16 March 08 - 20:59Story "Obama took two years of Koran Classes"
I incorrectly linked that Obama's sister stated this but it is the reporter that did.Obama story
The Man Behind the Hype: Who Is Barack Obama?
The Illinois Senator Is Preparing To Announce His Presidential Bid, But How Much Do You Know About Him?
SLIDESHOW: The Rise Of Barack Obama
Get breaking news alerts
by Mike Flannery
CHICAGO (CBS) ― Before he has even one full term under his belt, Sen. Barack Obama has become one of the most famous members of the U.S. Senate. And on Saturday, at the age of 45, he's prepared to announce he's running for the highest office in the land.
CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports on the man behind the hype.
Having been born in Hawaii to a mother raised in Kansas and a father from East Africa, Obama has long addressed different audiences in different ways.
After the divorce of his parents, Obama's mother married a Muslim from Indonesia. They moved to Jakarta and for two years he attended a school with mandatory classes in the Koran. His younger sister, Maya Soetoro Ng, says he was a strong male presence in her life and that it was a happy time.
"Barack still speaks Indonesian, has a fondness for the country," Ng said in 2005.
His older sister, Auma Obama, shares the father Barack saw only once after his parents split. CBS 2 met her in Kenya last summer when he visited Africa.
"He's just my baby brother," Auma Obama said. "He hasn't changed much. He's still skinny and still has a passion for working with people."
Auma did not meet Obama until he was in his 20s, around the same time he received his personal call to religious faith.
"Every time I come to church it lifts me up," Obama said.
More than 20 years ago, he joined the Trinity United Church of Christ, an activist, liberal congregation with many politically connected members. Obama had come to Chicago to work as a community organizer.
"He cared about people in this state. He's a person of principle and that can be dangerous in politics," said Jeremiah Wright.
Obama was there on a recent Sunday morning with his wife and two daughters.
Most are unaware he's a smoker. But now he's vowing to quit cigarettes, a habit he's had since at least college.
Despite the smoking, Obama works hard to stay in swimsuit shape. At Punahou High School in Hawaii he played on the 1979 state championship team. Friends say Obama still plays a tough game of basketball.
"I think Barack is really a slasher," said John Rogers. "Extraordinarily competitive and tough on the basketball court."
Obama's wife, Michelle, is a hospital executive. She has told close friends she will not abandon her career as a hospital executive and, for now, will continue to raise their daughters here in Chicago.
Obama portrays their marriage as a profoundly intimate partnership.
.
"Michelle exemplifies a strong woman, and a partner with her husband, a lawyer, an executive in health care," he said.
"When he came to talk to me about running, I said, 'Your presence here tells me you've already talked to Michelle,'" Wright said. "He just smiled. He said 'We've talked. Michelle and I have talked.'"
His supporters are confident he is up to the rigors and scrutiny of a presidential run.
CBS 2 will have more on Obama Friday night from Springfield, where he plans to launch his presidential campaign late Saturday morning.
His staff expects CBS's "60 Minutes" to showcase Obama this Sunday, and a series of interviews they have done with him this week. one comment
I just realized that his sister didnt state that the article does. Will correct
Bill A () - 16 03 08 - 21:21
You will need to enable javascript to generate a trackback link
