2008: Obama steps out

The Christian Science Monitor ran an article today saying that "For the first time in American history, a black man is stepping toward a presidential run with the potential to win his party's nomination – and even the presidency itself." [Did they forget about Jesse Jackson in 2004, or are they saying he couldn't win the Dem nomination?.... Hmmm....] It says his filing Tuesday to start raising funds for a 2008 presidential run puts his early appeal to the test. I can't link the article, but you could find it By Linda Feldmann Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

And we're sure there will be no end of the Obama-inexperienced song: Sen. Barack Obama is a bestselling author, a gifted orator and a star in the Democratic Party. But as he prepares to run for president, his political resume is a little thin.... (St. Petersburg Times)

Meanwhile, Washington Post Dan Balz's article "Obama sets stage for "titanic fight" in '08" was reprinted on the Seattle Times:
WASHINGTON — Democrats moved a step closer Tuesday to what is shaping up as one of the most historic and compelling contests for their party's presidential nomination, a study in contrasting styles and candidacies in which race and gender play central roles. At center stage stand Sen. Barack Obama, of Illinois, who set up his presidential exploratory committee Tuesday, and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, of New York, who is expected to announce her candidacy within days. ...