Obama talks politics, future
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Printable FormatLaura Burns - Loyola Phoenix
The Gentile Center opened its doors to Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and the city of Chicago on April 10 as it hosted a town hall meeting with the senator.
Obama came to Loyola to participate in an open forum where his constituents asked questions ranging in topic from student loan cuts to the issue of bringing troops home from Iraq.
Obama took the stage in front of a crowd of more than 2,000 people. He made a brief speech before opening the floor to questions.
He poked fun at his position as the 98th senator of seniority in the Senate, having only been in office 16 months since his election in November of 2004.
Obama talked about the disappointments he has already met in the Senate, such as the lack of dialogue and real debate about issues because of distinct divides beween Republicans and Democrats. He also said that his own party had an inability to be independent of the White House and its agenda.
Obama addressed projects he has been involved with since taking office, including getting more assistance for veterans, reducing America's dependence on foreign oil and working to get American troops out of Iraq. Obama then fielded questions from the audience.
A Chicago resident who asked about the role of the United States in stopping genocide, particularly in the Darfur region of Sudan. Obama announced that he will be visiting Darfur in August. He discussed sanctions proposed against the Sudanese, the aid needed for displaced and terrorized citizens and the need for the United Nations troops to replace the poorly supplied troops of the African Union.
He emphasized that failed states such as Sudan are a threat to American national security, and that the United States needs to be involved in forming a solution to these problems.
"The United States has to be serious about providing everything from boots to Blackhawks," Obama said.
Freshmen Oliver Miller said he felt that the senator demonstrated a comprehensive knowledge on a wide range of issues, especially Darfur.
"I was impressed by his knowledge about the genocide," Miller said. "It definitely puts the president on the hot seat to step up and address the issue."
A teacher in Chicago public school system asked Obama why the Democrats were not opposing Republicans more strongly and forcing debate on controversial issues. Obama explained that this was not a partisan speech, and he is still a Democrat. He explained the difficulty of getting things done along the party lines while the executive branch and Congress are controlled by the Republican party.
A high school student asked about a bill that Obama introduced to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. Obama's bill would help low-income families with children by giving them more tax breaks. Obama criticized what he saw as the deplorable response to the crisis and the shameful state of New Orleans even now, seven months after the hurricane.
When asked if Obama would run for president in 2008, the crowd applauded. As a rising star of the Democratic party and the only African American in the Senate, this question has been posed to Obama many times.
He laughed off the suggestion by explaining, "You know, I just got my new job and I like it," Obama said. "I mean, look how much fun George Bush is having."
Ginger Williams, a Chicago resident and member of Military Families Speak Out whose son is serving in Iraq, thanked Obama for his support for veterans and bringing troops home. She asked Obama about a plan proposed by Sen. John Murtha (D-Penn.) concerning the withdrawal of American soldiers from Iraq.
Obama stated his support for bringing soldiers home as soon as possible, but he would not commit to a timetable for withdrawal. Obama visited Iraq in January of this year, and spoke about the consensus he saw among Iraqi officials and peace activists who wanted the withdrawal of U.S. troops, but said that a dangerous situation may arise if troops are withdrawn too quickly.
He suggested incorporating aspects of Murtha's plan, such as includes stationing troops around the Middle East for additional protection against the threat of civil war.
He admitted that there is no easy answer to this situation.
"I am certain that a too rapid withdrawal will result in the complete collapse of Iraq," Obama said. "There is no military solution to the problem. There is only a political solution. We cannot have a stable Iraqi government in the middle of a civil war."
Senior Matt Johnson asked Obama why he voted for increased spending on Iraq and why youths should continue to vote for Democrats.
"To answer the specific questions about my voting, I'm not going to leave 130,000 young people not much older than you sitting in the middle of Fallujah without body armor," Obama said.
He addressed the difficult situation he and other members of Congress face. Even though they may not believe in the war, he said, they must make sure that American soldiers and the problems in Iraq are taken care of, Obama said.
In a crowd full of college students, it was only a matter of time before someone brought up the student loan cuts e recently made by the federal government.
Freshmen Jesse Kadjo asked what the government is doing to help students afford college in the wake of these detractions.
He asserted that even though it was necessary for students to get a college degree to compete in the job market today and in future, the only way to change the assistance students get from the government would be to change the priorities of the Senate and the president.
He then addressed the problem with universities and high tuition. He called on Loyola's President, the Rev. Michael J. Garanzini S.J., by saying, "Father, we have got to find a way to keep tuition down."
Loyola students in the audience responded to this statement with another round of applause. "I asked about it because it applies to all of us and it's a growing problem," Kadjo said. "This was my chance to ask someone who could do something about it."
The next question came from a veteran of the Air Force and police force who asked about Obama's stance on energy and the environment.
"Climate change is real, it is here," Obama said.
Obama said he believes that our dependence on foreign oil is a threat to our economy and our national security, but that there is technology available to alleviate the problem.
Obama gave the example of a car that can run 500 miles on one gallon of gas. The government has yet to give incentives to the auto industry to promote the advancement of technology that will better our environment.
The final question addressed to Obama was posed by Katie Hogan, a graduate student at Loyola and the granddaughter of immigrants. Hogan said she supported the thousands of immigrants who marched, at different locations across the country, Monday, April 10, in support of a Senate bill that is currently struggling through Congress. One stipulation of the bill would provide a pathway to citizenship for the more than11 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.
"There has to be a pathway to citizenship for those who are already here," Obama said. "We want those people out of the shadows, paying taxes, subject to the same rules and regulations and protections as everybody."
He emphasized that the bill is not an amnesty bill because illegal immigrants must go through a lengthy process and meet certain criteria before they attain U. S. citizenship. Obama said there needs to be compromise on this issue between both parties.
As Obama closed the questions, he received a standing ovation from the audience. He shook hands and took pictures with attendees before answering press questions.
"[Obama] really made me rethink where I stand as a Republican," junior Kelly Wittig said.
Phil Hale, vice president of public affairs and sponsor of Inside Government, said the event was a success, citing the impressive turn out of the community as well as Loyola students.
"I hope that this inspires people to get involved like Obama said," Hale said. "There are millions of ways to affect public policies and the political process."