Rising Star

by David J. Garrow

  41. Obama, “Legislature Squandered Opportunity,” HPH, 18 June 1997, p. 4; “Obama Disappointed with Defeat of Landmark School Funding and Electric Deregulation Plans,” South Street Journal, 27 June–18 July 1997, p. 3; Jennifer Davis, “Illinois Gears Up to Retool Its Social Welfare System,” II, July–August 1997, pp. 6–7; “Governor Signs New Laws,” Illinois Politics, July–August 1997, pp. 7–8; Senator Barack Obama [by Illinois Department of Human Services], “Federal and State Welfare Reform: How Does It Effect You,” 6pp. flyer, August 1997, TBP Box 129 Fld. 1; “Some Death Row Inmates to Get DNA Tests,” Chicago Independent Bulletin, 7 August 1997, p. 7 (regarding HB 2138, PA 90-0141, of which Obama became a chief cosponsor on 9 May 1997, the same day it unanimously passed the Senate); Dalia Dangerfield, “Obama Cites Environmental Danger,” CD, 16 August 1997, p. 1; Samuel J. Pernacciaro and Jack R. Van Der Slik, “Roll Call Voting in the 90th General Assembly,” in Joens, Kleppner et al., Almanac of Illinois Politics—1998, pp. 9–16 and 80–81; David Heckelman, “Chief Judge Lauds New Jury Commission Act,” CDLB, 18 August 1997, pp. 1, 24; “Heed Obama in Lake’s Environmental Danger,” CD, 19 August 1997, p. 11; Heckelman, “City Courts to the Rescue,” CDLB, 26 August 1997, pp. 1, 22; “Governor Edgar Signs New Laws,” Illinois Politics, September 1997, pp. 6–7; Davis, “Freshmen Ponder Spring Lessons as They Return for the Fall Session,” II, October 1997, pp. 6–7; Obama’s 2001 interview with Julieanne Richardson; DJG interviews with Gideon Baum and Dan Shomon.

  42. Friends of Barack Obama, Report of Campaign Contributions and Expenditures, 1 January 1997–30 June 1997, 28 July 1997; Kevin Knapp, “Obama Spends Campaign Cash,” HPH, 20 August 1997, p. 3; Adam Doster, “A Thoughtful Politician,” CR, 16 February 2011; Tim Novak’s excellent “Obama and His Rezko Ties,” CST, 23 April 2007, p. 22; Novak, “Broken Promises, Broken Homes,” and “Obama: I Didn’t Know About Rezko Problems,” CST, 24 April 2007, pp. 8 and 20; Larry Bell, “Obama Kick-Back Cronyism,” Forbes.com, 25 October 2011; Garance Franke-Ruta, “The Next Generation,” American Prospect, August 2004; Obama, TAOH, p. 49; Mike Ramsey, “Backing Barack: Early Obama Supporters Find Recent Events Affirm Faith,” SJ-R, 31 December 2006; Alex MacGillis and Steve Mufson, “Coal Fuels a Debate over Obama,” WP, 24 June 2007, p. A1; MacGillis, “In Illinois, Clues to Obama’s Electability,” WP, 15 June 2008, p. A1; Shomon’s 2008 interview with Jen Christensen; Ben Calhoun, “1997 Trip Sparked Obama’s Rural-Voter Courtship,” NPR, 10 August 2008, “Dan Shomon—First Person,” BBC News, 26 August 2008; Obama in “Barack Obama Tribute” video, DNC, 28 August 2008; Shomon in Van Natta Jr., “The New First Golfer”; Remnick, The Bridge, pp. 318–19; McClelland, Young Mr. Obama, p. 137; DJG interviews with Dan Shomon, Jim Rea, and John Charles.

  43. Pam Belluck, “Illinois Governor Testifies in Federal Bribery Trial,” NYT, 30 July 1997; Rick Pearson and Christi Parsons, “MSI Verdict Jolts Springfield,” and Parsons, “Trial Confirms Cynic’s View of Government,” CT, 17 August 1997; Pearson and Bob Kemper, “MSI Case Puts Favor Seekers on Notice,” CT, 18 August 1997; Belluck, “Illinois Governor Surprises by Retiring from Politics,” NYT, 21 August 1997; Edward Walsh, “Illinois Republican Gov. Edgar to Retire,” WP, 21 August 1997; John Kass, “One Vacancy, Many Opportunities,” CT, 21 August 1997; Kass, “Legislature May Pluck Edgar’s Feathers,” CT, 22 August 1997; Bill Bush, “Edgar Orders Agency Gift Ban,” SJ-R, 27 August 1997, p. 1; Parsons, “Gov. Edgar Sets Limits for Gifts,” CT, 27 August 1997; Parsons, “Friends Like These,” and Charles N. Wheeler III, “Sometimes You Just Have to Kill the Alligators,” II, September 1997, pp. 24–25 and 38; United States v. Martin, 195 F. 3d 961 (7th Cir.), 1 November 1999, cert. denied, 530 U.S. 1263, 26 June 2000; David Bernstein, “Lawmakers Gone Wild,” Chicago Magazine, January 2013; “People,” II, April 1997, p. 34; Harold Henderson, “Eight Easy Pieces?,” CR, 24 July 1997; Joyce Foundation, Work in Progress, August 1997, p. 14; Mike Lawrence, proposal to the Joyce Foundation, ca. mid-August 1997, MLP and PSP; Don Thompson, “Scandals Bring Pressure for Campaign Finance Reforn,” CDH, 25 September 1997, p. 1; Dave Gosnell, “Passing the Bucks,” BND, 5 October 1997; David Rheingold, “U.S. Campaign Finance Limits Stiffer Than State’s,” BND, 6 October 1997; Gosnell, “Deregulation Push Gets Utility Boost,” BND, 13 October 1997; Lawrence, “Mission Impossible,” II, September 1998, pp. 38–41; Kirk Dillard’s 9 November 2009 interview with Mark DePue, p. 47 (“Mike Lawrence was a major policy advisor to Governor Edgar”); Howard Peters’s 2009 interview with DePue, p. 95 (“Mike functioned in the administration as much more than a press secretary . . . Mike was very much involved in policy”); Mike Lawrence’s 2009 interviews with DePue, pp. 161, 183–84; DJG interviews with Jim Howard, Cindi Canary, and Mike Lawrence.

  44. Nathaniel K. Wilkes, “Robeson High School Reinvents Itself for New School Year,” Chicago Weekend, 28 August 1997, p. 6; Minutes, CAC Board of Directors, 25 June 1997, Minutes, CAC Board of Directors Executive Committee, 29 July 1997, Minutes, CAC Board of Directors, 30 September 1997; Ken Rolling, “Chicago Annenberg Challenge 1997 Interim Report,” 2 October 1997; “Chicago Annenberg Challenge 1998 Annual Report” (reporting that $2.7 million was awarded in both 1995 and 1996, and $19.8 million in 1997); William Ayers, Michael Klonsky, and Gabrielle H. Lyon, eds., A Simple Justice: The Challenge of Small Schools (Teachers College Press, 2000), esp. p. 189; Michael Klonsky and Susan Klonsky, Small Schools (Routledge, 2008), pp. 25–26; Michael Klonsky’s 2014 interview with Mark Larson; Joyce Foundation, 1997 Annual Report, p. 42; Mark A. Smylie et al., Getting Started: A First Look at Chicago Annenberg Schools and Networks (Consortium on Chicago School Research), June 1998, pp. 15, 97; G. Alfred Hess Jr., “Community Participation or Control: From New York to Chicago,” Theory into Practice 38 (Autumn 1999): 217–24; Dorothy Shipps, “The Businessman’s Educator: Mayoral Takeover and Nontraditional Leadership in Chicago,” in Larry Cuban and Michael Usdan, eds., Powerful Reforms with Shallow Roots (Teachers College Press, 2003), pp. 16–37, at 33 (referencing a 10 October 1997 interview with a Democratic state legislator who almost certainly was Barack, although the CCSR most unpersuasively claims it cannot locate Shipps’s interviews); Minutes, CAC Board of Directors Executive Committee, 21 November 1997, Minutes, CAC Board of Directors, 10 December 1997; Obama, “Genetic Testing Could Help Save Lives,” HPH, 10 September 1997, p. 4; Phyllis C. Richman, “Red Hot Red Sage,” WP, 5 April 1992; “Schedule of Century Project Meetings,” 22–23 September [1997], Chicago, SHP; Abramsky, Inside Obama’s Brain, p. 100; Woods Fund of Chicago, 1997 Annual Report, pp. 1, 20 (a $30,000 grant to the Hope Center); Woods Fund of Chicago, 1997 Form 990-PF, Part VIII, 14 May 1998 (Obama formally became board chairman 10 December 1997); Chinta Strausberg, “Obama Wary of Probe of Gore,” CD, 23 September 1997, p. 7; Brett Schaefer, “University Not Helpful, Say Local Business Leaders,” HPH, 24 September 1997, p. 3; “PMNCC Welcomes Senator Obama,” Chicago Independent Bulletin, 9 October 1997, p. 6; UCLS Announcements 1997–98, pp. 34–35, 37–38; UCLS Directory ’97–’98, p. 20; Michael Lind, “The End of the Rainbow,” Mother Jones, September–October 1997; Sniderman and Carmines, Reaching Beyond Race (Harvard University Press, 1997), pp. 15–58, esp. pp. 53–58; Richard Morin, “The Hidden Truth About Liberals and Affirmative Action,” WP, 21 September 1997, p. C5; Michael Risch, Con Law III Notes, MRP; UCLS Course Evaluations, Autumn 1997; Obama, Constitutional Law III Final Examination, 13 December 1997; Obama to Students in Con Law III, “The Exam,” n.d. [ca. March 1998], esp. pp. 7 and 17; Abdon M. Pallasch, “Law Students Gave Obama Big Thumbs-Up,” CST, 18 December 2007, p. 7; Jason Zengerle, “Con Law,” TNR, 30 July 2008, p. 7; Michael Risch in “Obama as a Constitutional Law Professor,” Volokh.com, 3 May 2008; Elysia Solomon in Robin I. Mordfin, “From the Green Lounge to the White House,” University of Chicago Law School Record, Spring 2009, pp. 2–9; DJG interviews with Bob Bennett, Rob and Lisa Fisher, Charles Halpern, Stephen Heintz, Peter Steffen, Michael Risch, Elysia Solomon, and Andrew Trask.

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5. Adrian Butler, “Barack’s British Background,” Sunday Mirror, 13 January 2008; Oliver Harvey, “Obama’s Brother Is in Bracknell,” The Sun, 26 July 2008; Don Van Natta Jr., “The New First Golfer,” Golf Digest, February 2009, pp. 80ff.; Jacobs, The Other Barack, p. 5; Auma Obama, And Then Life Happens, pp. 243–44; Sasha Abramsky, “Obama’s Sister Has Big Ideas for Education,” The Nation, 23 March 2011; Lorraine Forte, “Legislators Divided on ‘Get Tough’ Reforms,” CST, 28 September 1997, p. 21; M. A. Stapleton, “Devine Backs Bill to Update Juvenile Delinquency Laws,” CDLB, 30 September 1997, pp. 1, 22; Capitol Fax, 13 October 1997, p. 2; Obama, “Hot Topics for the Fall Veto Session,” HPH, 15 October 1997, p. 4; CF, 15 and 16 October 1997, Senate Floor Transcript, 16 October 1997, p. 6 (Obama introducing S. Res. 220, seeking to declare 1 November as South Shore Islamic Community Center Day, which languished in the Rules Committee); Doug Finke, “Edgar, GOP Propose Gift Restrictions,” SJ-R, 17 October 1997, p. 9; CF, 17 October 1997; “Busy Veto Session Expected,” CWR 13 #7, 20 October 1997; CF, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31 October 1997; Davila in Kevin O’Leary, “Why Barack Loves Michelle,” Us Weekly, 30 June 2008, pp. 52–57; Christopher Andersen on The Early Show, CBS, 22 September 2009 (asserting, without any apparent support, that the Obamas “discussed adoption with some of their closest friends”); “Obama Says He’ll Run Again,” HPH, 5 November 1997, p. 3; Burns in David Maraniss, “The Roots of Two Presidents,” WP, 25 March 2012, p. A17; Kevin Knapp, “A Few Races Worth Watching in March,” HPH, 24 December 1997, pp. 1–2; CF, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, and 25 November 1997; Paul Krawzak, “Campaign Finance Reform Task Force Optimistic on Procurement Changes,” SJ-R, 5 November 1997, p. 5; Jeffrey Felshman, “Fighting Over Scraps,” CR, 7 November 1997; Obama, “Endorsing the IVI-IPO,” CR, 14 November 1997; Melita Marie Garza, “Universal Health Care Proposed,” CT, 17 November 1997; “Fall Veto Session Overview,” CWR 13 #8, 1 December 1997; Rick Pearson, “Legislators Get Message, Pass School-Fund Bill,” CT, 3 December 1997; CF, 3 and 8 December 1997; “Governor Edgar Signs New Laws,” Illinois Politics, January–February 1998, p. 13; [Debbie] Lounsberry, “Barack Obama—The Record: A Summary,” 10 May 2004, JRORF, p. 23 (Obama recorded as not voting on HB 452, the school funding measure, although per Senate Floor Transcript, 14 November 1997, p. 142, Barack supported it); Peter Wallsten, “Obama Said Oops Six Times on Votes as a State Senator,” LAT, 24 January 2008 (Barack erroneously voting yes rather than no on SB 493, per Senate Floor Transcript, 14 November 1997, p. 120); Jennifer Vanasco, “Close-Up on Juvenile Justice,” University of Chicago Chronicle, 6 November 1997; “Juvenile Justice: Predators or Children,” HPH, 12 November 1997, p. 12 and 19 November 1997, p. 5; Ayers, A Kind and Just Parent (Beacon Press, 1997), p. 82; Chinta Strausberg, “Obama: Juvenile Justice System Flawed,” CD, 3 December 1997, p. 3; “Mark My Word,” CT, 21 December 1997, p. B5; Dan Morain and Bob Drogin, “Obama and the Former Radicals,” LAT, 18 April 2008; Stanley Kurtz, “Barack Obama’s Lost Years,” Weekly Standard, 11 August 2008; Dohrn, “Seize the Little Moment: Justice for the Child—20 Years at the Children and Family Justice Center,” Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy 6 (Spring 2011): 334–57; DJG interviews with Scott Kaiser, Cynthia Miller, Will Burns, Bernardine Dohrn, Bill Ayers, Carole Travis, and Mona Khalidi.

  46. Larry Hansen to Mike Lawrence, 21 November 1997, PSP; David Rheingold, “It’s All Legal: Campaign Fund Pays Bills, Buys Tickets, Etc.,” BND, 30 November 1997; CF, 2, 4, 5, and 12 December 1997; SIU Acceptance Form, “Making Campaign Finance Reform Happen,” 5 December 1997; Mike Lawrence to James “Pate” Philip (Attn. Carter Hendren), Emil Jones (Attn. Mike Hoffmann), Michael J. Madigan (Attn. Tim Mapes), and Lee Daniel (Attn. Mona Martin), 12 December 1996, MLP and PSP; “Rep. Kubik to Return to Newspaper Roots,” CT, 9 September 1997; CF, 23 and 31 December 1997; Obama, “Ethics Reform Comes to Springfield,” HPH, 31 December 1997, p. 4; Hansen to Lawrence, 31 December 1997, PSP; Friends of Barack Obama, Report of Campaign Contributions and Expenditures, 1 July 1997–31 December 1997, 30 January 1998; Charity Crouse, “Fundraising Is Looking Up for Local Politicians,” HPH, 11 February 1998, p. 3; UCLS Announcements 1997–98, p. 63; UCLS Course Evaluations, Winter 1998; Mike Lawrence, “Mission Impossible,” II, September 1998, pp. 38–41; Ed Wojcicki, “Still the Wild West?,” pp. 9–11; Jo Becker and Christopher Drew, “Pragmatic Politics, Forged on the South Side,” NYT, 11 May 2008, p. A1; DJG interviews with Mike Lawrence, Jim Howard, David Starrett, Cindy Canary, Pate Philip, Carter Hendren, Emil Jones, Mike Hoffmann, Jill Rock, Gary Hannig, Tom Dart, Andrew Trask, Indira Saladi, and Felton Newell. Rezko also contributed $457 worth of food for a 22 January 1998 party. Friends of Barack Obama, Report of Campaign Contributions and Expenditures, 1 January 1998–30 June 1998, 27 July 1998.

  47. CF, 3 December 1997; Chinta Strausberg, “Juvenile Justice Bill in Jeopardy?,” CD, 12 January 1998, pp. 1, 7; CF, 12, 13, 15, 27, 28, 29, and 30 January 1998; “Kids, Crime and the Law,” CT, 13 January 1998; David Heckelman, “Juvenile Justice Among First Topics of New Legislative Session,” CDLB, 14 January 1998, pp. 1, 18; Annie Sweeney, “Grievances Against UIC Aired,” CT, 25 January 1998; Rev. Gordon McLean, “Re-evaluate Juvenile Justice Act,” CT, 28 January 1998; Christi Parsons and Rick Pearson, “Edgar Vows a New Push on School Tax Reform,” CT, 29 January 1998; Strausberg, “Obama Backs Schmidt; Hints at Trouble for Democrats,” CD, 29 January 1998, p. 8; Senate Floor Transcript, 29 January 1998, pp. 4–5, 10–15; Ray Serati, “Bill Would Revamp Illinois Juvenile Law,” PJS, 30 January 1998; Christi Parsons, “Edgar Plan Faces Early Resistance,” CT, 30 January 1998; “Edgar Delivers Final State of the State,” CWR 13 #11, 13 February 1998; DJG interviews with Matt Jones and Gideon Baum.

  48. Mike Lawrence to Paul Simon, “Campaign Finance Reform Meeting,” n.d., PSP; CF, 2, 3, 4, 11, 12, 13, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27 February 1998; Senate Floor Transcript, 18 February 1998, pp. 2 (SJRCA 48), 7, 19 February 1998, pp. 14, 16 (SB 1545), 21, 20 February 1998, pp. 2, 4–5, 16–17, 22; Jason Piscia, “Bigger State Income-Tax Relief Proposed,” SJ-R, 24 February 1998, p. 9; Chinta Strausberg, “Obama Unveils ‘Fair’ Tax Plan,” CD, 24 February 1998, p. 5; Obama, “Illinois Needs a Fairer Tax System,” HPH, 25 February 1998, p. 4; Jennifer Davis, “Penny Severns Remembered,” II, March 1998, p. 35; Lawrence, “Mission Impossible,” II, September 1998, pp. 39–40; Edward McClelland, “Illinois’s Pioneering Gay Legislator,” NBCChicago.com, 11 May 2013; Bernard Schoenburg, “Severns Would Be Proud of Colleagues, Former Partner Says,” SJ-R, 10 November 2013; Mutchler, Under This Beautiful Dome (Seal Press, 2014), pp. 3, 43, 149, 233; DJG interviews with Mike Lawrence, Andy Foster, Gary Hannig, Kirk Dillard, Kent Redfield, and Linda Hawker.

  49. DJG interviews with Denny Jacobs, Mike Lieteau, Fred Fortier, Boro Reljic, Terry Link, Phil Lackman, Dave Manning, Larry Walsh, Cindy Huebner Davidsmeyer, and Brad Jonas; Jim Reynolds in David Smallwood, “Genesis of the Grassroots Movement,” N’Digo Profiles, December 2008, pp. 10–11, 44; Becky Yerak, “Straddling the Worlds of High Finance and Community Activism,” CT, 1 April 2013; Cheryl L. Reed, “The Used Car Lot of the Book World,” CST, 21 January 2007, p. B12. See also Jacobs in Steven Thomma, “Barack Obama, Not Your Typical Politician,” KRDC, 16 February 2007, and Julie A. Dressler, “The Establishment of Illinois Riverboat Gambling and Its Impact on Alton, Peoria and Joliet,” Senior Honors Thesis, Illinois Wesleyan University, 10 May 1994.

  50. [Mike] Lawrence to Dillard, Foster, Hannig, Kubik, Obama, ca. 20 February 1998, MLP and PSP; Paul Simon to Obama, 23 February 1998, PSP; Lawrence to Dillard, Foster, Hannig, Kubik, Obama, 27 February 1998, MLP and PSP; Adriana Colindres, “New Political Web Site Right on the Money,” SJ-R (and PJS) 4 March 1998, p. 1; CF, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 24 March 1998; Lawrence to Dillard, Foster, Hannig, Kubik, Obama, 6 March 1998, [Lawrence], “[Legislative Staff on] Elements of Tentative Consensus,” n.d., MLP; John Kass, “Latino Leader Tapped to Run the 25th Ward,” CT, 2 March 1996; Joseph
N. Boyce, “Hispanic Influx Spurs Legislator to Practice Multiethnic Diplomacy,” WSJ, 7 May 1997, p. A1; Christi Parsons and Ray Long, “Star Is Rising for a 2nd Madigan,” CT, 18 March 1998; “A Message from Latino Voters,” CT, 19 March 1998; Linda Lutton, “War on Independents,” CR, 3 September 1998; Solis in Carlos Hernandez Gomez, “Population Soars but Political Power Lags,” Chicago Reporter, September 2001; Obama, “Getting the Lead Out of Our Children,” HPH, 25 March 1998, p. 4; DJG interviews with Mike Lawrence, Chuy Garcia, Will Burns, and Danny Solis.