Barack Obama and his many Post Offices

The recent brouhaha over Senator Barack Obama’s criticism of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ qualifications prompted CM to examine Mr. Obama’s U.S. Senate record. A quick search of the Library of Congress for legislation sponsored or co-sponsored by Mr. Obama in the 109th and 110th Congresses revealed 660 senate bills, and some rather interesting findings.

Mr. Jack Potter is the U.S. Postmaster General, but Senator Barack Obama should be considered the Post Office Namer General. In Mr. Obama's brief senate career, he's named more than his share of post offices:

• Robert T. Ferguson Post Office Building (109th S.2156)
• Katherine Dunham Post Office Building (109th S.3757)
• Dr. Francis Townsend Post Office Building (110th S.1353)
• Lane Evans Post Office Building (110th S.2555)

When Mr. Obama tired of renaming post offices, he turned his attention to bigger buildings:

• Rename the Capitol Visitor Center "Emancipation Hall" (110th, S.1679)

Why stop at buildings when faced with stamps, coins, and statues?

• Mr. Obama called for the issuance of a commemorative postage stamp (S.2154.IS) and statue (S.1959) honoring Rosa Parks, and for Ms. Parks' remains to lie in honor in the Capitol rotunda (S.CON.RES.61)
• To provide for the redesign of the reverse of the Lincoln 1-cent coin in 2009 in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln (109th S.341)
• To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of veterans who became disabled for life while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States (109th S.633)
• To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln (109th S.811)
• To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of each of the Nation's past Presidents and their spouses, respectively, to improve circulation of the $1 coin, to create a new bullion coin, and for other purposes. (109th S.1047)
• To extend the special postage stamp for breast cancer research for 2 years (110th S.597)
• To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the semicentennial of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (110th S.1437)

In a future post CM will examine Mr. Obama’s important resolutions honoring people and organizations.