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 Exit Stage Left By Lydia DePillis Posted Sunday, June 8, 2008, at 5:21 AM ET The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post all lead with Sen. Hillary Clinton's concession and solid endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama's candidacy for president. In what the NYT calls a "dramatic" and even "theatrical" 28-minute speech yesterday in Washington, she both painted her campaign into the arc of feminist history and exhorted her supporters to throw their weight behind the presumptive nominee, transitioning the campaign into full-on general election mode. Widely hailed as a graceful exit from an increasingly ungraceful campaign--the Post's Dana Milbank pronounced that "the last speech of her campaign was also her best"--Clinton's concession may also mark the high point of "what went wrong" analysis. In a long retrospective that reads more like an obituary, the NYT tells the story of her fall with a few choice quotes from major players. "In the last three months, she just relaxed and let it rip," said Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania. "She became almost a Hubert Humphrey, a happy warrior, and people responded to it." Back in the op-ed pages, the paper also features 12 experts on the subject, from Mark Penn (we ran out of money!) to Christine Todd Whitman (it's because she was a woman!) to Bob Kerrey (she should have run in Illinois!). The LAT reminds us, however, that this isn't the last time we'll be hearing from Hillary: while Clinton suspended her campaign, she did not formally terminate her candidacy, allowing her to keep fundraising to pay off debts and keep her delegates, which should ensure her a prominent spot in Denver. 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 Business & Tech Which Stocks Will Go Up If Obama Wins? No One Knows. Arts & Life The Sad Fate of Lindsay Lohan's Little Sister News & Politics Lift the Gag Order on Frank Rich	Advertisement
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" Speaking in November 2006 to members of Wake Up Wal-Mart, a union-backed campaign group, Obama said: "You gotta pay your workers enough that they can actually not only shop at Wal-Mart, but ultimately send their kids to college and save for retirement. He is among the Democratic Party's leading candidates for nomination in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

Obama was sworn in as a Senator on January 4, 2005. However, Hull's popularity declined following allegations of domestic abuse. However, Hull's popularity declined following allegations of domestic abuse. It was an immediate bestseller and remains on the New York Times Best Seller List. " The book describes his struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage. Its enthusiastic reception at the convention and widespread coverage by national media gave him instant celebrity status. Obama has divested US$180,000 in personal holdings of Sudan-related stock, and he has urged divestment from companies doing business in Iran. Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. (born in Nyanza Province, Kenya) and Ann Dunham (born in Wichita, Kansas). On the role of government in economic affairs, Obama has written: "we should be asking ourselves what mix of policies will lead to a dynamic free market and widespread economic security, entrepreneurial innovation and upward mobility Z...Z we should be guided by what works. Obama traveled to Russia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan in August 2005 with Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN), then Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

" Reviewing Obama's career in the Illinois Senate, a February 2007 article in the Washington Post noted his work with both Democrats and Republicans in drafting bipartisan legislation on ethics and health care reform.

I've got an ironclad demand from my wife that in the stresses of the campaign I don't succumb. Also during the first month of the 110th Congress, Obama introduced the "Iraq War De-Escalation Act," a bill that caps troop levels in Iraq at January 10, 2007 levels, begins phased redeployment on May 1, 2007, and removes all combat brigades from Iraq by March 31, 2008. In September 2006, he was the featured speaker at Iowa Senator Tom Harkin's annual steak fry, an event traditionally attended by presidential hopefuls in the lead-up to the Iowa caucus. Ehrenstein says these films are popular because they offer U.S. audiences a comfort for "white guilt. I've been chewing Nicorette strenuously. In 1985, Obama moved to Chicago to direct a non-profit project assisting local churches to organize job training programs. Obama received over 52% of the vote in the March 2004 primary, emerging 29% ahead of his nearest Democratic rival. Describing his working life in Illinois, and symbolically linking his presidential campaign to Abraham Lincoln's 1858 House Divided speech, Obama said: "That is why, in the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a house divided to stand together, where common hopes and common dreams still live, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for President of the United States of America.