Rising Star

by David Garrow

  45. Marcus Kabel, “Obama Throws Weight Behind Wal-Mart Critics,” AP, 16 November 2006; Greg Hinz, “Sen. Obama Sees No Hypocrisy in His Wife’s Post at a Firm That Does Business with Wal-Mart,” CCB, 11 December 2006, p. 2; Barack H. and Michelle L. Obama, 2006 Form 1040, 15 April 2007; Audie Cornish, “Rare National Buzz Tipped Obama’s Decision to Run,” All Things Considered, NPR, 19 November 2007; Leslie Bennetts, “First Lady in Waiting,” Vanity Fair, December 2007; Michelle Obama on The Situation Room, CNN, 1 February 2008; Scott Helman, “Holding Down the Obama Family Fort,” BG, 30 March 2008; Daren Briscoe, “A Conversation with Barack Obama,” Newsweek, 9 January 2009 (18–19 May 2008); Matt Schofield, “Michelle Obama Says She Didn’t Want Husband to Run,” KCS, 10 July 2008; Rachel L. Swarns, “Family Mainstay to Move into White House,” NYT, 10 January 2009; Robinson, A Game of Character, pp. 186–92. Journalists would later note how in December 2006 and January 2007, Michelle’s employer, the University of Chicago Medical Center, hired ASK Public Strategies, the decidedly low-profile partner firm of David Axelrod’s AKPD political consulting shop, to examine UCMC’s Urban Health Initiative. ASK—Axelrod, Eric Sedler, and John Kupper—was best known for creating corporate front groups such as “Consumers Organized for Reliable Electricity,” on behalf of ComEd, and the “New York Association for Better Choices,” on behalf of Cablevision. Howard Wolinsky, “The Secret Side of David Axelrod,” Business Week, 14 March 2008, Joe Stephens, “Obama Camp Has Many Ties to Wife’s Employer,” WP, 22 August 2008, and Mike McIntire, “For Obama Strategist, Ties to Corporations and Non-Profits as a Consultant,” NYT, 18 October 2008.

  46. Today, NBC, 12 December 2006; Zachary A. Goldfarb, “On Monday Night Football, An Announcement from Obama,” WP, 17 December 2006; Marc Ambinder, “Teacher and Apprentice,” Atlantic Monthly, December 2007; Daren Briscoe, “An Interview with Barack Obama,” Newsweek, 8 January 2009 (18–19 May 2008); Pete Rouse’s July 2008 interview with Jim Gilmore; Wolffe, Renegade, pp. 20, 56–57; Heilemann and Halperin, Game Change, pp. 62, 72; Plouffe, The Audacity to Win, p. 16; Suskind, Confidence Men, pp. 125–26; Axelrod, Believer, p. 199.

  47. George Will, “Run Now, Obama,” WP, 14 December 2006; Mike Dorning, “Obama Donors Signal His Grass-Roots Support,” CT, 14 December 2008; Donald Lambro, “The Obama Factor,” and “The Other Barack Obama,” WT, 14 December 2006, pp. A21, A22; Rick Pearson, “Obama on Obama,” CT, 15 December 2006; Lynn Sweet, “Trail of Fears,” CST, 15 December 2006, p. 3; Rosa Brooks, “Barack’s Ready,” LAT, 15 December 2006; Peggy Noonan, “The Man from Nowhere,” WSJ, 16 December 2006; Joe Garcia, “Barack Obama: The Guise of Change,” DailyKos.com, 16 December 2006; Clarence Page, “What’s in a Middle Name?,” CT, 17 December 2006; David Jackson and Ray Gibson, “Obama Intern Had Ties to Rezko,” CT, 24 December 2006; John Kass, “Obama All Pecs and Peccadilloes, Now,” CT, 17 January 2007; Carol Marin, “Frank Discussions About Family Helped Obama Decide,” CST, 17 January 2007, p. 37; Cathleen Falsani, “Evangelical? Obama’s Faith Too Complex for Simple Label,” CST, 19 January 2007, p. 28; Philip Sherwell, “The Big Hitter,” Sunday Telegraph, 28 January 2007, p. 18; David Jackson and Ray Gibson, “Rezko Sells Lot Next to Obama,” CT, 24 February 2007 (on 28 December 2006); Chris Fusco and Dave McKinney, “Rezko Lawyer Wants to Build Kenwood Condos,” CST, 24 February 2007, p. 2; Kathy Chaney, “Developer Desires to Be Obama’s Neighbor,” HPH, 28 February 2007, pp. 1–2; Hermene D. Hartman, “Barack and Black Enterprise,” N’Digo, 7–13 June 2007; Mundy, Michelle, p. 169; Newton Minow’s 2008 interview with Jim Gilmore; DJG interviews with Newton Minow, Abner Mikva, and Hermene Hartman.

  48. Bernard Schoenburg, “Durbin, LaHood Say Some Good Things About Obama,” SJR, 17 December 2006, p. 39; Gregory Rodriguez, “Is Obama the New ‘Black’?,” LAT, 17 December 2006; Jonathan Alter, “2008: The Contenders,” Newsweek, 18 December 2006, p. 7; Jackie Calmes, “Obama Forces Shuffle in Early ’08 Lineup,” and John Fund, “Not So Fast,” WSJ, 18 December 2006; Eric Zorn, “Obama Critics Build Cases on Faulty Premises,” CT, 19 December 2006; “Barack Obama, U.S. Senator,” WT, 19 December 2006, p. A20; [Mark Penn], “Launch Strategy Thoughts,” [21 December 2006], 11pp.; CRec, 8 December 2006, pp. S11836–38 (S. 2125; P. L. 109-456, 22 December 2006); John Heilemann, “The Chicago Cipher,” NYM, 25 December 2006; Josh Gerstein, “Obama Shapes an Agenda Beyond Iraq War,” NYS, 26 December 2006, p. 1; Joshua Green, “‘The Plan,’ October 2006,” and “Penn’s ‘Launch Strategy’ Ideas, December 21, 2006,” TheAtlantic.com, 11 August 2008; Balz and Johnson, The Battle for America 2008, pp. 50–52; Plouffe, The Audacity to Win, pp. 23–25.

  49. Mary Clare Jalonick, “Daschle: Obama Has ‘Unlimited Potential,’” AP, 20 December 2006; Brian Charlton (AP), “Obama Run in ‘08 Will Be Decided Here, Sister Says,” HA (and HSB), 20 December 2006; Conor Clarke, “Barack Obama’s Non-Scandal,” TNR, 20 December 2006 (and CST, 24 December 2006, p. B3); Gary Hart, “American Idol,” NYRB, 24 December 2006; Jeff Zeleny, “Testing the Water, Obama Tests His Own Limits,” NYT, 24 December 2006; David Jackson and Ray Gibson, “Obama Intern Had Ties to Rezko,” and Christi Parsons, “Obama’s No ‘Smith,’ but Is That Really Bad?,” CT, 24 December 2006; Frank Main, “Internship Also Links Obama, Rezko,” CST, 24 December 2006, p. A5; Jonathan Alter, “Is America Ready?,” Newsweek, 25 December 2006, pp. 28ff.; Michael Barone, “The Experience Factor,” U.S. News, 25 December 2006; Lynn Sweet, “Obama Eyes Iowa in Putting ’08 HQ Here,” CST, 25 December 2006, p. 3; “Poll Shows Obama Pulling Even with Clinton in NH,” Union Leader, 26 December 2006, p. A2; Johnny Brannon, “Obama’s Visit All About Golfing, Not Presidency,” HA, 28 December 2006; Charlton, “Obama Stays Out of Public Eye in Hawaii,” AP, 29 December 2006; “Obama Needs to Walk, Not Run,” BND, 30 December 2006; Evan Thomas et al., “Barack Obama: How He Did It,” Newsweek, 17 November 2008; Mendell, Obama, p. 380; Wolffe, Renegade, pp. 22–25; Plouffe, The Audacity to Win, pp. 25–26; Heilemann and Halperin, Game Change, p. 73.

  50. Laura Washington, “Whites May Embrace Obama, but Do ‘Regular’ Black Folks?,” CST, 1 January 2007, p. 23; Lois Romano, “Effect of Obama’s Candor Remains to Be Seen,” and Ruth Marcus, “The Audacity of Nope,” WP, 3 January 2007; Obama Podcast #37, “Against an Escalation in Iraq,” 3 January 2007, Obama.Senate.gov; Patrick Healy and Adam Nagourney, “In the Back Room and Over Drinks, Senator Clinton Plans for 2008,” NYT, 4 January 2007; Obama, “A Chance to Change the Game,” WP, 4 January 2007; Lynn Sweet, “Past Drug Use May Test Obama,” CST, 4 January 2007, p. 7; Margaret Carlson, “For Obama, It’s Public Character That Counts,” Bloomberg, 4 January 2007; Mark Silva, “Democrats Warn Bush Against Iraq Buildup,” CT, 6 January 2007; Kenneth T. Walsh, “‘A Great Hunger for Change,” U.S. News, 8 January 2007; Paul Merrion, “Obama Taps Local Fundraising Bigwigs,” CCB, 8 January 2007; Ambinder, “Teacher and Apprentice,” AM, December 2007; David Axelrod’s and Pete Rouse’s 2008 interviews with Jim Gilmore; Harriette Cole, “The Real Michelle Obama,” Ebony, September 2008, pp. 72–79; Wolffe, Renegade, pp. 57–58; Robinson, A Game of Character, pp. 195–96; Balz and Johnson, “A Political Odyssey: How Obama’s Team Forged a Path,” WP, 2 August 2009, and The Battle for America 2008, p. 19; Plouffe, The Audacity to Win, p. 27; Heilemann and Halperin, Game Change, pp. 73–74; Robert M. Gates, Duty (Knopf, 2014), p. 300; Axelrod, Believer, pp. 201–4.

  51. Jim Abrams, “Senate Begins Work on Ethics Bill,” AP, 8 January 2007; Obama Podcast #38, “Ethics Legislation,” 8 January 2007, Obama.Senate.gov; Jeff Zeleny and Patrick Healy, “Decisions on the Horizon,” NYT, 9 January 2007; Dana Milbank, “At Newsstands Everywhere, the Honorable Beach Babe from Illinois,” WP, 9 January 2007; Christi Parsons, “Democrats Target Ethics,” and Eric Zorn, “Honesty Helps Obama Separate Past from Future,” CT, 9 January 2007; Lynn Sweet, “Fit to Be President?,” CST, 9 January 2007, p. 3; Helen Kennedy, “Jesse’s Bid to Be Prez Paved Way, Says Obama,” NYDN, 9 January 2007, p. 4; Annie Karni, “Obama Seeks Support on Clinton Turf,�
�� NYS, 9 January 2007, p. 2; USS, CHS, “Ensuring Full Implementation of the 9/11 Commission’s Recommendations,” S. Hrg. 110-865, 9 January 2007, pp. 37–40; Elizabeth Williamson, “The Green Gripe with Obama,” WP, 10 January 2007; USS, HEL, “Health Care Coverage and Access,” S. Hrg. 110-24, 10 January 2007, p. 1; “Obama Statement on President’s Call for Troop Escalation in Iraq,” 10 January 2007; Sweet, “Clinton Locks Up Key Endorsement,” CST, 11 January 2007, p. 29; Obama on Today, NBC, 11 January 2007; CRec, 8 December 2006, p. S11830 (H. R. 6060, P. L. 109-472, 11 January 2007); “Lugar-Obama Nonproliferation Legislation Signed into Law by the President,” 11 January 2007; USS, CFR, “Securing America’s Interest in Iraq: The Remaining Options,” S. Hrg. 110-153, 11 January 2007, pp. 139–41; Anne E. Kornblut, “Devastating Criticism by Both Parties,” NYT, 12 January 2007; Milbank, “The Secretary vs. the Senators,” WP, 12 January 2007; Obama on Face the Nation, CBS, 14 January 2007; Mark Silva, “Obama, McCain: 2 War Views,” CT, 15 January 2007; “Beach Babes,” People, 15 January 2007, pp. 10–11; Mark Z. Barabak, “How Obama Went from Underdog to Alpha,” LAT, 4 June 2008; Tim Dickinson, “Obama’s Barin Trust,” Rolling Stone 1056/57, 10 July 2008; Shailagh Murray, “In Obama’s Circle, Chicago Remains the Tie That Binds,” WP, 14 July 2008.

  52. Obama, Announcement for President, 16 January 2007, YouTube; Jeff Zeleny, “Obama Starts Bid, Reshaping Democratic Field,” NYT, 17 January 2007; Shailagh Murray and Chris Cillizza, “Obama Jumps into Presidential Fray,” WP, 17 January 2007; Judy Keen, “The Big Question About Barack Obama: Does He Have Enough Experience to Be President?,” USAT, 17 January 2007; Mike Dorning and Christi Parsons, “He Sets His Sights on the White House,” and John Kass, “Obama All Pecs and Peccadilloes, Now,” CT, 17 January 2007; Bernard Schoenburg, “Why Springfield,” SJR, 17 January 2007, p. 1; “Obama Statement on Iraq,” 17 January 2007; Zeleny, “Obama Knows Novelty Goes Only So Far as an Agent of Change,” NYT, 18 January 2007; “He’s In,” WP, 18 January 2007; Eric Zorn, “Why Obama Just Might Click with the Voters,” CT, 18 January 2007; Scott Fornek, “Obama Sizing Up Abe’s Old Digs,” CST, 18 January 2007, p. 16; Obama, CRec, 18 January 2007, pp. S722–23; Christi Parsons, “Senate OKs Tougher Ethics Bill 96-2,” CT, 19 January 2007; Eric Krol, “Obama’s Debut Gave Little Hint of What Was to Come,” CDH, 19 January 2007, p. 16; Bernard Schoenburg, “Site of Obama’s Announcement Still a Mystery,” SJR, 19 January 2007, p. 1; Leonard Pitts Jr., “America’s Baggage Is Obama’s Burden,” MH, 19 January 2007; Dori Meinert, “Obama’s Senate Record Shows High Party Loyalty,” Copley, 19 January 2007; Kevin McDermott, “Site of Obama Speech Likely Will Evoke Lincoln,” SLPD, 21 January 2007, p. C7; Kurt Erickson and Ed Tibbetts, “Obama’s Records Reveal His Liberal Side,” BP (and QCT), 21 January 2007; Debra J. Dickerson, “Colorblind,” Salon, 22 January 2007; Fran Spielman, “Obama Endorses Daley,” CST, 22 January 2007; Gary Washburn, “Daley Gets Backing of Obama,” CT, 23 January 2007; Steve Rhodes, “Barack Obama (D-Daley),” BR, 23 January 2007; Dante Chinni, “Obama-Mania May Backfire,” CSM, 23 January 2007; Rich Miller, “Love Is Blind,” IT, 25 January 2007; George Scialabba, “The Work Cut Out for Us,” Nation, 29 January 2007, pp. 23–27; Salim Muwakkil, “Barack’s Black Dilemma,” ITT, February 2007, p. 16; Kevin Alexander Gray, “The Packaging of Obama,” Progressive, February 2007, pp. 41–44; Paul Street, “The Obama Illusion,” Z Magazine, February 2007; James Crabtree, “Barack Obama,” Prospect Magazine (UK) 131, February 2007; Ta-Nehisi Coates, “Is Obama Black Enough?,” Time, 1 February 2007; Peter Beinart, “Black Like Me,” TNR, 5 February 2007, p. 6; Martin Plissner, “Ready for Obama Already,” NYT, 7 February 2007.

  53. Obama on MSNBC, 23 January 2007; USS, CVA, “DOD/VA Collabortion and Cooperation,” S. Hrg. 110-1, 23 January 2007, pp. 1, 56, 63; Obama on Good Morning America, ABC, and The Early Show, CBS, 24 January 2007; Obama, remarks at Families USA Conference, 25 January 2007; Mike Dorning, “Obama Joins Ranks of Democrats Supporting Universal Health Care,” CT, 26 January 2007; Scott Fornek, “Clinton Pal Bobby Rush: I’m Supporting Obama,” CST, 27 January 2007, p. 5; USS, CHS, “Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,” S. Hrg. 110-33, 29 January 2007, pp. 10–12, 31–35, 38–41, 60–61; Adam Nagourney, “Senators at Louisiana Hearing Criticize Federal Recovery Aid,” NYT, 30 January 2007; USS, CFR, “Nominations of the 110th Congress,” S. Hrg. 110-777, 30 January 2007, pp. 23–25, 60–61; Obama, CRec, 30 January 2007, p. S1322 (introducing S. 433, the Iraq War De-Escalation Act); Shailagh Murray, “Obama Bill Sets Date for Troop Withdrawal,” WP, 31 January 2007; Obama Podcast #39, “Iraq War De-Escalation Act,” 31 January 2007, Obama.Senate.gov; Jason Horowitz, “Biden on the Biden Story,” NYO, 31 January 2007; Nagourney, “Biden Unwraps His Bid for ’08 with an Oops!,” NYT, 1 February 2007; Dan Balz, “Biden Stumbles at the Starting Gate,” WP, 1 February 2007; Elana Schor, “Sen. Barack Obama Tries to Flesh Out His Record with an Election-Fraud Bill,” TH, 1 February 2007; Rachel L. Swarns, “So Far, Obama Can’t Take Black Vote for Granted,” NYT, 2 February 2007; Obama, “Remarks at the DNC Winter Meeting,” 2 February 2007; Jonathan Singer, “MyDD Interview with Barack Obama,” 2 February 2007; Ben Smith, “Black Rift Widens over Obama,” Politico, 3 February 2007; Horowitz, “Biden Unbound,” NYO, 5 February 2007; Anne E. Kornblut, “Obama Confronts ‘Outsider’ Dilemma,” WP, 5 February 2007; David Remnick, “The Joshua Generation,” and Ryan Lizza, “Battle Plans: How Obama Won,” TNY, 17 November 2008; Lloyd Grove, “The World According to David Plouffe,” Portfolio.com, 11 December 2008; Wolffe, Renegade, pp. 68–69; Balz and Johnson, The Battle for America 2008, p. 71.

  54. Lynn Sweet, “Obama Begins Fund-Raising Drive,” CST, 1 February 2007, p. 31; Zachary A. Goldfarb, “Mobilized Online, Thousands Gather to Hear Obama,” WP, 3 February 2007; Sweet, “Obama in Campaign Mode on a Theme of ‘Hope,’” CST, 4 February 2007, p. A19; Anne E. Kornblut, “Obama Confronts ‘Outsider’ Dilemma,” WP, 5 February 2007; Bernard Schoenburg, “Cold Weather Won’t Move Obama’s Announcement,” SJR, 5 February 2007, p. 1; Christi Parsons and Manya A. Brachear, “Obama Launches an ’07 Campaign—to Quit Smoking,” CT, 6 February 2007; Norman Mailer, “Superman Comes to the Supermarket,” Esquire, November 1960; Frank, Obama on the Couch, p. 130; Roger Simon, “Obama: ‘I Have the Potential of Bringing People Together,’” Politico, 8 February 2007; USS, CFR, “The President’s Foreign Affairs Budget,” S. Hrg. 110-389, 8 February 2007, pp. 57–60; USS, HEL, “NCLB Reauthorization,” S. Hrg. 110-295, 8 February 2007, pp. 46–47; Judy Keen, “Obama Touts Non-Political Resume,” and “Dem Cites ‘Unique’ Skills as Key to His Campaign,” USAT, 9 February 2007; Mike Allen, “Undoing Obama,” Politico, 9 February 2007; Peter Wallstein, “Blacks Wonder If Obama’s Multiculturalism Is a Problem,” LAT, 10 February 2007; “Michelle Obama to Work Part Time During Campaign,” UCC, 15 February 2007; Lloyd Grove, “The World According to David Plouffe,” Portfolio.com, 11 December 2008.

  55. Sara Karp, “Sen. Barack Obama’s Pastor Frames Progressive Issues Through Lens of Faith,” Religion News Service, 10 March 2005; Manya A. Brachear, “Pastor Inspires ‘Audacity to Hope,’” CT, 21 January 2007; Ben Wallace-Wells, “The Radical Roots of Barack Obama,” 14 February 2007, and “Destiny’s Child,” Rolling Stone, 22 February 2007, pp. 48–57; Jodi Kantor, “Disinvitation by Obama Is Criticized,” NYT, 6 March 2007; Michael Powell and Kantor, “A Strained Wright-Obama Bond Finally Snaps,” NYT, 1 May 2008; Daren Briscoe, “An Interview with Barack Obama,” Newsweek, 8 January 2009 (18–19 May 2008); Evan Thomas et al., “Barack Obama: How He Did It,” Newsweek, 17 November 2008; Heilemann and Halperin, Game Change, p. 75; Balz and Johnson, The Battle for America 2008, pp. 33, 201; Remnick, The Bridge, pp. 468–72; Plouffe, The Audacity to Win, pp. 28, 40–41; Axelrod, Believer, pp. 209–12; Jeremiah Wright’s interviews with DJG and Edward Klein; Klein, The Amateur, p. 46.

  56. Obama, “Remarks Announcing His Candidacy for President,” 10 February 2007, YouTube; Adam Nagourney and Jeff Zeleny, “Obama Formally Enters Presid
ential Race with Calls for Generational Change,” and Brent Staples, “Decoding the Debate Over the Blackness of Barack Obama,” NYT, 11 February 2007; Dan Balz and Anne E. Kornblut, “Obama Joins Race with Goals Set High,” WP, 11 February 2007; Rick Pearson and Ray Long, “Obama’s Kickoff Is Steeped in Symbolism,” Christi Parsons, “Obama: ‘Destiny Calling,’” and Michael Tackett, “Obama Entry Heavy in Symbolism,” CT, 11 February 2007; Scott Fornek and Dave McKinney, “Obama Makes It Official,” CST, 11 February 2007, p. A1; Daniel Pike, “A Stirring Start,” and Bernard Schoenburg, “Obama Has No Problem Writing His Own Speeches,” SJR, 11 February 2007, pp. 1, 17; Kevin McDermott, “Obama, Off and Running,” SLPD, 11 February 2007, p. A1; Kurt Erickson, “All In: Obama Enters ’08 Race,” BP, 11 February 2007, p. A1; Jennifer Jacobs, “Obama Enters Race for President,” DMR, 11 February 2007, p. A1; David Yepsen, “Can a Candidate Be Too Candid?,” DMR, 12 February 2007, p. B3; Maureen Dowd, “Obama, Legally Blonde?,” NYT, 14 February 2007; David Montgomery, “Barack Obama’s On-Point Message Man,” WP, 15 February 2007; Anna Schneider-Mayerson, “It’s Obamalot!,” NYO, 12 March 2007, p. 1; Matthew Mosk, “The $75 Million Woman,” WP, 8 October 2007; M. Charles Bakst, “Up Close: Michelle Obama,” PJ, 21 February 2008, p. B1; Plouffe, The Audacity to Win, pp. 41–42; Axelrod, Believer, pp. 212–15.