WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois said Tuesday he is taking the initial step in a presidential bid that could make him the nation's first black to occupy the White House. Obama announced his intentions to file a presidential exploratory committee on his Web site, http://www.barackobama.com . He said he would announce more about his plans in his hometown of Chicago on Feb. 10.
"I didn't expect to find myself in this position a year ago," Obama said in a video posting. "I've been struck by how hungry we all are for a different kind of politics. So I spent some time thinking about how I could best advance the cause of change and progress we so desperately need.
"The decisions that have been made in the past six years have put our country in a precarious place," he said.
