Presidential politics: All in the family

(NECN) - It seems the major party presidential candidates have some interesting family connections. Take a stroll through the stacks of the New England Historic and Genealogical Society before you make out that invitation list for your next family reunion. For instance, Barack Obama will want to be sure to invite tenth cousin, once removed George W. Bush and ninth cousin, once removed, Dick Cheney. Hillary Clinton might find the conversation a little less stilted with her relatives, such as ninth cousin, once removed, Angelina Jolie and tenth cousin Louise Verone Ciccone, better known as Madonna. Tenth cousin, once removed, Celine Dion, can add to the musical entertainment. And, while Barack is swapping family lore with the President, John McCain will be hanging over the family album with his sixth cousin, the First Lady. Bearing every twisting branch of the family trees of presidential candidates is the work of Chris Child, genealogist with the New England Historic and Genealogical Society of Boston. He says the key to Obama's relatives was his mother's Kansas lineage. For Clinton, it was the French-Canadian connection. John McCain's roots are buried in Dixie. Most of these surprising kinships, as outlined on child's relationship charts, are traced back to common ancestors about 400 years ago. NECN's Greg Wayland takes a closer look.