GOV. KATHLEEN SEBELIUS ENDORSES BARACK OBAMA
Says Obama Can Unite a Divided America to Bring Desperately Needed Change
EL DORADO, KS – In the town where Barack Obama’s grandfather was born and raised, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius today endorsed Obama for his ability to inspire and challenge Americans to come together to solve the great problems facing our nation.
“America needs a leader who can move beyond the bitter partisanship that has prevented progress on the great challenges facing our nation,” said Governor Sebelius. “Here in Kansas, we’ve proven that the path to change is not through rhetorical battles or political maneuvering but by forging consensus through determination and hard work. In this defining time for our country, Barack Obama has the singular ability to unite and mobilize the American people to tackle the problems we must solve. ”
“It’s an honor to receive the endorsement of one of America’s most respected governors, a leader who has united Kansans by putting problem solving before partisanship,” said Senator Obama. “Here in Kansas, where my grandparents were born and my family’s story began, Governor Sebelius has proven that new jobs and good schools; affordable health care and clean energy are not Democratic or Republican ideas, they are American ideas that unite us around a common purpose. And she has shown America that the Democratic Party is a party that can run anywhere and win anywhere and lead anywhere as long as we’re the party of change – the party of the future.”
Kathleen Sebelius is serving her second term as the Governor of Kansas. She has united Democrats and Republicans to cut health care costs, expand coverage, support small businesses, and provide strong benefits to members of the National Guard while keeping the budget fiscally sound. As Insurance Commissioner, Sebelius earned a reputation as a vigilant advocate for consumers that saved seniors millions on prescription drugs and reduced insurance company fraud. Sebelius serves on the Education, Early Childhood, and Workforce Committee of the National Governors’ Association and is the Policy Chair of the Democratic Governors’ Association.
Barack Obama’s grandfather, Stanley Dunham, was born and raised in El Dorado, Kansas. His grandmother, Madelyn Payne Dunham, was born in Augusta, Kansas. Stanley Dunham worked on oil rigs and farms through most of the great depression, but after the bombing of Pearl Harbor he enlisted in the Army at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on January 18th, 1942. Madelyn worked at Boeing Co.'s B-29 production plant in Wichita. Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, was born in November of 1942 at Ft. Leavenworth during her father’s military service.
