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Barack Obama
Quick Hit
by Adam Doster
5:17pm
Mon Feb 1, 2010
318 comments

Obama Budget Includes An Unemployment Benefit Extension

The White House knows the impact that wise investments in jobless insurance can have during times of economic stress. That's why they allocated (PDF) approximately $50 billion to extend unemployment benefits for jobless workers by an additional six months in their FY 2011 budget proposal released today. The House funded a similar extension in the $154 billion economic aid package (H.R. 2847) it passed in December. The Senate has yet to act. The defense appropriations bill Obama signed late last year included enough funds to sustain coverage through the end of this month.  (On a related note, the AFL-CIO's Richard Trumka emphasized the importance of jobless benefits on the latest episode of PBS' Bill Moyers Journal. Watch it here.)

Quick Hit
by Josh Kalven
11:47am
Sun Jan 31, 2010

"This Is Your Answer, Mr. President"

In the New York Times letter section, Chicago's own Quentin Young responds to President Obama's request for a health care "approach that will bring down premiums, bring down the deficit, cover the uninsured, strengthen Medicare for seniors, and stop insurance company abuses."

Quick Hit
by Josh Kalven
2:59pm
Fri Jan 29, 2010
1 comment

Obama On Dillard: "Poor Guy"

While appearing at a meeting of congressional Republicans today, President Obama received a question about bipartisanship from Illinois' own Rep. Peter Roskam.  In his response, he noted that GOP gubernatorial candidate Kirk Dillard is catching flak for appearing in a 2004 Obama campaign ad.  "One of our former colleagues is right now running for governor on the Republican side in Illinois," he said. "In the Republican primary, of course, they're running ads of him saying nice things about me.  Poor guy."  Watch it.

PI Original
by Adam Doster
10:49am
Mon Nov 9, 2009
3 comments

House Passes Health Care Bill With Help Of Illinois Dems

Mike Quigley

The president's top domestic policy priority is one step closer to being made  law. As you've read elsewhere, the full House passed
its final health care reform bill late Saturday night by a slim 220-215
margin. Although 39 Democrats eventually voted against the bill, none ...

PI Original
by Adam Doster
1:11pm
Fri Nov 6, 2009
405 comments

Obama Signs Unemployment Benefit Extension Bill

Barack Obama

Right on schedule, President Obama signed into law this morning H.R. 3548, a federal extension
of unemployment insurance. The bill extends jobless benefits to
unemployed Americans set to exhaust their insurance by December 31 in
states (like Illinois) where unemployment ...

PI Original
by Adam Doster
10:26am
Fri Nov 6, 2009
1 comment

Dillard: I Warned People Obama "Was A Socialist"

Election 2010

If he's to survive the rough-and-tumble Republican gubernatorial primary, State Sen. Kirk Dillard is going to have to appease his party's conservative base. That includes providing justification for his appearance in the first biographical television ad produced by then-...