Rising Star

by David Garrow

  9. Obama’s August 1995 interview with Connie Martinson; Obama’s September 1995 remarks at the Cambridge (MA) Public Library; Tom Maliti (AP), “Obama’s Brother Chooses Life in Slow Lane,” 26 October 2004; Loretta Augustine-Herron in Philip Sherwell, “The Big Hitter,” Sunday Telegraph, 28 January 2007, p. 18, and in Sherwell, “Obama: The Secret of His Success,” ST, 8 June 2008, p. 17; Kirsten Scharnberg and Kim Barker, “The Not-So-Simple Story of Barack Obama’s Youth,” CT, 25 March 2007; Jeff Chang, “Maya Soetoro Ng: Q&A,” Vibe, September 2007; Janny Scott, “A Biracial Candidate Walks His Own Fine Line,” NYT, 29 December 2007, p. A1; Jacobs, Obamaland, p. 123; Emme Tomimbang, “Barack Obama: Hawaii Roots,” 8 February 2008; Loretta in David James Smith, “The Ascent of Mr. Charisma,” Sunday Times Magazine (London), 23 March 2008, pp. 58ff.; Adam Goldman and Robert Tanner (AP), “Old Friends Recall Obama’s Years in LA, NY,” 15 May 2008; Stefano Esposito, “2 People Who Love Each Other,” CST, 13 July 2008, p. A2; Yann Masson, “Presidentielle Americaine: Avec Barack, on Regardait Les Matchs de Basket,” Nice Matin, 6 November 2008; Andrea Brown, “To Couple, He’s Barry in a Leather Jacket,” Colorado Springs Gazette, 20 January 2009; “Obamas Credit Stevie Wonder,” NYT, 27 February 2009; Allison Davis’s 2009 interview with Robert Draper; Kantor, The Obamas, p. 176; Auma Obama, And Then Life Happens, p. 221–22; Carol Felsenthal, “Yvonne Davila,” ChicagoMag.com, 14 December 2012; Obama, remarks at Solyndra, Fremont, CA, 26 May 2010, Public Papers 2010 Vol. 1, p. 714; Tracy Baim, Obama and the Gays (Prairie Avenue Productions, 2010), pp. 536–37; Michael Cass, “Obama’s Rise Is No Surprise to Nashville Woman Who Worked with Him,” Tennessean, 5 October 2012; DJG interviews with Mike Ramos, Kelly Jo MacArthur, Hasan Chandoo, Jeremiah Wright, Jerry Kellman, Greg Galluzzo, Johnnie Owens, David Kindler, Sokoni Karanja, Ken Rolling, Jean Rudd, Rob Fisher, Mark Kozlowski, Dan Rabinovitz, Tom Perrelli, Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, Ken Mack, Geraldine Alexis, Tom Reed, Allison Davis, Paul Strauss and Marlies Carruth, Laura Tilly, Loretta Augustine-Herron, Yvonne Lloyd, Margaret Bagby, John Schmidt, John Rogers Jr., Carol Harwell, Brian Banks, Kevin Thompson, Charles Payne, Janis Robinson, Bernard Loyd, and Jesse Jackson Jr.

  10. Strausberg, “Voter Registration Drive Gets Push on Final Day,” CD, 5 October 1992, pp. 1, 22; “Voter Registration: Project Vote! Targets Urban Swing Areas,” The Hotline, 8 October 1992; Linda M. Harrington and John C. Patterson, “Issues Spark Registration Jump,” CT, 10 October 1992, p. 1; Strausberg, “VOTE Spokesman Warns of Polling Place Confusion,” CD, 14 October 1992, p. 8; David Shribman and James M. Perry, “Perot’s Support Slips, but Impact in Race Remains,” WSJ, 30 October 1992, p. A1; Eric Zorn, “Better Not to Vote Than Vote Stupidly,” CT, 1 November 1992, p. C1; Newman to Cullen, 2 December 1992, A31P; “Breaking Records in Illinois,” Project Vote! [newsletter], n.d., pp. 1, 3; Reynolds, “Vote of Confidence,” CM, January 1993; Frank James, “25 Chicagoans on the Road to Making a Difference,” CT, 10 February 1993, p. 5; Obama UCLS Faculty Curriculum Vitae, ca. 2000, web.archive.org, 2001 ($200,000); Evans in Sherwell, “The Big Hitter,” Sunday Telegraph, 28 January 2007, p. 18, and in Daniel J. Yovich, “Favorite Son,” HPH, 14 February 2007, pp. 2, 14; Erika George in Deanie Wimmer, “Utah Delegate’s Life Touched by Obama,” KSL.com, 24 August 2008, and in Matt Canham, “Utah Prof Remembers Obama,” Salt Lake Tribune, 26 August 2008; Toni Preckwinkle in Mark Karlin, “Who Is Obama’s Alderwoman [sic] in Chicago?,” Buzzflash.com, 15 July 2008, and in “A Salute to Barack Obama,” Hyde Park History 31 (Winter 2008–2009), p. 4; Saltzman in Terry McDermott, “What Is It About Obama?,” LAT, 24 December 2006, in Lizza, “Making It,” TNR, 21 July 2008, in Yearwood, “Obama and the Jews,” Chicago Jewish News, 12 September 2008, and in Abramsky, Inside Obama’s Brain, p. 207; Axelrod in Maria L. La Ganga, “The Man Behind Obama’s Message,” LAT, 15 February 2008; Axelrod’s June 2008 interview with Jim Gilmore; Axelrod in Remnick, The Bridge, p. 225; Axelrod, Believer, p. 119; Leslie Hairston, “Tribute to Late Mr. Ronald L. Davis,” Chicago City Council Journal, 14 May 2008, pp. 15–16; Obama’s 2001 interview with Julieanna Richardson and his 2002 one with Chinta Strausberg; DJG interviews with Carol Harwell, Brian Banks, Sandy Newman, John Schmidt, Bill Perkins, Toni Preckwinkle, Laura Washington, Mike Pfleger, Phil Mullins, Roberta Lynch, and Bettylu Saltzman.

  11. Robert Davis, “Daley Merges Planning, Economic Development Staffs,” CT, 11 October 1991; Alf Siewers, “Commission Has Big Plans for Neighborhoods,” CST, 21 October 1991, p. 4; Wilma Randle, “Aide Brings Own Vision to City Post,” CT, 8 December 1991; John Kass, “Daley’s New City Hall Excludes Blacks, Suit Charges,” CT, 25 June 1992; Fran Spielman, “Daley’s Chief of Staff to Oversee Aviation,” CST, 16 September 1992, p. 14; Michael Sneed, “Sneed,” CST, 15 October 1992, p. 2; Michelle L. Robinson Employee Work History, City of Chicago; Ann Dunham résumé, n.d. (post-February 1993), Dunham Papers; Andrew J. Salz obituary, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 October 1995, p. A20; Obama’s 2001 interview with Julieanna Richardson; Charles Leroux, “The Buzz Around Obama’s Book,” CT, 6 August 2004; Peter Osnos, “Barack Obama and the Book Business,” The Century Foundation, 30 October 2006; Robert Draper’s 2009 interviews with Allison Davis, Michelle Obama, Valerie Jarrett, and Peter Osnos; Jane Dystel’s 2009 e-mail to Draper; Draper, “Barack Obama’s Work in Progress,” GQ, November 2009; Remnick, The Bridge, pp. 227–28; Scott, A Singular Woman, p. 301–4; Diana Darling, Tandjung Sari: A Magical Door to Bali (Editions Didier Millet, 2012), esp. pp. 17–28; Obama in Jonathan Van Meter, “Leading by Example,” Vogue, April 2013, pp. 248–55, 318–19; Mark Obama Ndesnadjo, An Obama’s Journey (Lyons Press, 2014), pp. 281–84; DJG interviews with Jean Rudd, John Schmidt, Kelly Jo MacArthur, Jerry Kellman, Sandy Newman, Dan Hale, Bronwyn Solyom, Allison Davis, Kevin Thompson, Janis Robinson, Laura Demanski, and Ann Patty.

  On Patty and the death of Poseidon, see Esther B. Fein, “Book Notes: A Duchy Turns 12,” NYT, 20 May 1992, p. C20; Estate of Virgina C. Andrews v. U.S., 804 F. Supp. 820 (E. D. Va.), 27 October 1992; David Streitfeld, “A Novelist’s Tales from the Crypt,” WP, 7 May 1993, p. A1; Streitfeld, “Dead Writer’s ‘Ghost’ Says He Paid Large Fee,” WP, 27 May 1993, p. D1; Maureen O’Brien, “What’s Happening at Poseidon,” Publishers’ Weekly, 5 July 1993, p. 18; Sarah Lyall, “Book Notes: Absorbing Poseidon,” NYT, 7 July 1993, p. C13; Lyall, “Book Notes: Leaving After All,” NYT, 4 August 1993, p. C13; Estate of Virginia C. Andrews v. U.S., 850 F. Supp. 1279 (E. D. Va.), 10 May 1994; Nina Shengold, “Mother of Invention,” Chronogram, March 2005, pp. 72–73; Patty, “The Future for Book Editors: Royalties?,” Publishing Perspectives, 9 April 2010.

  12. Barnett v. Daley, 835 F. Supp. 1063 (N. D. Ill.), 8 October 1993; African American Voting Rights Legal Defense Fund v. Villa, 999 F. 2d 1301 (8th Cir.), 4 August and 1 November 1993; Tyus v. Schoemehl, 93 F. 3d 449 (8th Cir.), 16 August 1996; Baravati v. Josephthal Lyon & Ross, 834 F. Supp. 1023 (N. D. Ill.), 4 October 1993; “People,” CT, 27 June 1993, p. B9; “Business Appointments,” CST, 5 July 1993, p. 40; Chicago Lawyer, September 1993, p. 66; Judson Miner, “Barack Obama’s Career at Miner, Barnhill & Galland,” n.d. [2007], 4pp., Miner Papers; Abdon M. Pallasch, “Obama’s Legal Career,” CST, 17 December 2007; David Smallwood, “Veteran Attorneys Recall Obama,” N’Digo Profiles, December 2008, p. 24; Allison Davis’s 2009 interview with Robert Draper; DJG interviews with Judd Miner, Allison Davis, Chuck Barnhill, George Galland, Paul Strauss, Laura Tilly, Jeff Cummings, Mark Kende, Sarah Siskind, and Whit Soule. On Miner and the firm’s history, also see Michael Powell, “Anatomy of a Counter-Bar Association: The Chicago Council of Lawyers,” American Bar Foundation Research Journal 4 (Summer 1979): 501–41, esp. 506, 511–13, Olivia Clarke, “A Firm with a Mission,” Chicago Lawyer, January 2009, and Don Rose, “The Lawyers Who Reformed Chicago,” The Week Behind, 23 March 2011.

  13. Jessica Bassett, “Barack’s Students Gabe and Nicole Gore Reflect on ‘Professor Obama,’” St. Louis American, 30 October 2008; Jesse Ruiz in “Obama’s Chicago R
oots,” Time.com, 17 December 2008; DJG interviews with Douglas Baird, Jesse Ruiz, Barack Obama, Julie Fernandes, Brett Hart, Jeanne Gills, Julia Bronson, and Elaine Horn. See also Joan Giangrasse Kates, “Jesus Ruiz, 1917–2013,” CT, 24 April 2013. Per Marsha Ferziger Nagorsky’s 31 December 2009 e-mail to Dennis J. Hutchinson, no UCLS course evaluations survive: “the entire Spring quarter of 1993 is missing.” No surviving copy of Barack’s 1993 syllabus has yet been discovered, but all former students’ recollections suggest the 1993 class proceeded just as it did in 1994, and that Spring Term 1994 Syllabus (Adam Gross Papers) is relied upon here. Stacy Marlise Gahagan and Alfred L. Brophy, “Reading Professor Obama: Race and the American Constitutional Tradition,” University of Pittsburgh Law Review 75 (2014): 495–581, reprints the syllabus in full and offers a careful and thorough analysis of it while noting (522) that “the readings are remarkably non-theoretical.”

  14. Michelle L. Robinson Employee Work History, City of Chicago (last day of work 30 April 1993); Woods Charitable Fund, Report for the Year 1992, p. 24; Public Allies Chicago, Winter 1993; Alphonso Myers, “Student Awarded for Leadership and Service,” Columbia College Chronicle, 3 May 1993, pp. 1–2; Jane Meredith Adams, “Youths Vow War on ‘Me’ Generation,” CT, 21 June 1993; “Comings and Goings,” CCB, 12 July 1993, p. 25 (“Public Allies: Michelle Obama, 29, to regional director from assistant commissioner of the city’s Department of Planning and Development”); Public Allies: The National Center for Careers in Public Life, “An Action Plan by Young People,” n.d., KBP; Ed Cohen, “Echoing Green: Building Institutions, Impacting Policy, Creating a Community,” 13 July 1995, esp. p. 18 (“provided assistance with student loans enabling Michelle Obama to work at Public Allies”), EGP; Michelle in Sarah Brown, “Obama ’85 Masters Balancing Act,” Daily Princetonian, 7 December 2005; Schmitz in Melinda Henneberger, “The Obama Marriage,” Slate, 26 October 2007; Richard Wolffe, “Barack’s Rock,” Newsweek, 25 February 2008; Suzanne Perry, “Fired Up and Ready to Grow,” Chronicle of Philanthropy, 17 April 2008; Michelle in Geraldine Brooks, “Michelle Obama: Camelot 2.0?,” More, October 2008; Cindy Moelis in Carol Felsenthal, “The Making of a First Lady,” Chicago Magazine, February 2009, pp. 50–56, 72–78; Paul Schmitz, Everyone Leads (Jossey-Bass, 2012), pp. 23–24; DJG interviews with Katrina Browne, Jason Scott, Sunny Fischer, Julianne Alfred Sullivan, Bethann Hester, Julian Posada, and Paul Schmitz.

  15. Obama’s 27 October 1993 interview with Zeke Gonzalez; Obama’s 7 March 2001 remarks at the Illinois State Library; Charles Leroux, “The Buzz Around Obama’s Book,” CT, 6 August 2004, p. T1; “Oprah Talks to Barack Obama,” O Magazine, November 2004; Obama, U.S. Senate Financial Disclosure Report, 15 June 2005; Osnos, “Barack Obama and the Book Business,” The Century Foundation, 30 October 2006; Scott, “Obama’s Story, Written by Obama,” NYT, 18 May 2008, p. A1; Kevin Simpson, “Identity Questions Shaped Obama into New Kind of Politician,” Denver Post, 28 August 2008, p. P8; D. D. Guttenplan, “The Washington Insider Who Made Obama Rich,” FT, 25 October 2008; Osnos, “The Making of the Book That Made Obama,” DailyBeast.com, 27 January 2009; Osnos’s 2009 interview with Robert Draper; Dystel’s 2009 e-mail to Draper; Draper, “Barack Obama’s Work in Progress,” GQ, November 2009; James Rosen, “Obama’s ‘American Story’ Faces Fresh Scrutiny,” FoxNews.com, 5 July 2012; DJG interviews with Rob Fisher, Henry Ferris, and Alex McNear.

  16. Warranty Deed #93-608056, Stephen D. and Helen N. Anderson to Barack and Michelle Obama, 5450-1 S. East View Park, 28 July 1993; Francine Knowles, “Video Store in Hyde Park Finds Niche Among Giants,” CST, 23 July 1995; “Five Minutes with: Sen. Barack Obama,” CampusProgress.org, ca. 22 March 2005; Kathy Chaney, “Time for Fun,” and “Who Is Barack Obama?,” HPH, 14 February 2007, pp. 4, 6, 15; Mark Konkol, “Mr. Obama’s Neighborhood,” CST, 25 May 2007, p. 12; Patrick T. Reardon, “Obama’s Chicago,” CT, 25 June 2008, p. T1; Obama on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” 2 April 2008; Ray Gibson et al., “How Broke Were Obamas?,” CT, 20 April 2008; “Obama’s Chicago Roots,” Time.com, 17 December 2008; Gayle Keck, “Touring Obama’s Chicago,” San Francisco Chronicle, 18 January 2009; Christopher Benson, “The President’s Neighborhood,” Chicago Magazine, June 2009; Dennis Rodkin, “Renters Snap Up Obamas’ Former Condo,” ChicagoMagazine.com, 4 August 2010; Alford A. Young Jr., “The Black Masculinities of Barack Obama,” Daedalus, Spring 2011, pp. 206–14; Maggie Murphy and Lynn Sherr, “The President and Michelle Obama on Work, Family, and Juggling It All,” Parade, 20 June 2014; Craig Robinson in Bill Reynolds, “Welcome to Obama’s Family,” Providence Journal, 15 February 2007, p. C1, in Eric Tucker (AP), “Family Ties: Brown Coach, Barack Obama,” 1 March 2007, and in Frank Fitzpatrick, “Barack Obama’s Closest Opponent,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 2 March 2007; Obama on This Week, ABC, 13 May 2007; Craig in M. Charles Bakst, “Brown Coach Robinson a Strong Voice for Brother-in-Law Obama,” PJ, 20 May 2007, p. D1, in Liza Mundy, “A Series of Fortunate Events,” WP Magazine, 12 August 2007, pp. 10ff., in Mundy, Michelle, p. 100, and in John Feinstein, “Obama’s Brother-in-Law Is a Court Authority,” WP, 18 January 2009; Gary W. E. Forth v. Maya K. Soetoro, #1DV94-0-001619, 9 May 1994 (decree entered 12 May 1995); Obama on the CBS Evening News, 16 January 2008; Jeff Chang, “Maya Soetoro Ng: Q&A,” Vibe, September 2007; Maya in Scott, A Singular Woman, p. 296; DJG interviews with John Belcaster, Charles Payne, Harry Gendler, Julian Posada, Jim Reed, Greg Dingens, Bernard Loyd, Tom Reed, Barack Echols, Janis Robinson, and Verna Myers. John Belcaster recalls with precise clarity that his starting salary when Davis Miner hired him in late 1993 was $73,000.

  17. Gary Wisby, “Youths Sought to Honor as New Leaders,” CST, 28 March 1994, p. 13; Public Allies Chicago, Check-In, Winter 1995, p. 5; DJG interviews with Bethann Hester, Julie Alfred Sullivan, Julian Posada, Jeremiah Wright, Kevin Tyson, Carlton Guthrie, Deloris Burnam, Keith Kelleher, Madeline Talbott, Sarah Siskind, and Joel Rogers; “The Fifteen Greatest Black Preachers,” Ebony, November 1993, p. 156; Speller, Walkin’ the Talk, p. 92; Keith Kelleher, “Jacky Grimshaw,” 5 August 1992, IAP Box 10 Fld. 91; “Contacts We Need to Make for New Party/Progressive Chicago,” 11 February 1993, IAP Box 10 Flds. 40 and 77; Kelleher, “Mtg. with Jacky Grimshaw,” 12 May 1993, and [Kelleher], “Mtg. w/ Barak Obama,” 27 July 1993, IAP (162) Box 6 Fld. 49; Daniel Cantor to Obama, 12 August 1993, and Zach Pollett to Madeline [Talbott] and Keith [Kelleher], “Agenda for Phone Conversation on Illinois Political Odds ’n Ends,” 21 August 1993, IAP Box 6 Fld. 48; Joe Gardner et al. to Joe Gardner, IAP Box 6 Fld. 44 and Box 10 Fld. 58; Joel Rogers, “Is It Third Party Time?,” In These Times, 4 October 1993, pp. 28–29; Kelleher to Cantor, “New Party Progress and Plans Since June IEC,” 30 September 1993, IAP (2003-066) Box 1 Fld. New Party 1993; Keith [Kelleher] to Talbott et al., “Conversation with Steve Saltzman,” 2 November 1993, IAP Box 6 Flds. 47, 48, and 49; Gardner et al. to Gardner, 5 November 1993, IAP Box 6 Fld. 44; Gardner et al. to Obama, 31 December 1993, IAP Box 6 Fld. 49 and Box 12 Fld. 4; [Kelleher], “PRO Chicago Calls,” 14 February 1994, IAP Box 11 Fld. 71; Gardner et al. to Talbott, 28 March 1994 and 22 April 1994, IAP Box 11 Flds. 69 and 64, Lou Pardo to Kelleher, 29 April 1994, IAP Box 11 Fld. 63; Gardner et al. to Talbott, 27 May 1994, and 5 July 1994, IAP Box 11 Flds. 62 and 54; New Party News (“For a Progressive Chicago”), Vol. 1, #1, September 1994, 4pp., IAP Box 11 Fld. 45; Steve Mills, “Looking for the Left,” CT, 1 December 1994 (the New Party’s “Chicago organization is not yet fully formed”); Stanley Kurtz, Radical-in-Chief (Simon & Schuster, 2010), p. 244; Kurtz, “Obama on the Fringe,” National Review, 25 June 2012, pp. 25–27.

  18. UCLS Announcements 1993–94, pp. 37–38; UCLS, The Glass Menagerie 1993–94, esp. p. 45; “40 Under Forty,” CCB, 27 September 1993, pp. 27ff.; Obama’s 27 October 1993 interview with Zeke Gonzalez; Woods Charitable Fund, Report for the Year 1993, esp. pp. 3, 6, 26; William S. McKersie, “Watchful Waiting, and Other Evaluation Lessons Learned: A Chicago Case Study,” Foundation News & Commentary 38 (September–October 1997): 32–
38 (“the Woods board gets full copies of all proposals along with the staff’s recommendations”); Gil Dietz, “He’s Still Waiting for His Own Beer Summit,” Muscatine Journal, 3 May 2010; Mundy, Michelle, pp. 119–20; Gary Wisby, “Youths Sought to Honor as New Leaders,” CST, 28 March 1994, p. 13; Eric Krol, “Service to Community Helps Pay Way Toward College Education,” CT, 29 April 1994; Public Allies Chicago, Check-In, Winter 1995; Obama to Phil and Karen Boerner, n.d. [circa mid-March 1994, as Laura Boerner was born March 4]; DJG interviews with Robert Bennett, Allison Davis, David Kindler, Kevin Jokisch, Tom Knutson, Steve Perkins, Jean Rudd, Ken Rolling, Howard Stanback, Julie Alfred Sullivan, Bethann Hester, Julian Posada, Bernard Loyd, Sunny Fischer, Ian Larkin, and Jan Anne Dubin.