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 Super Saturday By David Sessions Posted Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008, at 6:10 AM ET The papers lead with results from yesterday's presidential primaries--a crucial Republican battle in South Carolina and vicious fight for the Nevada Democratic caucuses. The New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times each split their lead spot between twin stories on Sen. John McCain's triumph in the South Carolina G.O.P. primary and Sen. Hillary Clinton's decisive victory over Sen. Barack Obama in Nevada. John McCain won South Carolina's Republican primary with a narrow 3% edge over Mike Huckabee, the LAT reports. All the papers select the same McCain quote--a speech-opening allusion to his crushing defeat in South Carolina eight years ago (the NYT and LAT both refer to his victory as an "exorcism" of that bitter loss). Not only did McCain's victory on Saturday wipe the 2000 slate clean, it "marked another comeback milestone in a campaign that had appeared all but terminal last summer, sunk in dismal poll numbers and bereft of cash," the LAT observes. The NYT reviews the losing Republican candidates' campaigning (Huckabee approached South Carolina "with a populist patter," Romney "struggled" through his days there), and the WP is baffled by Fred Thompson's evening remarks: "Normally laid-back, he thundered on for 10 minutes in language that seemed to point to a withdrawal statement. But he abruptly ended the speech with 'God bless you!' and walked off the stage." Other than this perplexing speech, Thompson gave no indication that he's leaving the race. To continue reading, click here. David Sessions is a former Slate* intern.* Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE \| READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Arts & Life *Is Bin Laden the Monster in Cloverfield?* News & Politics Thompson Will Stay in Race--Just To Torment Huckabee Sports Can Meek, Befuddled Eli Manning Become a Great Quarterback?	Advertisement
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