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 Israel Goes Deep Posted Monday, Jan. 12, 2009, at 6:28 AM ET The New York Times, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal's world-wide newsbox lead with news that Israeli soldiers pushed into heavily populated areas of Gaza City Sunday morning. After some heavy fighting with Hamas militants, the Israeli troops pulled back. Everyone says this could have been a trial run for a stronger push into Gaza's urban areas, or it could just be a tactic to apply pressure on Hamas to accept a cease-fire agreement. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that while "Israel is getting close to achieving the goals it set" in Gaza, "patience, determination, and effort are still needed." The Los Angeles Times leads with a look at how President-elect Barack Obama's "first real workweek in Washington" was characterized by several missteps as he came under criticism from members of his own party for failing to keep them in the loop. The clashes came as a bit of a surprise considering that many thought that the first president elected directly from Congress since John F. Kennedy would have been a master at dealing with lawmakers. USA Today leads with word that for the first time American airline carriers have gone two consecutive years without a single passenger death in a crash. Experts say it's a testament to how flying has become safer over the past several years. One professor estimates that it's more likely that a child will be elected president during his or her lifetime than to die on an airline flight in the United States or another industrialized nation. 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 Sorry, Doc. The Recession's Going To Hurt You, Too. Can You Believe the Wackos Who Are Running for RNC Chairman? Slate's Greatest Illustrations of 2008 | Advertisement  |
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