Barack Obama's cousin

I love to get my news from The New York Times. My political science teacher got me hooked during his intro class a couple years ago, and I still read every headline (and most of the email they send with it) that my NYT update sends to my inbox.

Unfortunately, I'm only subscribed to the hard news updates, so if I don't have time to peruse the site or the paper itself, I usually miss out on stories like the one I'm about to tell you about.

As if having our first Black president weren't enough excitement in and of itself, New York Times reporter Zev Chafets wrote an article titled "Obama's Rabbi" (story) that uncovered yet another interesting fact about Barack Obama. His cousin by marriage (through Michelle), Capers Funnye, is the chief rabbi of the Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation in Chicago. The story shows how dynamic Funnye is as a person, as well as the political and social aspects of the situation. I found it fascinating and thought I'd share and see what you think about this behind-the-scenes look at the Obama's inner circle.

Side note: Here's another interesting story about Obama and religion, which could add yet another dimension to the discussion... "Obama Says U.S. Is Not at War With Islam" (story)