When you think about it for a moment, it fits the pattern to a T. Slightly shy of the first anniversary of his presidency, Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. It was an honor of which he was so obviously undeserving that Geir Lundestad, then-head of the Nobel committee, expressed buyer’s remorse years later.
Now Obama — who oversaw eight years of economic stagnation despite adding a record $7.917 trillion to the national debt, a 68% increase — is in line for the highest honor a President of the United States can receive. From now on, Aug. 4, Obama’s birthday Obama, will be a holiday — at least in his adoptive home state of Illinois.
NBC Chicago has the joyous news:
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
Governor Bruce Rauner signed into law Friday a measure to designate Aug. 4 as “Barack Obama Day” across Illinois.
The newest state holiday will be celebrated each year on the 44th president’s birthday, beginning in 2018.
The holiday will be “observed throughout the State as a day set apart to honor the 44th President of the United States of America who began his career serving the People of Illinois in both the Illinois State Senate and the United States Senate, and dedicated his life to protecting the rights of Americans and building bridges across communities,” Senate Bill 55 reads.
Although the date will be marked by some Illinoisans, workplaces will not close to commemorate this important day.
