Barack Obama

Ready For Business: Obama Opens Regional Constituent Office In Marion

Monday, February 7, 2005

Southern Illinoisan
By Nicole Sack

MARION -- Southern Illinois needs help with its economy, its job growth and with its availability of quality education. To help, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., opened his regional constituent office in Marion on Friday.

"The reason I wanted to open an office here, is because when I traveled around the state on the campaign, what became very clear to me was that there is no region of this state that has more potential, but needs more help than Southern Illinois," Obama said to a room filled with supporters. "All of us know it has been neglected, all of us know the economy at the southern end of the state is lagging, all of us are aware that despite the hardworking people down here and the strong values you hold, that economic opportunity has been missing."

While high hopes were placed on the freshman senator during his campaign as the Democrat's current superstar, Obama kept a humble and realistic stance on his new position.

"I don't stand here making a lot of promises that I am going to suddenly transform Southern Illinois because I got elected to the Senate. I am ranked 99th in seniority, when I got their they handed me a little tooth brush and I was cleaning the latrines," Obama said jokingly. "But I do think I can make a commitment to be the hardest-working senator out here to make sure I am fulfilling your hopes and dreams and aspirations."

The opening day of the Marion office also marked Obama's first month in the Senate. The past week, however, brought its own round of excitement.

Commenting on President Bush's State of the Union address Wednesday, Obama said the plan to revamp social security "needs some work."

"The president's proposal is essentially to borrow $2 trillion, bet it on the stock market, and still make cuts in benefits. That just does not seem like a responsible, adult way to handle the needed changes that are going to be made," Obama said. "What I have said to this administration and to my Republican colleagues is that I am anxious and eager to work with them, but let's do something that is not smoke and mirrors. Let's do something that puts social security on a more stable plate."

Obama recommended raising the cap on the payroll tax, modestly extending the retirement age as well as spending less and saving more as some ways to address the reform.

On Thursday Obama voted against the confirmation of Alberto Gonzales for U.S. attorney general.

The vote fell along party lines as the Senate approved Gonzales' nomination 60-36, with six Democrats crossing the aisle to vote with Republicans.

Obama said he initially thought he would support Gonzales. He said he is a strong believer that the president should be able to put together his own team to carry out his policies.

"But the attorney general is in a unique position, because not only does he carry out the president's mandate, but he is also the people's lawyer and he is responsible for telling the president what the law is. When you looked at Judge Gonzales past performance, particularly on the torture memos that came out, what became clear was that he was not somebody that could say 'no' to the president," Obama said. "At a time when we are fighting for freedom in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, the notion that we would have the highest lawyer in the land sanctioning a memo that said 'torture is permissible as long as we don't call it torture,' that I think is just unacceptable."

Obama's office is located at the same building as U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin's office at 701 N. Court St., in Marion.

nicole.sack@thesouthern.com 618-351-5816