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 Walk the Line By Daniel Politi Posted Tuesday, May 20, 2008, at 6:32 AM ET USA Today leads with word that only one in five detainees currently being held by U.S. servicemembers in Iraq are members of al-Qaida or Shiite extremist groups. As a result, U.S. officials have stepped up efforts to separate extremists from the regular detainee population so they can rehabilitate and release those that aren't deemed to be a security risk. In the past 10 months, the U.S. military has released 8,000 prisoners and there's been a recidivism rate of less than one percent. The Wall Street Journal leads its world-wide newsbox with Senate leaders announcing that they've reached a deal on legislation to help struggling homeowners. The plan would allow the government to commit up to $300 billion to insure refinanced loans as well as overhaul the oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which was a Republican priority. Hurdles remain, but there are signs the president won't veto the bill, particularly since taxpayers won't have to foot the bill. The New York Times leads with, and the Los Angeles Times devotes its top non-local spot to, a look at how Sen. Barack Obama will almost certainly win the majority of pledged delegates after today's primaries in Oregon and Kentucky. Obama will hold an election-night rally in Iowa tonight, but his campaign is being careful not to claim that the senator from Illinois has won the nomination, lest it be seen as if he's trying to push Clinton out of the contest. The Washington Post leads with the latest back-and-forth between Obama and Sen. John McCain about the presence of lobbyists in each of their campaigns, which underscores how they are both "essentially competing to be known as the anti-lobbyist candidate." 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 Business & Tech The Most Shameless Cereal Ad Ever, and Other Clio Winners News & Politics Why Do Trains Derail, Anyway? Arts & Life What Teach for America Can Teach America	Advertisement
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