Senator Barack Obama

Half rock star/half public servant US Senator Barack Obama (Democrat - Illinois) finally ended the flirtation with the American public by filing the paperwork necessary to seek the 2008 presidential nomination for the Democratic Party.

For Senator Obama's official biography please visit this website --

http://obama.senate.gov/about/

Granted I am biased in my world view but when I see an excerpt from this one on his biography --
"Barack Obama has dedicated his life to public service as a community organizer, civil rights attorney, and leader in the Illinois state Senate. Obama now continues his fight for working families following his recent election to the United States Senate."

My immediate thought is, "I don't want anyone to dedicate their life to public service", I much prefer they get a regular private sector job like becoming a welder - not government jobs -- so they get front line experience where economic growth is actually created.

The general media has saturated us with Senator Obama's image and speeches but what do we know about his wife, Michelle, whom he married in 1992? Mrs. Obama is the Vice President for Community and External Affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals. Her full biography is located at the website below along with an excerpt from this website copied below which explains he community involvement and career experience:

http://www.uchospitals.edu/news/2005/20050509-obama.html

"Michelle Obama, 41, the wife of United States Senator Barack Obama, was born in Chicago and attended Whitney M. Young Magnet High School. She graduated cum laude from Princeton University with a B.A. in sociology in 1985 and earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she met her husband, in 1988. Obama then worked as an associate at the law firm of Sidley & Austin in Chicago. After spending a few years in the private sector, Obama moved into the public sector working first as an assistant to the mayor and then as the assistant commissioner of planning and development for the City of Chicago. She then turned her attention to the non-profit sector. In 1993, she became the founding executive director of Public Allies Chicago, an Americorps National Service Program. Through her work with Public Allies in Chicago, Obama was able to provide internship opportunities and leadership training to hundreds of young adults interested in pursuing careers in the public sector. Obama serves on a variety of boards and commissions including the board of the Otho S.A. Sprague Memorial Institute, Facing History and Ourselves, and the Muntu Dance Company. She is a former member of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks."

Having reviewed Mr. and Mrs. Obama's biography I am actually more impressed with Mrs. Obama's background so perhaps she should be the candidate? :-) Although the "Public Allies-Americorps" work she did is a strike against her since a taxpayer-paid program designed to help "young adults interested in pursuing careers in the public sector" is bad for the country I assure you.

The Obama parade begins,

Todd