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 Gaza Goes South Israel launches some of the deadliest strikes into Palestine since 2000. By Lydia DePillis Posted Sunday, March 2, 2008, at 6:46 AM ET The Washington Post leads with the breaking news of the weekend: Israel has launched a new incursion into the Gaza strip, killing 60 Palestinians--half of them civilians--in the area's deadliest day since 2000. The Los Angeles Times leads with an analysis of how the new popularity of corn ethanol as a source of fuel could lead to price shocks in everything from food to gasoline, especially if any kind of drought hits this summer. The New York Times runs with election news, highlighting Senator Barack Obama's heavy spending on television advertisements in Texas and Ohio, which will vote on Tuesday. The latest clash in Gaza had been building since Wednesday, when Israel hit a van carrying five Hamas members thought to be planning an attack inside the country, setting off a hailstorm of rockets and mortars from militants in Gaza. The WP story focuses on the diplomatic implications for President Bush's attempt to negotiate a settlement between the governments anytime soon (they don't look good), paired with an analysis of the United States' shrinking role in Middle East politics. The NYT's page three coverage instead emphasizes the experience of civilians under fire, and suggests that Hamas may be attempting to lure Israel into a major ground operation. The Israeli army contends that the escalation is nothing out of the ordinary, but rather "within the scope" of activities carried out in Gaza since the army has been permanently engaged there. According to the LAT, it may not be so for long: President Ehud Barak has been signaling that a larger operation may launch when the weather warms up. To continue reading, click here. Lydia DePillis is a writer living in New York. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE \| READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Arts & Life Who Would Make Up a Holocaust Memoir? Arts & Life How To Take Photographs of Famous People Health & Science Be Kind Rewind's Magnetized- Human- Eraser Stunt: Feasible?	Advertisement
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