44th US PRESIDENT

Personal Data:

Birth - August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii
Education - B.A. in international relations, 1983, Columbia University. J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he was Editor of the Harvard Law Review
Family - Married on October 18, 1992 to Michelle Robinson, a Chicago native, also a Harvard Law School graduate. Two young daughters, Malia and Sasha.
Faith - Christian, United Church of Christ Shen the Senate is in session, Obama returns to their Chicago home from D.C. every weekend. Obama is a Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bears fan, and an avid basketball player.

Growing Up Barack Obama:

Born Barrack Hussein Obama, Jr, son of a Kenya-born Harvard-educated economist and Ann Dunham, a caucasian anthropologist, was 2 years old when his father left them. His father (deceased in 1982) returned to Kenya, and only saw his son once more. His mother remarried, and moved Barack to Indonesia. He returned to Hawaii at age 10 to live with his maternal grandparents. He graduated from the respected Punahou School with honors. As a teenager, he scooped ice cream at Baskins-Robbins, and has admitted to dabbling in marijuana and cocaine. His mother died of cancer in 1995.

United States Senate:

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) was elected to the U.S. Senate on November 2, 2004, after serving 7 years as an Illinois state senator.

On June 3, 2008, Sen. Obama officially became the presumptive Democratic nominee for the presidency, 16 months after announcing his candidacy. He's the author of two best-selling books.
In 2005, Time dubbed him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was lauded by millions of Africans during his 2006 tour of their continent.

Recent Notability:

On February 10, 2007, Barack Obama declared his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic nomination for the presidency. Obama first rose to national prominence when he delivered an inspiring keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

On June 3, 2008, Obama accumulated enough Democratic convention delegates votes to become the presumptive party nominee for the presidential race.

In 2004, Sen. Obama signed a $1.9 million deal to author 3 books. The first, "The Audacity of Hope,", discusses his political convictions. The second book will be co-written with his wife. His 1995 autobiography was a bestseller.

The Obama Persona:

Barack Obama is a thoughtful, independent-minded leader with an even-keel temperament and charismatic speaking skills. He's also a talented, introspective writer. His values and goals are strongly shaped by his expertise as a Constitutional law professor and civil rights attorney, and by Christianity. While private by nature, Obama mingles easily with others, but is most comfortable addressing large crowds. Unlike most politicos, Obama is known for being unafraid to speak hard truths when necessary. Although armed with shrewd sensibilities, he's sometimes slow to recognize viable threats to his agenda.

Senate Committees in the 110th Congress:
Committee on Foreign Relations
Subcommittee on African Affairs
Subcommittee on International Economic Policy
Subcommittee on Asians and Pacific Affairs
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs

Major Areas of Interest:

Sen. Obama's areas of special legislative interest have been in support for working families, ethical reforms for government, public education, health care, economic growth/jobs, and ending the Iraq War. As an Illinois state senator, he worked passionately for ethics reforms and criminal justice reform. In 2002, Obama publicly opposed the Bush Administration's push for the Iraq War, but supported war in Afghanistan.

Practical, Progressive Thinking on the Issues:

In 2002, Barack Obama publicly opposed the Iraq War, and continues to call for withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. He urges universal health care, and if elected president, promises implementation by the end of his first term. Barack Obama's voting record and stances as US Senator and Illinois State Senator reflect a "practical, common sense progressive" thinker who emphasizes increased support for teachers, college affordability, and restoration of meaningful federal support of veterans. Obama opposes privatization of Social Security.

Prior Experience:

Barack Obama served 7 years as an Illinois State Senator, resigning to assume U.S. Senate responsibilities. He also worked as a community organizer and a civil rights attorney. The Senator is a Senior Lecturer in Constitutional Law at University of Chicago Law School.
After law school, he aggressively organized one of the largest voter registration drives in Chicago history to help Bill Clinton's 1992 election.

source :BBC Network