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 Delegate Matter By Conor Clarke Posted Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008, at 5:04 AM ET The New York Times leads with an analysis of the Democratic presidential candidates' battle for superdelegates, the party officials and elected representatives that are not selected on the basis of primary voting but nonetheless have a say in picking the nominee. The Los Angeles Times leads with news that the CIA is closing all but two of its undercover "black stations": cover companies that were set up in the wake of September 11 to expand the CIA's overseas presence. The Washington Post gives its top non-local spot to a preview of Pakistan's upcoming parliamentary elections, preparations for which have been plagued by suicide bombings. Because neither Barack Obama nor Hillary Clinton is expected to win the 2,025 delegates needed to nab the nomination before the end of the voting season, the competition for superdelegates is quickly becoming "the final contest of the nominating battle." About 300 of the 795 superdelegates are yet to take sides. Of these, 100 are from states that voted for Obama, but at least 30 have "long and often personal" ties to the Clintons, and the vast majority are women (which the Times suggests might help Clinton). To make matters more suspenseful, even the superdelegates that have committed to a candidate are free to change sides. To continue reading, click here. Conor Clarke is an editor at the Guardian's Washington, D.C., bureau. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE \| READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Business & Tech Why Hillary's Plan To Freeze Foreclosures Is a Bad Idea Sports The Poetry of Roger Clemens--Now With Bonus Haiku! News & Politics The Suspicious Timing of the Guantanamo Trials	Advertisement
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