After a half-brother of Barack Obama was found living in a shack in Kenya last month, it seems the Democratic presidential nominee has millions more Africans claiming kinship. Ethnologists now trace his tribal ancestry to Sudan.
Hawaiian, American, Kenyan, Sudanese—it's often remarked that politicians like to be everything to all people. But this passage, on the roots of his name, takes the cake: "Linguistically, 'Barack' is derived from 'Baraka' meaning 'blessing' in Arabic and Swahili, which is widely spoken in Eastern and Central Africa. Luo elders say 'Obama' does not have a solid translation in their Dholuo language but is similar to the word 'Obam' meaning 'crooked' or 'bending.'"
Given elected officials' penchant for overfamiliarity, voters now may correctly call the Democratic presidential candidate either a Blessing or Bent.

















Reader Comments Read all comments (37)
london incall escorts of AL 2:31PM July 06, 2010
NothingToLose of AL 8:43AM February 16, 2010
GUEST DUDE of LA 3:33AM November 06, 2009