Barack Obama on the State of Cities: Education, Economy, Jobs, and Investment (1998)

The Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama stretched from 1997 (when Barack Obama was sworn in to his first term in the Illinois Senate) to 2004 (when he was elected to the United States Senate). Starting in 1993 and throughout his state senate career, Obama also taught constitutional law part-time at the University of Chicago Law School, as a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996 and as a Senior Lecturer from 1996-2004, when he was elected to the U.S. Senate.

In the March 17, 1998 primary election, Obama, running unopposed on the ballot, won the Democratic nomination for state Senator for the 13th District, and Yesse Yehudah, running unopposed on the ballot, won the Republican nomination. In the November 3 general election, Obama was re-elected to a four-year term as state Senator for the 13th District with 89% of the vote; first-time Republican Party candidate Yesse Yehudah received 11% of the vote.

Early in his first term, the just-retired U.S. Senator Paul Simon called a longtime Obama mentor, judge and former congressman Abner Mikva. Simon suggested that Mikva recommend Obama to Emil Jones, Jr., the powerful Democratic leader of the state Senate. "'Say, our friend Barack Obama has a chance to push this campaign finance bill through,'" Simon said in a telephone conversation, as recounted by Mikva in a 2008 interview. "'Why don't you call your friend Emil Jones and tell him how good he is.'" With Jones' support, Obama helped pass a sweeping law that banned most gifts from lobbyists and personal use of campaign funds by state legislators.

During his first years as a state senator, Obama was a co-sponsor of a bill which re-structured the Illinois welfare program into the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. He was also involved in various pieces of legislation which established a $100 million Earned Income Tax Credit for working families, increased child care subsidies for low-income families, and required advance notice before mass layoffs and plant closings.

In September 1999, Obama and fellow state Senator Donne Trotter both announced their candidacies for the March 2000 Democratic primary election for the U.S. House of Representatives seat held by four-term incumbent candidate Bobby Rush. Rush had been badly defeated in the February 1999 Chicago Mayoral election by Richard M. Daley—who won 45% of the African-American vote and even won Rush's own ward—and was thought to be vulnerable. The support of some veteran Democratic fundraisers who saw Obama as a rising star, along with support of African-American entrepreneurs, helped him keep pace with Rush's fundraising in the district's most expensive race ever.

During the campaign, Rush charged that Obama was not sufficiently rooted in Chicago's black neighborhoods to represent constituents' concerns, and also benefitted from an outpouring of sympathy when his son was shot to death shortly before the election. Obama said Rush was a part of "a politics that is rooted in the past" and said he himself could build bridges with whites to get things done. But while Obama did well in his own Hyde Park base, he didn't get enough support from the surrounding black neighborhoods. Starting with just 10 percent name recognition, Obama went on to get only 31 percent of the votes, losing by a more than 2-to-1 margin despite winning among white voters. Despite losing the 2000 Congressional primary and not running for Illinois Senate as he had in 1996, 1998, and 2002, Obama did not lose his Illinois Senate seat because the Illinois Senate elections are on a 2-4-4 year cycle.

After losing the primary for U.S. Congress to Bobby Rush, Obama worked to repair relations with black politicians and clergy members, telling them he bore no grudges against the victor. He also became more responsive to requests for state funding, getting money for churches and community groups in his district. State Senator Donne E. Trotter, then the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in 2008 that he knew Obama was responding more to funding requests "because the community groups in his district stopped coming to me."

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[Twilightifyable]

@Mr40acresandamule

good for him. bad for america.

[Mr40acresandamule]

@Twilightifyable So what if he is a socialist-good for him

[ihofaerefa]

@seahorse1945 and vote in who....

[seahorse1945]

People are not generally stupid--they just many times don't think through what they do before they do those things that in the end turn out to have been a bad choice (stupid ideas are not always evident to the person thinking the thought). Think about Quantitative Easing - it sounds good "just a little to the left - ah that's better". Except, that's not your back Obama's scratching! Its your future and your kid's future that's being crapped on! VOTE OUT obama in 2012

[seahorse1945]

Economic revitalization comes from working people earning money and then spending it where they live, thereby causing a "what goes around comes around" effect that when Sustained, provides growth! Growth does Not come from "spending" borrowed money to keep people momentarily "happy" -they haven't gotten the bill yet for these handouts----but they will ! It will come in the form of Govt policy to Tax more so Govt can keep spending. Social Security? More at rob the future from the kids!

[julianasrainbow]

Who would have thought that in ten years, this unknown State Senator from Illinois would be elected President of the United States? The people in that audience are looking at a future President and they don't even know it!

[Spartan69139]

@Twilightifyable [citation needed]

[Twilightifyable]

Obama stated that the tragedies of the civil rights movement was that the Supreme Court didn’t bring about redistributive change. watch?v=Sj4yIE9Dd90 He told Joe the Plumber in 2008, that he wanted to spread the wealth around. watch?v=PUvwKVvp3-o

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Obama is a socialist. He took over the automobile, mortgage, banking, and health care industries via legislation and regulation. Govt is expected to own 70% up from 19% in 2008.

[Twilightifyable]

Al Sharpton believes that a vote for Obama was a vote for socialism. watch?v=KCpINI5aVy0 Al Sharpton wants to share the wealth. “Al Sharpton: We Won't Have True Social Justice Until Everything is Equal in Everybody's House” watch?v=95bcEb1rV18

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Sharpton should start by giving up his $5 million (from celebrity net worth com) It’s also worth noting Hilter was a socialist that seemed to follow the Communist Manifesto.

[Twilightifyable]

Jesse Jackson Calls for 'Radical Reordering' of American Economy is a socialist, like Hilter. watch?v=E_vCLQnebX0

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Jesse Jackson should start by giving up his $10 million (from celebrity net worth com) before asking others to give up their money. President Obama who also wants to spread the wealth has $5 million. watch?v=Sj4yIE9Dd90 & watch?v=PUvwKVvp3-o

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Allen West 2012