Obama's lost half brother found in Kenya

[Beaverhausen]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/2590614/Barack-Obamas-lost-brother-found-in-Kenya.html

Barack Obama's 'lost' brother found in Kenya

Senator Barack Obama's long lost brother has been tracked down for the first time living in a shanty town in Kenya, reports claimed.

By Nick Pisa in Rome
Last Updated: 3:54PM BST 20 Aug 2008

George Hussein Onyango Obama, Senator Barack Obama's long lost brother was tracked down living in a hut on the outskirts of Nairobi Photo: Guy Calaf, Vanity Fair, Italy The Italian edition of Vanity Fair said that it had found George Hussein Onyango Obama living in a hut in a ramshackle town of Huruma on the outskirts of Nairobi.

Mr Obama, 26, the youngest of the presidential candidate's half-brothers, spoke for the first time about his life, which could not be more different than that of the Democratic contender.

"No-one knows who I am," he told the magazine, before claiming: "I live here on less than a dollar a month."

According to Italy's Vanity Fair his two metre by three metre shack is decorated with football posters of the Italian football giants AC Milan and Inter, as well as a calendar showing exotic beaches of the world.

Vanity Fair also noted that he had a front page newspaper picture of his famous brother - born of the same father as him, Barack Hussein Obama, but to a different mother, named only as Jael.

He told the magazine: "I live like a recluse, no-one knows I exist."

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.

For ten years George Obama lived rough. However he now hopes to try to sort his life out by starting a course at a local technical college.

He has only met his famous older brother twice - once when he was just five and the last time in 2006 when Senator Obama was on a tour of East Africa and visited Nairobi.

more at the link

[bunkerbuster1]

1. I do wonder how this story will play.

I predict it will get approximately 173 times the coverage of Cindy McCain's not-only-childhood thingie.

[ben_meyers]

2. B.S., he wasn't lost at all. He met with Barak in 2006!

What a lying headline.

[Beaverhausen]

4. good point. the headline is theirs, not mine

[endarkenment]

3. long: two years. WTF? nt.

[marshall]

5. Obama's got enough half-siblings to do a story a week until the election

It's not really news that his father fathered a multitude of children.

This reminds me of those stories about Bill Clinton's half brother who was a janitor at some middle school in Little Rock. What does it have to do with the candidate? Everyone can have down and out relatives.

[Cleita]

6. This is just starting to get legs.

I hope Obama addresses it and addresses it truthfully. Otherwise, it will get legs and will give the opposition a good smear tool.

[bunkerbuster1]

7. I suspect he will. There's nothing in the linked story to suggest George asked for help.

Reading a bit between the lines, it sounds as if he was, and is, too proud to take a handout.

[oviedodem]

8. Someone explain to me: how is this a smear???

[bunkerbuster1]

11. The story I've seen isn't a smear, but I'm sure it'll be reported in other outlets that way.

You can probably write the wingnut whackjob stuff yourself: "Obama claims he cares with Christian love about the 'least of us,' but look how he cared for his OWN BROTHER!"

Yeah, I went down to Freeperville to have a peek. That's how they're riffing on it. I'm sure Hannity and the other hacks will be all over this.

I don't think it is a smear, though, not as reported. I read it as a guy who's had it real rough, but probably too proud to ask for help, and who probably tried to put on a show of normalcy when he had a chance to meet Barack.

I feel pretty bad for the guy, getting hounded by the press, but that kind of thing is to be expected. I hope he's able to capitalize on this in a way that maintains his dignity.

[Heather MC]

12. They will spin it that way, but in Obama's defense, I have tons of Half siblings

a few from what I have heard are practically homeless, but they are not apart of my life never have been never will be. It's weird when you have half siblings, yes they are family but because they grew up under different circumstances it's often hard to connect with them. Obama barely knew his father, so what his father did shouldn't be placed on Obama's plate. If we could control our parents, my Mom and dad would Loaded!

Besides how can he be "Long lost" if he saw the man in 2006
If they try to spin this as negative, Moveon.org should find out how all of McSames family and umm exwives are living
just saying

[nc4bo]

9. So what!? Is this supposed to be a counter to Mizz Sindy's long lost

half sister? There is no comparison whatsoever. Lost brother that saw him in 2006? whateva, doesn't sound lost to me either.

ok.......gonna go read the rest of this article now.

[theoldman]

10. If Obama becomes president you can be assured that

one million of his relatives will come foreword.

[AspenRose]

13. Ironic timing, with the Cindy McCain/half sister stories everywhere.