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 The General By Barron YoungSmith Posted Sunday, May 11, 2008, at 5:19 AM ET The Washington Post leads with an attempted coup in Sudan, perpetrated by Darfuri rebels who crossed the desert to attack Karthoum--a story the New York Times does its best to downplay. The NYT lead says Barack Obama and John McCain are already plotting their general election strategies. Both rely on winning over independents and Latinos. The Los Angeles Times lead analyzes Obama's political weaknesses, which it says are inexperience and liberalism. It's not clear which paper knows the truth about Sudan. Briefly, the WP piece reads like its source was Paul Wolfowitz, while the NYT piece--which the paper stuffs--is skeptical, instead reprinting the Sudanese government's version of events. To continue reading, click here. Barron YoungSmith is an editorial web intern at The New Republic. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE \| READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Sports How High-Def TV Will Save the NHL Arts & Life Avert Nuclear War in Two Easy Steps! Business & Tech Coming Soon: The Washington Monument, Brought to You by Samsung	Advertisement
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