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5 'And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward.
{{Redirect4|Barack|Obama|other uses|[[Barak (disambiguation)]] and [[Obama (disambiguation)]]}}
{{For|the Kenyan economist, President Obama's father|Barack Obama, Sr.}}
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{{Active editnotice}} <!-- See [[Wikipedia:Editnotice]] -->
{{Featured article}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Barack Obama
|image = Official portrait of Barack Obama.jpg
|alt = A portrait shot of Barack Obama, looking straight ahead. He has short black hair, and is wearing a dark navy blazer with a blue striped tie over a light blue collared shirt. In the background are two flags hanging from separate flagpoles: the American flag, and the flag of the Executive Office of the President.
|office = [[List of Presidents of the United States|44th]] [[President of the United States]]
|vicepresident = [[Joe Biden]]
|term_start = January 20, 2009
|term_end =
|predecessor = [[George W. Bush]]
|successor =
|jr/sr2 = United States Senate
|state2 = [[Illinois]]
|term_start2 = January 3, 2005
|term_end2 = November 16, 2008
|predecessor2 = [[Peter Fitzgerald (politician)|Peter Fitzgerald]]
|successor2 = [[Roland Burris]]
|state_senate3 = Illinois
|district3 = 13th
|term_start3 = January 8, 1997
|term_end3 = November 4, 2004
|predecessor3 = [[Alice Palmer (politician)|Alice Palmer]]
|successor3 = [[Kwame Raoul]]
|birth_name = Barack Hussein Obama II
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|8|4}}<ref name="biography">{{cite web |year=2008 |title=President Barack Obama |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=The White House |url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president-obama |accessdate=December 12, 2008}}</ref>
|birth_place = [[Honolulu]], [[Hawaii]], U.S.<ref name="birth-certificate"/>
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|spouse = [[Michelle Obama|Michelle Robinson]] <small>(1992–present)</small>
|children = [[Malia Obama|Malia]] <small>(b.1998)</small> <br> [[Sasha Obama|Sasha]] <small>(b.2001)</small>
|residence = [[White House]] <small>(Official)</small><br>[[Chicago]], [[Illinois]] <small>(Private)</small>
|alma_mater = [[Occidental College]]<br>[[Columbia University]] <small>([[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]])</small><br>[[Harvard Law School]] <small>([[Juris Doctor|J.D.]])</small>
|profession = [[Community organizing|Community organizer]]<br>[[Lawyer]]<br>[[Constitutional law]] [[professor]]<br>[[Author]]
|religion = [[Christianity]]<ref name="Christian"/>
|signature = Barack Obama signature.svg
|signature_alt = Barack Obama
|website = [http://www.whitehouse.gov/ The White House]<br/>[http://www.barackobama.com/ Barack Obama]<br/>[http://www.twitter.com/barackobama @BarackObama - Twitter]<br/>[http://www.facebook.com/barackobama Barack Obama - Facebook]<br>[https://plus.google.com/110031535020051778989/ Barack Obama - Google Plus]
|footnotes =
}}
{{Barack Obama sidebar}}
<!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE OBAMA'S NAME -->'''Barack Hussein Obama II''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-Barack-Hussein-Obama.ogg|b|ə|ˈ|r|ɑː|k|_|h|uː|ˈ|s|eɪ|n|_|oʊ|ˈ|b|ɑː|m|ə}}; born August 4, 1961) is the [[List of Presidents of the United States|44th]] and [[Presidency of Barack Obama|current]] [[President of the United States]]. He is the [[List of African-American firsts|first]] [[African American]]<!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE OBAMA'S RACE FROM "AFRICAN AMERICAN", per existing consensus. See discussions and FAQ on the talk page --> to hold the office. Obama previously served as a [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Illinois]], from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the [[United States presidential election, 2008|2008 presidential election]].


6 But when you pray, go to your private room, shut yourself in, and so pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
Born in [[Honolulu]], [[Hawaii]], Obama is a graduate of [[Columbia University]] and [[Harvard Law School]], where he was the president of the ''[[Harvard Law Review]]''. He was a [[Community organizing|community organizer]] in Chicago before earning his [[Juris Doctor|law degree]]. He worked as a [[Civil and political rights|civil rights]] attorney in Chicago and taught [[constitutional law]] at the [[University of Chicago Law School]] from 1992 to 2004. He [[Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama|served three terms]] representing the 13th District in the [[Illinois Senate]] from 1997 to 2004.


7 'In your prayers do not babble as the gentiles do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard.
Following an unsuccessful bid against the Democratic [[incumbent]] for a seat in the [[United States House of Representatives]] in 2000, Obama ran for the [[United States Senate]] in 2004. Several events brought him to national attention during the campaign, including his victory in the [[United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004#Democratic primary|March 2004 Illinois Democratic primary for the Senate election]] and his [[2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address|keynote address]] at the [[2004 Democratic National Convention|Democratic National Convention]] in July 2004. He won [[United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004|election to the U.S. Senate in Illinois]] in November 2004. His presidential campaign began in February 2007, and after [[Barack Obama presidential primary campaign, 2008|a close campaign]] in the [[Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008|2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries]] against [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]], he won his party's nomination. In [[United States presidential election, 2008|the 2008 presidential election]], he defeated [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee [[John McCain]], and was [[Inauguration of Barack Obama|inaugurated as president]] on January 20, 2009. In October 2009, Obama was named the [[2009 Nobel Peace Prize]] [[laureate]].<!--see [[WP:EGG]] before attempting to hide this link!-->


8 Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
As president, Obama signed [[Stimulus (economics)|economic stimulus]] legislation in the form of the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009|American Recovery and Reinvestment Act]] in 2009 and the [[Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010|Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act]] in 2010. Other domestic policy initiatives include the [[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act]], the [[Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act]], the [[Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010|Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act]] and the [[Budget Control Act of 2011]]. In foreign policy, he [[Withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq|ended]] the [[Iraq War|war in Iraq]], increased troop levels in [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|Afghanistan]], signed the [[New START]] arms control treaty with [[Russia]], ordered [[2011 military intervention in Libya|enforcement of the UN-sanctioned no-fly zone]] over [[Libya]], and ordered the military operation that [[Death of Osama bin Laden|resulted in the death]] of [[Osama bin Laden]]. In April 2011, Obama [[Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2012|declared his intention to seek re-election]] in the [[United States presidential election, 2012|2012 presidential election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/04/barack-obama-2012-campaign_n_844221.html|title=Barack Obama 2012 Campaign Officially Launches|date=April 4, 2011|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|accessdate=April 4, 2011}}</ref>


matthew 6 5-8
==Early life and career==
{{Main|Early life and career of Barack Obama}}
Obama was born on August 4, 1961, at Kapi{{okina}}olani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital (now called [[Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children|Kapi{{okina}}olani Medical Center for Women and Children]]) in Honolulu, Hawaii,<ref name="birth-certificate"/><ref name="maraniss">{{cite news|author=Maraniss, David|date=August 24, 2008|title=Though Obama had to leave to find himself, it is Hawaii that made his rise possible|newspaper=The Washington Post|page=A22|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/23/AR2008082301620.html|accessdate=October 28, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Henig, Jess; Miller, Joe|date=August 21, 2008|title=Born in the U.S.A.; The truth about Obama's birth certificate|publisher=FactCheck.org|url=http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html|accessdate=October 24, 2008}}
* {{cite news|author=Nakaso, Dan|date=December 22, 2008 |title=Twin sisters, Obama on parallel paths for years|newspaper=The Honolulu Advertiser|page=B1| url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Dec/22/ln/hawaii812220320.html|accessdate=January 22, 2011|quote=at the old Kapiolani Maternity and Gynecological Hospital}}</ref> and is the first President to have been born in Hawaii.<ref>{{cite web|author=Martin, Michel|date=October 29, 2008|title=Asian writer ponders first Asian president too (transcript)|work=Tell Me More|publisher=NPR.org|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=96126355|accessdate=April 18, 2010|quote= He'd be the first president born in Hawaii, for example.}}.
* {{cite web|author=Rudin, Ken|date=December 23, 2009|title=Today's Junkie segment On TOTN: a political review Of 2009|work=Talk of the Nation (Political Junkie blog)|publisher=NPR.org|url=http://www.npr.org/blogs/politicaljunkie/2009/12/todays_junkie_segment_on_totn_5.html|accessdate=April 18, 2010|quote=We began with the historic inauguration on Jan. 20—yes, the first president ever born in Hawaii ...}}</ref> His mother, [[Ann Dunham|Stanley Ann Dunham]], was born in [[Wichita, Kansas]] and was of English<ref>for Stanley Ann's first name, see Obama (1995, 2004), p. 19.</ref> and Irish descent.<ref>{{cite news|author=Ewen MacAskill in Washington and Nicholas Watt|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/20/obama-irish-roots-european-tour|title=Obama looks forward to rediscovering his Irish roots on European tour|publisher=The Guardian|date= May 20, 2011|accessdate=2011-08-03|location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Mason|first=Jeff|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/23/us-obama-ireland-idUSTRE74M09F20110523|title=Obama visits family roots in Ireland|publisher=Reuters|date=May 23, 2011|accessdate=2011-08-03}}</ref> His father, [[Barack Obama, Sr.]], was a [[Luo (Kenya and Tanzania)|Luo]] from [[Nyang'oma Kogelo]], [[Nyanza Province]], [[Kenya Colony|Kenya]]. Obama's parents met in 1960 in a [[Russian language]] class at the [[University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa]], where his father was a foreign student on scholarship.<ref name="Jones 2007">{{cite news|author=Jones, Tim|date=March 27, 2007|title=Barack Obama: Mother not just a girl from Kansas; Stanley Ann Dunham shaped a future senator|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=1 (Tempo)|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-0703270151mar27-archive,0,5853572,full.story|accessdate=March 27, 2007}}</ref><ref>Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 9–10. For book excerpts, see:
* {{cite news|author=Obama, Barack|date=November 1, 2004|title=Barack Obama: Creation of tales (serialisation of ''Dreams from My Father'')|newspaper=The EastAfrican|url=http://www.nationmedia.com/EastAfrican/01112004/Features/PA2-2212.html|archivedate=September 27, 2007|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070927225314/http://www.nationmedia.com/EastAfrican/01112004/Features/PA2-2212.html|accessdate=April 14, 2008}}</ref> The couple married on February 2, 1961,<ref name="Ripley 2008">{{cite news|author=Ripley, Amanda|date=April 9, 2008|title=The story of Barack Obama's mother|publisher=Time.com| url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1729524,00.html|accessdate=April 9, 2007}} (online)</ref> separated when Obama Sr. went to [[Harvard University]] on scholarship, and divorced in 1964.<ref name="Jones 2007"/> Obama Sr. remarried and returned to Kenya, visiting Barack in Hawaii only once, in 1971. He died in an automobile accident in 1982.<ref>{{cite news|author=Ochieng, Philip|date=November 1, 2004|title=From home squared to the US Senate: how Barack Obama was lost and found|newspaper=The EastAfrican|url=http://www.nationmedia.com/EastAfrican/01112004/Features/PA2-11.html|archivedate=September 27, 2007|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070927223905/http://www.nationmedia.com/EastAfrican/01112004/Features/PA2-11.html|accessdate=June 25, 2008}}
* {{cite news|author=Merida, Kevin|date=December 14, 2007|title=The ghost of a father|newspaper=The Washington Post|page=A12|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2007/12/13/ST2007121301893.html|accessdate=June 25, 2008}}</ref>

After her divorce, Dunham married [[Indonesia]]n student [[Lolo Soetoro]], who was attending college in Hawaii. When [[Suharto]], a military leader in Soetoro's home country, [[Transition to the New Order|came to power]] in 1967, all Indonesian students studying abroad were recalled, and the family moved to the [[Menteng]] neighborhood of [[Jakarta]].<ref name="maraniss"/><ref>{{cite news|author=Karana, Kinanti Pinta|date=December 9, 2009|title=Statue of a young Obama to watch over Indonesian capital|newspaper=Jakarta Globe|url=http://thejakartaglobe.com/home/statue-of-us-president-barack-obama-to-be-unveiled-in-jakarta-park/346178|accessdate=December 8, 2009}}
* Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 44–45.</ref> From ages six to ten, Obama attended local schools in Jakarta, including [[State Elementary School Menteng 01|Besuki Public School]] and St. Francis of Assisi School.<ref>{{cite news|author=Pickler, Nedra|agency=Associated Press|date=January 24, 2007|title=Obama debunks claim about Islamic school|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/24/AR2007012400371_pf.html|accessdate=December 31, 2009}}
* {{cite news|date=December 10, 2009|title=Statue of boy Obama erected in Jakarta|publisher=Xinhuanet.com|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/10/content_12624443.htm|accessdate=December 31, 2009}}</ref> Because of his childhood background, today Obama is quite popular in [[Indonesia]].<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=8155223&page=1 abc NEWS Poll: Obama's Popularity Lifts U.S. Global Image]</ref>

In 1971, Obama returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, [[Madelyn Dunham|Madelyn]] and [[Stanley Armour Dunham]], and with the aid of a scholarship he attended [[Punahou School]], a private [[University-preparatory school|college preparatory school]], from the fifth grade until his graduation from high school in 1979.<ref>{{cite news|author=Serafin, Peter|date=March 21, 2004|title=Punahou grad stirs up Illinois politics|newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/2004/03/21/news/story4.html|accessdate=March 20, 2008}}
* {{cite news |author=Scott, Janny |date=March 14, 2008 |title=A free-spirited wanderer who set Obama’s path |work=The New York Times |page=A1 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/us/politics/14obama.html?pagewanted=all |accessdate=November 18, 2011}}
* Obama (1995, 2004), Chapters 3 and 4.</ref> Obama's mother returned to Hawaii in 1972, remaining there until 1977 when she went back to Indonesia to work as an [[anthropology|anthropological]] field worker. She finally returned to Hawaii in 1994 and lived there for one year, before dying of [[ovarian cancer]].<ref name="Ripley 2008"/><ref>{{cite news|author=Suryakusuma, Julia|date=November 29, 2006|title=Obama for President... of Indonesia|newspaper=Jakarta Post|url=http://www.juliasuryakusuma.com/column.php?menu_id=1&year=2006&month=11&column_id=111|accessdate=June 25, 2008}}</ref>

[[File:Ann Dunham with father and children.jpg|thumb|float|left|alt=A young boy possibly in his early teens, a younger girl (about age 5), a grown woman and an elderly man, sit on a lawn wearing contemporary circa-1970 attire. The adults wear sunglasses and the boy wears sandals.|Barack Obama and half-sister [[Maya Soetoro-Ng]], with their mother [[Ann Dunham]] and grandfather [[Stanley Armour Dunham|Stanley Dunham]], in Hawaii (early 1970s)]]

Of his early childhood, Obama recalled, "That my father looked nothing like the people around me—that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk—barely registered in my mind."<ref>Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 9–10.</ref> He described his struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his [[multiracial]] heritage.<ref>{{cite news |author=Serrano, Richard A.|date=March 11, 2007|title=Obama's peers didn't see his angst|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|page=A20|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-obamahawaii11-2007mar11,0,199085,full.story|accessdate=March 13, 2007}}
* Obama (1995, 2004), Chapters 4 and 5.</ref> Reflecting later on his formative years in Honolulu, Obama wrote: "The opportunity that Hawaii offered—to experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respect—became an integral part of my world view, and a basis for the values that I hold most dear."<ref>{{cite news|author=Reyes, B.J.|date=February 8, 2007|title=Punahou left lasting impression on Obama|newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin| url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/2007/02/08/news/story02.html|accessdate=February 10, 2007|quote=As a teenager, Obama went to parties and sometimes sought out gatherings on military bases or at the University of Hawaii that were mostly attended by blacks.}}</ref> Obama has also written and talked about using alcohol, [[Cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] and [[cocaine]] during his teenage years to "push questions of who I was out of my mind."<ref>{{cite news|author=Elliott, Philip (Associated Press)|date=November 21, 2007|title=Obama gets blunt with N.H. students|newspaper=The Boston Globe|page=8A|url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/11/21/obama_gets_blunt_with_nh_students|accessdate=January 4, 2008}}
* Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 93–94. "Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it."
* for analysis of the political impact of the quote and Obama's more recent admission that he smoked marijuana as a teenager ("When I was a kid, I inhaled"), see:
* {{cite news|author=Seelye, Katharine Q.|date=October 24, 2006|title=Obama offers more variations from the norm|newspaper=The New York Times|page=A21|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D07E2DB173FF937A15753C1A9609C8B63|accessdate=October 29, 2006}}
* {{cite news|author=Romano, Lois|date=January 3, 2007|title=Effect of Obama's candor remains to be seen|newspaper=The Washington Post|page=A1|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/02/AR2007010201359.html|accessdate=January 14, 2007}}</ref> At the [[Civil Forum on the Presidency|2008 Civil Forum on the Presidency]], Obama identified his high-school drug use as a great moral failure.<ref>{{cite news|author=Hornick, Ed|date=August 17, 2008|title=Obama, McCain talk issues at pastor's forum|publisher=CNN.com|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/16/warren.forum|accessdate=January 4, 2009}}</ref>

Following high school, Obama moved to [[Los Angeles]] in 1979 to attend [[Occidental College]].<ref name="Occidental"/> In February 1981, he made his first public speech, calling for Occidental's [[disinvestment from South Africa]] due to its policy of [[apartheid]].<ref name="Occidental"/> In mid-1981, Obama traveled to Indonesia to visit his mother and sister Maya, and visited the families of college friends in [[Pakistan]] and [[India]] for three weeks.<ref name="Occidental"/>

Later in 1981, he transferred to [[Columbia University]] in [[New York City]], where he majored in [[political science]] with a specialty in [[international relations]]<ref>{{cite news|author=Boss-Bicak, Shira|date=January 2005|title=Barack Obama '83|magazine=Columbia College Today|issn=0572-7820|url=http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct_archive/jan05/cover.php|accessdate=October 1, 2006}}</ref> and graduated with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in 1983. He worked for a year at the [[Business International Corporation]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Obama, Barack|year=1998|title=Curriculum vitae|publisher=The University of Chicago Law School|url=http://www.law.uchicago.edu/faculty/obama/cv.html|archivedate=May 9, 2001|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20010509024017/http://www.law.uchicago.edu/faculty/obama/cv.html|accessdate=October 1, 2006}}
* {{cite news|author=Issenberg, Sasha|date=August 6, 2008|title=Obama shows hints of his year in global finance; Tied markets to social aid|newspaper=The Boston Globe|page=1A|format=paid archive|url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/08/06/obama_shows_hints_of_his_year_in_global_finance/?page=1|accessdate=August 6, 2008}}</ref> then at the [[New York Public Interest Research Group]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Scott, Janny|date=July 30, 2007|title=Obama’s account of New York often differs from what others say|newspaper=The New York Times|page=B1|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/us/politics/30obama.html?pagewanted=all|accessdate=July 31, 2007}}
* Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 133–140.
* Mendell (2007), pp. 62–63.</ref><ref name="Who's Who 2008">{{cite book|author=Chassie, Karen (ed.)|year=2007|title=Who's Who in America, 2008|page=3468|location=New Providence, N.J.|publisher=Marquis Who's Who|isbn=978-0-8379-7011-0|url=http://www.marquiswhoswho.com/products/WAprodinfo.asp|accessdate=June 6, 2008}}</ref>

===Chicago community organizer and Harvard Law School===
Two years after graduating, Obama was hired in Chicago as director of the [[Developing Communities Project]] (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Greater Roseland ([[Roseland, Chicago|Roseland]], [[West Pullman, Chicago|West Pullman]] and [[Riverdale, Chicago|Riverdale]]) on Chicago's far [[South Side, Chicago|South Side]]. He worked there as a community organizer from June 1985 to May 1988.<ref name="Who's Who 2008"/><ref>{{cite journal|author=Lizza, Ryan|date=March 19, 2007|title=The agitator: Barack Obama's unlikely political education|journal=The New Republic|volume=236|issue=12|pages=22–26, 28–29|issn=0028-6583|url=http://www.tnr.com/article/the-agitator-barack-obamas-unlikely-political-education|accessdate=August 21, 2007}}
* {{cite news|author=Secter, Bob; McCormick, John|date=March 30, 2007|title=Portrait of a pragmatist|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=1|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0703300121mar30-archive,0,2491692,full.story|accessdate=April 8, 2007}}
* Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 140–295.
* Mendell (2007), pp. 63–83.</ref> During his three years as the DCP's director, its staff grew from one to thirteen. He helped set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in [[Altgeld Gardens, Chicago|Altgeld Gardens]].<ref name="Harvard Law 1990a">{{cite news|author=Matchan, Linda|date=February 15, 1990|title=A Law Review breakthrough|newspaper=The Boston Globe|page=29|url=http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/1990/02/15/a_law_review_breakthrough|accessdate=June 15, 2008}}
* {{cite news|author=Corr, John|date=February 27, 1990|title=From mean streets to hallowed halls|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|page=C01|format=paid archive|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PI&p_theme=pi&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_trackval=PI&s_search_type=customized&s_dispstring=Author(John%20Corr)%20AND%20date(02/27/1990%20to%2002/27/1990)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=02/27/1990%20to%2002/27/1990)&p_field_advanced-0=Author&p_text_advanced-0=(John%20Corr)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=_rank_:D&xcal_ranksort=4&xcal_useweights=yes|accessdate=June 6, 2008}}</ref> Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the [[Gamaliel Foundation]], a community organizing institute.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Obama, Barack|month=August–September|year=1988|title=Why organize? Problems and promise in the inner city|journal=Illinois Issues|volume=14|issue=8–9|pages=40–42|issn=0738-9663}} reprinted in:<br />{{cite book|author=Knoepfle, Peg (ed.)|year=1990|title=After Alinsky: community organizing in Illinois|location=Springfield, Ill.|publisher=Sangamon State University|pages=35–40|isbn=0-9620873-3-5|quote=He has also been a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, an organizing institute working throughout the Midwest.}}</ref> In mid-1988, he traveled for the first time in Europe for three weeks and then for five weeks in Kenya, where he met many of his [[Family of Barack Obama#Paternal relations|paternal relatives]] for the first time.<ref>Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 299–437.</ref> He returned in August 2006 for a visit to his father's birthplace, a village near [[Kisumu]] in rural western Kenya.<ref>{{cite news|author=Gnecchi, Nico|date=February 27, 2006|title=Obama receives hero's welcome at his family's ancestral village in Kenya|publisher=Voice of America|url=http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2006-08/2006-08-27-voa17.cfm|archivedate=March 21, 2008|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080321161040/http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2006-08/2006-08-27-voa17.cfm|accessdate=June 25, 2008}}</ref>

In late 1988, Obama entered [[Harvard Law School]]. He was selected as an editor of the ''[[Harvard Law Review]]'' at the end of his first year,<ref name="Harvard Law 2007">{{cite news|author=Levenson, Michael; Saltzman, Jonathan|date=January 28, 2007|title=At Harvard Law, a unifying voice|newspaper=The Boston Globe|page=1A|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/01/28/at_harvard_law_a_unifying_voice/?page=full|accessdate=June 15, 2008}}
* {{cite news|author=Kantor, Jodi|date=January 28, 2007|title=In law school, Obama found political voice|newspaper=The New York Times|page=A1|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/us/politics/28obama.html?pagewanted=all|accessdate=June 15, 2008}}
* {{cite news|author=Kodama, Marie C.|date=January 19, 2007|title=Obama left mark on HLS|newspaper=The Harvard Crimson|url=http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=516664|accessdate=June 15, 2008}}
* {{cite news|author=Mundy, Liza|date=August 12, 2007|title=A series of fortunate events|newspaper=The Washington Post|page=W10|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/08/AR2007080802038_pf.html|accessdate=June 15, 2008}}
* {{Cite journal|author=Heilemann, John|date=October 22, 2007|title=When they were young|journal=New York|volume=40|issue=37|pages=32–37, 132–133|issn=0028-7369|url=http://www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=When+They+Were+Young&expire=&urlID=24417790&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnymag.com%2Fnews%2Ffeatures%2F39321%2F&partnerID=73272|accessdate=June 15, 2008}}
* Mendell (2007), pp. 80–92.</ref> and president of the journal in his second year.<ref name="Harvard Law 1990a"/><ref name="Harvard Law 1990b">{{cite news|author=Butterfield, Fox|date=February 6, 1990|title=First black elected to head Harvard's Law Review|newspaper=The New York Times|page=A20|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE2DC1631F935A35751C0A966958260|accessdate=June 15, 2008}}
* {{cite news|author=Ybarra, Michael J|date=February 7, 1990|title=Activist in Chicago now heads Harvard Law Review|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=3|format=paid archive|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-02-07/news/9001110408_1_ann-dunham-chicago-housing-authority-barack-obama|accessdate=October 29, 2011}}
* {{cite news|author=Drummond, Tammerlin|date=March 12, 1990|title=Barack Obama's law; Harvard Law Review's first black president plans a life of public service|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|page=E1|format=paid archive|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/60017156.html?dids=60017156:60017156&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|accessdate=June 15, 2008}}
* {{cite journal|author=Evans, Gaynelle|date=March 15, 1990|title=Opening another door: The saga of Harvard's Barack H. Obama|journal=Black Issues in Higher Education|volume=7|issue=1|page=5|issn=0742-0277|url=http://www.diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_11791.shtml|accessdate=November 15, 2008}}
* {{cite news|author=Pugh, Allison J. (Associated Press)|date=April 18, 1990|title=Law Review's first black president aims to help poor|newspaper=The Miami Herald|page=C01|format=paid archive|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&p_theme=realcities2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_site=miami&s_trackval=MH&s_dispstring=Title(Law%20Review's%20first%20black%20president%20aims%20to%20help%20poor)%20AND%20date(04/18/1990%20to%2004/18/1990)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=04/18/1990%20to%2004/18/1990)&p_field_advanced-0=title&p_text_advanced-0=(Law%20Review's%20first%20black%20president%20aims%20to%20help%20poor)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=_rank_:D&xcal_ranksort=4&xcal_useweights=yes|accessdate=June 15, 2008}}</ref> During his summers, he returned to Chicago, where he worked as an [[Associate attorney|associate]] at the law firms of [[Sidley Austin]] in 1989 and [[Hopkins & Sutter]] in 1990.<ref>{{cite news|author=Aguilar, Louis|date=July 11, 1990|title=Survey: Law firms slow to add minority partners|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=1 (Business)|format=paid archive|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/28774085.html?dids=28774085:28774085&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|accessdate=June 15, 2008|quote=Barack Obama, a summer associate at Hopkins & Sutter in Chicago...}}</ref> After graduating with a [[Juris Doctor|J.D.]] ''[[Latin honors#Types|magna cum laude]]''<ref name="Juris Doctor"/> from Harvard in 1991, he returned to Chicago.<ref name="Harvard Law 2007"/> Obama's election as the [[List of African-American firsts|first black president of the ''Harvard Law Review'']] gained national media attention<ref name="Harvard Law 1990a"/><ref name="Harvard Law 1990b"/> and led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations,<ref name="Scott 2008a">{{cite news|author=Scott, Janny|date=May 18, 2008|title=The story of Obama, written by Obama|newspaper=The New York Times|page=A1|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/us/politics/18memoirs.html?pagewanted=all|accessdate=June 15, 2008}}
* Obama (1995, 2004), pp. xiii–xvii.</ref> which evolved into a personal memoir. The manuscript was published in mid-1995 as ''[[Dreams from My Father]]''.<ref name="Scott 2008a"/>

===University of Chicago Law School and civil rights attorney===
In 1991, Obama accepted a two-year position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the [[University of Chicago Law School]] to work on his first book.<ref name="Scott 2008a"/><ref name="Fellow"/> He then served as a professor at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years—as a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and as a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004—teaching [[constitutional law]].<ref>{{cite web|date=March 27, 2008|title=Statement regarding Barack Obama|publisher=University of Chicago Law School|url=http://www.law.uchicago.edu/media/index.html|accessdate=June 5, 2008}}
* {{cite web|author=Miller, Joe|date=March 28, 2008|title=Was Barack Obama really a constitutional law professor?|publisher=FactCheck.org|url=http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/was_barack_obama_really_a_constitutional_law.html|accessdate=June 10, 2008}}
* {{cite web|author=Holan, Angie Drobnic|date=March 7, 2008|title=Obama's 20 years of experience|publisher=PolitiFact.com|url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/mar/07/obamas-20-years-experience|accessdate=June 10, 2008}}</ref>

From April to October 1992, Obama directed Illinois's [[Project Vote]], a voter registration drive with ten staffers and seven hundred volunteer registrars; it achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state, and led to ''Crain's Chicago Business'' naming Obama to its 1993 list of "40 under Forty" powers to be.<ref name="Forty"/> In 1993 he joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a 13-attorney law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development, where he was an associate for three years from 1993 to 1996, then [[of counsel]] from 1996 to 2004, with his law license becoming inactive in 2002.<ref name="DavisMiner"/>

From 1994 to 2002, Obama served on the boards of directors of the [[Woods Fund of Chicago]], which in 1985 had been the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project; and of the [[Joyce Foundation]].<ref name="Who's Who 2008"/> He served on the board of directors of the [[Chicago Annenberg Challenge]] from 1995 to 2002, as founding president and chairman of the board of directors from 1995 to 1999.<ref name="Who's Who 2008"/>

==Legislative career: 1997–2008==
===State Senator: 1997–2004===
{{Main|Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama}}

Obama was elected to the [[Illinois Senate]] in 1996, succeeding State Senator [[Alice Palmer (politician)|Alice Palmer]] as Senator from Illinois's 13th District, which at that time spanned Chicago South Side neighborhoods from [[Hyde Park, Chicago|Hyde Park]] – [[Kenwood, Chicago|Kenwood]] south to [[South Shore, Chicago|South Shore]] and west to [[Chicago Lawn, Chicago|Chicago Lawn]].<ref>{{Cite news|first=David|last=Jackson|coauthors=Ray Long|title=Obama Knows His Way Around a Ballot|date=April 3, 2007|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-070403obama-ballot-archive,0,5693903.story|work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=January 14, 2008}}{{Cite book|authorlink=Jesse White (politician)|last=White|first=Jesse|year=2001|chapter=Legislative Districts of Cook County, 1991 Reapportionment|chapterurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080226221919/http://www.sos.state.il.us/publications/02bluebook/legislative_branch/legdistrictmaps.pdf|title=Illinois Blue Book 2001–2002|location=Springfield|publisher=[[Illinois Secretary of State]]|page=65|accessdate=2011-07-16}} State Sen. District 13 = State Rep. Districts 25 & 26.</ref> Once elected, Obama gained bipartisan support for legislation reforming ethics and health care laws.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Peter|last=Slevin|title=Obama Forged Political Mettle in Illinois Capitol|date=February 9, 2007|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/08/AR2007020802262.html|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=April 20, 2008}}{{Cite news|first=Scott|last=Helman|title=In Illinois, Obama dealt with Lobbyists|date=September 23, 2007|url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/09/23/in_illinois_obama_dealt_with_lobbyists/|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|accessdate=April 20, 2008}} See also:{{Cite news|title=Obama Record May Be Gold Mine for Critics|date=January 17, 2007|work=CBS News|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/17/politics/main2369157.shtml|agency=Associated Press|accessdate=April 20, 2008}}</ref> He sponsored a law increasing [[tax credit]]s for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for childcare.<ref name=Scott20070730>{{Cite news|first=Janny|last=Scott|title=In Illinois, Obama Proved Pragmatic and Shrewd|date=July 30, 2007|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/us/politics/30obama.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=April 20, 2008}} See also:{{Cite news|first=Rick|last=Pearson|coauthors=Ray Long|title=Careful Steps, Looking Ahead|date=May 3, 2007|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-0705030101may03,1,7439904.story|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080216014957/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-0705030101may03,1,7439904.story|archivedate=February 16, 2008|work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=April 20, 2008}}</ref> In 2001, as co-chairman of the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, Obama supported Republican Governor Ryan's payday loan regulations and predatory mortgage lending regulations aimed at averting home foreclosures.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Allison, Melissa|date=December 15, 2000|title=State takes on predatory lending; Rules would halt single-premium life insurance financing|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/65214450.html?dids=65214450:65214450&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|format=paid archive|work=Chicago Tribune|page=1 (Business)|accessdate=June 1, 2008}}{{Cite news|author=Long, Ray; Allison, Melissa|date=April 18, 2001|title=Illinois OKs predatory loan curbs; State aims to avert home foreclosures.|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/71459393.html?dids=71459393:71459393&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|format=paid archive|work=Chicago Tribune|page=1|accessdate=June 1, 2008}}</ref>

Obama was reelected to the Illinois Senate in 1998, defeating Republican Yesse Yehudah in the general election, and was reelected again in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.senatedem.state.il.us/obama/index.html|title=13th District: Barack Obama|accessdate=April 20, 2008|date=August 24, 2000|publisher=Illinois State Senate Democrats|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20000824102110/http://www.senatedem.state.il.us/obama/index.html|archivedate=April 12, 2000}}{{cite web|url=http://www.senatedem.state.il.us/obama/index.html|title=13th District: Barack Obama|accessdate=April 20, 2008|date=October 9, 2004|publisher=Illinois State Senate Democrats|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040802233730/http://www.senatedem.state.il.us/obama/index.html|archivedate=August 2, 2004}}</ref> In 2000, he lost a Democratic primary run for the [[Illinois's 1st congressional district election, 2000|U.S. House of Representatives]] to four-term incumbent [[Bobby Rush]] by a margin of two to one.<ref name="Democratic primary"/>

In January 2003, Obama became chairman of the Illinois Senate's Health and Human Services Committee when Democrats, after a decade in the minority, regained a majority.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Jackie|last=Calmes|title=Statehouse Yields Clues to Obama|date=February 23, 2007|url=http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB117219748197216894-Sn6oV_4KLQHp_xz7CjYLuyjv3Jg_20070324.html|work=Wall Street Journal|accessdate=April 20, 2008}}</ref> He sponsored and led unanimous, bipartisan passage of legislation to monitor [[racial profiling]] by requiring police to record the race of drivers they detained, and legislation making Illinois the first state to mandate videotaping of homicide interrogations.<ref name=Scott20070730/><ref>{{Cite news|author=Tavella, Anne Marie|date=April 14, 2003|title=Profiling, taping plans pass Senate|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ADHB&p_theme=adhb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_text_search-0=Profiling,%20AND%20taping%20AND%20plans%20AND%20pass%20AND%20Senate&s_dispstring=Profiling,%20taping%20plans%20pass%20Senate%20AND%20date(4/4/2003%20to%204/4/2003)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=4/4/2003%20to%204/4/2003)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no|format=paid archive|work=Daily Herald|page=17|accessdate=June 1, 2008}}{{Cite news|author=Haynes, V. Dion|date=June 29, 2003|title=Fight racial profiling at local level, lawmaker says; U.S. guidelines get mixed review|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/352884461.html?dids=352884461:352884461&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|format=paid archive|work= Chicago Tribune|page=8|accessdate=June 1, 2008}}{{Cite news|author=Pearson, Rick|date=July 17, 2003|title=Taped confessions to be law; State will be 1st to pass legislation|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/370136121.html?dids=370136121:370136121&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|format=paid archive |work= Chicago Tribune|page=1 (Metro)|accessdate=June 1, 2008}}</ref> During his 2004 general election campaign for U.S. Senate, police representatives credited Obama for his active engagement with police organizations in enacting [[Capital punishment in the United States|death penalty]] reforms.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Sam|last=Youngman|coauthors=Aaron Blake|title=Obama's Crime Votes Are Fodder for Rivals|date=March 14, 2007|url=http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obamas-crime-votes-are-fodder-for-rivals-2007-03-13.html|work=The Hill|accessdate=April 20, 2008}} See also:{{Cite news|title=US Presidential Candidate Obama Cites Work on State Death Penalty Reforms|date=November 12, 2007|work=International Herald Tribune|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/12/america/NA-POL-US-Obama-Death-Penalty.php|agency=Associated Press|accessdate=April 20, 2008}}</ref> Obama resigned from the Illinois Senate in November 2004 following his election to the U.S. Senate.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Melanie|last=Coffee|title=Attorney Chosen to Fill Obama's State Senate Seat|date=November 6, 2004|publisher=HPKCC|url=http://www.hydepark.org/hpkccnews/raoul.htm#ap|agency=Associated Press|accessdate=April 20, 2008}}</ref>

===U.S. Senate campaign===
{{See also|United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004}}

In May 2002, Obama commissioned a poll to assess his prospects in a 2004 U.S. Senate race; he created a campaign committee, began raising funds and lined up political media consultant [[David Axelrod]] by August 2002, and formally announced his candidacy in January 2003.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Helman, Scott|date=October 12, 2007|title=Early defeat launched a rapid political climb|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|page=1A|url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/10/12/early_defeat_launched_a_rapid_political_climb|accessdate=April 13, 2008}}</ref>

Obama was an early opponent of the [[George W. Bush]] administration's [[2003 invasion of Iraq]].<ref>{{Cite news|author=Strausberg, Chinta|date=September 26, 2002|title=Opposition to war mounts|newspaper=Chicago Defender|page=1|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-220062931.html|format=paid archive|accessdate=February 3, 2008}}</ref> On October 2, 2002, the day President Bush and Congress agreed on the [[Iraq Resolution|joint resolution]] authorizing the Iraq War,<ref name="Rose Garden"/> Obama addressed the first high-profile Chicago [[Protests against the Iraq War|anti-Iraq War rally]],<ref name="Federal Plaza"/> and spoke out against the war.<ref name="spoke out"/> He addressed another anti-war rally in March 2003 and told the crowd that "it's not too late" to stop the war.<ref name="stop the war"/>
[[File:2004 Illinois Senate results.svg|upright|thumb|County results of the 2004 US Senate race in Illinois. Counties in blue were won by Obama.]]
Decisions by Republican incumbent [[Peter Fitzgerald (politician)|Peter Fitzgerald]] and his Democratic predecessor [[Carol Moseley Braun]] to not participate in the election resulted in wide-open Democratic and Republican primary contests involving fifteen candidates.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Davey, Monica|date=March 7, 2004|title=Closely watched Illinois Senate race attracts 7 candidates in millionaire range|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/07/politics/campaign/07ILLI.html|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060514152430/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/07/politics/campaign/07ILLI.html|archivedate=May 14, 2006|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|page=19|accessdate=April 13, 2008}}</ref> In the March 2004 primary election, Obama won in an unexpected landslide—which overnight made him a rising star within the [[Democratic Party (United States)#Current structure and composition|national Democratic Party]], started speculation about a presidential future, and led to the reissue of his memoir, ''[[Dreams from My Father]]''.<ref name="future"/>

In July 2004, Obama delivered the keynote address at the [[2004 Democratic National Convention]] in Boston, Massachusetts,<ref>{{Cite news|author=Bernstein, David|date=June 2007|title=The Speech|magazine=Chicago Magazine|url=http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2007/The-Speech|accessdate=April 13, 2008}}</ref> and it was seen by 9.1&nbsp;million viewers. His speech was well received and elevated his status within the Democratic Party.<ref name="status"/>

Obama's expected opponent in the general election, Republican primary winner [[Jack Ryan (politician)|Jack Ryan]], withdrew from the race in June 2004.<ref>{{Cite news|date=June 25, 2004|title=Ryan drops out of Senate race in Illinois|publisher=CNN|url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/25/il.ryan|accessdate=April 13, 2008}}
* Mendell (2007), pp. 260–271.</ref> Six weeks later, [[Alan Keyes]] accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination to replace Ryan.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Lannan, Maura Kelly (Associated Press)|date=August 9, 2004|title=Alan Keyes enters U.S. Senate race in Illinois against rising Democratic star|newspaper=Union-Tribune (San Diego)|url=http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20040809-0849-illinoissenate.html|accessdate=April 13, 2008}}</ref> In the November 2004 general election, Obama won with 70% of the vote.<ref name="margin"/>

===U.S. Senator: 2005–2008===
{{Main|United States Senate career of Barack Obama}}
[[File:Obama Portrait 2006.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Obama delivering a speech at the [[University of Southern California]], on October 28, 2006.]]

Obama was sworn in as a senator on January 3, 2005,<ref>{{CongBio|o000167|inline=1|date=October 12, 2011}}</ref> becoming the only Senate member of the [[Congressional Black Caucus]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Member Info|url=http://www.house.gov/kilpatrick/cbc/member_info.html|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080709114659/http://www.house.gov/kilpatrick/cbc/member_info.html|archivedate=July 9, 2008|publisher=Congressional Black Caucus|accessdate=June 25, 2008}}</ref> ''[[Congressional Quarterly|CQ Weekly]]'' characterized him as a "loyal Democrat" based on analysis of all Senate votes in 2005–2007. Obama announced on November 13, 2008, that he would resign his Senate seat on November 16, 2008, before the start of the [[lame duck (politics)|lame-duck]] session, to focus on his transition period for the presidency.<ref name="transition period"/>

====Legislation====
{{See also|List of bills sponsored by Barack Obama in the United States Senate}}

[[File:Coburn and Obama discuss S. 2590.jpg|thumb|alt=A man with glasses and Obama sit and hold a sheet of paper. Obama points at the paper and talks. Both men wear dark suits and ties.|Senate bill sponsors [[Tom Coburn]] (R-OK) and Obama discussing the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act<ref>{{cite web|title=President Bush Signs Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act.|date=September 26, 2006|url=http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2006/09/20060926.html|publisher=White House|accessdate=April 27, 2008}}</ref>]]

Obama cosponsored the [[Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act]].<ref>{{cite web|first=109th Congress, 1st Session|last=U.S. Senate|title=S. 1033, Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act|date=May 12, 2005|url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN01033:|publisher=Thomas|accessdate=April 27, 2008}}</ref> He introduced two initiatives bearing his name: Lugar–Obama, which expanded the [[Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction|Nunn–Lugar cooperative threat reduction]] concept to conventional weapons;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://obama.senate.gov/press/070111-lugar-obama_non/|title=Lugar–Obama Nonproliferation Legislation Signed into Law by the President|date=January 11, 2007|publisher=Richard Lugar U.S. Senate Office|accessdate=April 27, 2008|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20081218154746/http://obama.senate.gov/press/070111-lugar-obama_non/|archivedate= December 18, 2008}} See also:{{Cite news|first=Richard G.|last=Lugar|coauthors=Barack Obama|title=Junkyard Dogs of War|date=December 3, 2005|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/02/AR2005120201509.html|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=April 27, 2008}}</ref> and the [[Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006]], which authorized the establishment of USAspending.gov, a web search engine on federal spending.<ref>{{Cite news|first=John|last=McCormack|title=Google Government Gone Viral|date=December 21, 2007|url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/502njiqx.asp|work=Weekly Standard|accessdate=April 27, 2008}} See also:{{cite web|title=President Bush Signs Coburn–Obama Transparency Act|date=September 26, 2006|url=http://coburn.senate.gov/ffm/index.cfm?FuseAction=LegislativeFloorAction.Home&ContentRecord_id=eb582f19-802a-23ad-41db-7a7cb464cfdb|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080501233103/http://coburn.senate.gov/ffm/index.cfm?FuseAction=LegislativeFloorAction.Home&ContentRecord_id=eb582f19-802a-23ad-41db-7a7cb464cfdb|archivedate=May 1, 2008|publisher=Tom Coburn U.S. Senate Office|accessdate=April 27, 2008}} and [http://www.USAspending.gov/ USAspending.gov]</ref> On June 3, 2008, Senator Obama—along with Senators [[Tom Carper]], [[Tom Coburn]], and [[John McCain]]—introduced follow-up legislation: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008.<ref>[http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-3077 S. 3077: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008] ''Govtrack.us'', 2007–2008 (110th Congress)</ref>

Obama sponsored legislation that would have required nuclear plant owners to notify state and local authorities of radioactive leaks, but the bill failed to pass in the full Senate after being heavily modified in committee.<ref>{{Cite news|last=McIntire|first=Mike|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/us/politics/03exelon.html|title=Nuclear Leaks and Response Tested Obama in Senate|date=February 3, 2008|work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=April 27, 2008}}</ref> Regarding [[tort reform]], Obama voted for the [[Class Action Fairness Act of 2005]] and the [[Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendments Act of 2008|FISA Amendments Act of 2008]], which grants immunity from civil liability to telecommunications companies complicit with [[NSA warrantless surveillance controversy|NSA warrantless wiretapping]] operations.<ref name="Fisher">{{cite news|url=http://www.forbes.com/2008/08/08/obama-mccain-torts-biz-beltway-cz_df_0811torts.html|title=November Election A Lawyer's Delight|author=Fisher, Daniel|work=Forbes|date=August 11, 2008|accessdate=January 11, 2009}}</ref>
[[File:Lugar-Obama.jpg|left|thumb|alt=Gray-haired man and Obama stand, wearing casual polo shirts. Obama wears sunglasses and holds something slung over his right sholder.|Obama and U.S. Sen. [[Richard Lugar]] (R-IN) visit a Russian mobile launch-missile-dismantling facility in August 2005.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nunn–Lugar Report |month=August |year=2005 |publisher=Richard Lugar U.S. Senate Office|url=http://lugar.senate.gov/nunnlugar/pdf/trip_report_2005.pdf|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080501002134/http://lugar.senate.gov/nunnlugar/pdf/trip_report_2005.pdf|archivedate=May 1, 2008|accessdate=April 30, 2008|format=PDF}}</ref>]]

In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act, marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor.<ref>{{cite web|title=Democratic Republic of the Congo|month=April|year=2006|url=http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/drc0406.shtml|publisher=United States Conference of Catholic Bishops|accessdate=April 27, 2008}}{{cite web|title=The IRC Welcomes New U.S. Law on Congo|date=January 5, 2007|url=http://www.theirc.org/news/the-irc-welcomes-new-us-law.html|publisher=International Rescue Committee|accessdate=April 27, 2008}}</ref> In January 2007, Obama and Senator Feingold introduced a corporate jet provision to the [[Honest Leadership and Open Government Act]], which was signed into law in September 2007.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Nathaniel|last=Weixel|title=Feingold, Obama Go After Corporate Jet Travel|date=November 15, 2007|url=http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/feingold-obama-go-after-corporate-jet-travel-2007-11-15.html|work=The Hill|accessdate=April 27, 2008}}{{Cite news|first=Nathaniel|last=Weixel|title=Lawmakers Press FEC on Bundling Regulation|date=December 5, 2007|url=http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/lawmakers-press-fec-on-bundling-regulation-2007-12-05.html|work=The Hill|accessdate=April 27, 2008}} See also:{{Cite news|title=Federal Election Commission Announces Plans to Issue New Regulations to Implement the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007|date=September 24, 2007|publisher=Federal Election Commission|url=http://www.fec.gov/press/press2007/20070924travel.shtml|accessdate=April 27, 2008}}</ref> Obama also introduced [[Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act]], a bill to criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections,<ref>{{Cite news|first=Seth|last=Stern|title=Obama–Schumer Bill Proposal Would Criminalize Voter Intimidation|date=January 31, 2007|work=CQPolitics.com|url=http://www.nytimes.com/cq/2007/01/31/cq_2213.html|accessdate=April 27, 2008}}{{cite web|first=110th Congress, 1st Session|last=U.S. Senate|title=S. 453, Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007|date=January 31, 2007|url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN00453:|publisher=Thomas|accessdate=April 27, 2008}} See also:{{Cite news|title=Honesty in Elections|date=January 31, 2007|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/opinion/31wed1.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|format=editorial|accessdate=April 27, 2008}}</ref> and the [[Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007]],<ref>{{Cite news|first=E. Kasak|last=Krystin|title=Obama Introduces Measure to Bring Troops Home|date=February 7, 2007|work=Medill News Service|url=http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/02/07/news/illiana/doc65cc98d8dc6506b28625727b0011edb5.txt|accessdate=April 27, 2008}} "Latest Major Action: 1/30/2007 Referred to Senate committee".{{cite web|first=110th Congress, 1st Session|last=U.S. Senate|title=S. 433, Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007|date=January 30, 2007|url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN00433:|publisher=Thomas|accessdate=April 27, 2008}}</ref> neither of which has been signed into law.

Later in 2007, Obama sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act adding safeguards for personality-disorder military discharges.<ref>{{cite web|title=Obama, Bond Hail New Safeguards on Military Personality Disorder Discharges, Urge Further Action|date=October 1, 2007|url=http://bond.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=5C1EBFEB-1321-0E36-BA7D-04630AEFAD31|publisher=Kit Bond U.S. Senate Office|accessdate=April 27, 2008|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20101205075008/http://bond.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=5C1EBFEB-1321-0E36-BA7D-04630AEFAD31|archivedate=December 5, 2010}} See also:{{Cite news|first=Philip|last=Dine|title=Bond Calls for Review of Military Discharges|date=December 23, 2007|url=http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/special/srlinks.nsf/story/2E7CC823AD55667B862573A7007D12A2?OpenDocument|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|accessdate=April 27, 2008}}</ref> This amendment passed the full Senate in the spring of 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=Obama, Bond Applaud Senate Passage of Amendment to Expedite the Review of Personality Disorder Discharge Cases|url=http://obama.senate.gov/press/080314-obama_bond_appl/|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20081218154824/http://obama.senate.gov/press/080314-obama_bond_appl/|archivedate= December 18, 2008|date=March 14, 2008}}</ref> He sponsored the [[Disinvestment from Iran|Iran Sanctions Enabling Act]] supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry, which has not passed committee; and co-sponsored legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism.<ref name="nuclear terrorism"/> Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the [[State Children's Health Insurance Program]], providing one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries.<ref>{{cite web|title=Senate Passes Obama, McCaskill Legislation to Provide Safety Net for Families of Wounded Service Members|date=August 2, 2007|url=http://obama.senate.gov/press/070802-senate_passes_o_1/|publisher=Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office|accessdate=April 27, 2008|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20081218154819/http://obama.senate.gov/press/070802-senate_passes_o_1/|archivedate=December 18, 2008}}</ref>

====Committees====
Obama held assignments on the Senate Committees for [[United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|Foreign Relations]], [[United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works|Environment and Public Works]] and [[United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs|Veterans' Affairs]] through December 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://obama.senate.gov/committees/ |date=December 9, 2006 |title=Committee Assignments |accessdate=April 27, 2008 |publisher=Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20061209190827/obama.senate.gov/committees/ |archivedate=December 9, 2006}}</ref> In January 2007, he left the Environment and Public Works committee and took additional assignments with [[United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions|Health, Education, Labor and Pensions]] and [[United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs|Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Obama Gets New Committee Assignments |date=November 15, 2006 |publisher=Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office |url=http://obama.senate.gov/news/061115-obama_gets_new/ |agency=Associated Press |accessdate=April 27, 2008|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20081218154741/http://obama.senate.gov/news/061115-obama_gets_new/|archivedate=December 18, 2008}}</ref> He also became Chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on [[United States Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs|European Affairs]].<ref>{{Cite news|first=Tom |last=Baldwin |title=Stay-At-Home Barack Obama Comes Under Fire for a Lack of Foreign Experience |date=December 21, 2007 |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3080794.ece |work=Sunday Times (UK) |accessdate=April 27, 2008 | location=London}}</ref> As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. He met with [[Mahmoud Abbas]] before Abbas became [[President of the Palestinian National Authority|President]] of the [[Palestinian National Authority|Palestinian Authority]], and gave a speech at the [[University of Nairobi]] condemning corruption within the Kenyan government.<ref name="Kenyan"/>{{Clear}}

==Presidential campaigns==
===2008 presidential campaign===
{{Main|United States presidential election, 2008|Barack Obama presidential primary campaign, 2008|Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008}}
[[File:Flickr Obama Springfield 01.jpg|thumb|alt=Obama stands on stage with his family. They wave.|Obama stands on stage with his wife and two daughters just before announcing his presidential candidacy in [[Springfield, Illinois|Springfield]], Illinois, February 10, 2007.]]
On February 10, 2007, Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States in front of the [[Old State Capitol State Historic Site (Illinois)|Old State Capitol]] building in [[Springfield, Illinois|Springfield]], Illinois.<ref name=ChicagoTribune_Pearson_20070210>{{Cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-070210obama-pearson1-story,0,3768114.story|title=Obama: I'm running for president|work= Chicago Tribune |author=Pearson, Rick|coauthors=Long, Ray|date=February 10, 2007|accessdate=September 20, 2008}}</ref><ref name=BBC20070210>{{Cite news|title=Obama Launches Presidential Bid|date=February 10, 2007|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6349081.stm|work=BBC News|accessdate=January 14, 2008}}</ref> The choice of the announcement site was viewed as symbolic because it was also where [[Abraham Lincoln]] delivered his historic [[Lincoln's House Divided Speech|"House Divided"]] speech in 1858.<ref name="ChicagoTribune_Pearson_20070210" /><ref name="ChicagoTribune_Parsons20070210">{{Cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-159132539.html|title=Obama's launch site: Symbolic Springfield: Announcement venue evokes Lincoln legacy|last=Parsons|first=Christi|date=February 10, 2007|work= Chicago Tribune|accessdate=June 12, 2009}}</ref> Obama emphasized the issues of rapidly ending the [[Iraq War]], increasing [[Energy policy of the United States|energy independence]], and providing [[Universal health care#United States|universal health care]],<ref>{{Cite news|title=Barack Obama on the Issues: What Would Be Your Top Three Overall Priorities If Elected?|url=http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/issues/candidates/barack-obama/#top-priorities|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=April 14, 2008}} See also:
* {{Cite book|last=Thomas|first=Evan|authorlink=Evan Thomas|title=A Long Time Coming|publisher=[[PublicAffairs]]|year=2009|location=New York|page=74|isbn=978-1-58648-607-5}}
* {{Cite news|first=Michael|last=Falcone|title=Obama's 'One Thing'|date=December 21, 2007|url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/21/obamas-one-thing/|work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=April 14, 2008}}</ref> in a campaign that projected themes of "hope" and "change".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-the-obama-promise-of-hope-and-change-981761.html|title=The Obama promise of hope and change|publisher=The Independent|date=November 1, 2008|accessdate=December 22, 2010 |location=London}}</ref>

[[File:Obama08acceptance.jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=Obama delivers a speech at a podium while several flashbulbs light the background.|Obama delivers [[Barack Obama election victory speech, 2008|his presidential election victory speech]] in Chicago's [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]].]]

A large number of candidates entered the [[Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008|Democratic Party presidential primaries]]. The field narrowed to a duel between Obama and Senator [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]] after early contests, with the race remaining close throughout the primary process but with Obama gaining a steady lead in pledged [[delegate]]s due to better long-range planning, superior fundraising, dominant organizing in [[caucus]] states, and better exploitation of delegate allocation rules.<ref name="allocation"/> On June 7, 2008, Clinton ended her campaign and endorsed Obama.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Nagourney|first=Adam|first2=Jeff|last2=Zeleny|title=Clinton to End Bid and Endorse Obama|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/us/politics/04cnd-campaign.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 5, 2008|accessdate=November 20, 2010}}</ref>

On August 23, Obama announced his selection of [[Delaware]] Senator [[Joe Biden]] as his vice presidential running mate.<ref>{{Cite news|accessdate=September 20, 2008|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/08/29/politics/p050941D34.DTL|last=Nagourney|first=Adam|first2=Jeff|last2=Zeleny|agency=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 23, 2008|title=Obama picks Biden for veep|work=San Francisco Chronicle}}</ref> Biden was selected from a field speculated to include former [[Indiana Governor]] and Senator [[Evan Bayh]] and [[Virginia Governor]] [[Tim Kaine]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2008-08-21/politics/obama.vice.president_1_obama-selection-process-joe-biden?_s=PM:POLITICS|work=CNN|title=Sources: High court selection process down to finalists|date=May 13, 2009}}</ref> At the [[2008 Democratic National Convention|Democratic National Convention]] in Denver, Colorado, Hillary Clinton called for her delegates and supporters to endorse Obama, and she and [[Bill Clinton]] gave convention speeches in support of Obama.<ref name="delegates"/> Obama delivered his acceptance speech, not at the convention center where the Democratic National Convention was held,<ref name="npr1409">{{cite web|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92301409|title=Obama To Accept Nomination At Mile High Stadium|publisher=NPR|date=July 7, 2008 |accessdate=December 22, 2010|author=Liasson, Mara; Norris, Michele}}</ref> but at [[Invesco Field at Mile High]] to a crowd of over 75,000 and presented his policy goals; the speech was viewed by over 38&nbsp;million people worldwide.<ref name="npr1409"/><ref name="acceptance"/>
[[File:President George W. Bush and Barack Obama meet in Oval Office.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Obama meets with Bush in the Oval Office. Both sit at a distance in front of the presidential desk with their legs crossed and their backs on an angle toward the camera. They sit at right angles to each other.|President [[George W. Bush]] meets with President-Elect Obama in the [[Oval Office]] on November 10, 2008.]]

During both the primary process and the general election, Obama's campaign set numerous fundraising records, particularly in the quantity of small donations.<ref name="small donations"/> On June 19, 2008, Obama became the first major-party presidential candidate to turn down [[Campaign finance in the United States#Public financing of campaigns|public financing]] in the general election since the system was created in 1976.<ref name=Bloomberg_Salant_20080619>{{Cite news|author=Salant, Jonathan D.|title=Obama Won't Accept Public Money in Election Campaign|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aNi.G0PhWnFw&refer=home|work=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]]|date=June 19, 2008|accessdate=June 19, 2008}}</ref>

McCain was nominated as the Republican candidate and the two engaged in three [[United States presidential election debates|presidential debates]] in September and October 2008.<ref name="presidential debates"/> On November 4, Obama won the presidency with 365 [[Electoral College (United States)|electoral votes]] to 173 received by McCain.<ref name="electoral votes"/> Obama won 52.9% of the [[Election|popular vote]] to McCain's 45.7%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html|title=General Election: McCain vs. Obama|accessdate=February 20, 2009|publisher=Real Clear Politics}}</ref> He became the first African American to be elected president.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/us_elections_2008/7709978.stm|title=Obama wins historic US election|publisher=BBC|date=November 5, 2008|accessdate=November 5, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|accessdate=November 5, 2008|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/us/politics/05elect.html?pagewanted=all|title=Obama Elected President as Racial Barrier Falls|first=Adam|last=Nagourney|date=November 4, 2008|work=[[The New York Times]] }}
* {{Cite news|accessdate=November 5, 2008|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/04/election.president/index.html|title=Obama: 'This is your victory'|work=CNN|date=November 5, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|accessdate=|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2008/nov/05/nation/na-assess5|title=White Americans play major role in electing the first black president|first=Peter|last=Wallsten|work=Los Angeles Times|date=November 5, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|last=Avila|first=Oscar|title=Obama's census-form choice: 'Black'|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=April 4, 2010|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-census4-2010apr04,0,7517288.story|accessdate=April 4, 2010}}</ref> Obama delivered [[Barack Obama election victory speech, 2008|his victory speech]] before hundreds of thousands of supporters in Chicago's [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]].<ref name="independent1">{{Cite news|accessdate=November 5, 2008|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/change-has-come-says-presidentelect-obama-992930.html|title=Change has come, says President-elect Obama|work=The Independent|location=UK|date=November 5, 2008|last=Johnson|first=Wesley}}</ref>

===2012 presidential campaign===
{{Main|United States presidential election, 2012|Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2012}}
On April 4, 2011, Obama announced his re-election campaign for 2012 in a video titled "It Begins with Us" that he posted on his website and filed election papers with the [[Federal Election Commission]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Obama Begins Re-Election Facing New Political Challenges|url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/04/obama-launches-re-election-facing-new-political-challenges/?scp=4&sq=obama%202012&st=cse|date=April 4, 2011|first=Michael D.|last=Shear|work=[[The New York Times]]|separator=,|accessdate=April 5, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Obama announces re-election bid|url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/04/04/Obama-announces-re-election-bid/UPI-95081301905800/?dailybrief|date=April 4, 2011|agency=[[United Press International]]|separator=,|accessdate=April 5, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Obama Opens 2012 Campaign, With Eye on Money and Independent Voters|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/05/us/politics/05obama.html?scp=1&sq=obama%202012&st=cse|date=April 4, 2011|first=Jeff|last=Zeleny|work=[[The New York Times]]|first2=Jackie|last2=Calmes|separator=,|lastauthoramp=yes|accessdate=April 5, 2011}}</ref>

==Presidency==
{{Main|Presidency of Barack Obama}}
{{See also|Confirmations of Barack Obama's Cabinet|List of presidential trips made by Barack Obama}}

===First days===
{{Wikinews|Barack Obama elected 44th President of the United States}}
[[File:US President Barack Obama taking his Oath of Office - 2009Jan20.jpg|thumb|Barack Obama takes the [[Oath of office of the President of the United States|oath of office]] as President of the United States]]
[[File:Barack Obama addresses joint session of Congress 2009-02-24.jpg|thumb|Barack Obama speaking at [[Barack Obama speech to joint session of Congress, February 2009|Joint session of Congress]] with [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Joe Biden]] and [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|House Speaker]] [[Nancy Pelosi]] on February 24, 2009]]
The [[inauguration of Barack Obama]] as the 44th President, and [[Joe Biden]] as Vice President, took place on [[United States presidential inauguration|January 20, 2009]]. In his first few days in office Obama issued executive orders and presidential memoranda directing the U.S. military to develop plans to withdraw troops from [[Iraq War|Iraq]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Obama asks Pentagon for responsible Iraq drawdown|date=January 23, 2009|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2009-01/23/content_7423535.htm|work=China Daily|accessdate=September 4, 2009}}</ref> He ordered the closing of the [[Guantanamo Bay detention camp]] "as soon as practicable and no later than" January 2010,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/washington/22gitmo.html|title=Obama Orders Halt to Prosecutions at Guantánamo|last=Glaberson|first=William|date=January 21, 2009|work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=February 3, 2009}}</ref> but during his first two years in office he has been unable to persuade Congress to appropriate funds required to accomplish the shutdown.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Senate blocks transfer of Gitmo detainees|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30826649/ns/politics-capitol_hill/|date=May 20, 2009|publisher=[[msnbc.com]]|series=Associated Press|separator=,|accessdate=March 22, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Presidential Memorandum--Closure of Detention Facilities at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base|url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-memorandum-closure-dentention-facilities-guantanamo-bay-naval-base|date=December 15, 2009|first=Barack|last=Obama|publisher=[[whitehouse.gov]]|separator=,|accessdate=March 22, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Obama signs Defense authorization bill|url=http://federalnewsradio.com/?sid=2226350&nid=35|date=January 7, 2011|first=Jared|last=Serbu|work=[[Federal News Radio]]|separator=,|accessdate=March 22, 2011}}</ref> Obama reduced the secrecy given to presidential records<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/ExecutiveOrderPresidentialRecords/|title=Executive Order—Presidential Records|accessdate=January 22, 2009}}</ref> and changed procedures to promote disclosure under the [[Freedom of Information Act (United States)|Freedom of Information Act]].<ref>{{Cite news|first=Michael|last=Doyle|title=Obama restores some of the 'Freedom' to FOIA|date=January 23, 2009|publisher=McClatchy Newspapers|url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/60661.html|accessdate=January 24, 2009}}</ref> He also reversed George W. Bush's [[Mexico City Policy|ban on federal funding to foreign establishments that allow abortions]].<ref>{{Cite news|first=Josh|last=Gerstein|title=Obama: End Abortion 'Politicization'|date=January 24, 2009|publisher=Politico.com|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17898.html}}</ref>

===Domestic policy===
The first bill signed into law by Obama was the [[Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009]], relaxing the [[statute of limitations]] for equal-pay lawsuits.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Obama Signs Equal-Pay Legislation|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/us/politics/30ledbetter-web.html|accessdate=June 15, 2009|date=January 30, 2009}}</ref> Five days later, he signed the reauthorization of the [[State Children's Health Insurance Program]] (SCHIP) to cover an additional 4&nbsp;million children currently uninsured.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Obama signs into law expansion of SCHIP health-care program for children|work=Chicago Tribune|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-kids-health-care_thufeb05,0,30310.story|accessdate=June 15, 2009|first=Noam N.|last=Levey}}</ref>

In March 2009, Obama reversed a Bush-era policy which had limited funding of [[embryonic stem cell]] research. Obama stated that he believed "sound science and moral values&nbsp;... are not inconsistent" and pledged to develop "strict guidelines" on the research.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/09/obama.stem.cells/index.html|title=Obama overturns Bush policy on stem cells|publisher=CNN|date=March 9, 2009|accessdate=April 18, 2010}}</ref>

Obama appointed two women to serve on the Supreme Court in the first two years of his Presidency. [[Sonia Sotomayor]], nominated by Obama on May 26, 2009, to replace retiring [[Associate Justice of the United States|Associate Justice]] [[David Souter]], was confirmed on August 6, 2009,<ref>{{Cite news|title=Senate confirms Sotomayor for Supreme Court|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/06/sonia.sotomayor/|date=August 6, 2009|publisher=CNN|accessdate=August 6, 2009}}</ref> becoming the first [[Hispanic]] to be a Supreme Court Justice.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/26/supreme.court/index.html Obama nominates Sotomayor to Supreme Court], CNN, accessed May 26, 2009.</ref> [[Elena Kagan]], nominated by Obama on May 10, 2010, to replace retiring Associate Justice [[John Paul Stevens]], was confirmed on August 5, 2010, bringing the number of women sitting simultaneously on the Court to three, for the first time in American history.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theledger.com/article/20101004/news/10045042|title=New Era Begins on High Court: Kagan Takes Place as Third Woman|last=Sherman|first=Mark|date=October 4, 2010|agency=Associated Press|accessdate=November 13, 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Barack Obama and George H. W. Bush at Texas A&M University.jpg|thumb|left|President Obama with former President [[George H. W. Bush]] at the "Point of Light" forum in Texas in 2009. Obama would award Bush the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom|Medal of Freedom]] in 2011.<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/2011/feb/15/nation/la-na-freedom-medals-20110216 "Obama awards Medal of Freedom to George H.W. Bush, Maya Angelou and 13 others"], Julie Mianecki. Los Angeles Times. February 15, 2011. Accessed June 7, 2011</ref>]]
On September 30, 2009, the Obama administration proposed new regulations on power plants, factories and oil refineries in an attempt to limit greenhouse gas emissions and to curb [[global warming]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/01/science/earth/01epa.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|first=John M.|last=Broder|title=E.P.A. Moves to Curtail Greenhouse Gas Emissions|date=October 1, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ip53lrBGDBrm5QYg-npRkHn4ggRA|title=US moves to limit industrial greenhouse gas emissions|publisher=Google.com|date=October 1, 2009|accessdate=April 18, 2010}}</ref>

On October 8, 2009, Obama signed the [[Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act]], a measure that expands the [[Hate crimes in the United States#Federal prosecution of hate crimes|1969 United States federal hate-crime law]] to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived [[gender]], [[sexual orientation]], [[gender identity]], or [[disability]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=98285|title=President Barack Obama signs hate crimes legislation into law|newspaper=[[Bay Windows]]|date=October 28, 2009|accessdate=October 12, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2009-10-28/politics/hate.crimes_1_crimes-gay-rights-human-rights-campaign?_s=PM:POLITICS|title=Obama signs hate crimes bill into law|publisher=CNN|date=October 28, 2009|accessdate=October 12, 2011}}</ref>

On March 30, 2010, Obama signed the [[Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010|Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act]], a [[Reconciliation (United States Congress)|reconciliation bill]] which ends the process of the federal government giving subsidies to private banks to give out federally insured loans, increases the [[Pell Grant]] scholarship award, and makes changes to the [[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Parsons|first=Christi|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/30/nation/la-na-obama-college31-2010mar31|title=Obama signs student loan reforms into law|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 30, 2010|accessdate=April 18, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/03/obama-signs-higher-education-m.html|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=April 12, 2010|title=Obama signs higher-education measure into law|last=Branigin|first=William}}</ref>

In a [[Barack Obama space policy speech at Kennedy Space Center|major space policy speech]] in April 2010, Obama announced a planned change in direction at [[NASA]], the U.S. space agency. He ended plans for a return of [[human spaceflight]] to the [[moon]] and ended development of the [[Ares I]] rocket, [[Ares V]] rocket and [[Constellation program]]. He is focusing funding (which is expected to rise modestly) on Earth science projects and a new rocket type, as well as research and development for an eventual manned mission to [[Mars]]. Missions to the [[International Space Station]] are expected to continue until 2020.<ref>{{cite news|author=Robert Block and Mark K. Matthews|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jan/27/nation/la-na-nasa-budget27-2010jan27|title=White House won't fund NASA moon program|quote=President Obama's budget proposal includes no money for the Ares I and Ares V rocket or Constellation program. Instead, NASA would be asked to monitor climate change and develop a new rocket|date=January 27, 2010|work=LA Times|accessdate=January 30, 2011}}</ref>

On December 22, 2010, Obama signed the [[Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010]], a bill that provides for repeal of the [[Don't ask, don't tell]] policy of 1993 that has prevented gay and lesbian people from serving openly in the [[United States Armed Forces]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Jesse Lee|url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/12/22/president-signs-repeal-dont-ask-dont-tell-out-many-we-are-one|title=The President Signs Repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell": "Out of Many, We Are One"|publisher=Whitehouse.gov|accessdate=December 22, 2010}}</ref> Repealing "Don't ask, don't tell" had been a key campaign promise that Obama had made during the [[United States presidential election, 2008|2008 presidential campaign]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/22/obama-repeals-dont-ask-dont-tell|title='Don't ask, don't tell' repealed as Obama signs landmark law|publisher=Guardian|date=December 22, 2010|accessdate=December 22, 2010|location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/21/obama-to-delay-repeal-of-dont-ask-dont-tell/|title=Obama to delay 'don't ask, don't tell' repeal|publisher=Washington Times|date=November 21, 2008|accessdate=December 22, 2010}}</ref>

On January 25, 2011, in his [[2011 State of the Union Address]], President Obama focused strongly on the themes of education and innovation, stressing the importance of [[innovation economics]] in working to make the United States more competitive globally. Among other plans and goals, Obama spoke of a enacting a five-year freeze in domestic spending, eliminating tax breaks for oil companies and tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans, banning congressional [[earmark (politics)|earmark]]s, and reducing healthcare costs. Looking to the future, Obama promised that by 2015, the United States would have 1 million electric vehicles on the road and by 2035, clean-energy sources would be providing 80 percent of U.S. electricity.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Obama Pushes Innovation in Tech-Heavy State of the Union|journal=PCMag.com|date=2011-01-25|first=Chloe|last=Albanesius|url=http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2376242,00.asp|accessdate=2011-05-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Anne E.|last=Kornblut|coauthors=Wilson, Scott|title=State of the Union 2011: 'Win the future,' Obama says|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/25/AR2011012504068.html|date=2011-01-26|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=2011-05-18}}</ref>

====Economic policy====
On February 17, 2009, Obama signed the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]], a $787&nbsp;billion [[stimulus (economic)|economic stimulus package]] aimed at helping the economy recover from the [[Late-2000s recession|deepening worldwide recession]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/13/stimulus/index.html|title=Stimulus package en route to Obama's desk|accessdate=March 29, 2009|publisher=CNN|date=February 14, 2009}}</ref> The act includes increased federal spending for health care, infrastructure, education, various tax breaks and [[tax incentive|incentives]], and direct assistance to individuals,<ref name="direct assistance"/> which is being distributed over the course of several years.

[[File:Barack Obama signs American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17.jpg|thumb|President Barack Obama signs the ARRA into law on February 17, 2009 in [[Denver]], [[Colorado]]. [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Joe Biden]] stands behind him.]] In March, Obama's Treasury Secretary, [[Timothy Geithner]], took further steps to manage the [[Late-2000s financial crisis|financial crisis]], including introducing the [[Public-Private Investment Program for Legacy Assets]], which contains provisions for buying up to $2&nbsp;trillion in depreciated real estate assets.<ref name="markets opened"/>
Obama intervened in the [[automotive industry crisis of 2008–2010|troubled automotive industry]]<ref>{{Cite news|title=White House questions viability of GM, Chrysler|date=March 30, 2009|work=The Huffington Post|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/30/obama-denies-bailout-fund_n_180563.html}}</ref> in March 2009, renewing loans for [[General Motors]] and [[Chrysler]] to continue operations while reorganizing. Over the following months the White House set terms for both firms' bankruptcies, including the [[Chrysler Chapter 11 reorganization|sale of Chrysler]] to Italian automaker [[Fiat]]<ref>{{Cite news|title=Chrysler and Union Agree to Deal Before Federal Deadline|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/business/27chrysler.htm|work=[[The New York Times]]|first1=Nick|last1=Bunkley|first2=Bill|last2=Vlasic|date=April 27, 2009|accessdate=April 12, 2010}}</ref> and a [[General Motors Chapter 11 reorganization|reorganization of GM]] giving the U.S. government a temporary 60% equity stake in the company, with the Canadian government shouldering a 12% stake.<ref>{{Cite news|title=GM Begins Bankruptcy Process With Filing for Affiliate|author=John Hughes, Caroline Salas, Jeff Green, and Bob Van Voris|url=http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aw4F_L7E4xYg|publisher=Bloomberg|date=June 1, 2009}}</ref> In June 2009, dissatisfied with the pace of economic stimulus, Obama called on his cabinet to accelerate the investment.<ref name='Christopher Conkey and Louise Radnofsky'>{{Cite news|title=Obama Presses Cabinet to Speed Stimulus Spending|date=June 9, 2009|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124445867883193821.html|first1=Christopher|last1=Conkey|first2=Louise|last2=Radnofsky}}</ref> He signed into law the [[Car Allowance Rebate System]], known colloquially as "Cash for Clunkers", that temporarily boosted the economy.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/20/AR2009082002699.html|title= U.S. Says 'Cash for Clunkers' Program Will End on Monday|author=Dana Hedgpeth|work=The Washington Post|date=August 21, 2009|accessdate=March 26, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1918692,00.html|title=Was Cash for Clunkers a Success?|author=Joseph R. Szczesny|work=Time|date=August 26, 2009|accessdate=March 26, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Mian|first1=Atif R.|first2=Amir|last2=Sufi|title=The Effects of Fiscal Stimulus: Evidence from the 2009 'Cash for Clunkers' Program|journal=SSRN eLibrary|accessdate=September 9, 2010|date=September 1, 2010|url=http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1670759}}</ref>

Although spending and loan guarantees from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department authorized by the Bush and Obama administrations totaled about $11.5&nbsp;trillion, only $3&nbsp;trillion had actually been spent by the end of November 2009.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=CNNMoney.com's bailout tracker|journal=Bailout tracker|page=20|volume=06|url=http://money.cnn.com/news/storysupplement/economy/bailouttracker/|accessdate=March 26, 2010|author=Goldman, David|date=April 6, 2009}}</ref> However, Obama and the [[Congressional Budget Office]] predict that the 2010 [[2010 United States federal budget|budget deficit]] will be $1.5 trillion or 10.6% of the nation's [[gross domestic product]] (GDP) compared to the 2009 deficit of $1.4 trillion or 9.9% of GDP.<ref>{{Cite news|last= Montgomery|first=Lori|title=Federal budget deficit to exceed $1.4 trillion in 2010 and 2011|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/23/AR2010072304101.html |work=The Washington Post|accessdate=July 29, 2010|date=July 24, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|first2=Jeff|last2=Mason|first=Alister|last=Bull|title=Obama's 2010 budget: deficit soars amid job spending|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60U00220100201|publisher=Reuters|accessdate=July 29, 2010|date=February 1, 2010}}</ref> For 2011, the administration predicted the deficit will slightly shrink to $1.34 trillion, while the 10-year deficit will increase to $8.53 trillion or 80% of GDP.<ref>{{cite news|last= Dickson|first=David M.|title=CBO report: Debt will rise to 90% of GDP|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/26/cbos-2020-vision-debt-will-rise-to-90-of-gdp/?page=1|work=Washington Times|agency=Associated Press|accessdate=July 29, 2010|date=March 26, 2010}}</ref> The most recent increase in the U.S. [[debt ceiling]] to $14.3&nbsp;trillion was signed into law on February 12, 2010.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61B4AU20100212 "Obama signs debt limit-paygo bill into law"] (February 12, 2010). ''Reuters'' [website]. Retrieved February 9, 2011.</ref> On August 2, 2011, after a lengthy congressional debate over whether to raise the nation's debt limit, Obama signed the bipartisan [[Budget Control Act of 2011]]. The legislation enforces limits on discretionary spending until 2021, establishes a procedure to increase the debt limit, creates a Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to propose further deficit reduction with a stated goal of achieving at least $1.5 trillion in budgetary savings over 10 years, and establishes automatic procedures for reducing spending by as much as $1.2 trillion if legislation originating with the new joint select committee does not achieve such savings.<ref>{{cite web|author=By NBC's Sylvie Stein|url=http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/08/02/7231805-a-breakdown-of-the-debt-limit-legislation|title=First Read - A breakdown of the debt-limit legislation|publisher=Firstread.msnbc.msn.com|accessdate=2011-08-03}}</ref> By passing the legislation, Congress was able to prevent an unprecedented [[Federal government of the United States|U.S. government]] [[Default (finance)|default]] on its obligations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43967924/ns/politics-capitol_hill/|title=House passes debt ceiling bill|publisher=MSNBC|date=2011-03-08|accessdate=2011-08-03}}</ref>
[[File:Revenue and Expense to GDP Chart 1993 - 2008.png|thumb|left|Revenue and Expense as % GDP.]]
The unemployment rate rose in 2009, reaching a peak in October at 10.1% and averaging 10.0% in the fourth quarter.<ref name="Theodossiou">{{cite journal|last1=Theodossiou|first1=Eleni|last2=Hipple|first2=Steven F.|year=2011|title=Unemployment Remains High in 2010|journal=Monthly Labor Review|volume=134|issue=3|pages=3–22|publisher=Bureau of Labor Statistics|url=http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2011/03/art1full.pdf|accessdate=April 7, 2011}}</ref> Following a decrease to 9.7% in the first quarter of 2010, the unemployment rate fell to 9.6% in the second quarter, where it remained for the rest of the year.<ref name=Theodossiou/> Between February and December 2010, employment rose by 0.8%, which was less than the average of 1.9% experienced during comparable periods in the past four employment recoveries.<ref name="Eddlemon">{{cite journal|last1=Eddlemon|first1=John P.|year=2011|title=Payroll Employment Turns the Corner in 2010|journal=Monthly Labor Review|volume=134|issue=3|pages=23–32|publisher=Bureau of Labor Statistics|url=http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2011/03/art2full.pdf|accessdate=April 7, 2011}}</ref> GDP growth returned in the third quarter of 2009, expanding at a 1.6% pace, followed by a 5.0% increase in the fourth quarter.<ref name="BEA1">{{cite web|url=http://bea.gov/national/nipaweb/TableView.asp?SelectedTable=1&ViewSeries=NO&Java=no&Request3Place=N&3Place=N&FromView=YES&Freq=Qtr&FirstYear=2009&LastYear=2010&3Place=N&Update=Update&JavaBox=no#Mid|title=Percent Change in Real Gross Domestic Product (Quarterly)|work=National Income and Product Accounts Table|publisher=Bureau of Economic Analysis|accessdate=April 7, 2011}}</ref> Growth continued in 2010, posting an increase of 3.7% in the first quarter, with lesser gains throughout the rest of the year.<ref name=BEA1/> In July 2010, the [[Federal Reserve System|Federal Reserve]] expressed that although economic activity continued to increase, its pace had slowed and its Chairman, [[Ben Bernanke]], stated that the economic outlook was "unusually uncertain."<ref>{{cite web|last=Harding|first=Robin|title=Beige Book survey reports signs of slowdown|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dac3245a-9a7b-11df-87fd-00144feab49a.html|work=Financial Times|accessdate=July 29, 2010|date=July 28, 2010}}</ref> Overall, the economy expanded at a rate of 2.9% in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bea.gov/national/nipaweb/TableView.asp?SelectedTable=1&ViewSeries=NO&Java=no&Request3Place=N&3Place=N&FromView=YES&Freq=Year&FirstYear=2009&LastYear=2010&3Place=N&Update=Update&JavaBox=no#Mid|title=Percent Change in Real Gross Domestic Product (Annual)|work=National Income and Product Accounts Table|publisher=Bureau of Economic Analysis|accessdate=April 7, 2011}}</ref>

The [[Congressional Budget Office]] and a broad range of economists credit Obama's stimulus plan for economic growth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/110xx/doc11044/02-23-ARRA.pdf|title=Estimated Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Employment and Economic Output From October 2009 Through December 2009|accessdate=August 8, 2010|publisher=Congressional Budget Office, Pub. no. 4104|date=February 2010}}</ref><ref name=newc/> The CBO released a report stating that the stimulus bill increased employment by 1–2.1&nbsp;million,<ref name=newc>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/21/business/economy/21stimulus.html|title=New Consensus Sees Stimulus Package as Worthy Step|work= [[The New York Times]]|date=November 20, 2009|accessdate=December 21, 2010|first1=Jackie|last1=Calmes|first2=Michael|last2=Cooper}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/83253-cbo-stimulus-created-as-many-as-21-million-jobs|title=CBO: Stimulus created as many as 2.1&nbsp;million jobs|date=February 23, 2010|accessdate=April 25, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/opinion/02krugman.html|title=Too Little of a Good Thing|work=The New York Times|date=November 2, 2009|accessdate=December 22, 2010|first=Paul|last=Krugman}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Isidore|first=Chris|url=http://money.cnn.com/2010/01/29/news/economy/gdp/index.htm|title=Best economic growth in six years|publisher=CNN|date=January 29, 2010|accessdate=April 18, 2010}}</ref> while conceding that "It is impossible to determine how many of the reported jobs would have existed in the absence of the stimulus package."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/106xx/doc10682/Frontmatter.2.2.shtml|title=Estimated Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Employment and Economic Output|publisher=Congressional Budget Office|accessdate=May 30, 2010}}</ref> Although an April 2010 survey of members of the [[National Association for Business Economics]] showed an increase in job creation (over a similar January survey) for the first time in two years, 73% of the 68 respondents believed that the stimulus bill has had no impact on employment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nabe.com/publib/indsum.html|title=New NABE Survey Shows Business Recovery Gaining Momentum, with More Jobs Ahead|accessdate=April 26, 2010}}</ref>

Within a month of the [[United States elections, 2010|2010 midterm elections]], Obama announced a compromise deal with the Congressional Republican leadership that included a temporary, two-year extension of the [[Bush tax cuts|2001 and 2003 income tax rates]], a one-year [[Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax|payroll tax]] reduction, continuation of unemployment benefits, and a new rate and exemption amount for [[Estate tax in the United States|estate taxes]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/us/politics/08cong.html|title=Democrats Skeptical of Obama on New Tax Plan|author=Herszenhorn, David M.|author2=Stolberg, Sheryl Gay|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 7, 2010}}</ref> The compromise overcame opposition from some in both parties, and the resulting $858 billion [[Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010]] passed with bipartisan majorities in both houses of Congress before Obama signed it on December 17, 2010.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/12/17/tax.deal/index.html|title=Obama signs tax deal into law|publisher=CNN|date=December 17, 2010|accessdate=December 17, 2010}}</ref>

====Health care reform====
{{Main|Health care reform in the United States}}
[[File:Obama signs health care-20100323.jpg|thumb|alt=Obama signs bill at desk while others look on.|Barack Obama signs the [[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act]] at the White House, March 23, 2010]]

Obama called for [[United States Congress|Congress]] to pass legislation reforming [[health care in the United States]], a key campaign promise and a top legislative goal.<ref name="health reform"/> He proposed an expansion of health insurance coverage to cover the uninsured, to cap premium increases, and to allow people to retain their coverage when they leave or change jobs. His proposal was to spend $900&nbsp;billion over 10 years and include a government insurance plan, also known as the [[public health insurance option|public option]], to compete with the corporate insurance sector as a main component to lowering costs and improving quality of [[health care]]. It would also make it illegal for insurers to drop sick people or deny them coverage for [[pre-existing condition]]s, and require every American carry health coverage. The plan also includes medical spending cuts and taxes on insurance companies that offer expensive plans.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/us/politics/10obama.html|title=Obama, Armed With Details, Says Health Plan Is Necessary|author=Stolberg, Sheryl Gay|author2=Zeleny, Jeff|date=September 9, 2009|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/26907.html|title=Obama will hedge on public option|publisher= Politico.com|accessdate=September 9, 2009}}</ref>

On July 14, 2009, House Democratic leaders introduced a 1,017-page plan for overhauling the U.S. health care system, which Obama wanted Congress to approve by the end of 2009.<ref name="health reform">[[Lynn Sweet|Sweet, Lynn]], [http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/07/obama_july_22_2009_press_confe.html "Obama July 22, 2009 press conference. Transcript"], ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', July 22, 2009</ref> After much public debate during the Congressional summer recess of 2009, Obama delivered [[Barack Obama speech to joint session of Congress, September 2009|a speech to a joint session of Congress]] on September 9 where he addressed concerns over his administration's proposals.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/09/obama.speech/index.html|title=Obama calls for Congress to face health care challenge|date=September 9, 2009|accessdate=September 9, 2009|publisher=CNN}}</ref> In March 2009, Obama lifted a ban on stem cell research.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/10/obama-stem-cell-research Stem cell] retrieved 19th March 2011</ref>

On November 7, 2009, a health care bill featuring the public option was passed in the House.<ref name="nyt1">{{Cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/health/policy/08health.html|title=Sweeping Health Care Plan Passes House|last=Hulse|first=Carl|coauthors=Robert Pear|date=November 7, 2009|work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=November 8, 2009}}</ref><ref name="nyt">{{Cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/health/policy/08scene.html|title=Abortion Was at Heart of Wrangling|last=Herszenhorn|first=David M.|coauthors=Jackie Calmes|date=December 7, 2009|work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=December 6, 2009}}</ref> On December 24, 2009, the Senate passed its own bill—without a public option—on a party-line vote of 60–39.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121854289|title=Senate Says Yes To Landmark Health Bill|author=Hensley, Scott|date=December 24, 2009|accessdate=December 24, 2009|publisher=[[National Public Radio]]}}</ref> On March 21, 2010, the health care bill passed by the Senate in December was passed in the House by a vote of 219 to 212.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/opinion/22mon5.html|title=Health Care Reform, at Last|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 21, 2010|accessdate=March 22, 2010}}</ref> Obama signed the bill into law on March 23, 2010.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/health/policy/24health.html|title=Obama Signs Landmark Health Care Bill|date=March 23, 2010|accessdate=March 23, 2010|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|author=Gay Stolberg, Sheryl}}</ref>

====Gulf of Mexico oil spill====
{{Main|Deepwater Horizon oil spill}}
On April 20, 2010, an explosion destroyed an offshore [[drilling rig]] at the [[Macondo Prospect]] in the [[Gulf of Mexico]], causing a major sustained oil leak. The well's operator, [[BP]], initiated a containment and cleanup plan, and began drilling two [[relief well]]s intended to stop the flow. Obama visited the Gulf on May 2 among visits by members of his cabinet, and again on May 28 and June 4. He began{{when|date=November 2011}} a federal investigation and formed a bipartisan commission to recommend new safety standards, after a review by [[United States Secretary of the Interior|Secretary of the Interior]] [[Ken Salazar]] and concurrent Congressional hearings. On May 27, he announced a 6-month moratorium on new deepwater drilling permits and leases, pending regulatory review.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Obama Halts Drilling Projects, Defends Actions|work=National Public Radio|date=May 27, 2010|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127205462&ps=rs}}</ref> As multiple efforts by BP failed, some in the media and public expressed confusion and criticism over various aspects of the incident, and stated a desire for more involvement by Obama and the federal government.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Patrik|last=Jonsson|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0529/Gulf-oil-spill-Obama-s-big-political-test|title=Gulf oil spill: Obama's big political test|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|date=May 29, 2010|accessdate=June 6, 2010}}</ref>

===Foreign policy===

[[File:Barack Obama at Cairo University cropped.jpg|thumb|Barack Obama speaking on "[[A New Beginning]]" at [[Cairo University]] on June 4, 2009]]
[[File:Hu Jintao and Barack Obama 2009.jpg|thumb|President Obama in discussion with Chinese President [[Hu Jintao]] at the [[2009 G-20 Pittsburgh summit|2009 Pittsburgh G-20 Summit]]]]
[[File:G8 summit in L'Aquila, family photo.jpg|thumb|Obama (at left) attending the G-8 Summit in 2009.]]
{{Main|Foreign policy of the Barack Obama administration}}
In February and March, Vice President Joe Biden and [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] Hillary Rodham Clinton made separate overseas trips to announce a "new era" in U.S. foreign relations with Russia and Europe, using the terms "break" and "reset" to signal major changes from the policies of the preceding administration.<ref name="preceding administration"/> Obama attempted to reach out to Arab leaders by granting his first interview to an Arab cable TV network, [[Al Arabiya]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Obama reaches out to Muslim world on TV|work=[[msnbc.com]]|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28869185/|accessdate=June 15, 2009}}</ref>

On March 19, Obama continued his outreach to the Muslim world, releasing a New Year's video message to the people and government of Iran.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Karen|last=DeYoung|authorlink=|title=Nation U.S. to Join Talks on Iran's Nuclear Program|date=April 9, 2009|work=The Washington Post|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/08/AR2009040802254.html|accessdate=June 15, 2009}}</ref> This attempt at outreach was rebuffed by the Iranian leadership.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Iranian Leaders Ignore Obama's Outstretched Hand|work=Fox News Channel|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/20/iranian-leaders-ignore-obamas-outstretched-hand/|accessdate=June 15, 2009|date=March 20, 2009}}</ref> In April, Obama gave a speech in Ankara, [[Turkey]], which was well received by many Arab governments.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Obama speech draws praise in Mideast|work=The Guardian|location=London|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8443248|accessdate=June 15, 2009|date=January 23, 2008}}</ref> On June 4, 2009, Obama delivered a speech at [[Cairo University]] in Egypt calling for "[[A New Beginning|a new beginning]]" in relations between the Islamic world and the United States and promoting Middle East peace.<ref name="middleeast"/>

On June 26, 2009, in response to the Iranian government's actions towards protesters following [[Iranian presidential election, 2009|Iran's 2009 presidential election]], Obama said: "The violence perpetrated against them is outrageous. We see it and we condemn it."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/26/obama-dismisses-ahmadinejad-apology-request/|title=Obama dismisses Ahmadinejad apology request|work=The Washington Times|date=June 26, 2009}}</ref> On July 7, while in Moscow, he responded to a Vice President Biden comment on a possible Israeli military strike on Iran by saying: "We have said directly to the Israelis that it is important to try and resolve this in an international setting in a way that does not create major conflict in the Middle East."<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/07/obama.israel.iran/ Obama: No green light for Israel to attack Iran], CNN, July 7, 2009</ref>
[[File:David Cameron and Barack Obama at the G20 Summit in Toronto.jpg|thumb|British Prime Minister David Cameron and President Barack Obama, during the [[2010 G-20 Toronto summit]].]]

On September 24, 2009, Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to [[President of the United Nations Security Council|preside]] over a meeting of the [[United Nations Security Council]].<ref>Chidanand Rajghatta, [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/world/us/Barack-No-Bomb-Obama-pushes-for-world-without-nukes/articleshow/5052325.cms "Barack 'No Bomb' Obama pushes for world without nukes"], ''[[The Times of India]]'', September 24, 2009.</ref>

In March 2010, Obama took a public stance against plans by the government of Israeli [[Prime Minister of Israel|Prime Minister]] [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] to continue building Jewish housing projects in predominantly Arab neighborhoods of [[East Jerusalem]].<ref>Robert Berger, [http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/Netanyahus-Office-No-Change-on-East-Jerusalem-Plans-89258402.html "Israel Refuses to Halt Construction in East Jerusalem"], ''[[Voice of America]]'', March 26, 2010.</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/world/middleeast/25jerusalem.html|title=Israel Confirms New Building in East Jerusalem|work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 24, 2010|first=Isabel|last=Kershner|accessdate=April 26, 2010}}</ref> During the same month, an agreement was reached with the administration of [[Russia]]n [[President of Russia|President]] [[Dmitry Medvedev]] to replace the [[START I|1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty]] with a new pact reducing the number of long-range nuclear weapons in the arsenals of both countries by about one-third.<ref>Peter Baker, [http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/27/world/europe/27start.html "Obama Seals Arms Control Deal With Russia"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', March 26, 2010.</ref> The [[New START]] treaty was signed by Obama and Medvedev in April 2010, and was ratified by the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] in December 2010.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/world/europe/23treaty.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|first=Peter|last=Baker|title=Senate Passes Arms Control Treaty With Russia, 71-26|date=December 22, 2010}}</ref>

====Iraq War====
{{Main|Iraq War}}

During his [[Presidential transition of Barack Obama|presidential transition]], [[President-elect]] Obama announced that he would retain the incumbent [[Defense Secretary]], [[Robert Gates]], in his Cabinet.<ref>{{cite web|title=Will Gates Stay or Go?|url=http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/11/10/1667896.aspx|work=[[msnbc.com]]|date=November 10, 2008}}</ref>

On February 27, 2009, Obama declared that combat operations would end in Iraq within 18 months. His remarks were made to a group of [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]] preparing for deployment to Afghanistan. Obama said, "Let me say this as plainly as I can: By August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end."<ref>{{Cite news|agency=[[Associated Press]]|first=Ben|last=Feller|url=http://www.detnews.com/article/20090228/POLITICS/902280332/Obama+sets+firm+Iraq+withdrawal|title=Obama sets firm withdrawal timetable for Iraq|work=[[The Detroit News]]|location=CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.|date=February 27, 2009|accessdate=March 3, 2009}}</ref> The Obama administration scheduled the withdrawal of combat troops to be completed by August 2010, decreasing troops levels from 142,000 while leaving a transitional force of 35,000 to 50,000 in Iraq until the end of 2011. On August 19, 2010, the last United States combat brigade exited Iraq. The plan is to transition the mission of the remaining troops from combat operations to [[counter-terrorism]] and the training, equipping, and advising of Iraqi security forces.<ref>Athena Johnes [http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/02/27/1814247.aspx Obama announces Iraq plan]. February 27, 2009. [[msnbc.com]].</ref><ref>BBC News: [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11020270 Last US combat brigade exits Iraq], August 19, 2010 Last updated at 17:56 GMT.</ref> On August 31, 2010, Obama announced that the United States combat mission in Iraq was over.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/01/obama-formally-ends-iraq-war|location=London|work=The Guardian|title=Barack Obama ends the war in Iraq. 'Now it's time to turn the page'|first=Ewen|last=MacAskill|date=September 1, 2010}}</ref> On October 21, 2011 President Obama announced that all U.S. troops would leave Iraq in time to be, "home for the holidays."<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44990594/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/ All U.S. troops out of Iraq by end of year], MSNBC News, Washington, October 21, 2011</ref>

====War in Afghanistan====
{{Main|War in Afghanistan (2001–present)}}

Early in his presidency, Obama moved to bolster U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|work=NewsHour with Jim Lehrer|url=http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec08/obama_07-15.html|title=Obama Calls for U.S. Military to Renew Focus on Afghanistan|publisher=PBS|date=July 15, 2008|accessdate=April 18, 2010}}</ref> He announced an increase to U.S. troop levels of 17,000 in February 2009 to "stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan", an area he said had not received the "strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires".<ref>{{Cite news|first=Amanda|last=Hodge|title=Obama launches Afghanistan Surge|date=February 19, 2009|work=[[The Australian]]|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25074581-2703,00.html}}</ref> He replaced the military commander in Afghanistan, General [[David D. McKiernan]], with former [[Special Forces (United States Army)|Special Forces]] commander Lt. Gen. [[Stanley A. McChrystal]] in May 2009, indicating that McChrystal's Special Forces experience would facilitate the use of counterinsurgency tactics in the war.<ref name="counterinsurgency tactics"/> On December 1, 2009, Obama announced the deployment of an additional 30,000 military personnel to Afghanistan.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34218604/ns/politics-white_house "Obama to announce war strategy"] Associated Press. [[msnbc.com]]. December 1, 2009.</ref> He also proposed to begin troop withdrawals 18 months from that date.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34218604/?gt1=43001 "Obama details Afghan war plan, troop increases"] Associated Press. [[msnbc.com]]. December 1, 2009.</ref><ref>{{YouTube|id=I65QiUhvAq8|title=President Obama's Afghanistan Speech pt.1, December 1, 2009}}</ref> McChrystal was replaced by [[David Petraeus]] in June 2010 after McChrystal's staff criticized White House personnel in a magazine article.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/06/24/mcchrystal.gates.support/|title=Gates says he agrees with Obama decision on McChrystal|publisher=CNN|date=June 24, 2010|accessdate=September 18, 2010}}</ref>

====Israel====
[[File:Barack Obama welcomes Shimon Peres in the Oval Office.jpg|thumb|right|Obama meeting with Israeli President [[Shimon Peres]], 2009]]
During the initial years of the Obama administration, the U.S. increased military cooperation with Israel, including a record number of U.S. troops participating in military exercises in the country, increased military aid, and the re-establishment of the [[Joint Political Military Group|U.S.-Israeli Joint Political Military Group]] and the Defense Policy Advisory Group. It was reported high-ranking defense officials from both countries had been making an unusual number of trips between the two countries, including [[Ehud Barak]]. Part of the military aid increase in 2010 was to fund Israel's missile defense shield. Before his retirement in September 2011, Adm. Mike Mullen, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made four trips to Israel during his four-year tenure, two of them in 2010. Prior to 2007 no Chairman of the Joint Chiefs had done so for over ten years.<ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703321004575427272550050504.html "U.S., Israel Build Military Cooperation"], Charles Levinson. Wall Street Journal. August 14, 2010. Accessed March 1, 2011</ref>

In 2011, Obama's Ambassador to the [[United Nations]] vetoed a resolution condemning Israeli settlements, with the U.S. the only nation on the [[Security Council]] doing so.<ref>[http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37572&Cr=palestin&Cr1 "United States vetoes Security Council resolution on Israeli settlements"], United Nations News Centre. February 18, 2011. Accessed March 1, 2011</ref> Like previous American presidential administrations, Obama supports the [[two-state solution]] to the [[Arab-Israeli conflict]] based on the 1967 borders with land swaps.<ref>Levy, Elior. [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4072210,00.html "PA challenges Netanyahu to accept 1967 lines."] ''Ynetnews''. 22 May 2011. 22 May 2011.</ref>

====Libya====
{{Main|2011 military intervention in Libya}}

In March 2011, as forces loyal to [[Muammar Gaddafi]] advanced on rebels across [[Libya]], formal calls for a no-fly zone came in from around the world, including Europe, the [[Arab League]], and a resolution<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.FloorStatements&ContentRecord_id=b63b7b6f-a466-ba23-dea8-7bc024f54655|title=Floor Statment (sic) by Senator McCain Introducing the Senate Resolution Calling for a No-Fly Zone in Libya|publisher=Senate.gov|date=March 14, 2011|accessdate=March 28, 2011}}</ref> passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nationaljournal.com/congress/senate-passes-resolution-calling-for-no-fly-zone-over-libya-20110301?page=1|title=Senate Passes Resolution Calling for No-Fly Zone Over Libya|publisher=[[National Journal]]|date=March 1, 2011|accessdate=March 28, 2011}}</ref> In response to the unanimous passage of [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973]] on March 17, Gaddafi who had previously vowed to "show no mercy" to the citizens of Benghazi<ref>{{cite news|last=Winnett|first=Robert|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8389565/Libya-UN-approves-no-fly-zone-as-British-troops-prepare-for-action.html|title=Libya: UN approves no-fly zone as British troops prepare for action|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=March 17, 2011|accessdate=April 7, 2011|location=London}}</ref>—announced an immediate cessation of military activities,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/03/fly-zone-ceasefire-libya|title=Libya declares ceasefire|publisher=New Statesman|accessdate=2011-07-16}}</ref> yet reports came in that his forces continued shelling Misrata.<ref>{{cite news|title=Libya Live Blog - March 18|url=http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-18|date=March 18, 2011|agency=[[Al Jazeera]]}}</ref> The next day, on Obama's orders, the U.S. military took a lead role in air strikes to destroy the Libyan government's air defense capabilities in order to protect civilians and enforce a no-fly-zone,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rttnews.com/Content/GeneralNews.aspx?Id=1580433&SM=1|title=Obama: US to Transfer Lead Role in Libya|publisher=RTT Newswire|accessdate=March 22, 2011}}</ref> including the use of [[Tomahawk missile]]s, [[Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit|B-2 Spirit]]s, and fighter jets.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/mar/23/ap-news-in-brief/|title=Obama says US efforts in Libya have saved lives, control of operation can be turned over soon|publisher=Washington Post|accessdate=March 22, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Ian Pannell|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12813757|title=Gaddafi 'not targeted' by allied strikes|publisher=Bbc.co.uk|date=2011-03-21|accessdate=2011-07-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/22/f15-fighter-crash-libya|title=F-15 fighter jet crashes in Libya|publisher=The Guardian|date=March 22, 2011|accessdate=March 23, 2011|location=London|first=Sam|last=Jones}}</ref> Six days later, on March 25, by unanimous vote of all of its 28 members, [[NATO]] took over leadership of the effort, dubbed [[Operation Unified Protector]].<ref name="NATOPressRelease">{{cite web|url=http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_03/20110325_110325-unified-protector-no-fly-zone.pdf|title=NATO No-Fly Zone over Libya Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR|publisher=NATO|date=March 25, 2011}}</ref> Some Representatives<ref name=LibyaOffensive>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20045927-503544.html|title=Is Obama's Libya offensive constitutional?|publisher=CBS News|date=March 22, 2011|accessdate=March 22, 2011|first=Brian|last=Montopoli}}</ref> questioned whether Obama had the constitutional authority to order military action in addition to questioning its cost, structure and aftermath.<ref>{{cite web|title=Obama's Libya Policy Makes Strange Bedfellows Of Congressional Critics|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/20/obama-libya_n_838219.html|work=The Huffington Post|accessdate=March 26, 2011|date=March 21, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Obama juggles Libya promises, realities|url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/03/25/obama.libya/index.html?hpt=T1|publisher=CNN|accessdate=March 26, 2011|date=March 25, 2011}}</ref>

[[File:Obama and Biden await updates on bin Laden.jpg|thumb|right|Obama and the U.S. national security team gathered in the [[White House Situation Room|Situation Room]] to monitor the [[Operation Neptune Spear|military operation]] resulting in the death of Osama bin Laden on May 1, 2011.]]

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{{wikisource|Remarks by the President on Osama Bin Laden}}

====Osama bin Laden====
{{Main|Death of Osama bin Laden}}{{See also|The Situation Room (photograph)}}

Starting with information received in July 2010, intelligence developed by the CIA over the next several months determined what they believed to be the location of [[Osama bin Laden]] in a large compound in [[Abbottabad]], [[Pakistan]], a suburban area 35 miles from [[Islamabad]].<ref name="NYT-clues">{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/asia/03intel.html?hp=&pagewanted=all|title=Clues Gradually Led to the Location of Osama bin Laden|last=Mazzetti|first=Mark|coauthors=Helene Cooper, Peter Baker|date=3 May 2011|work=The New York Times|accessdate=4 May 2011}}</ref> CIA head [[Leon Panetta]] reported this intelligence to President Obama in March 2011.<ref name="NYT-clues"/> Meeting with his national security advisers over the course of the next six weeks, Obama rejected a plan to bomb the compound, and authorized a "surgical raid" to be conducted by [[United States Navy SEALs]].<ref name="NYT-clues"/> The operation took place on May 1, 2011, resulting in the [[Death of Osama bin Laden|death of bin Laden]] and the seizure of papers and computer drives and disks from the compound.<ref name="WP-binLaden">[http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/osama-bin-laden-is-killed-by-us-forces-in-pakistan/2011/05/01/AFXMZyVF_story.html "Osama bin Laden is killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan" - washingtonpost.com] Retrieved May 2, 2011</ref><ref name="ND-binLaden">[http://www.newsday.com/news/breaking/official-offers-details-of-bin-laden-raid-1.2853079 "Official offers details of bin Laden raid" - newsday.com] Retrieved May 2, 2011</ref> Bin Laden's body was identified through DNA testing,<ref name="ABC-binLaden">{{cite news|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/osama-bin-laden-killed/story?id=13505703|title=Osama bin Laden Killed by U.S. Forces in Pakistan|last=Schabner|first=Dean|coauthors=Karen Travers|date=1 May 2011|publisher=ABC News|accessdate=3 May 2011}}</ref> and buried at sea several hours later.<ref name="NYT-ObamaAnnounce">{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-is-killed.html|title=Bin Laden Is Dead, Obama Says|last=Baker|first=Peter|coauthors=Helene Cooper, Mark Mazzetti|date=2 May 2011|work=The New York Times|accessdate=3 May 2011}}</ref> Within minutes of the President's announcement from Washington, DC, late in the evening on May 1, there were spontaneous celebrations around the country as crowds gathered outside the White House, and at New York City's [[World Trade Center site|Ground Zero]] and [[Times Square]].<ref name="WP-binLaden"/><ref name="Guard-ObamaAnnounce">{{cite news|last=Walsh|first=Declan|coauthors=Richard Adams and Ewen MacAskill|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/02/osama-bin-laden-dead-obama|title=Osama bin Laden is dead, Obama announces|date=May 2, 2011|work=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=May 3, 2011|location=London}}</ref> [[Reactions to the death of Osama bin Laden|Reaction to the announcement]] was positive across party lines, including from former Presidents [[Bill Clinton]] and [[George W. Bush]],<ref name="Bloom-binLaden">{{cite news|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-02/death-of-bin-laden-may-strengthen-obama-s-hand-in-domestic-foreign-policy.html|title=Death of Bin Laden May Strengthen Obama's Hand in Domestic, Foreign Policy|last=Dorning|first=Mike|date=May 2, 2011|publisher=Bloomberg News|accessdate=4 May 2011}}</ref> and from many countries around the world.<ref name="NPR-worldreaction">{{cite news|url=http://www.npr.org/2011/05/02/135919728/world-reaction-to-osama-bin-ladens-death|title=World Reaction To Osama Bin Laden's Death|date=May 2, 2011|publisher=[[NPR]]|accessdate=4 May 2011}}</ref>

===2010 midterm election===
{{main|United States House of Representatives elections, 2010}}

Obama called the November 2, 2010 election, where the Democratic Party lost 63 seats in, and control of, the House of Representatives,<ref>{{cite news|author=Paul Harris in Oakland and Ewen MacAskill in Washington|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/03/us-midterm-election-results-tea-party|title=US midterm election results herald new political era as Republicans take House|publisher=Guardian |date=November 3, 2010|accessdate=December 22, 2010|location=London}}</ref> "humbling" and a "shellacking".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/Vox-News/2010/1104/Obama-calls-midterm-elections-a-shellacking-for-Democrats|title=Obama calls midterm elections a 'shellacking' for Democrats|publisher=CSMonitor.com|date=November 4, 2010|accessdate=December 22, 2010}}</ref> He said that the results came because not enough Americans had felt the effects of the economic recovery.<ref>{{cite web|work=All Things Considered|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131048554|title=See Obama's first paragraph of his transcript|publisher=NPR|date=November 3, 2010|accessdate=December 22, 2010}}</ref>

===Cultural and political image===
[[File:Five Presidents Oval Office.jpg|thumb|alt=Group portrait of five presidential men in dark suits and ties|President [[George W. Bush]] invited then-President-elect Barack Obama and former Presidents [[George H. W. Bush]], [[Bill Clinton]], and [[Jimmy Carter]] to a meeting in the [[Oval Office]] on January 7, 2009.]]
{{Main|Public image of Barack Obama}}
{{See also|International media reaction to Barack Obama's 2008 election}}
Obama's family history, early life and upbringing, and [[Ivy League]] education differ markedly from those of African-American politicians who launched their careers in the 1960s through participation in the [[African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968)|civil rights movement]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wallace-Wells|first=Benjamin|title=The Great Black Hope: What's Riding on Barack Obama?|date=November 2004|work=Washington Monthly|url=http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2004/0411.wallace-wells.html|accessdate=April 7, 2008}} See also:{{Cite news|first=Janny|last=Scott|title=A Member of a New Generation, Obama Walks a Fine Line|date=December 28, 2007|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/28/america/obama.php|work=International Herald Tribune|accessdate=April 7, 2008}}</ref> Obama is also not a descendant of American slaves.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Harris|first=Paul|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/mar/04/uselections2008.barackobama|title=Obama told of family's slave-owning history in deep South|work=The Observer|location=London|date=March 4, 2007|accessdate=April 18, 2010}}</ref> Expressing puzzlement over questions about whether he is "black enough", Obama told an August 2007 meeting of the [[National Association of Black Journalists]] that "we're still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong."<ref>{{Cite news|first=Les|last=Payne|title=In One Country, a Dual Audience|format=paid archive|date=August 19, 2007|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/1322008241.html?dids=1322008241:1322008241&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|work=Newsday|location=New York|accessdate=April 7, 2008}}</ref> Obama acknowledged his youthful image in an October 2007 campaign speech, saying: "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation."<ref>{{Cite news|first=Mike|last=Dorning|title=Obama Reaches Across Decades to JFK|format=paid archive|date=October 4, 2007|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/1353513781.html?dids=1353513781:1353513781&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+4%2C+2007&author=Mike+Dorning|work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=April 7, 2008}} See also:{{Cite news|first=Toby|last=Harnden|title=Barack Obama is JFK Heir, Says Kennedy Aide|date=October 15, 2007|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1565992/Barack-Obama-is-JFK-heir%2C-says-Kennedy-aide.html|work=Daily Telegraph|accessdate=April 7, 2008|location=London}}</ref>

Obama is frequently referred to as an exceptional orator.<ref name="exceptional orator"/> During his pre-inauguration transition period and continuing into his presidency, Obama has delivered a series of weekly Internet video addresses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/user/ChangeDotGov|title=YouTube – ChangeDotGov's Channel|publisher=Youtube.com|accessdate=April 18, 2010}}</ref>
[[File:20090124 WeeklyAddress.ogv|left|thumb|Obama presents his first [[commons:Obama Administration weekly video addresses|weekly address]] as President of the United States on January 24, 2009, discussing the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]].]]

According to [[the Gallup Organization]], Obama began his presidency with a 68% approval rating<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/113962/obama-starts-job-approval.aspx|title=Obama Starts With 68% Job Approval|publisher=Gallup.com|date=2009-01-24|accessdate=2011-06-19}}</ref> before gradually declining for the rest of the year, and eventually bottoming out at 41% in August 2010,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/04/obama-hits-low-point-in-gallup-poll/1 |title=Obama hits low point in Gallup Poll - 41% - The Oval: Tracking the Obama presidency|publisher=Content.usatoday.com|date=2011-04-15|accessdate=2011-06-19}}</ref> a trend similar to [[Ronald Reagan]]'s and [[Bill Clinton]]'s first years in office.<ref>{{cite web|author=Jon Terbush|url=http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/approval-by-numbers-how-obama-compares-to-past-presidents.php|title=Approval By Numbers: How Obama Compares To Past Presidents|publisher=Tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com|date=2010-12-09|accessdate=2011-06-19}}</ref> He experienced a small poll bounce shortly after the death of Osama bin Laden, which lasted until around June 2011, when his approval numbers dropped back to where they were prior to the operation.<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/11/news/la-pn-obama-bounce-20110511 "Bin Laden bounce? New poll shows jump in Obama approval"], James Oliphant. Los Angeles Times. May 11, 2011. Accessed June 7, 2011</ref><ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-loses-bin-laden-bounce-romney-on-the-move-among-gop-contenders/2011/06/06/AGT5wiKH_story.html "Obama loses bin Laden bounce; Romney on the move among GOP contenders"], Dan Balz. John Cohen. Washington Post. June 6, 2011. Accessed June 7, 2011</ref><ref>[http://21stcenturywire.com/2011/05/23/washington-still-working-hard-to-plug-gaps-in-the-bin-laden-story/ "Washington Still Working Hard to Plug Gaps in The Bin Laden Story"], Patrick Henningsen. 21st Century Wire. May 23, 2011. Accessed June 7, 2011</ref> Polls show strong support for Obama in other countries,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/09/2360240.htm|title=World wants Obama as president: poll|agency=Reuters|date=September 9, 2008|work=ABC News|location=Australia}}</ref> and before being elected President he has met with prominent foreign figures including then-[[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|British Prime Minister]] [[Tony Blair]],<ref>{{cite press release|accessdate=October 12, 2011|url=http://obama.senate.gov/press/050823-obama_to_visit/|title=Obama to visit nuclear, biological weapons destruction facilities in former Soviet Union|date=August 24, 2005|publisher=Obama.senate.gov|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20081218122125/http://obama.senate.gov/press/050823-obama_to_visit/|archivedate=December 18, 2008}}</ref> Italy's [[Democratic Party (Italy)|Democratic Party]] leader and then [[Mayor]] of Rome [[Walter Veltroni]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Scherer|first=Steve|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aea6jJJwShpQ&refer=europe|title=Rome Mayor's Leadership Bid May Lead to Early Italian Elections|publisher=Bloomberg.com|date=2007-09-12|accessdate=2011-05-21}}</ref> and [[President of France|French President]] [[Nicolas Sarkozy]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/blogs/certainideasofeurope/2008/02/sarkozy_obama_and_mccain.cfm|title=Sarkozy, Obama and McCain|work=The Economist|last=Pedder|first=Sophie|date=February 20, 2008|accessdate=November 20, 2008}}</ref>

According to a May 2009 poll conducted by [[Harris Interactive]] for [[France 24]] and the [[International Herald Tribune]], Obama was rated as the most popular world leader, as well as the one figure most people would pin their hopes on for pulling the world out of the economic downturn.<ref>[http://www.france24.com/en/20090529-obama-remains-popular-symbol-hope-harris-interactive-poll-world-leaders Obama remains a popular symbol of hope] France 24</ref>

Obama won [[Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album|Best Spoken Word Album]] [[Grammy Award]]s for abridged [[audiobook]] versions of ''[[Dreams from My Father]]'' in February 2006 and for ''[[The Audacity of Hope]]'' in February 2008.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Goodman, Dean|date=February 10, 2008|title=Obama or Clinton? Grammys go for Obama|publisher=Reuters|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/musicNews/idUSN0852813420080210|accessdate=November 24, 2008}}</ref> His [[Barack Obama presidential primary campaign, 2008#New Hampshire|concession speech]] after the New Hampshire primary was set to music by independent artists as the music video "[[Yes We Can]]", which was viewed 10&nbsp;million times on YouTube in its first month<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article3491460.ece|title=Celebrities join YouTube revolution|last=Strange|first=Hannah|date=March 5, 2008|work=The Times|accessdate=December 18, 2008|location=London}}</ref> and received a [[Daytime Emmy Award]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/soundboard/2008/06/emmys-give-knuc.html|title=Emmys give knuckle bump to will.i.am; more videos on the way|last=Wappler|first=Margaret|date=June 20, 2008|work=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=December 18, 2008}}</ref> In December 2008, ''Time'' magazine named Obama as its [[Time Person of the Year|Person of the Year]] for his historic candidacy and election, which it described as "the steady march of seemingly impossible accomplishments".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Von Drehle|first=David|title=Why History Can't Wait|url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/2008/personoftheyear/article/0,31682,1861543_1865068,00.html|work=Time Magazine|format=Cover article|date=December 16, 2008|accessdate=December 17, 2008}}</ref>

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On October 9, 2009, the [[Norwegian Nobel Committee]] announced that Obama had won the [[2009 Nobel Peace Prize]] "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples".<!--see [[WP:EGG]] before attempting to hide this link!--><ref name="nobel peace prize">{{cite web|url=http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/|title=The Nobel Peace Prize 2009|publisher=Nobel Foundation|accessdate=October 9, 2009}}</ref> Obama accepted this award in [[Oslo]], [[Norway]] on December 10, 2009, with "deep gratitude and great humility."<ref name="CNN: Obama acceptance transcript">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/10/obama.transcript/index.html|title=Obama: 'Peace requires responsibility'|publisher=CNN|date=2009-12-10|accessdate=2011-05-21}}</ref> The award drew a mixture of praise and criticism from world leaders and media figures.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Philp|first=Catherine|title=Barack Obama's peace prize starts a fight|work=The Times|publisher=TimesOnLine|date=October 10, 2009|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6868905.ece|accessdate=October 10, 2009|location=London}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|author=Samuelsohn, Darren|agency=Greenwire|url=http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/10/09/09greenwire-obama-wins-nobel-prize-in-part-for-confronting-55250.html|title=Obama Wins Nobel Prize in Part for Confronting 'Great Climatic Challenges'|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 9, 2009|accessdate=April 18, 2010}}</ref> Obama is the fourth U.S. president to be awarded the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] and the third to become a Nobel laureate while in office.

In a 2010 [[Siena College]] poll of 238 presidential scholars, Obama was ranked 15th out of 43, with high ratings for imagination, communication ability and intelligence and a low rating for background (family, education and experience).<ref name="Siena_2010">[http://www.siena.edu/uploadedfiles/home/parents_and_community/community_page/sri/independent_research/Presidents%20Release_2010_final.pdf "Rushmore Plus One; FDR joins Mountainside Figures Washington, Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Lincoln as Top Presidents"], ''[[Siena Research Institute]]'', July 1, 2010</ref>

==Family and personal life==
[[File:Obamas at White House Easter Egg Roll 4-13-09 2.JPG|thumb|alt=Barack and Michelle Obama, their children, and her mother, along with a costumed Easter Bunny, on a balcony waving.|Barack Obama together with his family and a costumed [[Easter Bunny]], as they wave from the South Portico of the White House to guests attending the [[White House Easter Egg Roll]].]]
{{Main|Early life and career of Barack Obama|Family of Barack Obama}}

In a 2006 interview, Obama highlighted the diversity of his extended family: "It's like a little mini-United Nations", he said. "I've got relatives who look like [[Bernie Mac]], and I've got relatives who look like [[Margaret Thatcher]]."<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/oprahshow1_ss_20061018/10|title=Keeping Hope Alive: Barack Obama Puts Family First|date=October 18, 2006|work=The Oprah Winfrey Show|accessdate=June 24, 2008}}</ref> Obama has a half-sister with whom he was raised, [[Maya Soetoro-Ng]], the daughter of his mother and her Indonesian second husband and seven half-siblings from his Kenyan father's family – six of them living.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Scott|last=Fornek|title=Half Siblings: 'A Complicated Family'|date=September 9, 2007| url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/familytree/545462,BSX-News-wotrees09.stng | archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5msGZ6sKn|archivedate=January 18, 2010|work=Chicago Sun-Times| accessdate=June 24, 2008}} See also:{{Cite news| url=http://www.suntimes.com/images/cds/special/family_tree.html|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080703042659/http://www.suntimes.com/images/cds/special/family_tree.html|archivedate=July 3, 2008|title=Interactive Family Tree|date=September 9, 2007|work=Chicago Sun-Times|accessdate=June 24, 2008}}</ref> Obama's mother was survived by her Kansas-born mother, Madelyn Dunham,<ref>{{Cite news|first=Scott|last=Fornek|title=Madelyn Payne Dunham: 'A Trailblazer'|date=September 9, 2007|url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/familytree/545449,BSX-News-wotreeee09.stng|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5gm7oJqn9|archivedate=2009-05-14|work=Chicago Sun-Times|accessdate=June 24, 2008}}</ref> until her death on November 2, 2008,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/03/obama.grandma/index.html|title=Obama's grandmother dies after battle with cancer|work=CNN|accessdate=November 4, 2008|date=November 3, 2008}}</ref> two days before his election to the Presidency. Obama also has roots in Ireland; he met with his Irish cousins in Moneygall in May 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/megan-smolenyak-smolenyak/tracing-barack-obamas-roo_b_859151.html|title=Tracing Barack Obama's Roots to Moneygall|date=May 9, 2011|work=The Huffington Post|first=Megan|last=Smolenyak}}</ref> In ''[[Dreams from My Father]]'', Obama ties his mother's family history to possible [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] ancestors and distant relatives of [[Jefferson Davis]], [[President of the Confederate States of America]] during the [[American Civil War]].<ref>Obama (1995, 2004), p. 13. For reports on Obama's maternal genealogy, including slave owners, Irish connections, and common ancestors with George W. Bush, [[Dick Cheney]], and [[Harry S. Truman|Harry Truman]], see:{{Cite news|first=David|last=Nitkin|coauthors=Harry Merritt|title=A New Twist to an Intriguing Family History|date=March 2, 2007|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/politics/bal-te.obama02mar02,0,3453027.story|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070930033339/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/politics/bal-te.obama02mar02,0,3453027.story|archivedate=September 30, 2007|work=Baltimore Sun|accessdate=June 24, 2008}}{{Cite news|first=Mary|last=Jordan|title=Tiny Irish Village Is Latest Place to Claim Obama as Its Own|date=May 13, 2007|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/12/AR2007051201551.html|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=June 24, 2008}}{{Cite news|title=Obama's Family Tree Has a Few Surprises|date=September 8, 2007|work=CBS 2 (Chicago)|url=http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/Barack.Obama.family.2.339709.html|agency=Associated Press|accessdate=June 24, 2008 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080602215833/http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/Barack.Obama.family.2.339709.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate=June 2, 2008}}</ref> Obama's great-uncle served in the [[89th Infantry Division (United States)|89th Division]] that overran [[Ohrdruf concentration camp|Ohrdruf]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2008-07-24-1654309354_x.htm|work=USA Today |date=July 24, 2008|author=Johnson, Carla K.|agency=Associated Press|title=Obama's great-uncle recalls liberating Nazi camp|accessdate=March 12, 2009}}</ref> the first of the [[Nazi concentration camps]] to be liberated by U.S. troops during World War II.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10006140|title=The 89th Infantry Division|publisher=United States Holocaust Memorial Museum|accessdate=March 12, 2009}}</ref>

Obama was known as "Barry" in his youth, but asked to be addressed with his given name during his college years.<ref>{{Cite news|title=When Barry Became Barack|date=March 31, 2008|work=Newsweek |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/128633|accessdate=November 6, 2008}}</ref> Besides his native English, Obama [[List of Presidents of the United States by languages spoken|speaks]] [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]] at the conversational level, which he learned during his four childhood years in Jakarta.<ref name="in Jakarta"/> He plays basketball, a sport he participated in as a member of his high school's varsity team.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Jodi|last=Kantor|title=One Place Where Obama Goes Elbow to Elbow|date=June 1, 2007|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/01/us/politics/01hoops.html|work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=April 28, 2008}} See also: {{Cite news|title=The Love of the Game|format=video|date=April 15, 2008|publisher=HBO|url=http://www.hbo.com/real-sports-with-bryant-gumbel/episodes#/real-sports-with-bryant-gumbel/episodes/0/133-april-15-2008/index.html|work=Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel|accessdate=October 12, 2011}}</ref>

[[File:Barack Obama playing basketball with members of Congress and Cabinet secretaries 2.jpg|left|thumb|upright|alt=Obama about to take a shot while three other players look at him. One of those players is holding is arms up in an attempt to block Obama.|Obama taking a shot during a game on the White House basketball court, 2009]]

Obama is a well known supporter of the [[Chicago White Sox]], and threw out the first pitch at the [[2005 ALCS]] when he was still a senator.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Barack Obama: White Sox 'serious' ball|date=August 25, 2008|work=The Swamp|url=http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/08/barack_obama_white_sox_serious.html|accessdate=December 6, 2009}}</ref> In 2009, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the [[2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|all star game]] while wearing a White Sox jacket.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Barack Obama Explains White Sox Jacket, Talks Nats in All-Star Booth Visit|date=July 14, 2009|work=MLB Fanhouse|url=http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/07/14/barack-obama-explains-white-sox-jacket-talks-nats-in-all-star-b/|accessdate=December 6, 2009}}</ref> He is also primarily a [[Chicago Bears]] fan in the [[National Football League|NFL]], but in his childhood and adolesence was a [[Steeler Nation|fan]] of the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]], and recently rooted for them ahead of their victory in [[Super Bowl XLIII]] 12 days after Obama took office as President.<ref name=Steelers>{{Cite news|last=Branigin|first=William|title=Steelers Win Obama's Approval|newspaper= The Washington Post|date=January 30, 2009|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/29/AR2009012903196.html|quote=But other than the Bears, the Steelers are probably the team that's closest to my heart. All right?}}</ref>

In June 1989, Obama met [[Michelle Obama|Michelle Robinson]] when he was employed as a summer associate at the Chicago law firm of [[Sidley Austin]].<ref>Obama (2006), pp. 327–332. See also:{{Cite news|first=Sarah|last=Brown|title=Obama '85 masters balancing act|work=The Daily Princetonian|url=http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2005/12/07/14049|date=December 7, 2005|accessdate=February 9, 2009}}</ref> Assigned for three months as Obama's adviser at the firm, Robinson joined him at group social functions, but declined his initial requests to date.<ref>Obama (2006), p. 329.</ref> They began dating later that summer, became engaged in 1991, and were married on October 3, 1992.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Fornek, Scott|title=Michelle Obama: 'He Swept Me Off My Feet'|date=October 3, 2007|url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/585261,CST-NWS-wedding03.stng|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5msGZDbMO|archivedate=January 18, 2010|work=Chicago Sun-Times|accessdate=April 28, 2008}}</ref> The couple's first daughter, Malia Ann, was born on July 4, 1998,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0708/Born_on_the_4th_of_July.html|title=Born on the 4th of July|date=July 4, 2008|accessdate=July 10, 2008|work=The [[Politico (newspaper)|Politico]]|author=Martin, Jonathan}}</ref> followed by a second daughter, Natasha ("Sasha"), on June 10, 2001.<ref>Obama (1995, 2004), p. 440, and Obama (2006), pp. 339–340. See also:{{cite web|title=Election 2008 Information Center: Barack Obama|url=http://www.gannettnewsservice.com/?cat=153|work=Gannett News Service|accessdate=April 28, 2008}}</ref> The Obama daughters attended the private [[University of Chicago Laboratory Schools]]. When they moved to Washington, D.C., in January 2009, the girls started at the private [[Sidwell Friends School]].<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/22/america/Obama-School.php "Obamas choose private Sidwell Friends School"], ''International Herald Tribune'', November 22, 2008</ref> The Obamas have a [[Portuguese Water Dog]] named [[Bo (dog)|Bo]], a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/us/politics/13obama.html |title=One Obama Search Ends With a Puppy Named Bo |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=April 13, 2009 |accessdate=December 22, 2010 |first=Helene |last=Cooper}}</ref>

Applying the proceeds of a book deal, the family moved in 2005 from a [[Hyde Park, Chicago]] condominium to a $1.6&nbsp;million house in neighboring [[Kenwood, Chicago]].<ref>{{Cite news|first=Jeff|last=Zeleny|title=The first time around: Sen. Obama's freshman year|date=December 24, 2005|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-051224obama,0,1779783,full.story|work= Chicago Tribune |accessdate=April 28, 2008}}</ref> The purchase of an adjacent lot and sale of part of it to Obama by the wife of developer, campaign donor and friend [[Tony Rezko]] attracted media attention because of Rezko's subsequent indictment and conviction on political corruption charges that were unrelated to Obama.<ref name="corruption charges"/>

In December 2007, ''[[Money (magazine)|Money]]'' magazine estimated the Obama family's net worth at $1.3&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Obama's Money|date=December 7, 2007|url=http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0712/gallery.candidates.moneymag/5.html|work=CNNMoney.com|accessdate=April 28, 2008|first=Marlys|last=Harris}}<br/>See also:{{Cite news|first=Zachary A|last=Goldfarb|title=Measuring Wealth of the '08 Candidates|date=March 24, 2007|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/24/AR2007032400305.html|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=April 28, 2008}}</ref> Their 2009 tax return showed a household income of $5.5&nbsp;million—up from about $4.2&nbsp;million in 2007 and $1.6&nbsp;million in 2005—mostly from sales of his books.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Jeff|last=Zeleny|title=Book Sales Lifted Obamas' Income in 2007 to a Total of $4.2&nbsp;Million|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/us/politics/17obama.html|date=April 17, 2008|work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=April 28, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/15/AR2010041504485.html|title=Obamas report $5.5 million in income on 2009 tax return|work=The Washington Post|date=April 16, 2010|accessdate=December 22, 2010|first1=Michael D.|last1=Shear|first2=David S.|last2=Hilzenrath}}</ref>

Obama tried to quit smoking several times, sometimes using [[nicotine replacement therapy]], and, in early 2010, Michelle Obama said that he had successfully quit smoking.<ref name="reuters-smoking">{{Cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/12/07/us-usa-obama-smoking-idUSTRE4B61GF20081207|title=Obama says he won't be smoking in White House|date=December 7, 2008|accessdate=February 28, 2010|agency=Reuters|author=Elsner, Alan}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/08/us-obama-smoking-idUSTRE7176EL20110208|title=Yes, he did: first lady says Obama quit smoking |last=Zengerle|first=Patricia|date=February 8, 2011|agency=Reuters|accessdate=May 9, 2011}}</ref>

===Religious views===
As he described in ''[[The Audacity of Hope]],'' Obama is a [[Christian]] whose religious views developed in his adult life. He wrote that he "was not raised in a religious household". He described his mother, raised by non-religious parents (whom Obama has specified elsewhere as "non-practicing Methodists and Baptists"), to be detached from religion, yet "in many ways the most spiritually awakened person that I have ever known". He described his father as "raised a Muslim", but a "confirmed atheist" by the time his parents met, and his stepfather as "a man who saw religion as not particularly useful". Obama explained how, through working with [[black church]]es as a [[Community organizing|community organizer]] while in his twenties, he came to understand "the power of the African-American religious tradition to spur social change".<ref name="social change"/>

In an interview with the evangelical periodical ''[[Christianity Today]]'', Obama stated: "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."<ref>[http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/januaryweb-only/104-32.0.html?start=2 Christianity Today: "Q&A: Barack Obama"] Interview by Sarah Pulliam and Ted Olsen, January 23, 2008</ref>

On September 27, 2010, Obama released a statement commenting on his religious views saying "I'm a Christian by choice. My family didn't—frankly, they weren't folks who went to church every week. And my mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn't raise me in the church. So I came to my Christian faith later in life, and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead—being my brothers' and sisters' keeper, treating others as they would treat me."<ref name="APbychoice">[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/28/obama-christian-by-choice_n_742124.html?view=print Obama 'Christian By Choice': President Responds To Questioner] by Charles Babington and Darlene Superville, [[Associated Press]], September 28, 2010</ref><ref name="ABCVideobychoice">Video - [http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/09/president-obama-i-am-a-christian-by-choicethe-precepts-of-jesus-spoke-to-me.html President Obama: "I am a Christian By Choice"] by ''[[ABC News]]'', September 29, 2010</ref>

Obama was baptized at the [[Trinity United Church of Christ]], a [[black liberation theology|black liberation church]], in 1988, and was an active member there for two decades.<ref name="two decades"/> Obama resigned from Trinity during the Presidential campaign after [[Jeremiah Wright controversy|controversial statements]] made by Rev. [[Jeremiah Wright]] became public.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Obama's church choice likely to be scrutinized|agency=Associated Press|date=November 17, 2008|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27775757/|publisher=[[msnbc.com]]|accessdate=January 20, 2009}}</ref> After a prolonged effort to find a church to attend regularly in Washington, Obama announced in June 2009 that his primary place of worship would be the Evergreen Chapel at [[Camp David]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=The Obamas Find a Church Home—Away from Home|date=June 29, 2009|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1907610,00.html|work=Time|accessdate=December 14, 2009|first=Amy|last=Sullivan}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em|refs=<ref name="birth-certificate">{{cite web |date=April 27, 2011|title=Certification of Live Birth: Barack Hussein Obama II, August 4, 1961, 7:24 PM, Honolulu|work=Department of Health, State of Hawaii|publisher=The White House|url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/birth-certificate-long-form.pdf|accessdate=April 27, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Christian">{{cite web |year=2009|title=American President: Barack Obama|location=Charlottesville, Va.|publisher=Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia|url=http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/obama|accessdate=January 23, 2009|quote=Religion: Christian}}.
* {{cite web |title=The Truth about Barack's Faith|publisher=Obama for America|url=http://www.fightthesmears.com/file_download/2/baracksfaith.pdf|accessdate=April 8, 2011}}
* {{cite web |date=November 12, 2007|title=Obama has never been a Muslim, and is a committed Christian|publisher=Organizing for America-Scribd cached|url=http://www.scribd.com/doc/36287446/Www-barackobama-com-Factcheck-2007-11-12-Obama-Has-Never|accessdate=April 8, 2011}}
* {{cite news |author=Miller, Lisa |date=July 18, 2008|title=Finding his faith|publisher=Newsweek.com|url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/145971|accessdate=February 4, 2010|quote= He is now a Christian, having been baptized in the early 1990s at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.}}.
* {{cite news |author=Barakat, Matthew (Associated Press) |date=November 17, 2008|title= Obama's church choice likely to be scrutinized; D.C. churches have started extending invitations to Obama and his family|publisher=msnbc.com|url= http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27775757|accessdate=January 20, 2009|quote=The United Church of Christ, the denomination from which Obama resigned when he left Wright's church, issued a written invitation to join a UCC denomination in Washington and resume his connections to the church.}}.
* {{cite web |date=January 20, 2009 |title=Barack Obama, long time UCC member, inaugurated forty-fourth U.S. President|work=News|location=Cleveland|publisher=United Church of Christ|url=http://www.ucc.org/news/obama-inauguration.html|accessdate=January 21, 2009|quote=Barack Obama, who spent more than 20 years as a UCC member, is the forty-fourth President of the United States.}}.
* {{cite news |author=Sullivan, Amy|date=June 29, 2009|title=The Obama's find a church home—away from home|publisher=Time.com|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1907610,00.html|accessdate=February 5, 2010|quote=... instead of joining a congregation in Washington, D.C., he will follow in George W. Bush's footsteps and make his primary place of worship Evergreen Chapel, the nondenominational church at Camp David.}}.
* {{cite news |author=Kornblut, Anne E.|date=February 4, 2010|title=Obama's spirituality is largely private, but it's influential, advisers say|newspaper=The Washington Post|page=A6|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR2010020303619.html|accessdate=February 5, 2010|quote=... Obama prays privately ... And when he takes his family to Camp David on the weekends, a Navy chaplain ministers to them, with the daughters attending a form of Sunday school there.}}</ref><ref name="Occidental">{{cite news|author=Gordon, Larry|date=January 29, 2007|title=Occidental recalls 'Barry' Obama|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|page=B1|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jan/29/local/me-oxy29|accessdate=May 12, 2010}}
* {{cite news|author=Possley, Maurice|date=March 30, 2007|title=Activism blossomed in college|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=20|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0703291042mar30-archive,0,1533921.story|accessdate=May 12, 2010}}
* {{cite news|author=Kovaleski, Serge F.|date=February 9, 2008|title=Old friends say drugs played bit part in Obama's young life|newspaper=The New York Times|page=A1|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/09/us/politics/09obama.html?pagewanted=all|accessdate=May 12, 2010}}
* {{cite news|author=Rohter, Larry|date=April 10, 2008 |title=Obama says real-life experience trumps rivals' foreign policy credits|newspaper=The New York Times|page=A18|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/10/us/politics/10obama.html|accessdate=May 12, 2010}}
* {{cite news|author=Goldman, Adam; Tanner, Robert (Associated Press)|date=May 15, 2008|title=Old friends recall Obama's years in LA, NYC|publisher=USAToday.com |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2008-05-15-3144401415_x.htm|accessdate=May 12, 2010}}
* {{cite news|author=Helman, Scott|date=August 25, 2008|title=Small college awakened future senator to service|newspaper=The Boston Globe|page=1A|url=http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008/08/25/small_college_awakened_future_senator_to_service/?page=full|accessdate=May 12, 2010}}
* {{cite news|author=Jackson, Brooks|date=June 5, 2009|title=More 'birther' nonsense: Obama's 1981 Pakistan trip|publisher=FactCheck.org|url=http://www.factcheck.org/2009/06/more-birther-nonsense-obamas-1981-pakistan-trip|accessdate=May 12, 2010}}
* {{cite book|author=Remnick, David|year=2010|title=[[The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama]]|location=New York |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf|pages=98–112|isbn=978-1-4000-4360-6}}
* Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 92–112.
* Mendell (2007), pp. 55–62.</ref><ref name="Juris Doctor">{{cite news|author=Adams, Richard|date=May 9, 2007|title=Barack Obama|newspaper=The Guardian|location=London|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/may/09/barackobama.uselections20081|accessdate=October 26, 2008}}
* {{Britannica|973560}}</ref><ref name="Fellow">{{cite journal|author=Merriner, James L.|date=June 2008|title=The friends of O|journal=Chicago| volume=57|issue=6|pages=74–79, 97–99|issn=0362-4595|url=http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2008/Obamas-Chicago-Posse/The-Friends-of-O/index.php?cp=2&si=1|accessdate=January 30, 2010}}
* {{cite journal|author=Zengerle, Jason|date=July 30, 2008|title=Con law; What the University of Chicago right thinks of Obama|journal=The New Republic|volume=239|issue=1|pages=7–8|issn=0028-6583|url=http://www.tnr.com/article/con-law?id=86dd0277-c6ee-4e3c-83e9-0bb468c5c40d&p=1|accessdate=January 30, 2010}}
* {{cite news|author=Kantor, Jodi|date=July 30, 2008|title=Teaching law, testing ideas, Obama stood slightly apart|newspaper=The New York Times|page=A1|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/us/politics/30law.html?pagewanted=all|accessdate=January 30, 2010}}
* {{cite news|author=Gray, Steven|date=September 10, 2008|title=Taking professor Obama's class|publisher=Time.com|url=http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1835238-2,00.html|accessdate=January 30, 2010}}
* {{cite news|author=Starr, Alexandra|date=September 21, 2008|title=Case study|magazine=The New York Times Magazine |page=76|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/magazine/21obama-t.html?pagewanted=all|accessdate=January 30, 2010}}
* {{cite news|author=Hundley, Tom|date=March 22, 2009|title=Ivory tower of power|magazine=Chicago Tribune Magazine|page=6|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi-mxa0322magazineobamapg6mar22,0,4802888,full.story|accessdate=January 30, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Forty">{{cite book|author=White, Jesse (ed.)|year=2000|title=Illinois Blue Book, 2000, Millennium ed.|page=83|location=Springfield, Ill.|publisher=Illinois Secretary of State|url=http://www.sos.state.il.us/bb/toc.html|archivedate=April 16, 2004|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040416120057/www.sos.state.il.us/bb/sec4_71_132.pdf|oclc=43923973|accessdate=June 6, 2008}}
* {{cite news|author=Jarrett, Vernon|date=August 11, 1992|title='Project Vote' brings power to the people|work=Chicago Sun-Times |page=23|format=paid archive|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=(Vernon%20Jarrett)%20AND%20date(8/11/1992%20to%208/11/1992)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=8/11/1992%20to%208/11/1992)&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=(Vernon%20Jarrett)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no |accessdate=June 6, 2008}}
* {{cite journal|author=Reynolds, Gretchen|month=January|year=1993|title=Vote of confidence|journal=Chicago|volume=42|issue=1|pages=53–54|issn=0362-4595|url=http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-1993/Vote-of-Confidence|accessdate=June 6, 2008}}
* {{cite journal|author=Anderson, Veronica|month=September 27 – October 3|year=1993|title=40 under Forty: Barack Obama, Director, Illinois Project Vote|journal=Crain's Chicago Business|volume=16|issue=39|page=43|issn=0149-6956}}</ref><ref name="DavisMiner">{{cite news|author=Robinson, Mike|agency=Associated Press|date=February 20, 2007|title=Obama got start in civil rights practice|newspaper=The Boston Globe|url=http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2007/02/20/obama_got_start_in_civil_rights_practice|accessdate=June 15, 2008}}
* {{cite news|author=Pallasch, Abdon M.|date=December 17, 2007|title=As lawyer, Obama was strong, silent type; He was 'smart, innovative, relentless,' and he mostly let other lawyers do the talking|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times|page=4|format=paid archive|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=(Pallasch)%20AND%20date(12/17/2007%20to%2012/17/2007)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=12/17/2007%20to%2012/17/2007)&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=(Pallasch)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no|accessdate=June 15, 2008}}
* {{cite news |author=Morain, Dan|date=April 6, 2008|title=Obama's law days effective but brief|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|page=A14|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2008/apr/06/nation/na-obamalegal6|accessdate=February 14, 2010}}
* {{cite news|date=June 27, 1993|title=People|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=9 (Business)|format=paid archive|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24302659.html?dids=24302659:24302659&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|accessdate=June 15, 2008}}
* {{cite news|date=July 5, 1993|title=Business appointments|newspaper=Chicago-Sun-Times|page=40|format=paid archive|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=(Business%20appointments)%20AND%20date(7/5/1993%20to%207/5/1993)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=7/5/1993%20to%207/5/1993)&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=(Business%20appointments)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no|accessdate=June 15, 2008}}
* {{cite news |author=Ripley, Amanda|date=November 3, 2004|title=Obama's ascent|publisher=Time.com|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,750742,00.html|accessdate=February 13, 2010}}
* {{cite web|year=2008|title=About us|url=http://www.lawmbg.com/index.cfm/PageID/2711|publisher=Miner, Barnhill & Galland – Chicago, Illinois|accessdate=June 15, 2008}}
* {{cite news|author=Reardon, Patrick T.|date=June 25, 2008|title=Obama's Chicago|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=1 (Tempo)|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-obama-chicago-htmlstory,0,506256.htmlstory|accessdate=February 13, 2010|quote=Step 9: Lawyering. The law offices of Miner Barnhill & Galland - Obama joined this tiny, liberal and politically powerful firm of about a dozen lawyers, specializing in civil rights cases and then known as Davis Miner Barnhill & Galland.}}.
* Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 438–439.
* Mendell (2007), pp. 104–106.</ref><ref name="Democratic primary">{{cite web|url=http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2000/ilh.htm |title=Federal Elections 2000: U.S. House Results – Illinois |publisher=[[Federal Election Commission]] |accessdate=April 24, 2008}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14502364|title=Obama's Loss May Have Aided White House Bid|author=Gonyea, Dan|date=September 19, 2007|accessdate=January 30, 2011}}
* {{Cite news|first=Janny |last=Scott |title=A Streetwise Veteran Schooled Young Obama |date=September 9, 2007 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/us/politics/09obama.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=April 20, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|first=Edward |last=McClelland |title=How Obama Learned to Be a Natural |date=February 12, 2007 |url=http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/02/12/obama_natural/ |work=Salon |accessdate=April 20, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|first=Richard |last=Wolffe |coauthors=Daren Briscoe |title=Across the Divide |date=July 16, 2007 |work=Newsweek |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/33156 |accessdate=April 20, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|first=Scott |last=Helman |title=Early Defeat Launched a Rapid Political Climb |date=October 12, 2007 |url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/10/12/early_defeat_launched_a_rapid_political_climb/ |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |accessdate=April 20, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2007-10-24-3157940059_x.htm|title=Obama learned from failed Congress run |work=USA Today |author=Wills, Christopher|date=October 24, 2007 |accessdate=November 15, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Rose Garden">{{cite web|author=Office of the Press Secretary|date=October 2, 2002|title=President, House leadership agree on Iraq resolution|publisher=The White House|url=http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/10/20021002-7.html|accessdate=February 18, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|author=Tackett, Michael|date=October 3, 2002|title=Bush, House OK Iraq deal; Congress marches with Bush|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=1 |url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/203569641.html?dids=203569641:203569641&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|format=paid archive|accessdate=February 3, 2008}}</ref><ref name="Federal Plaza">{{Cite news|author=Glauber, Bill|date=October 3, 2003|title=War protesters gentler, but passion still burns|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=1 |url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/203569621.html?dids=203569621:203569621&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|format=paid archive|accessdate=February 3, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|author=Strausberg, Chinta|date=October 3, 2002|title=War with Iraq undermines U.N |newspaper=Chicago Defender|page=1|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-220379051.html|quote=Photo caption: Left Photo: Sen. Barack Obama along with Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke to nearly 3,000 anti-war protestors (below) during a rally at Federal Plaza Wednesday.|accessdate=October 28, 2008}}
* {{cite web|author=Katz, Marilyn|date=October 2, 2007|title=Five years since our first action|publisher=Chicagoans Against War & Injustice|url=http://www.noiraqwar-chicago.org/?p=127|accessdate=February 18, 2008|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20110721192331/http://www.noiraqwar-chicago.org/?p=127|archivedate=July 21, 2011}}
* {{Cite news|author=Bryant, Greg; Vaughn, Jane B.|date=October 3, 2002|title=300 attend rally against Iraq war|newspaper=Daily Herald (Arlington Heights)|page=8|format=paid archive|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ADHB&p_theme=adhb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_text_search-0=300%20AND%20attend%20AND%20rally%20AND%20against%20AND%20Iraq%20AND%20war&s_dispstring=300%20attend%20rally%20against%20Iraq%20war%20AND%20date(10/3/2002%20to%2010/3/2002)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=10/3/2002%20to%2010/3/2002)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no|accessdate=October 28, 2008}}
* Mendell (2007), pp. 172–177.</ref><ref name="spoke out">{{Cite news|author=Obama, Barack|date=October 2, 2002|title=Remarks of Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama against going to war with Iraq|url=http://www.barackobama.com/2002/10/02/remarks_of_illinois_state_sen.php|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080130204029/http://www.barackobama.com/2002/10/02/remarks_of_illinois_state_sen.php|archivedate=January 30, 2008|publisher=BarackObama.com|accessdate=February 3, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|author=McCormick, John|date=October 3, 2007|title=Obama marks '02 war speech; Contender highlights his early opposition in effort to distinguish him from his rivals|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=7|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/1351610621.html?dids=1351610621:1351610621&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|format=paid archive|quote=The top strategist for Sen. Barack Obama has just 14 seconds of video of what is one of the most pivotal moments of the presidential candidate's political career. The video, obtained from a Chicago TV station, is of Obama's 2002 speech in opposition to the impending Iraq invasion.|accessdate=October 28, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|author=Pallasch, Abdon M.|date=October 3, 2007|title=Obama touts anti-war cred; Kicks off tour 5 years after speech critical of going to Iraq|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times|page=26|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=headline(Obama%20touts%20anti-war%20cred)%20AND%20date(all)&p_field_advanced-0=title&p_text_advanced-0=(Obama%20touts%20anti-war%20cred)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no|format=paid archive|accessdate=October 28, 2008}}</ref><ref name="stop the war">{{Cite news|author=Ritter, Jim|date=March 17, 2003|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times|page=3|title=Anti-war rally here draws thousands|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=headline(Anti-war%20rally%20here%20draws%20thousands)%20AND%20date(all)&p_field_advanced-0=title&p_text_advanced-0=(Anti-war%20rally%20here%20draws%20thousands)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no|format=paid archive|accessdate=February 3, 2008}}
* {{cite web|author=Office of the Press Secretary|date=March 16, 2003|title=President Bush: Monday 'moment of truth' for world on Iraq|publisher=The White House|url=http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030316-3.html|accessdate=February 18, 2008}}</ref><ref name="future">{{Cite news|author=Mendell, David|date=March 17, 2004|title=Obama routs Democratic foes; Ryan tops crowded GOP field; Hynes, Hull fall far short across state|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=1|url= http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-0403170332mar17,0,6048572.story|accessdate=March 1, 2009}}
* {{Cite news|author=Davey, Monica|date=March 18, 2004|title=As quickly as overnight, a Democratic star is born|newspaper=The New York Times|page=A20|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/18/us/as-quickly-as-overnight-a-democratic-star-is-born.html?pagewanted=all |accessdate=March 1, 2009}}
* {{Cite news|author=Howlett, Debbie|date=March 19, 2004|title=Dems see a rising star in Illinois Senate candidate|newspaper=USA Today|page=A04|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/2004-03-18-obama-usat_x.htm|accessdate=March 1, 2009}}
* {{Cite journal|author=Scheiber, Noam |date=May 31, 2004|title=Race against history. Barack Obama's miraculous campaign |journal=The New Republic|volume=230|issue=20|pages=21–22, 24–26 (cover story)|url=http://www.tnr.com/article/race-against-history-0 |accessdate=March 24, 2009}}
* {{Cite journal|author=Finnegan, William|date=May 31, 2004|title=The Candidate. How far can Barack Obama go?|journal=The New Yorker|volume=20|issue=14|pages=32–38|url=http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/05/31/040531fa_fact1?currentPage=all |accessdate=March 24, 2009}}
* {{Cite news|author=Dionne Jr., E. J.|date=June 25, 2004|title=In Illinois, a star prepares|newspaper=The Washington Post|page=A29 |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4062-2004Jun24.html|accessdate=March 24, 2009}}
* {{Cite news|author=Scott, Janny|date=May 18, 2008|title=The story of Obama, written by Obama|newspaper=The New York Times|page=A1|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/us/politics/18memoirs.html?pagewanted=all|accessdate=January 9, 2010}}
* Mendell (2007), pp. 235–259.</ref><ref name="status">{{Cite news|date=August 2, 2004 |title=Star Power. Showtime: Some are on the rise; others have long been fixtures in the firmament. A galaxy of bright Democratic lights|work=Newsweek|pages=48–51 |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/54728/output/print |accessdate=November 15, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|author=Samuel, Terence|date=August 2, 2004|title=A shining star named Obama. How a most unlikely politician became a darling of the Democrats|work=U.S. News & World Report|page=25|url=http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/040802/2obama.htm |accessdate=November 15, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|author=Lizza, Ryan|month=September|year=2004|title=The Natural. Why is Barack Obama generating more excitement among Democrats than John Kerry? |work=The Atlantic Monthly|pages=30, 33|url=http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200409/lizza |accessdate=November 15, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|author=Davey, Monica|date=July 26, 2004|title=A surprise Senate contender reaches his biggest stage yet|newspaper= [[The New York Times]] |page=A1|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/26/us/the-speaker-a-surprise-senate-contender-reaches-his-biggest-stage-yet.html|accessdate=November 25, 2010}}
* {{Cite news|author=Leibovich, Mark|date=July 27, 2004|title=The other man of the hour|work=The Washington Post|page=C1 |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16606-2004Jul26.html |accessdate=November 15, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|author=Milligan, Susan |date=July 27, 2004|title=In Obama, Democrats see their future |work=[[The Boston Globe]]|page=B8 |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/07/27/in_obama_democrats_see_their_future/ |accessdate=November 15, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|author=Seelye, Katharine Q.|date=July 28, 2004|title=Illinois Senate nominee speaks of encompassing unity|newspaper= [[The New York Times]] |page=A1|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/28/politics/campaign/28blacks.html|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060624052131/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/28/politics/campaign/28blacks.html|archivedate=June 24, 2006 |accessdate=November 15, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|author=Broder, David S.|date=July 28, 2004|title=Democrats focus on healing divisions; Addressing convention, newcomers set themes|work=The Washington Post|page=A1|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17865-2004Jul27.html |accessdate=November 15, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|author=Bing, Jonathan; McClintock, Pamela|date=July 29, 2004|title=Auds resist charms of Dem stars|work=Daily Variety |page=1 |url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117908388.html?categoryid=1077&cs=1|accessdate=November 15, 2008}}
* Mendell (2007), pp. 272–285.</ref><ref name="margin">{{Cite news|year=2005|title=America Votes 2004: U.S. Senate / Illinois|publisher=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/IL/S/01/index.html |accessdate=April 13, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|author=Slevin, Peter|date=November 13, 2007|title=For Obama, a handsome payoff in political gambles|newspaper=The Washington Post|page=A3|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/12/AR2007111201945.html|accessdate=April 13, 2008}}
* {{Cite news |author=Chase, John; Mendell, David|date=November 3, 2004|title=Obama scores a record landslide|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=1|url=http://www.noticiasdot.com/publicaciones/2004/1104/0311/noticias031104/presidenciales-usa/images/usa/chicago_tribune/chicago_tribune_031104.pdf|accessdate=April 3, 2009}}
* {{Cite news|author=Fornek, Scott|date=November 3, 2004|title=Obama takes Senate seat in a landslide|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |page=6 |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1553596.html|accessdate=April 3, 2009}}</ref>
* {{Cite news|first=Tom|last=Curry|title=What Obama's Senate Votes Reveal|date=February 21, 2008|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23276453/|work=[[msnbc.com]]|accessdate=June 25, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|url=http://nj.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/|title=Obama: Most Liberal Senator In 2007|work=National Journal|date=January 31, 2008|accessdate=June 25, 2008}}</ref><ref name="transition period">{{Cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4AF1MJ20081116|title=Obama resigns Senate seat, thanks Illinois|accessdate=March 10, 2009|date=November 16, 2008|work=[[Reuters]]|author=Mason, Jeff}}
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1859020,00.html|title=Obama to Resign Senate Seat on Sunday|accessdate=November 22, 2008|date=November 13, 2008|publisher=[[Time Inc.]]|work=Time|author=Sidoti, Liz}}</ref><ref name="nuclear terrorism">{{cite web|title=Obama, Schiff Provision to Create Nuclear Threat Reduction Plan Approved |date=December 20, 2007 |url=http://obama.senate.gov/press/071220-obama_schiff_pr/ |publisher=Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office |accessdate=April 27, 2008|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20081218154751/http://obama.senate.gov/press/071220-obama_schiff_pr/|archivedate=December 18, 2008}}</ref><ref name="Kenyan">{{Cite news|first=Christina |last=Larson |title=Hoosier Daddy: What Rising Democratic Star Barack Obama Can Learn from an Old Lion of the GOP |date=September 2006|url=http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2006/0609.larson.html |work=Washington Monthly |accessdate=April 27, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|first=Chuck |last=Goudie |title=Obama Meets with Arafat's Successor |date=January 12, 2006 |url=http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=3806933 |work=WLS-TV |accessdate=April 27, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|title=Obama Slates Kenya for Fraud |date=August 28, 2006 |url=http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1989646,00.html |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080605213213/http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1989646,00.html |archivedate=June 5, 2008 |work=News24.com |accessdate=April 27, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|first=Chris |last=Wamalwa |title=Envoy Hits at Obama Over Graft Remark |date=September 2, 2006 |url=http://www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143957666 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071010050740/http://www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143957666 |archivedate=October 10, 2007 |work=The Standard (Nairobi) |accessdate=April 27, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|first=Vincent |last=Moracha |coauthors=Mangoa Mosota |title=Leaders Support Obama on Graft Claims |date=September 4, 2006 |url=http://www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143957752 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071007115436/http://www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143957752 |archivedate=October 7, 2007 |work=The Standard (Nairobi) |accessdate=April 27, 2008}}</ref><ref name="allocation">{{Cite news| url=http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1738331,00.html |title=The Five Mistakes Clinton Made |author=Tumulty, Karen |work=Time |date=May 8, 2008 |accessdate=November 11, 2008}}
* {{Cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/us/politics/08recon.html |title=The Long Road to a Clinton Exit |author=Baker, Peter and Rutenberg, Jim |work= [[The New York Times]] |date=June 8, 2008 |accessdate=November 29, 2008}}
</ref><!--ref name="presumptive">{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/03/election.democrats/index.html |title=Obama: I will be the Democratic nominee|publisher=CNN |date=June 4, 2008|accessdate=June 6, 2008}}</ref--><ref name="delegates">{{Cite news|author=Tom Baldwin|title=Hillary Clinton: 'Barack is my candidate'|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4616719.ece|work=TimesOnline|date=August 27, 2008|accessdate=August 27, 2008 | location=London}}
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/us/politics/28DEMSDAY.html?pagewanted=all|title=Obama Wins Nomination as Biden and Bill Clinton Rally the Party|work= [[The New York Times]] |author=Nagourney, Adam|date=August 27, 2008|accessdate=August 27, 2008}}</ref><ref name="acceptance">{{Cite news|title=Obama accepts Democrat nomination|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7586375.stm|work=BBC News|date=August 29, 2008|accessdate=August 29, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|url=http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2008/08/29/soaring-speech-from-obama-plus-some-specifics/|title=Soaring speech from Obama, plus some specifics|work=The Christian Science Monitor|author=Marks, Alexandra|date=August 29, 2008|accessdate=September 20, 2008}}</ref><ref name="small donations">{{Cite news|first=Jim|last=Malone|title=Obama Fundraising Suggests Close Race for Party Nomination|date=July 2, 2007|url=http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2007-07/2007-07-02-voa52.cfm|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070914032004/http://voanews.com/english/archive/2007-07/2007-07-02-voa52.cfm|archivedate=September 14, 2007 |work=Voice of America|accessdate=January 14, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|first=Jeanne|last=Cummings|title=Small Donors Rewrite Fundraising Handbook|date=September 26, 2007|url=http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=3ECB3515-3048-5C12-004D622CB6F4E214|work=Politico|accessdate=January 14, 2008}}
* {{Cite news|first=Emily|last=Cadei|title=Obama Outshines Other Candidates in January Fundraising|date=February 21, 2008|url=http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002674309|work=CQ Politics|accessdate=February 24, 2008 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080613213513/http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002674309 |archivedate=June 13, 2008}}</ref><ref name="presidential debates">{{cite web|accessdate=July 6, 2008|url=http://www.debates.org/pages/news_111907.html|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080706070658/http://www.debates.org/pages/news_111907.html|archivedate=July 6, 2008|title=Commission on Presidential Debates Announces Sites, Dates, Formats and Candidate Selection Criteria for 2008 General Election|publisher=[[Commission on Presidential Debates]]|date=November 19, 2007}}
* {{Cite news|accessdate=July 6, 2008|url=http://www.courant.com/topic/|title=Gun Ruling Reverberates|work=[[Hartford Courant]]|date=June 27, 2008}}</ref><ref name="electoral votes">{{Cite news|work=[[msnbc.com]]|accessdate=February 20, 2009|date=November 4, 2008|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27531033/|title=Barack Obama elected 44th president|author=Johnson, Alex}}
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/|title=CNN Electoral Map Calculator—Election Center 2008|publisher=CNN |year=2008|accessdate=December 14, 2008}}</ref><ref name="direct assistance">{{Cite news|url=http://stimulus.org/|title=Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Stimulus Watch|accessdate=April 9, 2011}}
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/17/obama.stimulus.remarks/|title=Obama's remarks on signing the stimulus plan|accessdate=February 17, 2009|work=CNN | date=February 17, 2009}}</ref><ref name="markets opened">{{Cite news|title=U.S. Expands Plan to Buy Banks' Troubled Assets|date=March 23, 2009|work= [[The New York Times]] |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/business/economy/24bailout.html | first1=Edmund L. | last1=Andrews | first2=Eric | last2=Dash | accessdate=April 12, 2010}}
* {{Cite news|title=Wall Street soars 7% on bank plan debut|date=March 23, 2009|publisher=REUTERS|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSTRE52H2FA20090323?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews}}</ref><ref name="preceding administration">{{Cite news|first=|last=|coauthors=|authorlink=|title=Biden vows break with Bush era foreign policy|date=|publisher=|url=http://www.canada.com/news/unveils+changes+foreign+policy/1265065/story.html|work=|pages=|accessdate=June 15, 2009|language=}}
* {{Cite news|first=Kim|last=Ghattas|coauthors=|authorlink=|title= Clinton's gaffes and gains on tour|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7931699.stm|work=|pages=|accessdate=June 15, 2009|language= | publisher=BBC News | date=March 8, 2009}}</ref><ref name="middleeast">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/04/egypt.obama.speech|title=Obama in Egypt reaches out to Muslim world|date=June 4, 2009|publisher=CNN|accessdate=January 30, 2011}}</ref>
* {{cite news|first=Jeff|last= Zeleny|first2= Alan |last2=Cowell| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/world/middleeast/05prexy.html|title=Addressing Muslims, Obama Pushes Mideast Peace|work=The New York Times|date=June 4, 2009|accessdate=January 30, 2011}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/The-President-in-the-Middle-East/|title=The President in the Middle East|date=June 3, 2009|first=Jesse|last= Lee|publisher=The White House|accessdate=June 4, 2009}}</ref><ref name="counterinsurgency tactics">{{Cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/11/AR2009051101864.html|title=Top U.S. Commander in Afghanistan Is Fired|date=May 12, 2009|work=The Washington Post}}
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/12/new-commander-brings-counterinsurgency-experience-afghanistan|title=New U.S. Commander Brings Counterinsurgency Experience to Afghanistan|date=May 13, 2009|work=Fox News Channel}}</ref><!--<ref name="without preconditions">{{cite web|url=http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/foreign_policy/|title=Barack Obama and Joe Biden's Plan to Secure America and Restore Our Standing|publisher=Obama for America|accessdate=September 22, 2008}}
* {{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/02/us/politics/01cnd-obama.html?pagewanted=all |title=Obama Pledges 'Aggressive' Iran Diplomacy|last=Gordon|first=Michael R. |last2=Zeleny|first2= Jeff|work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 2, 2007|accessdate=June 17, 2008}}
* {{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/24/us/politics/24transcript.html?pagewanted=all|title=Transcript of fourth Democratic debate|work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 24, 2007|accessdate=June 17, 2008}}</ref>--><ref name="exceptional orator">{{Cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/world/a-classic-orator-obama-learnt-from-the-masters-20081129-6nf1.html|title=Obama: Oratory and originality|last=Holmes|first=Stephanie|date=November 30, 2008|accessdate=December 11, 2008|work=The Age | location=Melbourne}}
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/mar2008/sb2008033_156351.htm|title=How to Inspire People Like Obama Does|last=Gallo|first=Carmine|date=March 3, 2008|accessdate=February 21, 2009|work=BusinessWeek }}
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.thestar.com/living/article/551538|title=New emotion dubbed 'elevation|date=December 11, 2008|work=[[Toronto Star]]|accessdate=December 11, 2008 | first=Diana | last=Zlomislic}}
* {{cite web|title=Obama Is America's Third Greatest Presidential Orator in Modern Era|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-greene/obama-is-americas-3rd-gre_b_813868.html|date=January 25, 2011|first=Richard|last=Greene|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|accessdate=July 2, 2011}}</ref><ref name="in Jakarta">{{cite web|title=Obama's Indonesian Redux| url=http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=1025|author=Zimmer, Benjamin|year=2009| accessdate=March 12, 2009|publisher=Language Log}}
* {{cite web|title=Obama: Saya Kangen Nasi Goreng, Bakso, dan Rambutan| url=http://cetak.kompas.com/read/xml/2008/11/26/00223862/obama.saya.kangen.nasi.goreng.bakso.dan.rambutan}}</ref><ref name="corruption charges">{{Cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/16/AR2006121600729.html|title=Obama says he regrets land deal with fundraiser|work=The Washington Post|date=December 17, 2006|accessdate=June 10, 2008|last=Slevin|first=Peter}}
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24973282/|title=Rezko found guilty in corruption case|accessdate=June 24, 2008|date=June 4, 2008|agency=Associated Press|publisher=[[msnbc.com]]|last=Robinson|first=Mike}}</ref><ref name="social change">Obama (2006), pp. 202–208. Portions excerpted in:{{Cite news|first=Barack|last=Obama|title=My Spiritual Journey|date=October 16, 2006|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1546579,00.html|work=Time|accessdate=April 28, 2008}}
* {{cite web|url=http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060628-call_to_renewal/|title='Call to Renewal' Keynote Address|accessdate=June 16, 2008|last=Obama|first=Barack|date=June 28, 2006|work=Barack Obama: U.S. Senator for Illinois|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20090104231501/http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060628-call_to_renewal/|archivedate=January 4, 2009}}</ref><ref name="two decades">{{Cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/world/americas/30iht-30obama.5501905.html |title=Barack Obama's search for faith|first=Jodi|last=Kantor|date=April 30, 2007|work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=April 30, 2007}}</ref>
}}

==References==
* {{Cite book |last=Mendell |first=David |authorlink=David Mendell |year=2007 |title=[[Obama: From Promise to Power]] |location=New York |publisher=Amistad/[[HarperCollins]] |isbn=0-06-085820-6}}
* {{Cite book |last=Obama |first=Barack |year=1995, 2004 |title=[[Dreams from My Father|Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance]] |location=New York |publisher=[[Three Rivers Press]] |isbn=1-4000-8277-3}}
* {{Cite book |last=Obama |first=Barack |year=2006 |title=[[The Audacity of Hope|The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream]] |location=New York |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group]] |isbn=0-307-23769-9}}

==Further reading==
* Curry, Jessica. "[http://www.chicagolife.net/content/politics/Barack_Obama Barack Obama: Under the Lights]", ''Chicago Life'', Fall 2004. Retrieved on January 14, 2008.
* Graff, Garrett. "[http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/mediapolitics/1836.html The Legend of Barack Obama]", ''Washingtonian'', November 1, 2006. Retrieved on January 14, 2008.
* Koltun, Dave (2005) ''"The 2004 Illinois Senate Race: Obama Wins Open Seat and Becomes National Political "Star""'' in ''"The Road to Congress 2004"'' Editors: Sunil Ahuja ([[Youngstown State University]]) and Robert Dewhirst ([[Truman State University]]), [[Nova Publishers|Nova Science Publishers]], Hauppauge, New York, Binding: Hardcover Pub. Date: 2005, ISBN 1-59454-360-7
* Lizza, Ryan. "[http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/200708/obama-barack-election-president Above the Fray]", ''GQ'', September 2007. Retrieved on October 27, 2010.
* MacFarquhar, Larissa. "[http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/05/07/070507fa_fact_macfarquhar The Conciliator: Where is Barack Obama Coming From?]", ''New Yorker'', May 7, 2007. Retrieved on January 14, 2008.
* McClelland, Edward, ''[http://www.bloomsburypress.com/books/catalog/young_mr_obama_hc_607 Young Mr. Obama: Chicago and the Making of a Black President]'', Bloomsbury Press, 2010.
* Zutter, Hank De. "[http://www.chicagoreader.com/obama/951208/ What Makes Obama Run?]", ''Chicago Reader'', December 8, 1995. Retrieved on January 14, 2008.

==External links==
{{Portal box|Barack Obama}}
{{Sister project links|author=yes|wikt=no|v=no|b=no|n=Category:Barack Obama}}
{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-Barack_Obama-article1.ogg|January 13, 2010}}
<!--
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;Official
* [http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president_obama/ President Barack Obama] ''White House official website''
** [http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/inaugural-address/ Full transcript and video of President Obama's inaugural address (from whitehouse.gov)]
* [http://www.barackobama.com/ BarackObama.com (official re-election campaign website)]
<!--
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;Other
*{{CongLinks | congbio = o000167 | votesmart = 9490 | washpo = Barack_Obama | govtrack = 400629 | c-span = barackobama | ontheissues = Barack_Obama.htm | surge = | legistorm = 76/Sen_Barack_Obama.html | fec = S4IL00180 | opensecrets = N00009638 | followthemoney = 17677 | c-span = barackobama | rose = 233 | imdb = 1682433 | nyt = o/barack_obama | guardian = world/barack-obama | worldcat = lccn-n94-112934 | nndb = 208/000055043 | ballot = | findagrave = }}
*[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/keyword/barack-obama Collected news and commentary] at ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''
*{{dmoz|Society/History/By_Region/North_America/United_States/Presidents/Obama,_Barack}}

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! style="background:#ccf;"|{{space|12}}<span style="font-size:110%;">Offices and distinctions</span>
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{{s-end}}
|}
{{Barack Obama}}
{{US Presidents}}
{{USSenIL}}
{{United States presidential election, 2008}}
{{United States presidential election, 2012}}
{{Authority control|PND=132522136|LCCN=n/94/112934|VIAF=52010985}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2010}}

{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->
| NAME =Obama, Barack
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =American politician, 44th President of the United States
| DATE OF BIRTH =August 4, 1961
| PLACE OF BIRTH =[[Honolulu, Hawaii]], United States
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obama, Barack}}
[[Category:Barack Obama| ]]
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:African American academics]]
[[Category:African American lawyers]]
[[Category:African American memoirists]]
[[Category:African American United States presidential candidates]]
[[Category:African American United States Senators]]
[[Category:American Christians]]
[[Category:American civil rights lawyers]]
[[Category:American legal scholars]]
[[Category:American Nobel laureates]]
[[Category:American people of English descent]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Kenyan descent]]
[[Category:American people of Welsh descent]]
[[Category:American political writers]]
[[Category:Audio book narrators]]
[[Category:Columbia University alumni]]
[[Category:Community organizers]]
[[Category:Current national leaders]]
[[Category:Democratic Party Presidents of the United States]]
[[Category:Democratic Party United States Senators]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Harvard Law School alumni]]
[[Category:Illinois Democrats]]
[[Category:Illinois lawyers]]
[[Category:Illinois State Senators]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Luo people]]
[[Category:Nobel Peace Prize laureates]]
[[Category:Obama family|Barack]]
[[Category:Occidental College alumni]]
[[Category:People associated with renewable energy]]
[[Category:People from Honolulu, Hawaii]]
[[Category:Politicians from Chicago, Illinois]]
[[Category:Presidents of the United Nations Security Council]]
[[Category:Presidents of the United States]]
[[Category:Punahou School alumni]]
[[Category:United Church of Christ members]]
[[Category:United States presidential candidates, 2008]]
[[Category:United States presidential candidates, 2012]]
[[Category:United States Senators from Illinois]]
[[Category:University of Chicago Law School faculty]]
[[Category:Writers from Chicago, Illinois]]

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[[is:Barack Obama]]
[[it:Barack Obama]]
[[he:ברק אובמה]]
[[jv:Barack Obama]]
[[kl:Barack Obama]]
[[kn:ಬರಾಕ್ ಒಬಾಮ]]
[[pam:Barack Obama]]
[[ka:ბარაკ ობამა]]
[[kk:Барак Обама]]
[[kw:Barack Obama]]
[[rw:Barack Obama]]
[[ky:Барак Хусеин Обама]]
[[sw:Barack Obama]]
[[ht:Barack Obama]]
[[ku:Barack Obama]]
[[lo:ບາຣັກ ໂອບາມາ]]
[[la:Baracus Obama]]
[[lv:Baraks Obama]]
[[lb:Barack Obama]]
[[lt:Barack Obama]]
[[li:Barack Obama]]
[[ln:Barack Obama]]
[[jbo:byRAK.obamas]]
[[lmo:Barack Obama]]
[[hu:Barack Obama]]
[[mk:Барак Обама]]
[[mg:Barack Obama]]
[[ml:ബറാക്ക് ഒബാമ]]
[[mt:Barack Obama]]
[[mi:Barack Obama]]
[[ltg:Baraks Obama]]
[[mr:बराक ओबामा]]
[[arz:باراك اوباما]]
[[mzn:باراک اوباما]]
[[ms:Barack Obama]]
[[mn:Барак Обама]]
[[my:ဘာရတ်အိုဘားမား]]
[[nah:Barack Obama]]
[[na:Barack Obama]]
[[nl:Barack Obama]]
[[nds-nl:Barack Obama]]
[[ne:बाराक ओबामा]]
[[ja:バラク・オバマ]]
[[nap:Barack Obama]]
[[no:Barack Obama]]
[[nn:Barack Obama]]
[[nrm:Barack Obama]]
[[nov:Barack Obama]]
[[oc:Barack Obama]]
[[mhr:Обама, Барак]]
[[nso:Barack Obama]]
[[uz:Barack Obama]]
[[pa:ਬਰਾਕ ਓਬਾਮਾ]]
[[pag:Barack Obama]]
[[pnb:بارک اوبامہ]]
[[pap:Barack Obama]]
[[ps:باراک حسين اوباما]]
[[km:បារ៉ាក់ អូបាម៉ា]]
[[pms:Barack Obama]]
[[tpi:Barack Obama]]
[[nds:Barack Obama]]
[[pl:Barack Obama]]
[[pt:Barack Obama]]
[[crh:Barak Obama]]
[[ksh:Barack Obama]]
[[ro:Barack Obama]]
[[rm:Barack Obama]]
[[qu:Barack Obama]]
[[ru:Обама, Барак]]
[[sah:Барак Обама]]
[[se:Barack Obama]]
[[sc:Barack Obama]]
[[sco:Barack Obama]]
[[sq:Barack Obama]]
[[scn:Barack Obama]]
[[si:බරාක් ඔබාමා]]
[[simple:Barack Obama]]
[[sk:Barack Obama]]
[[sl:Barack Obama]]
[[szl:Barack Obama]]
[[so:Barack Obama]]
[[ckb:باراک ئۆباما]]
[[srn:Barack Obama]]
[[sr:Барак Обама]]
[[sh:Barack Obama]]
[[su:Barack Obama]]
[[fi:Barack Obama]]
[[sv:Barack Obama]]
[[tl:Barack Obama]]
[[ta:பராக் ஒபாமா]]
[[roa-tara:Barack Obama]]
[[tt:Baraq Husseyın Obama II]]
[[te:బరాక్ ఒబామా]]
[[tet:Barack Obama]]
[[th:บารัก โอบามา]]
[[tg:Барак Ҳусейн Обама]]
[[tr:Barack Obama]]
[[tk:Barak Obama]]
[[uk:Барак Обама]]
[[ur:بارک اوبامہ]]
[[ug:باراك ئوباما]]
[[vec:Barack Obama]]
[[vi:Barack Obama]]
[[wa:Barack Obama]]
[[vls:Barack Obama]]
[[war:Barack Obama]]
[[wo:Barack Obama]]
[[wuu:巴拉克·奥巴马]]
[[yi:באראק אבאמא]]
[[yo:Barack Obama]]
[[zh-yue:奧巴馬]]
[[diq:Barack Obama]]
[[zea:Barack Obama]]
[[bat-smg:Barack Obama]]
[[zh:贝拉克·奥巴马]]

Revision as of 20:18, 15 December 2011

5 'And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward.

6 But when you pray, go to your private room, shut yourself in, and so pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

7 'In your prayers do not babble as the gentiles do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard.

8 Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

matthew 6 5-8

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