Barack Obama
Barack Obama
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 Almost Fired Posted Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, at 6:37 AM ET The Washington Post leads with word that the two top intelligence officers in the country expect that President-elect Barack Obama won't keep them around for very long, even though they appear eager to stay in their current jobs. There seems to be a consensus building among Democratic leaders that Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and CIA Director Michael Hayden should be let go, mostly because of their support for harsh interrogation techniques and warrantless eavesdropping. The Los Angeles Times leads with the latest effort to put a break on home foreclosures that could help several hundred thousand homeowners who have mortgages that are owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. It will do little for the vast majority of troubled borrowers who are at risk of foreclosure but there are hopes that lenders will use it as a guide to deal with the rising number of delinquent borrowers. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal's world-wide newsbox lead with Democratic leaders in Congress making it clear that they intend to pass legislation to help Detroit's Big Three during the lame-duck session that starts next week. The move sets "the stage for one last showdown with President Bush," notes the NYT. Democrats insist automakers should be allowed to tap into the $700 billion bailout package, but Bush administration officials have said the money would be best spent on financial institutions. USA Today leads with two analyses that show those on Medicare prescription drugs plans will pay an average of 43 percent more in monthly premiums next year than they did in 2006, when the program began. While the Medicare drug program is costing the government less than was originally estimated, seniors are seeing the cost of premiums and drug co-payments increase each year. 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 Why Is Barack Obama Still Asking Me for Money? When New York Times Headlines Read Like Zen Koans They Turned Trivial Pursuit into a Game Show. Roll Again. | Advertisement  |
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