A Statement from Mike Strautmanis, Obama’s Chief Counsel

Back to the issues after discussing Governor Sarah Palin et al: In a post on Obama and McCain on Autism, Regan noted that Mike Strautmanis, Barack Obama’s Chief Counsel and a personal friend of the Obama family, is the father of an autistic child. In a January 29 conference call on Obama’s disability policy, here’s some of what Strautmanis said:

Barack Obama and I met, and Michele, when I talked my way into a job to be Michele’s paralegal, just about before I was going to graduate from college. Since then we have all been friends. I am married, have three children, one of whom has autism, on the autism spectrum, has autism spectrum disorder. The struggles I have had with my son as we worked through the healthcare system, education system, through all the services in our community, trying to find out what’s happening with him, how we can help him, Barack Obama and Michele have been right there with us. I worked on judicial issues, never focused in the disability area. I always wondered why is my child special, because of my friendship with the Obama’s, proximity, why should I get special treatment. But one thing I found as I worked with my wife, dealing with this, the lack of leadership at the federal level from the administration in this area. Too many of our families, too many of our children, too many of us who are people with disabilities and those who love, and care for those with disabilities are left on their own . I remember Bush called this the ownership society. Really, what it’s become is, I believe, you are on your own society. I felt that as far back as this moment I had a responsibility to advocate for, work for, not only my child, but all of us, not only the other children dealing with the autism spectrum disorder, but the adults, the village, the medical community, the educators, everybody that is pulling together, staying up late, on the Internet trying to find answers, reaching into their pockets, making sacrifices for other necessities to try to give each other what we need. [my emphases

The Chicago Tribune profiled Strautmanis on August 10.

Congresswoman Janice Schakowsky, the co-chair of the Obama for America campaign and a five-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, also speaks about fully funding IDEA, the ADA restoration act, the Community Choice Act of 2007, the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act of 2007, and more.