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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Politics News & Analysis Tuesday, July 29, 2008

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Campaign 2008

Kaine in 'Serious' Talks With Obama (By Michael D. Shear and Shailagh Murray)

Barbs Traded on Va. Voter Drives (By Tim Craig)

VIDEO: Bush Hails Pakistan as Strong Ally

The Trail

• Obama Backs Larry Craig? Change We Can't Believe In!
• Mrs. Obama and the Women
• McCain Outlines Vice Presidential Selection Philosophy

The Fix by Chris Cillizza

• The Case for Rob Portman
• McCain and the "Mole-Like" Skin
• Veepstakes: Divining Obama's Thinking

Capitol Briefing by Ben Pershing

• The Week Ahead: Top Hill Aides Weigh In
• One Last Reminder on Convention Parties
• The Week Ahead: Sprint to Summer Break

The Sleuth by Mary Ann Akers

• Obama Backs Larry Craig? Change We Can't Believe In!
• Cantor for Veep Movement Gaining Steam
• A Media Ambush in Rep. Wexler vs. Bill O'Reilly

More Headlines

Internal Justice Dept. Report Cites Illegal Hiring Practices (By Carrie Johnson)

Lawmakers Agree to Ban Toxins in Children's Items (By Lyndsey Layton)

Sen. Reid Thwarted On Bundle Of Bills: GOP Sides With Coburn on Spending (By Paul Kane)

Record $482 Billion '09 Deficit Forecast: Next President's Options May Be Limited (By Jonathan Weisman)

Bush Approves Execution Of Soldier for Murders (By Dan Eggen)

Opinions

Obama the Unknown (Richard Cohen)

The Hour of Europe (Anne Applebaum)

A Torture Paper Trail (Eugene Robinson)

Another Blow To Justice (Jamie Gorelick)

Live Discussion

Post Politics Hour: 11 a.m., ET (Paul Kane)

Election 2008: Noon, ET (Leah D. Daughtry) Book World: 3 p.m., ET (Kenneth M. Pollack)

Best of the Web >

Today's top political news and commentary:

On Barack Obama's Message (Jay Cost, RealClearPolitics)

How Boxing Explains John McCain (Michael Crowley, The New Republic)

Obamanomics Is a Recipe for Recession (Michael Boskin, Wall St. Journal)

Harsher Tone is Risky for McCain (Reid Wilson, RealClearPolitics)

Congress Lays Ground for 2009 (Jay Newton-Small, Time)

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We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the Red States. Through three televised debates, Obama and Keyes expressed opposing views on stem cell research, abortion, gun control, school vouchers, and tax cuts. In Dreams from My Father, he ties his maternal family history to possible Native American ancestors and distant relatives of Jefferson Davis, president of the southern Confederacy during the American Civil War.

They were married in 1992 and have two daughters, Malia, born in 1999, and Natasha ("Sasha"), born in 2001.

President Bush signed the Secure Fence Act into law in October 2006, calling it "an important step toward immigration reform. In 1985, Obama moved to Chicago to direct a non-profit project assisting local churches to organize job training programs. Obama spoke out in June 2006 against making recent, temporary estate tax cuts permanent, calling the cuts a "Paris Hilton" tax break for "billionaire heirs and heiresses.

ABC News 7 (Chicago) reported Obama telling the students that "the U.S. will never recognize winning Hamas candidates unless the group renounces its fundamental mission to eliminate Israel," and that he had conveyed the same message in his meeting with Palestinian authority President Mahmoud Abbas.