Obama a distant cousin of Bush

28.MAR.08

It has emerged that Barack Obama is a tenth cousin, once removed, of the man whose job he wants – George W Bush.

They are linked by Samuel Hinkley of Cape Cod, who died in 1662.{{more}}

Obama is also a distant cousin of the actor Brad Pitt while Hillary Clinton is related to Pitt’s girlfriend, Angelina Jolie.

The ties of the US Democratic rivals were established by a respected US genealogical organisation after three years’ investigation.

Mrs Clinton and Mr Obama can also boast a long list of other famous relations.

Christopher Child, from the New England Historic Genealogical Society, says that the politicians’ ancestries show they have more in common than they think.

The Society, founded in 1845, is the oldest and biggest non-profit genealogical organisation in the United States.