Saturday, December 20, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Sasha and Malia Obama
From the first press conference as President-elect, Obama made it clear that his daughters, Sasha, 7, and Malia, 10, would be defining factors of his presidency. He talked about the dog he promised the girls that would be coming with them to the White House. The first issue: the dog must be hypoallergenic to accommodate Malia’s allergies.
"On the other hand, our preference would be to get a shelter dog," he said. "But obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts, like me. So the -- so, whether we're going to be able to balance those two things, I think, is a pressing issue on the Obama household."
Beyond gaining a new dog, the girls will gain a new life in Washington, leaving their Hyde Park community and prestigious University of Chicago Laboratory School. Michelle Obama chose another prestigious elementary school Sidwell Friends School, similar to Lab. Quakers founded Sidwell in 1883 and educated generations of DC’s elite.
The scrutiny and spotlight will be a difficult burden to bear, but with the resume and stability of Chelsea Clinton, the White House can definitely bring advantages to childhood.
(1) http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1268791,obama-press-conference-dog-110908.article
(2) http://www.usnews.com/blogs/on-education/2008/11/24/obama-girls-opt-for-a-posh-private-school.html
(3) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article5086243.ece
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Bad Blago
Before Tuesday, Illinois questioned who would fill the seat of their fast-rising Senate superstar. Post Tuesday, Illinois wonders if we’ll have the opportunity to replace current governor Rod Blagojevich. On Tuesday, reports surfaced that Blagojevich planned to sell Obama’s Senate seat to the highest bidder, and FBI agents arrested the scandal-plagued Democrat.
The 76-page indictment also outlines that Blagojevich demanded Obama appoint him Secretary of Health and Human Services in exchange for a senate seat filled to Obama’s liking.
Obama and other Illinois politicians face questioning over their relationship with Blagojevich. Included in that list are Illinois US House members Danny Davis, Jesse Jackson Jr., and Jan Schakowsky, all of which have been angling to fill the President-elect’s Senate seat.
The Illinois General Assembly will consider legislation Monday that could produce a special election to fill Obama's seat until 2010. Unfortunately, Blagojevich is still governor and could veto the bill.
Whoever does end up filling the position will face public scrutiny, no matter how well they serve in the Senate. Thanks, Blago. But what more could you expect from an Illinois governor?
Sources:
(1) http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1865370,00.html
(2) http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/12/10/blagojevich/index1.html
(3) http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/388841/
(4) http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/10/blagojevich.senate.seat/index.html
(5) http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/12/10/dcl.hornick.chicago.politics.cnn
The 76-page indictment also outlines that Blagojevich demanded Obama appoint him Secretary of Health and Human Services in exchange for a senate seat filled to Obama’s liking.
Obama and other Illinois politicians face questioning over their relationship with Blagojevich. Included in that list are Illinois US House members Danny Davis, Jesse Jackson Jr., and Jan Schakowsky, all of which have been angling to fill the President-elect’s Senate seat.
The Illinois General Assembly will consider legislation Monday that could produce a special election to fill Obama's seat until 2010. Unfortunately, Blagojevich is still governor and could veto the bill.
Whoever does end up filling the position will face public scrutiny, no matter how well they serve in the Senate. Thanks, Blago. But what more could you expect from an Illinois governor?
Sources:
(1) http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1865370,00.html
(2) http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/12/10/blagojevich/index1.html
(3) http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/388841/
(4) http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/10/blagojevich.senate.seat/index.html
(5) http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/12/10/dcl.hornick.chicago.politics.cnn
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Michelle Obama
Born Michelle Robinson to a loving family on Chicago’s South Side, the future First Lady grew up in a stable home, unlike her husband. Her mother, Marian, was a stay-at-home mom. Her father, Fraser, worked at the municipal water department and was a precinct captain. Michelle succeeded in school skipping the second grade, but she never performed as well as her brother Craig. He headed off to Princeton, and college counselors discouraged her from even applying. Her persistence brought her an acceptance letter (3).
At Princeton, Michelle pursued a Sociology major and an African American Studies minor. The racial divide on campus inspired her senior thesis paper on “Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community”. She went on to receive her Juris Doctor at Harvard Law School (3).
She began working at Sidley & Austin, a corporate-law firm in Chicago. In 1989, she was assigned to mentor a summer associate, Barack Obama. After originally refusing the confident mentee’s advances, Michelle and Barack had their first date at one of Barack’s community-organizing sessions in a church basement. The two married in 1992 (3).
Obama switched from corporate law to working in the public sector. In 1996, Obama served as the Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago where she developed the University's Community Service Center. Six years later, Michelle began working for the University of Chicago Hospitals (3).
With a resume unlike any other first lady’s, Michelle Obama will redefine the role of First Lady. From the beginning of the campaign, Michelle proved she wouldn’t be the traditional first lady with her edgy humor and confident demeanor. At a speech in Wisconsin, “the excited young woman introducing Michelle flubbed her line, saying she was ‘honored to introduce the next president!’ Michelle strode to the podium with a big smile. ‘I like that promotion that I got,’ she told the crowd. ‘I don't know if Barack knows yet. We can announce it on the news tonight. He's going to be the First Lady (3).’”
Beyond redefining the role of the first lady, Mrs. Obama redefines the role of the black woman. Traditionally, black women are discouraged from staying at home to raise their children. African American women hold a long history of being pulled away from the home. During times of slavery, African women either worked the fields or cared for the children of the plantation owner. Little changed after slavery ended. Black women left their children at home to work in the homes of wealthy white families. Today, the African American community views a stay-at-home mom with a college degree as a waste of education (1). Princeton and Harvard Educated Obama left her six-figure salary at the University of Chicago to aid her husband’s campaign. She plans to dedicate her time in Washington to being Mom-in-Chief to the youngest residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue since Amy Carter. By example, Michelle Obama may bring black women back home.
Cherie Blair, wife of Tony Blair, publicly advised Michelle “to learn to like the back seat” (5). With a history of changing her world by taking matters into her own hands, I hope Mrs. Obama drives her own car.
(1) http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/24/ivey.first.lady/index.html
(2) http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/11/24/roesgen.michelle.obama.first.lady.cnn
(3) http://www.newsweek.com/id/112849/page/1
(4) http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/11/24/roesgen.michelle.obama.first.lady.cnn
(5) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/cherie_blair/article5149542.ece
At Princeton, Michelle pursued a Sociology major and an African American Studies minor. The racial divide on campus inspired her senior thesis paper on “Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community”. She went on to receive her Juris Doctor at Harvard Law School (3).
She began working at Sidley & Austin, a corporate-law firm in Chicago. In 1989, she was assigned to mentor a summer associate, Barack Obama. After originally refusing the confident mentee’s advances, Michelle and Barack had their first date at one of Barack’s community-organizing sessions in a church basement. The two married in 1992 (3).
Obama switched from corporate law to working in the public sector. In 1996, Obama served as the Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago where she developed the University's Community Service Center. Six years later, Michelle began working for the University of Chicago Hospitals (3).
With a resume unlike any other first lady’s, Michelle Obama will redefine the role of First Lady. From the beginning of the campaign, Michelle proved she wouldn’t be the traditional first lady with her edgy humor and confident demeanor. At a speech in Wisconsin, “the excited young woman introducing Michelle flubbed her line, saying she was ‘honored to introduce the next president!’ Michelle strode to the podium with a big smile. ‘I like that promotion that I got,’ she told the crowd. ‘I don't know if Barack knows yet. We can announce it on the news tonight. He's going to be the First Lady (3).’”
Beyond redefining the role of the first lady, Mrs. Obama redefines the role of the black woman. Traditionally, black women are discouraged from staying at home to raise their children. African American women hold a long history of being pulled away from the home. During times of slavery, African women either worked the fields or cared for the children of the plantation owner. Little changed after slavery ended. Black women left their children at home to work in the homes of wealthy white families. Today, the African American community views a stay-at-home mom with a college degree as a waste of education (1). Princeton and Harvard Educated Obama left her six-figure salary at the University of Chicago to aid her husband’s campaign. She plans to dedicate her time in Washington to being Mom-in-Chief to the youngest residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue since Amy Carter. By example, Michelle Obama may bring black women back home.
Cherie Blair, wife of Tony Blair, publicly advised Michelle “to learn to like the back seat” (5). With a history of changing her world by taking matters into her own hands, I hope Mrs. Obama drives her own car.
(1) http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/24/ivey.first.lady/index.html
(2) http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/11/24/roesgen.michelle.obama.first.lady.cnn
(3) http://www.newsweek.com/id/112849/page/1
(4) http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/11/24/roesgen.michelle.obama.first.lady.cnn
(5) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/cherie_blair/article5149542.ece
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Election Day: A Beautiful Weather for Democracy
I sat on an Amtrak headed to Union Station across from two classmates from my political science class. All proudly bearing “I Voted” stickers and Obama-Biden pins, our first presidential election evoked a sense of personal history with the public reflecting the same notion. November 4, 2008 was a different kind of Election Day. The candidates wore a different kind of face, the campaigns cut down new paths, the air breathed foreshadowing warmth, and I cast a ballot.
Chicago screamed Obama. Every third person wore some form of Obama pride. Street vendors abandoned their knock off Louis Vouitton purses, while the city flocked to purchase overpriced Obama pins. Overstuffed Starbucks handed complimentary coffees to quick moving line flashing their election gear. And I waited in the middle of Columbus drive starting at three pm – an occurrence reserved only for Taste of Chicago and Lollapalooza. My Election Night ticket stated that gates would not open until 8:30pm, but with a line forming at one pm, the city started allowing Obama fans to wait at closer checkpoints.
Grant Park held the familiar comforts with foreign elements. An army of press with flashbulbs as their ammo replaced the scattered music journalists sneaking in front of crowds at Lollapalooza. Well-suited Secret Service men replaced the Chicago Park District employees in tees at Taste. Chicago remained Chicago with sophisticated pride.
I sat with my family and 200,000 others watching a jumbo screen of CNN while one family member held down our stage-view spots. Every time a state turned blue, the crowd cheered, and the energy elevated. After Pennsylvania, our smiles couldn’t be suppressed. After Ohio, our hope tiptoed to reality. At 9:59:55pm, the crowd chanted, “5-4-3-2-1”. And with the final polls closed, Anderson Cooper announced Barack Obama the President-elect.
In pandemonium, strangers embraced, tears shed, and America flipped to a new chapter. When President-elect Obama walked on stage with his family and running mate, the crowd waved their American flags vigorously. Obama’s victory refreshed my hope in politics. A grassroots movement can put a man in the Oval Office; we do have a voice.
His speech was the cherry on top of an election sundae, proving that “in the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it”.
After an evening of Chicago pride, I wish the White House relocated to 1600 S. Michigan.
Happy One Week Anniversary, New Era.
Chicago screamed Obama. Every third person wore some form of Obama pride. Street vendors abandoned their knock off Louis Vouitton purses, while the city flocked to purchase overpriced Obama pins. Overstuffed Starbucks handed complimentary coffees to quick moving line flashing their election gear. And I waited in the middle of Columbus drive starting at three pm – an occurrence reserved only for Taste of Chicago and Lollapalooza. My Election Night ticket stated that gates would not open until 8:30pm, but with a line forming at one pm, the city started allowing Obama fans to wait at closer checkpoints.
Grant Park held the familiar comforts with foreign elements. An army of press with flashbulbs as their ammo replaced the scattered music journalists sneaking in front of crowds at Lollapalooza. Well-suited Secret Service men replaced the Chicago Park District employees in tees at Taste. Chicago remained Chicago with sophisticated pride.
I sat with my family and 200,000 others watching a jumbo screen of CNN while one family member held down our stage-view spots. Every time a state turned blue, the crowd cheered, and the energy elevated. After Pennsylvania, our smiles couldn’t be suppressed. After Ohio, our hope tiptoed to reality. At 9:59:55pm, the crowd chanted, “5-4-3-2-1”. And with the final polls closed, Anderson Cooper announced Barack Obama the President-elect.
In pandemonium, strangers embraced, tears shed, and America flipped to a new chapter. When President-elect Obama walked on stage with his family and running mate, the crowd waved their American flags vigorously. Obama’s victory refreshed my hope in politics. A grassroots movement can put a man in the Oval Office; we do have a voice.
His speech was the cherry on top of an election sundae, proving that “in the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it”.
After an evening of Chicago pride, I wish the White House relocated to 1600 S. Michigan.
Happy One Week Anniversary, New Era.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Sarah Palin
I sat in the sixth row of a 200-person lecture when I read the news. Avoiding learning about phonemes, I delved into a much more exciting world of the New York Times political webpage. “McCain Said to Choose Alaska’s Palin”
My jaw dropped. After a week of DNC excitement and Obama-rific hope, McCain’s stiletto strategy crushed my democratic dreams. Based off of Palin’s skirt, I thought McCain would be unstoppable. The unknown governor probably had the poise of Pelosi, the credentials of Clinton, and palpable prettiness (and youth). Before America got to know Sarah Palin, I feared her potential. Today, I cringe at the face Palin’s made of the American woman.
After reading one article on McCain’s VP choice, I knew Palin was not the Republican’s Hillary. She opposes basic civil liberties required by any feminist. Palin opposes abortion even in cases of incest and rape and supports abstinence-only sex education. (With an unwed, teenaged, and pregnant daughter, Palin’s home proves her ideals on educating youth on sex are flawed, to say the least.) Despite her policies, the Republicans believed Palin could sway Hillary-lovers to their side. Palin began praising Hillary as her hero frequently mentioning Hillary’s 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling. If the GOP believes “we don’t care about issues or experience; we just want someone with the same reproductive parts as ours (2)” they have another thing coming, doggone it.
Palin’s connects with the Joe Six-Packs of America (3). She’s just one of the folks; your average American hockey mom, don’t cha kno. And while the McCain-Palin ticket capitalizes on her ability to connect with everyday Americans, she isn’t your everyday mom. Palin sits on a six figure salary, a husband with enough job flexibility to be considered a stay at home dad, and a support network of siblings and parents waiting for her call to pick the kids up from practice. The reality of most Americans: 37 percent of the family’s after-tax income on center-based child care with 30 percent of working families headed by single moms (1). Without mention of affordable child care or equal pay for women on the republican ticket, Palin’s against the average American mom.
Palin made a face for herself in this election, redefining the American woman. But am I ashamed and a little repulsed by this rifle holding, bikini flaunting version? You betcha.
(1) Marsh, Katherine. "Whine Not." The New Republic 24 SEP 2008: 9-11.
(2) Cottle, Michelle. "Shattered." The New Republic 24 SEP 2008: 7-9.
(3) Meacham, Jon. "The Palin Problem." Newsweek 13 OCT 2008: 40-45.
(4) Thornburgh, Nathan. "Call of the Wild." Time 15 SEP 2008: 25-30.
My jaw dropped. After a week of DNC excitement and Obama-rific hope, McCain’s stiletto strategy crushed my democratic dreams. Based off of Palin’s skirt, I thought McCain would be unstoppable. The unknown governor probably had the poise of Pelosi, the credentials of Clinton, and palpable prettiness (and youth). Before America got to know Sarah Palin, I feared her potential. Today, I cringe at the face Palin’s made of the American woman.
After reading one article on McCain’s VP choice, I knew Palin was not the Republican’s Hillary. She opposes basic civil liberties required by any feminist. Palin opposes abortion even in cases of incest and rape and supports abstinence-only sex education. (With an unwed, teenaged, and pregnant daughter, Palin’s home proves her ideals on educating youth on sex are flawed, to say the least.) Despite her policies, the Republicans believed Palin could sway Hillary-lovers to their side. Palin began praising Hillary as her hero frequently mentioning Hillary’s 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling. If the GOP believes “we don’t care about issues or experience; we just want someone with the same reproductive parts as ours (2)” they have another thing coming, doggone it.
Palin’s connects with the Joe Six-Packs of America (3). She’s just one of the folks; your average American hockey mom, don’t cha kno. And while the McCain-Palin ticket capitalizes on her ability to connect with everyday Americans, she isn’t your everyday mom. Palin sits on a six figure salary, a husband with enough job flexibility to be considered a stay at home dad, and a support network of siblings and parents waiting for her call to pick the kids up from practice. The reality of most Americans: 37 percent of the family’s after-tax income on center-based child care with 30 percent of working families headed by single moms (1). Without mention of affordable child care or equal pay for women on the republican ticket, Palin’s against the average American mom.
Palin made a face for herself in this election, redefining the American woman. But am I ashamed and a little repulsed by this rifle holding, bikini flaunting version? You betcha.
(1) Marsh, Katherine. "Whine Not." The New Republic 24 SEP 2008: 9-11.
(2) Cottle, Michelle. "Shattered." The New Republic 24 SEP 2008: 7-9.
(3) Meacham, Jon. "The Palin Problem." Newsweek 13 OCT 2008: 40-45.
(4) Thornburgh, Nathan. "Call of the Wild." Time 15 SEP 2008: 25-30.
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