Rising Democratic star Barack Obama has taken the first step towards a White House bid in 2008 that could make him the first black president in American history. In a video message to supporters yesterday, the senator from Illinois said he was forming an exploratory committee that will allow him to raise funds and hire staff for a presidential campaign.
"I've been struck by how hungry we all are for a different kind of politics," Mr Obama said, "so I've spent some time thinking about how I could best advance the cause of change and progress that we so desperately need."
After only two years in the US senate, Mr Obama (45) has emerged as the strongest rival to the current Democratic frontrunner, Hillary Rodham Clinton, for the party's nomination in 2008. Ms Clinton is expected to announce the formation of an exploratory committee within the next few days.
Mr Obama said he would make a formal announcement about his candidacy on February 10th.
He said that six years of bad decisions by the Bush administration had left the United States in "a precarious place" with growing inequality at home while US forces remained mired in Iraq.
"Our economy is changing rapidly and that means profound changes for working people. Many of you have shared with me your stories about skyrocketing healthcare bills, the pensions you've lost and your struggles to pay for college for your kids."
He continued: "Our continued dependence on oil has put our security and our very planet at risk and we're still mired in a tragic and costly war that should have never been waged."
Mr Obama's consistent opposition to the Iraq war and his liberal positions on issues such as the federal minimum wage and abortion rights for women have endeared him to many Democratic activists who resent Ms Clinton's drift to the right in recent years. During November's congressional elections, he was the most sought-after speaker at Democratic rallies, where he was greeted by rapturous crowds.
When he entered the senate two years ago, Mr Obama was the only black senator and only the third African-American to be elected to the senate since post civil war Reconstruction.
Other Democrats who have announced a campaign or exploratory committee are 2004 vice presidential nominee John Edwards, former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack, Connecticut senator Chris Dodd and Ohio representative Dennis Kucinich. Delaware senator Joe Biden has said he will form an exploratory committee in the coming weeks.
On the Republican side, the clear front-runner is Arizona senator John McCain but former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and Kansas senator Sam Brownback are also running.