Senator Obama is one of the authors of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (S. 2180). [ Mandatory 2 year break that lawmakers and staff beoming lobbyists; immediate disclosure of job negotiations; open conference committee meetings/posting all bills on Internet 24 hours prior to vote. End all lobbyist-funded gifts, meals, and travel].

Sponsored Congressional Ethics Enforcement Commission Act (S. 2259)[Outside ethics commission to hear allegations of ethics violations by members of Congress, staff, and lobbyists]. The Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act (S. 2261) [Disclose name of sponsor/rationale 72 hours before earmark could be considered No earmarks if Senator has interest in recipient. Curtailing Lobbyist Effectiveness through Advance Notification, Updates, and Posting Act (The CLEAN UP Act) (S. 2179)

Cosponsor of the Medicare Informed Choice Act (S. 1841) [Allows Part D beneficiaries to change their plan once during 2006]. Authored Hospital Quality Report Card Act (S. 2359) [Public federal hospital quality reports]. Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Efficiency Act (S. 2247)[leverages federal purchasing power to encourage increased adoption of technology by participating health plans]. Attacking Viral Influenza Across Nations Act (S. 969) [Preparedness in the event of pandemic flu by procuring antivirals, developing of effective vaccines, and improvement of the public health infrastructure and capacity in hospitals]. Senator Obama also worked to push $7.9 billion through the Senate to help the U.S. prepare for the possibility of an avian flu pandemic. Lead Free Toys Act (S. 2048)[requiring the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to ban any children’s product containing lead].Introduced the Healthy Communities Act (S. 2047)[identify and address problems in communities that are at high risk from environmental contaminants]. Healthy Places Act (S. 2506)[assess and support improvements to the urban environment].Obama introduced the Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act of 2006 (S. 3822)[increase research funding on genomics, expand the genomics workforce, provide a tax credit for the development of diagnostic tests that can improve the safety or effectiveness of drugs; reaffirm genetic privacy].

Home Lead Safety Tax Credit Act (S. 2053)[tax credits to property owners who eliminate or contain paint hazards in homes where low-income young children or women of child-bearing age live].Cosponsor of the Great Lakes Environmental Restoration Act (S. 508).Cosponsor of the Climate Steward-ship and Innovation Act (S. 1151). Mercury Market Minimization Act (S. 3627) and the Missing Mercury in Manufacturing Monitoring and Mitigation Act (S. 3631)[ Significantly reduces mercury deposited in oceans, lakes, and rivers, and, ultimately, mercury in fish].
Senators Lugar-Barack Non-Proliferation Act introduced S. 2566 [expands cooperative threat reduction concept to conventional weapons (unsecured lightweight anti-aircraft missiles, landmines, cluster bombs and other conventional weapons).Strengthens the ability of America’s allies to detect and interdict illegal shipments of weapons and materials of mass destruction.]. Obama passed legislation in the Senate that requires all soldiers to be assessed for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) after they return from deployments.

Amendment to port security law, requiring states and localities to have emergency evacuation plans in place that take into account the special needs of senior citizens. Combat Meth Act (S. 103) tightens control on the sale of meth ingredients and provides assistance to children of meth abusers. Obama cosponsored Dru’s Law (S. 792) which creates a nationwide sex offender database and requires greater monitoring of sex offenders upon their release from prison. Obama cosponsored extension of Violence Against Women Act (S. 1197). Senator Obama offered three amendments to the Immigration Reform Act that were included in the Senate bill. A requirement that a job be offered at a prevailing wage to American workers before it is offered to a guestworker. Mandatory employer verification that employees are legally eligible to work in the United States. And authorizing $3 million a year for the FBI to improve the speed and accuracy of the background checks required for immigrants seeking to become citizens.

Obama-Lautenberg Chemical Safety and Security Act (S. 2486) [All chemical plants would enhance security, including improving barriers, containment, mitigation, and safety training, and, where possible, safer technology, such as less toxic chemicals or safer procedures. Sen. Obama cosponsored and voted for an amendment that would have increased rail and transit security by $1.2 billion.

Introduced legislation to establish a national family locator system for missing persons after a disaster, a mobile corps of volunteer health professions, and mandatory planning for the emergency evacuation of people with special needs, including low-income individuals, the elderly, and the disabled. Cosponsored the extension of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (which became Public Law 109-144). Spent Nuclear Fuel Tracking and Accountability Act (S. 1194), which would establish specific and uniform guidelines for tracking, controlling, and accounting for individual spent fuel rods or segments at nuclear power plants, including procedures for conducting physical inventories.

Senator Obama drafted an amendment included in the Safe Drinking Water Act, which passed the EPW Committee on July 20, 2005. The Obama amendment would provide $37.5 million over the next five years to protect the country’s drinking water from a terrorist attack. It also instructs Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control to develop the tools needed by drinking water systems to detect and respond to the introduction of biological,chemical, and radiological contaminants by terrorists.

Introduced the Innovation Districts for School Improvement Act (S. 2441). Under this initiative, school districts would submit plans on how they would become centers of reform. Twenty districts nationwide would be selected based on the best plans to increase achievement for all students and put effective teachers in all classrooms. These districts would receive substantial federal resources but would be required to implement systemic reforms and show convincing results.

Introduced the Summer Term Education Programs for Upward Progress Act (STEP UP) (S. 2149)~a grant program to support summer learning opportunities to be offered by local schools or community organizations.
Barack Obama’s first bill as a U.S. Senator was the HOPE Act (Higher Education Opportunity Through Pell Grant Expansion Act) (S.697), which would help make college more affordable for many Americans. The bill would increase the maximum Pell Grant from the current limit of $4,050 to a new maximum of $5,100.

Senators Obama and Durbin introduced an amendment that became law requiring the VA to notify Illinois veterans about their right to seek a review of their past claims for benefits/services they deserve. Introduced Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act (S. 3988) to improve the VA’s planning process to avoid future budget shortfalls. Authored the Sheltering All Veterans Everywhere Act (SAVE Act) (S. 1180) to strengthen and expand federal homeless veteran programs that serve over 100,000 homeless veterans annually. During the debate on the Fiscal Year 2007 budget, Senator Obama passed an amendment to increase funding for homeless veterans programs by $40 million. These funds would benefit programs that provide food, clothing, mental health and substance abuse counseling, and employment and housing assistance to homeless veterans. Introduced the Homes for Heroes Act (S. 3475), which would expand access to long-term affordable housing for homeless veterans by setting aside $225 million to purchase, build or rehabilitate homes and apartments for veterans. Introduced an amendment that became law providing food services to wounded veterans receiving physical therapy or rehabilitation services at military hospitals. Previously, service members receiving physical therapy or rehabilitation services in a medical hospital for more than 90 days were required to pay for their meals. Introduced amendment ensuring all Vets returning from Iraq are properly screened for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Senator Obama passed an amendment that became law requiring the Department of Defense (DOD) to report to Congress on the delayed development of an electronic medical records system compatible with the VA’s electronic medical records system. Introduced Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act (S. 3988) which would help veterans transition from the DOD health system to the VA system by extending the window in which new veterans can get mental health care from two years to five years. The Lane Evans bill also would improve transition services for members of the National Guard and Reserves.

Unlike John Edwards, she couldn’t even APOLOGIZE for her vote for the Iraq War authorization. Rather than expressing moral outrage, she instead panders to the Jewish vote by cheering on Israel when they were brutally punishing innocent civilians in Lebanon.

Her positions on the issues play everything so safe, and on some things she panders to the right just to try to get a few votes without losing her base.

Since she has already let us down big time, why would that change if she were president?

So does Hillary. That’s the problem with her campaign. Mark Penn has polled voters on whether Hillary cares about the same issues they care about. But it hasn’t impacted her message – I still don’t hear Hillary addressing things that matter to me or to people I know.

Prime example: Last year I got an opinion poll from her offices asking me to rate 10 major issues in importance. Guess what? The war in Iraq was not on the list! Obviously, she didn’t want to hear what I thought about the war, or how it compared in importance to other issues. Major Tin-ear-itis!!!

Bob in HI

I think Penn has a remarkably tin ear for the public mood

So does Hillary. That’s the problem with her campaign. Mark Penn has polled voters on whether Hillary cares about the same issues they care about. But it hasn’t impacted her message – I still don’t hear Hillary addressing things that matter to me or to people I know.

Bush the Elder was tin-eared. Karl Rove was not. As soon as Rove left, Bush the Younger went back to the family tradition of not being able to interpret political reality. He’s hugely unpopular because he’s tin-eared.

Thanks John Kerry!

Makes me wonder if simply stealing Iowa is all that makes the Conservative Dems our ‘winner’ in recent years. I’d love to see an in-depth investigative story on how Kerry and Obama ‘won’ Iowa. Should be a fascinating read. They could even go back to how Clinton became the nominee, though he didn’t win Iowa or New Hampshire. The effects of Big Money are there, in large measure, even in Democratic politics.

I had a (rather right wing) cousin who emailed me just that question. I wrote back and detailed the long list of his rather remarkable achievements, starting with getting the first law in the nation requiring videotaping of confessions and interrogations in capital cases while in the IL Statehouse. A law which few supported initially and yet passed unanimously when he was done advocating for it, getting support from even the originally hostile police.

Not to mention Lugar-Obama non-proliferation act and the Obama-Coburn Ethics law. And dozens of others.

After he read the list he told me he’s sending a contribution!

Use teh Google. It’s your friend. Especially before you criticize out of ignorance.