oref=slogin</ref> The deal later fell through as O'Donnell leaked information about the agreement without MSNBC's permission.

Later in November of 2007, the president of MSNBC, Phil Griffin, flat out admitted that the network has a left-wing liberal bias. In a ''New York Times'' article, he said that "it happened naturally" and that "there is a Go for it" mentality when it comes to pushing the liberal agenda among the MSNBC staff.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/business/media/06msnb.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin</ref>

Continuing its offensive against the [[Bush administration]] and its reposition as a left-wing "news" outlet, in December of 2007, the network ran a series titled ''Bush League Justice'' with the explicit purpose of attacking the [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Justice Department]] under the presidency of [[George W. Bush]].

In October 2010, MSNBC has publicly acknowleged its liberalism in October 2010 while launching a marketing campaign with the tagline "Lean Forward," <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39507182/ns/business-media_biz/</ref> <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/business/media/05adco.html?_r=1</ref> <ref>http://theweek.com/article/index/207856/msnbcs-new-slogan-what-does-it-even-mean</ref> <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkinYM4EPy0</ref> following several years in which many observers noted a leftward shift in the channel's programming <ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/30/study-nbc-news-doesnt-fol_n_139162.html</ref> <ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090800008_pf.html</ref> <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/08/business/media/08msnbc.html?pagewanted=print</ref>. As a result, NBC Universal and Microsoft is considering changing the name of the less partisan msnbc.com, a separate news company, to prevent confusion with the liberal TV network, MSNBC <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/business/media/07msnbc.html</ref>. Some of the NBC News correspondents and producers, who attempt to be straightforward reporters, say they are embarrassed to be associated with the liberal cable outlet and fear being “tainted” by association with it <ref>http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=39332</ref>. The situation became more apparent when NBC News decided to keep Brian Williams and Tom Brokaw away from MSNBC during the November 2, 2010 midterm election coverage <ref>http://mediaconfidential.blogspot.com/2010/10/nbc-news-separates-itself-from-partisan.html</ref>.

==The MSNBC – White House Conneciton==
During coverage of the Gulf Oil Spill, Democrat party apparatchik Mika Brzezinski, who is also an anchor of the MSNBC show Morning Joe, worked with the White House to distribute propaganda falsely claiming that Obama was doing an effective job managing the problem. Brzezinski, who is the daughter of NSA Zbigniew Brzezinski from the failed Carter administration, admitted on the air that "I have a file that I've been working on with the White House."<ref>http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-finkelstein/2010/06/21/mika-admits-im-working-white-house-oil-spill-talking-points#ixzz2PpmYB7O3</ref>

==The MSNBC – Media Matters Connection==
[[Media Matters for America]] is a very popular source of information within MSNBC’s prime time lineup. Some might argue [[MSNBC]] is a defacto mouth piece for the organization..<ref>[http://bigjournalism.com/sright/2011/07/12/media-matters-propaganda-watch-the-tax-exempt-research-department-of-msnbc-martin-bashir-edition/ Media Matters Propaganda Watch: The Tax-Exempt Research Department of MSNBC, Martin Bashir Edition]</ref> In prime time alone, since 2005 Media Matters has either been booked as a guest and/or mentioned on the network nearly 200 times. Media Matters has been particularly popular with MSNBC’s producers during the last 2 years.
Below are some interesting tid bits about Media Matters and its growing relationship with MSNBC’s prime time programming:

* 197 guest appearances and/or on-air mentions on MSNBC’s prime time since January 2005
* Of the roughly 390 broadcast evenings on MSNBC since July 2010, Media Matters has either been booked as a guest and/or mentioned on air 26% of the possible broadcast evenings (1 out of every 4 days).
* In 2011, on average, a Media Matters representative appeared on MSNBC at least once per week
* [[Eric Boehlert]] has been the most popular Media Matters representative on MSNBC, accounting for 43% of all Media Matters appearances on the cable network
* [[The Ed Show]] is the most popular show for Media Matters representatives, accounting for 72 Media Matters guest appearances since 2009<ref>[http://www.nexis.com Search and analysis on MSNBC's primetime transcripts via Nexis.com]</ref>

== See also ==
* [[NBC]]
* [[Liberal media]]
* [[Keith Olbermann]]
* [[Chris Matthews]]
* [[Pat Buchanan]]
* [[Rachel Maddow]]

==External Links==
* [http://msnbc.msn.com Official Site]
* [http://www.setstudio.com/pages/msnbc/ Photos of the MSNBC studio]
* [http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-sheffield/2007/11/16/msnbc-president-admits-lineup-tilts-leftward MSNBC President Admits: Lineup Tilts Leftward]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/business/media/06msnb.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin Cable Channel Nods to Ratings and Leans Left]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category: Media]]
[[Category: Cable TV Networks]]

Michelle Obama

2013-04-12T02:41:37Z

TedA:

[[Image:Obama_Michelle.jpg|right|140px]] '''Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama''' (born January 17, 1964) is the [[First Lady]] of the U.S. since her husband [[Barack Obama]]'s inauguration as president on Jan. 20, 2009. She is the first [[African American]] First Lady. As First Lady, she has repeatedly gone on extravagant vacations at enormous taxpayer expense, including a $100,000-per-day trip to [[Spain]] in the summer of 2010 to enjoy lavish accommodations.<ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1301302/Michelle-Obama-lunches-Spains-royal-family-backlash-extravagant-holiday-continues-home.html</ref>

Born and raised on the south side of [[Chicago]], Michelle Obama's roots, has a complex path from Slavery: Fraser Robinson III (died in 1991) and his wife, Marian are the parents of Michelle; they got married in 1960; ''Melvinia Shields, the enslaved and illiterate young girl, and the unknown white man who impregnated her are the great-great-great-grandparents of Michelle Obama, the first lady...'' ''the more complete map of Mrs. Obama’s ancestors — including the slave mother, white father and their biracial son, Dolphus T. Shields — connects the first African-American first lady to the history of slavery, tracing their five-generation journey from bondage to a front-row seat to the presidency.'' <ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/us/politics/08genealogy.html In First Lady’s Roots, a Complex Path From Slavery.] </ref> (Dolphus Shields was a very light skinned, church-going carpenter who could read, write and advance in an industrializing town.) Some of Michelle's relatives still reside in [[South Carolina]].
[[File:Robinson III and Marian.jpg|left|175px|Robinson III and Marian with their children.]]
Michelle Obama attended Whitney Young High School in 1981, later majoring in [[sociology]] and graduating ''[[cum laude]]'' at [[Princeton University]]. She then went on to obtain her [[Juris Doctor|J.D. degree]] at [[Harvard Law School]] in 1988. She is also sister to Craig Robinson, coach of the [[Oregon State University]]'s men's basketball team.

Michelle was employed at the law firm [[Sidley Austin]] along with [[Weather Underground]] [[terrorist]] [[Bernardine Dohrn]],<ref>[http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NjY4YzdhMDBkZGQ3ZmU2MTUzYjdkMzc5ZjUzYmViZWM=#more ''Why Won’t Obama Talk About Columbia?],
The years he won’t discuss may explain the Ayers tie he keeps lying about.'' By Andrew C. McCarthy, [[National Review]], October 7, 2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.usasurvival.org/docs/chicago-obama.pdf Communism in Chicago and the Obama Connection], Cliff Kincaid, America's Survival, Inc.</ref> where she met Barack Obama. In 1991 [[Valerie Jarrett]], Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor Richard Daley, offered Michelle Robinson a job as Assistant to Mayor [[Richard Daley]].

She served as vice president of the University of Chicago Medical Center. Michelle earned $317,000. per year as a board member dealing with community relations. She had resigned those positions to campaign for Barack.

Marrying in 1992, Obama gave birth to two daughters: Malia (born in 1998) and Natasha "Sasha" (born in 2001). She committed to campaign only two days out of the week during the election campaign in order to stay home with their children.

Convicted terrorist [[Bill Ayers]] stated "Michelle Obama has become the queen not just of [[America]] but of the world."

==Militant Racism==
Michelle Obama attended Princeton University where she created her graduating thesis paper. Media requests to view the documents during Barack's presidential campaign were denied. The university stated suspiciously that it would be available to the public after the general election and for good reason. Michelle identifies with black militancy, utterly obsessed with race in [[America]] and her own blackness. <ref>[http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=1182 Michelle Obama’s Early Militant Racism Revealed, RightPundits.com, February 25th, 2008]</ref>

{{cquote|I have found that at Princeton, no matter how liberal and open-minded some of my white professors and classmates try to be toward me, I sometimes feel like a visitor on campus; as if I really don’t belong. Regardless of the circumstances under which I interact with whites at Princeton, it often seems as if, to them, I will always be black first and a student second.}}

{{cquote|Attending Princeton has probably forced [black alumni] to compete intellectually with Whites more than with Blacks and, thus, they have probably become more familiar with Whites intellectually, but in other activities they are likely to have gained familiarity with Whites if they did not spend time with Whites in other activities besides intellectual ones.}}

Not only does she see separate black and white societies in America, but she elevates black over white in her world. Her attitude explains the very reason she felt comfortable attending Rev. [[Jeremiah Wright]]'s black liberation theology church for twenty years. Read the full thesis here: [http://www.politico.com/pdf/080222_MOPrincetonThesis_1-251.pdf Part 1] [http://www.politico.com/pdf/080222_MOPrincetonThesis_26-501.pdf Part 2] [http://www.politico.com/pdf/080222_MOPrincetonThesis_51-751.pdf Part 3] [http://dyn.politico.com/pdf/080222_MOPrincetonThesis_76-981.pdf Part 4]

==University of Chicago Medical Center==
While Michelle was executive vice-president at the medical center, she connected with [[David Axelrod]]'s company "ASK Public Strategies" and along with Valerie Jarrett, promoted the Urban Health Initiative. The hospital gave their approval. Some are calling for an investigation because the result was a patient-dumping scheme to avoid dealing with Medicare/Medicaid patients. <ref>[http://hotair.com/archives/2009/07/23/video-did-michelle-obama-start-a-patient-dumping-program/ Video: Did Michelle Obama start a patient-dumping program? Hotair.com, July 23, 2009]</ref> In March of 2009, the ''[[American Thinker]]'' wrote:
{{cquote|Substantial coverage was given to a recent indictment of the program by the American College of Emergency Physicians. ACEP's president, Dr. Nick Jouriles, released a statement suggesting that the initiative comes "dangerously close to ‘patient dumping,' a practice made illegal by the Emergency Medical Labor and Treatment Act, and reflected an effort to ‘cherry pick' wealthy patients over poor."<ref>http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/03/michelle_obamas_patientdumping_1.html</ref>}}

In September of 2011 it was revealed that a close friend, advisor and donor of Barack Obama, Chicago's Dr. Eric Whitaker is facing financial fraud charges. Dr. Whitaker left his job in the Illinois Department of Public Health in 2007 to work with Michelle Obama as executive vice president at University of Chicago Medical Center. <ref>[http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2011/sep/close-obama-pal-embroiled-grant-fraud-scandal Close Obama Pal Embroiled In Grant Fraud Scandal, Judicial Watch, September 22, 2011]</ref>

==Support for Late Term Abortions==
Michelle Obama wrote a fund-raising letter during her husband's 2004 US Senate campaign claiming the [[partial birth abortion]] ban "is clearly unconstitutional" and "a flawed law." <ref>[http://www.jillstanek.com/archives/2008/05/michelle_obamas.html Michelle Obama's partial birth abortion fund-raising letter, JillStanek.com, May 8, 2008]</ref> A late trimester abortion of a woman's pregnancy involves the jamming of scissors into the back of a child's head, Michelle describes it as "legitimate" medicine.

==Quotes While Campaigning==
* '''"For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback."''' <ref>http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/02/michelle-obam-1.html</ref><ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,331288,00.html</ref>

*"Before we can work on the problems, we have to fix our souls. Our souls are broken in this nation."

*"There is still a lot of hard work that we as a country need to do. They can't look to any one individual, whether it's Barack or it's the next new hope that's going to appear to be that '''savior'''."

*"No matter what the outcome is, we have to keep our eyes on the bigger picture. We need some kind of change. We can't cut off our noses to spite our faces."

*"We have this window of opportunity; we have a chance to make something real happen. Something possible happen, to live beyond our fear, think about that, and help us. Help lift us up, help us fight this fight to change, - transform - this country in a fundamental way. This chance won't come around again."

*"Millions of Americans who know that Barack understands their dreams; that Barack will fight for people like them; and that Barack will finally bring the change we need."

*"In my own life, in my own small way, I have tried to give back to this country that has given me so much,” she said. “See, that’s why I left a job at a big law firm for a career in public service."

*"We had a miraculous victory in Iowa. '''Ain't no black people in Iowa!''' Something big, something new is happening. Let's build the future we all know is possible. Let's show our kids that America is ready for Barack Obama right now."

==Michelle Obama and Liberal Elitism==
[[File:art.jpg|right|150px]]
''For more information please see:'' [[Michelle Obama and liberal elitism]] ''and also see'' [[Barack Obama and liberal elitism]]

In 2008, the Huffington Post was reported that Michelle Obama wore $540 sneakers to a food bank.
<ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/michelle-obama-wears-silv_n_193138.html</ref>

[[Powerline]] offers the following criticism of Michelle Obama:
{{cquote|She says that she and Barack were born to parents of modest means, not with "silver spoons" in their mouths. Nobody knows the trouble they've seen. The burden of paying for her undergraduate education at [[Princeton]] and her law school education at [[Harvard]] has scarred her. It remains a motif of her stump speech. No one is accorded a chance to ask her if she thought about attending the University of Illinois, or if she's grateful for any of the financial assistance that facilitated her and her husband's attendance at the finest institutions of higher learning in the United States.<ref>http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2008/05/020456.php</ref>}}

'''Michelle Obama has taken 17 vacations since 2008 and plans to take her 18th vacation in [[Las Vegas]].''' <ref>[http://weaselzippers.us/2012/03/29/its-good-to-be-queen-mooch-heads-to-las-vegas-for-yet-another-vacation/ It’s Good To Be Queen: Mooch Heads To Las Vegas For Yet Another Vacation, WeaselZippers.us, March 29, 2012]</ref>

Michelle Obama's [[liberal elite|liberal elitism]] is not surprising given the [[Barack Obama and liberal elitism|high degree of liberal elitism that Barack Obama continually displays]].

==Fashion Disaster==

Michelle has been consistently ridiculed for her fashion choices. Since the age of television, the press has been keen to report on the First Lady's appearance by noting regal, stylish and elegant dresses she wears. The opposite can be said of Michelle. She makes headlines for sleeveless gowns, hideous color matching, $500 sneakers, always wearing torso belts, and exiting [[Air Force One]] in shorts and a t-shirt, among others. She gives the impression that she is trying to be a Diva, but in reality, she is far from being a trend-setter. In fact, reviews always return negative statements such as gaudy, tacky, and unbecoming of the role the First Lady inherits. <ref>[http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi-0226-sleeveless-michelle-obafeb26,0,3657652.story Some harrumph over Michelle Obama's sleeveless dress, Chicago Tribune, February 26, 2009]</ref> <ref>[http://www.thehotjoints.com/2009/06/16/fashion-designers-keep-pretending-michelle-obama-has-style/ Fashion Designers Keep Pretending Michelle Obama Has Style, thehotjoints.com, JUNE 16, 2009]</ref> <ref>[http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/huggett/090611 Michelle Obama: First Lady of fashion victims, RenewAmerica.com, June 11, 2009]</ref> <ref>[http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article6470675.ece Michelle Obama's Abbey outfit: stacked like a wedding cake – but nice colours, The Times, June 10, 2009]</ref>

It was noted in April 2011 that Michelle has already replaced her first two fashion stylists. <ref>[http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2011/04/michelle_obama_may_have_switch.html Michelle Obama May Have Switched Stylists Again, NYMag.com, April 13, 2011]</ref>

==First Grandmother==
Michelle's mother moved into the [[White House]] to help raise her grandchildren.

==Bringing the Olympics to Chicago==
The First Lady, along with [[Oprah Winfrey]], traveled to [[Copenhagen]] to support Barack Obama's pitch for the Olympics in Chicago. She claimed that the trip was a sacrifice to visit for a few days. <ref>[http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Michelle-Obama-Its-a-sacrifice-to-travel-to-Europe-to-pitch-for-the-Olympics--For-Oprah-and-the-president-too--But-were-doing-it-for-the-kids-62928957.html Michelle Obama: It's a 'sacrifice' to travel to Europe to pitch for the Olympics. But I'm doing it for the kids, Washington Examiner, September 30, 2009]</ref> She would give a speech to Olympic officials saying, "Some of my best memories are sitting on my dad's lap, cheering on Olga and Nadia, Carl Lewis and others for their brilliance and perfection." <ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/02/michelle.obama.olympics/ Michelle Obama steals the show in Copenhagen, CNN, October 2, 2009]</ref> It was noted that either she was lying or that it was a strange occurrence for her to be sitting on her dad's lap, since she was 20 years old when Carl Lewis first competed in the Olympics. <ref>[http://michellemalkin.com/2009/10/02/quote-of-the-day-the-first-ladys-tall-olympic-tale/ tall tale of the day: The First Lady’s weird Olympic memory, Michelle Malkin, October 2, 2009]</ref>

==Healthy Eating Initiative==

''See also:'' [[Overweight Obama administration officials]]

Michelle made the liberal media news cycle by promoting healthy eating from the White House garden. The food network filmed “Iron Chef America" showcasing Michelle's healthy food, cooking five dishes using the secret ingredient: produce from the [[White House]] garden. The two-hour special showed the chefs picking sweet potatoes, broccoli, fennel and tomatillos from the White House garden. An issue came to light that the foods were actually prepared in [[New York City]], speculating that the entire show was just staged to look like produce from her garden. <ref>[http://michellemalkin.com/2010/01/14/everythings-staged-michelle-obamas-garden-food-was-fake/ Everything’s staged: Michelle Obama’s garden food was fake, Michelle Malkin, January 14, 2010]</ref> Also, her campaign against obesity has not stopped her and Barack from [http://conservapedia.com/Liberal_hypocrisy#The_Obamas_and_obesity taking their children out for ice cream while on vacation].

In Michelle Obama's first interview on the [[Fox News]] network, she would tout her responsible-eating initiative for kids. She would highlight the Obama Administration's $400 million Healthy Food Financing Initiative and her "Let's Move" campaign, which educates the danger of obese children and healthy eating. <ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61I5E820100219 U.S. launches program to end "food deserts", February 19, 2010]</ref> She would tie the promises of the program to saying it would create 5000 jobs and pointed out that childhood obesity is a threat to national security. She urges children and parents to just skip "food desserts".

She would promote healthy eating initiatives for schools. Barack sought and passed legislation costing more than $4 billion. It is a horrible example of nanny state politics with draconian requirements on what can or cannot be sold at school bake sales and at the school cafeteria.

=== Michelle Obama Greeted an overweight U.S. Surgeon General for a MyPlate initiative ===

''See also:'' [[Overweight Obama administration officials]]

In June of 2011, Michelle Obama greeted an overweight U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin as they introduce the MyPlate initiative.<ref>http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2011/06/06/food_guide_efforts_are_a_waste/</ref>

=== Barack and Michelle Obama and a burger joint ===

In August of 2011, [[Barack Obama]] and his staff ate a high calorie meal at a burger joint. Obama said concerning his wife, "Michelle eats here all the time".<ref>http://www.theblaze.com/stories/obama-celebrates-debt-deal-with-1700-calorie-staff-lunch-at-burger-joint/</ref>

==First Lady's staff of 22==
American taxpayers are shelling out a staggering total of $1,591,200 annually for the First Lady’s 22 member personal staff. <ref>[http://www.westernjournalism.com/how-big-is-michelle-obamas-staffs-budget/?utm_source=Western+Journalism&utm_campaign=502f59131d-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email How Big Is Michelle Obama’s Staff’s Budget?, WesternJournalism.com, March 27, 2012]</ref>

*$172,200 - Sher, Susan (CHIEF OF STAFF)
*$140,000 - Frye, Jocelyn C. (DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PROJECTS FOR THE FIRST LADY)
*$113,000 - Rogers, Desiree G. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND WHITE HOUSE SOCIAL SECRETARY)
*$102,000 - Johnston, Camille Y. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE FIRST LADY)
*Winter, Melissa E. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE FIRST LADY)
*$90,000 - Medina, David S. (DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE FIRST LADY)
*$84,000 - Lelyveld, Catherine M. (DIRECTOR AND PRESS SECRETARY TO THE FIRST LADY)
*$75,000 - Starkey, Frances M. (DIRECTOR OF SCHEDULING AND ADVANCE FOR THE FIRST LADY)
*$70,000 - Sanders, Trooper (DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PROJECTS FOR THE FIRST LADY)
*$65,000 - Burnough, Erinn J. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY SOCIAL SECRETARY)
*Reinstein, Joseph B. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY SOCIAL SECRETARY)
*$62,000 - Goodman, Jennifer R. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF SCHEDULING AND EVENTS COORDINATOR FOR THE FIRST LADY)
*$60,000 - Fitts, Alan O. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ADVANCE AND TRIP DIRECTOR FOR THE FIRST LADY)
*Lewis, Dana M. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT AND PERSONAL AIDE TO THE FIRST LADY)
*$52,500 - Mustaphi, Semonti M. (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY TO THE FIRST LADY)
*$50,000 - Jarvis, Kristen E. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT FOR SCHEDULING AND TRAVELING AIDE TO THE FIRST LADY)
*$45,000 - Lechtenberg, Tyler A. (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE FIRST LADY)
*Tubman, Samantha (DEPUTY ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR,SOCIAL OFFICE)
*$40,000 - Boswell, Joseph J. (EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE FIRST LADY)
*$36,000 - Armbruster, Sally M. (STAFF ASSISTANT TO THE SOCIAL SECRETARY)
*Bookey, Natalie (STAFF ASSISTANT)
*Jackson, Deilia A. (DEPUTY ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE FIRST LADY) <ref>[http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/12652 First Lady requires more than twenty attendants] Canadian Free Press, July 7, 2009</ref>

===Staff Turnover Rate===
In just under three years, she has gone through three chiefs of staff, three secretaries, two communication directors and a press secretary. <ref>[http://www.theblaze.com/stories/expert-blames-michelle-os-staff-turnover-on-race/ EXPERT BLAMES MICHELLE O’S STAFF TURNOVER ON….RACE?, THEBLAZE, May 27, 2011]</ref>

[[File:MichelleandCarla.jpg|right|250px|thumb| Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy in attendance of a ceremony to mark the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, June 6, 2009.]]

===Honoring an Antisemit===
Obama wanted to honor the [[Antiamericanism|antiamerican]] and [[Antisemitism|antisemitc]] author [[Samira Ibrahim]]. Ibrahim had cited [[Adolf Hitler]] and was happy about the terrorist attacks on Israelis.<ref>http://nation.foxnews.com/samira-ibrahim/2013/03/07/michelle-obama-john-kerry-honor-author-anti-semitic-tweets</ref>

== External links ==

*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kiGjE4_k0jI Michelle's Last Four Years - Lest We Forget]
*[http://www.life-in-spite-of-ms.com/fraserrobinson.html Fraser Robinson III ~ Michelle Obama's Father]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obama, Michelle}}
[[Category: Women]]
[[Category: Obama Administration]]
[[Category:First Ladies]]

M1 Garand

2013-04-12T02:39:25Z

TedA: Some updates

[[Image:m1garand.jpg|thumb|right]]

The M1 Garand rifle was the standard infantry rifle for the US Army and US Marines before and after the [[Second World War]] and also during the [[Korean War]]. The Garand was issued in 1936 and by the year 1941, it became the standard front line weapon in almost every branch of service. After the war, Garands became available to the public through the Civialian Marksmanship Program. The rifle fires .30-06 Springfield rounds from an 8-shot en-block clip.

General [[George S. Patton]], one of the greatest heroes of [[World War II]], praised the M1 Garand thusly: "In my opinion, the M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised."<ref>Bill Shadish [http://www.fulton-armory.com/tea/article11-98.htm The M1 Garand in Cyberspace ] Nov 1998</ref>

Unfortunately, due to political considerations involving America's joining [[NATO]], the US military shelved the M1 Garand, replacing it with the experimental T44 rifle (in the slightly weaker 7.62 mm NATO chambering) as the [[M14]]. Fortunately, the M1 Garand is still held in high esteem by civilian firearms advocates within the United States, and regularly used for competitive shooting, and is well-regarded as a [[Homeland Defense Rifle]] (HDR).

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Guns]]

User:TedA

2013-04-12T02:34:05Z

TedA: Created page with "I'm a Conservative, but I vote republican."

I'm a [[Conservative]], but I vote [[republican]].

Robert McDonnell

2013-04-12T02:32:52Z

TedA: Signed into law the largest tax increase in VA history

{{Officeholder
|name=Bob McDonnell
|image=McDonnell Port HiRes.jpg
|party=[[Republican]]
|spouse=Maureen Patricia McDonnell
|religion=[[Roman Catholic]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/governor
|state=Virginia
|terms=January 16, 2010 - Present
|preceded=[[Tim Kaine]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
}}

'''Robert F. "Bob" McDonnell''' (born June 15, 1954) is the 71st and current Governor of [[Virginia]], having won the 2009 election by a 59%-41% landslide. McDonnell's Democratic opponent was state Senator [[Creigh Deeds]], whom he defeated in 2005 for attorney general. He had consistently led Deeds in the polls by wide margins. <ref>http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=9db323a1-0c9c-4a39-887c-c504bc80fb06</ref> <ref>http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2009/virginia/toplines/toplines_virginia_governor_election_september_29_2009/</ref> <ref>http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=10fe2317-36a6-4429-86ce-1d154fb33c58%26c=18/</ref><ref>http://www.wvec.com/news/topstories/stories/wvec_local_101909_gov._selection_poll.231bdeef9.html</ref>Previously McDonnell served as a [[Lieutenant Colonel]] in the [[United States Army]], and a U.S. prosecutor. He was state [[Attorney General]] from 2006-2009, before resigning to focus full time on his gubernatorial campaign.

==Career==
Born in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]] and raised in northern Virginia, he attended the [[University of Notre Dame]] on an [[ROTC]] scholarship. During his twenty-one years in the Army, McDonnell spent four years running a medical clinic in Germany. After marrying and raising a family, he graduated from Regent University in Virginia Beach in 1989 with a law degree and became a prosecutor in the Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney's Office. McDonnell was first elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1992, defeating a twenty-year incumbent. He would go on to be reelected seven times, and would rise to the position of Assistant Majority Leader and Chairman of the House Courts of Justice Committee. During his tenure he passed parental notification law for abortions, drunk driving laws and legislation to abolish the death tax.

As Attorney General McDonnell saw 83 of his 94 legislative proposals become law, including passing "[[Jessica's Law]]" which established a 25-year mandatory minimum sentence for certain sexual predators who commit violent crimes against children.

==Governor==

McDonnell was selected to give the Republican response to [[President Barack Obama]]'s 2010 state of the Union address. <ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/01/21/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry6125701.shtml</ref> McDonnell ran for governor as a conservative, but in 2013, he betrayed conservatives by signing into law the largest tax increase in Virginia history.<ref>http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/feb/26/va-gov-mcdonnell-faces-conservative-ire-tax-hike/</ref>

==External Links==
*[http://www.governor.virginia.gov/ Governor of Virginia Official site]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McDonnell, Bob}}
[[Category:Virginia]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:Virginia Governors]]
[[category:Republican Governors]]
[[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]

David Gregory

2013-04-12T02:28:35Z

TedA: Married to top lawyer at Fannie Mae

'''David Gregory''' is Chief White House Correspondent for [[NBC News]]. He is generally considered one of the more liberal correspondents for the network. Gregory is married and has three children who reside in [[Washington D.C.]] He is married to Beth Wilkinson who was a vice president and the top lawyer for government-backed lender Fannie Mae. She quit Fannie Mae in 2008, shortly before it was taken over by the federal government. The takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will cost U.S. taxpayers about $154 billion dollars.<ref>http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2010-10-21-fannie-mae-freddie-mac-bailout_N.htm</ref>

==History==

Gregory graduated from The American University in [[Washington, D.C.]] with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies. His journalism career began at the early age of nineteen when he began work at a [[ABC]] affiliate station in [[Tucson]], [[Arizona]]( KGUN-TV). In 1995, he was hired by NBC news, where he worked as a correspondent based in [[Los Angeles]] and [[Chicago]]. During his first years at the network, he covered such stories as the [[Oklahoma City bombing]], President Clinton impeachment, the [[O.J. Simpson]] trial and the death of the Pope. In 1998, he moved up the ranks of the network and was hired as anchor for NBC’s cable station, [[MSNBC]].

In 2000 Gregory was promoted to Chief White House Correspondent, a job which was formerly held by [[Andrea Mitchell]]. During the 2000 campaign he covered [[George W. Bush]]. During the attacks on September 11, 2001, Gregory was with the newly elected president in Florida, and later was the only reporter to accompany the president to the World Trade Center site three days after the tragedy. In 2002, he traveled with Vice President [[Dick Cheney]] around the Middle East before the [[Iraq War]]. In 2004 Gregory again covered President Bush and his campaign against Senator [[John Kerry]]. A Tyndall Report found that he was the most used correspondent on television during this time. He began serving as a substitute anchor for NBC shows, Today, [[Meet the Press]], “Imus in the Morning” and [[Nightly News]] in 2005, and continues to do so today. He also is a political commentator for Hardball; a show moderated by liberal [[Chris Matthews]]. He has been named as [[Tim Russert]]'s permanent replacement as host of [[Meet the Press]].

==Awards==

Gregory and his colleagues received an Emmy award for their coverage of former President [[Ronald Reagan]]’s death.

==Controversy==

During taping of "Meet the Press" David Gregory broke District of Columbia law by brandishing a 30-round AR magazine in the district. <ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/26/david-gregory-police-investigation_n_2364637.html</ref> Though Gregory broke DC law on national televison, the police declined to prosecte him because he is one of the Obama regime's useful idiots.

Critics questions the bias of Gregory reporting. They site his questions and attitude of seemingly disrespect towards the president and administration, and his liberal slant he places on his reports. At one press conference Gregory asked Bush, “why [do] you believe you’re still a credible messenger on the war?” , Bush responded by saying he reads intelligence, and went on to say that, “terrorist are a threat to your children, David, and whoever is in that Oval Office better understand it and take measures necessary to protect the American people.”<ref>http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/10903.html,</ref>

At one point Gregory interrupted the president in a press conference to ask if was going to change his administration cabinet. Bush joked that he was, “not going to hire you[David], if that's what you were suggesting,”. The joke came after Bush had hired former [[Fox News]] reporter Tony Snow. Gregory responded by saying, “I was not suggesting that.” Bush ended the conversation by stating, "I would, except you can't pass the background check. Okay, an unnecessary cheap shot, I take it back."<ref>http://newsbusters.org/node/5133 </ref>

Gregory has been known to do an impersonation of President Bush, which many people find insulting and disrespectful both to the president and [[America]]. <ref>http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/west_wing_reportage/david_gregorys_bush_impersonation_45620.asp</ref>

== References ==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gregory, David}}

[[Category:Media personalities]]
[[category:Broadcasters]]
[[Category:Meet the Press]]

David Gregory

2013-04-12T02:21:13Z

TedA: /* Controversy */ Broke DC gun law

'''David Gregory''' is Chief White House Correspondent for [[NBC News]]. He is generally considered one of the more liberal correspondents for the network. Gregory is married and has three children who reside in [[Washington D.C.]]

==History==

Gregory graduated from The American University in [[Washington, D.C.]] with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies. His journalism career began at the early age of nineteen when he began work at a [[ABC]] affiliate station in [[Tucson]], [[Arizona]]( KGUN-TV). In 1995, he was hired by NBC news, where he worked as a correspondent based in [[Los Angeles]] and [[Chicago]]. During his first years at the network, he covered such stories as the [[Oklahoma City bombing]], President Clinton impeachment, the [[O.J. Simpson]] trial and the death of the Pope. In 1998, he moved up the ranks of the network and was hired as anchor for NBC’s cable station, [[MSNBC]].

In 2000 Gregory was promoted to Chief White House Correspondent, a job which was formerly held by [[Andrea Mitchell]]. During the 2000 campaign he covered [[George W. Bush]]. During the attacks on September 11, 2001, Gregory was with the newly elected president in Florida, and later was the only reporter to accompany the president to the World Trade Center site three days after the tragedy. In 2002, he traveled with Vice President [[Dick Cheney]] around the Middle East before the [[Iraq War]]. In 2004 Gregory again covered President Bush and his campaign against Senator [[John Kerry]]. A Tyndall Report found that he was the most used correspondent on television during this time. He began serving as a substitute anchor for NBC shows, Today, [[Meet the Press]], “Imus in the Morning” and [[Nightly News]] in 2005, and continues to do so today. He also is a political commentator for Hardball; a show moderated by liberal [[Chris Matthews]]. He has been named as [[Tim Russert]]'s permanent replacement as host of [[Meet the Press]].

==Awards==

Gregory and his colleagues received an Emmy award for their coverage of former President [[Ronald Reagan]]’s death.

==Controversy==

During taping of "Meet the Press" David Gregory broke District of Columbia law by brandishing a 30-round AR magazine in the district. <ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/26/david-gregory-police-investigation_n_2364637.html</ref> Though Gregory broke DC law on national televison, the police declined to prosecte him because he is one of the Obama regime's useful idiots.

Critics questions the bias of Gregory reporting. They site his questions and attitude of seemingly disrespect towards the president and administration, and his liberal slant he places on his reports. At one press conference Gregory asked Bush, “why [do] you believe you’re still a credible messenger on the war?” , Bush responded by saying he reads intelligence, and went on to say that, “terrorist are a threat to your children, David, and whoever is in that Oval Office better understand it and take measures necessary to protect the American people.”<ref>http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/10903.html,</ref>

At one point Gregory interrupted the president in a press conference to ask if was going to change his administration cabinet. Bush joked that he was, “not going to hire you[David], if that's what you were suggesting,”. The joke came after Bush had hired former [[Fox News]] reporter Tony Snow. Gregory responded by saying, “I was not suggesting that.” Bush ended the conversation by stating, "I would, except you can't pass the background check. Okay, an unnecessary cheap shot, I take it back."<ref>http://newsbusters.org/node/5133 </ref>

Gregory has been known to do an impersonation of President Bush, which many people find insulting and disrespectful both to the president and [[America]]. <ref>http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/west_wing_reportage/david_gregorys_bush_impersonation_45620.asp</ref>

== References ==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gregory, David}}

[[Category:Media personalities]]
[[category:Broadcasters]]
[[Category:Meet the Press]]

Mark E. Kelly

2013-04-12T02:12:02Z

TedA: /* Personal Life */

[[File:NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, STS-134 commander.jpg|thumb|NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, STS-134 commander.]]
'''Mark Edward Kelly''' (1964 - ), born in Orange, [[New Jersey]], is an [[American]] [[astronaut]] who has piloted [[Space Shuttle Endeavour|space shuttles Endeavour]] and Discovery. In 1982, he received a bachelor of science degrees in marine engineering and marine transportation (with highest honors) from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1986, and a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1994. Mark Kelly's brother, Scott J. Kelly, is the current commander of the International Space Station, Expedition 26 (ISS), a veteran of two space shuttle missions. [[Gabrielle Giffords]] is married to astronaut Mark E. Kelly; the two met in China in 2003 while they were serving on a committee there, and were married in January 2007. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40978517/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/]

Since retiring from NASA, Kelly has become an outspoken, but hypocritical proponent of gun control. <ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57578786/giffords-kelly-own-guns-while-pushing-gun-control/</ref> Kelly tried to buy an AR-15 from an Arizona gun store as part of a publicity stunt, but the purchase was denied after he made public statements saying that he was not buying the rifle for personal use. <ref>http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/03/26/Denied-Gun-Store-Owner-Refuses-To-Hand-AR-15-Over-To-Mark-Kelly</ref> Kelly was also featured in a bizzare video where he bragged about owning a 9mm Glock saying “This is the same kind of gun Gabby was shot with.” <ref>http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/gabrielle-giffords-mark-kelly-guns-89793.html#ixzz2Q9n1FR8O</ref> In that video, Kelly proceeded to shoot at several targets setting on a rock formation, but failed to injure himself or anyone else with ricochets. <ref>http://www.wsbtv.com/videos/news/mark-kelly-shoots-glock-9-while-gabby-giffords/vxd6q/</ref>

==Personal Life==
Mark Kelly is currently married to Gabrielle Giffords. He has two children from a previous marriage.
In 2013, Kelly and one of his daughters were walking their pit bull on a California beach when the dog attacked and killed a baby seal.<ref>http://www.kgun9.com/news/local/200051321.html</ref> Killing a baby seal is illegal, but under the Obama regime prominent supporters of gun control such as Mark Kelly and journalist David Gregory are not prosecuted for breaking laws.

== Awards ==
Awarded Defense Superior Service Medal (2 awards), four Air Medals (2 individual/2 strike flight) with Combat “V,” 2 Navy Commendation Medals (one with combat “V”), Navy Commendation Medal with “V,” Navy Achievement Medal, two Southwest Asia Service Medals, Navy Expeditionary Medal, two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, Overseas Service Ribbon, and various other unit awards. [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/kellyme.html]

==References==
<references/>

== External links ==

*[http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/kellyme.html Biographical Data]

[[Category:Astronauts]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Mark E.}}

Obama's Religion

2013-04-12T02:01:19Z

TedA: Obama's Indonesian ring

[[Image:OBAMA MUSULMAN.jpg|right|thumb|'''Then-Senator Obama wearing traditional African garb''', a gift from his hosts while visiting Kenya<ref>[http://sweetness-light.com/archive/obama-wore-muslim-gear-during-kenya-trip]</ref>]]

Public opinion polls show that despite [[liberal denial]], at least one in five or 17% of Americans recognize that '''[[Barack Hussein Obama]]''' is a [[Muslim]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/Little-Voter-Discomfort-with-Romney%E2%80%99s-Mormon-Religion.aspx|title=Little Voter Discomfort with Romney’s Mormon Religion|date=July 26, 2012|accessdate=January 6, 2013|work=Pew Research Center|quote= Currently, 17% of registered voters say that Obama is Muslim}}</ref><ref>[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/41248.html August 2010 Pew Research poll]</ref> The facts confirming that Obama is Muslim are too obvious to deny:

*Obama's unusual selection of [[Chuck Hagel]], a former Republican senator most sympathetic to Muslim positions in the Middle East, to be Secretary of Defense despite intense objections by both political parties. Iranian State Press approves of the choice. <ref>[http://freebeacon.com/iran-state-tv-praises-obamas-anti-israel-hagel-selection/ Iran State TV Praises Obama’s ‘anti-Israel’ Hagel selection]</ref>
*Obama seems to emotionally hold a Muslim view about Israel, in contrast with Americans who have been educated as Obama has. Obama never visited Israel during his first term as president despite repeated criticisms of his failure to do so, he oddly waited many days before even mentioning the rocket attacks on Israel in late 2012, and he appears very uncomfortable even discussing issues related to Israel on television.
*Obama declared in prepared remarks, "The United States has been enriched by Muslim Americans. Many other Americans have Muslims in their families or have lived in a Muslim-majority country - I know, because '''I am one of them'''."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-By-President-Obama-To-The-Turkish-Parliament/|title=REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA TO THE TURKISH PARLIAMENT|date=April 6, 2009|accessdate=January 8, 2013}}</ref><ref>http://middleeast.about.com/b/2009/04/06/obama-in-turkey-at-the-gates-of-islam.htm</ref>
*Obama's wife [[Michelle Obama|Michelle]] does not accompany him to Muslim nations because [[Sharia law]] would apply to her there; on a presidential trip she was with him until [[France]], but then returned home.
*In prepared remarks in April 2012, Obama referred to [[Jesus]] as "a" Son of God rather than as "the" Son of God: "And for me, and I’m sure for some of you, it’s also a chance to remember the tremendous sacrifice that led up to that day, and all that Christ endured—not just as '''''a'' Son of God''', but as a human being."<ref>http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-jesus-son-god</ref>
*Obama's background and outlook are [[Muslim]], and fewer than 1% of Muslims convert to Christianity.<ref>http://www.religionnewsblog.com/17736/barack-obama-2</ref><ref>http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/sina31103.htm. During the third and fourth grades, Obama learned about Islam for two hours each week in religion class, according to the LA ''Times''. [http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-te.obama16mar16,0,1634059,print.story?coll=bal_news_nation_promo Campaign downplays his connection during boyhood in Indonesia, Baltimore Sun, March 16, 2007]</ref> Although Obama attended a [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] school while in Indonesia, he was a part of the Muslim society there.<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/24/AR2007012400371_pf.html</ref>
*Obama's middle name (Hussein) references '''Husayn''', who was the grandson of [[Muhammad]].<ref>A Brief History of The Fourteen Infallibles. Qum: Ansariyan Publications. 2004.</ref><ref>al-Qarashi, Baqir Shareef (2007). The life of Imam Husain. Qum: Ansariyan Publications.</ref> Only after Obama became politically ambitious did he declare himself to be a [[Christian]], yet he never replaced his [[Muslim]] name "Hussein" with a Christian one as some do when they undergo a religious conversion. For example, when the Italian journalist Magdi Allam recently converted to Christianity, he took a new name: "Cristiano".<ref>http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=30814</ref> When Saul became a Christian, he changed his name to "[[Saint Paul|Paul]]"; when the famous boxer Cassius Clay converted to [[Islam]], he took the Muslim name of [[Muhammad Ali]]. "It is common for those converting to a new religion to change their name on conversion"<ref>http://www.ukdp.co.uk/pages/religiousconversion.php</ref> or adopt a Christian name at [[baptism]].<ref>http://www.answers.com/topic/christian-name</ref> Obama also used his middle name when sworn in as President. However, even if he were actually a [[Muslim]], he would ''not'' necessarily have to change his name according to Muslim tradition.<ref>.http://zawaj.com/articles/do-muslim-converts-have-to-change-their-names.html</ref>
*Obama has said "[[John McCain]] has not talked about [[my Muslim faith]]."<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKGdkqfBICw]</ref> in an interview with [[George Stephanopoulos]] discussing whether John McCain's campaign has suggested that Obama is not a Christian. George Stephanopoulos -- who had previously been a high-ranking Democrat in the [[Clinton Administration]] -- then suggested that Obama change his answer to refer instead to "Christian faith."<ref>[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/sep/07/obama-verbal-slip-fuels-his-critics/?page=all Christina Bellantoni, "Obama’s verbal slip fuels his critics", ''Washington Times'']</ref>
*He has said that "Islam can be compatible with the modern world."<ref> [http://www.newsweek.com/id/145971 Barack Obama's Christian Journey | Newsweek Politics: Campaign 2008]</ref>
*Obama said the Muslim call to prayer is "one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset," and recited "with a first-class [[Arabic]] accent" the opening lines: [[Allah]] is Supreme! ... I witness that there is no god but Allah ...."<ref>http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=78309</ref>
*Liberals at the New York Times and the Huffington Post fawn over the Indonesian ring that Obama has worn since long before his marriage to Michelle Obama. <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/magazine/01Obama-t.html</ref><ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/29/barack-obamas-indonesian_n_339069.html</ref> It has been reported that this ring has Islamic inscriptions. <ref>http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012/10/10/does-obamas-mystery-ring-really-have-there-is-no-god-except-allah-inscribed-in-arabic/</ref>
*Obama stated that the ''Autobiography of [[Malcolm X]]'', which was co-written by [[Alex Haley]], inspired him in his youth.<ref>For example, Obama writes in his own autobiography, "Only Malcolm X's autobiography seemed to offer something different. His repeated acts of self-creation spoke to me. The blunt poetry of his words, his unadorned insistence on respect, promised a new and uncompromising order, martial in its discipline, forged through sheer force of will. ... [E]ven as I imagine myself following Malcolm's call, one line in the book stayed with me. He spoke of a wish he'd once had, the wish that the white blood that ran through him, there by an act of violence, might somehow be expunged."[http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/04/does_obama_know_america.html]</ref>
*Obama raised nearly $1 million and campaigned for a [[Kenyan]] presidential candidate who had a written agreement with [[Muslim]] leaders promising to convert Kenya to an Islamic state that bans Christianity.<ref> [http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=78324] Text of the agreement, as three images: [http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=78323]</ref>
*Obama's claims of conversion to Christianity arose after he became politically ambitious, lacking a date of conversion or baptism.<ref>In his book, Obama oddly claims to have been baptized without giving his age or date, and later gave a date that postdates his political ambition (1992).</ref>
*In 2007, while Obama was a candidate, the White House military office assigned him the [[Secret Service]] code name "Renegade".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/16/AR2007061601079.html?hpid=topnews|title='Renegade' Joins Race for White House|date=June 17, 2007|work=Washington Post|accessdate=January 8, 2013}}</ref> "[[Renegade]]" conventionally describes someone who goes against normal conventions of behavior, but its first usage was to describe someone who has turned from their religion. It is a word derived from the [[Spanish]] ''renegado'', which originally meant "Christian turned Muslim."<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/3452281/Renegade-and-Renaissance-Obama-to-replace-Trailblazer-and-Tempo-Bush-in-the-White-House.html</ref>
*In the book ''Obama,"Renegade"'' his friends say that "he actually really wasn't much of a churchgoer." <ref>[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jeff-poor/2009/06/16/wolffe-president-missed-rev-wright-s-racist-rants-because-he-wasn-t-much- Wolffe: President Missed Rev. Wright’s Racist Rants Because 'He Wasn’t Much of a Churchgoer'] NewsBusters.org, June 16, 2009</ref>
*On the 2008 campaign trail, Obama was reading "The Post-American World" by [[Fareed Zakaria]],<ref>http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=fa8cf1bf-2cc8-4d6e-b72d-a07d406e19ff</ref> which was a general discussion of US foreign policy that was on the non-fiction best-seller lists for weeks.<ref>http://www.villagevoice.com/2005-08-09/news/the-interpreter/</ref> Although Zakaria had Muslim ancestors, he is a non-Muslim educated at Yale with a Ph.D. from Harvard.
*Contrary to [[Christianity]], the Islamic doctrine of [[taqiyya]] allows adherents to deny they are Muslim if it would be dangerous not to.
*Obama uses the Muslim Pakistani pronunciation for "[[Pakistan]]" rather than the common American one.<ref>Obama repeatedly pronounced "Pakistan" as "Pokiston" in the first presidential debate.</ref>
*Obama favors [[Pakistan]], a Muslim nation, in its conflicts with [[India]], a mostly [[Hindu]] nation.<ref>The Indian press has been highly critical of Obama about this. [http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/11/08/obama-india-relations-indispensible-pushes-placement-un]</ref> However, the Obama Administration's relationship with Pakistan could be driven by its critical role in the battle against [[al-Qaeda]] in [[Afghanistan]].
*Obama was thoroughly exposed to Christianity as an adult in [[Chicago]] prior to attending law school, yet no one at law school saw him display any interest in converting. Obama unabashedly explained how he became "churched" in a 2007 speech: "It's around that time [while working as an organizer for the Developing Communities Project (DCP) of the Calumet Community Religious Conference (CCRC) in Chicago] that some pastors I was working with came around and asked if I was a member of a church. 'If you're organizing churches,' they said, 'it might be helpful if you went to a church once in a while.' And I thought, 'I guess that makes sense.'"<ref>[http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=15363 Obama, ACORN, and the churches] SperoNews, October 7, 2008</ref>
[[File:Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi in Dimashq.jpg|left|175px|thumb|''"I really endorse and support the policies that he has adopted,"'' [[Libya]]n leader [[Muammar Gaddafi]] said of President Barack Obama as reported by the ''[[Washington Post]]''.<ref> [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/26/AR2010042604170.html ''Man's worst friend?''] By Dana Milbank, ''Washington Post'', April 27, 2010.</ref> ]]
*Obama is mentioned as helping to organize the 1995 [[Million Man March]] led by black [[Muslim]] leader [[Louis Farrakhan]] from the [[Nation of Islam]]. <ref>[http://www.nowpublic.com/world/obama-organized-farrakhan-s-million-man-march, Obama Organized Farrakhan’s ‘Million Man March’, NowPublic.com, April 2, 2008 </ref>
*Obama visited "more than one [[mosque]]" in [[Kenya]] while on a political trip there but did not visit any churches, although there are a large proportion of churches and even a National Temple in Kenya.<ref>http://islamizationwatch.blogspot.com/2010/01/kenyan-delegation-visits-sderot-israel.html</ref>
*Obama enjoyed a bigger increase in voter support in 2008 (compared to 2004) by Muslims than by any other voting group, including blacks;<ref>http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/2873/</ref> "Muslim turnout in the U.S. elections reached 95 percent, the highest Muslim turnout in U.S. history."<ref>http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/islamsadvance/2008/11/is_obama_the_muslim_worlds_sup.html</ref>
*"President-elect [[Barack Hussein Obama]] has yet to attend [Sunday] church services since winning the [[White House]] earlier ..., a departure from the example of his two immediate predecessors."<ref>http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15902.html</ref><ref>http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-obama-religion26-2008dec26,0,1910913.story</ref> Liberal sources claim that this is due to security concerns. However, in general, Presidents rarely attend weekly church services while in office.<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-obama-blackberry-faith-white-house/story?id=9689272#.T5jUxp8rpfV</ref> Yet, the Obama family has attended Christian church serves at various times since becoming President in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/16/obamas-church-service-dc_n_1209002.html|title=Where The Obama Family Has Worshiped In D.C.|work=Huffington Post|date=January 16, 2012|accessdate=January 6, 2013}}</ref>
*In 2009, Justice [[John Roberts]] failed to administer the [[oath of office]] correctly while Obama placed his hand on a Bible. To avoid any claims that Obama was not the real President because of mis-stating the oath, Roberts dropped by the White House to re-administering the oath the next day, but no Bible was used for that private re-do of the oath.
*'''At the [[G-20]] summit in April 2009, Obama bowed deeply to [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi]] King Abdullah, a Muslim who is also the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.'''<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEUif1--r38&feature=player_embedded Video of Obama bowing almost to King's waist]</ref> [[Image:Obamabow.jpg|thumb|right|250px|'''President Obama bowing to the King of Saudi Arabia''' - April 2009]]Never before in the history of the U.S. has a president displayed such shocking deference to a foreign official and Obama has not bowed to any other royal leaders. Obama later stated, "We have to change our behavior in showing the Muslim world greater respect."<ref>http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/07/barack-takes-a-bow/</ref> Obama's spin doctors and left-wing apologists dismissed the obviousness of the bow. One anonymous aide stated, "It wasn't a bow. He grasped his hand with two hands, and he's taller than King Abdullah."<ref>http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0409/White_House_No_bow_to_Saudi.html</ref> However, in video of the incident, Obama's left hand can clearly be seen staying at his side until after he had finished his bow.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WlqW6UCeaY</ref> Additionally, Obama also met with Queen Elizabeth, who is much shorter than King Abdullah, but he did not bow when he shook her hand and neither he nor the queen appeared to have any difficulty.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71N34K9EVLU</ref> (Many liberals and even a handful of conservatives have proposed that President Bush also bowed before King Abdullah.<ref>http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/33289_Bush_Bowed_Too</ref> However, there is a vast, inexorable difference between bending down to receive a medal as Bush did and bowing in deference to a foreign leader as Obama did.)
*Obama required that a religiously affiliated college take the extraordinary action of concealing with wood the monogram "IHS", which represents the name of Jesus, during a speech by Obama there<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/16/georgetown-university-hid-religious-symbols-white-house-request/ Georgetown hides Jesus' name at request of Obama's White House]</ref>{{dead link}}
*In 2006, Obama gave an irreverent speech about using the Bible in public policy. It resembled a stand-up comedy act, with Obama making fun of the books of the [[Torah]], the [[Ten Commandments]], the [[Sermon on the Mount]] and other key Biblical passages.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnmS_vULPxw</ref>
*In 2010, while Obama was president, the Missile Defense Agency changed its logo, incorporating a crescent and star.<ref>[http://loganswarning.com/2010/02/23/us-missile-defense-agency-changes-logo-to-obamaislamic-crescent-hybrid/ US Missile Defense Agency Changes Logo to Obama~Islamic Crescent Hybrid!]</ref> The new logo closely resembles that of the [[Iran]]ian Space Agency.<ref>[http://www.prlog.org/10550380-missile-defense-agency-logo-new-twist-to-the-tale.html Missile Defense Agency Logo – A new twist to the tale]</ref> The new logo was designed in 2007, prior to Obama's election as president.
*In 2012, Obama participated in a $40,000 per plate fundraiser on [[Holy Thursday]], which many devout Christians would find to be inappropriate.
*On September 25, 2012, in his address to [[United Nations General Assembly]], Obama said that "'''The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam'''."<ref>FOX News: [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/09/25/transcript-obama-address-to-un-general-assembly/ Transcript: Obama address to U.N. General Assembly] (September 25, 2012)</ref> This outrageous comment was predictably ignored by the [[lamestream media]], but rightly highlighted by Conservative commentators.<ref>FOX News: [http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/09/26/media-ignore-obama-attack-on-those-who-slander-prophet-islam/ Media ignore Obama attack on ‘those who slander the Prophet of Islam’] (September 26, 2012)</ref>
*Obama's spiritual mentor of 20 years, Rev. [[Jeremiah Wright]] explained in an interview "that Barack Obama was steeped in Islam when he first met him," <ref>[http://thenewamerican.com/component/k2/item/12165-obama-called-our-most-toxic-president?Itemid=667 Obama Called Our Most "Toxic" President, New American, July 20th 2012]</ref> and said he “made it comfortable” for Obama to accept Christianity without having renounce his Islamic background. <ref>[http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/05/jeremiah-wright-i-made-it-comfortable-for-obama-to-accept-christianity-without-having-to-renounce-islam/ Jeremiah Wright: I “Made It Comfortable” For Obama to Accept Christianity Without Having to Renounce Islam (Video Report), The Gateway Pundit, may 10, 2012]</ref>
*[[Obamacare]] has a provision enabling groups that have a religious objection to the individual mandate and who have forfeited the benefits of Social Security (such as the Amish) to claim a religious conscience opt-out of the individual mandate.<ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/5000A 26 U.S.C. 5000A (d)(2)(A)]; [http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/1402 26 U.S.C. 1402(g)(1)]; [https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110225035 "RM 10225.035 SSNs for the Amish and Mennonites (and Other Religious Exempt Communities)"]</ref> Muslims would not be eligible for a religious exemption from the individual mandate,<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/2010/04/137221/ Does your faith free you from forced Obamacare?]</ref> although other online commentators speculate that Muslims would be eligible for a religious exemption.<ref>[http://frontpagemag.com/2011/eric-burns/muslims-exempt-from-obamacare/ Muslims Exempt from ObamaCare? FrontPage Magazine, Oct. 14, 2011]</ref>
*Obama further impedes the Christian faith on gay rights, telling military chaplains a statutory provision that would allow military chaplains to opt-out of performing gay marriages is “unnecessary and ill-advised,” but he signed the bill into law anyway.<ref>[http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/obama-calls-conscience-clause-for-military-chaplains-ill-advised.html Obama calls Conscience Clause for Military Chaplains “Ill-Advised”, Fox News, January 3, 2013]</ref>
*On more than one occasion, Obama verbally attacks the economic livelihood of [[Las Vegas]] for unknown reasons, and Obama has also criticized state lotteries despite being heavily favored by most [[Democrats]]. The reason may be that [[gambling]] is forbidden in the [[Koran]]<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2010/02/02/AR2010020203169.html Lawmakers upset over Obama's 2nd anti-Vegas remark, WashingtonPost, February 2, 2010]</ref> and frowned upon by many Protestant denominations.<ref>http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CE0QFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.efa2009.org%2Fpapers%2FSSRN-id1335855.pdf&ei=h7kUUPHTA8aBqgHysIHYCw&usg=AFQjCNG1qfZFDgF1FpHG46FFDbMGzBu0Iw</ref>
*The planners for the second Obama inauguration have announced that three Bibles will be used to administer the oath: Michelle Obama's family Bible for a private oath on January 20 and [[Abraham Lincoln]]'s and [[Martin Luther King]]'s Bibles on January 21.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/10/obama-using-mlk-lincoln-b_n_2447174.html|title=Obama To Use MLK, Lincoln Bibles During Oath At Presidential Inauguration|first=Nebra|last=Pickler|date=January 10, 2013|accessdate=January 10, 2013}}</ref>

Obama tries to downplay his [[Islamic]] background by claiming that his [[Kenya]]n [[Muslim]] father was a "confirmed [[atheist]]" before Obama was born, but in fact less than 1% of Kenyans are atheists, agnostics, or non-religious.<ref>http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_14.html</ref> There is apparently no evidence of any Christian activities or local church participation by Obama while he was in [[Massachusetts]] from 1988 to 1991. Finally, Obama abruptly left his radical Christian church in Chicago in 2008, when it became politically controversial, without first finding another church to join. On April 7, 2009, Obama toured a mosque in [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]]. <ref>http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.c2e3700ab4e271bc32827b0fccfe560b.421&show_article=1</ref>

== Obama's Campaign Rhetoric Designed to Attract Christian Support ==

Despite rarely going to church after being elected, and not even using a [[Bible]] for his official oath in 2008, in campaign mode Obama felt it "it was important" for political reasons "to dispel rumors that have been over the Internet" that observes he is not a Christian. Obama stated for a Christian audience:

<blockquote>"I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life. But most importantly, I believe in the example that Jesus set by feeding the hungry and healing the sick and always prioritizing the least of these over the powerful. I didn't 'fall out in church' as they say, but there was a very strong awakening in me of the importance of these issues in my life. I didn't want to walk alone on this journey. Accepting Jesus Christ in my life has been a powerful guide for my conduct and my values and my ideals.</blockquote>
<blockquote>"There is one thing that I want to mention that I think is important. Part of what we've been seeing during the course of this campaign is some scurrilous e-mails that have been sent out, denying my faith, talking about me being a Muslim, suggesting that I got sworn in at the U.S. Senate with a Quran in my hand or that I don't pledge allegiance to the flag. I think it's really important for your readers to know that I have been a member of the same church for almost 20 years, and I have never practiced Islam. I am respectful of the religion, but it's not my own. One of the things that's very important in this day and age is that we don't use religion as a political tool and certainly that we don't lie about religion as a way to score political points. I just thought it was important to get that in there to dispel rumors that have been over the Internet. We've done so repeatedly, but obviously it's a political tactic of somebody to try to provide this misinformation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/januaryweb-only/104-32.0.html?start=2|title=Q&A: Barack Obama|date=January 2008|work=Christianity Today|accessdate=January 4, 2013}}</ref></blockquote>

==See Also==
* [[Muslim agenda of the Obama administration]]
* [[Mystery:Why_Do_Some_Oppose_the_Likelihood_that_Obama_Is_Muslim%3F]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category:Obama Administration]]
[[Category:Islam]]

Barack Hussein Obama

2013-04-12T00:30:07Z

TedA: Obamas claims that Obama was born in Kenya

{{Officeholder
|name=Barack Hussein Obama
|image=President Barack Obama.jpg
|party=[[Democratic Party]]
|spouse=[[Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama]]; may have had a prior marriage.<ref>http://www.wnd.com/2012/07/was-barack-obama-married-in-college/</ref>
|religion=see [[Obama's religion]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/president
|country=the United States
|number=44th
|terms=January 20, 2009-Present
|vp=[[Joe Biden]]
|preceded=[[George W. Bush]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Illinois
|terms=January 3, 2005 – November 16, 2008
|preceded=Peter Fitzgerald
|former=y
|succeeded=[[Roland Burris]]
}}
}}

'''Barack Hussein Obama II''' (b. August 4, 1961, in [[Honolulu, Hawaii]]) is the 44th President of the [[United States]]. Through heavy use of [[early voting]] by the Democrat political machine, Obama was elected president in 2008 with 365 [[electoral vote]]s and 53% of the popular vote. In 2012 he was elected to a second term with 332 electoral votes and 51% of the popular vote. Promoted heavily by [[liberals]], as demonstrated by his unjustified receipt of the 2009 [[Nobel Prize|Nobel Peace Prize]], Obama won the presidency despite a short and unremarkable political career by outspending his opponent, [[John McCain]], by hundreds of millions of dollars in 2008, and spending more than a billion dollars from special interests to attain reelection in 2012.<ref>[http://www.opensecrets.org/pres12/indus.php?cycle=2012&id=N00009638 Opensecrets.org Barack Obama], 33% Individual contributions, 67% large and corporate.</ref>

The [[liberal claptrap]] that helped elect Obama as president seems silly today. It was claimed, for example, that Obama has millions of followers on Twitter, when allegedly some 70% of them are fake.<ref>http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/08/obama-has-millions-of-fake-twitter-followers/1#.UDfQVqA2et_</ref> And although the [[lamestream media]] promoted Obama as a great orator, in fact he relies almost entirely on teleprompters for his speeches and press conferences, and at one point even had teleprompters set up for him in a middle school classroom in order to speak to the media.

Obama is [[pro-abortion]]. During his campaigns Obama said that he intended to "[[Redistribution of wealth|spread the wealth around]]" and has been portrayed as saying that entrepreneurs and employers deserve no credit for building their businesses. <ref>Zuckerman, M.B. (2010, July 16). [http://www.usnews.com/opinion/mzuckerman/articles/2010/07/16/obamas-anti-business-policies-are-our-economic-katrina Obama's Anti-business Policies are our Economic Katrina]. ''U.S. News''. Barnes, F. (2009, July 22). [http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/619dvjlm.asp An Anti-Business President]. ''The Weekly Standard''. Vol. 14, No. 38 Shedlock, M. (2010, August 20). [http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2010/08/small-businesses-are-not-hiring-why.html Small Businesses are not hiring. Why should they?] Globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com. Wright, C.E. (2012, February 12). [http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/02/dear_mr_president_why_we_are_n.html Dear Mr. President: Why we are not hiring]. ''American Thinker''.</ref> On March 1, 2013 Obama issued [[Executive Order]]s to implement his [[Budget sequester|sequester]] of budget cuts which<ref>http://weaselzippers.us/2013/02/27/dnc-boosts-obama-sequester-job-loss-threat-of-750000-to-2-million/ </ref> has been widely criticized for destroying jobs in what was an anaemic and fragile recovery.<ref>[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-02-26/news/chi-20130226-foys_briefs_1_sequester-president-obama-press-secretary-jay-carney President Obama's sequester,] ''Chicago Tribune'', February 26, 2013.</ref>

Former [[Democrat]] Presidential candidate [[Joe Lieberman]] endorsed Obama's opponent in 2008 and has declined to endorse Obama for the [[Presidential Election 2012]].<ref>Lillis, M. (2012, April 22). [http://thehill.com/video/campaign/222929-lieberman-declines-to-endorse-in-presidential-race Sen. Lieberman declines to endorse in presidential race]. ''The Hill''.</ref>

Following the 2011 debt ceiling standoff between Obama and House Republicans,<ref name=Swann-Aug>{{cite web|url=http://www.standardandpoors.com/servlet/BlobServer?blobheadername3=MDT-Type&blobcol=urldata&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobheadervalue2=inline%3B+filename%3DUS_Downgraded_AA%2B.pdf&blobheadername2=Content-Disposition&blobheadervalue1=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobheadername1=content-type&blobwhere=1243942957443&blobheadervalue3=UTF-8 |title=United States of America Long-Term Rating Lowered to 'AA+' on Political Risks and Rising Debt Burden; Outlook Negative |publisher= [[Standard & Poor's]] |date=August 5, 2011 |accessdate=April 3, 2013}}</ref> the United States Government's credit rating was, for the first time in its history, downgraded from AAA to AA+, and [[poverty]]<ref>[http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/incpovhlth/2009/pov09fig04.pdf Figure 4: Number in Poverty and Poverty Rate: 1959-2009]. ''U.S. Census Bureau''. Current Population Survey, 1960 to 2010 Annual Social and Economic Supplements.</ref> increased markedly. By and large his programs, said to combat the recession, unemployment, slow growth, and deficits, have failed<ref>"The vast majority (73%) of respondents reported the fiscal stimulus enacted in February 2009 has had no impact on employment to date. While 68% also believe a jobs bill, such as the one recently enacted into law, will have no impact on payrolls, 30% do believe it will boost payrolls moderately". [http://www.nabe.com/press/ind1004.pdf Industry Survey], ''National Association for Business Economics'', April 2010, p. 2.</ref> leaving the the country saddled with a $16 trillion [[national debt]] and climbing.<ref>Under Obama the U.S. National Debt has tripled. Source: [https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?graph_id=86836 U.S. Treasury]; Federal Reserve Board.</ref> One of his most well known tactics is blaming someone else, such as George W. Bush, for all his failures instead of taking responsibility. Also on the domestic front, Obama passed an expensive [[health care]] bill in 2010 with no national concensus or [[bipartisan]] support and 34 Democrats dissenting. Recently, the [[Congressional Budget Office]] wrote an open letter to [[John Boehner]], the Speaker of the House, outlining the effects of repealing [[Obamacare]] and explaining why net loss of over 100 billion dollars would occur from the repeal. [http://cbo.gov/publication/43471]

Americans deaths in [[Afghanistan]] have more than doubled under Obama's leadership compared with the preceding eight years of George Bush, according to the Congressional Research Service <ref>Chesser, S.G. (2012, July 12). [http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R41084.pdf Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilians - CRS Report for Congress]. Pg. 3. ''Congressional Research Service'''.</ref> Against his own Defense Secretary's advice, Obama [[Libyan uprising 2011|attacked Libya]] - a possible violation of the [[War Powers Act]]. After he he took credit for the killing of [[September 11th]] mastermind terrorist [[Osama bin Laden]], the [[U.S. State Department]] warned of increased risk to the lives and safety of Americans.<ref>''KABC-TV/DT'' (2011, July 27). [http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/national_world&id=8273909 Risk of anti-US violence up after Osama bin Laden's death]. On ''ABC7 News''.</ref> Bin Laden's successor, [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]] confirmed the [[Benghazi Attack]] which killed four State Department employees, was motivated by revenge.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/12/world/africa/libya-attack-jihadists/index.html Pro-al Qaeda group seen behind deadly Benghazi attack], By Nic Robertson, Paul Cruickshank and Tim Lister, CNN, September 13, 2012.</ref> Bin Laden's killing, however had negligible impact on Obama's approval ratings.<ref>''Gallup''. [http://www.gallup.com/poll/113980/gallup-daily-obama-job-approval.aspx Gallup Daily: Obama Job Approval].</ref>

Obama's bizarre gaffes are frequent and embarrassing, but typically unreported by the [[liberal media]]. Many hardworking American businessmen took offense to a 2012 campaign speech about the economy where he says "You didn't build that." Obama offended [[Poland]] by referring to the [[Nazi]] death camps there as "Polish death camps." Later Obama apologized.<ref>Sink, J. (2012, June 1). [http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/europe/230419-obama-letter-says-he-regrets-polish-death-camp-gaffe Obama apologizes in writing for 'Polish death camp' verbal gaffe].''The Hill''.</ref> Even the ''New York Times'' was critical of Obama's incessant boasting about the killing of bin Laden.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/28/us/politics/critics-pounce-on-obamas-trumpeting-of-bin-laden-death.html?_r=0 Obama Trumpets Killing of Bin Laden, and Critics Pounce], By PETER BAKER and MICHAEL D. SHEAR, April 27, 2012.</ref>

==Biography==
===Birth===
{{TOC right}}
:''Main article : [[Early life and career of Barack Hussein Obama]]''
:''See also : [[Barack Obama's Muslim Heritage]]''
Obama claims to have been born in Hawaii to Stanley Ann Dunham and [[Barack Obama Sr.]] - who had married just six months prior - on August 4, 1961 in [[Honolulu, Hawaii]].<ref name=msnbc>''MSNBC'' (2008, February 20). "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23257295/ns/msnbc_tv-documentaries/t/obama-becomes-rising-star-among-democrats/ Obama Becomes Rising Star Among Democrats]."</ref> Some contend that this story is a complete fabrication. After many leading conservatives -- including the leadership of this site and [[Donald Trump]] -- called for Obama to release his birth certificate he produced a document that he claimed was his birth certificate on April 27, 2011. Sheriff [[Joe Arpaio]] of Maricopa County in Arizona conducted an investigation of Obama's eligibility and questioned whether the alleged "birth certificate" was a fake; however, no charges have been filed. [[Obama]] was reportedly assigned a social security number whose area code was assigned to applications coming from zip codes in Connecticut.<ref>Beginning in 1972, all Social Security numbers were issued from a central office in Baltimore, Maryland.[http://www.ssa.gov/history/ssn/geocard.html]</ref>

The original claims that Obama was born in Kenya come from the Obamas themselves. In 1991, Obama's literary agent, Acton & Dystel, published a promotional booklet that stated that Obama was born in Kenya. <ref>http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/05/17/The-Vetting-Barack-Obama-Literary-Agent-1991-Born-in-Kenya-Raised-Indonesia-Hawaii</ref><ref>http://www.examiner.com/article/publisher-s-1991-booklet-says-barack-obama-was-born-kenya</ref> The claim that Obama was born in Kenya remained on the agent's web site until 2007. <ref>http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/05/17/Obama-pamphlet-in-use-2007</ref> Internet archives confirm this information. <ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20070403190001/http://www.dystel.com/clientlist.html</ref> In addition to the information from literary agents, Michelle Obama stated in an interview that Kenya is Obama's "homeland".<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLzJz2A2N1c</ref>

Barack Obama Sr. was not a [[Natural born citizen|citizen of the United States]]. At the time of Obama's birth, Kenya was a British colony, meaning that not only was Obama Sr. a British subject, but he passed that status on to his son. When Kenya gained independence, Obama and his father both ceased to be British subjects and became Kenyan citizens. Barack Obama was a dual citizen of the United States and Kenya until his Kenyan citizenship automatically expired in 1984, as he had failed to renounce US nationality and swear loyalty to Kenya. Even if he had been born with US citizenship through his mother, it has been argued that as he was born with dual nationality, he is not a natural-born citizen of the United States, and thus constitutionally ineligible to become President. Despite this, no court that has considered such arguments has accepted the proposition that Obama is not a natural-born citizen.<ref>See [http://www.scribd.com/doc/88910250/Purpura-Moran-Initial-Decision-of-ALJ-Masin Initial Decision by Jeff S. Masin] in ''Purpura and Moran v. Obama'' at 7 ("Thus, accepting for the point of this issue that Mr. Obama was born in Hawaii, he is a “natural born Citizen” regardless of the status of his father."), Tisdale v. Obama (E.D.Va 2012) Order at 2 ("It is well settled that those born in the United States are considered natural born citizens." (citing ''United States v. Wong Kim Ark'', 169 U.S. 649)), ''aff'd per curiam'' by 4th Cir., ''Ankeny v. Governor of the State of Indiana'', 916 N.E.2d 678, 685 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009) ("With regard to President Barack Obama, the Plaintiffs posit that because his father was a citizen of the United Kingdom, President Obama is constitutionally ineligible to assume the Office of the President....we hold that the Plaintiffs' arguments fail to state a claim upon which relief can be granted")</ref>

===Early Life===
Obama's birth parents divorced in 1963 when his mother discovered Barack Obama Sr. was already married to a woman living in Kenya.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-2024819/Barack-Obamas-father-Bigamist-drunk-wife-beater.html Barack Obama's father: Bigamist, drunk and wife-beater], By Ian Birrell, 12 August 2011. dailymail.co.uk This is one of the first misleading statements about Barack Obama when he was introduced to America as Keynote Speaker at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Advance publicity billed him as the "son of Kenyan economist" when infact Obama Sr. was forced out of the graduate program at Harvard because of his bigamy. He returned to Kenya. Obama at the age 9 once briefly met his father who served in the corrupt Kenyan socialist regime's Department of [[Economic Planning]]. Obama Sr. killed himself in a drunken car accident.</ref> When Obama was 2 years old his mother married Lolo Soetoro, an [[Indonesian]] geologist. At age 6 his mother and adoptive father took him to Jakarta, Indonesia for 4 years while his mother pursued a Ph.D. in Anthropology requiring fieldwork there.<ref name="db mother">{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-05-03/a-singular-woman-by-janny-scott-review-by-stacy-schiff/#|work=The Daily Beast|format=HTML|language=English|title=Dreams of His Mother|author=Stacy Schiff}}</ref> His mother then abandoned him in Hawaii with his grandparents (Stanley and Madelyn Dunham, who had moved to Hawaii in 1959) <ref name=revealed>Malveaux, Suzanne (2008, August 20). "[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0808/20/se.02.html Barack Obama Revealed]." ''CNN''.</ref> so she could return to Indonesia after her divorce. Obama's grandfather arranged for his friend, the noted communist writer [[Frank Marshall Davis]], to serve as a mentor and role model for an impressionable African-American youth.

Other siblings of Obama's include his half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng and 7 other children born to his father by 4 different women.<ref name=raisingobama>Purdum, Todd (2008, March). "[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/03/obama200803 Raising Obama]." ''Vanity Fair''.</ref> For much of his early life, prior to his transfer to Columbia University, he went by his nickname, "Barry." In the summer of 1988, before attending Harvard Law School (he'd just been accepted), he visited Kogelo, Kenya, to learn more about his father's family. When his mother died in 1995, he and his sister Maya scattered her ashes over Hawaii's south shore.<ref name=revealed />

===Personal Life===
[[Image:Michelle Obama.jpg|frame|right|Michelle (Robinson) Obama, wife of Barack Obama.]]
Barack Obama met his future wife, an attorney named Michelle Robinson, herself a recent Harvard Law School graduate, while he was an intern and she was on staff at Sidley Austin LLP, a prestigious corporate law firm.<ref name=msnbc /> Dispite company policy prohibiting relations between staff and interns, the two started dating. The two continued dating long-distance while he finished law school, and on October 18, 1992,<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/03/obama-anniversary-20-years-married_n_1935840.html Huffington Post says it was October 3, 1992.]</ref> were married by Reverend [[Jeremiah Wright]] at Trinity United Church.<ref name=revealed /> In 1999, their first child was born, Malia, and in 2001, another daughter, Natasha (often called Sasha).<ref name=msnbc />

Obama attended Reverend Jeremiah Wright's Trinity United Church from 1984-1988 during his time as a [[community organizer]] (''See [[Barack_Obama#1984-1988.2C_Community_Organizer|1985-1988, Community Organizer]] section''). Obama credits Wright with his alleged conversion to Christianity, and had both his daughters, Sasha and Malia, baptized there.<ref name=revealed />

===Education===
At age 6, Obama attended schools in Indonesia, the first a Catholic School while he was in Kindergarten, and later a public school. The school had mostly Muslim students (since most Indonesians are Muslim). In ''Dreams from My Father'', Obama writes, "In the Muslim school, the teacher wrote to my mother that I had made faces during [[Koran]]ic studies."<ref>''Dreams from My Father'', by Barack Obama, p.142 Aug 1, 1996. [http://www.ontheissues.org/Archive/Dreams_From_My_Father_Principles_+_Values.htm]</ref> ''Insight Magazine'' first reported [[Hillary Clinton]]'s organization had "questions about Obama’s Muslim background: ''Are the American people ready for an elected president who was educated in a [[Madrassa]] as a young boy and has not been forthcoming about his Muslim heritage?"''<ref>[http://www.debbieschlussel.com/2899/hillary-clinton-agrees-with-schlussel-obama-suspicious-deceptive-on-muslim-background/ Hillary Clinton Agrees With Schlussel: Obama Suspicious, Deceptive on Muslim Background], By Debbie Schlussel, January 19, 2007.</ref>

In 1971, at age 10, Barack Obama moved to Hawaii, and his grandparents helped him gain entrance to the prestigious Punahou Academy in Honolulu where he began substance abuse and illegal drugs.<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/25/obama-pot-smoking-details_n_1545904.html Obama Pot-Smoking Details Revealed In David Maraniss Book], ''The Huffington Post'', By Luke Johnson, 05/25/2012 . </ref> He was accepted through a scholarship for disadvantaged minorities while he was in 5th grade.<ref name=revealed /> At this elite high school with 1,200 students he was just 1 of 3 black students, and couldn't make the starting lineup of the state champion basketball team his senior year. He wrote a poem for the school's literary magazine, ''Ka Wai Ola''.<ref name=raisingobama />

In 1979, he began a 2-year stint at Occidental College college in Los Angeles,<ref name=msnbc /> and then transferred to Columbia University in New York, which he graduated from in 1983.<ref name=pragmatic>Scott, Janny (2007, July 30). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/us/politics/30obama.html?pagewanted=all In Illinois, Obama Proved Pragmatic and Shrewd]." ''New York Times''.</ref> During this time he published an anti-military tirade embracing Soviet General Secretary [[Leonid Brezhnev]]'s <ref>Obama supported CPSU General Secretary Brezhnev's foreign policy over both Presidents [[Jimmy Carter]] and Ronald Reagan's decision to deploy the MX Missile in Europe. [http://www.csmonitor.com/1981/1124/112439.html Brezhnev offers Schmidt moratorium on nuclear missiles], Elizabeth Pond, ''CS Monitor'', November 24, 1981. See also [http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/images/nytint/docs/obama-s-1983-college-magazine-article/original.pdf Breaking the War Mentality], Barack Obama, Columbia ''Sundial'', March 10, 1983.</ref> proposal for a nuclear freeze in the campus newspaper and allegedly spoke at an Anti-Apartheid rally,<ref name=revealed /> although several prominent student leaders said they did not remember him there. Professor Michael L. Baron was impressed by Obama and wrote him a recommendation for Harvard Law School.<ref name=differs>Scott, J. (2007, October 30). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/us/politics/30obama.html?pagewanted=all Obama's Account of New York Years Often Differs From What Others Say]." ''New York Times''.</ref> In the winter of 1988 Barack Obama decided to attend Harvard Law School, and left Chicago for Cambridge, Massachusetts. In his 2nd year a power struggle broke out among the dominant white liberals over control of the ''Harvard Law Review''. Obama was elected its first black president as a compromise candidate largely with help of conservatives following a "marathon voting session" in which he finally won on the 19th ballot.<ref name=raisingobama /> This led to national attention and numerous job offers, which Obama passed up, at age 30, to pursue his political career in Chicago.<ref name=msnbc /><ref name=revealed />

===Early Employment===
====1983-1984, Financial Analyst and Writer====
In 1984 Obama worked as a writer and financial analyst for Business International Corporation to help pay off some of his student loans. Business International Corporation was a small newsletter-publishing and research firm which aided multinational companies understand overseas markets. Obama served as a writer/researcher for a company reference service, Financing Foreign Operations, and wrote for their newsletter, ''Business International Money Report''. His supervisor was Cathy Lazere. <ref name=differs /><ref>Henig, J. (2008, June 21). "[http://www.factcheck.org/2008/06/obama-polishes-his-resume-2/ Obama Polishes His Resume]." ''FactCheck.org''. [http://www.analyzethis.net/2005/07/09/barack-obama-embellishes-his-resume/ Barack Obama Embellishes His Resume] ''analyzethis.net''. </ref>
====1984-1988, Community Organizer====
In 1984, Obama was hired by the New York Public Interest Research Group, a non-profit organization promoting environmental, consumer, and government reforms. He also was paid just under $10,000 annually as a full-time organizer for Harlem's City College to mobilize student volunteers.<ref name=differs />

From 1985-88, Obama worked as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago <ref>The Developing Communities Project (DCP) of the Calumet Community Religious Conference (CCRC)</ref> funded with a $25,000 grant by [[Bill Ayers]]' Woods Fund. The ''New York Times'' reported he was paid $1,000 a year, with $2,000 extra for a car<ref name=revealed /><ref name=streetwise>Scott, Janny (2007, September 9). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/us/politics/09obama.html?pagewanted=all In 2000, a Streetwise Veteran Schooled a Bold Young Obama]." ''New York Times''.</ref> however stories vary wildly. Jerry Kellman, who hired him, says it was "$10,000 a year and a $2,000 car allowance". Obama himself gave different numbers; his memoir says $10,000 (as well as the car), in his Wesleyan speech he gave it as "$12,000 a year plus $2,000 for an old, beat-up car", and when he announced his candidacy for president, it was "a group of churches had offered me a job as a community organizer for $13,000 a year".

Ryan Lizza at ''The New Republic'' reported that "Jean Rudd of the Woods Fund...had provided Kellman with his original $25,000 to hire Obama". Ari Berman reported in ''The Nation'' that the "[Woods Fund] gave a $25,000 grant to the Developing Communities Project, which hired Obama". CBS Channel 2 in Chicago ran a story with a document showing that Obama's proposed salary in 1987 was $25,000, a number that the Obama campaign confirmed while insisting at the same time his original salary was $13,000.<ref>[http://theobamafile.com/obamaworks.htm Community Organizing], The Obama File. http://theobamafile.com.</ref>

During this time Obama joined Reverend Wright's Trinity United Church because in the words of Suzanne Malveaux of ''CNN'', "It was the church to join if you wanted to be one of Chicago's black movers and shakers." At the time, community organizing involved close affiliation with churches, which was how Obama met Wright. Obama abandoned the fight against asbestos contamination in the Altgeld Gardens housing project to pursue personal interests and a career by enrollment at Harvard Law School in the winter of 1988.<ref name=revealed />
====1988-1996, Law Practice====
In 1988 Obama gained work as a Summer Associate at one of the most prestigious corporate law firms in the world, Sidley Austin LLP<ref name=austin>Lattman, P. (2007, May 11). "[http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/05/11/sidley-austin-when-barack-met-michelle/ When Barack Met Michelle]." ''Wall Street Journal''.</ref><ref name=revealed />, owned by Newton Minow, thanks to the recommendation of Minow's daughter Martha, a professor at Harvard Law School. It was at Minow's law firm that Obama would meet Michelle Robinson, his future wife.<ref name=raisingobama /> From 1993-96 he practiced civil rights law including suing Citibank to force them into making [[Subprime loan|subprime mortgage]]s to unqualified minority borrowers.<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/03/community-reinvestment-act-mortgages-housing-opinions-contributors-peter-schweizer.html A Poisonous Cocktail: Expanding the Community Reinvestment Act], Peter Schweizer, ''Forbes'', 10.05.09. In ''Selma S. Buycks-Roberson v. Citibank'', lead attorney Obama alleged that although his clients had been denied mortgages "because of delinquent credit obligations and adverse credit," they were really victims of institutional racism. The suit was brought about by the Community Reinvestment Act, so called affirmative action mortgage lending. The plaintiffs won $60,000, Obama and two other attorneys were paid $950,000.</ref> After graduating from Harvard he was hired by Miner, Barnhill, & Galland, a small politically-connected law firm.<ref name=austin /> It was at Miner, Barnhill, & Galland that he would meet influential real estate developer Tony Rezko.<ref name=revealed />
====1991-1992, Project Vote====
In 1991 Obama was recruited by Sandy Newman to head the Chicago chapter of Project Vote!<ref name=revealed />, and in 1992 was the Executive Director, overseeing a voter registration drive which registered 125,000 black voters and was credited with defeating an incumbent Democrat in the primary and electing U.S. Senator Carol Mosely Braun.<ref name=raisingobama /><ref name=pragmatic />

====1992-2004, Lecturer at University of Chicago====
Obama taught part-time at the University of Chicago Law School<ref name=raisingobama /> from 1992-2004. Though Obama erroneously describes himself as a "constitutional law professor"<ref>http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-complains-of-being-constrained-by-a-system-founding-father-put-place</ref>, he was actually only a senior lecturer and the class he taught the most times was called "Current Issues in Racism and the Law".<ref>http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012/09/20/obamas-favorite-course-to-teach-at-the-university-of-chicago-revealed/</ref> He was a Lecturer from 1992-96, teaching 3 courses per year<cite>, and a senior lecturer from 1996-2004. After Obama was criticized for lying about his job title, the University of Chicago released a statement stating that senior lecturers are considered Law School faculty and regarded as professors but not full-time or tenured. Obama was invited to join the faculty in a full-time, tenured track position several times during this period but declined each time.<ref>"[http://www.law.uchicago.edu/media Media Inquiries: Statement Regarding Barack Obama]." ''University of Chicago Law School''.</ref>

====1995, Author====
In 1995 Obama published ''Dreams From My Father'' about his life and family background.<ref name=msnbc />

===Personal Awards===
====2009 Nobel Peace Prize====
On October 9, 2009 Barack H. Obama became the third sitting U.S. President<ref name=wilsons>Wilson, Scott (2009, October 10). "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/09/AR2009100900914.html President Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize]. ''Washington Post''.</ref> to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "''for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples''".<ref>NobelPrize.org (2009, October 9). "[http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/press.html The Nobel Prize for 2009: Press Release]." Oslo, Norway. Accessed May 13, 2012.</ref> Obama stated that he was "surprised and deeply humbled" to receive the unexpected award,<ref>(2009, October 9). "[http://articles.cnn.com/2009-10-09/world/nobel.peace.prize_1_norwegian-nobel-committee-international-diplomacy-and-cooperation-nuclear-weapons?_s=PM:WORLD Obama: Nobel Peace Prize is 'Call to Action']." ''CNN''.</ref> and also said, "To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who have inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace".<ref name=wilsons /> The award was widely criticized given Obama's then lack of accomplishments.<ref>Chazan, G. & MacDonald, A. (2009, October 11). "[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125509603349176083.html Nobel Committee's Decision Courts Controversy]." ''Wall Street Journal''. (2009, October 9). "[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/09/obamas-peace-prize-draws-criticism-liberals/ Obama's Peace Prize Draws Criticism, Even From Some Liberals]." ''Associated Press''.</ref>

==1996-2003, Illinois State Senate==
===1996 Election===
{{main article|Radical roots of Barack Hussein Obama}}
In 1995 a cadre of like minded individuals gathered for a fundraising event in the early career of Barack Obama hosted by [[Weather Underground]] (WUO) [[terrorist]] [[William Ayers|William "Bill" Ayers]]. Besides Obama, those in attendance were Ayers wife [[Bernardine Dohrn]],<ref>Georgie Anne Geyer and Keyes Beach "Cuba: School for U.S. Radicals", ''Chicago Daily News/Chicago Sun-Times'' five part series October 1970, excerpted in [http://foia.fbi.gov/filelink.html?file=/weather/weath1c.pdf FBI file Weather Underground Organization (Weatherman),] Part 1c pp. 5-7 pdf (113-115 in original). [http://therealbarackobama.wordpress.com/2009/06/07/clandestine-agents-of-the-cuban-government-ayers-dohrn-myers/]</ref> and Carl Davidson, veterans of [[guerrilla warfare]] training in [[Cuba]] just prior 1968 Democratic National Convention riots. Ayers and Dohrn have taken credit for, and never denied, bombing the [[U.S. Capitol]], the [[Pentagon]] and the [[State Department]].

Ayers and Dohrn used their celebrity status among [[leftist]]s to launch Obama's career. Ayers, Dohrn and [[Jeff Jones]]<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=106653 ''Obama's 'green jobs czar' worked with terror founder] Van Jones served on board of activist group where ex-Weatherman serves as top director'', By Aaron Klein, [[WorldNetDaily]], August 13, 2009.</ref> are authors of ''[[Bill_Ayers#Prairie_Fire_Organizing_Committee_and_Maoist_thought|Prairie Fire: The Politics of Revolutionary Anti-imperialism]],'' the title taken from ''The Sayings of Mao Zedong.''<ref>[http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/works/red-book/]</ref> The book declares "we are [[communist]] men and women."<ref>Harvey Klehr, ''Far Left of Center: The American Radical Left Today'' (Transaction Books, New Brunswick, 1988), 109.</ref> Ayers later jokingly, publicly admitted to ghostwriting Obama's book, ''Dreams From My Father''<ref>Cashill, J. (2011, March 28). [http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/03/ayers_affirms_he_wrote_dreams.html Ayers Affirms He Wrote Dreams From My Father]. ''American Thinker''.</ref> and Obama was to appoint several openly avowed Maoists to prominent White House and Executive Branch positions.<ref>Fund, J. (2009, October 21). [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704597704574487431322664964.html From Mao to Obama]. ''The Wall Street Journal''.</ref>

====Knocking Candidates Off the Ballot====
Barack Obama ran for the Illinois state senate in 1996. He was initially supported by incumbent [[Alice Palmer]], who declared she would run for the U.S. Congress. However, when her bid for Congress failed on November 28, 1995, she tried to run for her old seat in the March 1996 election. Her supporters asked Obama to step aside, although whether this was with her permission remains uncertain.<ref name=pragmatic /> Not only did Obama not step down, he gathered a team of high-priced lawyers, including fellow Harvard Law School graduate Thomas Johnson, to challenge his opponent's petition signatures on technicalities after the filing deadline had passed. Such tactics are legal and frequently used in Chicago; in 2006 they eliminated 67 of the 245 aldermanic candidates;<ref name=bareknuckle>Jackson, David & Long, Ray (2007, April 4). "[http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-0704030881apr04-archive,0,1523598,full.story Barack Obama: Showing His Bare Knuckles]." ''Chicago Tribune''.</ref> yet nevertheless led to the term "hardball" by the ''New York Times''<ref name=pragmatic /> and "cutthroat" by David Mendel as reported by both ''CNN''<ref name=revealed /> and ''MSNBC''.<ref name=msnbc /> The ''Chicago Tribune'' declared Obama had mastered "the bare-knuckle arts of Chicago electoral politics", noting "The man now running for president on a message of giving a voice to the voiceless first entered public office not by leveling the playing field, but by clearing it."<ref name=bareknuckle /> As one of Obama's four opponents, eliminated through his ballot challenges, would put it: {{cquote|"Why say you're for a new tomorrow, then do old-style Chicago politics to remove legitimate candidates? He talks about honor and democracy, but what honor is there in getting rid of every other candidate so you can run scot-free? Why not let the people decide?"
-Gha-is Askia, 1996 Illinois Senate candidate<ref>Jackson, David & Long, Ray (2007, April 3). "[http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-070403obama-ballot-archive,0,5297304,full.story Obama Knows His Way Around a Ballot]." ''Chicago Tribune''.</ref>}} Mark Ewell, another candidate, filed 1,286 signatures, and Obama's challenges left him 86 short of the minimum requirement (757<ref name=spivak>Spivak, Todd (2008, February 28). "[http://www.houstonpress.com/2008-02-28/news/barack-obama-screamed-at-me/ Barack Obama and Me]." ''Houston Press''.</ref>). Ewell filed a federal lawsuit contesting the election board's decision but Tom Johnson intervened, and Ewell's case was dismissed just a few days later. Ewell and other Obama opponents were using early 1995 polling sheets to verify signatures of registered voters, but city authorities had just purged 15,871 unqualified people from the 13th district list, and Obama's challenges used the more recent, updated list. Askia was left 69 signatures short of the requirement. If names were printed instead of signed in cursive, they were declared invalid. If they were good but the person registering the signatures wasn't a registered voter (e.g. underage) they were invalid.<ref name=hardball>Griffin, Drew & Johnston, Kathleen (2008, May 29). "[http://articles.cnn.com/2008-05-29/politics/obamas.first.campaign_1_obama-campaign-barack-obama-chicago-politics?_s=PM:POLITICS Obama Played Hardball in First Chicago Campaign]." ''CNN''.</ref> Palmer had according to Obama campaign consult Ronald Davis, used two children to help gather her petition signatures. To this day Palmer denies the challenges were valid, and maintains she could have overcome the objections with more time and resources.<ref name=bareknuckle /> Thanks to his lawyers, Obama would win the election without a single other candidate on the ballot.

===2000 Election===
: ''Main Article: [[Illinois 1st congressional district election, 2000]]''
In 2000, Obama lost his only political election when he chose to run against experienced incumbent and former [[Black Panther]] and Bobby L. Rush for the U.S. Congress in a 65% black district. Rush's name recognition began at 90%, Obama's at 11%. Michelle Obama opposed taking on an such an iconic figure dear to the community and threatened divorce.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2145035/Michelle-Obama-prepared-divorce-papers-separate-Barack-leaving-suicidal.html New book claims Michelle Obama prepared divorce papers to separate from Barack], By Daniel Bates, 16 May 2012. dailymail.co.uk</ref> Establishment Democrats considered Obama "a white man in blackface".<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/government-elections-politics/choice-2012/transcript-29/ PBS Frontline Transcript, The Choice 2012.</ref> Rush said of Obama, “He went to Harvard and became an educated fool,” adding, “We’re not impressed with these folks with these eastern elite degrees.”<ref>[http://dailycaller.com/2012/03/28/bobby-rush-in-2000-obamas-a-harvard-educated-fool-who-thinks-he-knows-all-about-the-civil-rights-protests/ Bobby Rush in 2000: Obama a Harvard ‘educated fool’ who ‘thinks he knows all about’ the ‘civil rights protests’], Daily Caller, 03/28/2012.</ref>Todd Spivak would give voice to this impression of Obama, noting that{{cquote|"My view of Obama then wasn't all that different from the image he projects now....One thing I can say is, I never heard him launch into the preacher-man voice he now employs during speeches. He sounded vanilla, and activists in his mostly black district often chided him for it."<ref name=spivak />}}Rush would go on to win the Primary with 61.02% of the vote; Obama received 30.36%.<ref name=streetwise /> The loss led to Obama considering dropping out of politics altogether, particularly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, since his name sounds similar to "Osama bin Laden".<ref name=msnbc />

===State Senate Voting Record===
[[File:O-2002-antiwar-rally-davidson.jpg|right|thumb|250px| Obama speaking at the October 2002 [[War on Terror|anti-War rally]] in Chicago organized by [[Carl Davidson]].<ref>Davidson is a longtime [[Mao]]ist and champion of the ''Thought of Mao Tse Tung.'' Davidson's anti-Trotskyite polemic, [http://www.wengewang.org/read.php?tid=10925 ''Left in Form, Right in Essence''] defends Maoist doctrine. </ref> Unlike Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, Obama took the rather unpopular position against "dumb wars".]]
Obama entered the Illinois Senate promising change to a corrupt system. He mixed often radical votes with more pragmatic agreements. Possibly one of his most radical votes was against requiring medical care for aborted children who survive [[abortion|the procedure]] - in fact the Illinois Planned Parenthood Council ascribed him a 100% rating for his consistently pro-choice votes.<ref name="cbs illinois">{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/17/politics/main2369157.shtml|title=Obama Record May Be Gold Mine For Critics|work=CBS|format=HTML|language=English|last=Clark|first=Amy S.|date=Jan. 17, 2007}}</ref> He was criticized for using the statehouse as a stepping stone for a more illustrious career: Steven J. Rauschenberger, a [[Republican]], said prior to Obama's election as president: “He is a very bright but very ambitious person who has always had his eyes on the prize, and it wasn’t Springfield. If he deserves to be president, it is not because he was a great legislator.”<ref name="nyt illinois">{{cite web|work=The New York Times|title=In Illinois, Obama Proved Pragmatic and Shrewd|last=Scott|first=Janny|format=HTML|language=English|date=July 30, 2007|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/us/politics/30obama.html}}</ref>

The statehouse was majority Republican, so the Senator was sometimes forced to compromise. He formed allegiances across party lines to pass [[campaign finance]] reform that banned most gifts by lobbyists, prohibited spending campaign money for legislators’ personal use and required electronic filing of campaign disclosure reports.<ref name="nyt illinois"/> Obama also helped pass a so-called “driving-while-black bill”, which required the police to collect data on the race of drivers they stopped as a way to monitor [[racial profiling]].<ref name="nyt illinois"/>

Obama established himself as a chief spokesperson in opposition to the [[War on Terror]] during an October 2002 rally at Federal Plaza in Chicago<ref>The rally was organized by Chicagoans Against War in Iraq (CAWI) later renamed Chicagoans Against War and Injustice. [http://www.noiraqwar-chicago.org/?page_id=2 About CAWI] by Carl Davidson, Nov 02 2006. Retrieved from Chicagoans Against War and Injustice, March 15, 2010.</ref> [[community organizing|organized]] by veteran [[Mao]]ist and webmaster of [[Progressives for Obama]],<ref>[http://www.linkedin.com/in/carldavidson Carl Davidson,] LinkedIn.com, retrieved March 13, 2010.</ref> [[Carl Davidson]].

===2003 Emil Jones Deal===
: ''Main Article: [[2003 Barack Obama deal with Emil Jones]]''
When Illinois' U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald announced he would be retiring in April 2003, Obama jumped at the opportunity, declaring that he would be a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2004.<ref name=msnbc /> To boost his chances Obama approached the newly crowned president of the Illinois Senate, Emil Jones Jr., with a proposal. According to Jones, whom Obama has since called his "godfather"<ref name=godfather>''Associated Press'' (2009, June 18). "[http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-250_162-3983147.html Obama's Political 'Godfather' In Illinois]."</ref> the conversation went as follows:
{{cquote|"After I was elected president, in 2003, he came to see me, a couple months later. And he said to me, he said, ‘You’re the senate president now, and with that, you have a lot of pow-er.’ And I told Barack, ‘You think I got a lot of pow-er now?,’ and he said, ‘Yeah, you got a lot of pow-er.’ And I said, ‘What kind of pow-er do I have?’ He said, ‘You have the pow-er to make a United States sen-a-tor!’ I said to Barack, I said, ‘That sounds good!’ I said, ‘I haven’t even thought of that.’ I said, ‘Do you have someone in mind you think I could make?,’ and he said, ‘Yeah. Me.’ "<ref name=raisingobama /><ref name=pragmatic />}}
Because of the deal, Obama's entire Illinois Senate legislative record was, as longtime Obama reporter Todd Spivak put it, built in a single year. During his 7th and final year in the Illinois Senate, Obama sponsored an incredible 26 bills into law, including many he now points to when criticized as inexperienced<ref name=spivak /> - as ''CNN's'' Suzanne Malveaux observed, "With help from on high, Obama got his name on hundreds of bills that he pushed through."<ref name=revealed /> Jones not only had Obama craft legislation addressing daily tragedies to raise his political profile<ref name=godfather />, he also appointed Obama head of almost all high-profile legislation in the Illinois Senate, angering other state legislators with more seniority who'd spent years supporting the bills.<ref name=spivak /> Illinois State Senator Rickey Hendon, the original sponsor of the famous racial profiling bill requiring videotaped confessions in police interrogations, complained bitterly about Jones' decision.<ref name=revealed /><ref name=intheblack>Spivak, Todd (2004, March 25). "[http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-922-in-the-black.html In the Black]." ''Illinois Times''.</ref> Jones' influence had a major impact on Obama's chances in the 2004 elections, preventing major political players from backing Obama's opponents. To quote Emil Jones,{{cquote|"He knew if he had me in the run for the Senate, it would put a block on the current mayor. The current mayor and the father of the controller, which was Dan Hynes, they were roommates in Springfield when the mayor was a state senator, so they had a relationship. Another big financial backer for the governor was Blair Hull. Barack knew if he had me it would checkmate the governor, ’cause the governor couldn’t come out and go with Blair Hull, ’cause the governor needs me. Same with the mayor. So he had analyzed and figured all of that out. He knew I could help him with labor support. And I could put a checkmate on some of the local politicians that didn’t know him, but they couldn’t really go against me."
-Emil Jones<ref name=raisingobama />}}

==2004-2008, U.S. Senate==
:''See also: [[Early_life_and_career_of_Barack_Hussein_Obama#U.S._Senate_.282004-2008.29|Barack Obama:U.S. Senate (2004-2008)]], [[United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004]]''
[[Image:obama.jpg|thumb|left|Senator Barack Obama]]
===2004 Primary Election===
Despite initially trailing in the polls to frontrunner [[Blair Hull]]<ref name=intheblack />, Obama greatly benefited from what the ''Chicago Tribune'' called "the most inglorious campaign implosion in Illinois political history"<ref name=mendell>Mendell, David (2004, March 17). "[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-03-17/news/0403170332_1_blair-hull-gery-chico-blacks-and-liberal-whites Obama Routs Democratic Foes]." ''Chicago Tribune''.</ref> when pressure from journalists and opposing candidates, just weeks before the election, forced the unsealing of Hull's messy divorce files.<ref name=blairhull>Voegeli, William (2004, March 19). "[http://www.claremont.org/publications/pubid.339/pub_detail.asp The Rise and Fall of Blair Hull]." ''The Claremont Institute''.</ref> The files revealed Hull's ex-wife's accusations of verbal and physical abuse.<ref name=spivak /> Hull would afterwards criticize the media, stating, "As for the press, I will never read the newspaper the same way again."<ref name=mendell /> Obama would go on to win the Primary with 53% of the vote.<ref name=blairhull /> Obama's unexpected victory led to him being termed a "rising star" by the media.<ref>Howlett, Debbie (2004, March 18). "[http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/2004-03-18-obama-usat_x.htm Dems See a Rising Star in Illinois Senate Candidate]." ''USA Today''.</ref>
===2004 General Election, Jack Ryan===
Once again Obama found himself trailing to popular frontrunner [[Jack Ryan]], and once again a candidate's campaign imploded thanks to media intervention. In an unprecedented move, the ''Chicago Tribune'' and local TV station WLS sued to force the unsealing of Ryan's divorce files, despite opposition from both Ryan and his wife, Jeri Ryan, who in the files accused Jack Ryan of trying to coerce her to perform sex acts in public. Though Ryan advisors told him he could still win if using a negative attack on Obama, Ryan refused to engage in what he considered dirty politics.<ref name=abandon>''Associated Press'' (2004, June 26). "[http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/state/2004-06-25-ryan_x.htm Jack Ryan Abandons Senate Bid]."</ref> Ryan then dropped out of the race (per request by the Illinois GOP<ref name=idealist>Sangwan, Rahul (2004, October 1). "[http://www.dartmouthindependent.com/archives/2004/10/jack_ryan_81_th.html Jack Ryan '81: The Conservative Idealist]." ''Dartmouth Independent''.</ref>), following which the Illinois GOP scrambled to find a replacement, leaving Obama uncontested for weeks to campaign and build up public support. On top of all this, Obama was selected to give the keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention (July 27<ref>''Washington Post'' (2004, June 26). "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19751-2004Jul27.html Illinois Senate Candidate Barack Obama]."</ref>), catapulting him into the national spotlight, and leading to further media publicity terming him a "rising star".<ref>Page, Susan & Despoignes, Peronet (2004, July 28). "[http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-07-28-obama-speech_x.htm Rising Star Brings Democrats to Their Feet]." ''USA Today''.</ref>
===2004 General Election, Alan Keyes===
: ''Main Article: [[Obama born alive controversy]]''
After a number of candidates including former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka declined to run<ref>''CNN'' (2004, August 9). "[http://articles.cnn.com/2004-08-09/politics/il.keyes_1_senate-candidate-senate-race-illinois-senate?_s=PM:ALLPOLITICS Keyes Challenges Obama for Illinois Senate Seat]."</ref>, the Illinois GOP finally settled on fiery [[Alan Keyes]], a former Ambassador to the Economic and Social Counsel of the United Nations<ref name=spivak />, with less than 3 months left before the November 2004 election.<ref name=msnbc /> His sudden entrance into the state for the election was initially attacked in the press as "carpetbagging".<ref>''Chicago Tribune''. "[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-08-06/news/0408060313_1_mr-keyes-judy-baar-topinka-alan-keyes The GOP's Rent-A-Senator]." ''Washington Post'' (2004, August 9). "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50885-2004Aug8.html Mr. Keyes the Carpetbagger].</ref><ref name=pearson>Pearson, Rick (2004, September 5). "[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-09-05/news/0409050304_1_selfish-hedonist-alan-keyes-illinois-republican-party Keyes, State GOP Gearing Up Blame Campaign]." ''Chicago Tribune''.</ref> Keyes repeatedly claimed his primary motivation for entering a race he had seemingly no chance of winning was his disgust at Obama's votes on the popular [[Born Alive]] bills.<ref>Keyes, Alan (2004, August 18). "[http://www.mail-archive.com/newsandviews@chuckmuth.com/msg00699.html How You Can Help Alan Keyes for Senate!]." ''Keyes2004 Inc.''</ref> Keyes, from his first day of arriving in Illinois (August 9, 2004)<ref name=assails>''Associated Press'' (2004, August 9). "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5654128/ Keyes Assails Obama's Abortion Views]."</ref>, accused Obama of having voted against bills mandating medical care for newborn children, and supporting "infanticide" (the term twice used in the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act<ref>''United States Congress'' (2003, March 13). "[http://news.findlaw.com/wp/docs/abortion/2003s3.html S.3: Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003]."</ref>) where hospitals left newborn infants to die like garbage.<ref>Smiley, Tavis (2004, August 31). "[http://www.keyesarchives.com/transcript.php?id=341 Alan Keyes on the Tavis Smiley Show]." ''NPR''. ''CBS2 Chicago'' (2004, August 30). "[http://www.keyesarchives.com/transcript.php?id=337 Alan Keyes on CBS2 Chicago This Morning]." This Morning.</ref> Obama in a debate on October 13, 2004, defended himself against Keyes' accusations of infanticide by claiming that Illinois law was already sufficient.<ref>''Chicago Tribune'' (2004, October 13). "[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-10-13/news/0410140004_1_alan-keyes-senate-race-first-of-three-debates Debate or Discussion?]"</ref>

However, Keyes' rhetoric, calling Obama's votes "the slaveholder's position"<ref name=assails /> and saying "Jesus Christ would not vote for Obama"<ref>Thomas, Scott (2004, September 7). "[http://www.keyesarchives.com/transcript.php?id=348 Alan Keyes on the Scott Thomas Show (AM1160 - WYLL)]." ''Scott Thomas Show''. Chicago, Illinois.</ref> was widely ridiculed by the press. Keyes' unabashed criticism of homosexuality as "selfish hedonism" was also targeted.<ref name=pearson /><ref>''Associated Press''. "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5897569/ Keyes: Cheney's Gay Daughter Practicing Selfish Hedonism]." Pallasch, Abdom M. (2004, September 2). "[http://web.archive.org/web/20071017122135/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20040902/ai_n12560727 Topinka Says He Should Apologize for 'Idiotic' Comment]." ''Chicago Sun-Times''.</ref> Obama would ultimately win the election, 70% to 27%.<ref>''CNN.com''. "[http://cnn.hu/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/IL/S/01/index.html Election Results: U.S. Senate/Illinois]." Election 2004.</ref>

===U.S. Senate Voting Record===
Obama's incomplete term in the U.S. Senate was largely unoteworthy. In voting against raising the [[debt limit]] in 2006 Obama famously said, "The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. government can’t pay its own bills. ... I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit."<ref>''Washington Post'' FACT CHECKER, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/annotating-obamas-2006-speech-against-boosting-the-debt-limit/2013/01/14/aa8cf8c4-5e9b-11e2-9940-6fc488f3fecd_blog.html Annotating Obama’s 2006 speech against boosting the debt limit], Glenn Kessler, 01/15/2013.</ref><ref>Kaplan, R. (2011, April 11). [http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/04/obama-once-opposed-debt-ceiling-hike/237129/ Obama Once Opposed Debt Ceiling Hike]. ''The Atlantic''.</ref> In 2008 as candidate for president Obama called George W. Bush's request to raise the debt limit "irresponsible" and "unpatriotic".<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kuTG19Cu_Q Obama says adding $4 trillion to debt is unpatriotic.] Youtbue.</ref>

The ''National Journal'' ranked him the most liberal senator in 2007.<ref name="ranked">{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-502163_162-3775451-502163.html|title=National Journal: Obama Most Liberal Senator In 2007|author=Brian Montopoli|date=January 31, 2008|work=CBS}}</ref>

Obama frequently used the [[filibuster]] to obstruct the operations of government,<ref>O'Keefe, E. (2010, February 4). [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR2010020303801_pf.html Obama criticizes Senate Republicans for delaying confirmation votes]. ''The Washington Post''.</ref> and voted against the [[minimum wage]] bill<ref>[http://uspolitics.about.com/od/legislatio1/a/HR2206.htm HR 2206 - Emergency Appropriations], Kathy Gill, Your Guide to U.S. Politics: Current Events. May 26 2007. [http://more.gov.mtopgroup.com/2007/05/votes-hr-2206-iraq-supplemental.html Votes - H.R. 2206: Iraq Supplemental], May 28, 2007. Retrieved from Deeper Inside the Mountain, June 4, 2007.</ref> he introduced because it included a provision to pay active duty U.S. troops. He voted for the $700 billion TARP program to bailout the big banks after receiving more than $120,000 in contributions from [[Fannie Mae]], a government sponsored entity<ref>more than any other political candidate for office since 1989. [http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/09/update-fannie-mae-and-freddie.html Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Invest in Lawmakers], By Lindsay Renick Mayer, September 11, 2008. opensecrets.org</ref> taken into conservatorship for mismanaging its affairs and responsible for all the big bank's problems.

According to Opensecrets.org, of the 671,269 contributions to Obama during his time in the Senate, [[Goldman Sachs]], JP Morgan, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley were among the top 20 biggest money donors to his campaigns. [http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cid=N00009638&cycle=2008][http://www.votesmart.org/finance.php?can_id=9490] All four subsequently received approximately $70 billion in taxpayer assisted [[bailout]] money from the [[TARP]] program he voted for.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/10/14/business/14bailout.graphic2.html ''Beneficiary Banks'', New York Times. 2008-10-14.]</ref> UBS AG, a foreign bank and the 12th largest donor to Obama,<ref>http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cycle=2008&cid=N00009638</ref> was fined $780 billion in February 2009 in a U.S. Federal Court on charges it helped thousands of Americans evade taxes.<ref>[http://www.investmentnews.com/article/20090219/FREE/902199983 ''UBS fined $780 million in tax evasion scandal,''] Investment News, February 19, 2009.</ref>

==2008 Presidential Election==
{{main article|Barack Hussein Obama 2008 Presidential campaign}}
Unlike Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, Obama's hands were not stained with a vote for the Iraqi war resolution, as he was not in the Senate at the time; a minority of Democrats who wanted to punish candidates for exhibiting [[bi-partisan]]ship began calling for his candidacy after liberals lauded his 2004 [[Democratic National Convention]] speech.
====Primary Election====
In 2007-08, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton competed for the Democratic nomination. Hillary Clinton cleverly resurrected the "Born Alive" controversy surrounding Obama that had lain largely dormant since 2004 (notwithstanding the continuing mentions by Jill Stanek), by accusing Obama of not being pro-choice for voting "Present" on a number of abortion-related bills<ref>Bettelheim, Adriel (2008, February 13). "[http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/feb/13/obamas-present-tension/ Obama's 'Present' Tension]." ''PolitiFact''.</ref> - including the Born Alive ones,<ref name=clinton>Berman, Russell (2008, January 17). "[http://www.nysun.com/national/clinton-obama-should-vote-no-on-abortion-issue/69700/ Clinton: Obama Should Vote 'No' On Abortion Issue She Backed]." ''New York Sun''. Hernandez, Raymond & Drew, Christopher (2007, December 20). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/us/politics/20obama.html?pagewanted=all It's Not Just 'Ayes' and 'Nays': Obama's Votes in Illinois Echo]." ''New York Times''.</ref> and cowardly ducking the votes.<ref>''Politi-Fact''. "[http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2008/feb/13/hillary-clinton/yes-but-its-complicated/ Response to Hillary Clinton Comment for January 21st, 2008]." Truth-o-Meter. Dorning, Mike (2007, December 20). "[http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/12/criticism_of_obama_present_vot.html Clinton Camp Criticizes Obama 'Present' Votes]." The Swamp. ''Chicago Tribune''.</ref> This led to criticism of Obama by two pro-choice organizations, Emily's List, and the National Organization for Women.<ref>Dorning, Mike (2008, January 14). "[http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/01/obama_campaign_mounts_defense.html The Swamp: Obama Campaign Defends His Abortion-Rights Record]." ''Chicago Tribune''. Dorn, Michael (2008, February 6). "[http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/02/obamas_voting_record_on_aborti_1.html Obama's Voting Record on Abortion]." ''Washington Post''. Newton-Small, Jay (2008, January 14). "[http://swampland.time.com/2008/01/14/obama_campaign_defends_present/ Obama Campaign Defends 'Present' Abortion Votes]." ''Time Magazine''.</ref> However, Pam Sutherland, the long-time head of Illinois Planned Parenthood, came to Obama's aid, criticizing Clinton for making the attack, and stating repeatedly that Obama's present votes were part of a broader strategy used by Planned Parenthood to keep Illinois voters from knowing their state senators were voting against the controversial and popular bills.<ref>Hernandez, Raymond & Drew, Christopher (2007, December 20). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/us/politics/20cnd-obama.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin Obama's Vote in Illinois Was Often Just 'Present']." ''New York Times''. Follmer, Max (2008, March 28). "[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/14/obama-emphasizes-prochoic_n_81460.html Obama Emphasizes Pro-Choice Voting Record as Clinton Questions 'Present' Votes]." ''Huffington Post''.</ref>
{{cquote|"He came to me and said: ‘My members are being attacked. We need to figure out a way to protect members and to protect women. A ‘present’ vote was hard to pigeonhole which is exactly what Obama wanted. What it did was give cover to moderate Democrats who wanted to vote with us but were afraid to do so" because of how their votes would be used against them electorally. A ‘present’ vote would protect them. Your senator voted ‘present.’ Most of the electorate is not going to know what that means."
-Pam Sutherland, President/CEO of Illinois Planned Parenthood Council, 1980-2012<ref>Davis, Teddy (2007, July 17). "[http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2007/07/obama-abortion/ Obama Abortion Dodges Blessed by Planned Parenthood], ''ABC News''.</ref>}}As the contest in Iowa drew near and the former First Lady's inevitability was being usurped by a challenger, Hillary Clinton organizers began circulating rumors that Obama was secretly a Muslim.<ref>[http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/10/barackemail/ Obama Under the Clinton Microscope], By JEFF ZELENY, ''New York Times'', December 10, 2007; [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/12/06/clinton-volunteers-anti-obama-e-mail-causes-stir/ Clinton volunteer's sending of anti-Obama e-mail causes stir]. December 6, 2007. CNN; [http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=92143 Hillary Clinton Press Release - Sen. Obama Rewrites History], December 2, 2007, references Obama in the Muslim school in Indonesia in 3rd grade, quoting the ''The Los Angeles Times'', 3/15/07; [http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/americas/article1995587.ece Obama ‘was educated in madrassa’], Tim Reid and Tom Baldwin, ''The Times'' (London), January 20, 2007.</ref> Clinton also made the claim repeatedly that while Obama was leading in Delegates she was winning the Popular Vote<ref>Koffler, Daniel (2008, May 28). "[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-koffler/hillary-clinton-and-the-p_b_103913.html Hillary Clinton and the Popular Vote: Not Wrong, but Meaningless]." ''Huffington Post''. Barone, Michael (2008, March 28). "[http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/barone/2008/03/28/projection-clinton-wins-popular-vote-obama-wins-delegate-count Projection: Clinton Wins Popular Vote, Obama Wins Delegate Vote]." ''U.S. News''.</ref>, though this was in part because Obama hadn't been registered in Michigan.<ref>Romano, Andrew (2008, August 2). "[http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/blogs/stumper/2008/06/02/clinton-s-popular-vote-claim-close-but-not-quite.html Clinton's Popular Vote Claim? Close--But Not Quite*]." ''Newsweek''. ''RealClearPolitics''. "[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/democratic_vote_count.html 2008 Democratic Popular Vote]."</ref> Obama's advantage with super-delegates over Clinton was about 2-to-1.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Superdelegate endorsements for Friday 6/6|work=Democratic Convention Watch|url=http://demconwatch.blogspot.com/2008/06/superdelegate-endorsements-for-friday.html}}</ref> Obama was able to attract the support of [[liberals]] by pointing out that he had come out against the [[Iraq War]] "from the beginning" whereas Clinton had voted in favor of the war in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-01-31-democrats-debate_N.htm|title=Obama, Clinton stress differences on Iraq, issues|author=David Jackson|work=USA Today|format=HTML|language=English}}</ref> On June 7, 2008, Hillary Clinton withdrew from the Primaries, conceding the race and endorsing her opponent<ref>''Associated Press''. "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24993082/ns/politics-decision_08/t/clinton-ends-historic-bid-endorses-obama/ Clinton Ends Historic Bid, Endorses Obama]."</ref>, when Obama passed the 2,118 Delegates required; winning 2,201 delegates to Clinton's 1,896.<ref>''CNN''. "[http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/scorecard/#D Election Center 2008].</ref>

====Born Alive Record Resurfaces====
On June 30, 2008, Obama's voting record on the "Born Alive" bills came once more to the forefront when CNN gave voice to the growing controversy and revealed the defense Obama had been using since 2004-2008, that the Illinois bills he'd voted against were different from the federal bill, was false, since he'd brought up for a vote a bill word for word identical to the federal bill in the Health and Human Services Committee he chaired, and voted against it, defeating it.<ref>''CNN''. "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPZCXcTwZPY How He Really Voted on Abortion: Obama's Record Under Attack]." ''The Situation Room''. Uploaded to ''YouTube'' by Jill Stanek. ''CNN''. "[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0806/30/sitroom.02.html Transcripts: June 30, 2008]." The Situation Room.</ref> This led in August to a confrontation between Obama and the [[NRLC]].<ref>''National Right to Life Committee''. "[http://www.nrlc.org/news/2008/NRL08/ObamaCoverup.html Obama Cover-up Revealed on Born-Alive Abortion Survivor's Bill]." NRL News, Vol. 35, Issue 7-8, pg. 5.</ref> After Obama accused critics of 'lying'<ref>Brody, David (2008, August 16). "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skq5M1Ksp_c McCain/Obama Forum]." ''CNN''. Uploaded to ''YouTube'' by Jill Stanek. David Brody (August 16, 2008). "[http://blogs.cbn.com/thebrodyfile/archive/2008/08/16/obama-gets-heated-on-born-alive-infant-protection-act.aspx Obama Gets Heated on Born Alive Infant Protection Act]." ''CBN News''. The Brody File.</ref> the NRLC challenged the assertion, and the Obama campaign conceded he "misspoke" and had voted against an identical bill to the "federal bill that everybody supported" but focused on Obama's new claim, that Illinois law was already sufficient to protect newborn children.<ref>Berman, Russell (2008, August 18). "[http://www.nysun.com/national/obama-facing-attacks-from-all-sides-over-abortion/84059/ Obama Facing Attacks From All Sides Over Abortion Record]." ''New York Sun''.</ref> The NRLC promptly declared "Senator Barack Obama's four-year effort to cover up his full role in killing legislation to protect born-alive survivors of abortions continues to unravel."<ref>Johnson, Douglas (2008, August 18). "[http://www.nrlc.org/ObamaBAIPA/Obamacoveruponbornalive.htm Obama Cover-up on Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Continues to Unravel After Sen. Obama Says NRLC is 'Lying']." ''National Right to Life Committee''.</ref>
====Jeremiah Wright====
:''See also: [[Barack Obama and Liberation Theology]]''
One major dilemma that arose for Obama during his campaign was his connection to his preacher [[Jeremiah Wright]]. Obama and his wife (raised a Baptist) were members of the Trinity [[United Church of Christ]]<ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1776246/posts</ref> in Chicago, a church that embraced [[black liberation theology]] and its emphasis on empowering so-called "oppressed groups" against "establishment forces". This denomination was the first in America to ordain gays as ministers.<ref>http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/31079.html, Obama's church pushes controversial doctrines, March 20, 2008</ref> Church pastor Jeremiah Wright had been making inflammatory comments and posting his sermons online for sale. These include the statement "G-d damn America," and in describing the September 11th attacks, "We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost."<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=4443788 Obama's Pastor: G-d Damn America, U.S. to Blame for 9/11]</ref> In addition, Rev. Wright blamed America saying "We supported Zionism shamelessly while ignoring the Palestinians and branding anybody who spoke out against it as being [[anti-Semitic]]."

In April 2008, after 20 years in the church, candidate Obama made public statements poised to set him at odds with the man who conducted his wedding and baptized his children. With the negative publicity persisting, a month later Obama ended the friendship, left Wright's church, and blamed the media.<ref>[http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/05/31/obama-resigns-church-membership-in-chicago/], Obama Drops Church Membership in Chicago, May 31, 2008</ref> Obama claimed “It’s not fair to the other members of the church who seek to worship in peace...", and distanced himself from Wright's sermons as "a bunch of rants that aren't grounded in the truth."<ref>USA TODAY, ''Obama breaks with former pastor, Candidate cites rants on U.S. role in terror, AIDS'', by Kathy Kiely and David Jackson [http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080430/1a_offlede30_dom.art.htm]</ref><ref>''Obama Says He Is Outraged By Wright's "Rants"''[http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/bulletin/bulletin_080430.htm]</ref>

====Result====
Obama made an effort to portray John McCain as similar to George W. Bush, drawing attention to McCain's refusal to criticize the unpopular president. McCain was particularly criticized for saying of how many years we should be willing to stay in Iraq, "Make it a hundred."<ref>Dobbs, Michael (2008, April 2). "[http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/04/mccains_100year_war.html FactChecker: McCain's '100-Year War']." ''Washington Post''.</ref>{{cquote|"John McCain went on television and said that there has been great progress economically over the last seven-and-a-half years. John McCain thinks our economy has made great progress under George W. Bush? How could somebody who has been traveling across this country, somebody who came to Erie, Pennsylvania, say we’ve made great progress?"
-Barack Obama<ref>Zeleny, Jeff (2008, April 18). "[http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/obama-criticizes-mccain-on-economic-stance/ Obama Criticizes McCain on Economic Stance]." ''New York Times''.</ref>}} On August 22nd, Obama selected [[Joe Biden]] as his running mate for the vice presidency<ref>''CNN'' (2008, August 23). "[http://articles.cnn.com/2008-08-23/politics/biden.democrat.vp.candidate_1_biden-john-mccain-barack-obama?_s=PM:POLITICS Obama Introduces Biden as Running Mate]."</ref>, which would be contrasted one week later with John McCain's selection of [[Sarah Palin]].<ref>Cooper, Michael & Bumiller, Elisabeth (2008, August 29). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us/politics/29palin.html?pagewanted=all Alaskan is McCain's Choice; First Woman on G.O.P. Ticket]. ''New York Times''.</ref>

On November 2, 2008, Barack Obama won the presidential election with 365 electoral votes to John McCain's 173.<ref>(2008, November 14). "[http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/explorer.html Electoral Explorer]." Election Results 2008. ''New York Times''.</ref> Obama received 53% of the popular vote to John McCain's 46%.<ref>(2008, November 17). "[http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/ President]." Election Center 2008. ''CNN''.</ref>

==2009-2013, U.S. Presidency==
{{main article|Obama administration}}
[[File:Obama and George H. W. Bush.jpg|thumb|right|300px|President Barack Obama meets with former President George H. W. Bush in the Oval Office, Feb. 15, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza).]]
Five years into Obama's presidency the number of people holding jobs still was 3 million below the all time high of 138 million<ref>The effectiveness of [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009|Stimulus]] and deficits: [http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?graph_id=112811 Job growth under President Obama's first term;] Source: United States Department of Labor.</ref> workers - despite an increase of 10 million people in population over the same period of time.<ref>[https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?graph_id=112809 U.S. Population growth during Obama's first four years in office.] Source: U.S. Census Bureau.</ref> Under Obama and Senate Democrats<ref>The Democratic controlled Senate did not propose, vote on, or pass a budget for nearly five years. [http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/23/politics/senate-budget-bill/index.html Senate passes its first budget proposal in four years,] Ted Barrett and Alison Harding, CNN, March 23, 2013.</ref> budget management, the United States suffered its largest [[Federal budget deficit|deficit]]s<ref>Edwards, B. et. al. (2009, November 6). [http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/107xx/doc10708/11-06-mbr.htm Monthly Budget Review: Fiscal Year 2009]. ''Congressional Budget Office''. Delisle, E.C. et. al. (2010, November 5). [http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/118xx/doc11873/NovemberMBR.pdf Monthly Budget Review: Fiscal Year 2010]. ''Congressional Budget Office''.</ref> in history and its credit-worthiness downgraded from Standard & Poors. Obama assured Americans that unemployment would not rise above 8% if his [[economic stimulus]] program was adopted, however it rose and stagnated in the 8-10% range<ref>Di Leo, L & Lynch, S.N. (2010, August 20). [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704476104575439172480870774.html Jobless Claims Jump in New Sign Recovery is Sputtering]. ''The Wall Street Journal''.</ref><ref>Bureau of Labor Statistics. [http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?data_tool=latest_numbers&series_id=LNS11300000&years_option=specific_years&include_graphs=true&to_month=1&from_month=2 Databases, Tables & Calculators by Subject: Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey]. ''United States Department of Labor''. Data extracted on: July 19, 2010 (4:31:11 PM).</ref> for the entirety of his first term.

Patrick H. Caddell and Douglas E. Schoen, writing in the [[Wall Street Journal]], noted, "Rather than being a unifier, Mr. Obama has divided America on the basis of race, class and partisanship." The commentators also note Obama's approach to governance has encouraged radical leftists to pursue a similar strategy on his behalf. Mary Frances Berry, former head of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, acknowledged that the [[Obama administration]] has taken to polarizing America around the issue of race as a means of diverting attention from other issues, saying, "Having one's opponent [[race card|rebut charges of racism]] is far better than discussing [[Unemployment|joblessness]]."<ref>Berry, M.F. (2010, July 20). [http://www.politico.com/arena/perm/Mary_Frances_Berry_91E3D9D5-C40D-440C-9D48-1C50CBC60C87.html Energy Arena, Driving the Conversation: Contracting Out U.S. Security? And will Branding Tea Party Racist Work?] ''Politico''.</ref> Caddell and Schoen, who worked for President Carter and Clinton, respectively, further stated, "Mr. Obama has also cynically [[class warfare|divided the country on class lines]]. He has taken to playing the populist card time and time again. He bashes Wall Street and insurance companies whenever convenient to advance his programs, yet he has been eager to accept campaign contributions and negotiate with these very same banks and [[corporation]]s behind closed doors in order to advance his political agenda... President Obama's divisive approach to governance has weakened us as a people and paralyzed our political culture."<ref>Caddell, P.H. & Schoen, D.E. (2010, July 28). [http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748703700904575391553798363586.html Our Divisive President]. ''The Wall Street Journal''.</ref>
===Domestic policy===
====Economic policy====
[[File:Keynes.jpg|thumbnail|right|190px|[[Barack Obama]] advocates the use of discredited [[Keynesian economics|Keynesian economic concepts]]<ref>
*[http://centurean2.wordpress.com/2011/03/20/fabian-john-maynard-keynes-the-stealthy-enemy-of-human-freedom/ John Maynard Keynes the stealthy enemy of human freedom]
*[http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-02-22/deathbed-of-keynesian-economics-will-be-in-u-k-matthew-lynn.html Deathbed of Keynesian Economics will be in the UK]
*[http://www.iwf.org/inkwell/show/23102.html Will the G8 Repudiate the Philosophy of Living Beyond Our Means?]
*[http://www.keynesatharvard.org/book/KeynesatHarvard-ch09.html KEYNES AT HARVARD Economic Deception as a Political Credo BY ZYGMUND DOBBS]
</ref> ]]
{{see also|Obamunism|American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009}}
Critics of the Obama administration have coined the word "[[Obamunism]]" to describe Barack Obama's [[socialism|socialistic]] and "[[fascism]] light" [[economic planning]] policies.<ref>[[Benito Mussolini]] defined fascism as the wedding of state and corporate powers. Accordingly, trend forecaster [[Gerald Celente]] labels [[Obama administration corporate bailouts|Obama's corporate bailouts]] as being "fascism light" in nature.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebigmoney.com/articles/daily-intel/2009/07/20/obamunism-inc|work=The Big Money|publisher=WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC|format=HTML|language=English|title=Obamunism, Inc.|author=David Sessions|date=July 20, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smallbusinessadvocate.com/small-business-interviews/gerald-celente-6944|author=Jim Blasingame|title=Is the government creating a bailout bubble?}}</ref> Obamunism can also refer to Obama's [[Obama administration fiscal policy|ruinous fiscal policies]] and [[Obama administration monetary policy|reckless monetary policies]].<ref name="gerard">{{cite web|url=http://seekingalpha.com/article/120883-monetary-policynot-obama-s-stimulusis-what-needs-watching|title=Monetary Policy-Not Obama's Stimulus-Is What Needs Watching|author=Gerard Jackson|date=February 16, 2009|work=Seeking Alpha}}</ref><ref name="bam">{{cite web|work=New York Post|date=May 17, 2009|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/05172009/postopinion/editorials/bams_wise_words_169731.htm|title=BAM'S WISE WORDS}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.heritage.org/2009/03/24/bush-deficit-vs-obama-deficit-in-pictures/|title=Bush Deficit vs. Obama Deficit in Pictures|work=The Foundry|publisher=The Heritage Foundation|author=Conn Carroll|date=March 24th, 2009}}</ref> As seen in his own actions, Barack Obama instructed his advisors to find loopholes that would enable the president to act as a [[dictator]] by pushing through legislation and increases in spending without congressional authority.<ref>Naked Emperor News (2011, October 12). [http://www.theblaze.com/stories/executive-dictatorship-obama-instructs-advisers-to-push-through-stimulus-projects-without-pesky-congressional-authorization/ Exclusive Dictatorship: Obama Instructs Advisors to Push Through Stimulus Projects Without Pesky 'Congressional Authorization']. ''The Blaze''.</ref>

Nevertheless, budgets passed under President Obama have included the smallest average annualized growth of federal spending (1.4%) since before President Reagan. Federal spending grew an average of 8.7% per year during Reagan's first term and an average of 8.1% per year during George W. Bush's second term.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2012/05/24/who-is-the-smallest-government-spender-since-eisenhower-would-you-believe-its-barack-obama/|title=Who Is The Smallest Government Spender Since Eisenhower? Would You Believe It's Barack Obama?|publisher=Forbes|author=Rick Ungar|date=May 24th, 2012}}</ref>

[[Wall Street]] firms and banks that were bailed out were among Obama's biggest campaign supporters.<ref>''OpenSecrets.org''. [http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cycle=2008&cid=N00009638 Barack Obama: Top Contributors]. The Center for Responsive Politics.</ref> Therefore, the Obama administration bailouts of corrupt, unproductive, and reckless Wall Street firms was hardly surprising, and many argue that it was not helpful in making the United States economy more productive and prosperous by encouraging more risk taking through letting banks off with a slap on the wrist. Others argue that bailing out the banks kept credit flowing and prevented a much deeper recession and a total collapse of the financial system. The government will recoup some though not all of its capital infusions over time. A 2005 study found that government corporate bailouts are often done for mere political considerations and the economic resources allocated exhibit significantly worse economic performance than resources allocated using purely business considerations.<ref>Faccio, M. et. al. (2005, March 1). [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=676905 Political Connections and Corporate Bailouts]. ''Social Science Research Network''.</ref> Proponents of [[free market]] capitalism said Bernanke should not have bailed out failing firms and instead should have allowed free market capitalism to quickly recover as it did in the depression of 1920 without government intervention (free market capitalists assert that government intervention drags out economic recessions and depressions).<ref>Woods, T.E. (2009, April 10). [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czcUmnsprQI Why You've Never Heard of the Great Depression of 1920]. ''Ludwig Von Mises Institute''. Hosted on ''YouTube''.</ref>

Top trend forecaster [[Gerald Celente]] predicts that the corrupt economic policies of the Obama administration will lead to a second [[Great Depression|great depression]] (Celente predicted the 1987 US stock market crash, the dot.com crash, the US 2008/2009 recession, and the collapse of the USSR in the early 1990s) and may lead to a "second [[American Revolution]]" (Celente predicted the [[Tea Party Movement|tax protests]] that are now occurring in America).<ref name="celente1">Celente, G. (2009, August 1). [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MMX3SKzrfU&feature=channel_page pt 2/2 Gerald Celente on Financial Sense Newshour Aug 1st 2009]. ''Financial Sense Newshour''. Hosted on ''YouTube''.</ref><ref name="celente2">Celente, G. (2009, August 2). [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy9bfw1ebgw&feature=response_watch ]. ''Financial Sense Newshour''. Hosted on ''YouTube''.</ref> Celente also asserts that the costly and inefficient temporary short term methods that the Obama administration is using to alleviate economic problems in the short term (which is causing massive increases in [[Obama administration deficit spending]]) is only making matters worse and will not prevent the worse economic depression in United States history from occurring.<ref>Celente, G. (2009, August 11). [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C8K7rWkGGw pt 1/2 Gerald Celente on Howestreet.com 11 Aug 2009]. ''HoweStreet.com''. Hosted on ''YouTube''.</ref><ref>Celente, G. (2009, August 11). [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LBffdIW0XA&feature=response_watch pt 2/2 Gerald Celente on Howestreet.com 11 Aug 2009]. ''HoweStreet.com''. Hosted on ''YouTube''.</ref>

The Obama administration has been sharply criticized for [[Obama administration deficit spending|its massive deficit spending]] and [[Obama administration monetary policy|its reckless monetary policy]] via vast increases in the [[money supply]], although inflation under Bernanke has been below the historic mean.<ref name="gerard"/><ref name="bam"/><ref>Carroll, C. (2009, March 24). [http://blog.heritage.org/2009/03/24/bush-deficit-vs-obama-deficit-in-pictures/ Bush Deficit vs. Obama Deficit in Pictures]. ''The Foundry''. The Heritage Network.</ref> Celente predicts that if a "second American Revolution" occurs in a peaceful and productive manner, it may include a [[Third Party System|third party movement]] of governance that will advocate a more [[free market]] [[capitalism]] approach to the American economy and a more strict interpretation of the [[United States Constitution|United States constitution]] as far as the authors' [[original intent]].<ref name="celente1"/><ref name="celente2"/>

During what the [[White House]] billed as [[Recovery Summer]], one half million workers per week continued losing their jobs. His signature legislative achievement, [[ObamaCare]],has been found to be [[unconstitutional]]<ref>Schoenberg, T. & Fisk, M.T. (2010, December 13). [http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-13/u-s-health-care-law-requirement-thrown-out-by-judge.html Obama's Health-Care Law Ruled Unconstitutional Over Insurance Requirement]. ''Bloomberg''.</ref> by several judges and constitutional by others, and is credited as a major cause of uncertainty, high [[unemployment]],<ref>http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=33220</ref> lagging job creation,<ref>Foster, J.D. (2010, August 5). [http://blog.heritage.org/2010/08/05/it%E2%80%99s-official-medicare%E2%80%99s-finances-shadowed-by-uncertainty/ It’s Official: Medicare’s Finances Shadowed by Uncertainty]. ''The Foundry''. The Heritage Network.</ref> and risk of a credit default crisis.<ref>Samuelson, R.J. (2010, March 29). [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/28/AR2010032802353.html With health bill, Obama has sown the seeds of a budget crisis]. ''The Washington Post''.</ref><ref>Cramer, J. (2010, March 16). [http://www.thestreet.com/story/10703361/cramer-obamacare-will-topple-the-market.html Cramer: Obamacare Will Topple the Market]. ''The Street''.</ref>

His 2012 Budget plan has been roundly criticized in the mainstream and liberal press as not a serious effort to deal with the nation's economic crisis.<ref>[http://republican.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=blogs.view&blog_id=1551d6f5-2ac9-4b8d-97ab-74def354024e Newspapers Call Out White House: ‘What Would That Path Be, Mr. President?’]</ref>

[[Jeffrey Tucker]] wrote, "President Obama's economic policy has been catastrophic for liberty, enterprise, and the American dream—the very archetype of what not to do to end recession." [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118186176/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=anncoulter-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1118186176]
=====Stimulus=====
:''See also: [[Recovery Summer]]''
In early 2009, Obama lobbied Congress and the public to pass a sweeping Stimulus package<ref>(2009, January 3). "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28479998/ns/politics-white_house/t/obama-urges-congress-pass-stimulus-plan/ Obama Urges Congress to Pass Stimulus Plan]." ''Associated Press''. Parsons, C. & Nicholas, P. (2009, February 10). "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28479998/ns/politics-white_house/t/obama-urges-congress-pass-stimulus-plan/ Barack Obama Sternly Urges Congress to Pass Economic Stimulus]." ''Chicago Tribune''.</ref> known as ''The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009'' (H.R. 1).<ref>"[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.1: Bill Text Versions: H.R. 1]." 111th Congress (2009-2010). ''Library of Congress''. "[http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204335,00.html The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Information Center]." ''IRS''.</ref> The report of the Congressional Budget Office mandated by law stated that the legislation would ultimately harm the economy.<ref>Dinan, S. (2009, February 4). "[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/04/cbo-obama-stimulus-harmful-over-long-haul/ CBO: Obama Stimulus Harmful Over Long Haul]." ''U.S. News''.</ref> Contrary to his promise of bipartisanship,<ref>Dinan, S. (2009, March 28). "[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/28/mccain-obama-breaks-campaign-promises-shuns-bipart/?page=all McCain: Obama Breaks Promise of Bipartisanship]." ''Washington Times''.</ref> the bill passed the House 244-188 on January 28, 2009 with 11 Democrats voting with the entire Republican caucus against,<ref>Calmes, J. (2009, January 28). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29obama.html House Passes Stimulus Plan With No G.O.P. Votes]." ''New York Times''.</ref> and received just 3 Republican votes when passing the Senate 61-37.<ref>Herszenhorn, D.M. (2009, February 10). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/washington/11web-stim.html Senate Approves Stimulus Plan]." ''New York Times''.</ref> One third of the massive $838 billion bill consisted of [[Backdoor_spending_authority#Backdoor_tax_expenditures|backdoor tax expenditures]]<ref>(2009, February 11). "Senate Passes $838 Billion Stimulus Bill]." ''Associated Press''.</ref> and the rest direct [[new spending]] on "just about every pent-up Democratic proposal of the last 40 years."<ref>(2009, January 28). "[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123310466514522309.html A 40-Year Wish List]." ''Wall Street Journal''.</ref> In responding to criticism of the broken bipartisanship promise at the time, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously quipped, "We won the election. We wrote the bill."<ref>Kane, P. (2009, January 23). "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/22/AR2009012203961.html Stimulus Plan Meets More GOP Resistance]." ''Washington Post''.</ref> On February 18, 2009, the Stimulus was signed into law by Obama.<ref>(2009, February 17). "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29231790/ns/politics-white_house/t/obama-stimulus-lets-americans-claim-destiny/ Obama: Stimulus Lets Americans Claim Destiny]." ''Associated Press''.</ref> In August 2009, Republicans and Democratic Senator David Obey drew attention to mistakes on the Recovery.gov site claiming millions of Stimulus jobs created that didn't exist. Obama responded by saying the errors just indicate his accounting is an "inexact science".<ref>(2009, November 18). "[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/18/obama-calls-stimulus-data-errors-issue-says-focus-job-growth/ Obama Calls Stimulus Data Errors 'Side Issue,' Says Focus Is on Job Growth]." ''FOX News''.</ref>
=====[[Sequestration]]=====
According to [[Pulitzer Prize]] winning journalist [[Bob Woodward]] of the ''[[Washington Post]]'', Obama misled the American people in a Presidential debate only two weeks before the 2012 election when he said, "The sequester is not something that I’ve proposed,”<ref>[http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-02-22/opinions/37238840_1_jack-lew-treasury-secretary-rob-nabors Obama’s sequester deal-changer,] By Bob Woodward, ''Washington Post'', February 22, 2013.</ref> when in fact his chief budget negotiator and current Chief of Staff, [[Jack Lew]], made a call to Democrat [[Harry Reid]] at 2:30 pm on July 27, 2011 with the proposal after clearing it with Obama,<ref>[http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/22/fact-check-woodward-wrote-that-obama-administration-proposed-sequester/ Fact-check: Woodward wrote that Obama administration proposed sequester]. dailycaller.com </ref> as fully documented in Woodward's book, ''The Price of Politics''. Federal Reserve Chairman [[Ben Bernanke]] warned of immediate jobloss of about 750,000 jobs - about the same level as under George W. Bush<ref>[http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?graph_id=109262 Monthly Jobloss under George W. Bush, Jan 2007 - Jan 2009]. See also [http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?graph_id=109266 Initial Unemployment Claims] over the same period, annualized. Source: U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.</ref> - if Obama's budget and economic plans were allowed to take effect.<ref>[http://money.cnn.com/2013/02/26/news/economy/bernanke-burden-recovery/ Bernanke: Spending cuts add 'significant' burden to recovery,] By Annalyn Kurtz, CNN February 26, 2013.</ref>

Woodward, who's reporting on [[Watergate]] is credited with toppling the administration of [[Richard Nixon]], told Wolf Blitzer of CNN he was told by a senior White House official he'd regret talking about the President Obama's positions on the sequester.<ref>[http://www.businessinsider.com/bob-woodward-obama-sequester-white-house-reporting-price-politics-2013-2 Bob Woodward: White House Threatened Me On Sequester,] businessinsider.com </ref>

====Healthcare mandates====
{{main article|Obamacare}}
On March 23, 2010, Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The act originated in the [[Democratic]]ally controlled House and was amended and passed the Senate just prior to Sen. [[Ted Kennedy]]'s death largely along party lines with a significant number of Democrats voting to oppose. In what was construed as a de facto rejection of the bill, [[Massachusetts]] voters elected a [[Republican]] candidate, [[Scott Brown]], who promised to vote against the bill if given the chance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/scott-brown-wins-massachusetts-senate-race.html|work=The Washington Post|author=Chris Cillizza|date=January 19, 2010|title=Scott Brown wins Massachusetts Senate special election race|language=English|format=HTML}}</ref> After Obama made a promise to issue an [[executive order]] that would ultimately prohibit the use of taxpayer subsidies to pay for [[abortion]] services,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/22/nation/la-na-healthcare-passage22-2010mar22/3|work=The Los Angeles Times|format=HTML|language=English|title=House passes historic healthcare overhaul|date=March 22, 2010|author=Noam N. Levey and Janet Hook}}</ref> the Democratic [[House of Representatives]] would pass the bill as it left the Senate 219-212, with 34 Democrats and all other parties dissenting.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2010-03-21/politics/health.care.main_1_health-care-entire-house-democratic-caucus-pre-existing-conditions?_s=PM:POLITICS|date=March 21, 2010|author=Alan Silverleib|work=CNN|format=HTML|language=English|title=House passes health care bill on 219-212 vote}}</ref>

Amongst other things, the act mandated that everyone purchase health care coverage or face punitive tax measures, and was upheld by the [[Supreme Court]].
====Regulatory reform====
Obama criticized the "revolving door" of government and business.<ref>"We need to close the revolving door that lets lobbyists come into government freely, and lets them use their time in public service as a way to promote their own interests over the interests of the American people when they leave." [http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-welcoming-senior-staff-and-cabinet-secretaries-white-house REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN WELCOMING SENIOR STAFF AND CABINET SECRETARIES TO THE WHITE HOUSE,] January 21, 2009. whitehouse.gov </ref> After appointing [[Peter Orszag]] his first Budget Director to dole out the stimulus cash, Orszag resigned to become Citigroup's Vice Chairman of Global Banking. Citigroup was the recipient of $476 billion in [[bailout]] money - more than any other bank - after the disastrous [[Financial crisis of 2008]].<ref>[http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2011/03/citibank_received_more_bailout.html Citigroup Received More Bailout Money Than Any Other Bank,] By Nitasha Tiku, 3/16/11. </ref> Before the bailout, Orszag's expert opinion of the chances of a mortgage meltdown were 1 in 500,000.<ref>[http://www.pierrelemieux.org/stiglitzrisk.pdf Implications of the New Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Risk-based Capital Standard,] by Joseph E. Stiglitz, Jonathan M. Orszag and Peter R. Orszag. Fannie Mae Papers, Volume 1, Issue 2, March 2002, Conclusion p.6. </ref>

====Environment and energy====
{{main article|Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster}}
President Obama authorized offshore oil drilling in the [[Gulf of Mexico]]<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0430/Gulf-of-Mexico-oil-spill-imperils-Obama-s-offshore-drilling-plan Gulf of Mexico oil spill imperils Obama's offshore drilling plan,] By Mark Clayton, ''Christian Science Monitor'', April 30, 2010.</ref> stating, "oil rigs today generally don’t cause spills"<ref>White House Press Release, [http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-a-discussion-jobs-and-economy-charlotte-north-carolina Remarks by the President in a Discussion on Jobs and the Economy in Charlotte, North Carolina,] Office of the Press Secretary, April 02, 2010. Retrieved from whitehouse.gov 3 May 2010.</ref> and was widely criticized for his mishandling of the "[[Gulf oil spill disaster|worst environmental disaster]] in US history."<ref>[http://www.examiner.com/x-33986-Political-Spin-Examiner~y2010m4d29-Worst-environmental-disaster-in-US-history-Oil-slick-in-Gulf-of-Mexico-is-set-on-fire Worst environmental disaster in US history,] Maryann Tobin, ''Examiner'', April 29, 2010.</ref><ref>[http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/the-oil-spill-is-obamas-fault/?src=twt&twt=NytimesKrugman Conscience of a Liberal: The Oil Spill Is Obama’s Fault,] Paul Krugman, ''New York Times'', April 30, 2010.</ref>
====Reverses Clinton era gay discrimination====
{{main article|Don't Ask Don't Tell}}
Candidate Obama promised to repeal a policy that originated with President Clinton and passed by a Democratically controlled Congress that prohibited inquiries into military personnel's [[sexual orientation]] while barring openly gay [[homosexuals]] from serving in the military. [[Liberals]] expressed anger when time passed and no effort to repeal the law was seen;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/21/obama-to-delay-repeal-of-dont-ask-dont-tell/|work=The Washington Times|format=HTML|title=Obama to delay ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ repeal|language=English|author=Rowan Scarborough|date=November 21, 2008}}</ref> in fact, Obama's [[justice department]], as part of their duty to defend all laws passed by any administration, filed a brief arguing against the [[Supreme Court]] granting a [[writ of certiorari]] to a gay soldier challenging the law (the writ was not granted). In response, the soldier, James Pietrangelo II, a former Army infantryman and lawyer, said, “[Obama's] a coward, a bigot and a pathological liar. This is a guy who spent more time picking out his dog, Bo, and playing with him on the White House lawn than he has working for equality for gay people."<ref>{{cite web|work=Time Magazine|publisher=Time Inc.|format=HTML|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1903545,00.html?imw=Y|title=Dismay Over Obama's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Turnabout|author=Mark Thompson|date=Jun. 09, 2009}}</ref>

On December 15th, 2010, a bill was introduced in the [[House of Representatives]] to repeal the law - it passed a day later by a vote of 250-175;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll638.xml|title=FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 638|format=HTML|work=Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives}}</ref> it passed the Senate three days later 65-31.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00281|work=The U.S. Senate|title=U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress - 2nd Session|format=HTML|language=English}}</ref> Obama signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 on December 22nd.<ref name="g dadt">{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/22/obama-repeals-dont-ask-dont-tell|work=The Guardian|format=HTML|language=English|title='Don't ask, don't tell' repealed as Obama signs landmark law|date=22 December 2010}}</ref> The [[Pentagon]] itself could not immediately implement the repeal and questioned whether it would hurt combat readiness.<ref name="g dadt"/>

====Labor law and compensation to 9/11 first responders====
Obama's first act of office was to sign the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act - effectively nullifying the [[Supreme Court]] case ''Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.'', which ruled that Ledbetter had to have filed a pay [[discrimination]] suit within 180 days of the first time Ledbetter was paid less than her male peers;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/us/politics/30ledbetter-web.html|work=The New York Times|format=HTML|language=English|title=Obama Signs Equal-Pay Legislation|author=Sheryl Gay Stolberg|date=January 29, 2009}}</ref> the law made corporations subject to suit within 180 days of each time the employee was unfairly paid.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://writ.news.findlaw.com/grossman/20090213.html?=features|work=FindLaw|author=Joanna L. Grossman|date=Feb. 13, 2009|format=HTML|language=English|title=The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009}}</ref>

On January 2, 2011, Obama signed the James Zadroga [[9/11]] Healthcare and Compensation Act.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2011/jan/02/obama-signs-zadroga-act-law/|publisher=New York Public Radio|title=Obama Signs Zadroga Act into Law|author=Fred Mogul|date=January 02, 2011|work=wNYC|format=HTML|language=English}}</ref> The act, which afforded 9/11 first responders who were sickened by the dust from the collapse of the [[World Trade Center]] health care and compensation, passed [[Congress]] after its sponsors agreed to scale down the pricing from 7.4 to 4.2 billion dollars.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2010/dec/22/zadroga-911-bill-passes-senate/|publisher=New York Public Radio|work=wNYC|format=HTML|language=English|title=Congress Approves 9/11 Health Bill|date=December 22, 2010}}</ref>

===Foreign policy===
[[File:Western Wall Obama.jpg|thumb|left|320px|At [[Western Wall]], Jerusalem, 2008.]]
As Senator, Obama was highly critical of President Bush and promised change. As President, Obama has tripled down in Afghanistan, widened the war into Pakistan, multiplied drone attacks, bombed Yemen and Somalia, and started an undeclared NATO war in Libya. On presidential war powers, surveillance questions, Guantanamo, detention policy and habeas corpus, Obama has similarly stayed the course, or expanded Bush's precedents. In a speech on May 19, 2011 Obama fully embraced the [[Bush Doctrine]] of preventative war.<ref>Krauthammer, C. (April 19). [http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-news-in-obamas-speech/2011/05/19/AF4dFN7G_story.html The News in Obama's Speech]. ''The Washington Post''.</ref>

From the Boston Globe:
<blockquote>
'The New America Foundation, which tracks the strikes, has listed 23 raids since the beginning of April, 2011, all but one in Pakistan’s tribal regions of North and South Waziristan. A June 20 attack was reported in Kurram, an area north of North Waziristan along the Afghanistan border.'
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
'The drone program has become increasingly controversial as the Obama administration has expanded its use beyond the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Lethal missiles have been launched from unmanned aircraft in at least five countries in addition to Pakistan: Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, and, most recently, Somalia. The military’s Joint Special Operations Command used a drone last June to attack what officials said were two senior members of the Al Shabab militant group on the Somali coast.' <ref>DeYoung, K. (2011, July 4). [http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2011/07/04/cia_halts_drone_launches_from_pakistan_base/ CIA Halts Drone Launches From Pakistan Base]. ''The Boston Globe''. </ref>
</blockquote>

A commentator says:
<blockquote>
'Obama is commendable when he says he wants to avoid war. His policies, however, favor war by destabilizing the Middle East making it extremely hostile and favoring radical Islam over America’s ally, Israel, and American interests in the region... The president has chosen a very dangerous path for every American and one that promises great difficulty for Israel.' <ref> [http://www.thejerusalemconnection.us/blog/2012/03/14/obamas-words-disguise-his-israel-foreign-policy-actions.html Obama's words disguise his Israel foreign policy actions.] </ref>
</blockquote>
====Commander-in-chief====
By Obama's third year as Commander-in-Chief, over 1200 American troops died in Iraq and Afghanistan - significantly more than the number who died during President [[George W. Bush]]'s term of office. And growing numbers of civilian contractors also have fallen. In the first half of 2010, 250 contractors reportedly died in Iraq and Afghanistan - more than the 235 military personnel who fell during the same period.<ref>http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/05/24/114662/what-price-war.html#ixzz1Nz07pg5O</ref>
====National Defense====
President Obama signed into U.S. law the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), only after his administration successfully lobbied to remove language from the bill that would have protected American citizens from being detained indefinitely without trial.<ref>Aaron Dykes. [http://www.infowars.com/president-obamas-ndaa-signing-statement-i-have-the-power-to-detain-americans-but-i-wont/ Obama’s Signing Statement on NDAA: I have the power to detain Americans… but I won’t], Infowars.com, January 1, 2012. </ref> After the legislation cleared Congress, the ACLU commented that if President Obama signed the bill it "will damage both his legacy and American’s reputation for upholding the rule of law," while executive director of the ''Human Rights Watch'' blasted the President for being ‘on the wrong side of history,’ noting that "Obama will go down in history as the president who enshrined indefinite detention without trial in US law."<ref>President Decides to Sign Ill-Conceived National Defense Authorization Act. [http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/12/14/us-refusal-veto-detainee-bill-historic-tragedy-rights US: Refusal to Veto Detainee Bill A Historic Tragedy for Rights], ''Human Rights Watch'', December 14, 2011. [http://www.aclu.org/national-security/white-house-backs-away-defense-bill-veto-threat White House Backs Away from Defense Bill Veto Threat], ''[[ACLU]]'', December 14, 2011.</ref>

Section 1031 of the NDAA bill, which itself defines the entirety of the United States as a “battlefield,” allows American citizens to be snatched from the streets, carted off to a foreign detention camp and held indefinitely without trial. As reported by Infowars.com, the bill states that “any person who has committed a belligerent act” faces indefinite detention, but no trial or evidence has to be presented, the White House merely needs to make the accusation.<ref>Paul Joseph Watson. [http://www.infowars.com/obama-administration-demanded-power-to-indefinitely-detain-u-s-citizens/ Obama Administration Demanded Power To Indefinitely Detain U.S. Citizens], Infowars.com, December 12, 2011. S.1867 [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c112:2:./temp/~c1122VN0Iv:e548990: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Engrossed in Senate [Passed Senate] - ES)], ''The Library of Congress'' THOMAS, 112th Congress (2011-2011), Accessed January 25, 2012. Text of S.1867 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. [http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-s1867/text?version=es&nid=t0:es:281 Sec. 1031. Affirmation of authority of the Armed Forces of the United States to detain covered persons pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force.], [[U.S. Congress]], ''OpenCongress.org'', (Accessed January 25, 2012).</ref>
====Al Qaeda and Libya====
{{main article|Libyan uprising 2011}}
In February 2011, the political unrest that spread through the Arab world showed up as protests in Libya. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, leader of Libya for 41 years, responded to the violence<ref>http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article28376.htm</ref> with legitimate steps.<ref name="nyt libya">{{cite web|url=http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/libya/index.html|work=The New York Times|publisher=The New York Times Inc.|format=HTML|language=English|title=Libya — Protests and Revolt (2011)}}</ref> The [[United Nations Security Council]] voted to impose [[sanctions]], and later passed a resolution to protect civilians. Obama, without approval from Congress and over the objections of his own National Security staff,<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20038391-503544.html</ref> directed American forces to take out Libya's air defense system.<ref name="nyt libya"/> Secretary of Defence [[Robert Gates]], National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough, and [[White House]] counterterrorism chief [[John O. Brennan]] all opposed the action. Obama later said, "if we waited one more day Benghazi, a city nearly the size of Charlotte, could suffer a massacre that would have reverberated across the region and stained the conscience of the world."<ref>{{cite web|author=Barack Obama|url=http://www.npr.org/2011/03/28/134935452/obamas-speech-on-libya-a-responsibility-to-act|title=Obama's Speech On Libya: 'A Responsibility To Act'|date=March 28, 2011|publisher=National Public Radio ([[NPR]])|language=English|format=HTML}}</ref> [[Alan J. Kuperman]], in an editorial for the ''[[Boston Globe]]'' - suggested this statement was false, writing, "intervention did not prevent genocide, because no such bloodbath was in the offing. To the contrary, by emboldening rebellion, US interference has prolonged Libya’s civil war and the resultant suffering of innocents."<ref name="kuperman">{{cite web|author=Alan J. Kuperman|work=The Boston Globe|url=http://articles.boston.com/2011-04-14/bostonglobe/29418371_1_rebel-stronghold-civilians-rebel-positions|title=False pretense for war in Libya?|date=April 14, 2011}}</ref> Kuperman, a professor of public affairs at the University of Texas who authored a book called ''The Limits of Humanitarian Intervention'', further stated that the rebels had tricked the world into thinking a bloodbath was at hand and that Obama had lied to the American people in order to act on this theory.<ref name="kuperman"/>
<blockquote>
Gaddafi [never] threaten civilian massacre in Benghazi, as Obama alleged. The “no mercy’’ warning, of March 17, targeted rebels only, as reported by ''The New York Times'', which noted that Libya’s leader promised amnesty for those “who throw their weapons away.’’ Gaddafi even offered the rebels an escape route and open border to Egypt, to avoid a fight “to the bitter end.’’ <ref> [http://politicalcartel.org/2011/04/17/libya-and-the-obama-doctrine/ Libya and the “Obama Doctrine”.] </ref>
</blockquote>
Gaddafi wrote to Obama and told him he bore no ill will. "We have been hurt more morally than physically because of what had happened against us in both deeds and words by you," he wrote. "Despite all this you will always remain our son whatever happened. We still pray that you continue to be president of the USA. We endeavour and hope that you will gain victory in the new election campaign."<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/06/gaddafi-obama-nato-libya?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487]</ref>
=====Aid to violent Islamists=====
A March 29, 2011 article in the ''[[Washington Post]]'' included these paragraphs:
{{Cquote|"It’s almost a certitude that at least part” of the Libyan opposition includes members of al-Qaeda, said Bruce Riedel, a former senior CIA analyst and adviser to President Obama. Riedel said that anti-Gaddafi elements in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi have had “very close associations with al-Qaeda” dating back years....I would hope that we now have a good sense of the opposition in Libya and can say that this is 2 percent, not 20 percent,” Riedel said. “If we don’t, then we are running the risk of helping to bring to power a regime that could be very dangerous.<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/libyan-opposition-includes-a-small-number-of-al-qaeda-fighters-us-officials-say/2011/03/29/AFRlXWyB_story.html</ref>}}

This set off a fierce debate in the [[Obama administration]] over the wisdom of arming terrorists.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/world/africa/30diplo.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss</ref> It is now known sometime prior to March 31, 2011,<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/world/africa/31intel.html?_r=2&hp</ref> at the urging of Hillary Clinton<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/world/africa/19policy.html?_r=3&hp& </ref> and over the objections of his National Security Council, Obama signed a Presidential Finding authorizing support for the rebel jihadis.<ref>http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/30/us-libya-usa-order-idUSTRE72T6H220110330</ref>

By October 2011, [[Libyan rebel fighting group]]s with support from [[NATO]] overtook the capital and toppled the government. Gaddafi was captured and brutally and sadistically murdered.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPzeLLL9V-c Leading from behind - a critique of Obama foreign policy]</ref> The jihadis were immediately recognized by the U.S. and the U.N. as the new legitimate government. Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, chairman of the National Transitional Council, announced [[Sharia]] will be the source for all legislation and all laws conflicting with Sharia are null and void.<ref name="Sharia">[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8861608/Libya-Al-Qaeda-flag-flown-above-Benghazi-courthouse.html Libya: Al Qaeda flag flown above Benghazi courthouse - Daily Telegraph]</ref> Abdel Rahim al-Kib, the country's interim prime minister, echoed Jalil's words days later.<ref>[http://www.presstv.ir/detail/207953.html New Libyan PM backs Islamic sharia law]</ref> The al Qaeda flag was flown above the Benghazi courthouse, and reports surfaced that the Libyan jihadis had imposed Sharia law in some parts of the country even earlier.<ref name="Sharia" /> By February 17, 2013, four foreign nationals were arrested for distributing Christian literature, a charge that could carry the death penalty<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/17/libya-arrests-suspected-foreign-missionaries Libya arrests foreign 'missionaries' Four foreign nationals accused of distributing Christian literature,] a charge that could carry the death penalty, Chris Stephen guardian.co.uk, Sunday 17 February 2013.</ref>

=====U.S. Ambassador murdered=====
:{{main|Benghazi Attack}}
With several U.S.embassies besieged on the anniversary of the [[September 11 attacks]], White House Press Secretary [[Jay Carney]] declared there was no reason to believe the attack on the sovereign territory of the United States consulate in Benghazi, less than two months before the [[2012 Presidential election]] which killed Americans, was a terrorist attack.
{{Cquote|The unrest that we’ve seen around the region has been in reaction to a video that Muslims, many Muslims, find offensive.}}
This became the official White House line. Between jokes with [[Jon Stewart]] on the ''Comedy Channel'' Obama said the death of Americans was "not optimal".<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/10/18/Obama-Benghazi-murders-not-optimal Interview with Jon Stewart of the ''Daily Show''].</ref> When pressed by reporters, who pointed out evidence that the violence in Benghazi was a terrorist attack, Press Secretary Carney argued “the unrest around the region has been in response to this video.”

Leading suspected jihadis in the murders and terrorist attack were the local Benghazi branch of Ansar al-Shariah, known to have ties to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.<ref>http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2012/10/19/when-an-obama-adviser-called-benghazi-an-al-qaeda-hotbed/?cxntfid=blogs_political_insider_jim_galloway</ref> A commander of the terrorist group boasted jovially about the attack over drinks with reporters for the ''[[New York Times]]'' in Benghazi<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/16/world/africa/election-year-stakes-overshadow-nuances-of-benghazi-investigation.html?pagewanted=2&ref=world</ref>.<ref>http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/10/frappe-libya-attack/</ref>
=====[[Al Qaeda in the Maghreb]]=====
Two more Americans were killed, along with 35 others, after being taken hostage by rebel jihadists in Mali shortly after the Libyan upheaval.<ref>[http://world.time.com/2013/01/21/algeria-37-foreigner-hostages-killed-in-attack/ Algeria: 37 Foreigner Hostages Killed in Attack], Associated Press, Jan. 21, 2013. ''TIME'' magazine.</ref>

Hillary Clinton testified before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the wake of the Benghazi murders under her stewardship, that weapons and fighters equipped by the Obama administration made their way to [[Mali]] and [[Algeria]]:
{{cquote|There is no doubt that the Algerian terrorists had weapons from Libya. There is no doubt that the Malian remnants of AQIM [Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb] have weapons from Libya.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/clinton-says-militants-used-weapons-libya-algeria-attack-154222664.html Clinton says militants used weapons from Libya in Algeria attack,] Reuters, Jan 23, 2013.]</ref>}}

====Afghanistan====
{{main article|Afghanistan War}}
Obama escalated troop strength<ref name="pbs">{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obamaswar/themes/strategy.html#ixzz1LhWNImZp|title=Obama's New Strategy (March '09)|author=George Packer, Seth Jones, David Kilcullen, Rory Stewart, Andrew Exum, Col. Andrew Bacevich (Ret.)|work=PBS|language=English|format=HTML}}</ref> and defense costs in Afghanistan from $43.5 billion in George Bush's last year to $113.7 billion for 2011.<ref>Congressional Research Service, quoted in Gregory Anthony, ''What price war?''</ref> Adviser to General [[Stanley McChrystal]] David Kilcullen wrote, "One of the big strategic shifts is the use of language now which talks about Pakistan and Afghanistan as the same theater. Now we talked about Af-Pak long before the Obama administration came about, but the public use of that term, and the description of it as the Afghanistan-Pakistan campaign, sends a new message to people about how the administration is going to think about Afghanistan and Pakistan."<ref name="pbs"/> T

====Mexico====
[[File:Eric Holder.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[Eric Holder]] remains as Attorney General despite being held in Contempt of Congress. Others such as Rahm Emanual have departed in wake of the Fast & Furious revelations.<ref>[http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/10/fast_and_furious_in_a_rotten_nutshell.html#ixzz27iRBCN28 Fast and Furious in a Rotten Nutshell], Ronald Kolb, ''American Thinker'', October 7, 2011,</ref>]]
:''Main article:'' '''[[Operation Fast and Furious]]'''
In May of 2010, President Obama promised Mexican President [[Felipe Calderon]] that his administration would assist Mexico in curbing drug cartel violence, which has led to 30,000 deaths in Mexico. "President Calderon and I . . . stand together against the drug cartels that have unleashed horrific violence in so many communities," Obama said on May 19. "Mexico can count on the United States as a full partner in this effort."

The ''[[Washington Post]]'' has reported however that White House officials stopped a requirement for gun dealers to report bulk sales of high-powered semiautomatic rifles commonly used by illegal drug cartels. [[Justice Department]] officials had asked for White House approval to require thousands of gun dealers along the border to report the purchases to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives. ATF investigators expected to get leads on suspected arms traffickers. Senior law enforcement sources said the proposal from the ATF was held up by then White House chief of staff [[Rahm Emanuel]].<ref>Horwitz, S. & Grimaldi, J.V. (2010, December 17). [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/17/AR2010121706598.html White House Delayed Rule Meant to Stop Gun Flow to Mexico]. ''The Washington Post''.</ref> Gun dealers have been required for decades to report the sales of multiple handguns to the ATF.
====Guantanamo Bay====
{{main article|Guantanamo Bay}}
One of Obama's campaign promises was that he would close the American detention center at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba - detainees would be flown to other countries while the ones awaiting trial would enter the American court system. Two days after taking office he signed an order directing the military to do so.<ref name="salon">{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/04/25/obama_guantanamo_rhetoric|work=Salon|title=The Obama/Gitmo timeline|author=Natasha Lennard|format=HTML|language=English}}</ref> But, in November 2009 Obama admitted that his self imposed deadline of January 2010 would be missed, and in March 2011 the president went back on his campaign promise, signing an executive order to create a formal system of indefinite detention for the prisoners.<ref name="salon"/>

==2012 Presidential Campaign==
: ''Main article: [[Presidential Election 2012]]''
===2011: Birth Certificate Released===
: ''Main article: [[Barack_Obama_Controversies#Birth_Certificate]]''
On April 27, 2011<ref>CNN Political Unit (2011, April 27). "[http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/27/white-house-releases-obama-birth-certificate/ White House Releases Obama Birth Certificate]." ''CNN''</ref>, a long-running controversy surrounding Obama's birth was largely put to rest<ref>Winter, J. (2011, April 29). "[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/04/29/expert-says-obamas-birth-certificate-legit/ Expert: No Doubt Obama's Birth Certificate is Legit]." ''FOX News''. Tuchman, G. (2011, April 25). "[http://articles.cnn.com/2011-04-25/politics/birthers.obama.hawaii_1_birther-controversy-obama-opinion-research-corporation?_s=PM:POLITICS Obama Birther Claims Have No Merit]." ''CNN''. (2011, April 27). "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42779923/ns/politics-white_house/t/obama-releases-detailed-us-birth-certificate/ Obama Releases Detailed U.S. Birth Certificate]." ''MSNBC''.</ref> when Obama had his long-form birth certificate posted at WhiteHouse.gov.<ref>"[http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/birth-certificate-long-form.pdf Certificate of Live Birth]." State of Hawaii. Retrieved from ''WhiteHouse.gov''.</ref> Donald Trump, who had attacked Obama on the Birth Certificate issue and was then leading Republicans in polls for the upcoming GOP primary<ref>James, F. (2011, April 15). "[http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/04/15/135446314/poll-donald-trump-birther-darling-leads-gop-field-at-26 Donald Trump, Birther In Chief? Poll Has Him Leading GOP Field with 26 Percent]." ''NPR''.</ref>, was effectively knocked out of the race because of this.<ref>Kapur, S. (2011, May 10). "[http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/05/10/trumps-popularity-tanks-after-obama-releases-long-form-birth-certificate/ Trump's Popularity Tanks After Obama Releases Long-Form Birth Certificate]." ''RawStory.com''.</ref>

The following is a timeline of previous events leading up to the release:

* In June 2008 the Obama campaign allowed FactCheck.org to look at his “Certificate of Live Birth” and take photos.<ref>Henig, J. (2008, August 21). Born in the U.S.A. FactCheck.org. Retrieved from http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html</ref>
* In July 2008 a blogger discovered a birth announcement from the Honolulu Advertiser from August 13, 1961 for Barack Obama. It has since been discovered another newspaper, the Star Bulletin, also documented the birth.<ref>Snopes.com. Barack Obama Birth Certificate. Retrieved from http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthcertificate.asp</ref>
* PolitiFact went to extreme lengths to verify Obama’s citizenship, attaining scanned copies of his 1992 marriage certificate from Cook County, IL, his driver’s license record, and his registration and disciplinary record. PolitiFact also addressed a number of concerns about the documentation.<ref>Hollyfield, A. (2008, June 27). Obama’s birth certificate: Final chapter. PolitiFact. Retrieved from http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/jun/27/obamas-birth-certificate-part-ii/</ref>
* In October 2008 Hawaii’s Department of Health released a statement by Dr. Chiyome Fu.kino verifying that Obama’s birth certificate was on record.<ref>Hawaii Department of Health. News Release: Statement by Dr. Chiyome Fu.kino. Retrieved from http://hawaii.gov/health/about/pr/2008/08-93.pdf</ref>
* In August 2009 it was revealed that an alleged Kenyan birth certificate for Obama was a hoax.<ref>Snopes.com. Kenyan Mistake. Retrieved from http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/kenyacert.asp</ref> Another website allows you to create your own imitation Kenyan birth certificates online.<ref>KenyanBirthCertificateGenerator.com. Blue Collar Industries. Retrieved from http://kenyanbirthcertificategenerator.com/</ref>

===2011: Death of Osama bin Laden===
On May 1, 2011, Obama announced in a press conference<ref>Obama, B. (2011, May 2). "[http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/05/02/osama-bin-laden-dead Osama Bin Laden Dead]." ''WhiteHouse.gov''.</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf1SLhNoUNY Nobel Prize Winner with a kill list].</ref> that Osama bin Laden was dead after a U.S. assault force infiltrated a compound in [[Abbottabad raid|Abottobad]], Pakistan.<ref>Baker, P., Cooper, H., & Mazzetti, M. (2011, May 1). "[Bin Laden is Dead, Obama Says]." ''New York Times''. "[http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Osama_Bin_Laden/ Target Bin Laden: The Death of Public Enemy #1]." ''ABC News''. ''NPR''. "[http://www.npr.org/series/135908383/osama-bin-laden-dead Special Series: Osama Bin Laden Killed]." </ref> Attacks on Americans and American consulate bureaus have since escalated as reprisals for bin Laden's death. [[Al Qaeda]], once presumed broken and on the run, now functions openly throughout North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and parts of Eurasia. Relations with longtime ally Pakistan have become strained. Obama experienced only a temporary blip in approval polls.<ref>Dao, J. & Sussman, D. (2011, May 4). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/us/politics/05poll.html For Obama, Big Rise in Poll Numbers After Bin Laden Raid]." ''New York Times''. ''Pew Research Center'' (2011, May 2). "[http://www.people-press.org/2011/05/03/public-relieved-by-bin-ladens-death-obamas-job-approval-rises/ Public 'Relieved' by Bin Laden's Death, Obama's Job Approval Rises]." Jones, J.M. (2011, May 5). "[http://www.gallup.com/poll/147437/obama-approval-rallies-six-points-bin-laden-death.aspx Obama Job Approval Rallies Six Points to 52% After Bin Laden Death]." ''Gallup''.</ref><ref>''CBS/Associated Press'' (2012, May 1). "[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57424622/1-year-after-osama-bin-laden-killed-still-no-answers-from-pakistan/ 1 Year After Osama bin Laden Killed, Still No Answers from Pakistan]."</ref> Pakistan has denied White House claims that there was a deal with it allowing the raid.<ref>''Associated Press'' (2011, May 10). "[http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/05/10/pakistani-president-claims-bin-laden-deal/ Former Pakistani President Claims There Was Never Bin Laden Deal With U.S.]." Retrieved from ''FOX News''.</ref>

=== 2012: Possible Ties to ACORN ===
According to Stanley Kurtz - author of ''Radical-in-Chief: Barack Obama and the Untold Story of American Socialism'' (2010) Obama in 1995 sought and obtained the endorsement of a left-wing third party, the [[New Party]] in his quest to be elected to the Illinois State Senate.<ref>Kurtz, S. (2012, June 7). [http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/302031/obamas-third-party-history-stanley-kurtz Obama's Third-Party History]. ''National Review Online''.</ref> Obama's "Fight the Smears" campaign has denied this, as has Politico's Ben Smith.<ref name=pollack>Pollack, J.B. (2012, June 7). [http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/06/07/Obama-Caught-Lying-Again-He-WAS-Member-of-New-Party-Says-Kurtz Obama Caught Lying Again: He WAS Member of 'New Party', Says Kurtz]. ''Breitbart''. Smith, B. (2008, October 25). [http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/The_dread_New_Party.html The Dread New Party]. ''Politico''.</ref> Others who claim he was affiliated with the New Party/ACORN include The Blaze's Billy Hallowell<ref>Hallowell, B. (2012, June 7). [http://www.theblaze.com/stories/report-new-documents-show-obama-was-a-member-of-the-far-left-new-party/ News Docs Reportedly Show Obama Was a Member of the Far-Left 'New Party']. ''The Blaze''.</ref>, Breitbart's Joel Pollack, Human Events' Erick Erickson<ref>Erickson, E. (2008, June 10). [http://www.humanevents.com/2008/06/10/obama-and-the-new-party/ Obama and the New Party]. ''Human Events''.</ref>, Newsbusters' P.J. Gladnick<ref>Gladnick, P.J. (2008, October 12). [http://newsbusters.org/blogs/p-j-gladnick/2008/10/08/will-msm-report-obama-membership-socialist-new-party#ixzz21JfE3z1z Will MSM Report on Obama Membership in Socialist New Party?] ''Newsbusters''.</ref>, Rick Moran at AmericanThinker.com<ref>Rick Moran. [http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/06/obamas_alliance_with_marxists.html Obama's Alliance with Marxists], ''American Thinker'', June 03, 2008.</ref>, and various writers at Discover the Networks (which include Kurtz and Erickson).<ref>[http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=7434 NEW PARTY (NP)], ''DiscoverTheNetworks.org''.</ref>

Kurtz in 2012 has claimed to find minutes of the New Party Chicago chapter that say, "''Barack Obama, candidate for State Senate in the 13th Legislative District, gave a statement to the membership and answered questions. He signed the New Party 'Candidate Contract' and requested an endorsement from the New Party. He also joined the New Party.''"<ref name=pollack /> Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod responded to Kurtz with silence and when asked if that meant "yes or no", Axelrod stated, "You can take that as I have no idea what you are talking about."<ref>Pollack, J.B. (2012, June 7). [http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/06/07/Exclusive-Axelrod-Plays-Dumb-on-Obama-and-Socialist-New-Party Exclusive: Axelrod Plays Dumb on Obama and Socialist New Party]. ''Breitbart''.</ref>

===2012: "You didn't build that" Controversy===
{{main|You didn't build that}}

On July 13, 2012, at a campaign event in [[Virginia]], Obama gave a speech that immediately stirred up controversy. Speaking about the government's role in the success of private business, he said:<ref>http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/13/remarks-president-campaign-event-roanoke-virginia</ref>
{{cquote|If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business - you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.}} The [[Romney]] campaign has used "If you’ve got a business - you didn’t build that" in ads to show America that Obama believes it is government that creates business rather than hard-working individuals. The Obama campaign has alternatively stated that the sentenced was poorly worded since he was not giving a scripted speech and that when Obama said "that" he was referring to roads and bridges. Obama points to a later portion of his speech in which he said, "The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together," to support his claim.

===Results===

On November 6, 2012 Barack Obama won reelection with 332 electoral votes to Mitt Romney's 206.<ref>http://www.politico.com/2012-election/map/#/President/2012</ref> Obama received 51% of the popular vote (65,899,660 votes) to Romney's 47% (60,932,152 votes).<ref>http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2012/2012presgeresults.pdf</ref>

==See also==

*[[Political positions of Barack Obama]]
*[[Barack Obama and uncharitableness]]
*[[Barack Obama and abortion]]
*[[Essay:Born Outside the U.S.A.!]]
*[[Essay: The Special Interests Candidate]]
*[[Lobbyists ties to the Obama administration]]
*[[Obama doublespeak]]
*[[Obama inauguration]]
*[[Religion of Barack Hussein Obama]]
*[[The Honorable James David Manning]]
*[[Al Qaeda in the Maghreb]]

==External links==
*[http://www.antiobama.net/ Anti Obama.net]
*[http://nobamanetwork.com/ Nobama Network]
*[http://www.audacityofhypocrisy.com/ Audacity Of Hypocrisy]
*[http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/6130/ The New Cult of Personality]
*[http://www.barackobamaantichrist.blogspot.com/ Barack Obama the Anti-Christ ?]
*[http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/06/23/che-obama-and-the-revolutionary-agenda/ Che, Obama, and the Revolutionary Agenda]
*[http://www.audacityofhypocrisy.com/fashion-shows/ Obama Laundry List of Lies]
*[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/09/americas-first-muslim-president/ GAFFNEY: America's first Muslim president?] Washington Times
*[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-l-esposito/barack-obama-and-islam_b_212519.html Barack Obama and Islam.] by [[John L. Esposito]].
*[http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=78931 Democrat: Obama's grandma confirms Kenyan birth.]
*[http://www.ontheissues.org/barack_obama.htm Barack Obama on the issues.]
*[http://frontpagemag.com/2013/frontpagemag-com/why-obama-needs-another-dictator-to-replace-chavez-on-the-glazov-gang/ Why Obama Prefers to Deal with Dictators]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{USPresidents}}
{{2008 presidential candidates}}
[[Category: Barack Hussein Obama]]
[[Category:Obama Presidency]]
[[Category:Obama Administration]]
[[category:Nobel laureates in Peace]]
[[Category:2012 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Abortion Advocates]]
[[Category:Socialism]]
[[Category:Muslims]]
[[Category:Socialists]]
[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obama, Barack Hussein}}

Mark E. Kelly

2013-04-11T12:28:49Z

TedA: Gun control spokesman

[[File:NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, STS-134 commander.jpg|thumb|NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, STS-134 commander.]]
'''Mark Edward Kelly''' (1964 - ), born in Orange, [[New Jersey]], is an [[American]] [[astronaut]] who has piloted [[Space Shuttle Endeavour|space shuttles Endeavour]] and Discovery. In 1982, he received a bachelor of science degrees in marine engineering and marine transportation (with highest honors) from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1986, and a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1994. Mark Kelly's brother, Scott J. Kelly, is the current commander of the International Space Station, Expedition 26 (ISS), a veteran of two space shuttle missions. [[Gabrielle Giffords]] is married to astronaut Mark E. Kelly; the two met in China in 2003 while they were serving on a committee there, and were married in January 2007. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40978517/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/]

Since retiring from NASA, Kelly has become an outspoken, but hypocritical proponent of gun control. <ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57578786/giffords-kelly-own-guns-while-pushing-gun-control/</ref> Kelly tried to buy an AR-15 from an Arizona gun store as part of a publicity stunt, but the purchase was denied after he made public statements saying that he was not buying the rifle for personal use. <ref>http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/03/26/Denied-Gun-Store-Owner-Refuses-To-Hand-AR-15-Over-To-Mark-Kelly</ref> Kelly was also featured in a bizzare video where he bragged about owning a 9mm Glock saying “This is the same kind of gun Gabby was shot with.” <ref>http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/gabrielle-giffords-mark-kelly-guns-89793.html#ixzz2Q9n1FR8O</ref> In that video, Kelly proceeded to shoot at several targets setting on a rock formation, but failed to injure himself or anyone else with ricochets. <ref>http://www.wsbtv.com/videos/news/mark-kelly-shoots-glock-9-while-gabby-giffords/vxd6q/</ref>

==Personal Life==
Cmdr. Mark Kelly is currently married to Gabrielle Giffords. He has two children from a previous marriage.
[[File:Kelly Giffords.jpg]]

== Awards ==
Awarded Defense Superior Service Medal (2 awards), four Air Medals (2 individual/2 strike flight) with Combat “V,” 2 Navy Commendation Medals (one with combat “V”), Navy Commendation Medal with “V,” Navy Achievement Medal, two Southwest Asia Service Medals, Navy Expeditionary Medal, two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, Overseas Service Ribbon, and various other unit awards. [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/kellyme.html]

==References==
<references/>

== External links ==

*[http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/kellyme.html Biographical Data]

[[Category:Astronauts]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Mark E.}}

Diana DeGette

2013-04-11T12:03:50Z

TedA: clips quote

'''Diana DeGette''' is the [[United States Representative]] for the 1st congressional district of [[Colorado]]. She is a member of the [[Democratic Party]]. She was first elected to the House in 1998. As with most liberals, DeGette isn't very smart. During a public forum held on April 9, 2013 she explained her support for a ban on high capacity magazines by saying, <blockquote>
"These are ammunition, they're bullets, so the people who have those now, they're going to shoot them, so if you ban them in the future, the number of these high-capacity magazines is going to decrease dramatically over time because the bullets will have been shot and there won't be any more available"
</blockquote>
clearly demonstrating a lack of basic knowledge regarding a stance she has championed since taking office.<ref>http://www.denverpost.com/frontpage/ci_22942476/degette-draws-criticism-pretty-stupid-ammo-magazine-comment?source=rss</ref><ref>http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_22971620/inaccurate-remarks-gun-magazines-put-rep-diana-degette?source=rss</ref>

After initial criticism of her lack of knowledge about guns, DeGette and her minions doubled down on stupid by releasing a statement saying that DeGette meant to say that "clips" can not be reused. <ref>http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2013/apr/3/co-sponsor-bill-banning-high-cap-magazines-stumble/</ref>
This information came as a surprise to everyone who has ever shot an M-1 Garand.

DeGette and the people who work for her obivously no nothing about guns, so it was natural for the Democrat party to put her in charge of their bill to ban certain types of magazines. <ref>http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_22942476/degette-draws-criticism-pretty-stupid-ammo-magazine-comment</ref>

{{DEFAULTSORT:DeGette, Diana}}

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:United States Representatives]]
[[Category:110th United States Congress]]
[[Category:111th United States Congress]]
[[Category:112th United States Congress]]
[[Category:113th United States Congress]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]

Neil Armstrong

2013-04-11T11:54:25Z

TedA:

[[Image:NeilArmstrong.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Neil Armstrong, Astronaut]]
'''Neil Armstrong''' (August 5, 1930 - August 25, 2012) was a [[NASA]] [[astronaut]] best known for being the first man to walk on the [[moon]].

Armstrong was a member of the [[Boy Scouts of America]] in his youth, and he earned the highest [[rank]] of [[Eagle Scout]] before the age of 18. He was a [[United States Navy]] pilot for three years, and flew over [[Korea]]; he left to become a test pilot in 1952. He became a NASA astronaut and flew on [[Gemini 8]], carrying out the first space-docking with the Agena docking module. He was made mission commander for [[Apollo 11]]. The crew, consisting of Neil Armstrong, [[Buzz Aldrin]], and [[Michael Collins (Astronaut)|Michael Collins]], boarded the [[Saturn V]] before sunrise on the 16th of July, 1969 and took off at 9:32 am. On July 20, 1969 at 10:56:15 p.m. EDT, Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon. <ref>http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/armstrong-na.html</ref>
[[Image:NASA Moon Flag.jpg‎|left|thumb|250px|Neil Armstrong, First Man on the Moon - Apollo 11, July 20, 1969]] On August 25, 2012, Armstrong died of complications following a surgery to repair a blocked coronary artery.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/25/us/neil-armstrong-obit/index.html</ref>

==One Small Step for a man==
When Armstrong stepped onto the moon surface, he said the well-known words ''"That's one small step for a man; one giant leap for mankind."'' that are even today associated to the moon landing. Due to a transmission glitch, the article "a" was not audible and Armstrong was widely misquoted as saying "one small step for man" (i.e, for mankind) - turning his epigram into a nonsense.

The astronaut was clearly contrasting his own tiny personal action ("a man" stepping off a ladder) with the momentous significance that landing on the moon had for all of mankind, yet journalists generally ignored the discrepancy and repeatedly published the misquote.

These words are an interesting example of the problems historians faced in finding out what really happened in history. His words were broadcast and millions of people heard them. Yet, for a long time, there was disagreement about ''what'' he had said.<ref>The dispute is significant because it changes the meaning of the sentence. If he meant "man", it's redundant because man and mankind are the same. If he meant "a man", he was comparing and contrasting his personal accomplishment with the implications for all of humanity.
See [http://www.snopes.com/quotes/onesmall.asp One Small Misstep], Snopes urban legend site. A video clip and sound recording are available at [http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a11/a11v_1092338.mpg NASA]. At the time, many listeners perceived his words as "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Major newspapers and wire services reported it without the "a;" the ''New York Times'' did so as their July 21, 1969 "Quotation of the Day" (p. 35, also in the seventh sentence of their front-page story). Various small noises, short pauses, or transmission artifacts have sometimes been interpreted as the missing word, obscured by technical problems. In September 2006 an audio analyst claimed to have found the missing "a" but this, too is disputed.</ref>

The broadcast seemingly omitted the "a", reducing Armstrong's quote to the senseless "That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind."<ref>[http://www.nasa.gov/62284main_onesmall2.wav "...one small step for (a) man..."] NASA's official recording</ref>

For almost 40 years, historians, academics and fans of space travel debated about the recording, some claiming that Armstrong had forgotten the word while others said that it was merely lost in transmission. Armstrong always said that he had not forgotten the word, but couldn't offer an explanation why it was not heard in the transmission.

However, in 2006, the Australian programmer Peter Shann Ford found the trace of the missing "a" in a downloaded recording he analyzed with audio software and presented his findings at the [[Smithsonian Institution]]'s Air and Space Museum (Washington, D.C.) and at NASA's Washington headquarters. The conclusion is that the transmission reduced Armstrong's "a" to a 35ms sound bit - 10 times too quickly to be heard by human ears.<ref>[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4225856.html One small step for clarity] Houston Chronicle, Oct. 3, 2006</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Armstrong, Neil}}

[[Category: Astronauts]]
[[Category: United States]]
[[Category: Space Exploration]]
[[Category: Deists]]

Steven Chu

2013-04-11T11:53:43Z

TedA: Tenure as Secretary of Energy

{{Officeholder
|name=Steven Chu
|image=SecretaryChu.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=Lisa Chu-Thielbar (divorced) Jean Fetter (1997-present)
|religion=
|offices=
{{Officeholder/secretary (cabinet)
|of=Energy
|state=United States
|number=12th
|deputy=n
|president=[[Barack Hussein Obama]]
|terms=January 21, 2009-Present
|preceded=Samuel Bodman
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
}}
'''Steven Chu''' (b. February 28, 1948) was born in St. Louis, [[Missouri]]. He is a 1997 Nobel Prize-winning physicist, former director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the [[Obama Administration]]'s [[United States Secretary of Energy|Secretary of Energy]]. The [[Department of Energy]] is at the center of U.S. efforts to end the U.S.'s dependence on foreign oil, roll back climate change, and create new "green" jobs, using stimulus funds already passed by Congress. He seeks to increase the price of energy in the United States, stating that, “we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe.” <ref>http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/73138.html#ixzz2PpuqRNks</ref>

Chu favors nuclear energy and the Department of Energy in Jan. 2010 is setting up $20 billion in loan guarantees for the nuclear industry in order to shift energy priorities. The environmental left is angry because the older generation of 1960s activists is vehemently opposed to anything nuclear.{{fact}}
==Views on Energy and Transportation==
* Chu is strongly promoting engineering solutions, explaining in April 2009, "We haven't taken full advantage of the technologies that exist today. They haven't been integrated into making smarter buildings that can be 60, 80 percent more energy-efficient than existing buildings."<ref> Zakaria (2009)</ref>

Chu said, "Coal is My Worst Nightmare." <ref>http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/12/11/steven-chu-coal-is-my-worst-nightmare/</ref> If coal is to stay part of the world’s energy mix, he says, clean-coal technologies must be developed. But he’s not optimistic: "It’s not guaranteed we have a solution for coal," he concluded, given the sheer scope of the challenge of economically storing billions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions underground. Asked how to get off coal he responded:<ref>Zakaria (2009)</ref>
:"We can have renewables. We have nuclear power. During the nighttime when there's less demand for electricity, we'll be plugging our cars into these and charging them up so that that nuclear power can be used in a much better way. Storage technology will be incredibly useful and needed as transient renewables become a larger portion of our energy budget."

As an adviser to president-elect Barack Hussein Obama, a Jan. 17, 2008 statement was crafted to the San Francisco Chronicle that Obama planned pollution taxes that would “bankrupt” anyone who tried to build a coal-powered plant.

In October 2008, Chu spoke about how uneconomical battery-powered cars are. Chu said, "Current batteries for hybrid and electric cars last just five to six years, take a car only 40 miles on a charge—and cost $10,000. These aren’t going to sweep the market." <ref>http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/37422/title/U.S._must_invest_in_technologies_to_avoid_energy_crisis</ref>

Chu has called for gradually ramping up gasoline taxes over 15 years to coax consumers into buying more-efficient cars, and living in neighborhoods closer to work. "Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe," he said before becoming Secretary of Energy. <ref>see [http://sec.online.wsj.com/article/SB122904040307499791.html ''WJS'' Dec. 12, 2008]</ref> Chu has been reluctant to embrace nuclear power, even though it emits no greenhouse gases, out of concerns with disposing its waste and the risk of nuclear proliferation. "The waste and proliferation issues [surrounding nuclear power] still haven’t been completely solved," he said. A major role of his Department of Energy is to oversee nuclear weapons and waste storage. The Obama campaign made clear that increased reliance on nuclear power will require finding a "safe" way to dispose of radioactive waste.

==Secretary of Energy==

Chu oversaw the Obama administration's failed green energy efforts. He approved a half-billion dollar loan to now-bankrupt solar energy company, [[Solyndra]].<ref>http://voices.yahoo.com/barack-obama-bankrupt-coal-plants-2149160.html</ref> Loans were made to a company called Fisker to build uneconomical cars in Finland. <ref>http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/car-company-us-loan-builds-cars-finland/story?id=14770875</ref> More of Chu's DOE money ($249 million) was loaned to A123, a now-bankrupt battery maker that may be sold to the Chinese. <ref>http://autos.aol.com/article/a123-bankruptcy-obama-doe-loans/</ref>

==Career==
* 1970 graduate in mathematics and physics from the University of Rochester
* He earned his PhD at the University of California, Berkeley
* Professor of physics, and of molecular and cell biology at University of California, Berkeley
* Worked at AT&T's Bell Labs in the 1980s <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7784969.stm Profile: Steven Chu] BBC, December 16, 2008</ref>
* Chu helped create the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) at UC-Berkeley, the Lawrence Berkeley Lab, and the University of Illinois — a far-ranging $500 million project researching alternative fuels funded by BP (formerly British Petroleum). EBI investigates ways to use grasses instead of corn to make biofuel ethanol more efficiently with less environmental and economic impact
* Member of Copenhagen Climate Council: a private collaboration between science and business to promote a 2009 UN global warming projects.

==Quotes==
* "The world needs a "revolution" in science and technology to solve global warming" <ref>[http://www.sciam.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=steven-chu-calls-for-alt-energy-rev-2009-02-12 Steven Chu calls for alt-energy "revolution"] Scientific American February 12, 2009</ref>
* "a price must be put on carbon "without loopholes"
* "The Golden State could become a desert wasteland, with no more winter salad greens from its parched Central Valley or wines from its withered Napa-Sonoma vineyards, before this century ends unless America takes drastic steps to slow global warming"
==Further reading==
* Zakaria, Fareed. "In the Great Ship Titanic: Nobel physicist Steven Chu is out to revitalize U.S. industry and save the world—if he can." [http://www.newsweek.com/id/193488 ''Newsweek'' Apr 20, 2009]

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Obama Cabinet]]
[[Category:Environmentalism]]
[[Category:Global Warming]]
[[Category:Physicists]]
[[Category:Energy]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chu, Steven}}

Diana DeGette

2013-04-11T00:57:47Z

TedA: She believes that gun magazines can't be reloaded

'''Diana DeGette''' is the [[United States Representative]] for the 1st congressional district of [[Colorado]]. She is a member of the [[Democratic Party]]. She was first elected to the House in 1998. As with most liberals, DeGette isn't very smart. She believes that gun magazines can't be reloaded. <ref>http://www.denverpost.com/frontpage/ci_22942476/degette-draws-criticism-pretty-stupid-ammo-magazine-comment?source=rss</ref><ref>http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_22971620/inaccurate-remarks-gun-magazines-put-rep-diana-degette?source=rss</ref>

{{DEFAULTSORT:DeGette, Diana}}

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:United States Representatives]]
[[Category:110th United States Congress]]
[[Category:111th United States Congress]]
[[Category:112th United States Congress]]
[[Category:113th United States Congress]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]

Steven Chu

2013-04-10T03:37:12Z

TedA: Chu's green energy loans

Steven Chu

2013-04-08T02:50:42Z

TedA: skyrocket quote

{{Officeholder
|name=Steven Chu
|image=SecretaryChu.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=Lisa Chu-Thielbar (divorced) Jean Fetter (1997-present)
|religion=
|offices=
{{Officeholder/secretary (cabinet)
|of=Energy
|state=United States
|number=12th
|deputy=n
|president=[[Barack Hussein Obama]]
|terms=January 21, 2009-Present
|preceded=Samuel Bodman
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
}}
'''Steven Chu''' (b. February 28, 1948) was born in St. Louis, [[Missouri]]. He is a 1997 Nobel Prize-winning physicist, former director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the [[Obama Administration]]'s [[United States Secretary of Energy|Secretary of Energy]]. The [[Department of Energy]] is at the center of U.S. efforts to end the U.S.'s dependence on foreign oil, roll back climate change, and create new "green" jobs, using stimulus funds already passed by Congress. He seeks to increase the price of energy in the United States, stating that, “we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe.” <ref>http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/73138.html#ixzz2PpuqRNks</ref>

Chu favors nuclear energy and the Department of Energy in Jan. 2010 is setting up $20 billion in loan guarantees for the nuclear industry in order to shift energy priorities. The environmental left is angry because the older generation of 1960s activists is vehemently opposed to anything nuclear.{{fact}}
==Views on Energy and Transportation==
* Chu is strongly promoting engineering solutions, explaining in April 2009, "We haven't taken full advantage of the technologies that exist today. They haven't been integrated into making smarter buildings that can be 60, 80 percent more energy-efficient than existing buildings."<ref> Zakaria (2009)</ref>

Chu said, "Coal is My Worst Nightmare." <ref>http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/12/11/steven-chu-coal-is-my-worst-nightmare/</ref> If coal is to stay part of the world’s energy mix, he says, clean-coal technologies must be developed. But he’s not optimistic: "It’s not guaranteed we have a solution for coal," he concluded, given the sheer scope of the challenge of economically storing billions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions underground. Asked how to get off coal he responded:<ref>Zakaria (2009)</ref>
:"We can have renewables. We have nuclear power. During the nighttime when there's less demand for electricity, we'll be plugging our cars into these and charging them up so that that nuclear power can be used in a much better way. Storage technology will be incredibly useful and needed as transient renewables become a larger portion of our energy budget."

As an adviser to president-elect Barack Hussein Obama, a Jan. 17, 2008 statement was crafted to the San Francisco Chronicle that Obama planned pollution taxes that would “bankrupt” anyone who tried to build a coal-powered plant.

In October 2008, Chu spoke about how uneconomical battery-powered cars are. Chu said, "Current batteries for hybrid and electric cars last just five to six years, take a car only 40 miles on a charge—and cost $10,000. These aren’t going to sweep the market." <ref>http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/37422/title/U.S._must_invest_in_technologies_to_avoid_energy_crisis</ref>

Chu has called for gradually ramping up gasoline taxes over 15 years to coax consumers into buying more-efficient cars, and living in neighborhoods closer to work. "Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe," he said before becoming Secretary of Energy. <ref>see [http://sec.online.wsj.com/article/SB122904040307499791.html ''WJS'' Dec. 12, 2008]</ref> Chu has been reluctant to embrace nuclear power, even though it emits no greenhouse gases, out of concerns with disposing its waste and the risk of nuclear proliferation. "The waste and proliferation issues [surrounding nuclear power] still haven’t been completely solved," he said. A major role of his Department of Energy is to oversee nuclear weapons and waste storage. The Obama campaign made clear that increased reliance on nuclear power will require finding a "safe" way to dispose of radioactive waste.

==Career==
* 1970 graduate in mathematics and physics from the University of Rochester
* He earned his PhD at the University of California, Berkeley
* Professor of physics, and of molecular and cell biology at University of California, Berkeley
* Worked at AT&T's Bell Labs in the 1980s <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7784969.stm Profile: Steven Chu] BBC, December 16, 2008</ref>
* Chu helped create the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) at UC-Berkeley, the Lawrence Berkeley Lab, and the University of Illinois — a far-ranging $500 million project researching alternative fuels funded by BP (formerly British Petroleum). EBI investigates ways to use grasses instead of corn to make biofuel ethanol more efficiently with less environmental and economic impact
* Member of Copenhagen Climate Council: a private collaboration between science and business to promote a 2009 UN global warming projects.

==Quotes==
* "The world needs a "revolution" in science and technology to solve global warming" <ref>[http://www.sciam.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=steven-chu-calls-for-alt-energy-rev-2009-02-12 Steven Chu calls for alt-energy "revolution"] Scientific American February 12, 2009</ref>
* "a price must be put on carbon "without loopholes"
* "The Golden State could become a desert wasteland, with no more winter salad greens from its parched Central Valley or wines from its withered Napa-Sonoma vineyards, before this century ends unless America takes drastic steps to slow global warming"
==Further reading==
* Zakaria, Fareed. "In the Great Ship Titanic: Nobel physicist Steven Chu is out to revitalize U.S. industry and save the world—if he can." [http://www.newsweek.com/id/193488 ''Newsweek'' Apr 20, 2009]

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Obama Cabinet]]
[[Category:Environmentalism]]
[[Category:Global Warming]]
[[Category:Physicists]]
[[Category:Energy]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chu, Steven}}

Eric Holder

2013-04-08T02:46:39Z

TedA: Marc Rich pardon

{{Officeholder
|name=Eric Holder
|image=Eric Holder.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=Sharon Malone
|religion=Episcopalian
|offices=
{{Officeholder/attorneygeneral
|jurisdiction=the United States
|number=82nd
|deputy=n
|president=[[Barack Hussein Obama]]
|terms=February 3, 2009
|preceded=[[Michael Mukasey]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/attorneygeneral
|jurisdiction=the United States
|number=
|deputy=y
|president=[[Bill Clinton]]
|terms=June 13, 1997 – January 20, 2001
|preceded=Jamie Gorelick
|former=y
|succeeded=Larry Thompson
}}
}}
'''Eric Himpton Holder, Jr''' (January 25, 1951) is the current U.S. Attorney General in the [[Obama Administration]]. He formerly was Deputy Attorney General, serving from 1997 to 2001, in the [[Clinton administration]]. Before receiving this appointment, he was the United States Attorney for the [[District of Columbia]], appointed in 1993 upon his resignation from the DC Superior Court. During the transition to the [[Bush Administration]], he was temporarily Acting Attorney General. He succeeded [[Michael Mukasey]].

Holder does not believe in the [[Second Amendment]] and supported the unconstitutional ban on handguns in Washington D.C.<ref>http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/holder_obama_guns/2009/01/15/171877.html</ref> On February 25, 2009 Holder told reporters that he wants an "assault weapons ban."<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=6960824&page=1</ref> Second amendment scholar Stephen Halbrook testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee that while Holder was Clinton's deputy attorney general, the Justice Department broke federal law by storing records of firearms purchases.<ref>http://www.independent.org/newsroom/news_detail.asp?newsID=118</ref>

Shortly after his appointment by [[President Obama]] in February 2009, Holder called the America people "a nation of cowards."<ref>[http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/02/holder_america_is_a_nation_of.asp Holder: America Is "A Nation of Cowards"]</ref>

==Marc Rich Pardon==
While Deputy Attorney General in the Clinton Administration, Holder was asked for his opinion on pardoning Marc Rich. Rich is the biggest tax cheat in American history and had fled the country, but was a big donor to the Clintons and the Democratic party, so Bill Clinton wanted to pardon him. Holder said that he was "leaning toward favorable" on the pardon. <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122749145870752223.html</ref> After Holder offered his opinion, Rich was pardoned. However, Rich has never returned to America.

==Fast and Furious scandal==
:''Main article: '''[[Operation Fast and Furious]]'''''

The ''[[Washington Post]]'' reported that [[White House]] officials stopped a requirement for gun dealers to report bulk sales of high-powered semiautomatic rifles commonly used by illegal drug cartels. The proposal from the [[Treasury Department]]'s Bureau of Alchol, Tobacco, and Firearms was held up on White House orders from Obama Chief of Staff [[Rahm Emanuel]].<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/17/AR2010121706598.html</ref>

On March 10, 2011 Holder made his first of many comments about the Justice Department's internal investigation as to why the Treasury Department was ordered not to enforce the law at the Justice Department's request, telling Texas Senator [[Kay Bailey Hutchison]] that he had "asked the Inspector General to try to get to the bottom of it." Inspector General Cynthia Schnedar was asked to head an independent investigation. Holder had been in effect Schnedar's boss from 1994 until 1997 while she served as assistant U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C. in the 90s. During Ms. Schnedar's tenure the two had worked a number of cases together.<ref>[http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/10/fast_and_furious_in_a_rotten_nutshell.html#ixzz27iRBCN28 Fast and Furious in a Rotten Nutshell], Ronald Kolb, ''American Thinker'', October 7, 2011,</ref> Schnedar quit shortly before the Inspector General's Report was issued, clearing Holder. The bulk of the report throughout was done by Schnedar, but Press Releases attributed the report to her replacement.<ref>[http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2012/08/22/fast_and_furious_doj_inspector_general_report_delivered Fast and Furious: DOJ Inspector General Report Delivered], Katie Pavlich, ''Townhall'', August 22, 2012.</ref>

==Terrorist pardons==
On August 11, 1999, on Holder's advice, President Clinton offered clemency to members of the [[Armed Forces of National Liberation]] (FALN) [[terrorist]] group. <ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070703053819/http://rpc.senate.gov/_files/92199CoddlingTerrorists.pdf U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee] testimony available at http://www.senate.gov/~judiciary/wl91599.htm, ''The Tampa Tribune'', S.J.Res. 33 (passed 95-2).</ref> On January 24, 1975 the FALN bombed Fraunces Tavern in Manhattan killing four people. Over a six-year period, the group claimed responsibility for more than 100 bombings that took six lives and injured some 130 people.<ref>[http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/puertorico/sep4.htm Clinton Pardons Terror], ''New York Post'', August 13, 1999. retrieve from http://www.latinamericanstudies.org September 14, 2007.</ref> Holder was criticized for his "unconscionable" efforts to circumvent the standard pardon process, not consulting with the [[Department of Justice]]'s pardon attorney and keeping deliberations hidden from the district U.S. attorney and investigative agencies. [[Weather Underground]] [[terrorists]] [[Linda Evans]] and Susan Rosenberg were also pardoned who were serving life sentences for the murder of two police officers and a Brinks armored guard in 1981.<ref>[http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YmM1OGM4OGRiNTI5NTIzOTFkMDAwMTJiNGFlYWFiZGI= ''Confirming Fears''], Editorial, National Review Online, November 19, 2008.</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==Further reading==
*[http://obamacrimes.com/philjberg/BergasRelator/Berg%20as%20Relator,%20Appendix%20Pt%203.pdf Biography of Eric Holder], retrieved from obamacrimes.com February 23, 2010.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holder, Eric}}
[[Category:United States Attorneys General]]
[[Category:Obama Cabinet]]
[[Category:Clinton administration]]
[[Category:Obama Administration]]
[[Category:Lawyers]]
[[Category:Liberals]]

Barack Hussein Obama

2013-04-08T02:36:37Z

TedA: /* Birth */ The original birther is Obama

MS NOW

2013-04-08T02:24:01Z

TedA: MSNBC White House connection

[[Image:April 2nd MSNBC.png|right]]
'''MSNBC''' is a [[liberal propaganda]] 24-hour cable "news" channel and website aligned with the [[Democrat]] party. Jointly owned by [[Comcast]] and [[General Electric]], MSNBC is considered by many to be one of the most liberal cable news channels of all the [[mainstream media]]. For years, MSNBC trailed [[Fox News]] and [[CNN]] in the ratings. However, it has been beating CNN since the ratings for that network are in freefall. <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/business/media/cnn-ratings-decline-stirs-worries.html</ref> It typically garners ratings that are just one-third those of the [[Fox News Channel]]. Some consider it to be the liberal counterpart to the conservative Fox News. In 2012, Microsoft fully divested itself from MSNBC resulting in a the creation of NBC news and NBCnews.com. <ref> http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-16/msnbc-website-renamed-nbcnews-com-after-microsoft-split.html </ref> It is possible Microsoft divested due to MSNBC's [[liberal hypocrisy]] since they opined that "we wanted to show different perspectives."

The ''Daily Caller'' observed that MSNBC "might be trying a little too hard to push" its agenda: "MSNBC duped: Network runs satirical fake news," and that wasn't the first time.<ref>http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/05/msnbc-duped-network-runs-satirical-fake-news-from-daily-kos-as-a-real-story/</ref>

The MSNBC channel was started in 1996 as a joint venture between [[Microsoft]] and [[NBC]]. On December 23, 2005, ending a partnership that had soured long before, Microsoft and NBC announced that they would dissolve their joint ownership of the cable news channel, with NBC taking control. NBC completed a deal to assume majority control of the channel, with an 82% stake.<ref>[http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30610F93E540C778EDDAB0994DD404482]</ref> The joint venture with Microsoft has come to an end.<ref>http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/microsoft-nbc-dissolve-msnbccom-joint-venture/article4418455/</ref>

In 2010, parent company General Electric reached a tentative agreement with the [[France|French]] media conglomerate [[Vivendi]] that cleared the way for the sale of NBCUniversal, including the flagship [[NBC]] network, to Comcast, America's largest cable operator.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/business/media/01deal.html New York Times; With Deal, G.E. Clears Path to Sale of NBC]</ref> <ref>[http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20101028/ARTICLE/10281045/2055/NEWS?p=2&tc=pg Sarasota Herald-Tribune; Corporate Report]</ref> The takeover will go into effect January 28, 2011 following the Comcast company’s next pay cycle. <ref> http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/done-deal-fcc-department-of-justice-approve-comcast-nbc-universal-acquisition_b48942 </ref> Comcast acquired a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal from General Electric Co, creating a $30 billion business that would include broadcast, cable networks, movie studios and theme parks. <ref> http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110118/bs_nm/us_nbc_comcast_13 </ref> Some liberals fear that Comcast might turn into a more conservative outlet. <ref>http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2010/11/09/socialist-senator-wants-comcast-nbc-deal-blocked-due-olbermanns-suspe</ref> <ref>http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/11/6/145630/235</ref> Some critics and supporters of [[Keith Olbermann]] blame Comcast for his firing from MSNBC.

== State Run ==
Publicly, the channel claims to be a non-biased, journalist driven news network. In reality, they are Democrat-aligned to the point that they are perceived as a mouthpiece for the [[Obama Administration]]. On several occasions, Obama Administration officials have stated their public support for MSNBC.

Opinion-driven news is common and a successful formula at Fox News. MSNBC opinion news includes attacking Republicans relentlessly and promoting or whitewashing Democrat politicians. Their remarks are so outlandish, choke full of proven lies and mean spirited that their TV hosts often get suspended from the air.

== Low Ratings ==
The MSNBC network has perennially had very low ratings. In 2002, the network was regularly beaten in the ratings by [[CNN Headline News]]. The CEO of Microsoft once even admitted that he wouldn't have started MSNBC knowing what he knew later.<ref>http://news.com.com/2100-1023-268073.html</ref> In June of 2006, [[CNN]] co-founder Reese Schoenfeld told journalist Don Kaplan that "Everybody compares MSNBC to Fox and CNN - when its real competition is Headline News". Schoenfeld pointed out that the ratings for MSNBC and Headline News are roughly the same, about 300,000 viewers on average and that "by comparison, Fox and CNN regularly average three or four times as many viewers." Kaplan even joked that "the running joke in TV news is Fox and CNN are news channels with websites, but MSNBC is a website with a cable channel".<ref>http://newsbusters.org/node/5891</ref>

Shock jock Don Imus's radio show ''Imus in the Morning'' was simulcast on MSNBC for over ten years. During this time, the program become well-known for displaying offensive commentary. However, MSNBC continued to support the show. In April of 2007, the network sparked outrage when during a broadcast of ''Imus in the Morning'', Don Imus and another MSNBC staff member made remarks about the Rutgers University women's basketball team, considered to be both racist and sexist. Initially, MSNBC refused to cancel the show. After sponsors started withdrawing their advertisements from the show, MSNBC canceled the simulcast of ''Imus in the Morning''.

== Liberal Bias ==
MSNBC has been criticized regarding the channel's [[liberal]] slant. The media watchdog group the Media Research Center<ref> [http://www.mediaresearch.org/about/aboutwelcome.asp About Media Research Center] www.mediaresearch.org</ref> has cited MSNBC shows by [[Keith Olbermann]], [[Dan Abrams]] and [[Chris Matthews]] in its criticism of the network's bias reporting.

Olbermann has denounced President [[George W. Bush|Bush]] and the [[Republican Party]], calling the latter a "terrorist organization". He has called on President Bush and Vice President [[Dick Cheney|Cheney]] to resign.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19588942/</ref>
Olbermann has conducted post-debate interviews of Republican presidential candidates and led live coverage of presidential primaries. In the February 2008 issue of ''Men's Journal'' magazine, a senior executive at MSNBC stated that Olbermann "runs MSNBC" and that "because of his success, he's in charge" of the network.<ref>http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/olbermann_talks_office_politics_other_politics_74648.asp</ref>

The [[left-wing]] advocacy group Media Matters for America<ref> [http://mediamatters.org/ Media Matters for America homepage] www.mediamatters.org</ref> has criticized the MSNBC's commitment to promoting a left-wing agenda since the channel has had shows hosted by [[Libertarian|left-libertarian]] [[Tucker Carlson]] and former moderate [[Republican]] Congressman [[Joe Scarborough]]. Ironically, on August 16, 2007 Scarborough revealed an incident in which people in the MSNBC newsroom ceaselessly booed [[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush|Bush]] during a State of the Union address.<ref>http://newsbusters.org/node/14899/print</ref>
[[Image:Msnbc dem.jpg|right|150px]]
In the past, MSNBC shows have featured [[Mitch Albom]], [[Ann Coulter]], [[Phil Donahue]], [[Bill Moyers]], [[Maury Povich]], and [[Michael Savage]], among others. That varied programming was gradually reduced as MSNBC veered more [[leftist]] in its point-of-view. Among MSNBC's 2008 lineup, [[Patrick Buchanan]] was perhaps the most conservative voice.

In 2003, in an apparent effort to appear more balanced, MSNBC fired talk-show host Phil Donahue. An internal memo read, in part, "Donahue represents a difficult public face for NBC in a time of war. At the same time, our competitors are waving the flag at every opportunity." <ref>http://mediamatters.org/items/200410290004</ref>
<ref>http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/03/24/1446244</ref>
<ref>http://www.allyourtv.com/0203season/news/02252003donahue.html</ref>

On November 5, 2007, the ''[[New York Times]]'' reported that the cable news channel was in serious discussions with [[Rosie O'Donnell]] to have a prime-time show on the network. Under one scenario, O'Donnell would be given the 9 p.m. slot where she would compete with ''Larry King Live'' on [[CNN]] and ''Hannity & Colmes'' on the [[Fox News Channel]]. Her show would replace ''Live with Dan Abrams'', a low-rated program that only recently replaced ''Scarborough Country''.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/business/media/05cnd-msnbc.html?_r=1&oref=slogin</ref> The deal later fell through as O'Donnell leaked information about the agreement without MSNBC's permission.

Later in November of 2007, the president of MSNBC, Phil Griffin, flat out admitted that the network has a left-wing liberal bias. In a ''New York Times'' article, he said that "it happened naturally" and that "there is a Go for it" mentality when it comes to pushing the liberal agenda among the MSNBC staff.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/business/media/06msnb.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin</ref>

Continuing its offensive against the [[Bush administration]] and its reposition as a left-wing "news" outlet, in December of 2007, the network ran a series titled ''Bush League Justice'' with the explicit purpose of attacking the [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Justice Department]] under the presidency of [[George W. Bush]].

In October 2010, MSNBC has publicly acknowleged its liberalism in October 2010 while launching a marketing campaign with the tagline "Lean Forward," <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39507182/ns/business-media_biz/</ref> <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/business/media/05adco.html?_r=1</ref> <ref>http://theweek.com/article/index/207856/msnbcs-new-slogan-what-does-it-even-mean</ref> <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkinYM4EPy0</ref> following several years in which many observers noted a leftward shift in the channel's programming <ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/30/study-nbc-news-doesnt-fol_n_139162.html</ref> <ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090800008_pf.html</ref> <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/08/business/media/08msnbc.html?pagewanted=print</ref>. As a result, NBC Universal and Microsoft is considering changing the name of the less partisan msnbc.com, a separate news company, to prevent confusion with the liberal TV network, MSNBC <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/business/media/07msnbc.html</ref>. Some of the NBC News correspondents and producers, who attempt to be straightforward reporters, say they are embarrassed to be associated with the liberal cable outlet and fear being “tainted” by association with it <ref>http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=39332</ref>. The situation became more apparent when NBC News decided to keep Brian Williams and Tom Brokaw away from MSNBC during the November 2, 2010 midterm election coverage <ref>http://mediaconfidential.blogspot.com/2010/10/nbc-news-separates-itself-from-partisan.html</ref>.

==The MSNBC – White House Conneciton==
During coverage of the Gulf Oil Spill, Democrat party apparatchik Mika Brzezinski, who is also an anchor of the MSNBC show Morning Joe, worked with the White House to distribute propaganda falsely claiming that Obama was doing an effective job managing the problem. Brzezinski, who is the daughter of NSA Zbigniew Brzezinski from the failed Carter administration, admitted on the air that "I have a file that I've been working on with the White House."<ref>http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-finkelstein/2010/06/21/mika-admits-im-working-white-house-oil-spill-talking-points#ixzz2PpmYB7O3</ref>

==The MSNBC – Media Matters Connection==
[[Media Matters for America]] is a very popular source of information within MSNBC’s prime time lineup. Some might argue [[MSNBC]] is a defacto mouth piece for the organization..<ref>[http://bigjournalism.com/sright/2011/07/12/media-matters-propaganda-watch-the-tax-exempt-research-department-of-msnbc-martin-bashir-edition/ Media Matters Propaganda Watch: The Tax-Exempt Research Department of MSNBC, Martin Bashir Edition]</ref> In prime time alone, since 2005 Media Matters has either been booked as a guest and/or mentioned on the network nearly 200 times. Media Matters has been particularly popular with MSNBC’s producers during the last 2 years.
Below are some interesting tid bits about Media Matters and its growing relationship with MSNBC’s prime time programming:

* 197 guest appearances and/or on-air mentions on MSNBC’s prime time since January 2005
* Of the roughly 390 broadcast evenings on MSNBC since July 2010, Media Matters has either been booked as a guest and/or mentioned on air 26% of the possible broadcast evenings (1 out of every 4 days).
* In 2011, on average, a Media Matters representative appeared on MSNBC at least once per week
* [[Eric Boehlert]] has been the most popular Media Matters representative on MSNBC, accounting for 43% of all Media Matters appearances on the cable network
* [[The Ed Show]] is the most popular show for Media Matters representatives, accounting for 72 Media Matters guest appearances since 2009<ref>[http://www.nexis.com Search and analysis on MSNBC's primetime transcripts via Nexis.com]</ref>

== See also ==
* [[NBC]]
* [[Liberal media]]
* [[Keith Olbermann]]
* [[Chris Matthews]]
* [[Pat Buchanan]]
* [[Rachel Maddow]]

==External Links==
* [http://msnbc.msn.com Official Site]
* [http://www.setstudio.com/pages/msnbc/ Photos of the MSNBC studio]
* [http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-sheffield/2007/11/16/msnbc-president-admits-lineup-tilts-leftward MSNBC President Admits: Lineup Tilts Leftward]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/business/media/06msnb.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin Cable Channel Nods to Ratings and Leans Left]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category: Media]]
[[Category: Cable TV Networks]]

Joe Biden

2013-04-08T02:10:34Z

TedA: Joe's gun use advice

{{Officeholder
|name=Joseph Biden
|image=JoeBiden.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=[[Jill Biden]]
|religion=[[Roman Catholic]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/vice president
|country=the United States
|number=47th
|terms=January 20, 2009-Present
|president=[[Barack Obama]]
|preceded=[[Dick Cheney]]
|former=Hopefully
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Delaware
|terms=January 3, 1973 – January 15, 2009
|preceded=[[Cale Boggs]]
|former=y
|succeeded=[[Ted Kaufman]]
}}
}}
'''Joe Biden''' (born Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. on 20 November 1942) is the [[Vice President of the United States]]. Biden, notorious for his long-winded speeches and his foot-in-mouth moments, as illustrated by his declaration that "we have to go spend money to keep from going [[bankrupt]]."<ref>http://cnsnews.com/news/article/joe-biden-we-have-go-spend-money-keep-going-bankrupt</ref> A favorite of the [[liberal]] media, Biden avoids the mockery that greeted a less gaffe-prone predecessor, [[Dan Quayle]].

Biden got a pass from fellow [[liberal]]s in the media despite acting like a rude clown during his vice presidential debate with [[Paul Ryan]] in October 2012. Biden repeatedly interrupted Ryan and engaged in other offensive behavior, and even complained about not getting more time despite talking more than Ryan did. At one point Biden even nonsensically interjected, "so now you're Jack Kennedy?" in interrupting a valid point being made by Ryan.

Biden is the first [[Roman Catholic]] Vice President. He won few votes when running for [[2008 Presidential election|president in 2008]]; he dropped out after placing fifth in Iowa in January, 2008. Biden became Barack Obama's vice-presidential running mate. His campaign stressed his Irish Catholic roots in appeals to working class Democrats, who had deserted Obama in the primaries but returned in the fall.

Biden, as a senator from [[Delaware]] from 1973-2009, chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee and subsequently the Committee on Foreign Relations. Biden in 2007 was ranked as the third most liberal Senator by the non-partisan ''National Journal''. <ref>http://www.nationaljournal.com/conventions/co_20080823_9669.php</ref> He previously ran for President in 1988 but dropped out of the race after admitting he had [[plagiarism#Joe Biden|plagiarized ]] a speech by the leader of the British Labour Party.<ref>
[http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/history_lesson/2008/08/the_write_stuff.html Why Biden's plagiarism shouldn't be forgotten.] - The Slate - Aug. 25, 2008</reF>

==Early Life and Education==
Biden was born at Scranton State General Hospital in Scranton, [[Pennsylvania]]<ref name="timeline">Joe Biden Timeline [http://biden.senate.gov/senator/timeline/]</ref> and grew up in New Castle County, Delaware, <ref name="bio">Joe Biden Biography [http://biden.senate.gov/senator/]</ref> in a middle class family. His father was a white collar businessmen who did well, but had fallen on hard times when Biden was a youth.<ref name="bluecollar">http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/08/joe_bidens_mythical_bluecollar.html</ref> Biden attended Archmere Academy, a private Catholic college-preparatory high school in the Wilmington, Delaware area, graduating in 1961.<ref name="bio" /> Biden took a summer job to help his family pay for his schooling.<ref name="bluecollar" /><ref>Archmere Academy [http://www.archmereacademy.com/Default.aspx?tabid=74]Tuition for 2008-2009 is $18,450.</ref> He graduated from the University of Delaware in 1965, and from the Syracuse University College of Law in 1968 near the bottom of his class.<ref name="bio" /> While attending Syracuse Law School, he submitted a paper in which he plagiarized from a law review article. After receiving a grade of F, he was permitted to retake the course.<ref>Biden Admits Plagiarism in School But Says It Was Not 'Malevolent', By E. J. DIONNE JR., SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES, Published: September 18, 1987 [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE3DB143FF93BA2575AC0A961948260]</ref>

In 1966, while still in law school, Biden married Neilia Hunter.<ref name="timeline" /> They had three children together: Joseph R. "Beau" Dien, III, Robert Hunter, and Naomi. Shortly after his election to the Senate in 1972, his wife and infant daughter were killed in a car accident, and his two sons were seriously injured.<ref name="timeline" /> He eventually remarried to Dr. Jill Biden (nee Jacobs), an educator in Delaware's schools.<ref name="bio" /> She currently is an instructor<ref>http://www.dtcc.edu/catalog/pdf/personnel.pdf</ref> teaching at Delaware Technical Community College. Together, the couple added a daughter, Ashley Biden, to the family.<ref name="bio" />

Since 1991, Biden has been an [[adjunct professor]] at the Widener University School of Law, where he teaches a seminar on constitutional law.<ref name="bio" />

==United States Senate==
[[Image:Biden_on_Meet_the_Press.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Biden on Meet The Press, 09/09/07]] In 1972, Biden unseated the liberal Republican Senator [[Cale Boggs]]. In 1973, he hence became the fifth youngest U.S. Senator in U.S. history. He was later reelected six times. On the [[abortion issue]], Biden calls himself [[pro-choice]] and opposed President [[George W. Bush]]'s two nominees to the U.S. [[Supreme court]]. On [[Roe v. Wade]] he said, "I strongly support Roe v. Wade....That’s why I led the fight to defeat [Robert] Bork. Thank [[God]] he is not in the Court or Roe v. Wade would be gone by now." <ref>http://nrlc.org/Election2008/comparison0909084c.pdf</ref> He received a 100% rating from [[NARAL Pro-Choice America]] in 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2006. <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=53279</ref> However, not in other years because of his opposition to [[partial-birth abortion]] and public funding for abortions. <ref>http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Joe_Biden_Abortion.htm</ref> On government spending Biden requested 116 congressional earmarks in 2008 alone, resulting in $342 million in taxpayer money. <ref>http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/23/biden.earmarks/?iref=hpmostpop</ref> He is a strong opponent of 2nd-amendment rights, earning an F by the [[National Rifle Association]]. Biden has also voted to give [[Social Security]] benefits and citizenship to [[illegal aliens]]. On energy, he opposes more domestic oil production, saying proponents of offshore drilling want to "rape" the Outer Continental Shelf. <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/speech_detail.php?sc_id=400058</ref>

As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden was a major player in making foreign policy. He voted against the Persian [[Gulf War]] in 1991, but voted for the Iraq War Resolution in 2002, although he criticized the [[Bush administration]]'s management of the war. He voted against setting a timetable for troop withdrawal and is against cutting off funding for the troops on the ground. In a 2005 interview with Meet the Press, Biden said, "I’ve been calling for more troops [in Iraq] for over two years, along with [[John McCain]] and others subsequent to my saying that." On July 23, 2007 Biden said, "there's not a single [[military]] man in this [[audience]], who will tell this Senator he can get those troops out in six months if the order goes today, lets start telling the truth." <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wylferBh3IA</ref> He has also proposed dividing the Iraqi Population by giving Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis their own regions.

Biden was a long-time member of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which he chaired from 1987 until 1995 and served as ranking minority member from 1981 until 1987 and again from 1995 until 1997. He almost never supported a supreme court nominee who was not in his party and presided over two of the more contentious [[U.S. Supreme Court]] confirmation hearings ever, [[Robert Bork]] in 1987 and the [[racism|racially motivated]] hearings for [[Clarence Thomas]]<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egTyaIAaqz8 Clarence Thomas High-Tech Lynching]</ref> in 1991.

Joe Biden has close ties with lobbyists, receiving $5,133,072 in contributions from [[lawyer]]s and [[lobbyist]]s since 2003. <ref>http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12735.html</ref> One of Biden’s sons, Hunter Biden, has been a registered [[Washington]] lobbyist since 2001. <ref>http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-08-24-Biden-son_N.htm</ref>

==Embarrassing or silly remarks==

*When Representative [[Gabrielle Giffords]] returned to Congress after a long hiatus (which was the result of her being shot in the head), Biden (who had a brain surgery in the past) remarked to her that "Now we're both members of the Cracked Head Club".<ref>[http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2011/08/gabrielle-giffords-joe-biden-cracked-head-club-/1]</ref>

*When he met Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, Biden said "God rest her soul" in reference to Cowen's mother. However, it was Cowen's father that died, not his mother.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7469323/Joe-Biden-loses-the-gift-of-the-gab-on-St-Patricks-Day.html Joe Biden loses the gift of the gab on St Patrick's Day - The Daily Telegraph]</ref>

==Hostile comments==

*At one 2005 political event he said, ''"The next [[Republican]] that tells me I'm not religious, I'm going to shove my rosary down their throat."'' <ref>[http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1840965,00.html#ixzz0xxjisdkg]</ref>

*In March 2007, Biden was criticizing President [[George W. Bush]] for vetoing a bill that would set a time line for troops to be removed from Iraq, saying that [[Congress]] should "shove it down his throat."<ref>http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/5/1/144042.shtml?s=us</ref>

==Remarks about race or ethnicity==

*In July 2006, while speaking to a group of Indian-Americans in Delaware, Biden stated, "You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking." His comment was caught on C-SPAN. <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13757367/</ref>

*In August of 2006, Biden was on [[Fox News]] Sunday and bragged about his state being a former [[slave]] state. "You don't know my state. My state was a slave state. My state is a border state. My state is the eighth largest black population in the country. My state is anything from a northeast liberal state." <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFduMuP7v-k</ref>

*Talking about his fellow Democratic presidential candidate [[Barack Obama]] he said in January of 2007, "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy, ... I mean, that's a storybook, man." <ref>http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/31/biden.obama/</ref>

==Quotations about Guns==

* During a February 2013 interview, Biden said that if there was a “problem” that his wife should “walk out on the balcony here, walk out, put that double-barrel shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house.” <ref>http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/biden-shotgun-advice-draws-quizzical-response/</ref> Doing so is of course, illegal, and would leave his wife holding an empty shotgun while dealing with the “problem”.

* In another February 2013 interview, Biden said "[if] you want to keep someone away from your house, just fire the shotgun through the door." Coincidently, a man from Virginia Beach had done just that a few days before, and was arrested. <ref>http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/02/28/biden-advises-shooting-shotgun-through-door</ref>

==Erroneous comments==

*Joe Biden once told voters that his [[helicopter]] was "forced down" on "the superhighway of terror" by Afghan extremists. When actually, snow forced the helicopter pilot to land and wait out a [[storm]]. <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,431604,00.html</ref>

*In the Oct. 2008 VP debate, Biden made numerous misstatements, on topics ranging from the Constitution to the Mideast. <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,433314,00.html</ref>

*He said he was second in line to be President when he was first and Nancy Pelosi was second at the time.<ref>http://redblueamerica.com/blog/2010-09-21/biden-admits-being-second-line-hillary-spruces-be-first-8008</ref>

*During the 2008 presidential campaign, Biden said that "When the stock market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on the television and didn't just talk about the princes of greed. He said, 'look, here's what happened.'"<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/22/eveningnews/main4470063.shtml Behind The Scenes With Joe Biden - CBS]</ref> In actuality the president during the 1929 stock market crash was [[Herbert Hoover]], not [[Franklin Roosevelt]].

*In another erroneous remark made during the presidential campaign, Biden referred to [[Sarah Palin]] as lieutenant Governor of Alaska, when in fact she the state's Governor at the time.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1643290_1643292_1841625,00.html Biden's Palin Demotion - Time Magazine]</ref>

==Other quotations==

*During the 2008 presidential elections Joe Biden gave a speech in Springfield, Illinois in which he introduced the Democratic nominee for president as "Barack America".<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2008/08/obama-misspea-1/</ref>

*Biden remarked about the 2010 Midterm “I was amazed at the amount of money, this $200 billion of money that is — where there’s no accountability.” Clearly he meant $200 million says the New York Times. <ref>[http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/200-billion-in-ads-mr-biden-thats-real-money/?ref=politics $200 Billion in Ads, Mr. Biden? That’s Real Money, New York Times, October 22, 2010]</ref> Though just a moment later. “So it really — I’ve never seen this before, so the only caveat I’d put in terms of the House is how much impact this $200 billion are going to mean.”

*During the 2005 confirmation hearings for Justice [[John Roberts]], Biden asked Roberts, "Can a microscopic tag be planted in someones body to track his every move, you will rule on that." <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbPvWm9ZkYw</ref>

*In 2008 Biden told a wheelchair bound State Senator from [[Missouri]] to "stand up".<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2008/09/oh-that-joe-n-6-2/</ref>

*He said "Its easy being Vice President." Then a lawmaker said "It's like being the grandpa and not the parent," to which he responded "Yeah, that's it!"<ref>http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/02/26/biden-its-easy-being-vice-president/</ref>

*After [[ObamaCare]] was signed into law, Biden was caught swearing on camera while expressing his joy.<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/7508111/US-health-care-Joe-Biden-swears-after-Barack-Obama-signs-historic-reforms.html</ref>

*Biden was caught swearing again while speaking to a former Senate colleague.<ref>http://www.examiner.com/republican-in-denver/vice-president-biden-visiting-denver-to-talk-about-the-middle-class</ref>

Read more: http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/02/26/biden-its-easy-being-vice-president/#ixzz1X7ju3pUC

==1988 Presidential Campaign==
Joe Biden announced his candidacy for President in 1987. He ran on his experience, saying in an campaign advertisement "The [[White House]] isn't the place to learn how to deal with international crisis, the balance of power, war and peace, and the economic future of the next generation." <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121919956426355701.html</ref> His campaign was short-lived due to controversies. While campaigning in [[New Hampshire]] in 1987, a civilian asked about his grades in college, to which Biden yelled, "I think I have a much higher I.Q. than you do." He went on to say that he "went to law school on a full academic scholarship - the only one in my class to have a full academic scholarship" adding that he "ended up in the top half" of his class (Biden graduated 76th in a class of 85) and "graduated with three degrees from college."

Biden explained his comments "I did not graduate in the top half of my class at law school and my recollection of this was inacurate...I graduated from the University of Delaware with a double major in history and political science. My reference to degrees at the Claremont event was intended to refer to these majors - I said 'three' and should have said 'two'." <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/22/us/biden-admits-errors-and-criticizes-latest-report.html</ref>

Later in the campaign he was found to have plagiarized a speech from British Labour Party (UK) leader [[Neil Kinnock]]. The plagiarism was considered all the more serious, because it included details of Kinnock's life which were not true in Biden's case. Biden dropped out of the race in December 1987, and did not participate in the 1988 Democratic caucuses and primaries.

== 2004 Presidential Election ==
Joe Biden considered running as a Presidential candidate for the 2004 elections, but then decided against it, saying that it would be "now too much of a long shot."<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/special/president/candidates/whos.in.out.html CNN: Who is in, who is out 2004]</ref>. He was later mentioned as a possible running mate for Democratic Senator [[John Kerry]], but he instead urged Kerry to chose Senator John McCain.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4961694/</ref>

== 2008 Presidential Campaign ==

Biden declared his candidacy for [[President]] on January 31, 2007 after months of prior discussions, but later withdrew after the [[Iowa Caucus]] when his candidacy failed to catch on with the voters.<ref> FOX News: [http://youdecide08.foxnews.com/2008/01/04/chris-dodd-abandons-presidential-campaign-after-poor-showing-in-iowa/ Biden, Dodd Bow Out of Presidential Race After Poor Showings in Iowa]</ref>

He ran on his foreign policy experience and credentials in the Senate. On November 15, 2007, during the CNN presidential debate, he said

"This is not about experience. It's not about change. It's about action. Who among us is going to be able to, on Day 1, step in and end the war?".

In the 2007 ABC debate with the Democratic presidential candidates, Biden was asked about the statement he made earlier regarding [[Barack Obama]]. He said:

<blockquote>"I think he can be ready but right now, I don’t believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training." Biden replied "I think that I stand by the statement." <ref>[http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/08/23/mccain-launches-tv-ad-using-bidens-words-against-obama/ McCain Launches TV Ad Using Biden’s Words Against Obama] Fox News, August 23, 2008</ref></blockquote>

Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race on January 3, after coming 5th in the Iowa caucus, receiving only 1% of the vote.

==Vice Presidential Nomination==
[[Image:0.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Biden campaigning for Barack Obama, 09/24/08]] Biden had been mentioned as a Vice Presidential candidate for Senator [[Barack Obama]], in that he would add foreign policy experience to the ticket. When asked in June over the speculation, Biden stated, "I'd make a great president. I'd make a great [[Secretary of State]]. I'd make a great vice president." <ref>The Hill's Blog Briefing Room: [http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2008/06/17/biden-id-make-a-great-president-secretary-of-state-vice-president/ Biden: I'd Make a Great President, Secretary of State, Vice President]</ref> On August 19th, Biden was asked by reporters of his VP status, to which he replied "Hey guys, I'm not the guy. See ya." <ref>[http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/08/biden-on-obamas.html?cid=127045696 Biden on Obama's VP Pick: 'I'm Not The Guy'] ABC News, August 19, 2008</ref>

In August 2005 Biden paradoxically and nonsensically said, "[[John McCain]] is a personal friend, a great friend, and I would be honored to run with or against John McCain, because I think the country would be better off."<ref>National Review Online: [http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NGRhNzJlMWY5NjdiNzhjMTRkYjMzNjYwOGJmYzNjMTY= 'Just Words' That Joe Biden Would Like To Forget]</ref>

However, on August 23rd it was announced that Biden would be Obama's 2008 running mate. They appeared together in [[Springfield]], [[Illinois]]. Obama proudly introduced Senator Biden,
''

''"Let me introduce to you, the next president — the next vice president of the United States of America, Joe Biden."''

Biden took the stage and endorsed Obama, saying,
''

''"In this election year the choice is clear, one man stands ready to deliver change we desperately need, a man I'm proud to call my friend, a man who will be the next President of the [[United States]], Barack America."''
''

Obama hoped Biden would help the ticket in multiple ways:

* Biden has extensive foreign policy experience in the United States Senate and as such could have helped to bolster Obama's comparative lack of experience in this area.
* Biden is [[Catholic]], and Obama was weak with that key voting bloc; however, the [[Catholic Church]] may have taken offense at Biden's pro-[[abortion]] positions (see below).
* Biden was born in [[Pennsylvania]], a must-win state for Obama where he was thought to be weak;<ref>[[Hillary Clinton]] defeated Obama by a wide margin in the [[Pennsylvania]] primary; in August polls show Obama leading McCain by an average of only 5.8% in [[Pennsylvania]] [http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/pa/pennsylvania_mccain_vs_obama-244.html RealClearPolitics Pennsylvania Tracking]</ref>
* Biden's son is going to [[Iraq]], which may have helped to rehabilitate Obama's image as anti-military; however, Biden himself never served.

Almost immediately after his selection, the conflict between his pro-[[abortion]] position and that of his church surfaced:<ref>Reuters: [http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS29316+23-Aug-2008+PRN20080823 Choice of Biden Re-Opens Catholic Wound]</ref>

:Biden has said: "I am a long-standing supporter of ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' and a woman's right to choose." But Biden's own bishop, Bishop Michael Saltarelli of Wilmington, Del., has ... denounced the notion that politicians can 'personally oppose' abortion, but refuse to pass laws protecting the unborn. He made clear that pro-abortion Catholic politicians should refrain from receiving the Eucharist:

:"The promotion of abortion by any Catholic is a grave and serious matter. Objectively, according to the constant teaching of the Scriptures and the Church, it would be more spiritually beneficial for such a person to refrain from receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. I ask Catholics in this position to have the integrity to respect the Eucharist, Catholic teaching and the Catholic faithful."

In September of the campaign Biden asked [[Missouri]] State Senator Chuck Graham, who has [[paralysis]], to "Stand up, Chuck, let 'em see you. Oh, God love you. What am I talking about? I tell you what, you're making everybody else stand up, though, pal. I tell you what, stand up for Chuck." <ref>http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_091008/content/01125107.guest.html</ref>

Biden's [[Republican]] opponent for the Vice Presidency was [[Alaska]] [[Governor]] [[Sarah Palin]]. They participated in their first and only Vice Presidential debate on October 2nd in [[St. Louis]], [[Missouri]]. Biden was elected the 47th Vice President of the United States on November 4, 2008.

==Vice Presidency==
[[File:Biden-flu.jpg|thumb|300px]] Biden's responsibilities as vice president are not yet clear. He has no specific portfolio of responsibilities. He alarmed the nation on April 30, 2009, by going on network television to warn Americans to stay out of confined spaces such as subways and airplanes, lest they catch [[Swine Flu]]. People health officials rejected his scare tactics and the White House immediately repudiated them.

Under President Obama the budget [[deficit]] reached over $1 trillion for the first time in history. When asked over the fate of the United States' going into bankruptcy, Biden stated at an [[AARP]] meeting, "Now, people when I say that look at me and say, "What are you talking about, Joe? You’re telling me we have to go spend money to keep from going bankrupt?’" Biden said. "The answer is yes, that's what I’m telling you." <ref>http://www.cnsnews.com/public/Content/Article.aspx?rsrcid=51162</ref>

Biden was placed in charge of promoting the Administration's [[Recovery Summer]] in 2010, an attempt to highlight the Democratic Congress's [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]], or "[[economic stimulus]] program. During Recovery Summer, the workforce shrank, [[unemployment]] swelled, and [[economic growth]] slowed to less than 2%. As more Americans became the victims of joblessness, by the [[2010 Midterm elections]] more than 27,000,000 people were unemployed or underemployed.
[[File:Varvel-11-19-09.jpg|thumb|320px|left|Gary Varvel pokes fun at VP Biden's outlandish claims as the unemployment rate keeps rising]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==See also==
*[[Obama Administration]]
*[[2008 Presidential Election]]
*[[John McCain]]
*[[Democratic Party]]

[[category:Obama Administration]]

==External Links==
*[http://biden.senate.gov/ Official Site]
*[http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Joe_Biden.htm Biden On the Issues]
*[http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/b000444/ Voting Record]
*[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000444, Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]
*[http://www.joebiden.com/ Presidential Race Site]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Biden, Joseph}}
{{USVicePresidents}}

[[Category:Former United States Senators]]
[[Category:2008 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Obama Administration]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[Category:Liberals]]
[[Category:Reagan Era]]
[[Category:Vice Presidents of the United States]]
[[Category:Catholic Politicians]]
[[Category:Irish-Americans]]
[[Category:Abortion Advocates]]
[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]
{{liberalism}}

Barack Hussein Obama

2013-04-07T02:24:51Z

TedA: /* 1992-2004, Law Professor at University of Chicago */ Obama was never a professor - only a lecturer

{{Officeholder
|name=Barack Hussein Obama
|image=President Barack Obama.jpg
|party=[[Democratic Party]]
|spouse=[[Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama]]; may have had a prior marriage.<ref>http://www.wnd.com/2012/07/was-barack-obama-married-in-college/</ref>
|religion=see [[Obama's religion]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/president
|country=the United States
|number=44th
|terms=January 20, 2009-Present
|vp=[[Joe Biden]]
|preceded=[[George W. Bush]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Illinois
|terms=January 3, 2005 – November 16, 2008
|preceded=Peter Fitzgerald
|former=y
|succeeded=[[Roland Burris]]
}}
}}

'''Barack Hussein Obama II''' (b. August 4, 1961, in [[Honolulu, Hawaii]]) is the 44th President of the [[United States]]. Through heavy use of [[early voting]] by the Democrat political machine, Obama was elected president in 2008 with 365 [[electoral vote]]s and 53% of the popular vote. In 2012 he was elected to a second term with 332 electoral votes and 51% of the popular vote. Promoted heavily by [[liberals]], as demonstrated by his unjustified receipt of the 2009 [[Nobel Prize|Nobel Peace Prize]], Obama won the presidency despite a short and unremarkable political career by outspending his opponent, [[John McCain]], by hundreds of millions of dollars in 2008, and spending more than a billion dollars from special interests to attain reelection in 2012.<ref>[http://www.opensecrets.org/pres12/indus.php?cycle=2012&id=N00009638 Opensecrets.org Barack Obama], 33% Individual contributions, 67% large and corporate.</ref>

The [[liberal claptrap]] that helped elect Obama as president seems silly today. It was claimed, for example, that Obama has millions of followers on Twitter, when allegedly some 70% of them are fake.<ref>http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/08/obama-has-millions-of-fake-twitter-followers/1#.UDfQVqA2et_</ref> And although the [[lamestream media]] promoted Obama as a great orator, in fact he relies almost entirely on teleprompters for his speeches and press conferences, and at one point even had teleprompters set up for him in a middle school classroom in order to speak to the media.

Obama is [[pro-abortion]]. During his campaigns Obama said that he intended to "[[Redistribution of wealth|spread the wealth around]]" and has been portrayed as saying that entrepreneurs and employers deserve no credit for building their businesses. <ref>Zuckerman, M.B. (2010, July 16). [http://www.usnews.com/opinion/mzuckerman/articles/2010/07/16/obamas-anti-business-policies-are-our-economic-katrina Obama's Anti-business Policies are our Economic Katrina]. ''U.S. News''. Barnes, F. (2009, July 22). [http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/619dvjlm.asp An Anti-Business President]. ''The Weekly Standard''. Vol. 14, No. 38 Shedlock, M. (2010, August 20). [http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2010/08/small-businesses-are-not-hiring-why.html Small Businesses are not hiring. Why should they?] Globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com. Wright, C.E. (2012, February 12). [http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/02/dear_mr_president_why_we_are_n.html Dear Mr. President: Why we are not hiring]. ''American Thinker''.</ref> On March 1, 2013 Obama issued [[Executive Order]]s to implement his [[Budget sequester|sequester]] of budget cuts which<ref>http://weaselzippers.us/2013/02/27/dnc-boosts-obama-sequester-job-loss-threat-of-750000-to-2-million/ </ref> has been widely criticized for destroying jobs in what was an anaemic and fragile recovery.<ref>[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-02-26/news/chi-20130226-foys_briefs_1_sequester-president-obama-press-secretary-jay-carney President Obama's sequester,] ''Chicago Tribune'', February 26, 2013.</ref>

Former [[Democrat]] Presidential candidate [[Joe Lieberman]] endorsed Obama's opponent in 2008 and has declined to endorse Obama for the [[Presidential Election 2012]].<ref>Lillis, M. (2012, April 22). [http://thehill.com/video/campaign/222929-lieberman-declines-to-endorse-in-presidential-race Sen. Lieberman declines to endorse in presidential race]. ''The Hill''.</ref>

Following the 2011 debt ceiling standoff between Obama and House Republicans,<ref name=Swann-Aug>{{cite web|url=http://www.standardandpoors.com/servlet/BlobServer?blobheadername3=MDT-Type&blobcol=urldata&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobheadervalue2=inline%3B+filename%3DUS_Downgraded_AA%2B.pdf&blobheadername2=Content-Disposition&blobheadervalue1=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobheadername1=content-type&blobwhere=1243942957443&blobheadervalue3=UTF-8 |title=United States of America Long-Term Rating Lowered to 'AA+' on Political Risks and Rising Debt Burden; Outlook Negative |publisher= [[Standard & Poor's]] |date=August 5, 2011 |accessdate=April 3, 2013}}</ref> the United States Government's credit rating was, for the first time in its history, downgraded from AAA to AA+, and [[poverty]]<ref>[http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/incpovhlth/2009/pov09fig04.pdf Figure 4: Number in Poverty and Poverty Rate: 1959-2009]. ''U.S. Census Bureau''. Current Population Survey, 1960 to 2010 Annual Social and Economic Supplements.</ref> increased markedly. By and large his programs, said to combat the recession, unemployment, slow growth, and deficits, have failed<ref>"The vast majority (73%) of respondents reported the fiscal stimulus enacted in February 2009 has had no impact on employment to date. While 68% also believe a jobs bill, such as the one recently enacted into law, will have no impact on payrolls, 30% do believe it will boost payrolls moderately". [http://www.nabe.com/press/ind1004.pdf Industry Survey], ''National Association for Business Economics'', April 2010, p. 2.</ref> leaving the the country saddled with a $16 trillion [[national debt]] and climbing.<ref>Under Obama the U.S. National Debt has tripled. Source: [https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?graph_id=86836 U.S. Treasury]; Federal Reserve Board.</ref> One of his most well known tactics is blaming someone else, such as George W. Bush, for all his failures instead of taking responsibility. Also on the domestic front, Obama passed an expensive [[health care]] bill in 2010 with no national concensus or [[bipartisan]] support and 34 Democrats dissenting. Recently, the [[Congressional Budget Office]] wrote an open letter to [[John Boehner]], the Speaker of the House, outlining the effects of repealing [[Obamacare]] and explaining why net loss of over 100 billion dollars would occur from the repeal. [http://cbo.gov/publication/43471]

Americans deaths in [[Afghanistan]] have more than doubled under Obama's leadership compared with the preceding eight years of George Bush, according to the Congressional Research Service <ref>Chesser, S.G. (2012, July 12). [http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R41084.pdf Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilians - CRS Report for Congress]. Pg. 3. ''Congressional Research Service'''.</ref> Against his own Defense Secretary's advice, Obama [[Libyan uprising 2011|attacked Libya]] - a possible violation of the [[War Powers Act]]. After he he took credit for the killing of [[September 11th]] mastermind terrorist [[Osama bin Laden]], the [[U.S. State Department]] warned of increased risk to the lives and safety of Americans.<ref>''KABC-TV/DT'' (2011, July 27). [http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/national_world&id=8273909 Risk of anti-US violence up after Osama bin Laden's death]. On ''ABC7 News''.</ref> Bin Laden's successor, [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]] confirmed the [[Benghazi Attack]] which killed four State Department employees, was motivated by revenge.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/12/world/africa/libya-attack-jihadists/index.html Pro-al Qaeda group seen behind deadly Benghazi attack], By Nic Robertson, Paul Cruickshank and Tim Lister, CNN, September 13, 2012.</ref> Bin Laden's killing, however had negligible impact on Obama's approval ratings.<ref>''Gallup''. [http://www.gallup.com/poll/113980/gallup-daily-obama-job-approval.aspx Gallup Daily: Obama Job Approval].</ref>

Obama's bizarre gaffes are frequent and embarrassing, but typically unreported by the [[liberal media]]. Many hardworking American businessmen took offense to a 2012 campaign speech about the economy where he says "You didn't build that." Obama offended [[Poland]] by referring to the [[Nazi]] death camps there as "Polish death camps." Later Obama apologized.<ref>Sink, J. (2012, June 1). [http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/europe/230419-obama-letter-says-he-regrets-polish-death-camp-gaffe Obama apologizes in writing for 'Polish death camp' verbal gaffe].''The Hill''.</ref> Even the ''New York Times'' was critical of Obama's incessant boasting about the killing of bin Laden.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/28/us/politics/critics-pounce-on-obamas-trumpeting-of-bin-laden-death.html?_r=0 Obama Trumpets Killing of Bin Laden, and Critics Pounce], By PETER BAKER and MICHAEL D. SHEAR, April 27, 2012.</ref>

==Biography==
===Birth===
{{TOC right}}
:''Main article : [[Early life and career of Barack Hussein Obama]]''
:''See also : [[Barack Obama's Muslim Heritage]]''
Obama claims to have been born in Hawaii to Stanley Ann Dunham and [[Barack Obama Sr.]] - who had married just six months prior - on August 4, 1961 in [[Honolulu, Hawaii]].<ref name=msnbc>''MSNBC'' (2008, February 20). "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23257295/ns/msnbc_tv-documentaries/t/obama-becomes-rising-star-among-democrats/ Obama Becomes Rising Star Among Democrats]."</ref> Some contend that this story is a complete fabrication. After many leading conservatives -- including the leadership of this site and [[Donald Trump]] -- called for Obama to release his birth certificate he produced a document that he claimed was his birth certificate on April 27, 2011. Sheriff [[Joe Arpaio]] of Maricopa County in Arizona conducted an investigation of Obama's eligibility and questioned whether the alleged "birth certificate" was a fake; however, no charges have been filed. [[Obama]] was reportedly assigned a social security number whose area code was assigned to applications coming from zip codes in Connecticut.<ref>Beginning in 1972, all Social Security numbers were issued from a central office in Baltimore, Maryland.[http://www.ssa.gov/history/ssn/geocard.html]</ref>

Barack Obama Sr. was not a [[Natural born citizen|citizen of the United States]]. At the time of Obama's birth, Kenya was a British colony, meaning that not only was Obama Sr. a British subject, but he passed that status on to his son. When Kenya gained independence, Obama and his father both ceased to be British subjects and became Kenyan citizens. Barack Obama was a dual citizen of the United States and Kenya until his Kenyan citizenship automatically expired in 1984, as he had failed to renounce US nationality and swear loyalty to Kenya. Even if he had been born with US citizenship through his mother, it has been argued that as he was born with dual nationality, he is not a natural-born citizen of the United States, and thus constitutionally ineligible to become President. Despite this, no court that has considered such arguments has accepted the proposition that Obama is not a natural-born citizen.<ref>See [http://www.scribd.com/doc/88910250/Purpura-Moran-Initial-Decision-of-ALJ-Masin Initial Decision by Jeff S. Masin] in ''Purpura and Moran v. Obama'' at 7 ("Thus, accepting for the point of this issue that Mr. Obama was born in Hawaii, he is a “natural born Citizen” regardless of the status of his father."), Tisdale v. Obama (E.D.Va 2012) Order at 2 ("It is well settled that those born in the United States are considered natural born citizens." (citing ''United States v. Wong Kim Ark'', 169 U.S. 649)), ''aff'd per curiam'' by 4th Cir., ''Ankeny v. Governor of the State of Indiana'', 916 N.E.2d 678, 685 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009) ("With regard to President Barack Obama, the Plaintiffs posit that because his father was a citizen of the United Kingdom, President Obama is constitutionally ineligible to assume the Office of the President....we hold that the Plaintiffs' arguments fail to state a claim upon which relief can be granted")</ref>

===Early Life===
Obama's birth parents divorced in 1963 when his mother discovered Barack Obama Sr. was already married to a woman living in Kenya.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-2024819/Barack-Obamas-father-Bigamist-drunk-wife-beater.html Barack Obama's father: Bigamist, drunk and wife-beater], By Ian Birrell, 12 August 2011. dailymail.co.uk This is one of the first misleading statements about Barack Obama when he was introduced to America as Keynote Speaker at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Advance publicity billed him as the "son of Kenyan economist" when infact Obama Sr. was forced out of the graduate program at Harvard because of his bigamy. He returned to Kenya. Obama at the age 9 once briefly met his father who served in the corrupt Kenyan socialist regime's Department of [[Economic Planning]]. Obama Sr. killed himself in a drunken car accident.</ref> When Obama was 2 years old his mother married Lolo Soetoro, an [[Indonesian]] geologist. At age 6 his mother and adoptive father took him to Jakarta, Indonesia for 4 years while his mother pursued a Ph.D. in Anthropology requiring fieldwork there.<ref name="db mother">{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-05-03/a-singular-woman-by-janny-scott-review-by-stacy-schiff/#|work=The Daily Beast|format=HTML|language=English|title=Dreams of His Mother|author=Stacy Schiff}}</ref> His mother then abandoned him in Hawaii with his grandparents (Stanley and Madelyn Dunham, who had moved to Hawaii in 1959) <ref name=revealed>Malveaux, Suzanne (2008, August 20). "[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0808/20/se.02.html Barack Obama Revealed]." ''CNN''.</ref> so she could return to Indonesia after her divorce. Obama's grandfather arranged for his friend, the noted communist writer [[Frank Marshall Davis]], to serve as a mentor and role model for an impressionable African-American youth.

Other siblings of Obama's include his half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng and 7 other children born to his father by 4 different women.<ref name=raisingobama>Purdum, Todd (2008, March). "[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/03/obama200803 Raising Obama]." ''Vanity Fair''.</ref> For much of his early life, prior to his transfer to Columbia University, he went by his nickname, "Barry." In the summer of 1988, before attending Harvard Law School (he'd just been accepted), he visited Kogelo, Kenya, to learn more about his father's family. When his mother died in 1995, he and his sister Maya scattered her ashes over Hawaii's south shore.<ref name=revealed />

===Personal Life===
[[Image:Michelle Obama.jpg|frame|right|Michelle (Robinson) Obama, wife of Barack Obama.]]
Barack Obama met his future wife, an attorney named Michelle Robinson, herself a recent Harvard Law School graduate, while he was an intern and she was on staff at Sidley Austin LLP, a prestigious corporate law firm.<ref name=msnbc /> Dispite company policy prohibiting relations between staff and interns, the two started dating. The two continued dating long-distance while he finished law school, and on October 18, 1992,<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/03/obama-anniversary-20-years-married_n_1935840.html Huffington Post says it was October 3, 1992.]</ref> were married by Reverend [[Jeremiah Wright]] at Trinity United Church.<ref name=revealed /> In 1999, their first child was born, Malia, and in 2001, another daughter, Natasha (often called Sasha).<ref name=msnbc />

Obama attended Reverend Jeremiah Wright's Trinity United Church from 1984-1988 during his time as a [[community organizer]] (''See [[Barack_Obama#1984-1988.2C_Community_Organizer|1985-1988, Community Organizer]] section''). Obama credits Wright with his alleged conversion to Christianity, and had both his daughters, Sasha and Malia, baptized there.<ref name=revealed />

===Education===
At age 6, Obama attended schools in Indonesia, the first a Catholic School while he was in Kindergarten, and later a public school. The school had mostly Muslim students (since most Indonesians are Muslim). In ''Dreams from My Father'', Obama writes, "In the Muslim school, the teacher wrote to my mother that I had made faces during [[Koran]]ic studies."<ref>''Dreams from My Father'', by Barack Obama, p.142 Aug 1, 1996. [http://www.ontheissues.org/Archive/Dreams_From_My_Father_Principles_+_Values.htm]</ref> ''Insight Magazine'' first reported [[Hillary Clinton]]'s organization had "questions about Obama’s Muslim background: ''Are the American people ready for an elected president who was educated in a [[Madrassa]] as a young boy and has not been forthcoming about his Muslim heritage?"''<ref>[http://www.debbieschlussel.com/2899/hillary-clinton-agrees-with-schlussel-obama-suspicious-deceptive-on-muslim-background/ Hillary Clinton Agrees With Schlussel: Obama Suspicious, Deceptive on Muslim Background], By Debbie Schlussel, January 19, 2007.</ref>

In 1971, at age 10, Barack Obama moved to Hawaii, and his grandparents helped him gain entrance to the prestigious Punahou Academy in Honolulu where he began substance abuse and illegal drugs.<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/25/obama-pot-smoking-details_n_1545904.html Obama Pot-Smoking Details Revealed In David Maraniss Book], ''The Huffington Post'', By Luke Johnson, 05/25/2012 . </ref> He was accepted through a scholarship for disadvantaged minorities while he was in 5th grade.<ref name=revealed /> At this elite high school with 1,200 students he was just 1 of 3 black students, and couldn't make the starting lineup of the state champion basketball team his senior year. He wrote a poem for the school's literary magazine, ''Ka Wai Ola''.<ref name=raisingobama />

In 1979, he began a 2-year stint at Occidental College college in Los Angeles,<ref name=msnbc /> and then transferred to Columbia University in New York, which he graduated from in 1983.<ref name=pragmatic>Scott, Janny (2007, July 30). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/us/politics/30obama.html?pagewanted=all In Illinois, Obama Proved Pragmatic and Shrewd]." ''New York Times''.</ref> During this time he published an anti-military tirade embracing Soviet General Secretary [[Leonid Brezhnev]]'s <ref>Obama supported CPSU General Secretary Brezhnev's foreign policy over both Presidents [[Jimmy Carter]] and Ronald Reagan's decision to deploy the MX Missile in Europe. [http://www.csmonitor.com/1981/1124/112439.html Brezhnev offers Schmidt moratorium on nuclear missiles], Elizabeth Pond, ''CS Monitor'', November 24, 1981. See also [http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/images/nytint/docs/obama-s-1983-college-magazine-article/original.pdf Breaking the War Mentality], Barack Obama, Columbia ''Sundial'', March 10, 1983.</ref> proposal for a nuclear freeze in the campus newspaper and allegedly spoke at an Anti-Apartheid rally,<ref name=revealed /> although several prominent student leaders said they did not remember him there. Professor Michael L. Baron was impressed by Obama and wrote him a recommendation for Harvard Law School.<ref name=differs>Scott, J. (2007, October 30). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/us/politics/30obama.html?pagewanted=all Obama's Account of New York Years Often Differs From What Others Say]." ''New York Times''.</ref> In the winter of 1988 Barack Obama decided to attend Harvard Law School, and left Chicago for Cambridge, Massachusetts. In his 2nd year a power struggle broke out among the dominant white liberals over control of the ''Harvard Law Review''. Obama was elected its first black president as a compromise candidate largely with help of conservatives following a "marathon voting session" in which he finally won on the 19th ballot.<ref name=raisingobama /> This led to national attention and numerous job offers, which Obama passed up, at age 30, to pursue his political career in Chicago.<ref name=msnbc /><ref name=revealed />

===Early Employment===
====1983-1984, Financial Analyst and Writer====
In 1984 Obama worked as a writer and financial analyst for Business International Corporation to help pay off some of his student loans. Business International Corporation was a small newsletter-publishing and research firm which aided multinational companies understand overseas markets. Obama served as a writer/researcher for a company reference service, Financing Foreign Operations, and wrote for their newsletter, ''Business International Money Report''. His supervisor was Cathy Lazere. <ref name=differs /><ref>Henig, J. (2008, June 21). "[http://www.factcheck.org/2008/06/obama-polishes-his-resume-2/ Obama Polishes His Resume]." ''FactCheck.org''. [http://www.analyzethis.net/2005/07/09/barack-obama-embellishes-his-resume/ Barack Obama Embellishes His Resume] ''analyzethis.net''. </ref>
====1984-1988, Community Organizer====
In 1984, Obama was hired by the New York Public Interest Research Group, a non-profit organization promoting environmental, consumer, and government reforms. He also was paid just under $10,000 annually as a full-time organizer for Harlem's City College to mobilize student volunteers.<ref name=differs />

From 1985-88, Obama worked as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago <ref>The Developing Communities Project (DCP) of the Calumet Community Religious Conference (CCRC)</ref> funded with a $25,000 grant by [[Bill Ayers]]' Woods Fund. The ''New York Times'' reported he was paid $1,000 a year, with $2,000 extra for a car<ref name=revealed /><ref name=streetwise>Scott, Janny (2007, September 9). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/us/politics/09obama.html?pagewanted=all In 2000, a Streetwise Veteran Schooled a Bold Young Obama]." ''New York Times''.</ref> however stories vary wildly. Jerry Kellman, who hired him, says it was "$10,000 a year and a $2,000 car allowance". Obama himself gave different numbers; his memoir says $10,000 (as well as the car), in his Wesleyan speech he gave it as "$12,000 a year plus $2,000 for an old, beat-up car", and when he announced his candidacy for president, it was "a group of churches had offered me a job as a community organizer for $13,000 a year".

Ryan Lizza at ''The New Republic'' reported that "Jean Rudd of the Woods Fund...had provided Kellman with his original $25,000 to hire Obama". Ari Berman reported in ''The Nation'' that the "[Woods Fund] gave a $25,000 grant to the Developing Communities Project, which hired Obama". CBS Channel 2 in Chicago ran a story with a document showing that Obama's proposed salary in 1987 was $25,000, a number that the Obama campaign confirmed while insisting at the same time his original salary was $13,000.<ref>[http://theobamafile.com/obamaworks.htm Community Organizing], The Obama File. http://theobamafile.com.</ref>

During this time Obama joined Reverend Wright's Trinity United Church because in the words of Suzanne Malveaux of ''CNN'', "It was the church to join if you wanted to be one of Chicago's black movers and shakers." At the time, community organizing involved close affiliation with churches, which was how Obama met Wright. Obama abandoned the fight against asbestos contamination in the Altgeld Gardens housing project to pursue personal interests and a career by enrollment at Harvard Law School in the winter of 1988.<ref name=revealed />
====1988-1996, Law Practice====
In 1988 Obama gained work as a Summer Associate at one of the most prestigious corporate law firms in the world, Sidley Austin LLP<ref name=austin>Lattman, P. (2007, May 11). "[http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/05/11/sidley-austin-when-barack-met-michelle/ When Barack Met Michelle]." ''Wall Street Journal''.</ref><ref name=revealed />, owned by Newton Minow, thanks to the recommendation of Minow's daughter Martha, a professor at Harvard Law School. It was at Minow's law firm that Obama would meet Michelle Robinson, his future wife.<ref name=raisingobama /> From 1993-96 he practiced civil rights law including suing Citibank to force them into making [[Subprime loan|subprime mortgage]]s to unqualified minority borrowers.<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/03/community-reinvestment-act-mortgages-housing-opinions-contributors-peter-schweizer.html A Poisonous Cocktail: Expanding the Community Reinvestment Act], Peter Schweizer, ''Forbes'', 10.05.09. In ''Selma S. Buycks-Roberson v. Citibank'', lead attorney Obama alleged that although his clients had been denied mortgages "because of delinquent credit obligations and adverse credit," they were really victims of institutional racism. The suit was brought about by the Community Reinvestment Act, so called affirmative action mortgage lending. The plaintiffs won $60,000, Obama and two other attorneys were paid $950,000.</ref> After graduating from Harvard he was hired by Miner, Barnhill, & Galland, a small politically-connected law firm.<ref name=austin /> It was at Miner, Barnhill, & Galland that he would meet influential real estate developer Tony Rezko.<ref name=revealed />
====1991-1992, Project Vote====
In 1991 Obama was recruited by Sandy Newman to head the Chicago chapter of Project Vote!<ref name=revealed />, and in 1992 was the Executive Director, overseeing a voter registration drive which registered 125,000 black voters and was credited with defeating an incumbent Democrat in the primary and electing U.S. Senator Carol Mosely Braun.<ref name=raisingobama /><ref name=pragmatic />

====1992-2004, Lecturer at University of Chicago====
Obama taught part-time at the University of Chicago Law School<ref name=raisingobama /> from 1992-2004. Though Obama erroneously describes himself as a "constitutional law professor"<ref>http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-complains-of-being-constrained-by-a-system-founding-father-put-place</ref>, he was actually only a lecturer and the class he taught the most times was called "Current Issues in Racism and the Law".<ref>http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012/09/20/obamas-favorite-course-to-teach-at-the-university-of-chicago-revealed/</ref> He was a Lecturer from 1992-96, teaching 3 courses per year<cite>, and a Senior Lecturer from 1996-2004. After Obama was critisized for lying about his job title, the liberal University of Chicago released a statement claiming that senior Lecturers are considered Law School faculty and regarded as professors but not full-time or tenured. Obama was invited to become a Senior Lecturer several times during this period but declined each time.<ref>"[http://www.law.uchicago.edu/media Media Inquiries: Statement Regarding Barack Obama]." ''University of Chicago Law School''.</ref>

====1995, Author====
In 1995 Obama published ''Dreams From My Father'' about his life and family background.<ref name=msnbc />

===Personal Awards===
====2009 Nobel Peace Prize====
On October 9, 2009 Barack H. Obama became the third sitting U.S. President<ref name=wilsons>Wilson, Scott (2009, October 10). "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/09/AR2009100900914.html President Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize]. ''Washington Post''.</ref> to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "''for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples''".<ref>NobelPrize.org (2009, October 9). "[http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/press.html The Nobel Prize for 2009: Press Release]." Oslo, Norway. Accessed May 13, 2012.</ref> Obama stated that he was "surprised and deeply humbled" to receive the unexpected award,<ref>(2009, October 9). "[http://articles.cnn.com/2009-10-09/world/nobel.peace.prize_1_norwegian-nobel-committee-international-diplomacy-and-cooperation-nuclear-weapons?_s=PM:WORLD Obama: Nobel Peace Prize is 'Call to Action']." ''CNN''.</ref> and also said, "To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who have inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace".<ref name=wilsons /> The award was widely criticized given Obama's then lack of accomplishments.<ref>Chazan, G. & MacDonald, A. (2009, October 11). "[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125509603349176083.html Nobel Committee's Decision Courts Controversy]." ''Wall Street Journal''. (2009, October 9). "[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/09/obamas-peace-prize-draws-criticism-liberals/ Obama's Peace Prize Draws Criticism, Even From Some Liberals]." ''Associated Press''.</ref>

==1996-2003, Illinois State Senate==
===1996 Election===
{{main article|Radical roots of Barack Hussein Obama}}
In 1995 a cadre of like minded individuals gathered for a fundraising event in the early career of Barack Obama hosted by [[Weather Underground]] (WUO) [[terrorist]] [[William Ayers|William "Bill" Ayers]]. Besides Obama, those in attendance were Ayers wife [[Bernardine Dohrn]],<ref>Georgie Anne Geyer and Keyes Beach "Cuba: School for U.S. Radicals", ''Chicago Daily News/Chicago Sun-Times'' five part series October 1970, excerpted in [http://foia.fbi.gov/filelink.html?file=/weather/weath1c.pdf FBI file Weather Underground Organization (Weatherman),] Part 1c pp. 5-7 pdf (113-115 in original). [http://therealbarackobama.wordpress.com/2009/06/07/clandestine-agents-of-the-cuban-government-ayers-dohrn-myers/]</ref> and Carl Davidson, veterans of [[guerrilla warfare]] training in [[Cuba]] just prior 1968 Democratic National Convention riots. Ayers and Dohrn have taken credit for, and never denied, bombing the [[U.S. Capitol]], the [[Pentagon]] and the [[State Department]].

Ayers and Dohrn used their celebrity status among [[leftist]]s to launch Obama's career. Ayers, Dohrn and [[Jeff Jones]]<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=106653 ''Obama's 'green jobs czar' worked with terror founder] Van Jones served on board of activist group where ex-Weatherman serves as top director'', By Aaron Klein, [[WorldNetDaily]], August 13, 2009.</ref> are authors of ''[[Bill_Ayers#Prairie_Fire_Organizing_Committee_and_Maoist_thought|Prairie Fire: The Politics of Revolutionary Anti-imperialism]],'' the title taken from ''The Sayings of Mao Zedong.''<ref>[http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/works/red-book/]</ref> The book declares "we are [[communist]] men and women."<ref>Harvey Klehr, ''Far Left of Center: The American Radical Left Today'' (Transaction Books, New Brunswick, 1988), 109.</ref> Ayers later jokingly, publicly admitted to ghostwriting Obama's book, ''Dreams From My Father''<ref>Cashill, J. (2011, March 28). [http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/03/ayers_affirms_he_wrote_dreams.html Ayers Affirms He Wrote Dreams From My Father]. ''American Thinker''.</ref> and Obama was to appoint several openly avowed Maoists to prominent White House and Executive Branch positions.<ref>Fund, J. (2009, October 21). [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704597704574487431322664964.html From Mao to Obama]. ''The Wall Street Journal''.</ref>

====Knocking Candidates Off the Ballot====
Barack Obama ran for the Illinois state senate in 1996. He was initially supported by incumbent [[Alice Palmer]], who declared she would run for the U.S. Congress. However, when her bid for Congress failed on November 28, 1995, she tried to run for her old seat in the March 1996 election. Her supporters asked Obama to step aside, although whether this was with her permission remains uncertain.<ref name=pragmatic /> Not only did Obama not step down, he gathered a team of high-priced lawyers, including fellow Harvard Law School graduate Thomas Johnson, to challenge his opponent's petition signatures on technicalities after the filing deadline had passed. Such tactics are legal and frequently used in Chicago; in 2006 they eliminated 67 of the 245 aldermanic candidates;<ref name=bareknuckle>Jackson, David & Long, Ray (2007, April 4). "[http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-0704030881apr04-archive,0,1523598,full.story Barack Obama: Showing His Bare Knuckles]." ''Chicago Tribune''.</ref> yet nevertheless led to the term "hardball" by the ''New York Times''<ref name=pragmatic /> and "cutthroat" by David Mendel as reported by both ''CNN''<ref name=revealed /> and ''MSNBC''.<ref name=msnbc /> The ''Chicago Tribune'' declared Obama had mastered "the bare-knuckle arts of Chicago electoral politics", noting "The man now running for president on a message of giving a voice to the voiceless first entered public office not by leveling the playing field, but by clearing it."<ref name=bareknuckle /> As one of Obama's four opponents, eliminated through his ballot challenges, would put it: {{cquote|"Why say you're for a new tomorrow, then do old-style Chicago politics to remove legitimate candidates? He talks about honor and democracy, but what honor is there in getting rid of every other candidate so you can run scot-free? Why not let the people decide?"
-Gha-is Askia, 1996 Illinois Senate candidate<ref>Jackson, David & Long, Ray (2007, April 3). "[http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-070403obama-ballot-archive,0,5297304,full.story Obama Knows His Way Around a Ballot]." ''Chicago Tribune''.</ref>}} Mark Ewell, another candidate, filed 1,286 signatures, and Obama's challenges left him 86 short of the minimum requirement (757<ref name=spivak>Spivak, Todd (2008, February 28). "[http://www.houstonpress.com/2008-02-28/news/barack-obama-screamed-at-me/ Barack Obama and Me]." ''Houston Press''.</ref>). Ewell filed a federal lawsuit contesting the election board's decision but Tom Johnson intervened, and Ewell's case was dismissed just a few days later. Ewell and other Obama opponents were using early 1995 polling sheets to verify signatures of registered voters, but city authorities had just purged 15,871 unqualified people from the 13th district list, and Obama's challenges used the more recent, updated list. Askia was left 69 signatures short of the requirement. If names were printed instead of signed in cursive, they were declared invalid. If they were good but the person registering the signatures wasn't a registered voter (e.g. underage) they were invalid.<ref name=hardball>Griffin, Drew & Johnston, Kathleen (2008, May 29). "[http://articles.cnn.com/2008-05-29/politics/obamas.first.campaign_1_obama-campaign-barack-obama-chicago-politics?_s=PM:POLITICS Obama Played Hardball in First Chicago Campaign]." ''CNN''.</ref> Palmer had according to Obama campaign consult Ronald Davis, used two children to help gather her petition signatures. To this day Palmer denies the challenges were valid, and maintains she could have overcome the objections with more time and resources.<ref name=bareknuckle /> Thanks to his lawyers, Obama would win the election without a single other candidate on the ballot.

===2000 Election===
: ''Main Article: [[Illinois 1st congressional district election, 2000]]''
In 2000, Obama lost his only political election when he chose to run against experienced incumbent and former [[Black Panther]] and Bobby L. Rush for the U.S. Congress in a 65% black district. Rush's name recognition began at 90%, Obama's at 11%. Michelle Obama opposed taking on an such an iconic figure dear to the community and threatened divorce.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2145035/Michelle-Obama-prepared-divorce-papers-separate-Barack-leaving-suicidal.html New book claims Michelle Obama prepared divorce papers to separate from Barack], By Daniel Bates, 16 May 2012. dailymail.co.uk</ref> Establishment Democrats considered Obama "a white man in blackface".<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/government-elections-politics/choice-2012/transcript-29/ PBS Frontline Transcript, The Choice 2012.</ref> Rush said of Obama, “He went to Harvard and became an educated fool,” adding, “We’re not impressed with these folks with these eastern elite degrees.”<ref>[http://dailycaller.com/2012/03/28/bobby-rush-in-2000-obamas-a-harvard-educated-fool-who-thinks-he-knows-all-about-the-civil-rights-protests/ Bobby Rush in 2000: Obama a Harvard ‘educated fool’ who ‘thinks he knows all about’ the ‘civil rights protests’], Daily Caller, 03/28/2012.</ref>Todd Spivak would give voice to this impression of Obama, noting that{{cquote|"My view of Obama then wasn't all that different from the image he projects now....One thing I can say is, I never heard him launch into the preacher-man voice he now employs during speeches. He sounded vanilla, and activists in his mostly black district often chided him for it."<ref name=spivak />}}Rush would go on to win the Primary with 61.02% of the vote; Obama received 30.36%.<ref name=streetwise /> The loss led to Obama considering dropping out of politics altogether, particularly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, since his name sounds similar to "Osama bin Laden".<ref name=msnbc />

===State Senate Voting Record===
[[File:O-2002-antiwar-rally-davidson.jpg|right|thumb|250px| Obama speaking at the October 2002 [[War on Terror|anti-War rally]] in Chicago organized by [[Carl Davidson]].<ref>Davidson is a longtime [[Mao]]ist and champion of the ''Thought of Mao Tse Tung.'' Davidson's anti-Trotskyite polemic, [http://www.wengewang.org/read.php?tid=10925 ''Left in Form, Right in Essence''] defends Maoist doctrine. </ref> Unlike Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, Obama took the rather unpopular position against "dumb wars".]]
Obama entered the Illinois Senate promising change to a corrupt system. He mixed often radical votes with more pragmatic agreements. Possibly one of his most radical votes was against requiring medical care for aborted children who survive [[abortion|the procedure]] - in fact the Illinois Planned Parenthood Council ascribed him a 100% rating for his consistently pro-choice votes.<ref name="cbs illinois">{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/17/politics/main2369157.shtml|title=Obama Record May Be Gold Mine For Critics|work=CBS|format=HTML|language=English|last=Clark|first=Amy S.|date=Jan. 17, 2007}}</ref> He was criticized for using the statehouse as a stepping stone for a more illustrious career: Steven J. Rauschenberger, a [[Republican]], said prior to Obama's election as president: “He is a very bright but very ambitious person who has always had his eyes on the prize, and it wasn’t Springfield. If he deserves to be president, it is not because he was a great legislator.”<ref name="nyt illinois">{{cite web|work=The New York Times|title=In Illinois, Obama Proved Pragmatic and Shrewd|last=Scott|first=Janny|format=HTML|language=English|date=July 30, 2007|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/us/politics/30obama.html}}</ref>

The statehouse was majority Republican, so the Senator was sometimes forced to compromise. He formed allegiances across party lines to pass [[campaign finance]] reform that banned most gifts by lobbyists, prohibited spending campaign money for legislators’ personal use and required electronic filing of campaign disclosure reports.<ref name="nyt illinois"/> Obama also helped pass a so-called “driving-while-black bill”, which required the police to collect data on the race of drivers they stopped as a way to monitor [[racial profiling]].<ref name="nyt illinois"/>

Obama established himself as a chief spokesperson in opposition to the [[War on Terror]] during an October 2002 rally at Federal Plaza in Chicago<ref>The rally was organized by Chicagoans Against War in Iraq (CAWI) later renamed Chicagoans Against War and Injustice. [http://www.noiraqwar-chicago.org/?page_id=2 About CAWI] by Carl Davidson, Nov 02 2006. Retrieved from Chicagoans Against War and Injustice, March 15, 2010.</ref> [[community organizing|organized]] by veteran [[Mao]]ist and webmaster of [[Progressives for Obama]],<ref>[http://www.linkedin.com/in/carldavidson Carl Davidson,] LinkedIn.com, retrieved March 13, 2010.</ref> [[Carl Davidson]].

===2003 Emil Jones Deal===
: ''Main Article: [[2003 Barack Obama deal with Emil Jones]]''
When Illinois' U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald announced he would be retiring in April 2003, Obama jumped at the opportunity, declaring that he would be a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2004.<ref name=msnbc /> To boost his chances Obama approached the newly crowned president of the Illinois Senate, Emil Jones Jr., with a proposal. According to Jones, whom Obama has since called his "godfather"<ref name=godfather>''Associated Press'' (2009, June 18). "[http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-250_162-3983147.html Obama's Political 'Godfather' In Illinois]."</ref> the conversation went as follows:
{{cquote|"After I was elected president, in 2003, he came to see me, a couple months later. And he said to me, he said, ‘You’re the senate president now, and with that, you have a lot of pow-er.’ And I told Barack, ‘You think I got a lot of pow-er now?,’ and he said, ‘Yeah, you got a lot of pow-er.’ And I said, ‘What kind of pow-er do I have?’ He said, ‘You have the pow-er to make a United States sen-a-tor!’ I said to Barack, I said, ‘That sounds good!’ I said, ‘I haven’t even thought of that.’ I said, ‘Do you have someone in mind you think I could make?,’ and he said, ‘Yeah. Me.’ "<ref name=raisingobama /><ref name=pragmatic />}}
Because of the deal, Obama's entire Illinois Senate legislative record was, as longtime Obama reporter Todd Spivak put it, built in a single year. During his 7th and final year in the Illinois Senate, Obama sponsored an incredible 26 bills into law, including many he now points to when criticized as inexperienced<ref name=spivak /> - as ''CNN's'' Suzanne Malveaux observed, "With help from on high, Obama got his name on hundreds of bills that he pushed through."<ref name=revealed /> Jones not only had Obama craft legislation addressing daily tragedies to raise his political profile<ref name=godfather />, he also appointed Obama head of almost all high-profile legislation in the Illinois Senate, angering other state legislators with more seniority who'd spent years supporting the bills.<ref name=spivak /> Illinois State Senator Rickey Hendon, the original sponsor of the famous racial profiling bill requiring videotaped confessions in police interrogations, complained bitterly about Jones' decision.<ref name=revealed /><ref name=intheblack>Spivak, Todd (2004, March 25). "[http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-922-in-the-black.html In the Black]." ''Illinois Times''.</ref> Jones' influence had a major impact on Obama's chances in the 2004 elections, preventing major political players from backing Obama's opponents. To quote Emil Jones,{{cquote|"He knew if he had me in the run for the Senate, it would put a block on the current mayor. The current mayor and the father of the controller, which was Dan Hynes, they were roommates in Springfield when the mayor was a state senator, so they had a relationship. Another big financial backer for the governor was Blair Hull. Barack knew if he had me it would checkmate the governor, ’cause the governor couldn’t come out and go with Blair Hull, ’cause the governor needs me. Same with the mayor. So he had analyzed and figured all of that out. He knew I could help him with labor support. And I could put a checkmate on some of the local politicians that didn’t know him, but they couldn’t really go against me."
-Emil Jones<ref name=raisingobama />}}

==2004-2008, U.S. Senate==
:''See also: [[Early_life_and_career_of_Barack_Hussein_Obama#U.S._Senate_.282004-2008.29|Barack Obama:U.S. Senate (2004-2008)]], [[United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004]]''
[[Image:obama.jpg|thumb|left|Senator Barack Obama]]
===2004 Primary Election===
Despite initially trailing in the polls to frontrunner [[Blair Hull]]<ref name=intheblack />, Obama greatly benefited from what the ''Chicago Tribune'' called "the most inglorious campaign implosion in Illinois political history"<ref name=mendell>Mendell, David (2004, March 17). "[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-03-17/news/0403170332_1_blair-hull-gery-chico-blacks-and-liberal-whites Obama Routs Democratic Foes]." ''Chicago Tribune''.</ref> when pressure from journalists and opposing candidates, just weeks before the election, forced the unsealing of Hull's messy divorce files.<ref name=blairhull>Voegeli, William (2004, March 19). "[http://www.claremont.org/publications/pubid.339/pub_detail.asp The Rise and Fall of Blair Hull]." ''The Claremont Institute''.</ref> The files revealed Hull's ex-wife's accusations of verbal and physical abuse.<ref name=spivak /> Hull would afterwards criticize the media, stating, "As for the press, I will never read the newspaper the same way again."<ref name=mendell /> Obama would go on to win the Primary with 53% of the vote.<ref name=blairhull /> Obama's unexpected victory led to him being termed a "rising star" by the media.<ref>Howlett, Debbie (2004, March 18). "[http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/2004-03-18-obama-usat_x.htm Dems See a Rising Star in Illinois Senate Candidate]." ''USA Today''.</ref>
===2004 General Election, Jack Ryan===
Once again Obama found himself trailing to popular frontrunner [[Jack Ryan]], and once again a candidate's campaign imploded thanks to media intervention. In an unprecedented move, the ''Chicago Tribune'' and local TV station WLS sued to force the unsealing of Ryan's divorce files, despite opposition from both Ryan and his wife, Jeri Ryan, who in the files accused Jack Ryan of trying to coerce her to perform sex acts in public. Though Ryan advisors told him he could still win if using a negative attack on Obama, Ryan refused to engage in what he considered dirty politics.<ref name=abandon>''Associated Press'' (2004, June 26). "[http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/state/2004-06-25-ryan_x.htm Jack Ryan Abandons Senate Bid]."</ref> Ryan then dropped out of the race (per request by the Illinois GOP<ref name=idealist>Sangwan, Rahul (2004, October 1). "[http://www.dartmouthindependent.com/archives/2004/10/jack_ryan_81_th.html Jack Ryan '81: The Conservative Idealist]." ''Dartmouth Independent''.</ref>), following which the Illinois GOP scrambled to find a replacement, leaving Obama uncontested for weeks to campaign and build up public support. On top of all this, Obama was selected to give the keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention (July 27<ref>''Washington Post'' (2004, June 26). "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19751-2004Jul27.html Illinois Senate Candidate Barack Obama]."</ref>), catapulting him into the national spotlight, and leading to further media publicity terming him a "rising star".<ref>Page, Susan & Despoignes, Peronet (2004, July 28). "[http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-07-28-obama-speech_x.htm Rising Star Brings Democrats to Their Feet]." ''USA Today''.</ref>
===2004 General Election, Alan Keyes===
: ''Main Article: [[Obama born alive controversy]]''
After a number of candidates including former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka declined to run<ref>''CNN'' (2004, August 9). "[http://articles.cnn.com/2004-08-09/politics/il.keyes_1_senate-candidate-senate-race-illinois-senate?_s=PM:ALLPOLITICS Keyes Challenges Obama for Illinois Senate Seat]."</ref>, the Illinois GOP finally settled on fiery [[Alan Keyes]], a former Ambassador to the Economic and Social Counsel of the United Nations<ref name=spivak />, with less than 3 months left before the November 2004 election.<ref name=msnbc /> His sudden entrance into the state for the election was initially attacked in the press as "carpetbagging".<ref>''Chicago Tribune''. "[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-08-06/news/0408060313_1_mr-keyes-judy-baar-topinka-alan-keyes The GOP's Rent-A-Senator]." ''Washington Post'' (2004, August 9). "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50885-2004Aug8.html Mr. Keyes the Carpetbagger].</ref><ref name=pearson>Pearson, Rick (2004, September 5). "[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-09-05/news/0409050304_1_selfish-hedonist-alan-keyes-illinois-republican-party Keyes, State GOP Gearing Up Blame Campaign]." ''Chicago Tribune''.</ref> Keyes repeatedly claimed his primary motivation for entering a race he had seemingly no chance of winning was his disgust at Obama's votes on the popular [[Born Alive]] bills.<ref>Keyes, Alan (2004, August 18). "[http://www.mail-archive.com/newsandviews@chuckmuth.com/msg00699.html How You Can Help Alan Keyes for Senate!]." ''Keyes2004 Inc.''</ref> Keyes, from his first day of arriving in Illinois (August 9, 2004)<ref name=assails>''Associated Press'' (2004, August 9). "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5654128/ Keyes Assails Obama's Abortion Views]."</ref>, accused Obama of having voted against bills mandating medical care for newborn children, and supporting "infanticide" (the term twice used in the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act<ref>''United States Congress'' (2003, March 13). "[http://news.findlaw.com/wp/docs/abortion/2003s3.html S.3: Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003]."</ref>) where hospitals left newborn infants to die like garbage.<ref>Smiley, Tavis (2004, August 31). "[http://www.keyesarchives.com/transcript.php?id=341 Alan Keyes on the Tavis Smiley Show]." ''NPR''. ''CBS2 Chicago'' (2004, August 30). "[http://www.keyesarchives.com/transcript.php?id=337 Alan Keyes on CBS2 Chicago This Morning]." This Morning.</ref> Obama in a debate on October 13, 2004, defended himself against Keyes' accusations of infanticide by claiming that Illinois law was already sufficient.<ref>''Chicago Tribune'' (2004, October 13). "[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-10-13/news/0410140004_1_alan-keyes-senate-race-first-of-three-debates Debate or Discussion?]"</ref>

However, Keyes' rhetoric, calling Obama's votes "the slaveholder's position"<ref name=assails /> and saying "Jesus Christ would not vote for Obama"<ref>Thomas, Scott (2004, September 7). "[http://www.keyesarchives.com/transcript.php?id=348 Alan Keyes on the Scott Thomas Show (AM1160 - WYLL)]." ''Scott Thomas Show''. Chicago, Illinois.</ref> was widely ridiculed by the press. Keyes' unabashed criticism of homosexuality as "selfish hedonism" was also targeted.<ref name=pearson /><ref>''Associated Press''. "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5897569/ Keyes: Cheney's Gay Daughter Practicing Selfish Hedonism]." Pallasch, Abdom M. (2004, September 2). "[http://web.archive.org/web/20071017122135/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20040902/ai_n12560727 Topinka Says He Should Apologize for 'Idiotic' Comment]." ''Chicago Sun-Times''.</ref> Obama would ultimately win the election, 70% to 27%.<ref>''CNN.com''. "[http://cnn.hu/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/IL/S/01/index.html Election Results: U.S. Senate/Illinois]." Election 2004.</ref>

===U.S. Senate Voting Record===
Obama's incomplete term in the U.S. Senate was largely unoteworthy. In voting against raising the [[debt limit]] in 2006 Obama famously said, "The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. government can’t pay its own bills. ... I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit."<ref>''Washington Post'' FACT CHECKER, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/annotating-obamas-2006-speech-against-boosting-the-debt-limit/2013/01/14/aa8cf8c4-5e9b-11e2-9940-6fc488f3fecd_blog.html Annotating Obama’s 2006 speech against boosting the debt limit], Glenn Kessler, 01/15/2013.</ref><ref>Kaplan, R. (2011, April 11). [http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/04/obama-once-opposed-debt-ceiling-hike/237129/ Obama Once Opposed Debt Ceiling Hike]. ''The Atlantic''.</ref> In 2008 as candidate for president Obama called George W. Bush's request to raise the debt limit "irresponsible" and "unpatriotic".<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kuTG19Cu_Q Obama says adding $4 trillion to debt is unpatriotic.] Youtbue.</ref>

The ''National Journal'' ranked him the most liberal senator in 2007.<ref name="ranked">{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-502163_162-3775451-502163.html|title=National Journal: Obama Most Liberal Senator In 2007|author=Brian Montopoli|date=January 31, 2008|work=CBS}}</ref>

Obama frequently used the [[filibuster]] to obstruct the operations of government,<ref>O'Keefe, E. (2010, February 4). [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR2010020303801_pf.html Obama criticizes Senate Republicans for delaying confirmation votes]. ''The Washington Post''.</ref> and voted against the [[minimum wage]] bill<ref>[http://uspolitics.about.com/od/legislatio1/a/HR2206.htm HR 2206 - Emergency Appropriations], Kathy Gill, Your Guide to U.S. Politics: Current Events. May 26 2007. [http://more.gov.mtopgroup.com/2007/05/votes-hr-2206-iraq-supplemental.html Votes - H.R. 2206: Iraq Supplemental], May 28, 2007. Retrieved from Deeper Inside the Mountain, June 4, 2007.</ref> he introduced because it included a provision to pay active duty U.S. troops. He voted for the $700 billion TARP program to bailout the big banks after receiving more than $120,000 in contributions from [[Fannie Mae]], a government sponsored entity<ref>more than any other political candidate for office since 1989. [http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/09/update-fannie-mae-and-freddie.html Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Invest in Lawmakers], By Lindsay Renick Mayer, September 11, 2008. opensecrets.org</ref> taken into conservatorship for mismanaging its affairs and responsible for all the big bank's problems.

According to Opensecrets.org, of the 671,269 contributions to Obama during his time in the Senate, [[Goldman Sachs]], JP Morgan, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley were among the top 20 biggest money donors to his campaigns. [http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cid=N00009638&cycle=2008][http://www.votesmart.org/finance.php?can_id=9490] All four subsequently received approximately $70 billion in taxpayer assisted [[bailout]] money from the [[TARP]] program he voted for.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/10/14/business/14bailout.graphic2.html ''Beneficiary Banks'', New York Times. 2008-10-14.]</ref> UBS AG, a foreign bank and the 12th largest donor to Obama,<ref>http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cycle=2008&cid=N00009638</ref> was fined $780 billion in February 2009 in a U.S. Federal Court on charges it helped thousands of Americans evade taxes.<ref>[http://www.investmentnews.com/article/20090219/FREE/902199983 ''UBS fined $780 million in tax evasion scandal,''] Investment News, February 19, 2009.</ref>

==2008 Presidential Election==
{{main article|Barack Hussein Obama 2008 Presidential campaign}}
Unlike Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, Obama's hands were not stained with a vote for the Iraqi war resolution, as he was not in the Senate at the time; a minority of Democrats who wanted to punish candidates for exhibiting [[bi-partisan]]ship began calling for his candidacy after liberals lauded his 2004 [[Democratic National Convention]] speech.
====Primary Election====
In 2007-08, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton competed for the Democratic nomination. Hillary Clinton cleverly resurrected the "Born Alive" controversy surrounding Obama that had lain largely dormant since 2004 (notwithstanding the continuing mentions by Jill Stanek), by accusing Obama of not being pro-choice for voting "Present" on a number of abortion-related bills<ref>Bettelheim, Adriel (2008, February 13). "[http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/feb/13/obamas-present-tension/ Obama's 'Present' Tension]." ''PolitiFact''.</ref> - including the Born Alive ones,<ref name=clinton>Berman, Russell (2008, January 17). "[http://www.nysun.com/national/clinton-obama-should-vote-no-on-abortion-issue/69700/ Clinton: Obama Should Vote 'No' On Abortion Issue She Backed]." ''New York Sun''. Hernandez, Raymond & Drew, Christopher (2007, December 20). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/us/politics/20obama.html?pagewanted=all It's Not Just 'Ayes' and 'Nays': Obama's Votes in Illinois Echo]." ''New York Times''.</ref> and cowardly ducking the votes.<ref>''Politi-Fact''. "[http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2008/feb/13/hillary-clinton/yes-but-its-complicated/ Response to Hillary Clinton Comment for January 21st, 2008]." Truth-o-Meter. Dorning, Mike (2007, December 20). "[http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/12/criticism_of_obama_present_vot.html Clinton Camp Criticizes Obama 'Present' Votes]." The Swamp. ''Chicago Tribune''.</ref> This led to criticism of Obama by two pro-choice organizations, Emily's List, and the National Organization for Women.<ref>Dorning, Mike (2008, January 14). "[http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/01/obama_campaign_mounts_defense.html The Swamp: Obama Campaign Defends His Abortion-Rights Record]." ''Chicago Tribune''. Dorn, Michael (2008, February 6). "[http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/02/obamas_voting_record_on_aborti_1.html Obama's Voting Record on Abortion]." ''Washington Post''. Newton-Small, Jay (2008, January 14). "[http://swampland.time.com/2008/01/14/obama_campaign_defends_present/ Obama Campaign Defends 'Present' Abortion Votes]." ''Time Magazine''.</ref> However, Pam Sutherland, the long-time head of Illinois Planned Parenthood, came to Obama's aid, criticizing Clinton for making the attack, and stating repeatedly that Obama's present votes were part of a broader strategy used by Planned Parenthood to keep Illinois voters from knowing their state senators were voting against the controversial and popular bills.<ref>Hernandez, Raymond & Drew, Christopher (2007, December 20). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/us/politics/20cnd-obama.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin Obama's Vote in Illinois Was Often Just 'Present']." ''New York Times''. Follmer, Max (2008, March 28). "[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/14/obama-emphasizes-prochoic_n_81460.html Obama Emphasizes Pro-Choice Voting Record as Clinton Questions 'Present' Votes]." ''Huffington Post''.</ref>
{{cquote|"He came to me and said: ‘My members are being attacked. We need to figure out a way to protect members and to protect women. A ‘present’ vote was hard to pigeonhole which is exactly what Obama wanted. What it did was give cover to moderate Democrats who wanted to vote with us but were afraid to do so" because of how their votes would be used against them electorally. A ‘present’ vote would protect them. Your senator voted ‘present.’ Most of the electorate is not going to know what that means."
-Pam Sutherland, President/CEO of Illinois Planned Parenthood Council, 1980-2012<ref>Davis, Teddy (2007, July 17). "[http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2007/07/obama-abortion/ Obama Abortion Dodges Blessed by Planned Parenthood], ''ABC News''.</ref>}}As the contest in Iowa drew near and the former First Lady's inevitability was being usurped by a challenger, Hillary Clinton organizers began circulating rumors that Obama was secretly a Muslim.<ref>[http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/10/barackemail/ Obama Under the Clinton Microscope], By JEFF ZELENY, ''New York Times'', December 10, 2007; [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/12/06/clinton-volunteers-anti-obama-e-mail-causes-stir/ Clinton volunteer's sending of anti-Obama e-mail causes stir]. December 6, 2007. CNN; [http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=92143 Hillary Clinton Press Release - Sen. Obama Rewrites History], December 2, 2007, references Obama in the Muslim school in Indonesia in 3rd grade, quoting the ''The Los Angeles Times'', 3/15/07; [http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/americas/article1995587.ece Obama ‘was educated in madrassa’], Tim Reid and Tom Baldwin, ''The Times'' (London), January 20, 2007.</ref> Clinton also made the claim repeatedly that while Obama was leading in Delegates she was winning the Popular Vote<ref>Koffler, Daniel (2008, May 28). "[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-koffler/hillary-clinton-and-the-p_b_103913.html Hillary Clinton and the Popular Vote: Not Wrong, but Meaningless]." ''Huffington Post''. Barone, Michael (2008, March 28). "[http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/barone/2008/03/28/projection-clinton-wins-popular-vote-obama-wins-delegate-count Projection: Clinton Wins Popular Vote, Obama Wins Delegate Vote]." ''U.S. News''.</ref>, though this was in part because Obama hadn't been registered in Michigan.<ref>Romano, Andrew (2008, August 2). "[http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/blogs/stumper/2008/06/02/clinton-s-popular-vote-claim-close-but-not-quite.html Clinton's Popular Vote Claim? Close--But Not Quite*]." ''Newsweek''. ''RealClearPolitics''. "[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/democratic_vote_count.html 2008 Democratic Popular Vote]."</ref> Obama's advantage with super-delegates over Clinton was about 2-to-1.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Superdelegate endorsements for Friday 6/6|work=Democratic Convention Watch|url=http://demconwatch.blogspot.com/2008/06/superdelegate-endorsements-for-friday.html}}</ref> Obama was able to attract the support of [[liberals]] by pointing out that he had come out against the [[Iraq War]] "from the beginning" whereas Clinton had voted in favor of the war in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-01-31-democrats-debate_N.htm|title=Obama, Clinton stress differences on Iraq, issues|author=David Jackson|work=USA Today|format=HTML|language=English}}</ref> On June 7, 2008, Hillary Clinton withdrew from the Primaries, conceding the race and endorsing her opponent<ref>''Associated Press''. "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24993082/ns/politics-decision_08/t/clinton-ends-historic-bid-endorses-obama/ Clinton Ends Historic Bid, Endorses Obama]."</ref>, when Obama passed the 2,118 Delegates required; winning 2,201 delegates to Clinton's 1,896.<ref>''CNN''. "[http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/scorecard/#D Election Center 2008].</ref>

====Born Alive Record Resurfaces====
On June 30, 2008, Obama's voting record on the "Born Alive" bills came once more to the forefront when CNN gave voice to the growing controversy and revealed the defense Obama had been using since 2004-2008, that the Illinois bills he'd voted against were different from the federal bill, was false, since he'd brought up for a vote a bill word for word identical to the federal bill in the Health and Human Services Committee he chaired, and voted against it, defeating it.<ref>''CNN''. "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPZCXcTwZPY How He Really Voted on Abortion: Obama's Record Under Attack]." ''The Situation Room''. Uploaded to ''YouTube'' by Jill Stanek. ''CNN''. "[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0806/30/sitroom.02.html Transcripts: June 30, 2008]." The Situation Room.</ref> This led in August to a confrontation between Obama and the [[NRLC]].<ref>''National Right to Life Committee''. "[http://www.nrlc.org/news/2008/NRL08/ObamaCoverup.html Obama Cover-up Revealed on Born-Alive Abortion Survivor's Bill]." NRL News, Vol. 35, Issue 7-8, pg. 5.</ref> After Obama accused critics of 'lying'<ref>Brody, David (2008, August 16). "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skq5M1Ksp_c McCain/Obama Forum]." ''CNN''. Uploaded to ''YouTube'' by Jill Stanek. David Brody (August 16, 2008). "[http://blogs.cbn.com/thebrodyfile/archive/2008/08/16/obama-gets-heated-on-born-alive-infant-protection-act.aspx Obama Gets Heated on Born Alive Infant Protection Act]." ''CBN News''. The Brody File.</ref> the NRLC challenged the assertion, and the Obama campaign conceded he "misspoke" and had voted against an identical bill to the "federal bill that everybody supported" but focused on Obama's new claim, that Illinois law was already sufficient to protect newborn children.<ref>Berman, Russell (2008, August 18). "[http://www.nysun.com/national/obama-facing-attacks-from-all-sides-over-abortion/84059/ Obama Facing Attacks From All Sides Over Abortion Record]." ''New York Sun''.</ref> The NRLC promptly declared "Senator Barack Obama's four-year effort to cover up his full role in killing legislation to protect born-alive survivors of abortions continues to unravel."<ref>Johnson, Douglas (2008, August 18). "[http://www.nrlc.org/ObamaBAIPA/Obamacoveruponbornalive.htm Obama Cover-up on Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Continues to Unravel After Sen. Obama Says NRLC is 'Lying']." ''National Right to Life Committee''.</ref>
====Jeremiah Wright====
:''See also: [[Barack Obama and Liberation Theology]]''
One major dilemma that arose for Obama during his campaign was his connection to his preacher [[Jeremiah Wright]]. Obama and his wife (raised a Baptist) were members of the Trinity [[United Church of Christ]]<ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1776246/posts</ref> in Chicago, a church that embraced [[black liberation theology]] and its emphasis on empowering so-called "oppressed groups" against "establishment forces". This denomination was the first in America to ordain gays as ministers.<ref>http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/31079.html, Obama's church pushes controversial doctrines, March 20, 2008</ref> Church pastor Jeremiah Wright had been making inflammatory comments and posting his sermons online for sale. These include the statement "G-d damn America," and in describing the September 11th attacks, "We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost."<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=4443788 Obama's Pastor: G-d Damn America, U.S. to Blame for 9/11]</ref> In addition, Rev. Wright blamed America saying "We supported Zionism shamelessly while ignoring the Palestinians and branding anybody who spoke out against it as being [[anti-Semitic]]."

In April 2008, after 20 years in the church, candidate Obama made public statements poised to set him at odds with the man who conducted his wedding and baptized his children. With the negative publicity persisting, a month later Obama ended the friendship, left Wright's church, and blamed the media.<ref>[http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/05/31/obama-resigns-church-membership-in-chicago/], Obama Drops Church Membership in Chicago, May 31, 2008</ref> Obama claimed “It’s not fair to the other members of the church who seek to worship in peace...", and distanced himself from Wright's sermons as "a bunch of rants that aren't grounded in the truth."<ref>USA TODAY, ''Obama breaks with former pastor, Candidate cites rants on U.S. role in terror, AIDS'', by Kathy Kiely and David Jackson [http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080430/1a_offlede30_dom.art.htm]</ref><ref>''Obama Says He Is Outraged By Wright's "Rants"''[http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/bulletin/bulletin_080430.htm]</ref>

====Result====
Obama made an effort to portray John McCain as similar to George W. Bush, drawing attention to McCain's refusal to criticize the unpopular president. McCain was particularly criticized for saying of how many years we should be willing to stay in Iraq, "Make it a hundred."<ref>Dobbs, Michael (2008, April 2). "[http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/04/mccains_100year_war.html FactChecker: McCain's '100-Year War']." ''Washington Post''.</ref>{{cquote|"John McCain went on television and said that there has been great progress economically over the last seven-and-a-half years. John McCain thinks our economy has made great progress under George W. Bush? How could somebody who has been traveling across this country, somebody who came to Erie, Pennsylvania, say we’ve made great progress?"
-Barack Obama<ref>Zeleny, Jeff (2008, April 18). "[http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/obama-criticizes-mccain-on-economic-stance/ Obama Criticizes McCain on Economic Stance]." ''New York Times''.</ref>}} On August 22nd, Obama selected [[Joe Biden]] as his running mate for the vice presidency<ref>''CNN'' (2008, August 23). "[http://articles.cnn.com/2008-08-23/politics/biden.democrat.vp.candidate_1_biden-john-mccain-barack-obama?_s=PM:POLITICS Obama Introduces Biden as Running Mate]."</ref>, which would be contrasted one week later with John McCain's selection of [[Sarah Palin]].<ref>Cooper, Michael & Bumiller, Elisabeth (2008, August 29). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us/politics/29palin.html?pagewanted=all Alaskan is McCain's Choice; First Woman on G.O.P. Ticket]. ''New York Times''.</ref>

On November 2, 2008, Barack Obama won the presidential election with 365 electoral votes to John McCain's 173.<ref>(2008, November 14). "[http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/explorer.html Electoral Explorer]." Election Results 2008. ''New York Times''.</ref> Obama received 53% of the popular vote to John McCain's 46%.<ref>(2008, November 17). "[http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/ President]." Election Center 2008. ''CNN''.</ref>

==2009-2013, U.S. Presidency==
{{main article|Obama administration}}
[[File:Obama and George H. W. Bush.jpg|thumb|right|300px|President Barack Obama meets with former President George H. W. Bush in the Oval Office, Feb. 15, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza).]]
Five years into Obama's presidency the number of people holding jobs still was 3 million below the all time high of 138 million<ref>The effectiveness of [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009|Stimulus]] and deficits: [http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?graph_id=112811 Job growth under President Obama's first term;] Source: United States Department of Labor.</ref> workers - despite an increase of 10 million people in population over the same period of time.<ref>[https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?graph_id=112809 U.S. Population growth during Obama's first four years in office.] Source: U.S. Census Bureau.</ref> Under Obama and Senate Democrats<ref>The Democratic controlled Senate did not propose, vote on, or pass a budget for nearly five years. [http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/23/politics/senate-budget-bill/index.html Senate passes its first budget proposal in four years,] Ted Barrett and Alison Harding, CNN, March 23, 2013.</ref> budget management, the United States suffered its largest [[Federal budget deficit|deficit]]s<ref>Edwards, B. et. al. (2009, November 6). [http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/107xx/doc10708/11-06-mbr.htm Monthly Budget Review: Fiscal Year 2009]. ''Congressional Budget Office''. Delisle, E.C. et. al. (2010, November 5). [http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/118xx/doc11873/NovemberMBR.pdf Monthly Budget Review: Fiscal Year 2010]. ''Congressional Budget Office''.</ref> in history and its credit-worthiness downgraded from Standard & Poors. Obama assured Americans that unemployment would not rise above 8% if his [[economic stimulus]] program was adopted, however it rose and stagnated in the 8-10% range<ref>Di Leo, L & Lynch, S.N. (2010, August 20). [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704476104575439172480870774.html Jobless Claims Jump in New Sign Recovery is Sputtering]. ''The Wall Street Journal''.</ref><ref>Bureau of Labor Statistics. [http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?data_tool=latest_numbers&series_id=LNS11300000&years_option=specific_years&include_graphs=true&to_month=1&from_month=2 Databases, Tables & Calculators by Subject: Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey]. ''United States Department of Labor''. Data extracted on: July 19, 2010 (4:31:11 PM).</ref> for the entirety of his first term.

Patrick H. Caddell and Douglas E. Schoen, writing in the [[Wall Street Journal]], noted, "Rather than being a unifier, Mr. Obama has divided America on the basis of race, class and partisanship." The commentators also note Obama's approach to governance has encouraged radical leftists to pursue a similar strategy on his behalf. Mary Frances Berry, former head of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, acknowledged that the [[Obama administration]] has taken to polarizing America around the issue of race as a means of diverting attention from other issues, saying, "Having one's opponent [[race card|rebut charges of racism]] is far better than discussing [[Unemployment|joblessness]]."<ref>Berry, M.F. (2010, July 20). [http://www.politico.com/arena/perm/Mary_Frances_Berry_91E3D9D5-C40D-440C-9D48-1C50CBC60C87.html Energy Arena, Driving the Conversation: Contracting Out U.S. Security? And will Branding Tea Party Racist Work?] ''Politico''.</ref> Caddell and Schoen, who worked for President Carter and Clinton, respectively, further stated, "Mr. Obama has also cynically [[class warfare|divided the country on class lines]]. He has taken to playing the populist card time and time again. He bashes Wall Street and insurance companies whenever convenient to advance his programs, yet he has been eager to accept campaign contributions and negotiate with these very same banks and [[corporation]]s behind closed doors in order to advance his political agenda... President Obama's divisive approach to governance has weakened us as a people and paralyzed our political culture."<ref>Caddell, P.H. & Schoen, D.E. (2010, July 28). [http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748703700904575391553798363586.html Our Divisive President]. ''The Wall Street Journal''.</ref>
===Domestic policy===
====Economic policy====
[[File:Keynes.jpg|thumbnail|right|190px|[[Barack Obama]] advocates the use of discredited [[Keynesian economics|Keynesian economic concepts]]<ref>
*[http://centurean2.wordpress.com/2011/03/20/fabian-john-maynard-keynes-the-stealthy-enemy-of-human-freedom/ John Maynard Keynes the stealthy enemy of human freedom]
*[http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-02-22/deathbed-of-keynesian-economics-will-be-in-u-k-matthew-lynn.html Deathbed of Keynesian Economics will be in the UK]
*[http://www.iwf.org/inkwell/show/23102.html Will the G8 Repudiate the Philosophy of Living Beyond Our Means?]
*[http://www.keynesatharvard.org/book/KeynesatHarvard-ch09.html KEYNES AT HARVARD Economic Deception as a Political Credo BY ZYGMUND DOBBS]
</ref> ]]
{{see also|Obamunism|American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009}}
Critics of the Obama administration have coined the word "[[Obamunism]]" to describe Barack Obama's [[socialism|socialistic]] and "[[fascism]] light" [[economic planning]] policies.<ref>[[Benito Mussolini]] defined fascism as the wedding of state and corporate powers. Accordingly, trend forecaster [[Gerald Celente]] labels [[Obama administration corporate bailouts|Obama's corporate bailouts]] as being "fascism light" in nature.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebigmoney.com/articles/daily-intel/2009/07/20/obamunism-inc|work=The Big Money|publisher=WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC|format=HTML|language=English|title=Obamunism, Inc.|author=David Sessions|date=July 20, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smallbusinessadvocate.com/small-business-interviews/gerald-celente-6944|author=Jim Blasingame|title=Is the government creating a bailout bubble?}}</ref> Obamunism can also refer to Obama's [[Obama administration fiscal policy|ruinous fiscal policies]] and [[Obama administration monetary policy|reckless monetary policies]].<ref name="gerard">{{cite web|url=http://seekingalpha.com/article/120883-monetary-policynot-obama-s-stimulusis-what-needs-watching|title=Monetary Policy-Not Obama's Stimulus-Is What Needs Watching|author=Gerard Jackson|date=February 16, 2009|work=Seeking Alpha}}</ref><ref name="bam">{{cite web|work=New York Post|date=May 17, 2009|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/05172009/postopinion/editorials/bams_wise_words_169731.htm|title=BAM'S WISE WORDS}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.heritage.org/2009/03/24/bush-deficit-vs-obama-deficit-in-pictures/|title=Bush Deficit vs. Obama Deficit in Pictures|work=The Foundry|publisher=The Heritage Foundation|author=Conn Carroll|date=March 24th, 2009}}</ref> As seen in his own actions, Barack Obama instructed his advisors to find loopholes that would enable the president to act as a [[dictator]] by pushing through legislation and increases in spending without congressional authority.<ref>Naked Emperor News (2011, October 12). [http://www.theblaze.com/stories/executive-dictatorship-obama-instructs-advisers-to-push-through-stimulus-projects-without-pesky-congressional-authorization/ Exclusive Dictatorship: Obama Instructs Advisors to Push Through Stimulus Projects Without Pesky 'Congressional Authorization']. ''The Blaze''.</ref>

Nevertheless, budgets passed under President Obama have included the smallest average annualized growth of federal spending (1.4%) since before President Reagan. Federal spending grew an average of 8.7% per year during Reagan's first term and an average of 8.1% per year during George W. Bush's second term.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2012/05/24/who-is-the-smallest-government-spender-since-eisenhower-would-you-believe-its-barack-obama/|title=Who Is The Smallest Government Spender Since Eisenhower? Would You Believe It's Barack Obama?|publisher=Forbes|author=Rick Ungar|date=May 24th, 2012}}</ref>

[[Wall Street]] firms and banks that were bailed out were among Obama's biggest campaign supporters.<ref>''OpenSecrets.org''. [http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cycle=2008&cid=N00009638 Barack Obama: Top Contributors]. The Center for Responsive Politics.</ref> Therefore, the Obama administration bailouts of corrupt, unproductive, and reckless Wall Street firms was hardly surprising, and many argue that it was not helpful in making the United States economy more productive and prosperous by encouraging more risk taking through letting banks off with a slap on the wrist. Others argue that bailing out the banks kept credit flowing and prevented a much deeper recession and a total collapse of the financial system. The government will recoup some though not all of its capital infusions over time. A 2005 study found that government corporate bailouts are often done for mere political considerations and the economic resources allocated exhibit significantly worse economic performance than resources allocated using purely business considerations.<ref>Faccio, M. et. al. (2005, March 1). [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=676905 Political Connections and Corporate Bailouts]. ''Social Science Research Network''.</ref> Proponents of [[free market]] capitalism said Bernanke should not have bailed out failing firms and instead should have allowed free market capitalism to quickly recover as it did in the depression of 1920 without government intervention (free market capitalists assert that government intervention drags out economic recessions and depressions).<ref>Woods, T.E. (2009, April 10). [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czcUmnsprQI Why You've Never Heard of the Great Depression of 1920]. ''Ludwig Von Mises Institute''. Hosted on ''YouTube''.</ref>

Top trend forecaster [[Gerald Celente]] predicts that the corrupt economic policies of the Obama administration will lead to a second [[Great Depression|great depression]] (Celente predicted the 1987 US stock market crash, the dot.com crash, the US 2008/2009 recession, and the collapse of the USSR in the early 1990s) and may lead to a "second [[American Revolution]]" (Celente predicted the [[Tea Party Movement|tax protests]] that are now occurring in America).<ref name="celente1">Celente, G. (2009, August 1). [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MMX3SKzrfU&feature=channel_page pt 2/2 Gerald Celente on Financial Sense Newshour Aug 1st 2009]. ''Financial Sense Newshour''. Hosted on ''YouTube''.</ref><ref name="celente2">Celente, G. (2009, August 2). [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy9bfw1ebgw&feature=response_watch ]. ''Financial Sense Newshour''. Hosted on ''YouTube''.</ref> Celente also asserts that the costly and inefficient temporary short term methods that the Obama administration is using to alleviate economic problems in the short term (which is causing massive increases in [[Obama administration deficit spending]]) is only making matters worse and will not prevent the worse economic depression in United States history from occurring.<ref>Celente, G. (2009, August 11). [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C8K7rWkGGw pt 1/2 Gerald Celente on Howestreet.com 11 Aug 2009]. ''HoweStreet.com''. Hosted on ''YouTube''.</ref><ref>Celente, G. (2009, August 11). [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LBffdIW0XA&feature=response_watch pt 2/2 Gerald Celente on Howestreet.com 11 Aug 2009]. ''HoweStreet.com''. Hosted on ''YouTube''.</ref>

The Obama administration has been sharply criticized for [[Obama administration deficit spending|its massive deficit spending]] and [[Obama administration monetary policy|its reckless monetary policy]] via vast increases in the [[money supply]], although inflation under Bernanke has been below the historic mean.<ref name="gerard"/><ref name="bam"/><ref>Carroll, C. (2009, March 24). [http://blog.heritage.org/2009/03/24/bush-deficit-vs-obama-deficit-in-pictures/ Bush Deficit vs. Obama Deficit in Pictures]. ''The Foundry''. The Heritage Network.</ref> Celente predicts that if a "second American Revolution" occurs in a peaceful and productive manner, it may include a [[Third Party System|third party movement]] of governance that will advocate a more [[free market]] [[capitalism]] approach to the American economy and a more strict interpretation of the [[United States Constitution|United States constitution]] as far as the authors' [[original intent]].<ref name="celente1"/><ref name="celente2"/>

During what the [[White House]] billed as [[Recovery Summer]], one half million workers per week continued losing their jobs. His signature legislative achievement, [[ObamaCare]],has been found to be [[unconstitutional]]<ref>Schoenberg, T. & Fisk, M.T. (2010, December 13). [http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-13/u-s-health-care-law-requirement-thrown-out-by-judge.html Obama's Health-Care Law Ruled Unconstitutional Over Insurance Requirement]. ''Bloomberg''.</ref> by several judges and constitutional by others, and is credited as a major cause of uncertainty, high [[unemployment]],<ref>http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=33220</ref> lagging job creation,<ref>Foster, J.D. (2010, August 5). [http://blog.heritage.org/2010/08/05/it%E2%80%99s-official-medicare%E2%80%99s-finances-shadowed-by-uncertainty/ It’s Official: Medicare’s Finances Shadowed by Uncertainty]. ''The Foundry''. The Heritage Network.</ref> and risk of a credit default crisis.<ref>Samuelson, R.J. (2010, March 29). [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/28/AR2010032802353.html With health bill, Obama has sown the seeds of a budget crisis]. ''The Washington Post''.</ref><ref>Cramer, J. (2010, March 16). [http://www.thestreet.com/story/10703361/cramer-obamacare-will-topple-the-market.html Cramer: Obamacare Will Topple the Market]. ''The Street''.</ref>

His 2012 Budget plan has been roundly criticized in the mainstream and liberal press as not a serious effort to deal with the nation's economic crisis.<ref>[http://republican.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=blogs.view&blog_id=1551d6f5-2ac9-4b8d-97ab-74def354024e Newspapers Call Out White House: ‘What Would That Path Be, Mr. President?’]</ref>

[[Jeffrey Tucker]] wrote, "President Obama's economic policy has been catastrophic for liberty, enterprise, and the American dream—the very archetype of what not to do to end recession." [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118186176/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=anncoulter-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1118186176]
=====Stimulus=====
:''See also: [[Recovery Summer]]''
In early 2009, Obama lobbied Congress and the public to pass a sweeping Stimulus package<ref>(2009, January 3). "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28479998/ns/politics-white_house/t/obama-urges-congress-pass-stimulus-plan/ Obama Urges Congress to Pass Stimulus Plan]." ''Associated Press''. Parsons, C. & Nicholas, P. (2009, February 10). "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28479998/ns/politics-white_house/t/obama-urges-congress-pass-stimulus-plan/ Barack Obama Sternly Urges Congress to Pass Economic Stimulus]." ''Chicago Tribune''.</ref> known as ''The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009'' (H.R. 1).<ref>"[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.1: Bill Text Versions: H.R. 1]." 111th Congress (2009-2010). ''Library of Congress''. "[http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204335,00.html The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Information Center]." ''IRS''.</ref> The report of the Congressional Budget Office mandated by law stated that the legislation would ultimately harm the economy.<ref>Dinan, S. (2009, February 4). "[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/04/cbo-obama-stimulus-harmful-over-long-haul/ CBO: Obama Stimulus Harmful Over Long Haul]." ''U.S. News''.</ref> Contrary to his promise of bipartisanship,<ref>Dinan, S. (2009, March 28). "[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/28/mccain-obama-breaks-campaign-promises-shuns-bipart/?page=all McCain: Obama Breaks Promise of Bipartisanship]." ''Washington Times''.</ref> the bill passed the House 244-188 on January 28, 2009 with 11 Democrats voting with the entire Republican caucus against,<ref>Calmes, J. (2009, January 28). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29obama.html House Passes Stimulus Plan With No G.O.P. Votes]." ''New York Times''.</ref> and received just 3 Republican votes when passing the Senate 61-37.<ref>Herszenhorn, D.M. (2009, February 10). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/washington/11web-stim.html Senate Approves Stimulus Plan]." ''New York Times''.</ref> One third of the massive $838 billion bill consisted of [[Backdoor_spending_authority#Backdoor_tax_expenditures|backdoor tax expenditures]]<ref>(2009, February 11). "Senate Passes $838 Billion Stimulus Bill]." ''Associated Press''.</ref> and the rest direct [[new spending]] on "just about every pent-up Democratic proposal of the last 40 years."<ref>(2009, January 28). "[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123310466514522309.html A 40-Year Wish List]." ''Wall Street Journal''.</ref> In responding to criticism of the broken bipartisanship promise at the time, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously quipped, "We won the election. We wrote the bill."<ref>Kane, P. (2009, January 23). "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/22/AR2009012203961.html Stimulus Plan Meets More GOP Resistance]." ''Washington Post''.</ref> On February 18, 2009, the Stimulus was signed into law by Obama.<ref>(2009, February 17). "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29231790/ns/politics-white_house/t/obama-stimulus-lets-americans-claim-destiny/ Obama: Stimulus Lets Americans Claim Destiny]." ''Associated Press''.</ref> In August 2009, Republicans and Democratic Senator David Obey drew attention to mistakes on the Recovery.gov site claiming millions of Stimulus jobs created that didn't exist. Obama responded by saying the errors just indicate his accounting is an "inexact science".<ref>(2009, November 18). "[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/18/obama-calls-stimulus-data-errors-issue-says-focus-job-growth/ Obama Calls Stimulus Data Errors 'Side Issue,' Says Focus Is on Job Growth]." ''FOX News''.</ref>
=====[[Sequestration]]=====
According to [[Pulitzer Prize]] winning journalist [[Bob Woodward]] of the ''[[Washington Post]]'', Obama misled the American people in a Presidential debate only two weeks before the 2012 election when he said, "The sequester is not something that I’ve proposed,”<ref>[http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-02-22/opinions/37238840_1_jack-lew-treasury-secretary-rob-nabors Obama’s sequester deal-changer,] By Bob Woodward, ''Washington Post'', February 22, 2013.</ref> when in fact his chief budget negotiator and current Chief of Staff, [[Jack Lew]], made a call to Democrat [[Harry Reid]] at 2:30 pm on July 27, 2011 with the proposal after clearing it with Obama,<ref>[http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/22/fact-check-woodward-wrote-that-obama-administration-proposed-sequester/ Fact-check: Woodward wrote that Obama administration proposed sequester]. dailycaller.com </ref> as fully documented in Woodward's book, ''The Price of Politics''. Federal Reserve Chairman [[Ben Bernanke]] warned of immediate jobloss of about 750,000 jobs - about the same level as under George W. Bush<ref>[http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?graph_id=109262 Monthly Jobloss under George W. Bush, Jan 2007 - Jan 2009]. See also [http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?graph_id=109266 Initial Unemployment Claims] over the same period, annualized. Source: U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.</ref> - if Obama's budget and economic plans were allowed to take effect.<ref>[http://money.cnn.com/2013/02/26/news/economy/bernanke-burden-recovery/ Bernanke: Spending cuts add 'significant' burden to recovery,] By Annalyn Kurtz, CNN February 26, 2013.</ref>

Woodward, who's reporting on [[Watergate]] is credited with toppling the administration of [[Richard Nixon]], told Wolf Blitzer of CNN he was told by a senior White House official he'd regret talking about the President Obama's positions on the sequester.<ref>[http://www.businessinsider.com/bob-woodward-obama-sequester-white-house-reporting-price-politics-2013-2 Bob Woodward: White House Threatened Me On Sequester,] businessinsider.com </ref>

====Healthcare mandates====
{{main article|Obamacare}}
On March 23, 2010, Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The act originated in the [[Democratic]]ally controlled House and was amended and passed the Senate just prior to Sen. [[Ted Kennedy]]'s death largely along party lines with a significant number of Democrats voting to oppose. In what was construed as a de facto rejection of the bill, [[Massachusetts]] voters elected a [[Republican]] candidate, [[Scott Brown]], who promised to vote against the bill if given the chance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/scott-brown-wins-massachusetts-senate-race.html|work=The Washington Post|author=Chris Cillizza|date=January 19, 2010|title=Scott Brown wins Massachusetts Senate special election race|language=English|format=HTML}}</ref> After Obama made a promise to issue an [[executive order]] that would ultimately prohibit the use of taxpayer subsidies to pay for [[abortion]] services,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/22/nation/la-na-healthcare-passage22-2010mar22/3|work=The Los Angeles Times|format=HTML|language=English|title=House passes historic healthcare overhaul|date=March 22, 2010|author=Noam N. Levey and Janet Hook}}</ref> the Democratic [[House of Representatives]] would pass the bill as it left the Senate 219-212, with 34 Democrats and all other parties dissenting.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2010-03-21/politics/health.care.main_1_health-care-entire-house-democratic-caucus-pre-existing-conditions?_s=PM:POLITICS|date=March 21, 2010|author=Alan Silverleib|work=CNN|format=HTML|language=English|title=House passes health care bill on 219-212 vote}}</ref>

Amongst other things, the act mandated that everyone purchase health care coverage or face punitive tax measures, and was upheld by the [[Supreme Court]].
====Regulatory reform====
Obama criticized the "revolving door" of government and business.<ref>"We need to close the revolving door that lets lobbyists come into government freely, and lets them use their time in public service as a way to promote their own interests over the interests of the American people when they leave." [http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-welcoming-senior-staff-and-cabinet-secretaries-white-house REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN WELCOMING SENIOR STAFF AND CABINET SECRETARIES TO THE WHITE HOUSE,] January 21, 2009. whitehouse.gov </ref> After appointing [[Peter Orszag]] his first Budget Director to dole out the stimulus cash, Orszag resigned to become Citigroup's Vice Chairman of Global Banking. Citigroup was the recipient of $476 billion in [[bailout]] money - more than any other bank - after the disastrous [[Financial crisis of 2008]].<ref>[http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2011/03/citibank_received_more_bailout.html Citigroup Received More Bailout Money Than Any Other Bank,] By Nitasha Tiku, 3/16/11. </ref> Before the bailout, Orszag's expert opinion of the chances of a mortgage meltdown were 1 in 500,000.<ref>[http://www.pierrelemieux.org/stiglitzrisk.pdf Implications of the New Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Risk-based Capital Standard,] by Joseph E. Stiglitz, Jonathan M. Orszag and Peter R. Orszag. Fannie Mae Papers, Volume 1, Issue 2, March 2002, Conclusion p.6. </ref>

====Environment and energy====
{{main article|Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster}}
President Obama authorized offshore oil drilling in the [[Gulf of Mexico]]<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0430/Gulf-of-Mexico-oil-spill-imperils-Obama-s-offshore-drilling-plan Gulf of Mexico oil spill imperils Obama's offshore drilling plan,] By Mark Clayton, ''Christian Science Monitor'', April 30, 2010.</ref> stating, "oil rigs today generally don’t cause spills"<ref>White House Press Release, [http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-a-discussion-jobs-and-economy-charlotte-north-carolina Remarks by the President in a Discussion on Jobs and the Economy in Charlotte, North Carolina,] Office of the Press Secretary, April 02, 2010. Retrieved from whitehouse.gov 3 May 2010.</ref> and was widely criticized for his mishandling of the "[[Gulf oil spill disaster|worst environmental disaster]] in US history."<ref>[http://www.examiner.com/x-33986-Political-Spin-Examiner~y2010m4d29-Worst-environmental-disaster-in-US-history-Oil-slick-in-Gulf-of-Mexico-is-set-on-fire Worst environmental disaster in US history,] Maryann Tobin, ''Examiner'', April 29, 2010.</ref><ref>[http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/the-oil-spill-is-obamas-fault/?src=twt&twt=NytimesKrugman Conscience of a Liberal: The Oil Spill Is Obama’s Fault,] Paul Krugman, ''New York Times'', April 30, 2010.</ref>
====Reverses Clinton era gay discrimination====
{{main article|Don't Ask Don't Tell}}
Candidate Obama promised to repeal a policy that originated with President Clinton and passed by a Democratically controlled Congress that prohibited inquiries into military personnel's [[sexual orientation]] while barring openly gay [[homosexuals]] from serving in the military. [[Liberals]] expressed anger when time passed and no effort to repeal the law was seen;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/21/obama-to-delay-repeal-of-dont-ask-dont-tell/|work=The Washington Times|format=HTML|title=Obama to delay ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ repeal|language=English|author=Rowan Scarborough|date=November 21, 2008}}</ref> in fact, Obama's [[justice department]], as part of their duty to defend all laws passed by any administration, filed a brief arguing against the [[Supreme Court]] granting a [[writ of certiorari]] to a gay soldier challenging the law (the writ was not granted). In response, the soldier, James Pietrangelo II, a former Army infantryman and lawyer, said, “[Obama's] a coward, a bigot and a pathological liar. This is a guy who spent more time picking out his dog, Bo, and playing with him on the White House lawn than he has working for equality for gay people."<ref>{{cite web|work=Time Magazine|publisher=Time Inc.|format=HTML|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1903545,00.html?imw=Y|title=Dismay Over Obama's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Turnabout|author=Mark Thompson|date=Jun. 09, 2009}}</ref>

On December 15th, 2010, a bill was introduced in the [[House of Representatives]] to repeal the law - it passed a day later by a vote of 250-175;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll638.xml|title=FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 638|format=HTML|work=Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives}}</ref> it passed the Senate three days later 65-31.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00281|work=The U.S. Senate|title=U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress - 2nd Session|format=HTML|language=English}}</ref> Obama signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 on December 22nd.<ref name="g dadt">{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/22/obama-repeals-dont-ask-dont-tell|work=The Guardian|format=HTML|language=English|title='Don't ask, don't tell' repealed as Obama signs landmark law|date=22 December 2010}}</ref> The [[Pentagon]] itself could not immediately implement the repeal and questioned whether it would hurt combat readiness.<ref name="g dadt"/>

====Labor law and compensation to 9/11 first responders====
Obama's first act of office was to sign the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act - effectively nullifying the [[Supreme Court]] case ''Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.'', which ruled that Ledbetter had to have filed a pay [[discrimination]] suit within 180 days of the first time Ledbetter was paid less than her male peers;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/us/politics/30ledbetter-web.html|work=The New York Times|format=HTML|language=English|title=Obama Signs Equal-Pay Legislation|author=Sheryl Gay Stolberg|date=January 29, 2009}}</ref> the law made corporations subject to suit within 180 days of each time the employee was unfairly paid.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://writ.news.findlaw.com/grossman/20090213.html?=features|work=FindLaw|author=Joanna L. Grossman|date=Feb. 13, 2009|format=HTML|language=English|title=The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009}}</ref>

On January 2, 2011, Obama signed the James Zadroga [[9/11]] Healthcare and Compensation Act.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2011/jan/02/obama-signs-zadroga-act-law/|publisher=New York Public Radio|title=Obama Signs Zadroga Act into Law|author=Fred Mogul|date=January 02, 2011|work=wNYC|format=HTML|language=English}}</ref> The act, which afforded 9/11 first responders who were sickened by the dust from the collapse of the [[World Trade Center]] health care and compensation, passed [[Congress]] after its sponsors agreed to scale down the pricing from 7.4 to 4.2 billion dollars.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2010/dec/22/zadroga-911-bill-passes-senate/|publisher=New York Public Radio|work=wNYC|format=HTML|language=English|title=Congress Approves 9/11 Health Bill|date=December 22, 2010}}</ref>

===Foreign policy===
[[File:Western Wall Obama.jpg|thumb|left|320px|At [[Western Wall]], Jerusalem, 2008.]]
As Senator, Obama was highly critical of President Bush and promised change. As President, Obama has tripled down in Afghanistan, widened the war into Pakistan, multiplied drone attacks, bombed Yemen and Somalia, and started an undeclared NATO war in Libya. On presidential war powers, surveillance questions, Guantanamo, detention policy and habeas corpus, Obama has similarly stayed the course, or expanded Bush's precedents. In a speech on May 19, 2011 Obama fully embraced the [[Bush Doctrine]] of preventative war.<ref>Krauthammer, C. (April 19). [http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-news-in-obamas-speech/2011/05/19/AF4dFN7G_story.html The News in Obama's Speech]. ''The Washington Post''.</ref>

From the Boston Globe:
<blockquote>
'The New America Foundation, which tracks the strikes, has listed 23 raids since the beginning of April, 2011, all but one in Pakistan’s tribal regions of North and South Waziristan. A June 20 attack was reported in Kurram, an area north of North Waziristan along the Afghanistan border.'
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
'The drone program has become increasingly controversial as the Obama administration has expanded its use beyond the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Lethal missiles have been launched from unmanned aircraft in at least five countries in addition to Pakistan: Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, and, most recently, Somalia. The military’s Joint Special Operations Command used a drone last June to attack what officials said were two senior members of the Al Shabab militant group on the Somali coast.' <ref>DeYoung, K. (2011, July 4). [http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2011/07/04/cia_halts_drone_launches_from_pakistan_base/ CIA Halts Drone Launches From Pakistan Base]. ''The Boston Globe''. </ref>
</blockquote>

A commentator says:
<blockquote>
'Obama is commendable when he says he wants to avoid war. His policies, however, favor war by destabilizing the Middle East making it extremely hostile and favoring radical Islam over America’s ally, Israel, and American interests in the region... The president has chosen a very dangerous path for every American and one that promises great difficulty for Israel.' <ref> [http://www.thejerusalemconnection.us/blog/2012/03/14/obamas-words-disguise-his-israel-foreign-policy-actions.html Obama's words disguise his Israel foreign policy actions.] </ref>
</blockquote>
====Commander-in-chief====
By Obama's third year as Commander-in-Chief, over 1200 American troops died in Iraq and Afghanistan - significantly more than the number who died during President [[George W. Bush]]'s term of office. And growing numbers of civilian contractors also have fallen. In the first half of 2010, 250 contractors reportedly died in Iraq and Afghanistan - more than the 235 military personnel who fell during the same period.<ref>http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/05/24/114662/what-price-war.html#ixzz1Nz07pg5O</ref>
====National Defense====
President Obama signed into U.S. law the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), only after his administration successfully lobbied to remove language from the bill that would have protected American citizens from being detained indefinitely without trial.<ref>Aaron Dykes. [http://www.infowars.com/president-obamas-ndaa-signing-statement-i-have-the-power-to-detain-americans-but-i-wont/ Obama’s Signing Statement on NDAA: I have the power to detain Americans… but I won’t], Infowars.com, January 1, 2012. </ref> After the legislation cleared Congress, the ACLU commented that if President Obama signed the bill it "will damage both his legacy and American’s reputation for upholding the rule of law," while executive director of the ''Human Rights Watch'' blasted the President for being ‘on the wrong side of history,’ noting that "Obama will go down in history as the president who enshrined indefinite detention without trial in US law."<ref>President Decides to Sign Ill-Conceived National Defense Authorization Act. [http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/12/14/us-refusal-veto-detainee-bill-historic-tragedy-rights US: Refusal to Veto Detainee Bill A Historic Tragedy for Rights], ''Human Rights Watch'', December 14, 2011. [http://www.aclu.org/national-security/white-house-backs-away-defense-bill-veto-threat White House Backs Away from Defense Bill Veto Threat], ''[[ACLU]]'', December 14, 2011.</ref>

Section 1031 of the NDAA bill, which itself defines the entirety of the United States as a “battlefield,” allows American citizens to be snatched from the streets, carted off to a foreign detention camp and held indefinitely without trial. As reported by Infowars.com, the bill states that “any person who has committed a belligerent act” faces indefinite detention, but no trial or evidence has to be presented, the White House merely needs to make the accusation.<ref>Paul Joseph Watson. [http://www.infowars.com/obama-administration-demanded-power-to-indefinitely-detain-u-s-citizens/ Obama Administration Demanded Power To Indefinitely Detain U.S. Citizens], Infowars.com, December 12, 2011. S.1867 [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c112:2:./temp/~c1122VN0Iv:e548990: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Engrossed in Senate [Passed Senate] - ES)], ''The Library of Congress'' THOMAS, 112th Congress (2011-2011), Accessed January 25, 2012. Text of S.1867 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. [http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-s1867/text?version=es&nid=t0:es:281 Sec. 1031. Affirmation of authority of the Armed Forces of the United States to detain covered persons pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force.], [[U.S. Congress]], ''OpenCongress.org'', (Accessed January 25, 2012).</ref>
====Al Qaeda and Libya====
{{main article|Libyan uprising 2011}}
In February 2011, the political unrest that spread through the Arab world showed up as protests in Libya. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, leader of Libya for 41 years, responded to the violence<ref>http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article28376.htm</ref> with legitimate steps.<ref name="nyt libya">{{cite web|url=http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/libya/index.html|work=The New York Times|publisher=The New York Times Inc.|format=HTML|language=English|title=Libya — Protests and Revolt (2011)}}</ref> The [[United Nations Security Council]] voted to impose [[sanctions]], and later passed a resolution to protect civilians. Obama, without approval from Congress and over the objections of his own National Security staff,<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20038391-503544.html</ref> directed American forces to take out Libya's air defense system.<ref name="nyt libya"/> Secretary of Defence [[Robert Gates]], National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough, and [[White House]] counterterrorism chief [[John O. Brennan]] all opposed the action. Obama later said, "if we waited one more day Benghazi, a city nearly the size of Charlotte, could suffer a massacre that would have reverberated across the region and stained the conscience of the world."<ref>{{cite web|author=Barack Obama|url=http://www.npr.org/2011/03/28/134935452/obamas-speech-on-libya-a-responsibility-to-act|title=Obama's Speech On Libya: 'A Responsibility To Act'|date=March 28, 2011|publisher=National Public Radio ([[NPR]])|language=English|format=HTML}}</ref> [[Alan J. Kuperman]], in an editorial for the ''[[Boston Globe]]'' - suggested this statement was false, writing, "intervention did not prevent genocide, because no such bloodbath was in the offing. To the contrary, by emboldening rebellion, US interference has prolonged Libya’s civil war and the resultant suffering of innocents."<ref name="kuperman">{{cite web|author=Alan J. Kuperman|work=The Boston Globe|url=http://articles.boston.com/2011-04-14/bostonglobe/29418371_1_rebel-stronghold-civilians-rebel-positions|title=False pretense for war in Libya?|date=April 14, 2011}}</ref> Kuperman, a professor of public affairs at the University of Texas who authored a book called ''The Limits of Humanitarian Intervention'', further stated that the rebels had tricked the world into thinking a bloodbath was at hand and that Obama had lied to the American people in order to act on this theory.<ref name="kuperman"/>
<blockquote>
Gaddafi [never] threaten civilian massacre in Benghazi, as Obama alleged. The “no mercy’’ warning, of March 17, targeted rebels only, as reported by ''The New York Times'', which noted that Libya’s leader promised amnesty for those “who throw their weapons away.’’ Gaddafi even offered the rebels an escape route and open border to Egypt, to avoid a fight “to the bitter end.’’ <ref> [http://politicalcartel.org/2011/04/17/libya-and-the-obama-doctrine/ Libya and the “Obama Doctrine”.] </ref>
</blockquote>
Gaddafi wrote to Obama and told him he bore no ill will. "We have been hurt more morally than physically because of what had happened against us in both deeds and words by you," he wrote. "Despite all this you will always remain our son whatever happened. We still pray that you continue to be president of the USA. We endeavour and hope that you will gain victory in the new election campaign."<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/06/gaddafi-obama-nato-libya?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487]</ref>
=====Aid to violent Islamists=====
A March 29, 2011 article in the ''[[Washington Post]]'' included these paragraphs:
{{Cquote|"It’s almost a certitude that at least part” of the Libyan opposition includes members of al-Qaeda, said Bruce Riedel, a former senior CIA analyst and adviser to President Obama. Riedel said that anti-Gaddafi elements in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi have had “very close associations with al-Qaeda” dating back years....I would hope that we now have a good sense of the opposition in Libya and can say that this is 2 percent, not 20 percent,” Riedel said. “If we don’t, then we are running the risk of helping to bring to power a regime that could be very dangerous.<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/libyan-opposition-includes-a-small-number-of-al-qaeda-fighters-us-officials-say/2011/03/29/AFRlXWyB_story.html</ref>}}

This set off a fierce debate in the [[Obama administration]] over the wisdom of arming terrorists.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/world/africa/30diplo.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss</ref> It is now known sometime prior to March 31, 2011,<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/world/africa/31intel.html?_r=2&hp</ref> at the urging of Hillary Clinton<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/world/africa/19policy.html?_r=3&hp& </ref> and over the objections of his National Security Council, Obama signed a Presidential Finding authorizing support for the rebel jihadis.<ref>http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/30/us-libya-usa-order-idUSTRE72T6H220110330</ref>

By October 2011, [[Libyan rebel fighting group]]s with support from [[NATO]] overtook the capital and toppled the government. Gaddafi was captured and brutally and sadistically murdered.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPzeLLL9V-c Leading from behind - a critique of Obama foreign policy]</ref> The jihadis were immediately recognized by the U.S. and the U.N. as the new legitimate government. Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, chairman of the National Transitional Council, announced [[Sharia]] will be the source for all legislation and all laws conflicting with Sharia are null and void.<ref name="Sharia">[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8861608/Libya-Al-Qaeda-flag-flown-above-Benghazi-courthouse.html Libya: Al Qaeda flag flown above Benghazi courthouse - Daily Telegraph]</ref> Abdel Rahim al-Kib, the country's interim prime minister, echoed Jalil's words days later.<ref>[http://www.presstv.ir/detail/207953.html New Libyan PM backs Islamic sharia law]</ref> The al Qaeda flag was flown above the Benghazi courthouse, and reports surfaced that the Libyan jihadis had imposed Sharia law in some parts of the country even earlier.<ref name="Sharia" /> By February 17, 2013, four foreign nationals were arrested for distributing Christian literature, a charge that could carry the death penalty<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/17/libya-arrests-suspected-foreign-missionaries Libya arrests foreign 'missionaries' Four foreign nationals accused of distributing Christian literature,] a charge that could carry the death penalty, Chris Stephen guardian.co.uk, Sunday 17 February 2013.</ref>

=====U.S. Ambassador murdered=====
:{{main|Benghazi Attack}}
With several U.S.embassies besieged on the anniversary of the [[September 11 attacks]], White House Press Secretary [[Jay Carney]] declared there was no reason to believe the attack on the sovereign territory of the United States consulate in Benghazi, less than two months before the [[2012 Presidential election]] which killed Americans, was a terrorist attack.
{{Cquote|The unrest that we’ve seen around the region has been in reaction to a video that Muslims, many Muslims, find offensive.}}
This became the official White House line. Between jokes with [[Jon Stewart]] on the ''Comedy Channel'' Obama said the death of Americans was "not optimal".<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/10/18/Obama-Benghazi-murders-not-optimal Interview with Jon Stewart of the ''Daily Show''].</ref> When pressed by reporters, who pointed out evidence that the violence in Benghazi was a terrorist attack, Press Secretary Carney argued “the unrest around the region has been in response to this video.”

Leading suspected jihadis in the murders and terrorist attack were the local Benghazi branch of Ansar al-Shariah, known to have ties to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.<ref>http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2012/10/19/when-an-obama-adviser-called-benghazi-an-al-qaeda-hotbed/?cxntfid=blogs_political_insider_jim_galloway</ref> A commander of the terrorist group boasted jovially about the attack over drinks with reporters for the ''[[New York Times]]'' in Benghazi<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/16/world/africa/election-year-stakes-overshadow-nuances-of-benghazi-investigation.html?pagewanted=2&ref=world</ref>.<ref>http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/10/frappe-libya-attack/</ref>
=====[[Al Qaeda in the Maghreb]]=====
Two more Americans were killed, along with 35 others, after being taken hostage by rebel jihadists in Mali shortly after the Libyan upheaval.<ref>[http://world.time.com/2013/01/21/algeria-37-foreigner-hostages-killed-in-attack/ Algeria: 37 Foreigner Hostages Killed in Attack], Associated Press, Jan. 21, 2013. ''TIME'' magazine.</ref>

Hillary Clinton testified before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the wake of the Benghazi murders under her stewardship, that weapons and fighters equipped by the Obama administration made their way to [[Mali]] and [[Algeria]]:
{{cquote|There is no doubt that the Algerian terrorists had weapons from Libya. There is no doubt that the Malian remnants of AQIM [Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb] have weapons from Libya.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/clinton-says-militants-used-weapons-libya-algeria-attack-154222664.html Clinton says militants used weapons from Libya in Algeria attack,] Reuters, Jan 23, 2013.]</ref>}}

====Afghanistan====
{{main article|Afghanistan War}}
Obama escalated troop strength<ref name="pbs">{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obamaswar/themes/strategy.html#ixzz1LhWNImZp|title=Obama's New Strategy (March '09)|author=George Packer, Seth Jones, David Kilcullen, Rory Stewart, Andrew Exum, Col. Andrew Bacevich (Ret.)|work=PBS|language=English|format=HTML}}</ref> and defense costs in Afghanistan from $43.5 billion in George Bush's last year to $113.7 billion for 2011.<ref>Congressional Research Service, quoted in Gregory Anthony, ''What price war?''</ref> Adviser to General [[Stanley McChrystal]] David Kilcullen wrote, "One of the big strategic shifts is the use of language now which talks about Pakistan and Afghanistan as the same theater. Now we talked about Af-Pak long before the Obama administration came about, but the public use of that term, and the description of it as the Afghanistan-Pakistan campaign, sends a new message to people about how the administration is going to think about Afghanistan and Pakistan."<ref name="pbs"/> T

====Mexico====
[[File:Eric Holder.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[Eric Holder]] remains as Attorney General despite being held in Contempt of Congress. Others such as Rahm Emanual have departed in wake of the Fast & Furious revelations.<ref>[http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/10/fast_and_furious_in_a_rotten_nutshell.html#ixzz27iRBCN28 Fast and Furious in a Rotten Nutshell], Ronald Kolb, ''American Thinker'', October 7, 2011,</ref>]]
:''Main article:'' '''[[Operation Fast and Furious]]'''
In May of 2010, President Obama promised Mexican President [[Felipe Calderon]] that his administration would assist Mexico in curbing drug cartel violence, which has led to 30,000 deaths in Mexico. "President Calderon and I . . . stand together against the drug cartels that have unleashed horrific violence in so many communities," Obama said on May 19. "Mexico can count on the United States as a full partner in this effort."

The ''[[Washington Post]]'' has reported however that White House officials stopped a requirement for gun dealers to report bulk sales of high-powered semiautomatic rifles commonly used by illegal drug cartels. [[Justice Department]] officials had asked for White House approval to require thousands of gun dealers along the border to report the purchases to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives. ATF investigators expected to get leads on suspected arms traffickers. Senior law enforcement sources said the proposal from the ATF was held up by then White House chief of staff [[Rahm Emanuel]].<ref>Horwitz, S. & Grimaldi, J.V. (2010, December 17). [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/17/AR2010121706598.html White House Delayed Rule Meant to Stop Gun Flow to Mexico]. ''The Washington Post''.</ref> Gun dealers have been required for decades to report the sales of multiple handguns to the ATF.
====Guantanamo Bay====
{{main article|Guantanamo Bay}}
One of Obama's campaign promises was that he would close the American detention center at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba - detainees would be flown to other countries while the ones awaiting trial would enter the American court system. Two days after taking office he signed an order directing the military to do so.<ref name="salon">{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/04/25/obama_guantanamo_rhetoric|work=Salon|title=The Obama/Gitmo timeline|author=Natasha Lennard|format=HTML|language=English}}</ref> But, in November 2009 Obama admitted that his self imposed deadline of January 2010 would be missed, and in March 2011 the president went back on his campaign promise, signing an executive order to create a formal system of indefinite detention for the prisoners.<ref name="salon"/>

==2012 Presidential Campaign==
: ''Main article: [[Presidential Election 2012]]''
===2011: Birth Certificate Released===
: ''Main article: [[Barack_Obama_Controversies#Birth_Certificate]]''
On April 27, 2011<ref>CNN Political Unit (2011, April 27). "[http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/27/white-house-releases-obama-birth-certificate/ White House Releases Obama Birth Certificate]." ''CNN''</ref>, a long-running controversy surrounding Obama's birth was largely put to rest<ref>Winter, J. (2011, April 29). "[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/04/29/expert-says-obamas-birth-certificate-legit/ Expert: No Doubt Obama's Birth Certificate is Legit]." ''FOX News''. Tuchman, G. (2011, April 25). "[http://articles.cnn.com/2011-04-25/politics/birthers.obama.hawaii_1_birther-controversy-obama-opinion-research-corporation?_s=PM:POLITICS Obama Birther Claims Have No Merit]." ''CNN''. (2011, April 27). "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42779923/ns/politics-white_house/t/obama-releases-detailed-us-birth-certificate/ Obama Releases Detailed U.S. Birth Certificate]." ''MSNBC''.</ref> when Obama had his long-form birth certificate posted at WhiteHouse.gov.<ref>"[http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/birth-certificate-long-form.pdf Certificate of Live Birth]." State of Hawaii. Retrieved from ''WhiteHouse.gov''.</ref> Donald Trump, who had attacked Obama on the Birth Certificate issue and was then leading Republicans in polls for the upcoming GOP primary<ref>James, F. (2011, April 15). "[http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/04/15/135446314/poll-donald-trump-birther-darling-leads-gop-field-at-26 Donald Trump, Birther In Chief? Poll Has Him Leading GOP Field with 26 Percent]." ''NPR''.</ref>, was effectively knocked out of the race because of this.<ref>Kapur, S. (2011, May 10). "[http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/05/10/trumps-popularity-tanks-after-obama-releases-long-form-birth-certificate/ Trump's Popularity Tanks After Obama Releases Long-Form Birth Certificate]." ''RawStory.com''.</ref>

The following is a timeline of previous events leading up to the release:

* In June 2008 the Obama campaign allowed FactCheck.org to look at his “Certificate of Live Birth” and take photos.<ref>Henig, J. (2008, August 21). Born in the U.S.A. FactCheck.org. Retrieved from http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html</ref>
* In July 2008 a blogger discovered a birth announcement from the Honolulu Advertiser from August 13, 1961 for Barack Obama. It has since been discovered another newspaper, the Star Bulletin, also documented the birth.<ref>Snopes.com. Barack Obama Birth Certificate. Retrieved from http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthcertificate.asp</ref>
* PolitiFact went to extreme lengths to verify Obama’s citizenship, attaining scanned copies of his 1992 marriage certificate from Cook County, IL, his driver’s license record, and his registration and disciplinary record. PolitiFact also addressed a number of concerns about the documentation.<ref>Hollyfield, A. (2008, June 27). Obama’s birth certificate: Final chapter. PolitiFact. Retrieved from http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/jun/27/obamas-birth-certificate-part-ii/</ref>
* In October 2008 Hawaii’s Department of Health released a statement by Dr. Chiyome Fu.kino verifying that Obama’s birth certificate was on record.<ref>Hawaii Department of Health. News Release: Statement by Dr. Chiyome Fu.kino. Retrieved from http://hawaii.gov/health/about/pr/2008/08-93.pdf</ref>
* In August 2009 it was revealed that an alleged Kenyan birth certificate for Obama was a hoax.<ref>Snopes.com. Kenyan Mistake. Retrieved from http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/kenyacert.asp</ref> Another website allows you to create your own imitation Kenyan birth certificates online.<ref>KenyanBirthCertificateGenerator.com. Blue Collar Industries. Retrieved from http://kenyanbirthcertificategenerator.com/</ref>

===2011: Death of Osama bin Laden===
On May 1, 2011, Obama announced in a press conference<ref>Obama, B. (2011, May 2). "[http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/05/02/osama-bin-laden-dead Osama Bin Laden Dead]." ''WhiteHouse.gov''.</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf1SLhNoUNY Nobel Prize Winner with a kill list].</ref> that Osama bin Laden was dead after a U.S. assault force infiltrated a compound in [[Abbottabad raid|Abottobad]], Pakistan.<ref>Baker, P., Cooper, H., & Mazzetti, M. (2011, May 1). "[Bin Laden is Dead, Obama Says]." ''New York Times''. "[http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Osama_Bin_Laden/ Target Bin Laden: The Death of Public Enemy #1]." ''ABC News''. ''NPR''. "[http://www.npr.org/series/135908383/osama-bin-laden-dead Special Series: Osama Bin Laden Killed]." </ref> Attacks on Americans and American consulate bureaus have since escalated as reprisals for bin Laden's death. [[Al Qaeda]], once presumed broken and on the run, now functions openly throughout North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and parts of Eurasia. Relations with longtime ally Pakistan have become strained. Obama experienced only a temporary blip in approval polls.<ref>Dao, J. & Sussman, D. (2011, May 4). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/us/politics/05poll.html For Obama, Big Rise in Poll Numbers After Bin Laden Raid]." ''New York Times''. ''Pew Research Center'' (2011, May 2). "[http://www.people-press.org/2011/05/03/public-relieved-by-bin-ladens-death-obamas-job-approval-rises/ Public 'Relieved' by Bin Laden's Death, Obama's Job Approval Rises]." Jones, J.M. (2011, May 5). "[http://www.gallup.com/poll/147437/obama-approval-rallies-six-points-bin-laden-death.aspx Obama Job Approval Rallies Six Points to 52% After Bin Laden Death]." ''Gallup''.</ref><ref>''CBS/Associated Press'' (2012, May 1). "[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57424622/1-year-after-osama-bin-laden-killed-still-no-answers-from-pakistan/ 1 Year After Osama bin Laden Killed, Still No Answers from Pakistan]."</ref> Pakistan has denied White House claims that there was a deal with it allowing the raid.<ref>''Associated Press'' (2011, May 10). "[http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/05/10/pakistani-president-claims-bin-laden-deal/ Former Pakistani President Claims There Was Never Bin Laden Deal With U.S.]." Retrieved from ''FOX News''.</ref>

=== 2012: Possible Ties to ACORN ===
According to Stanley Kurtz - author of ''Radical-in-Chief: Barack Obama and the Untold Story of American Socialism'' (2010) Obama in 1995 sought and obtained the endorsement of a left-wing third party, the [[New Party]] in his quest to be elected to the Illinois State Senate.<ref>Kurtz, S. (2012, June 7). [http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/302031/obamas-third-party-history-stanley-kurtz Obama's Third-Party History]. ''National Review Online''.</ref> Obama's "Fight the Smears" campaign has denied this, as has Politico's Ben Smith.<ref name=pollack>Pollack, J.B. (2012, June 7). [http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/06/07/Obama-Caught-Lying-Again-He-WAS-Member-of-New-Party-Says-Kurtz Obama Caught Lying Again: He WAS Member of 'New Party', Says Kurtz]. ''Breitbart''. Smith, B. (2008, October 25). [http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/The_dread_New_Party.html The Dread New Party]. ''Politico''.</ref> Others who claim he was affiliated with the New Party/ACORN include The Blaze's Billy Hallowell<ref>Hallowell, B. (2012, June 7). [http://www.theblaze.com/stories/report-new-documents-show-obama-was-a-member-of-the-far-left-new-party/ News Docs Reportedly Show Obama Was a Member of the Far-Left 'New Party']. ''The Blaze''.</ref>, Breitbart's Joel Pollack, Human Events' Erick Erickson<ref>Erickson, E. (2008, June 10). [http://www.humanevents.com/2008/06/10/obama-and-the-new-party/ Obama and the New Party]. ''Human Events''.</ref>, Newsbusters' P.J. Gladnick<ref>Gladnick, P.J. (2008, October 12). [http://newsbusters.org/blogs/p-j-gladnick/2008/10/08/will-msm-report-obama-membership-socialist-new-party#ixzz21JfE3z1z Will MSM Report on Obama Membership in Socialist New Party?] ''Newsbusters''.</ref>, Rick Moran at AmericanThinker.com<ref>Rick Moran. [http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/06/obamas_alliance_with_marxists.html Obama's Alliance with Marxists], ''American Thinker'', June 03, 2008.</ref>, and various writers at Discover the Networks (which include Kurtz and Erickson).<ref>[http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=7434 NEW PARTY (NP)], ''DiscoverTheNetworks.org''.</ref>

Kurtz in 2012 has claimed to find minutes of the New Party Chicago chapter that say, "''Barack Obama, candidate for State Senate in the 13th Legislative District, gave a statement to the membership and answered questions. He signed the New Party 'Candidate Contract' and requested an endorsement from the New Party. He also joined the New Party.''"<ref name=pollack /> Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod responded to Kurtz with silence and when asked if that meant "yes or no", Axelrod stated, "You can take that as I have no idea what you are talking about."<ref>Pollack, J.B. (2012, June 7). [http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/06/07/Exclusive-Axelrod-Plays-Dumb-on-Obama-and-Socialist-New-Party Exclusive: Axelrod Plays Dumb on Obama and Socialist New Party]. ''Breitbart''.</ref>

===2012: "You didn't build that" Controversy===
{{main|You didn't build that}}

On July 13, 2012, at a campaign event in [[Virginia]], Obama gave a speech that immediately stirred up controversy. Speaking about the government's role in the success of private business, he said:<ref>http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/13/remarks-president-campaign-event-roanoke-virginia</ref>
{{cquote|If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business - you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.}} The [[Romney]] campaign has used "If you’ve got a business - you didn’t build that" in ads to show America that Obama believes it is government that creates business rather than hard-working individuals. The Obama campaign has alternatively stated that the sentenced was poorly worded since he was not giving a scripted speech and that when Obama said "that" he was referring to roads and bridges. Obama points to a later portion of his speech in which he said, "The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together," to support his claim.

===Results===

On November 6, 2012 Barack Obama won reelection with 332 electoral votes to Mitt Romney's 206.<ref>http://www.politico.com/2012-election/map/#/President/2012</ref> Obama received 51% of the popular vote (65,899,660 votes) to Romney's 47% (60,932,152 votes).<ref>http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2012/2012presgeresults.pdf</ref>

==See also==

*[[Political positions of Barack Obama]]
*[[Barack Obama and uncharitableness]]
*[[Barack Obama and abortion]]
*[[Essay:Born Outside the U.S.A.!]]
*[[Essay: The Special Interests Candidate]]
*[[Lobbyists ties to the Obama administration]]
*[[Obama doublespeak]]
*[[Obama inauguration]]
*[[Religion of Barack Hussein Obama]]
*[[The Honorable James David Manning]]
*[[Al Qaeda in the Maghreb]]

==External links==
*[http://www.antiobama.net/ Anti Obama.net]
*[http://nobamanetwork.com/ Nobama Network]
*[http://www.audacityofhypocrisy.com/ Audacity Of Hypocrisy]
*[http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/6130/ The New Cult of Personality]
*[http://www.barackobamaantichrist.blogspot.com/ Barack Obama the Anti-Christ ?]
*[http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/06/23/che-obama-and-the-revolutionary-agenda/ Che, Obama, and the Revolutionary Agenda]
*[http://www.audacityofhypocrisy.com/fashion-shows/ Obama Laundry List of Lies]
*[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/09/americas-first-muslim-president/ GAFFNEY: America's first Muslim president?] Washington Times
*[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-l-esposito/barack-obama-and-islam_b_212519.html Barack Obama and Islam.] by [[John L. Esposito]].
*[http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=78931 Democrat: Obama's grandma confirms Kenyan birth.]
*[http://www.ontheissues.org/barack_obama.htm Barack Obama on the issues.]
*[http://frontpagemag.com/2013/frontpagemag-com/why-obama-needs-another-dictator-to-replace-chavez-on-the-glazov-gang/ Why Obama Prefers to Deal with Dictators]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{USPresidents}}
{{2008 presidential candidates}}
[[Category: Barack Hussein Obama]]
[[Category:Obama Presidency]]
[[Category:Obama Administration]]
[[category:Nobel laureates in Peace]]
[[Category:2012 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Abortion Advocates]]
[[Category:Socialism]]
[[Category:Muslims]]
[[Category:Socialists]]
[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obama, Barack Hussein}}

MS NOW

2013-04-04T12:32:35Z

TedA: Updated information about MSNBC ratings

[[Image:April 2nd MSNBC.png|right]]
'''MSNBC''' is a [[liberal propaganda]] 24-hour cable "news" channel and website aligned with the [[Democrat]] party. Jointly owned by [[Comcast]] and [[General Electric]], MSNBC is considered by many to be one of the most liberal cable news channels of all the [[mainstream media]]. For years, MSNBC trailed [[Fox News]] and [[CNN]] in the ratings. However, it has been beating CNN since the ratings for that network are in freefall. <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/business/media/cnn-ratings-decline-stirs-worries.html</ref> It typically garners ratings that are just one-third those of the [[Fox News Channel]]. Some consider it to be the liberal counterpart to the conservative Fox News. In 2012, Microsoft fully divested itself from MSNBC resulting in a the creation of NBC news and NBCnews.com. <ref> http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-16/msnbc-website-renamed-nbcnews-com-after-microsoft-split.html </ref> It is possible Microsoft divested due to MSNBC's [[liberal hypocrisy]] since they opined that "we wanted to show different perspectives."

The ''Daily Caller'' observed that MSNBC "might be trying a little too hard to push" its agenda: "MSNBC duped: Network runs satirical fake news," and that wasn't the first time.<ref>http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/05/msnbc-duped-network-runs-satirical-fake-news-from-daily-kos-as-a-real-story/</ref>

The MSNBC channel was started in 1996 as a joint venture between [[Microsoft]] and [[NBC]]. On December 23, 2005, ending a partnership that had soured long before, Microsoft and NBC announced that they would dissolve their joint ownership of the cable news channel, with NBC taking control. NBC completed a deal to assume majority control of the channel, with an 82% stake.<ref>[http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30610F93E540C778EDDAB0994DD404482]</ref> The joint venture with Microsoft has come to an end.<ref>http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/microsoft-nbc-dissolve-msnbccom-joint-venture/article4418455/</ref>

In 2010, parent company General Electric reached a tentative agreement with the [[France|French]] media conglomerate [[Vivendi]] that cleared the way for the sale of NBCUniversal, including the flagship [[NBC]] network, to Comcast, America's largest cable operator.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/business/media/01deal.html New York Times; With Deal, G.E. Clears Path to Sale of NBC]</ref> <ref>[http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20101028/ARTICLE/10281045/2055/NEWS?p=2&tc=pg Sarasota Herald-Tribune; Corporate Report]</ref> The takeover will go into effect January 28, 2011 following the Comcast company’s next pay cycle. <ref> http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/done-deal-fcc-department-of-justice-approve-comcast-nbc-universal-acquisition_b48942 </ref> Comcast acquired a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal from General Electric Co, creating a $30 billion business that would include broadcast, cable networks, movie studios and theme parks. <ref> http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110118/bs_nm/us_nbc_comcast_13 </ref> Some liberals fear that Comcast might turn into a more conservative outlet. <ref>http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2010/11/09/socialist-senator-wants-comcast-nbc-deal-blocked-due-olbermanns-suspe</ref> <ref>http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/11/6/145630/235</ref> Some critics and supporters of [[Keith Olbermann]] blame Comcast for his firing from MSNBC.

== State Run ==
Publicly, the channel claims to be a non-biased, journalist driven news network. In reality, they are Democrat-aligned to the point that they are perceived as a mouthpiece for the [[Obama Administration]]. On several occasions, Obama Administration officials have stated their public support for MSNBC.

Opinion-driven news is common and a successful formula at Fox News. MSNBC opinion news includes attacking Republicans relentlessly and promoting or whitewashing Democrat politicians. Their remarks are so outlandish, choke full of proven lies and mean spirited that their TV hosts often get suspended from the air.

== Low Ratings ==
The MSNBC network has perennially had very low ratings. In 2002, the network was regularly beaten in the ratings by [[CNN Headline News]]. The CEO of Microsoft once even admitted that he wouldn't have started MSNBC knowing what he knew later.<ref>http://news.com.com/2100-1023-268073.html</ref> In June of 2006, [[CNN]] co-founder Reese Schoenfeld told journalist Don Kaplan that "Everybody compares MSNBC to Fox and CNN - when its real competition is Headline News". Schoenfeld pointed out that the ratings for MSNBC and Headline News are roughly the same, about 300,000 viewers on average and that "by comparison, Fox and CNN regularly average three or four times as many viewers." Kaplan even joked that "the running joke in TV news is Fox and CNN are news channels with websites, but MSNBC is a website with a cable channel".<ref>http://newsbusters.org/node/5891</ref>

Shock jock Don Imus's radio show ''Imus in the Morning'' was simulcast on MSNBC for over ten years. During this time, the program become well-known for displaying offensive commentary. However, MSNBC continued to support the show. In April of 2007, the network sparked outrage when during a broadcast of ''Imus in the Morning'', Don Imus and another MSNBC staff member made remarks about the Rutgers University women's basketball team, considered to be both racist and sexist. Initially, MSNBC refused to cancel the show. After sponsors started withdrawing their advertisements from the show, MSNBC canceled the simulcast of ''Imus in the Morning''.

== Liberal Bias ==
MSNBC has been criticized regarding the channel's [[liberal]] slant. The media watchdog group the Media Research Center<ref> [http://www.mediaresearch.org/about/aboutwelcome.asp About Media Research Center] www.mediaresearch.org</ref> has cited MSNBC shows by [[Keith Olbermann]], [[Dan Abrams]] and [[Chris Matthews]] in its criticism of the network's bias reporting.

Olbermann has denounced President [[George W. Bush|Bush]] and the [[Republican Party]], calling the latter a "terrorist organization". He has called on President Bush and Vice President [[Dick Cheney|Cheney]] to resign.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19588942/</ref>
Olbermann has conducted post-debate interviews of Republican presidential candidates and led live coverage of presidential primaries. In the February 2008 issue of ''Men's Journal'' magazine, a senior executive at MSNBC stated that Olbermann "runs MSNBC" and that "because of his success, he's in charge" of the network.<ref>http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/olbermann_talks_office_politics_other_politics_74648.asp</ref>

The [[left-wing]] advocacy group Media Matters for America<ref> [http://mediamatters.org/ Media Matters for America homepage] www.mediamatters.org</ref> has criticized the MSNBC's commitment to promoting a left-wing agenda since the channel has had shows hosted by [[Libertarian|left-libertarian]] [[Tucker Carlson]] and former moderate [[Republican]] Congressman [[Joe Scarborough]]. Ironically, on August 16, 2007 Scarborough revealed an incident in which people in the MSNBC newsroom ceaselessly booed [[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush|Bush]] during a State of the Union address.<ref>http://newsbusters.org/node/14899/print</ref>
[[Image:Msnbc dem.jpg|right|150px]]
In the past, MSNBC shows have featured [[Mitch Albom]], [[Ann Coulter]], [[Phil Donahue]], [[Bill Moyers]], [[Maury Povich]], and [[Michael Savage]], among others. That varied programming was gradually reduced as MSNBC veered more [[leftist]] in its point-of-view. Among MSNBC's 2008 lineup, [[Patrick Buchanan]] was perhaps the most conservative voice.

In 2003, in an apparent effort to appear more balanced, MSNBC fired talk-show host Phil Donahue. An internal memo read, in part, "Donahue represents a difficult public face for NBC in a time of war. At the same time, our competitors are waving the flag at every opportunity." <ref>http://mediamatters.org/items/200410290004</ref>
<ref>http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/03/24/1446244</ref>
<ref>http://www.allyourtv.com/0203season/news/02252003donahue.html</ref>

On November 5, 2007, the ''[[New York Times]]'' reported that the cable news channel was in serious discussions with [[Rosie O'Donnell]] to have a prime-time show on the network. Under one scenario, O'Donnell would be given the 9 p.m. slot where she would compete with ''Larry King Live'' on [[CNN]] and ''Hannity & Colmes'' on the [[Fox News Channel]]. Her show would replace ''Live with Dan Abrams'', a low-rated program that only recently replaced ''Scarborough Country''.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/business/media/05cnd-msnbc.html?_r=1&oref=slogin</ref> The deal later fell through as O'Donnell leaked information about the agreement without MSNBC's permission.

Later in November of 2007, the president of MSNBC, Phil Griffin, flat out admitted that the network has a left-wing liberal bias. In a ''New York Times'' article, he said that "it happened naturally" and that "there is a Go for it" mentality when it comes to pushing the liberal agenda among the MSNBC staff.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/business/media/06msnb.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin</ref>

Continuing its offensive against the [[Bush administration]] and its reposition as a left-wing "news" outlet, in December of 2007, the network ran a series titled ''Bush League Justice'' with the explicit purpose of attacking the [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Justice Department]] under the presidency of [[George W. Bush]].

In October 2010, MSNBC has publicly acknowleged its liberalism in October 2010 while launching a marketing campaign with the tagline "Lean Forward," <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39507182/ns/business-media_biz/</ref> <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/business/media/05adco.html?_r=1</ref> <ref>http://theweek.com/article/index/207856/msnbcs-new-slogan-what-does-it-even-mean</ref> <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkinYM4EPy0</ref> following several years in which many observers noted a leftward shift in the channel's programming <ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/30/study-nbc-news-doesnt-fol_n_139162.html</ref> <ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090800008_pf.html</ref> <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/08/business/media/08msnbc.html?pagewanted=print</ref>. As a result, NBC Universal and Microsoft is considering changing the name of the less partisan msnbc.com, a separate news company, to prevent confusion with the liberal TV network, MSNBC <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/business/media/07msnbc.html</ref>. Some of the NBC News correspondents and producers, who attempt to be straightforward reporters, say they are embarrassed to be associated with the liberal cable outlet and fear being “tainted” by association with it <ref>http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=39332</ref>. The situation became more apparent when NBC News decided to keep Brian Williams and Tom Brokaw away from MSNBC during the November 2, 2010 midterm election coverage <ref>http://mediaconfidential.blogspot.com/2010/10/nbc-news-separates-itself-from-partisan.html</ref>.

==The MSNBC – Media Matters Connection==
[[Media Matters for America]] is a very popular source of information within MSNBC’s prime time lineup. Some might argue [[MSNBC]] is a defacto mouth piece for the organization..<ref>[http://bigjournalism.com/sright/2011/07/12/media-matters-propaganda-watch-the-tax-exempt-research-department-of-msnbc-martin-bashir-edition/ Media Matters Propaganda Watch: The Tax-Exempt Research Department of MSNBC, Martin Bashir Edition]</ref> In prime time alone, since 2005 Media Matters has either been booked as a guest and/or mentioned on the network nearly 200 times. Media Matters has been particularly popular with MSNBC’s producers during the last 2 years.
Below are some interesting tid bits about Media Matters and its growing relationship with MSNBC’s prime time programming:

* 197 guest appearances and/or on-air mentions on MSNBC’s prime time since January 2005
* Of the roughly 390 broadcast evenings on MSNBC since July 2010, Media Matters has either been booked as a guest and/or mentioned on air 26% of the possible broadcast evenings (1 out of every 4 days).
* In 2011, on average, a Media Matters representative appeared on MSNBC at least once per week
* [[Eric Boehlert]] has been the most popular Media Matters representative on MSNBC, accounting for 43% of all Media Matters appearances on the cable network
* [[The Ed Show]] is the most popular show for Media Matters representatives, accounting for 72 Media Matters guest appearances since 2009<ref>[http://www.nexis.com Search and analysis on MSNBC's primetime transcripts via Nexis.com]</ref>

== See also ==
* [[NBC]]
* [[Liberal media]]
* [[Keith Olbermann]]
* [[Chris Matthews]]
* [[Pat Buchanan]]
* [[Rachel Maddow]]

==External Links==
* [http://msnbc.msn.com Official Site]
* [http://www.setstudio.com/pages/msnbc/ Photos of the MSNBC studio]
* [http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-sheffield/2007/11/16/msnbc-president-admits-lineup-tilts-leftward MSNBC President Admits: Lineup Tilts Leftward]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/business/media/06msnb.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin Cable Channel Nods to Ratings and Leans Left]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category: Media]]
[[Category: Cable TV Networks]]