These are statements of fact, not politics.
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Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. (born August 4, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination in the 2008 U.S. presidential election. He married in 1992 and has two daughters. Obama has written two books: a memoir of his youth titled Dreams from My Father, and a personal commentary on U.S. politics titled The Audacity of Hope.
Born to a Kenyan father and a white American mother, he spent most of his childhood and adolescent years in Honolulu, Hawaii. At age six, he moved to Jakarta, where he lived with his mother and Indonesian stepfather for four years. A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, Obama worked as a community organizer, university lecturer, and lawyer before serving in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004.
Following an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, he announced his campaign for U.S. Senate in January 2003. After winning a landslide primary victory in March 2004 to become the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Obama delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004. 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 cosponsored legislation to control conventional weapons and to
promote 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 regarding 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 war in Iraq, increasing energy independence, and
providing universal health care as top national priorities.
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Junior Senator from Illinois, Incumbent . |
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| Born | August 4, 1961 1961-08-04) Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Spouse | Michelle Obama (m. 1992) |
| Children | Malia Ann (b. 1998), Natasha ("Sasha") (b. 2001) |
| Residence | (Kenwood), Chicago, Illinois |
| Alma mater | Occidental College, Columbia University, Harvard Law School |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Religion | Christian, (United Church of Christ) |