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 One Hit Wonder By Daniel Politi Posted Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008, at 6:16 AM ET The New York Times leads with yesterday's Supreme Court decision that protects the makers of medical devices from lawsuits by consumers as long as the device passed a rigorous "premarket" approval process by the Food and Drug Administration. In an 8-1 decision, the justices said that federal law preempts states from imposing liability for these approved devices. It is seen as a big victory for the Bush administration that has long sought to "pre-empt tougher state regulation." The Washington Post and Wall Street Journal's world-wide newsbox lead with a look at how Sen. Hillary Clinton is getting tougher on her rival for the presidential nomination. After 10 defeats to Sen. Barack Obama, Clinton is criticizing him more harshly for his lack of experience in hopes that it can stop his momentum before the crucial contests in Texas and Ohio. The WSJ also mentions that an independent group plans to spend millions on an ad campaign to help push Clinton's message that she is more qualified to deal with the country's economic problems. The Los Angeles Times devotes its top non-local spot to news that the Navy managed to hit a failed spy satellite on its first try. Early information seems to indicate that the satellite's fuel tank, which was filled with potentially toxic gas, was hit but the Pentagon emphasized it would take 24 hours to be certain. USA Today leads with a look at how several states are in the process of passing laws that would limit the ability of companies to cancel health insurance policies of consumers who buy their own coverage. Due to a recent increase in complaints about the practice, many state lawmakers are trying to figure out how they can make it harder for insurers to cancel policies. 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 The Terrifying Criminal Forensics Disaster in Mississippi Arts & Life A God of French Painting Comes to America Sports The Most Ridiculous Spectacle in Sports: the NBA Trade	Advertisement
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