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 Mad Money By Daniel Politi Posted Monday, Oct. 20, 2008, at 6:20 AM ET The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal's world-wide newsbox lead with twin pieces of good news for Barack Obama's campaign that could go a long way to help the Democratic candidate seal the deal with undecided voters in the final sprint to Election Day. On the same day when former Secretary of State Colin Powell became the highest-profile Republican to endorse Obama, the Democrat's campaign announced that it had raised more than $150 million in September. The staggering sum more than doubled the $66 million Obama collected in August, which, at the time, marked a record for monthly fundraising. USA Today fronts the Powell endorsement but leads with a look at how airlines will be offering 11 percent fewer flights this Thanksgiving season compared with last year. This means passengers during the busy season can expect higher fares, packed airplanes, and fewer choices to recover from delays and missed connections. 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 Slate Fare Introducing Slate's Redesign Business & Tech The 18 Pieces of Software You Need on Your Computer News & Politics California Can Have Obama or Gay Marriage, but Not Both	Advertisement
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