University Of Chicago: Obama Was A Professor

A recent Clinton campaign research document charged that Barack Obama was falsely claiming to be a professor:

Sen. Obama consistently and falsely claims that he was a law professor. The Sun-Times reported that, "Several direct-mail pieces issued for Obama's primary [Senate] campaign said he was a law professor at the University of Chicago. He is not. He is a senior lecturer (now on leave) at the school. In academia, there is a vast difference between the two titles. Details matter." In academia, there's a significant difference: professors have tenure while lecturers do not. [Hotline Blog, 4/9/07; Chicago Sun-Times, 8/8/04]

Today, the University of Chicago released the following statement:

The Law School has received many media requests about Barack Obama, especially about his status as "Senior Lecturer." From 1992 until his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004, Barack Obama served as a professor in the Law School. He was a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996. He was a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004, during which time he taught three courses per year. Senior Lecturers are considered to be members of the Law School faculty and are regarded as professors, although not full-time or tenure-track. The title of Senior Lecturer is distinct from the title of Lecturer, which signifies adjunct status. Like Obama, each of the Law School's Senior Lecturers have high-demand careers in politics or public service, which prevent full-time teaching. Several times during his 12 years as a professor in the Law School, Obama was invited to join the faculty in a full-time tenure-track position, but he declined.

Comments

[dasimms]

It does not surprise me that Hilliary's camp continues to falsely accuse her opponent.
If I got caught in as many lies as Hilliary, I would tuck tale and hide.
Lies are always exposed. She needs to try the truth. But it appears that she and her supporters
"Can't handle the truth."

[badgirlinchicago]

It is quite obvious that some of the people on this website have never been to college because of the level of ignorance that is displayed. Grow up, read a book and expand your brains. If the University of Chicago says that is a professor, then he is a professor.

[conscioushope]

Badgirl~

Sadly you are so right!
And, anyone can enlighten themselves, college-educated or not, by reading!

[nihilate]

universitiues differ in the use of titles. at berleley i started off as lecturer in economics (acting assi stant professor of economics. I was told this was because there was no budget line available, but the man whose money i was using (who would become a distinguished professor of econometrics at Harvard was on leave because he had received a grant which replaced his salary. The department could pay me the money, but could not give me a tenure track appointment, because the next year, the assistant professor would come back on the payroll and they would have to scramble to find something if they were to keep me -- not my problem, theirs.
When Barack turned down a tenured or tenure track professorial appointment we did two tjigs: 1. he left the lawschool a vacant which would permit them to recruit a permanent faculty member. 2. let barack pursue his political carreer without embarrassing the university (which is full of the grossest reactionaries you can imagine --- even fuller now that cass sunstein has moved to harvard. he also avoided having to write scholarly articles which are necessary to get tenure, even at a law school. check our barack's tax returns. assistant professor of law in the mid nineties at chicago would earn $60-90kpa. An associate professor of law a a top school whould earn in the early-nineties over $100k. Don't know what an Illinois state senator earns, but look it up..

[solarenergy]

Once again, the Clinton campaign is revealed to be flat-out desperate liars. Who still supports her/him anymore? If there is a Bill/hill supporter out there, please explain what it is you find appealing about this BS?

[lisakaz]

Indeed. And the culture is that any instructor given such responsibilities is going to be called that. Really, there are two different PT professors, ones who are scraping by and significant figures (academics or no) that are taking on other responsibilities than teaching.

Well known author Garry Wills, for example, had been an adjunct professor at Northwestern for a time, hardly because he wasn't worthy of a permanent post.

Different institutions have varied ways of noting academic rank but "professor" by itself is not necessarily a precise word noting rank. It can be, in a formal notation of "full professor" versus "associate professor" or "assistant professor" but because the word appears so often, assigning it one specific status cannot work.

I have been a "visiting assistant professor" as well as a "lecturer.­" Maybe a different workload but not a measure of qualifications or anything else. Sometimes I am called "professor" but often, because I have a PhD, I am simply called "Dr." I have been called "Mrs." also, even though that's one title that does not fit and a few times I will say "Mrs. X is my mother's name."

[Passenger57]

...So the University is lying, lisakaz...­?

[liz]

Has someone called to get information about the faculty appointments Bill and Hillary had at the University of Arkansas? They have at various times made hay with those credentials, and we should be able to compare.

[gobarackgo]

There was a time in this campaign when uncovering a dirty trick like this would have caused major damage to the Clinton campaign. Now it's seen as just another day at the office for the HRC staff. Sad. I wish the mainstream media would call them on this stuff.

[musetta]

The University's effort to help Obama is a nice little gesture but it is also disingenuous.

They may "regard" part-time lecturers as professors. They may "regard" janitors as sanity engineers. I may regard myself as the queen of England but that doesn't make it true. Full time professors write and publish and have a status completely different from a part time lecturer.

The statements by Obama were clearly intended to deceive and inflate his resume. Just like his statements claiming "he fought in the courts for civil rights". He never tried, won or lost a case in court. - on civil rights or any other cause. Just like his commercials claiming to have done something (as usual never specified) for victims of a closed steel plant. Just like his taking credit for someone else's efforts to eliminate asbestos in low income housing.

[JDJase]

I like how everyone here blames Hillary for making up this lie. Read the article, all the Clinton camp did was point out an article that the Sun Times did saying this.

But I wouldn't expect the Obama cult to read that part of the story.

[rzan]

And the lies just keep on coming from the Clinton camp. Why would anyone want to win if lying was the only way they could win? I guess Hillary hasn't been attending prayer group enough. Thou shalt not bear false witness, Hill.

[mdj20000]

I thought that politics 101 was knowing the answer to a question before you ask it? Didn't anyone from the HRC camp think to find out if he really was a professor before accusing him of not being one? Its clear that school considered him a professor for a few years and I doubt they would have told the Clinton campaign anything different if they asked.

This shows everything wrong with the Clinton campaign and why they're losing. At this point, I'm sure that if there was something really bad about Obama the Clintons would have made sure we all know it by now since they are leaning on a weak story like this.

In a way this is good because he already knows what he will be facing against the republicans and that ain't much.

By the way: has anyone seen McCain's new ad and caught what he said at the end? If not, he said that he is the 'AMERICAN PRESIDENT' that America has been waiting for. Will that be their angle in the fall? That Obama isn't American or am I being paronoid?

[bev5419]

He could be talking about himself too. Remember they were questioning his birth somwhere around the Suez Canal where his parents were serving . I think you being Paranoid. He John McCaine was not born here but his parents are American and was serving their country. I think he is talking about himself to kill the doubs people have about him not being an American. Not Obama.

[nihilate]

if we are going to discuss ancestry and patriotism, we will have to publicize the really major tragedies caused by mccain's father and gradfather. his father, adm john s mccain jr was in command of usnavy europe in 1967 when the ship was attacked by israeli jets and pt boats and 34 american crew were murdered by the israelis. The attack was never investigated by a court of inquiry. the head amd the jag were ordered not to go to israel and questions the israelis involved, johnson and mcnamara order them never of speak if the incident [according to them] and mccain jr, who had apparently prevented any rescue or counterattack covered up everything. This is highly disputed, but many of the survivors have been turned down by mccain iii and everyone else in demandingf a full investigation. i think it would be neat for the next president to set up a commission to investigate the instant completely and fairly, demanding israel give complete cooperaton, or have us aid cutoff. and somebody punished.

[gcallaghan]

"I thought that politics 101 was knowing the answer to a question before you ask it"

The retarded codpieceboy rewrote that textbook. Today it's shoot first then decide what you aimed at if anybody looks.

[lisakaz]

You present a good argument -- but maybe it has more to do with court cases than politics. Given the prevelence of the smear, the HRC camp may have not really cared about the truth. They wanted to cast a negative spin on Obama and that was more important than more about the Tuzla lie.

[Trinidad707]

He also lied about taking oil company money

[JohnnySorrow]

"Also."

Reading is fundamental. The story supports his claim.

And I know I didn't just read the Clinton campaign making the claim that "details matter."
Hillary "Sniper Fire" Clinton who claims to have (several times) misspoke about a time when she and her only child were racing to avoid a crossfire, has the audacity to chanllenge someone on details.

Her campaign never fails to astound me.

[mdj20000]

Geeze you read my mind.

[rogerhq]

Well, try this:

Clinton? Who is Clinton? Something U can eat?

[englishprof]

Can you read? Read the U of Chicago release.

[mykindoftown]

Obama is right when he doesn't take money from oil companies. He has received donations from people who work for oil companies, but that money is given by individuals, not their companies. When you make a political contribution, you are required to report the name of your employer. If I work for Walmart and make a contribution to the McCain campaign, that doesn't mean Walmart made the donation. As a former Clinton staffer, I am not not surprised by the levels at which her smear machine will stoop. The arrogance and entitlement are breathtaking.

[nihilate]

actually he didn't.. Taking moneyu from a corporate pac is about as close as you can get to taking money from a company but corporations and union are forbidd9bundleen from making direct political contributioons. what has grown u[p is that fundraisers collect (i.e. bundle] individual contribution -- each of whom must give their names and business etc. one can refuse corpporate and contributions and still collect from employees and officers. The defects of this system are obvious. with mr. hsu fpr omstamce, he was "collecting" supposedly from waiters, bus boys, unemployed people. unless they actually make the contributions, its a crime to misattribute contributions. i've been a pac treasujrer, and my wife has been a cam[paign treasurer. we always confirmed every contribution by called the nominal contirubter and recording their confirmations.

[fnygy]

No, he took money from individuals who worked for oil companies - which is different than accepting corporate contributions. Once again, Mrs. Clinton and her team seek to obfuscate, mislead, parse, or just plain lie. It takes a lot of gall to accuse your opponent of things you, yourself are guilty of. But, the Clintons have never lacked for gall. They even brag about it.

From the beginning of her campaign, Mrs. Clinton embraced a big state/big donor strategy that failed miserably. She thought she could ignore the caucus states (a strategy designed for Edwards, not Obama) and that proved a disaster. Her message of "experience" illustrates she might just have a tin ear, politically. She was out of money by Super Tuesday. Now, because she managed her own campaign so poorly, her only option is tear down the guy who ran his well.

All of which certainly proves that she is, in fact, a survivor. The question is, can we survive her?

[Trinidad707]

He also lied about taking Iol co money

[conscioushope]

Please post factual information.

Fluffy accusations help no one, most of all the accuser.

[NWReader]

Obama took *lolcat* money? Outrageous!

[Lyria]

Hillary Cat runz from invisible sniperz.

[realpolitic]

It is very odd, as the Clinton camp did, to make an allegation about something so easy to verify. One just has to call the university. Desperation?

[KDH]

They might as well have asked his wife Michelle if he was a professor. Gee.Duh...­of course HIS university in HIS state is going to back Obama up. This don't prove diddley.

[nomobull]

this post proves you're an idiot

[knighthowl]

Oh My God! Is there no bottom? Will it take Jesus himself to satisfy the Hillaryites?

[stephenslhs]

You got that right. UChicago explained that Senior Lecturers are professors (c'mon! he taught three classes a year!), then refers to his twelve years as a professor, while he was only a Senior Lecturer for eight.

[Bozwellian]

HAVE TO GBO off , uh...are you aware of some of the more fervent NEOCONS that were/are associated with the UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO ? ....LOL, yeah, UC just gonna give "cover" cuz Obama is from the state, wife works there abouts and , W_H_A_T_E_V_E_R = DESPARATION delusional attemptings !!!

[Meah]

If he taught law at the law school, he would be considered a professor.

"This don't prove diddley" tells us that you don't know diddley.

[nighttimelady]

Also odd that the Clinton camp forgot newsmedia had cameras when they landed in Bosnia....­..........­...

[klimtone]

Because they are subscribing to the view of throwing anything out there and hoping it will stick. Lately, I don't think they even care if it sticks - they just want to throw some BS out there so it is discussed, wasting precious time. Evidently this nonsense is believed by some, judging from this post anyway,

The more they can whirl around slinging shit the more they do not have to discuss why they lie, why they cheat or why they defame.

Why the emperor has no clothes (ouch I just got a visual). We should be discussing the questions of why the Clintons are bereft of honor, how did they get so far anyway, and what can we do in the future to prevent this kind of nonsense from ever happening again.

[Trinidad707]

OBAMA claims he has never taken money from Oil companies.­..Caught in yet another lie. A Deputy Communications Director: "It's unfortunate that Sen Obama is using false advertising to explain why he can be trusted to do something about energy prices. Sen Obama says he doesn?t take campaign contributions from oil companies but the reality is that ExxonMobil, Shell and others are among his donors. A new ad by Sen. Obama running in Pennsylvania falsely claims that Sen. Obama does not accept money from the oil industry. In the ad, Sen. Obama says, "I'm Barack Obama and I don't take money from oil companies or lobbyists and I won?t let them block change anymore." According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Sen. Obama has received over $160,000 from the oil and gas companies. Two major bundlers for his campaign -- George Kaiser and Robert Cavnar ? are oil company CEOs. Sen. Obama has accepted money from Exxon, Shell, BP, Chevron and just about every other major oil company. Just last month, Sen. Obama accepted another $8,400 from ExxonMobil, $12,370 from Chevron and $6,500 from British Petroleum. In 2005, Sen. Obama voted for the Dick Cheney energy bill, which was written in secret with the oil industry. Hillary Clinton opposed Cheney's energy bill, has a plan to eliminate oil industry tax breaks, and would require oil companies to contribute to a $50 billion strategic energy fund to jumpstart research and investment in clean energy technologies.

[IsobelDeBrujah]

Please stop spreading this lie. Go check Open Secret.com. The information is publicly available. Senator Obama has not accepted funds from those companies. He has accepted funds from private citizens who, before they donate must affirm that they are not donating on behalf of a company of PAC.

[mykindoftown]

Obama has not accepted donations from oil companies. Some people who work for oil companies may h ave contributed in their capacity as individuals, but that is far different from corporate contributions.

[noamjunior]

too bad you can't post a link so others could consider the merits of your claim- a claim discounted by independent election sites

[homescribe]

Every time I make a personal contribution to my candidate, I am asked to provide the name of the company I work for. Does this mean that my company made the contribution? Hell, No.

[liz]

Since you are so well-informed about the details, will you please tell us also exactly how much money
Clinton has taken from the Oil companies using the same criterion for "Oil company donation" that you used to derive these figures? Thank you.

[dadw5boys]

Stop Hillary Clinton and Stop National Health Care. WE LOSE.

[JonStewart4President]

Neither Obama or Hillary have the kind of healt care we need, which is a single payer system, which will also be impossible to pass. Both offer only increased health coverage, so both suck in their own ways. But I'll take either plan over McCain's total lack of one, anyday and twice on Sunday.

[ThomH]

Both Obama and Clinton have set forth health plans that can only be described as sad. They will be justifiably attacked from both the left and the right. To see why they are so weak they likely will never be passed, although thoroughly distorted to make them "acceptabe " to the insurance companise, see "The HillBar Healtcare Plan Revealed" at

http://whatsnotso.blogs.com/whatsnotso/2008/03/the-hillbar-hea.html

[batguano]

Your right....w­e do need the "single payer" or the Canadian model, but as long as the Insurance Co's have the power to control our elected reps......­thru big campaign contributi­ons..... we will not get what every other industrialized nation on earth has, to the detriment of our business community. The boogeyman of "Socialized Medicine" is there to scare the bejeezus out of ignorant sheep.....­..so we will keep getting screwed by the Ins Co's who rip us off while NOT contributing a thing to real health care......­..

[editorjuno]

She did a damned good job of stopping health care the last time she tried to implement it and I see no reason to believe her next attempt would fare any better. Both candidates favor a go-slow approach involving the existing private insurance industry -- far from ideal, but acceptable as first step toward an eventual single-payer system similar to what the rest of western civilization already enjoys.

[transendentilist]

No Gomer, it was the republicans that shot it down. Try being honest. It doesn't hurt, really!

[brownsca]

Think that Clinton will apologize? Does anyone in this country think she would apologize? Does he deserve an apology?

[Meah]

If she would not apologize about their Iraq war vote, why would she apologize about anything else?

[Hotshortie]

I don't understand the Clinton campaign. Why make up lies about Obama? Like the Bosnia sniper fire, she has to know, that there is paperwork that says, "PROFESSOR" on it.

I don't understand throwing the kitchen sink at him. She will say and do anything to be the nominee.

Hillary lies of late:
NAFTA
Ireland Peace Negotiations
Macedonia border negotiations
Tuzla, Bosnia
Heroes at Home Act
SCHIP
FMLA

[JDJase]

well technically the paperwork DIDN'T say "PROFESSOR"

It said "Senior Lecturer" which the law school now claims 'is just like a professor.­' Convenient.

[thirteen13]

You forgot "ready on day one".

[transendentilist]

As usual, not a single shred of proof. Why do you lie? Is this you being your better self?? Is this the type of inspiration you get from Obama??

[LeoMarvin]

The only thing more disturbing than the reckless damage HIllary does to Obama is the reckless damage Hillary does to Hillary.

[thirteen13]

Not to mention what she and Bill would do in a THIRD CLINTON ADMINISTRATION.

[transendentilist]

I'll take a Clinton presidency any day of the week. This country did pretty damn good under Bill's leadership. Yeah, that peace and prosperity can be a real drag, huh?