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candidate profile
Early defeat launched rapid political rise
As the sting from the 2000 Congressional loss wore off, Barack Obama and those behind him knew he had political life left in him, knew he felt called to serve. He just needed a place to do it.
AUDIO SLIDESHOW: Obama's defining moments
Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.)
about this candidate
BORN
August 4, 1961
CURRENT HOME
Chicago's South Side
BIRTHPLACE
Hawaii
EDUCATION
Columbia University in 1983, law degree from Harvard Law School in 1991
CURRENT JOB
Junior US Senator from Illinois
RESUME HIGHLIGHTS
First African-American president of the Harvard Law Review in 1991, delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, helped pass major measures that combat the international trafficking of nuclear weapons, promote the use of alternative fuels, and open up the budget process to greater public scrutiny
ELECTIVE OFFICES
Seven years in the Illinois State Senate, one term in the US Senate
FAMILY
Wife Michelle and two daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7
CAMPAIGN E-MAIL
 (AP Photo) |
obama's position on
- Iraq
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- Education
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- Healthcare
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- Immigration
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- Environment
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- Social security
Sitting down with Barack Obama
Senator Obama sounds off on the war in Iraq, healthcare, the economy, and the issue that sets him apart.
latest obama campaign news
Obama camp hits, then praises McCain's VP choice
Barack Obama's spokesman fired off a fast criticism of Republican John McCain's new running mate Friday, but the Democratic candidate himself quickly stepped in to offer her congratulations and praise.
Obama, McCain vie for suburbanites, white women
Kathy Melkey stands astride some of the fault lines between Barack Obama and John McCain.
Analysis: Palin's age, inexperience rival Obama's
John McCain's risky choice of Gov. Sarah Palin gives him a running mate who doubles down on his maverick image, may appeal to "hockey moms" and other women, and counters Barack Obama's aura of new-generation change. But he may have undercut his best attack on the Democrat.
Obama vows to reverse Republican legacy
Barack Obama launched a sharp assault on Republican presidential rival John McCain on Thursday with a promise to reverse the economic failures of the past eight years and restore America's global reputation.
Audience reverent, then roaring as Obama speaks
As Barack Obama spoke on Thursday night to a packed football stadium in Denver, the audience of some 75,000 people alternated between reverent silence and a roaring approval that shook the stands.
Obama avoids race on King's 'Dream' anniversary
Long before Denver, the drum roll of history began: If Barack Obama could capture the Democratic nomination for president, he would deliver the biggest speech of his life exactly 45 years after Martin Luther King Jr.'s immortal "I Have a Dream" address.
More than 84,000 attend Obama speech
More than 84,000 people have jammed into Invesco Field at Mile High stadium to hear Barack Obama's historic acceptance speech, city officials say.
Obama's breathtaking show transcended politics
Barack Obama transcended politics on Thursday in accepting his party's nomination for president during an event that played out on television like a combination of a rock concert and Super Bowl.
The Main Event: McCain-Palin vs. Obama-Biden
Republican John McCain shook up the presidential race with his surprise choice of little-known Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate on Friday. Democrat Barack Obama, entering a crucial stage of the campaign fresh off his historic nominating convention, began a tour of battleground states.
Analysis: Obama spares details, keeps up attacks
Barack Obama, whose campaign theme is "change we can believe in," promised Thursday to "spell out exactly what that change would mean."
Obama speech inspires fans, turns off Republicans
Supporters of Barack Obama found the inspiration they were seeking in the Democratic nominee's prime-time speech on Thursday but many Republicans said it only compounded their concerns about him.
Campaign, acceptance speech called the realization of King's dream
DENVER - Forty-five years ago, Dennis Callwood was a 21-year-old clerk at a Harlem grocery store who took a day off and hopped a bus to Washington. Lauren Dugas Glover was a 6-year-old "tag-along" in Chicago, annoying her older siblings. James Beverly III hadn't been born.
Spelling out the change
DENVER - Senator Barack Obama accepted the Democratic presidential nomination last night at an elaborate and exuberant stadium ceremony, using his historic moment to specify what his lofty promises of change would mean for ordinary Americans.
Some saw spectacular, others just spectacle
DENVER - Everything about Barack Obama's nomination celebration last night was on an outsize scale: crowd size, the glitz, the traffic, and perhaps most of all, the political risk.
Joy, tears, a sense of history in the making
Throughout the long speech, they nodded and watched in agreeing silence. And then at the end, they rose to their feet, clapped, cried, and roared in thundering approval.
Fired up for the future
BARACK OBAMA and his team have run a notably disciplined, strategic primary campaign. They know that the task for the Democratic convention here was to introduce a candidate who is not just youthful and inspiring but ready to lead. Obama was ready to pick up that challenge last night. "I will restore our moral standing," the prepared text of his speech declared, "so that America is once more the last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future."
Romancing the vote - and the wives - on camera
When Barack Obama barnstorms the country in the coming weeks, he's got much to accomplish. He needs to convince the American public that he'll be tough on terrorism, smart on the economy and foreign affairs, a bulldog on health care, and, oh, yes, that he'll make a great husband in chief.
Obama vows to erase Bush-McCain legacy
Barack Obama launched an assault on Republican presidential rival John McCain on Thursday with a promise to reverse the economic failures of the past eight years and restore America's reputation in the world.
Analysis: Obama spares details, keeps up attacks
Barack Obama, whose campaign theme is "change we can believe in," promised Thursday to "spell out exactly what that change would mean."
End to Middle East oil imports unlikely
Barack Obama's promise Thursday to work to "end our dependence" on Middle East oil within a decade may be good political rhetoric when Americans have been paying $4 a gallon at the gas pumps, but the goal likely would be difficult -- perhaps impossible -- to achieve and flies in the face of how global oil markets work.
Barack Obama's convention address
Prepared remarks of Sen. Barack Obama for his address to the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night in Denver, as released by the campaign:
Obama greeted by screaming crowd at stadium
Barack Obama has arrived at cavernous Invesco Field to accept the Democratic Party presidential nomination in a moment of history witnessed by a delirious, overflow convention crowd of unprecedented size.
More than 84,000 attend Obama speech
More than 84,000 people have jammed into Invesco Field at Mile High stadium to hear Barack Obama's historic acceptance speech, city officials say.
Analysis: Oprah, Alba! Obama goldmine or downfall?
Hollywood didn't contribute official speakers to Barack Obama's convention. But, man, did celebrities flock to Denver in droves. Is Oprah in the house? That was Matthew Modine! Oh, wow, there's Anne Hathaway.
Democrat's vision will collide with reality
Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination Thursday night with a lofty vision for the nation's future that is far easier to articulate than to accomplish.
Obama uses speech for high-tech outreach
Forgive some of the 84,000 people amassed at Invesco Field Thursday if their thumbs are a bit weary by the time Barack Obama takes the stage for a triumphant acceptance of his presidential nomination.
Obama's campaign chief urges hard work
Barack Obama's campaign manager has told Democratic National Convention delegates they will have to work very hard to beat Sen. John McCain this fall.
Obama could open early Iran nuclear talks: adviser
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama could open talks with Iran on its nuclear program early next year if he wins the White House, a senior foreign policy adviser to Obama said on Thursday.
Obama rakes in top campaign dollars from Mass.
Massachusetts residents are emptying their wallets in a big way for Barack Obama just months after handing his former rival Hillary Clinton one of her more lopsided primary wins.
GOP counterpunches as Obama to claim nomination
On Barack Obama's big night, Republicans in Denver pushed an alternative convention narrative: Sure he can thrill a crowd of Democrats, but is he ready to be president?
In a switch, McCain to Obama: "Well done"
In a brief break from a fierce advertising war, Republican presidential candidate John McCain will air a one-evening-only ad with a simple message for Barack Obama: "Job well done."
Reps. Lewis, DeGette sound new notes about Obama
Reps. John Lewis of Georgia and Diana DeGette of Colorado were among those scheduled to address the Democratic National Convention on Thursday in support of Barack Obama. Each was an early supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton and spoke out forcefully in support of her presidential bid, saying she was best prepared for the White House. Some of their past comments:
Cindy McCain's half sister: "I'm voting for Obama"
Cindy McCain's half sister says she will not vote for Republican John McCain and plans to cast her ballot for his Democratic rival, Barack Obama.
McBama agenda: Common ground between candidates
John McCain and Barack Obama share common ground on a surprising selection of issues where the age-old Republican-Democratic divide doesn't cut it anymore.
Obama, McCain on the issues
A look at where Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain stand on a selection of issues as the national party conventions affirm their presidential nominations and launch the fall campaign:
Obama wins nomination and Clintons' support
To shouts of "Yes we can," Democrats nominated Barack Obama on Wednesday as their presidential candidate in a historic first for a black American, backed by his ex-rivals Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Democrats ready celebration for Obama
Democrats prepared a grand celebration on Thursday for Barack Obama, who will accept a historic presidential nomination with a speech that spells out his vision for change in America.
Obama hopes unique biography can also seem familiar
Barack Obama burst onto the national stage four years ago with a speech describing himself as a skinny guy with a funny name and an improbable life story.
Obama to stress hope and change in speech
In the final act of its four-act play, the Democratic convention finally turns its undivided attention to Barack Obama.
Some Clinton fundraisers squeezing money for Obama
Alexander Heckler is working hard to dispel The Rift. Here at the Democratic National Convention, the youthful and energetic former Florida finance chairman for Hillary Rodham Clinton is handing out party tickets and hard-to-get floor passes to his donors -- the traditional thank-you gesture from a money bundler.
Big speeches a new political tool for Obama
In April 2003, Barack Obama rose in the Illinois Senate to discuss a delicate issue: legislation calling for a study of whether police discriminate against black drivers by making up excuses to pull them over.
Obama sketches promise of America
Barack Obama cast his presidential nomination as proof that no dreams are too high, savoring a historic moment for himself and the nation Thursday before setting out on a difficult struggle to break another barrier for a black American.
Obama nomination a key moment in TV coverage
A carefully timed roll call and a sudden recognition of history may prove to be a turning point for Democrats at a convention that hadn't been going well for them as a television event.
Obama accepts nomination, vows to fix Washington
Surrounded by an enormous, adoring crowd, Barack Obama promised a clean break from the "broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush" Thursday night as he embarked on the final lap of his audacious bid to become the nation's first black president.
Scratches in Obama's glitter
Selling Barack Obama and his family as your next-door neighbors, only smarter and better looking, is fine. But turning Obama into an average politician is a mistake.
For Obama tonight, opportunity, risk
DENVER - Barack Obama will take a significant political risk tonight when he accepts the Democratic nomination for president in a 76,000-seat stadium on a stage set with faux-Greek columns, accompanied by a cast of world-famous pop stars and fireworks.
Ex-president gives his backing to Obama
DENVER - Delivering a valedictory to the nearly two decades in which he and his wife dominated Democratic politics, Bill Clinton strode onstage to Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" and promised that "America must always be a place called Hope," endorsing Barack Obama as an inheritor to the spirit of his first presidential run.
Surrounded by political giants, two no-name Democrats are the real stars
DENVER - For all the focus on the pageantry, the speeches, and the A-list personalities at the Democratic National Convention, the true power center of the party lies with activists such as Brynn Palmer and Amanda Kelley, back in the cheap seats of the Pepsi Center.
Viewers don't seem to tune out overkill
When it comes to watching political conventions on TV, the most telling artifact is the crowd shot. The coverage of this year's Democratic National Convention is full of delegates dancing, wiping away tears, decked either in their party best or in crazy ensembles of red, white, and blue. And then there's the headgear: sequined visors, sparkling cowboy hats, hats shaped ...
McCain attack on Obama foreign policy heats up
Republican John McCain intensified his foreign policy assault on Barack Obama yesterday, launching a TV ad that uses a remark his Democratic rival made about Iran to call him "dangerously unprepared" for the White House.
Today in Denver
Theme: "Change You Can Believe In." Headline prime-time speaker: Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
Clinton frees delegates to back Obama
DENVER - With one dramatic and magnanimous gesture, Hillary Clinton yesterday made her onetime opponent, Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee for president, appearing on the convention floor to ask the thousands assembled to abandon a state-by-state vote and declare Obama the winner by acclamation.
Fired up for the future
DENVER BARACK OBAMA and his team have run a notably disciplined, strategic primary campaign. They know that the task for the Democratic convention here was to introduce a candidate who is not just youthful and inspiring but ready to lead. Obama was ready to pick up that challenge last night. ‘‘I will restore our moral standing,’’ the prepared text of ...
Obama's history, and America's
Obama's rise to the top of his party reflects the immense change that has occurred, but census data on US blacks shows much remains to be done.
In bid to capture lapsed Democrats, Biden casts self as 'just your average' Joe
DENVER - Joe Biden last night turned himself into an angry working man, using a tone reminiscent of cable-TV talk shows to make a case for Barack Obama that was strikingly different than that which Obama makes for himself.
New generation replaces past civil rights leaders
DENVER - The Democratic National Convention this week delivered some prime speaking spots to an expanding roster of rising African-American political stars, among them Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, but this year's speaking schedule is also notable for its absences: Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and other older leaders of the civil rights movement.
Biden comes out punching
DENVER - Senator Joseph Biden Jr. accepted the Democratic vice presidential nomination last night and immediately attacked GOP candidate John McCain, slamming him for what he called failures of judgment and questioning whether his military experience qualified him to lead the country. Biden repeatedly linked McCain to what he called the "catastrophic" policies of President Bush.
Fired up for the future
Presidential campaigns are about the future, and last night Barack Obama, whose nomination is already a part of American history, cast his gaze unambiguously ahead.
Biden accepts nomination, hails Obama, rips McCain
Veteran Sen. Joe Biden accepted the Democratic vice presidential nomination on Wednesday and hailed running mate Barack Obama as a wise leader who will take the United States in a new direction and out of the Iraq war.
Bill Clinton says Obama is ready to lead America
Former President Bill Clinton offered hearty and unqualified praise for Barack Obama on Wednesday, saying the man who crushed his wife's White House dream was ready to lead America and restore U.S. global leadership.
Clinton helps seal Obama nomination amid cheers
It was a closing of sorts, but whether closure was there is another matter. There stood Hillary Rodham Clinton, embraced on the floor of the Democratic National Convention by her fellow New York delegates, urging the party to shut down the roll call of states and declare Barack Obama's their presidential nominee by acclamation.
Obama nomination a key moment in TV coverage
A carefully timed roll call and a sudden recognition of history may prove to be a turning point for Democrats at a convention that hadn't been going well for them as a television event.
Obama: History in the making, first black nominee
When this campaign ends, after future presidents have come and gone, and when today's young people are grown old, history will remember Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008, as the day a black man became the presidential nominee of a major party.
Bill Clinton forcefully endorses Obama at DNC
Former President Clinton gave his full-throated endorsement to Barack Obama's bid for the White House on Wednesday, telling delegates to the Democratic convention that Obama is "ready to lead America and restore American leadership in the world."
Quotes from Barack Obama's nominating speeches
Quotes from the nominating speeches for Barack Obama on Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention in Denver:
Obama inspires hugs among feuding Illinois pols
Determined to elect favorite son Barack Obama, feuding Illinois Democrats shook hands and hugged Wednesday in a display of campaign unity that left U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. overcome with tears.
Obama makes unscripted convention appearance
Sen. Barack Obama dropped in on his own party at the Democratic convention a day early Wednesday to praise his wife, his former rival, and former President Bill Clinton for going to bat for him.
Potential Obama veeps get turn on stage
Hillary Rodham Clinton isn't the only also-ran on the loose in Denver. Three officials who were mentioned as possible running mates for Barack Obama but didn't make it onto the ticket got a chance to address the Democratic convention Wednesday night.
THE EDGE: Obama's to-don't list
There's no shortage of items on Barack Obama's to-do list for the fall campaign. How about a to-don't list? Five AP reporters offer suggestions.
Republican veteran to nominate Obama
Barack Obama's presidential nominating speech will be coming from a Republican veteran of the Iraq war.
Michelle Obama rallies Hispanic caucus
Hispanics should not have to live in fear of raids by immigration agents, Michelle Obama told a Hispanic caucus to the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday.
Obama and Biden on board for post-Denver bus tour
When Barack Obama and Joe Biden campaign by bus in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio after wrapping up the Democratic National Convention, they'll be following a familiar route.
Obama, McCain on the issues
A look at where Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain stand on a selection of issues as the national party conventions affirm their presidential nominations and launch the fall campaign:
Clinton releases delegates
In an emotional meeting leading up to the Democratic roll call of the states, Hillary Rodham Clinton released her convention delegates Wednesday to vote for certain presidential nominee Barack Obama.
Threat to Obama stirs painful memories
The "racist ramblings" of a man in Colorado posed no threat to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama but reminded many Americans of past attempts on the lives of their leaders.
Democratic convention focus was on Clinton Tuesday
Barack Obama is still going to be the Democratic candidate for president, right? It seemed easy to forget that fact watching Tuesday's coverage of the Democratic convention. The focus on Hillary Clinton and how warmly she would embrace her former rival dominated discussion, almost to the exclusion of everything else.
Obama watches, cheers Clinton speech
Barack Obama on Tuesday applauded and cheered former rival Hillary Rodham Clinton as she declared her support for his candidacy, and urged her own backers to rally behind Obama in his contest with Republican John McCain.
Radical tied to Obama compared US actions to 9/11
The release of a 2004 interview with former 1960s radical William Ayers, in which he compared U.S. government actions to the Sept. 11 attacks, drew renewed attention Tuesday to his association with Democratic candidate Barack Obama.
Dems choose Obama in historic acclamation
Barack Obama stepped triumphantly into history Wednesday night, the first black American to win a major party presidential nomination, as thousands of Democrats transformed their convention hall into a joyful, shouting celebration.
Analysis: A perfect night for Clinton, Obama?
For one evening, their political world was perfect. Or so it seemed. Standing before thousands of delegates, almost half of them her backers, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton declared it time "to unite as a single party with a single purpose" and urged her followers to help elect once-bitter rival Barack Obama. "We are on the same team," she said, after ...
Police say 3 men posed no real threat
DENVER - Three men arrested in the Denver area this week - including one found with high-powered rifles, three fake IDs, and two wigs in a truck - did not pose a true threat to Barack Obama at this week's Democratic National Convention, authorities said yesterday.
Convention Perspective: Room for Kerry at State Department
DENVER -- The selection of Joe Biden as the Democratic vice presidential nominee, to be made official tonight, leaves an opening in Barack Obama's prospective cabinet, where Biden had been staking his claim to be Secretary of State.
Obama ratings better than Kerry's after 1st night
Television viewers showed more interest in the Democratic convention on Monday than they did for the first night of the convention that nominated John Kerry four years ago.
Clinton remarks on Obama during their campaign
She's making nice now, but Hillary Rodham Clinton had a lot of sharp things to say about Barack Obama during their tussle for the Democratic nomination.
Governors in chorus of Obama talking points
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, not exactly a household name in national Democratic politics, energized the party's convention Tuesday night with an animated, arm-waving speech chastising Sen. John McCain.
McCain hits Obama on confidence in America
Republican John McCain on Tuesday questioned rival Barack Obama's belief in American leadership in world affairs with two days to go before the Democratic senator accepts his party's nomination for U.S. president.
Obama speech stage resembles ancient Greek temple
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's big speech on Thursday night will be delivered from an elaborate columned stage resembling a miniature Greek temple.
Obama pushes economics on road to Denver
Barack Obama renewed his emphasis on economic themes Tuesday, pledging to enforce occupational health and safety regulations as president and declaring that Republican rival John McCain "doesn't get it" when it comes to the anxieties that many middle-class workers are facing.
Democrats hit McCain, though some urge caution
Democrats used the second night of their four-day convention to punch back more aggressively at John McCain, even as some party insiders warned that hitting too forcefully might jeopardize Barack Obama's upbeat, all-inclusive image.
Obama, conservative group battle through DOJ
Barack Obama and a conservative group have escalated their fight over the group's TV commercial linking him to a 1960s radical, by firing off dueling letters to the Department of Justice.
Obama promises speech with purpose, not mere rhetoric
Barack Obama promised on Monday to accept the U.S. Democratic presidential nomination with a "workman-like speech" offering policy details and not simply his trademark rhetoric.
Poll: Obama, McCain close in 3 swing states
THE RACE: The presidential race in Florida ------
Analysis: A perfect night for Clinton, Obama?
For one evening, their political world was perfect. Or so it seemed. Standing before hundreds of delegates, almost half of them her backers, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton declared it time "to unite as a single party with a single purpose" and urged her followers to help elect once-bitter rival Barack Obama. "We are on the same team," she said, after ...
Obama praises wife's convention speech
It was Michelle Obama's speech, but her husband said it highlighted one of his attributes -- one he says voters should want in a president.
Democrats approve platform of Obama policy ideas
Democrats adopted a platform Monday that commits the party to Barack Obama's policy ideas, but also credits his primary rival Hillary Rodham Clinton with putting "18 million cracks in the highest glass ceiling."
Michelle Obama shows her husband's personal side
Michelle Obama declared "I love this country" Monday as she sought to reassure the nation that she and her husband Barack share Americans' bedrock values and belief in a dream of a better future.
Clinton salutes Obama as Dems at convention cheer
Hillary Rodham Clinton summoned the millions of voters who supported her in the primaries to send Barack Obama to the White House Tuesday night, and drew thunderous applause at the Democratic National Convention when she declared her one-time rival is "my candidate and he must be our president."
Obama gives thumbs-up to wife's speech
It was Michelle Obama's speech, but her husband said it highlighted one of his attributes -- one he says voters should want in a president.
Part of Senator Edward M. Kennedy's remarks at the DNC
Senator Edward M. Kennedy's remarks last night to the Democratic National Convention: "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Caroline. My fellow Democrats. My fellow Americans. It is so wonderful to be here . . . Nothing, nothing was going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight.
In call to action, Kennedy puts the Camelot trust in Obama
DENVER - Before Ted Kennedy electrified the Democratic National Convention last night, most of the audience was unsure whether he would speak at all.
Bay State leaders showcase influence in Denver
DENVER - Four years ago, Massachusetts was the center of the universe of the Democratic Party: Boston hosted the party's national convention, and John F. Kerry, the state's junior senator, was the presidential nominee. This year, the convention is 2,000 miles west of the Hub of the Universe, and the only serious presidential contender in the 2008 campaign from arguably ...
Reports of threats on Obama investigated
DENVER - Federal authorities are looking into reports that a man arrested with rifles, ammunition, and drugs in his truck may have made threats against Barack Obama, officials said yesterday.
Delegates get prime floor seating
DENVER - The delegations from Florida and Michigan, once the black sheep of this Democratic National Convention, have not only been given restored full voting rights, but also awarded primo seating on the floor of the Pepsi Center.
Reaching back to her Chicago roots, Obama tells an American story
DENVER - Michelle Obama last night opened the Democratic National Convention that will nominate her husband for president with a high-stakes speech designed to place her family squarely within the experience of American households everywhere.
Clinton urges her loyalists to back Obama
DENVER - As Republicans tried to exacerbate tensions within the Democratic Party, appealing directly to Hillary Clinton's supporters with a barrage of ads and even a happy-hour event, she entreated her faithful yesterday to ignore them and unite behind Barack Obama.
Remarks of Deval Patrick to the Democratic National Convention
Governor Deval Patrick's prepared remarks to the Democratic National Convention: "Our youngest daughter Katherine graduated from high school a year ago. Sitting at her graduation, I couldn't help but reflect on the difference between her journey to that milestone, and my own. I grew up in poverty on the South Side of Chicago. I went to overcrowded, sometimes violent public ...
'The torch will be passed again,' Kennedy vows to jubilant convention
DENVER - Senator Edward M. Kennedy made an emotion-charged appearance last night at the launch of the Democratic National Convention, braving his malignant brain tumor to deliver an impassioned speech for Barack Obama and bringing cheering delegates to their feet and many to tears.
Obama vows to step up diplomacy with Iran
DAVENPORT, Iowa - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama pledged yesterday that he would step up diplomatic pressure to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons before Israel feels that "its back is against the wall" and might take military action.
Democrats hope for unity at convention
Democrats opening their national convention tried to smooth over a rift with Hillary Clinton's resentful supporters on Monday and portrayed Barack Obama as a down-to-earth American patriot bidding to make history.
Text of Michelle Obama's speech at the convention
Prepared remarks of Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, for her address to the Democratic National Convention on Monday night in Denver, as released by the Obama campaign:
U.S. financial oversight reform needed: Obama adviser
An economic adviser to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Monday that U.S. financial regulation needs modernizing, but hedged on how big a role to give the Federal Reserve.
Carter remarks on Obama, then and now
Former President Jimmy Carter paid tribute to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Monday night in a videotape aired at the party's national convention, some of his remarks taped in the Gulf region. He wasn't always so charitable.
Obama uses phone in search of a vote
When it comes to wooing undecided voters, Barack Obama showed he's willing to make a personal pitch.
Obama, Biden going to Ohio Rep. Jones' funeral
A Democratic official says presidential nominee Barack Obama and his running mate Joseph Biden will head to Cleveland after the party convention to attend the funeral of Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
Unions working to get everyone on board for Obama
As Barack Obama tries to convince blue-collar voters that he's one of them, union leaders acknowledge that some of their white constituents are still reluctant to support an African American for president.
Obama promises speech with purpose, no mere rhetoric
Barack Obama promised on Monday to accept the U.S. Democratic presidential nomination with a "workman-like speech" offering policy details and not simply his trademark rhetoric.
Democrats approve platform of Obama policy ideas
Democrats adopted a platform Monday that commits the party to Barack Obama's policy ideas, but also credits his primary rival Hillary Rodham Clinton with putting "18 million cracks in the highest glass ceiling."
Analysis: No rest from negative politics
So much for a rest from negative politics. Barack Obama and John McCain have launched no less than a half-dozen hard-hitting ads against each other in two days.
Obama, McCain on the issues
A look at where Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain stand on a selection of issues as the national party conventions affirm their presidential nominations and launch the fall campaign:
Obama: World must not allow Iran to corner Israel
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Monday the world must increase pressure on Iran to rein in its nuclear program and avoid a situation where Israel feels cornered.
Obama says Clintons are fully on board
Barack Obama said Monday that both Hillary Rodham Clinton and her husband, the former president, "couldn't have been more clear" in their support for his candidacy.
Obama says he won't tell Bill Clinton what to say
Barack Obama said Monday he will not be "aiming for a lot of high rhetoric" in his speech accepting the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday night.
Obama would step up pressure on Iran over nukes
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama pledged Monday that he would step up diplomatic pressure to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons before Israel feels that "its back is against the wall" and might take military action.
Adwatch:Obama uses tune to mock McCain on economy
TITLE: "Don't Know Much." LENGTH: 30 seconds
Poll: Obama holds small lead in Colorado
THE RACE: The presidential race in Denver ------
Obama's life story, Kennedy top opening night
Opening night at the Democratic National Convention will reintroduce Barack Obama to voters, and no one knows him better than the evening's featured speaker, his wife Michelle.
McCain calls Obama an 'honorable opponent'
Republican presidential candidate John McCain called rival Barack Obama his "very honorable opponent" on Monday as he began a busy week of low-key events while Democrats prepared to nominate Obama.
Michelle Obama shows her husband's personal side
Michelle Obama declared "I love this country" Monday as she sought to reassure the nation that she and her husband Barack share Americans' bedrock values and belief in a dream of a better future.
Kennedy, Michelle Obama rally Dems at convention
Ailing and aging, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy issued a ringing summons to fellow Democrats to rally behind Barack Obama's pioneering quest for the White House Monday night in a poignant opening to a party convention in search of unity for the fall campaign.
In Denver, opposition to Iraq war binds demonstrators
DENVER - Democrats like to say that theirs is a "big-tent" party, welcome to members of all stripes. The same description, it seems, applies to their protesters.
Prepared remarks of Michelle Obama
As you might imagine, for Barack, running for President is nothing compared to that first game of basketball with my brother Craig.
Small college awakened future senator to service
When a reserved Hawaiian prep school graduate named Barry Obama arrived on the well-manicured campus of Occidental College in the fall of 1979, sophomore Mark Parsons gained more than a new dorm mate. He gained a smoking buddy.
Kennedy hopes to give speech at convention
DENVER - In a moment that is sure to bring down the house, US Senator Edward M. Kennedy is expected to attend the Democratic National Convention, most likely to deliver a speech tonight.
Seeking unity, Obama confronts divergent audiences
DENVER - On Friday evening, a stagehand applied the final coat of polyurethane onto the dark wood-grain veneer that runs around the base of the Democrats' convention stage at the Pepsi Center. Above it stands a high-tech set with glowing red and blue stairs, an electronic screen with a scrolling text ticker, and a backdrop alternating stylized images of a ...
Organized labor reunites to vote.s for Obama
After years of hard feelings following a difficult split, the nation's organized labor movement came back together Sunday at the Democratic National Convention to urge its members to vote for Barack Obama in hopes of changing the nation's labor policies.
For Obama, improbable path to the Dem nomination
Talk about audacity. A year ago, Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and at least a few others in the crowded race for the Democratic presidential nomination seemed to agree on one thing: She was the big favorite; he might just be a flash in the pan.
Analysis: Obama, McCain woo white voters
Barack Obama's selection of a running mate, the stagecraft of his nominating convention and Republican rival John McCain's ad to stir up Democratic trouble all have a target.
McCain intrudes on Obama's convention message
John McCain certainly won't let Barack Obama have his Democratic convention all to himself. If Obama has a story to tell voters over the next four days, McCain is already pitching a far less flattering version from afar.
Obama, McCain on the issues
A look at where Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain stand on a selection of issues as the national party conventions affirm their presidential nominations and launch the fall campaign:
Obama practices humility preached to him
Barack Obama took a sermon on humility to heart Sunday, predicting his presidential acceptance speech might not be the best at this week's Democratic convention despite his famous oratory skills.
For Obama, improbable path to the Dem nomination
Talk about audacity. A year ago, Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and at least a few others in the crowded race for the Democratic presidential nomination seemed to agree on one thing: She was the big favorite; he might just be a flash in the pan.
Poll: Obama holds onto slight lead
THE RACE: The presidential race nationally THE NUMBERS (ABC News- Washington Post )
Obama aims convention at blue-collar voters
On the eve of the Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama said Sunday he hoped a week of political speechmaking would persuade reluctant middle-class voters to swing behind his bid for the White House, while Republicans sought to stir discontent among Hillary Rodham Clinton's supporters.
Biden brings vast experience, a history of verbal blunders
WASHINGTON - Over nearly four decades on the national stage, Senator Joe Biden of Delaware has earned a uniquely contradictory image - part statesman, part gaffe-maker - and so it is no surprise that his selection as Barack Obama's running mate can be assessed in similar terms.
A raw, outspoken complement to a cerebral Obama
As he prepared last year to make his second run for president, Joe Biden was meeting advisers in the family room of his home in Wilmington, Del., when someone recommended that he take a nuanced position on a tough issue.
Local reaction of Obama's VP choice
A sampling of local reaction to Barack Obama's selection of Joe Biden as his vice presidential nominee:
National reaction to Obama's VP choice
A sampling of the national reaction to Barack Obama's choice of Joe Biden as his running mate:
Foreign policy got Biden the VP nod
WASHINGTON - Barack Obama's selection of Joe Biden as his running mate pleased many Democrats who are concerned about Obama's perceived shortcomings in foreign affairs, but it worried others who fear the pick reinforces Republican attacks on Obama's experience and Biden's past negative comments about Obama will be used against the Democratic ticket.
Biden quotes on Obama
While competing with Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination, Senator Joe Biden had some less-than-glowing comments:
Shifting world events helped fuel choice
WASHINGTON - In the beginning, Barack Obama was not entirely sold on Joe Biden. And Biden told friends that he was pessimistic of his chances of becoming Obama's Democratic running mate.
Obama-Biden pairing not the first all-Senate team
To find the last time a presidential ticket consisted of two senators, you have to go all the way back to ... 2004.
Excerpts of Obama's speech in Illinois
Excerpts of Barack Obama's prepared remarks on Saturday in Springfield, Ill., as provided by his campaign:
Biden got Obama call during wife's root canal
Joe Biden got the call from Barack Obama while accompanying his wife as she was getting a root canal.
Obama must use convention to regain momentum
Democrats open their four-day convention Monday with political winds at their back, but with a nagging, all-important question before them.
Analysis: Biden fills attack role
Barack Obama says Joe Biden is ready to step in as president. He's not bad in the role of attack dog, either, wasting no time gnawing at GOP rival John McCain.
Best-laid plans: Media beat Obama to the punch
Sen. Barack Obama's pledge to supporters that they would be the "first to know" his running mate turned out to be a savvy but unworkable communications strategy.
Obama introduces running mate Biden
Barack Obama introduced Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware on Saturday as "a leader ready to step in and be president," and the newly named running mate quickly converted his debut on the Democratic ticket into a slashing attack on Republican John McCain.
1968 chaos opened door for Obama 40 years later
The news footage has become grainy with age but is no less vivid: Helmeted Chicago police in a haze of tear gas flailing with billy clubs at demonstrators, while inside a hall politicians hold ugly shouting matches over the bloody battles both on the streets outside and half a world away in Vietnam.
Obama leads McCain in hunt for 270 electoral votes
Democrat Barack Obama leads Republican John McCain in the state-by-state battle for the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House, flirting with the magic number ahead of their back-to-back nominating conventions.
'Toot': Obama grandmother a force that shaped him
Sen. Barack Obama is a poker man, but his grandmother's game of choice is bridge. Duplicate bridge, to be exact.
Reaction to Obama choosing Biden as running mate
Reaction to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's selection of Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware as his running mate.
Obama's veep message to supporters
Barack Obama's campaign had said it would announce Obama's choice for a running mate in a text message to supporters. But early Saturday morning, word leaked out to reporters that he'd chosen Sen. Joe Biden, a veteran lawmaker from Delaware.
Is McCain's history with Indians a mixed blessing?
This election year, Native Americans will have a rare opportunity to vote for a candidate who knows their issues well and has worked with them for years.
Analysis: Is Obama ready for world's toughest job?
Americans picking a president usually turn to people who have run states or armies. The biggest thing Barack Obama has ever run is his own presidential campaign.
AP NewsAlert
Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia wins the gold medal in the men's 5,000 meters.
Obama says Joe Biden is ready to be president
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is calling his running mate, Joe Biden, "a leader who is ready to step in and be president."
Biden is Obama's VP choice
WASHINGTON - Barack Obama has selected Senator Joe Biden of Delaware to be his vice presidential running mate, a Democratic official said early today, balancing the party's ticket with an older congressional veteran well-versed in foreign and defense issues.
Bayh, Kaine out of running for Obama VP pick: report
Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine have been told by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's campaign they will not be his vice presidential choice, NBC News reported on Friday quoting sources.