The Telegraph (via Drudge) reports that Italian Vanity Fair has located one of Barack Obama's several half-brothers, George, in a hut on the outskirts of Nairobi:Embarrassed by his penury, he said that he does not does not mention his famous half-brother in conversation.
"If anyone says something about my surname, I say we are not related. I am ashamed," he said.
They've only met on two occasions in their whole lives. This story definitely makes us want to read Obama's book about his father, a man who had one son who is running for president of the United States and another living off of one dollar a month in an African shack.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 6)
1. This article says volumes about the character and background about our less than estimed democratic party to-be-nominee.
ajalfaro at 10:19PM on Aug 20th 2008
2. Just am FYI that you should read your bible before making comments or writing articles such as this one. If Obama and this guy have the same father, they are NOT half brothers. This only occurs when siblings have different fathers and are from the same mother.
Brianna at 10:46PM on Aug 20th 2008
3. I think that word should be "esteemed" and I'm not sure exactly what to think of this. OK, so one of Barrack Obama's half-brothers lives in a shack on $1 a day. I guess the implication here is that Obama should be helping him out. But, maybe he doesn't want help. Interesting story, but what does it really mean? Who knows? I sure don't.
Dave at 10:48PM on Aug 20th 2008
4. I appreciate your interest in knowing more about Obama, but wonder why you cannot see the hypocrisy this story presents. Less than one week ago, Obama cited the failure to take care of those living in poverty as this country's greatest moral failure ... yet he turns his back on a family member who lives on $12 per year and is ashamed of his standard of living. This more than anything shows Obama's lack of character and moral fiber. He is perhaps the best example of the moral failure he projects (wrongly) on our country. I reject his projection and urge others to do the same.
Astonished at 8:57AM on Aug 21st 2008
5. I don't know about the rest of you, BUT if I had a half brother OR sister with the money Obama has collected in the last year, I think the least he/she could do would be help me out some. As has been said many times before, Barack Hussein Obama care for no one except HIMSELF. He seems to think there is no other person on earth as good and as smart as him. The arrogance he has cannot be topped by ANYONE.
Maggie Denson at 11:02PM on Aug 20th 2008
6. Brianna ????
Post 2 astounds me.
They are not half brothers because they share a father but not a mother?
In what part of the bible does one find this non-sense?
Half siblings commonly means they share one PARENT...mother or father, makes no difference.
As to the story; I would need to do some follow up investigation to determine if it is true before I would comment!
mac at 11:10PM on Aug 20th 2008
7. Brianna, FYI if a child has one parent (mother OR father) in common they are half siblings. Learn your facts.
jules at 12:15AM on Aug 21st 2008
8. "He has eight half-siblings -- seven of them living -- by four other marriages or relationships of his parents."
"His father, Barack Obama Sr., had four children by a woman he married in Kenya before his 1960 marriage to Obama's mother in Hawaii. Two of those children -- son Abongo (Roy} and daughter Auma -- were born before Barack Obama Jr."
"After Obama Sr. divorced Obama's mother in 1963, he married another American woman he brought to Kenya and had two more sons -- Mark and David, who was killed in a motorcycle accident. That marriage ended in divorce, after Obama Sr. resumed his relationship with his first wife."
"The elder Obama had two other sons -- Abo and Bernard -- by his first wife, though Obama wrote in his memoirs that there is some question whether another man actually fathered Bernard."
"Obama Sr. later had another son, George, by a woman he was involved with but apparently did not marry."
"As for Obama's mother, the former Stanley Ann Dunham, she had a daughter, Maya Soetoro-Ng, from a second marriage to Lolo Soetoro."
So let me get this straight. He's supposed to take care of all of them. And most of them he doesn't even know.
You all are ridiculous. If the story were reversed, and it turned out that he took care of everyone from Kenya and let's say all of them were Muslim, you'd make a big stink out of it.
And I just love how they say that Obama get's a free pass from the media. It's the biggest joke I've heard.
Botts at 12:09AM on Aug 21st 2008
9.
Don't forget to mention in your biography of Obama's African family that his father was an alcoholic who died in a car accident in Kenya while drunk driving.
ObamaChangeYourDrawers at 12:48AM on Aug 21st 2008
10. Who cares about how or where he lives?
All Americans care about is one thing...
IS HE A MUSLIM???
HUSSEIN at 12:57AM on Aug 21st 2008
11. I agree with the comments that he talks a good talk, but doesn't walk the walk. As far as taking care of his half-siblings, my husband and I sponsor a Kenyan child through a Christian-based organization, it costs $35 a month and we don't even know this child. we were moved by compassion to help out. B.O. lives in a million dollar home, but can't send his half-siblings a few hundred dollars a year. A little bit of money goes a long way in impoverished countries. Just one more reason to question his integrity.
Kelly
kelly at 1:44AM on Aug 21st 2008
12. "IS HE A MUSLIM???"
WHY????
He isn't a Muslim, but why does it matter to you? Do you have a problem with people of other faiths?
He's said that he isn't a Muslim. Take it or leave it. You can either listen to blatant bullshit that the Republicans are feeding their uneducated, bigoted, Institutionalized brianwashed Christians or you can actually try to find out the truth.
And the truth is that he isn't a Muslim.
And by the way, anytime you use his middle name when he doesn't go by it, this makes you a racist, bigoted asshole.
Botts at 1:19AM on Aug 21st 2008
13. Botts wrote: So let me get this straight. He's supposed to take care of all of them. And most of them he doesn't even know.
Could we also bring into discussion Sen. Obama's Global Poverty Act? So why should Americans be taxed to pay for people around the world that they do not know? I get it. Sen. Obama will now have the American people help support his relatives since we should take care of everyone! I always learned, charity first begins at home. Maybe Sen. Obama should practice such, before he asks of others.
Genevieve at 2:02AM on Aug 21st 2008
14. The are indeed half-brothers. Anyone who shares a parent is a half-sibling. And I agree that it says much about the Democratic candidate and nominee presumptive and his extremely hinky origins, and more about his character, that he has apparently not endeavored to help the half-siblings in any way.
Raejean French at 2:09AM on Aug 21st 2008
15. Hi Genevieve,
I guess you're one of those 12 percenters. Look for the information, don't rely on Rush. He is biased you know.
"Could we also bring into discussion Sen. Obama's Global Poverty Act? So why should Americans be taxed to pay for people around the world that they do not know?"
The bill simply asks for a refocusing of resources toward this goal, NOT new spending, essentially mandating more efficiency and focus in meeting this huge problem. S.2433 is the Bill, look it up.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that "implementing S. 2433 would cost less than $1 million per year." By the way, how much are we spending on Iraq per day?
It would, therefore, take 8,450 years for the Global Poverty Act to spend the money the RNC claims it would spend.
Silly brainwashed follower.
"I get it. Sen. Obama will now have the American people help support his relatives since we should take care of everyone! "
No, you don't get it, as I've pointed out to you.
"I always learned, charity first begins at home. Maybe Sen. Obama should practice such, before he asks of others."
Maybe you should do your homework, and then maybe you wouldn't jump to false conclusions. Only then can you offer anything of substance to this conversation.
Turn off Rush.
Botts at 2:25AM on Aug 21st 2008