Today's Papers: Obama's Team Gets To Work

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 Obama's Team Gets To Work By Daniel Politi Posted Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008, at 6:24 AM ET The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal's world-wide newsbox lead with President-elect Barack Obama making it clear that he plans to be ready to tackle the nation's economic woes from his first day in office. At a news conference, Obama instructed his economic team to come up with the details of a new stimulus package that is large enough to "jolt the economy back into shape." Obama noted that he wants to create 2.5 million jobs and spend big on infrastructure as well as clean energy projects. The incoming and outgoing president both took pains to emphasize that they'll be working together in the coming weeks. "It's important for the American people to know that there is close cooperation," President Bush said. The NYT says the Fed and Treasury will be announcing a new plan today that aims to get the loan markets moving again. The Washington Post leads with an inside look at the Citigroup bailout that highlights how the three men who got the deal moving "have for years followed one another in and out of jobs." The paper points out that Timothy Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, was deeply involved in formulating the rescue package but he took a step back from dealing with Citigroup's leaders after it became clear that he would be Obama's nominee to head the Treasury Department. As part of the package, Citigroup would be forbidden from paying dividends of more than a penny a share to common shareholders for the next three years, while the government's preferred stock would get a dividend payment of 8 percent. 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 The Worst Ways To Spend Your Government Bailout Billions Don't Be Afraid of Skype. It's Really Easy and Very Cheap. How Come There Is Never a Turkey Shortage on Thanksgiving?	Advertisement
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