By AP/KWMU
Washington, DC – Illinois U.S. Senator Barack Obama says he's taking the first step in a presidential bid, filing paperwork that will allow him to raise money for a White House campaign.
Obama announced his intentions to file a presidential exploratory committee on his web site.
In that video posting on the site, Obama says he didn't expect to find himself in this position a year ago, and says he's been struck by how hungry people are for a different kind of politics.
The Democrat says the decisions that have been made in the past six years have put the country in a "precarious place."
Obama is considered an early favorite for the Democratic nomination. The first-term senator's gained national attention, with appearances across the country and even a paparazzi photo mention in People magazine.
Obama says he'll announce more about his plans in his hometown of Chicago on February 10.