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.



Now playing: *Slate V, a video-only site from the world's leading online magazine. Visit Slate V* at www.slatev.com.
today's papers Almost There By Barron YoungSmith Posted Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008, at 6:40 AM ET The New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times all lead with a final cross-country push by Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., before election night. Both candidates have returned to their "core arguments," according to the WP: John McCain implied that Barack Obama doesn't have faith in America, while Barack Obama said John McCain is the same as George Bush. (Obama made his case by citing an ill-timed McCain endorsement from Vice President Cheney. Shoot your candidate in the face much?) To continue reading, click here. Barron YoungSmith is a reporter-researcher at The New Republic. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE \| READ MESSAGES Also In Slate AIG Spent $2.85 Billion on What? Sunday Night Football Extra Is the Future of Television The Peanuts Holiday Specials Make Feeling Bad Feel So Good	Advertisement
Ideas on how to make something better? Send an e-mail to newsletters@slate.com. Manage your newsletters on Slate Unsubscribe \| Newsletter Center \| Advertising Information Please do not reply to this message since this is an unmonitored e-mail address. If you have questions about newsletters, please go here. Copyright 2008 Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC \| Privacy Policy Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive \| c/o E-mail Customer Care \|1515 N. Courthouse Rd. \| Arlington, VA 22201