Barack Obama

Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. (born in Nyanza Province, Kenya) and Ann Dunham (born in Wichita, Kansas). Barack Hussein Obama (born August 4, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party.

Obama grew up in culturally diverse surroundings. He spent most of his childhood in the majority-minority U.S. state of Hawaii and lived for four years in Indonesia. Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention while still an Illinois state legislator. Since announcing his candidacy in February 2007, Obama has emphasized ending the Iraq War and implementing universal health care as campaign themes.

As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, Obama co-sponsored the enactment of conventional weapons control and transparency legislation, and made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Obama's parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced. His father went to Harvard University to pursue Ph.D. studies, then returned to Kenya, where he died in an auto accident when the younger Obama was twenty-one years old.



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today's papers Gone to Carolina By Barron YoungSmith Posted Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008, at 6:13 AM ET The Washington Post leads with, and the Los Angeles Times fronts, news that a Senate coalition will try to expand on the economic stimulus package recently agreed to in the House--defying President Bush and conceivably unraveling the current compromise. The New York Times leads with news that state and local governments are being struggling to pay for infrastructure projects as the cost of labor, materials, and fuel skyrockets. The Wall Street Journal tops its worldwide newsbox with, and the WP fronts, polls for today's South Carolina primary: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., is ahead, but he's lost support among white voters. The LAT lead is unavailable due to tech issues. To continue reading, click here. Barron YoungSmith is an editorial web intern at The New Republic. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE \| READ MESSAGES Also In Slate News & Politics If You OD on Sleeping Pills, Do You Dream Before You Die? News & Politics How Obama Can Fight Back Against the Clintons Arts & Life *If the Coen Brothers Made Weeds* and It Was About Meth ...**	Advertisement
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