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 Man in the Middle By Daniel Politi Posted Wednesday, July 23, 2008, at 6:28 AM ET The Washington Post leads with Barack Obama defending his plan to withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq, despite Gen. David Petraeus' opposition to setting any sort of timetable. Now that the Afghanistan and Iraq leg of his trip is behind him, Obama will shift focus and meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders today. The Wall Street Journal leads its world-wide newsbox with Obama saying that he would work to bring Israelis and Palestinians together from "the minute I step into office." USA Today leads with a look at how more money is being spent on veterans "than at any time in modern history." The federal government spent $82 billion on veterans last year, partly due to the increased costs of caring for aging Vietnam veterans but also as a result of the costs associated with treating injured troops that are coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan. And the number will keep on increasing as expenditures are likely to hit $91 billion this fiscal year. In 1947, when the government spent $80 billion (adjusted for inflation) on veterans, health care amounted to 12 percent of the budget, now it's 44 percent. The New York Times leads with a look at how mortgage rates are on the rise as worries continue to mount about the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That means homeowners, particularly those with mortgages that require borrowers to only pay the interest for the first few years, could see a sharp increase in their monthly bills. But the paper also notes that "mortgage rates remain relatively low by historical standards" and, in fact, mortgage rates had already approached current levels earlier this year. But the latest increase "adds urgency to the government's efforts to restore confidence" in the mortgage giants. The Los Angeles Times leads with new data that shows a record number of Californians lost their homes to foreclosure in the past three months. Across the state, foreclosures increased 33.5 percent compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, the number of defaults in the state increased a mere 6.6 percent, but no one knows whether that means a peak has been reached or if it simply marks a temporary lull. 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 Health & Science How Doctors Know It's Really Autism Arts & Life Hollywood's Insidious Plot To Teach Your Kid To Read Health & Science Is Soy Milk Better for the Planet Than Cow Milk?	Advertisement
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