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 Waiting For Tonight By Daniel Politi Posted Tuesday, June 3, 2008, at 6:23 AM ET The Washington Post leads with, and almost everyone else fronts, a look at how Sen. Barack Obama is working toward being able to claim victory after the last two primaries today while Sen. Hillary Clinton is deciding what to do next. Obama's campaign is trying to get undecided superdelegates to his side as soon as the polls close tomorrow but it's unclear whether he'll officially be able to claim the nomination tonight. The Wall Street Journal leads its world-wide newsbox with word that Obama aides have begun the "awkward" process of wooing several of Clinton's most important donors and advisers. USA Today leads with news that Sen. Edward Kennedy is now recovering from what his surgeon called a successful operation to remove a malignant brain tumor. The 76-year-old senator now faces an even tougher challenge as he prepares to undergo follow-up radiation and chemotherapy that could prolong survival. Although Kennedy's prognosis remains grim, experts say he will likely benefit from groundbreaking research that is finding new ways of increasing the survival of patients with brain cancer. The New York Times leads with a dispatch from Venezuela that reports on President Hugo Chavez's moves to overhaul the country's intelligence agencies. Human rights groups and legal scholars say Chavez is trying to create a Cuba-style nation of informers because people, including judges and prosecutors, are now required to cooperate with Venezuela's two new intelligence agencies. The Los Angeles Times leads with the "war" that is currently being fought in Mexico between government forces and drug gangs. Since the crackdown against drug traffickers was launched a year and a half ago, approximately 4,100 people have been killed, including gang members, civilians, and members of the country's security forces. While officials insists the increased violence is a sign that the drug gangs have been hurt by the crackdown, a majority of Mexicans don't think the government is winning, and political analysts say the crackdown merely moves violence into different areas of the country while doing little to disband the gangs. 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 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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