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 Anger Management By Daniel Politi Posted Friday, Feb. 1, 2008, at 6:32 AM ET The New York Times leads with a look at the rising tensions between Kurds and Iraqi Arabs. Many Sunnis and Shiites are growing increasingly frustrated with Kurdish demands for more power and autonomy, which, in a strange twist, has resulted in the strengthening of the central government and President Nouri al-Maliki. The Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal's world-wide newsbox lead with the Democratic debate in California, where Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama met one-on-one for the first time. Unlike the last debate, Clinton and Obama were mostly friendly with each other and avoided personal attacks. They did express some disagreement on a few policy issues as well as who is best prepared to be president, but the two senators saved their toughest words for Republicans, particularly President Bush and Sen. John McCain. "The differences between Barack and I pale in comparison to the differences that we have with the Republicans," Clinton said. USA Today leads with a look at how state and local government employees are seeing their wages increase at a much faster pace than private workers. Public employees earn an average of $39.50 per hour in total compensation compared to $26.09 for private workers. Benefits play a big part in this widening gap since companies have been cutting pensions and forcing employees to pay a larger share of medical expenses. To continue reading, click here. Daniel Politi writes "Today's Papers" for Slate. He can be reached at todayspapers@slate.com. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE \| READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Arts & Life Discussing Gang Leader for a Day Arts & Life How To Market The Dark Knight Without Heath Ledger Arts & Life Watching People Watch the Most Disgusting Video on the Web	Advertisement
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Obama's own self-narrative reinforces what a May 2004 New Yorker magazine article described as his "everyman" image. Speaking to an elderly Jewish audience during his 2004 campaign for U.S. Senate, Obama linked the linguistic roots of his East African first name Barack to the Hebrew word baruch, meaning "blessed. " At the Save Darfur rally in April 2006, he called for more assertive action to oppose genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. "After graduating from Punahou, Obama studied at Occidental College for two years, then transferred to Columbia University, where he majored in political science with a specialization in international relations. Obama's own self-narrative reinforces what a May 2004 New Yorker magazine article described as his "everyman" image. Enthusiastic crowds greeted Obama's public appearances.

"Writing about Obama's political image in a March 2007 Washington Post opinion column, Eugene Robinson characterized him as "the personification of both-and," a messenger who rejects "either-or" political choices, and could "move the nation beyond the culture wars" of the 1960s. On December 22, 2006, President Bush signed into law the "Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act," marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor. Also during the first month of the 110th Congress, Obama introduced the "Iraq War De-Escalation Act," a bill that caps troop levels in Iraq at January 10, 2007 levels, begins phased redeployment on May 1, 2007, and removes all combat brigades from Iraq by March 31, 2008. Obama sponsored 152 bills and resolutions brought before the 109th Congress in 2005 and 2006, and cosponsored another 427. " In January 2007, Obama spoke at an event organized by Families USA, a health care advocacy group. "A theme of Obama's keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and the title of his 2006 book, The Audacity of Hope, was inspired by his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Obama was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1996 from the state's 13th District in the south-side Chicago neighborhood of Hyde Park. Through the fall of 2006, Obama had spoken at political events across the country in support of Democratic candidates for the midterm elections. Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. (born in Nyanza Province, Kenya) and Ann Dunham (born in Wichita, Kansas). "Writing about Obama's political image in a March 2007 Washington Post opinion column, Eugene Robinson characterized him as "the personification of both-and," a messenger who rejects "either-or" political choices, and could "move the nation beyond the culture wars" of the 1960s. He has responded to and personally participated in online discussions hosted on politically-oriented blog sites.