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 Dreams of a Nuclear-Free World Posted Monday, April 6, 2009, at 6:48 AM ET The papers lead with the repercussions of North Korea's missile test as diplomats spent the day trying to figure out how the world should respond. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama seized the moment and vowed that his government would pursue an ambitious effort to reduce the number of nuclear weapons around the world, while also recognizing that countries have a right to pursue nuclear power for peaceful purposes. In Prague, Obama condemned the launch as "provocative" and said it illustrated "the need for action, not just this afternoon at the U.N. Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons." Many fear that in launching the three-stage rocket, North Korea was testing its ability to deliver nuclear weapons. In a piece that gives high marks to Obama's first trans-Atlantic trip, USA Today points out that while it was "designed to promote peace and prosperity," the president got a stark reminder "not only of the complexities of foreign policy, but also of how his plans can be complicated by those seeking to test his young administration." Obama arrived in Turkey last night, and the Washington Post notes that North Korea's missile launch "threatened to overshadow Obama's first visit to a Muslim country as president." 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 Blake Bailey on the Mind-Blowing Experience of Reading Cheever's Journals Oh, No. Now the Repo Man Can Track You Via Satellite. How Can Friday Night Lights Go for Two More Seasons? Everyone's Graduating! | Advertisement  |
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