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 Senate: Drop Dead, Big Three Posted Friday, Dec. 12, 2008, at 6:18 AM ET The Senate didn't reach a deal. After some brief bouts of optimism throughout the day, senators failed to reach a compromise on a $14 billion rescue package for Chrysler and General Motors last night. "It's over with," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said, suggesting that lawmakers won't take up the issue again until January. GM and Chrysler have both said they might not be able to survive past this month without help. "There is always a chance Congress will act sooner if one of the companies totters on the brink," notes the Wall Street Journal, "although that possibility appears remote." The Washington Post specifies that it's not clear "whether GM, in particular, could survive until January" when Democrats will have a larger majority in the Senate. USA Today points out that GM and Chrysler could save money "by shutting down operations between now and Jan. 20," but it would be a risky gamble that could end up devastating suppliers. The New York Times characterizes the failure to get Senate Republicans to agree on a rescue for Detroit as "bruising defeat for President Bush in the waning weeks of his term, and also for President-elect Barack Obama," who had urged lawmakers to act quickly. The Los Angeles Times notes that Bush personally lobbied reluctant Republicans after Vice President Cheney failed to change their minds at a meeting on Wednesday where he told them that "If we don't do this, we will be known as the party of Herbert Hoover forever." Last night, Reid warned that financial markets would feel the effects of their inaction. "I dread looking at Wall Street tomorrow," he said. "It's not going to be a pleasant sight." Indeed, Asian markets tumbled today and European markets were also in negative territory this morning. 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 Reader": Naked Nazi Hotties Shouldn't Be This Boring How To Visualize $5.596 Trillion in Bailout Funds Why Does the Blago Complaint Not Use Anyone's Real Name? | Advertisement  |
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