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 Roadblocks to Peace By Arthur Delaney Posted Friday, Jan. 9, 2009, at 4:45 AM ET The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times lead today with international aid groups' mounting complaints of a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza due to the Israeli siege. The Washington Post leads with Treasury Secretary nominee Tim Geithner's plans to overhaul the $700 billion financial industry bailout, which, according to anonymous sources, Geithner will broaden to include municipalities, small businesses, and homeowners. USAToday goes with President-elect Barack Obama's speech yesterday, in which he urged swift congressional action on his forthcoming economic stimulus plan. The Wall Street Journal tops its world-wide newsbox with Obama's remarks. The LAT says Israeli gunfire in Gaza killed two United Nations relief workers and wounded one; the NYT has one dead and two wounded. The U.N. declared a suspension of aid operations after the killing. The U.S. abstained from a 14-0 Security Council vote that demanded an immediate ceasefire and called for the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. The Times reports that Israel condemned a statement from a high-ranking Vatican official, who likened the situation in Gaza to a concentration camp. To continue reading, click here. Arthur Delaney is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE \| READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Lithwick: It's Time To Retire the Solicitor General's Morning Coat *Slate*'s Movie Club Crawls Into Kate Winslet's Uterus How Do You Shut Off Natural Gas to an Entire Nation?	Advertisement
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