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Barack
Obama
from Obama website
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Barack Hussein Obama born August 4,
1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a leading
candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 U.S. presidential
election.
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Junior Senator from
Illinois Incumbent Assumed office January 2, 2005
Serving with Richard Durbin Preceded by Peter Fitzgerald
Member of the Illinois State Senate from the 13th
district In office 1997 ? 2004 Succeeded by Kwame Raoul
Born August 4, 1961 (1961-08-04) (age 46) Honolulu,
Hawaii, U.S. Nationality American Political party
Democratic Spouse Michelle Obama (1992?present) Alma
mater Columbia University, Harvard Law School Religion
Christian (United Church of Christ) Signature
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from Obama website |
Born to a black Kenyan father and
a white American mother, he lived most of his childhood in Honolulu,
Hawaii. From ages six to ten, he lived in Jakarta with his mother and
Indonesian stepfather.
A graduate of Columbia University
and Harvard Law School, Obama worked as a community organizer,
university lecturer, and civil rights lawyer before running for public
office and serving in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. After an
unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in
2000, he announced his campaign for U.S. Senate in 2003. The following
year, while still an Illinois state legislator, Obama delivered the
keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
He was elected to the U.S. Senate
in November 2004 with 70% of the vote. As a member of the Democratic
minority in the 109th Congress, he co-sponsored bipartisan legislation
for controlling conventional weapons and for promoting greater public
accountability in the use of federal funds. He also made official trips
to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In the current 110th
Congress, he has sponsored legislation on lobbying and electoral fraud,
climate change, nuclear terrorism, and care for returned U.S. military
personnel.
Since announcing his presidential
campaign in February 2007, Obama has emphasized ending the Iraq War,
increasing energy independence, and providing universal health care as
major priorities.
He married in 1992 and has two
daughters. He has written two bestselling books: a memoir of his youth
titled Dreams from My Father, and The Audacity of Hope, a personal
commentary on U.S. politics
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