BARACK OBAMA - AMERICA'S NEW HOPE

Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on August 4, 1961 to a Kenyan father and a mother from Kansas. As a boy he was raised in Hawaii and Jakarta. He attended Occidental College and Columbia University, where he earned a BA in political science. He received a law degree from Harvard in 1991 and moved to Chicago to become an attorney. In 1992 Obama married Michelle Robinson. The couple has two daughters. He is a member of the United Church of Christ.

As a lawyer Obama handled cases dealing with discrimination and voting rights, among others. In 1996 he was elected to Illinois’ state legislature. In 2000 he unsuccessfully made a bid for the Democratic primary for the US Congress. In 2004 he was elected to the US Senate. That same year, while still sitting on Illinois’ state legislature, Obama wowed the Democratic Party at its national convention as he delivered the keynote address.

As a United States Senator, Obama served on the Committee on Foreign Relations, Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and others. He lent his name to the Coburn-Obama Transparency Act which, through a website, lists organizations receiving federal funds. Senate diplomacy saw Obama visiting Russia, East Africa, and the Middle East. He has called for election finance reform, reduction of greenhouse gases, and the capping of troop levels in Iraq. Obama is pro-choice, pro-gun control, and pro-death penalty, though he feels death penalty cases need to be more carefully considered.

With a background of cultural diversity, an honorable record of public service, and a fresh, new optimism for the future, Obama may just be what America needs in 2008.