Obama Set To Launch Re-Election Bid, AP Sources Say

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is about to make one of Washington's worst kept secrets official: He wants a second term.

Democratic officials familiar with the president's plans said Saturday that Obama intends to file papers as early as this coming week with the Federal Election Commission to launch his 2012 re-election campaign. He also will announce his candidacy to supporters by email and text messages.

The officials asked not to be identified in order to speak before the papers are filed.

That widely anticipated but formal step of registering with the FEC will free Obama to start raising money for the re-election effort, which, like his 2008 campaign, will be run from Chicago.

That fundraising already has begun. Obama netted $1.5 million at a Democratic fundraiser in New York's Harlem this past week. He's also scheduled to travel in the week ahead to headline events in Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Obama raised an eye-catching $750 million in 2008.

The president isn't expected to face a primary challenge.

Though a cast of Republican governors, former governors and others are laying the groundwork for a presidential bid, none has entered the race.

As the Obama campaign operation ramps up behind the scenes in terms of money, message and manpower, Obama plans to stay focused on his day job. Aside from the obvious fundraising that will be required of him, Obama intends to stay out of the fray until Republicans settle on a candidate next spring.

Obama's hopes for a second term received a boost Friday after the government said the March unemployment rate had dipped to its lowest level in two years, to 8.8 percent, and that the economy added 216,000 jobs last month.

Polls consistently show the economy is voters' top concern and Republicans plan to make an issue of Obama's handling of the recovery.

Obama said Friday's numbers mean the "economy is showing signs of real strength" as it continues to recover from the recession that wiped out 7.5 million jobs.

Comments

[AntiFed1791]

11:47 AM on 04/08/2011

America, we obsess over these presidential elections like they are the key to our happiness. They aren't! We vote every day with our dollars. Every cent we spend is a vote. Do you support Coca Cola? Do you like their policies world wide? How about Bananas? Do you even know what these corporations are up to?
Do you bank with Bank of America? Do you buy gasoline from BP? We are all hypocrites.
We need to grow up and take responsibility for our future. How many of us get involved in our local communities or state governments?

Stop participating in your own enslavement!

[sporkymullduggerr]

11:20 PM on 04/05/2011

Let me give you a little inside information about this administration. He likes to watch. He a prankster. Think about it. He gives many campaign promises. He gives you this extraordinary hope for change, and then what does he do, I swear for his own amusement, his own private, cosmic gag reel, he sets the rules in opposition. It's the goof of all time. Tax but don't spend. Spend, but don't tax. Pass but don’t fund. Ahaha! And while you're jumping from one news alert to the next, what is he doing? He's laughing his sick butt off! He's a tight, absentee landlord and he's laughing at us. Vote for that? NOT AGAIN!!

[sumogirl]

02:23 PM on 04/05/2011

For the life of me, I can't decide how I feel about Obama. There are more and more days where I feel disillusioned--and I hate that feeling. The one thing I do know is there is no republican being touted as presidential material that I would ever vote for...

[Jacob Francis Keller]

02:00 PM on 04/05/2011

We are far better off now, than we were in 2008. And miles ahead under Obama than under Bush. With 449 promises kept, just 19 broken, and 56 in the works. This is a president who knows how to get things done, knows how to compromise to help as many Americans as possible, knows how to succeed. Don't let the liberal ideologues drag you down, sir, you've done a Herculean job and there are millions that are proud to support you. 2012 is going to be epic, let the second coming begin!

[sporkymullduggerr]

04:39 PM on 04/05/2011

Sitting in your chair, I would probably say the same thing. And 999 point 999 times out of a million, you would be correct. But in the pages of history, every once in a while, fate reaches out and extends its hand.

[VonMarco]

01:20 PM on 04/05/2011

I support this President! Has he done everything to my liking..no. But, I understand that there are three branches of government and there are conflicting ideas and views. We must elect indidividuals that are willing to serve the people and their best interests fairly. I watch what elected officials do instead of believing what they say and how the deeds and statements affect my family and others.

[MNW]

01:56 PM on 04/05/2011

That's right...excuse it away.

An we wonder why our representatives consistently promise us the world and deliver us nothing but rubbish...and then get re-elected.

Whatever. Perhaps if we voted for people because they have tenacity instead of empty promises we would be in a better place than we find ourselves in.

[William Miles Floyd]

01:10 PM on 04/05/2011

The election train has started again. Lets see what promises he will make this year.

[stargazer13]

11:18 AM on 04/05/2011

Ooo how I wish I could chair the debates this go round !!

[Ouroboros Rex]

12:00 PM on 04/05/2011

I wish that every time. It would be fun, wouldn't it?

[brux]

01:03 PM on 04/05/2011

The only debates I would want to see are the debates between Obama and another Democrat or Independent left-winger who has the guts to run against him. We know in advance that Obama is going to be a waste of another 4 years while things get worse. I sure won't be voting for him again.

[morphyous]

01:38 PM on 04/05/2011

You didn't vote for him in 2008.

[The Lone Stranger]

11:06 AM on 04/05/2011

Now that we know who the Republicans are running as their candidate, who are the Democrats going to pick to run against Obama?

[The other mike]

10:38 AM on 04/05/2011

Is he running as a Democrat or Republican?

[brux]

01:04 PM on 04/05/2011

There's an idea ... how about truth in advertising?

[FACTISFACT]

10:01 AM on 04/05/2011

Well, one thing we Americans have is individual right to speak and do anything we like.
In addition, because of it we all are Phd. in criticizing everybody.

As if anyone us would have been the President we would have accomplish the missions. We forget those days sleeping under the shimmering blue sky outside in snow and rain with our children on the streets without food, shelter, and money, even then no criticism.

We want everything well cooked on the table like a lord having magic wand. We fail to understand that what this president did to retrieve the sunken devastated country no President of any nation had been able to do in such a short time as he has and yet criticism so unlucky we feel we greedy lot.

The President announced to run for the second term not for his sake but to work for the nation to prove what is left of his promises he finally completes as per his given promise to the nation before finally he leaves the office of the President. It is not fair to interpret everything with negative view rather help in his sincere endeavor to accomplish his promise. Everything needs time and that we should give him to be fair.

Reflect back three year from now and see where we were and where we are now. Did the change come automatically, no, it did not. It was because of the relentlessness hard work of this President.

[The Lone Stranger]

11:11 AM on 04/05/2011

look at what we have right now and it is obvious that Obama is not up to the job. We need a president willing and able to fight the GOP and end the rapid slide that theya re obviously committed to. Unfortunately Obama is all to happy to buy into the distorted GOP world view and his steadfast insistence on compromise not as a mere endgame tactic but as an opening gambit means that the GOP will win every time.

I am already tired of Obama and his pretty speeches. he failed to be effective and we absolutley need to find someone else able to do better. Otherwise we might as well just go ahead and donate what remains of our assets to the GOP and their wealthy overlordsbecause without a president willing to completely reject the GOP view of things, we are basically toast.

[brux]

01:06 PM on 04/05/2011

I can understand failure, but not when you do not even try, and all Obama did his entire term was turn the other cheek and left the Republicans attack and abuse him and do nothing. On top of that he had lots of deal with the corporations and started yet another another conflict while not ending the ones he said he would, or disposing of Guantanamo ... all this with really no explanation. The explanation is that he is not really a Democrat. He's probably CIA.

[jheffe]

07:26 AM on 04/05/2011

I think the real question is, what has he really done? answer: nothing positive.. he spent A LOT OF MONEY, keeps on spending it with no real return. Unemployment and job creation is a farce, they can manipulate the numbers all they want, because one person ( doing what he has to, to provide for his family) took on three minum wage jobs, does not mean that there is job growth. Its only a matter of time before mandatory health care is bankrupt like medicaid and social security, if you couldnt afford health care before, what makes the gov. think you can afford it if your made to pay for it? really? The whole Obama show has not impressed me, I didnt vote for him before, and im not voting for him again. Now all you right wingers can post your comments about this and that, Im generalizing... overall he's done nothing. what we need is a person grass roots style that knows the REAL issues, America as whole does not care about some wack jobs freedom 8000 mile a way that wipes his ass with his left hand screaming ya allah!!!! or all the poor oppressed people in the ivory coast, same people have those problems for 3000 yrs, we aint gonna fix it, take the 100 billion a week it cost the tax payers and invest it in medicare, job creation and education. that would make too much sense.

[visualgirl]

02:11 PM on 04/05/2011

Before you post a blanket statement about President Obama's accomplishments as being "nothing", please check this out.

I don't disagree with your opinion about getting out of the wars, although your description is very offensive. Think maybe you could disagree without demeaning another culture? Just saying.

However, the president has accomplished quite a bit as you will see if you take the time to go through this very comprehensive list.

http://obamaachievements.org/list

[cjaco]

09:45 PM on 04/04/2011

And his recent email asking for a campaign donation was deleted instantly. He will get plenty of money from Broad, Gates, and the DFER hedge fund managers that are calling the shots with his education policies. My back is now turned.

[daikon]

12:49 AM on 04/05/2011

Fan! If Obama would actually remain true to his initial pledge to keep his campaign promises even if that made him a one-term president, he might get my support, but he's basically been campaigning for reelection ever since the day of the Inauguration. He's forgotten his campaign promises and turned his back on the middle class and the poor. He's working for Wall Street, multinationals like GE, the medical-industrial complex, and the rest of the corporatocracy. I guess he will succeed in getting more than a billion dollars for his campaign, but we need an alternative challenger in the primaries who can win by supporting Main Street, not by spending big bucks.

[The Lone Stranger]

11:15 AM on 04/05/2011

Obama is no different from the used car salesman who promises you that his overpriced clunker rides like a dream. The only problem is that some people remain captivated by his dazzling smile and his pretty salespitch that they still believe that somehow the clunker will transform into their dream car if they just have faith and Hope.

We really need a new salesman.

[Whoozthaboss]

09:19 PM on 04/04/2011

He could have been cool if he catered to the Left. All that "bipartisanship" got him nothing but an angry base that will not vote for him again... He lost me with the tax cut BS... smh.

[daikon]

01:33 AM on 04/05/2011

Spot on. Fan! More and more it seems to me, at least, as if Obama is actually getting what he wants with his faux "bipartisanship." It's basically a smokescreen that allows him to move closer to Wall St. and the plutocracy and firm up a lot of campaign donation promises while fooling his followers into believing that he's simply being pragmatic and that the blame lies with the Repubs for forcing him to move to the right. If Obama were reelected, this move to the right would become unabashed WH policy. Tim Geithner would surely become even more powerful in the background, and Obama would surely become even more the unofficial spokesman for Wall Street. If he's reelected, the TBTF banks will get even bigger, and the Bush tax cuts for the rich will be extended again and again. And so on toward infinity.

[The Lone Stranger]

11:20 AM on 04/05/2011

This is precisely why experince matters, and also why Obama's is a failed Presidency.

An experienced leader would have understtod that a unique and temporary window exosted at the start of his term and would have pushed hard for tax reform and universal single payer healthcare and a much larger stimulus bill, while ending the wars right away and leaving the GOPers saddled with those losses.

In contrast, Obama got easily distracted by trivial concerns like his beer summit and his desire for adulation in foreign countries and strutting about like a celebrity and so his adminstration never got anywhere on the big issues that mattered most.

[morphyous]

04:10 PM on 04/05/2011

Your conclusion may be valid from where you are coming from, but, I believe the consensus from those with no political axe to grind , view him much more kindly. Independent voices give him a lot of credit for his leadership in crisis after crisis that has been thrown at him, and he still managed to get a helluva lot accomplished in two short years. In retrospect I am sure he will be viewed as one of the best Presidents . Sorry you feel the way you do, but History will surely, prove you wrrong.

[spookydude1930]

07:48 PM on 04/04/2011

He lost my vote. WAY TOO MANY PROMISES BROKEN. HILLARY 2011!!!

Let's review some of the President's promises:

Close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center.

Increase the capital gains and dividends taxes for higher-income taxpayers.

Expand the child and dependent care credit.

Create a foreclosure prevention fund for homeowners.

End income tax for seniors making less than $50,000.

End no-bid contracts above $25,000.

Repeal the Bush tax cuts for higher incomes.

Phase out exemptions and deductions for higher earners.

Allow imported prescription drugs.

Double the Peace Corps.

Centralize ethics and lobbying information for voters.

Allow five days of public comment before signing bills.

Tougher rules against revolving door for lobbyists and former officials.

Double funding for afterschool programs.

Allow bankruptcy judges to modify terms of a home mortgage.

Give annual "State of the World" address.

Reduce earmarks to 1994 levels.

Create cap and trade system with interim goals to reduce global warming.

Require plug-in fleet at the White House.

Recognize the Armenian genocide.

Negotiate health care reform in public sessions televised on C-SPAN.

No family making less than $250,000 will see "any form of tax increase."

Create a public option health plan for a new National Health Insurance Exchange.

Introduce a comprehensive immigration bill in the first year.

Want more? http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/

[SarahCuda2]

07:21 PM on 04/04/2011

If Hillary decides to run then I'm switching parties to vote for her in the democrat primary. At least I know that Hillary won't continue to make us the laughing stock of the world.

[morphyous]

08:19 PM on 04/04/2011

Give us a break will you? Switching parties is a good idea though.

[bmac8]

08:26 PM on 04/04/2011

Why would Hillary be better?

[morphyous]

09:28 PM on 04/04/2011

She would have Bombed Iran by now. Remember her words , during the Campaign. Obama is a much more thoughtful, and intelligent person. I like Hillary , but I would be pretty scared if she were answering that "Phone" at three in the morning.