According to the BBC, Senator Barack Obama is actually the 10th cousin, once removed, of President George W. Bush.... The article also notes that he is the distant cousin of Brad Pitt while Hilary Clinton is the distant cousin of Angelina Jolie! I guess if you can go back far enough we are all related.

I wonder how Obama feels about his family now that he knows George is a relative? For sure, not kissing cousins.

These sorts of article regularly appear of course and some US Presidents have encouraged this type of research. Ronald Reagan was keen to point to his Irish, English, Scottish ancestry and other politicians in the US have worked hard to show their British origins. Why? What difference does it make?