George Obama and Presidential Brother Embarrassment

Brothers of American Presidents Have Been a Source of Embarrassment; Is it the Other Way Around in This Case?

The British Times Online quotes George Obama as saying that he is living a decent life in the Huruma, Nairobi, slum. Dreaming of becoming a car mechanic, the George Obama hut dweller is a far cry from the clean cut, articulate and highly educated Barack Obama.

Half brothers by blood, George Obama is content in his hut and does not envy his famous half brother his limelight. The younger Obama decries the attempts at using his living arrangements as political fodder for those who would like to see Barack Obama's campaign derailed.

He details that he knows next to nothing about Barack Obama, having only met him once or twice. As a matter of fact, he denies his family relationship to others. George Obama is not seeking for handouts, and is embarrassed that his name might make others believe he is entitled to any.

In the past, Jimmy Carter might have wished for a similar bit of distance from his brother Billy. Billy Carter was known for his endorsement of Billy Beer, a short lived brew that briefly made a splash, and also for urinating in public. As reported by China Daily, he gleefully boasted that he could drink two 12 packs of beer in one sitting.

Bill Clinton has his own problems with his half brother, Roger Clinton, in a pardon scandal that erupted after the President pardoned his own brother. CNN reports that the pardon did him little good, as he was later on nabbed for driving while intoxicated and a less than cooperative attitude when he got arrested.

George Bush also has a younger brother he does not like to be reminded of. Neil Bush is perhaps best known for his involvement in the Silverado Savings and Loan debacle that in the 1980s ran up a tab of $1 billion for United States taxpayers.

Salon reports that Neil Bush is still in the financial industry, and with the current stock market fiasco at hand, this might be one relationship George Bush will hear recalled more often in the coming months.

With George Obama content in his hut, Barack Obama, should he become President, does not have to worry about being connected to unsavory fiscal or personal conduct of his siblings.