Obama kin owned slaves

The Chicago Tribune ^ | 3-2-2007 | David Nitkin and Harry Merritt

[AliVeritas]

WASHINGTON -- Many people know that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's father was from Kenya and his mother from Kansas.

But an intriguing sliver of his family history has received almost no attention until now: it appears that forebears of his white mother owned slaves, according to genealogical research and Census records.

The records -- which had never been addressed publicly by the Illinois senator or his relatives -- were first noted in an ancestry report compiled by William Addams Reitwiesner, who works at the Library of Congress and practices genealogy in his spare time. The report, on Reitwiesner's Web site, carries a disclaimer that it is a "first draft" -- one likely to be examined more closely if Obama is nominated.

[AliVeritas]

PIAPS at work warning.

Four great-grands back... do the Clintons own Genealogy.com or what? BTW, has anyone witnessed a column on the Clinton's ancestors that was verified or not? Nevermind.

[ElectricStrawberry]

You go, Hillary!! Attack attack attack.......then whine about the POPD.

[VRWCmember]

Maybe she's related to Al Sharpton.

[AnAmericanMother]

Clinton is safe, because (1) nobody really knows who his daddy was; and (2) nobody kept records on backwoods trash anyhow - they didn't own any property, and they usually didn't bother to get married.

As for the Rodhams, I have no idea.

[Paleo Conservative]

Four great-grands back... do the Clintons own Genealogy.com or what?

Obama is pwned!

[mbynack]

My grandfather owned a Buick touring car. Neither fact has any relevance to personal views or ability to do a job. She's really starting the mud slinging early. Usually you don't get into personal attacks until a month before the primaries.

[Calpernia]

ROFL!

[ohioWfan]

Slave owners trump polygamists.

In a head to head with Obama and Romney, Romney wins hands down. :)

(Who cares about this stuff anyway? Obama is clearly a dangerous man so geneological smearing is entirely unnecessary).

[wagglebee]

I wonder who owned Danny Williams' ancestors:

[ohioWfan]

Don't you just love it when Hillary talks about the 'politics of personal destruction?' Doesn't it just make you want to laugh...............or chunder..........

[ohioWfan]

Danny is WAY cuter than Billy......

[Mr. K]

Does he owe himself reparations?

[wagglebee]

And probably far better behaved!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

My dad owned a big old Packard that resembled a flipped over dark blue bath tub. Please accept my apologies.

[ohioWfan]

There isn't any choice. He HAS to be better behaved.......

[Moonman62]

Obama should demand reparations from himself.

[100-Fold_Return]

Osama needs to start a 3rd party a la H. Ross Perot!!

[ladyjane]

But Obama's ancestors probably owned slaves.

[2banana]

I am sure his black relatives owned slaves in Africa - but we can't talk about that kind of thing...

[TexasRedeye]

Clinton is safe, because... they usually didn't bother to get married.

Brothers and sisters were not ALLOWED to get married, even then!