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 A Clean Sweep By Daniel Politi Posted Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008, at 6:14 AM ET All the papers lead with yesterday's primaries in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, where Sen. Barack Obama got three more big victories. As the Wall Street Journal highlights early in its story, Obama had been largely expected to win the so-called Potomac primaries, "but he triumphed by landslide margins." The New York Times says yesterday's contests gave the senator from Illinois the opportunity "to assert that the Democratic race, which had seemed to be heading into a protracted standoff, is beginning to break in his direction." The Washington Post says Obama "had his most impressive night of the competition" mainly due to the "breadth of support he attracted from men and women, young voters and old, African Americans and whites." The Los Angeles Times is the most direct and calls Obama "the front-runner." On the Republican side, Sen. John McCain also won all three contests, but, as USA Today highlights, "a closer-than-expected race in Virginia underscored the problems he faces in uniting the GOP even after becoming the party's presumptive nominee." Mike Huckabee benefitted from a strong turnout by evangelical Christians, and got most of his support from Virginians who identified themselves as conservatives. Yesterday, McCain commended Huckabee and said, "He certainly keeps things interesting--maybe a little too interesting at times tonight, I must confess." But after thanking voters, McCain turned his attention to the Democratic contenders and said, "We know where either of their candidates will lead this country, and we dare not let them." 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 News & Politics Meghan McCain vs. Chelsea Clinton News & Politics Memo to Obama Fans: Clinton's Presidency Wasn't So Bad Arts & Life Amy Winehouse Isn't Just a Celebrity Train Wreck	Advertisement
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