Abrams Brian - Obama: an oral history 2009-2017

Text copyright 2018 by Brian Abrams

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ISBN-13: 9781503951662 (hardcover)

ISBN-10: 1503951669 (hardcover)

ISBN-13: 9781503951655 (paperback)

ISBN-10: 1503951650 (paperback)

Cover design by Faceout Studio, Derek Thornton

First edition

CONTENTS

Thats what America understands, that we dont just inherit the world from our parents, but we also borrow it from our children. And that is why, tonight, as we stand here, we have to understand that we have another journey ahead, and it is going to be a journey even more challenging than the one we have already embarked on. There are people today, right now, who are as skeptical about the future as they were at the outset of this campaign...

And for those skeptics who believe that we cant accomplish what we set out to accomplish, if our minds are clear and our heart is pure and we believe in a just and merciful God, I say to them: look at this crowd tonight, look at this election today. And I have three words for them. The same three words that we started the campaign, the same three words that we finished the primary, the same three words that are going to carry us, because as Dr. King said, The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice, as long as we help bend it that way. I have three words for them. What are those words? Yes, we can.

Senator-Elect Barack Obamas victory speech, Chicago, November 2, 2004.

PARTICIPANTS

Yohannes Abraham

• Deputy National Political Director, Obama-Biden 2012
• Chief of Staff, Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, White House (20132017)

Rob Andrews

• D-New Jersey, First District, US House of Representatives (19902014)

Roy Austin Jr.

• Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, US Department of Justice (20102014)
• Deputy Assistant to the President for the Office of Urban Affairs, Justice, and Opportunity, Domestic Policy Council, White House (20142017)

David Axelrod

• Chief Strategist, Obama for America (20072008)
• Senior Advisor to the President, White House (20092011)
• Senior Strategist, Obama for America (20112012)

Melody Barnes

• Counsel to Senator Edward Kennedy, US Senate Judiciary Committee (19952003)
• Director, Domestic Policy Council, White House (20092012)

Joel Benenson

• Pollster, Obama-Biden 2008 and Obama-Biden 2012
• Chief Strategist, Clinton-Kaine 2016

Jared Bernstein

• Chief Economist and Economic Policy Advisor, Office of the Vice President (20092011)

Jeremy Bird

• Deputy National Director, Organizing for America (20092011)
• National Field Director, Obama for America (20112012)

Jeffrey Bleich

• Special Counsel to the President, White House (2009)
• Ambassador to Australia, US Department of State (20092013)

David Bowen

• Staff Director, US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) (19992010)

Mary Bono

• R-California, Forty-Fourth District, US House of Representatives (19972003)
• R-California, Forty-Fifth District, US House of Representatives (20032013)

Barbara Boxer

• D-California, US Senate (19932017)

Scott Brown

• R-Massachusetts, US Senate (20102013)

Carol Browner

• Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency (19932001)
• Director, Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy, White House (20092011)

Jon Carson

• National Field Director, Obama for America (20072008)
• Chief of Staff, Council on Environmental Quality, White House (20092011)
• Director, Office of Public Engagement, White House (20112013)

Saxby Chambliss

• R-Georgia, Eighth District, US House of Representatives (19952003)
• R-Georgia, US Senate (20032015)

Arun Chaudhary

• Official White House Videographer (20092011)

Ted Chiodo

• Deputy White House Staff Secretary (20092014)

Dr. Steven Chu

• US Secretary of Energy (20092013)

Martha Coakley

• Attorney General of Massachusetts (D) (20072015)

Danielle Crutchfield

• Director of Scheduling, White House (20092014)

David Cusack

• Director of Advance, White House (20092011)
• Executive Director, Presidential Inaugural Committee (20122014)
• Director of Operations, White House (20152017)

Kareem Dale

• Associate Director, Office of Public Engagement, White House (20092013)

Bill Daley

• US Secretary of Commerce (19972000)
• White House Chief of Staff (20112012)

Tom Daschle

• D-South Dakota, US Senate (19872005)
• Senate Majority Leader (20012003); Senate Minority Leader (20032005)

Bill Dauster

• Deputy Staff Director and General Counsel, US Senate Finance Committee (20032011)
• Deputy Chief of Staff, US Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (20112017)

Ron Davis

• Police Chief, City of East Palo Alto (20052013)
• Director, Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), US Department of Justice (20132017)
• Executive Director, Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing (20142017)

Brian Deese

• Special Assistant to the President, National Economic Council, White House (20092011)
• Deputy Director, National Economic Council, White House (20112013)
• Deputy Director, Office of Management and Budget, White House (20132015)
• Senior Advisor to the President, White House (20152017)

Tad Devine

• Chief Strategist, Bernie Sanders for President, 2016

John Dingell

• D-Michigan, Sixteenth District, US House of Representatives (19652003)
• D-Michigan, Fifteenth District, US House of Representatives (20032013)
• D-Michigan, Twelfth District, US House of Representatives (20132015)
• Dean, US House of Representatives (19952015)

Chris Dodd

• D-Connecticut, Second District, US House of Representatives (19751981)
• D-Connecticut, US Senate (19812011)
• Chair, US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (20072011)

Jim Douglas

• Governor of Vermont (R) (20032011)
• Chair, National Governors Association (20092010)

Arne Duncan

• Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Public Schools (20012008)
• US Secretary of Education (20092015)

Shomik Dutta

• Mid-Atlantic Finance Director, Obama for America (20062008)
• Special Assistant to White House Counsel (20092010)
• National Finance Consultant, Obama-Biden 2012

Rahm Emanuel

• Senior Advisor to the President, White House (19931998)
• D-Illinois, Fifth District, US House of Representatives (20032009)
• White House Chief of Staff (20092010)
• Mayor of Chicago (2011 )

Jon Favreau

• Director of Speechwriting, White House (20092013)