A
Message
from
Barack
Dear Friend,
As
many
of
you
know,
over
the
last
few
months
I
have
been
thinking
hard
about
my
plans
for
2008.
Running
for
the
presidency
is a
profound
decision
- a
decision
no
one
should
make
on
the
basis
of
media
hype
or
personal
ambition
alone
-
and
so
before
I
committed
myself
and
my
family
to
this
race,
I
wanted
to
be
sure
that
this
was
right
for
us
and,
more
importantly,
right
for
the
country.
I
certainly
didn't
expect
to
find
myself
in
this
position
a
year
ago.
But
as
I've
spoken
to
many
of
you
in
my
travels
across
the
states
these
past
months;
as
I've
read
your
emails
and
read
your
letters;
I've
been
struck
by
how
hungry
we
all
are
for
a
different
kind
of
politics.
So
I've
spent
some
time
thinking
about
how
I
could
best
advance
the
cause
of
change
and
progress
that
we
so
desperately
need.
The
decisions
that
have
been
made
in
Washington
these
past
six
years,
and
the
problems
that
have
been
ignored,
have
put
our
country
in a
precarious
place.
Our
economy
is
changing
rapidly,
and
that
means
profound
changes
for
working
people.
Many
of
you
have
shared
with
me
your
stories
about
skyrocketing
health
care
bills,
the
pensions
you've
lost
and
your
struggles
to
pay
for
college
for
your
kids.
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.
But
challenging
as
they
are,
it's
not
the
magnitude
of
our
problems
that
concerns
me
the
most.
It's
the
smallness
of
our
politics.
America's
faced
big
problems
before.
But
today,
our
leaders
in
Washington
seem
incapable
of
working
together
in a
practical,
common
sense
way.
Politics
has
become
so
bitter
and
partisan,
so
gummed
up
by
money
and
influence,
that
we
can't
tackle
the
big
problems
that
demand
solutions.
And
that's
what
we
have
to
change
first.
We
have
to
change
our
politics,
and
come
together
around
our
common
interests
and
concerns
as
Americans.
This
won't
happen
by
itself.
A
change
in
our
politics
can
only
come
from
you;
from
people
across
our
country
who
believe
there's
a
better
way
and
are
willing
to
work
for
it.
Years
ago,
as a
community
organizer
in
Chicago,
I
learned
that
meaningful
change
always
begins
at
the
grassroots,
and
that
engaged
citizens
working
together
can
accomplish
extraordinary
things.
So
even
in
the
midst
of
the
enormous
challenges
we
face
today,
I
have
great
faith
and
hope
about
the
future
-
because
I
believe
in
you.
And
that's
why
I
wanted
to
tell
you
first
that
I'll
be
filing
papers
today
to
create
a
presidential
exploratory
committee.
For
the
next
several
weeks,
I am
going
to
talk
with
people
from
around
the
country,
listening
and
learning
more
about
the
challenges
we
face
as a
nation,
the
opportunities
that
lie
before
us,
and
the
role
that
a
presidential
campaign
might
play
in
bringing
our
country
together.
And
on
February
10th,
at
the
end
of
these
decisions
and
in
my
home
state
of
Illinois,
I'll
share
my
plans
with
my
friends,
neighbors
and
fellow
Americans.
In
the
meantime,
I
want
to
thank
all
of
you
for
your
time,
your
suggestions,
your
encouragement
and
your
prayers.
And
I
look
forward
to
continuing
our
conversation
in
the
weeks
and
months
to
come.
Sincerely,
U.S.
Senator
Barack
Obama |