What has Obama really done?

Question

Can anyone tell me one thing that Obama has accomplished while in the US senate???

Can anyone tell me what piece of legislation that he brought forth, voted on and became enacted into law while on the US senate???

Can anyone tell me what piece of legislation that he brought forth, voted on and became enacted into law while on the Illinois state senate???

Can anyone tell me how exactly he created and who he helped get jobs being a community organizer while a member of Acorn???

Can you name me one thing Obama has done to help Americans in general????

What has Obama really done??? I really want to know...

Answer 1

In the Illinois State Senate, this meant working with both Democrats and Republicans to help working families get ahead by creating programs like the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which in three years provided over $100 million in tax cuts to families across the state. He also pushed through an expansion of early childhood education, and after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Senator Obama worked with law enforcement officials to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.

In the U.S. Senate, he has focused on tackling the challenges of a globalized, 21st century world with fresh thinking and a politics that no longer settles for the lowest common denominator. His first law was passed with Republican Tom Coburn, a measure to rebuild trust in government by allowing every American to go online and see how and where every dime of their tax dollars is spent. He has also been the lead voice in championing ethics reform that would root out Jack Abramoff-style corruption in Congress.

As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama has fought to help Illinois veterans get the disability pay they were promised, while working to prepare the VA for the return of the thousands of veterans who will need care after Iraq and Afghanistan. Recognizing the terrorist threat posed by weapons of mass destruction, he traveled to Russia with Republican d**k Lugar to begin a new generation of non-proliferation efforts designed to find and secure deadly weapons around the world. And knowing the threat we face to our economy and our security from America's addiction to oil, he's working to bring auto companies, unions, farmers, businesses and politicians of both parties together to promote the greater use of alternative fuels and higher fuel standards in our cars.

Whether it's the poverty exposed by Katrina, the genocide in Darfur, or the role of faith in our politics, Barack Obama continues to speak out on the issues that will define America in the 21st century.

Answer 2

Not a dammed thing

Answer 3

NOTHING!!!  O'bama is a puppet of the liberal agenda!  Look at this way.  If you were a 6 year old that had just heard of the goalie position in soccer, should you be out on the field for the World Cup Championship, for the final penalty shot shoot out?  I think not!  

Answer 4

NOTHING... unless you count wasting taxpayers money!!!

Answer 5

Oh, haven't you heard??? He was a Community Oraganizer!

*smirk*

Sara, if you re-read the question, it was what has OBAMA done, not Joe Biden.

Nancy, you DO realize that copy/paste jobs without giving any source is plagiarism--right?

Luis, you too.  You've done a copy/paste with no source.

Seriously, you guys, that IS plagiarism.  Just looking up factoids on the internet and then pasting them into the little box here is not citing sources properly.

Answer 6

In one word...NOTHING...

Answer 7

Ok. I'll bite.  The answer is... bupkis.

In terms of what he's done that really became law, here it is, and it ain't much:

There were a couple of things he co-sponsored in Illinois; one proposal having to do with funding the destruction of WMD's abroad, and another that authorized a website.  All he sponsored by himself was a law increasing tax credits for low-income workers. Otherwise, he tried to prevent meaningful welfare reform and tried to increase certain entitlements for daycare.  He also sponsored some very "safe" and mundane legislation designed to "monitor" racial profiling.  Whoopie.  That's what he got done in two terms.

After those two terms in the Illinois State legislature, the voters tossed him out, so he decided to kick himself upstairs and ran for the Senate.  He won, mostly because his opponent was a Marylander who had been in Illinois only long enough to establish residency, and he has been a junior senator for all of 175 days so far.  He has only been the primary sponsor of a single piece of legislation, which had to do with increasing foreign aid to the Congo.  He also co-sponsored a minor amendment to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.

The truth is that his legislative career has been quite undistinguished and mediocre.

Answer 8

Joe Biden helped him get the Global Poverty Act passed through in November of 2007 which would send hundreds of billions of dollars to poor countries. It was put on hold. This is why he chose Biden as his running mate. Also he talks about the mess our country is in economically, but wants to send tax dollars to poverty stricken countries with the debt the USA has.

Answer 9

wrote a couple  memoirs, was a community activist (honestly, I'm trying to think of anything) I don't believe he wrote anything into law, made a good hollywood type showing in europe. Associated with a crooked real estate venture, is in tune to chicago-style politics, went to a radical church for twenty years and never heard a sermon, has promised to raise our taxes, I'm sure there's more but I can't think of any right off the top of my head.

EDIT: jennybob and nancybat, I see a whole lot of "sponsored" and "studied" comments in your cut and paste, but I don't see any thing he signed into law or anything executive he took action on personally

Answer 10

Walter Reeed.

Current G I bill of rights.

Answer 11

I will star this question and be eager to hear some answers!!  Because I sure don't have any!!

Answer 12

Obama voted in favor of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and cosponsored the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act.[55] In September 2006, Obama supported a related bill, the Secure Fence Act.[56] Obama introduced two initiatives bearing his name: "Lugar–Obama," which expanded the Nunn–Lugar cooperative threat reduction concept to conventional weapons,[57] and the "Coburn–Obama Transparency Act," which authorized the establishment of www.USAspending.gov, a web search engine.[58] On June 3, 2008, Senator Obama, along with Senators Carper, Coburn and McCain, introduced follow-up legislation: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008.[59]

Obama sponsored legislation requiring nuclear plant owners to notify state and local authorities of radioactive leaks.[60] 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.[61] In January 2007, Obama co-sponsored the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which was signed into law in September 2007.[62] He introduced S. 453, a bill to criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections.[63] Obama also introduced the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007. [64]



Obama and Richard Lugar visit a Russian mobile launch missile dismantling facility[65]Later in 2007, Obama sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act adding safeguards for personality disorder military discharges.[66] He sponsored the "Iran Sanctions Enabling Act" supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry, and co-sponsored legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism.[67][68] 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.[69]

Committees

Answer 13

You're just saying that because it is true is all.

Answer 14

beats me..

Answer 15

What has McCain done and learned by being a prisoner of war?

Answer 16

he has complained about... EVERYTHING!

Answer 17

Not much besides exercise alot of political ambition for teh sake of political ambition. Of course McCain is about the same although he can claim the savings and loan scandal and getting beat down by Bush in the 2000 campaign.

Answer 18

Here is one thing; HE as agreed to give 7/10 of 1% of the GDP of the USA to the UN to squander on the rest of the world.  Not that helping feed hungry people is bad, but to have the UN in charge of it is BAD!

Also - this bill allows the UN to continue to increase this tax on all 1st world nations.  That means, higher taxes in order to pay the fat cats at the UN.

Answer 19

hey! im sure those communities are very organized..

hehehehehehhe

Answer 20

Pontificated.

Answer 21

In his first two years in the U.S. Senate, Barack Obama was back in his familiar role as member of the minority party.  Republicans tightly controlled the U.S. Senate, and it was very difficult for any Democratic Senator to get a bill passed.  During that time, Senator Obama sponsored 152 bills and resolutions, and cosponsored 427 more.

    Senator Obama thus far has two bills which became law, that have his name on them.  The Lugar-Obama bill which I've already discussed, expands efforts to destroy WMDs (e.g. in the former Soviet states).  And the Coburn-Obama Transparency Act.  The Transparency Act created a website managed by OMB for ensuring transparency of funds allocated to government agencies.  It tracks all federal spending, and allows Google-type searches based on agency, types of funding, etc.

   One of his first bills after being elected to the U.S. Senate was a proposal to increased Pell Grants, thereby fulfilling a campaign promise.  Unfortunately, in the tightly controlled Republican Senate, this bill didn't make it out of committee.

    Perhaps his most impressive accomplishment in the U.S. Senate happened on January 18, 2007.  That is when the Senate passed a major ethics/lobbying reform bill.  (Senator Obama had voted against a prior ethics reform bill that he said wasn't tough enough.)  Newspapers give Senators Obama and Russ Feingold significant credit for insisting that this latest ethics bill included tough measures.  Obama risked some political capital to get this bill passed.  The bill bans gifts/meals from lobbyists; puts an end to subsidized corporate jets; requires full disclosure of earmarks (who are the earmarks for, and for what purpose); places restrictions on retiring members of Congress going immediately into lobbying; requires lobbyists to disclose bundling of contributions to Congress, candidates or committees.  This was a HUGE victory for Senator Obama.  It still needs to be reconciled with a House version of the bill, and then signed by the president.

    Senator Democratic leader Harry Reid has designated Barack Obama as the Democrats' point man on ethics, citing three reasons for his selection:  whenever Obama walks into a room, everyone stops talking and listens to what he has to say; Obama is known for having unquestionable ethics and integrity; Obama's expertise on ethics and campaign reform while in Springfield made him a leading expert on those same issues in the U.S. Senate.  This last point can't be emphasized enough.  The fact that Obama mastered, and led the fight, on so many complex political issues in eight years in Springfield gave him a huge head start in addressing the same complex issues at the federal level.

     Senator Obama has also sponsored the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007.  It would cap troops at January 10, 2007 levels, begin withdrawal by May 1, 2007, and call for complete withdrawal of combat brigades by March 31 of 2008.  Withdrawal would be postponed if Iraq meets certain benchmarks.  This is consistent with the Iraq Study Group.  (Solely from memory, I believe this study group was chaired by Lee Hamilton and James Baker III.) Bill Richardson wants complete withdrawal by end of 2007.  Hillary Clinton has called for a phased withdrawal of troops starting in 90 days.  John Edwards 40,000-50,000 troops withdrawn immediately, and the remainder withdrawn within 12-18 months.

    Senator Obama also has experience and judgment on foreign policy.  He is on the senate committees for foreign relations; homeland security; veterans affairs; health, education, labor and pensions.  He studied political science with an emphasis on international relations and Columbia.  And he's gone on three major trips overseas as part of an official Senate delegation, meeting with U.S. generals, and/or foreign leaders.  He and Senator Lugar travelled to the former Soviet states to inspect the destruction of WMDs; he traveled to Iraq and met with U.S. generals, and also toured Kuwait, Jordan, Israel, Palestinian territories (he told Palestinian Authority President MahMoud Abbas that US would never recognize Hamas leaders until they renounced mission to eliminate Israel.); he visited various African countries, including Kenya (his father's homeland), and publicly took an AIDS test to show people in Africa that it was ok and even socially responsible to have an AIDS test.

    He has backed various plans for lessening reliance on Middle East oil.  He has offered the big three domestic automakers a deal:  the federal government pays 10% of health care costs of their retired employees, if the automakers will commit to building more fuel efficient cars.  He has also called for increased fuel efficiency standards (3 percent every year for 15 years).  He's encouraged use of ethnanol as an alternative fuel.

It's worth noting, as the article quoted above does, that during most of his tenure both in Springfield and Washington, he was in the minority part

Answer 22

He has pretty much rode the Affirmative Action wave his entire career with liberals who don't have any morals themselves not questioning his lack of traditional American values.  Now he is being confronted with real America where, for the first time in his life, needs to act responsibly.  He is not making the grade.