WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Barack Obama plans to send supporters a text or e-mail message with a video announcing his intention to run for re-election, multiple Democratic sources tell CNN.
The message could come as early as Monday morning. The sources say his campaign team also hopes to file papers with the Federal Election Commission Monday to launch his 2012 re-election campaign.
The timing of the announcement and the filing could change depending on outside events. The White House is closely watching negotiations on Capitol Hill over the 2011 spending bill, which must be resolved this week to avoid a government shutdown.
This would come more than a week before the president hosts his first re-election fund-raiser in Chicago on April 14. These Democrats say no public event is planned because the White House wants to downplay the announcement and minimize the political distraction.
The president is making his campaign official slightly earlier than is typical for an incumbent so he can get a jump on fund-raising in a season that's likely to shatter all records. Obama’s team has been asking campaign bundlers to raise $350,000 each, no easy task since campaign finance laws limit gifts to $2,500 per donor. Two sources tell CNN the campaign team hopes that in total their bundlers will raise $500 million, leaving the campaign to raise another $500 million and amass a record-breaking $1 billion war chest.
According to these sources, the president has made calls to top donors and conference calls are planned this week to supporters and key Democratic groups. Vice President Joe Biden is already planning to be in New Hampshire Monday and will meet with key supporters in that crucial early voting state. For the past few weeks, Jim Messina, who will manage the campaign, and Patrick Gaspard, executive director of the DNC, have been flying around the country meeting with frustrated donors working to get them re-engaged.
So far no Republican contenders have formally announced. But these days the likely Republican presidential contenders are making endless visits to key early voting states and meeting with supporters across the country.
One top Democrat says, "The Republicans are out there day in and day out beating up on the president - they're basically running without filing. So to say we're going first isn't totally fair." This person adds, "No one wants to start running now. The president is engaged in the country, this is about getting (campaign) staff up and running."
Additionally, top Democrats say two former White House staffers are likely to set up a third-party outside spending group. Former Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney, former aide to then-Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, have been approached by Democratic donors who are concerned about countering the influence of Karl Rove and the Koch brothers in the upcoming 2012 election.
From CNN Politics
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A billion dollar campaign 'war chest' THAT is insane and a crime in itself. Political service should not be bought and paid for. It has went from (if it ever was) a service to and for the people to legalized bribery...
Obama's campaign slogan "It can't possibly get any worse".
vote obama or vote for more of the Bush Crime Family. Take your choice. I am going with Obama.
Tell "The Donald" to withdraw and give his 600 milllion to Obama and in return, Obama will send him a signed copy of his birth certificate. hehehehehe
No wonder Haley "Sheriff Gillespie" Barbour's wife is "horrified" at the prospect of him running for President. Any Republican looking to take on this President should be. He will amass over $1 billion in campaign contributions...may as well say it now: Obama/Biden '12!!!
Re-Mandate!! FOUR MORE!
No wonder Haley "Sheriff Gillespie" Barbour's wife is "horrified" at the prospect of old Haley running for Prez. any Republican looking to take on this President should be. He will surpass the $1 billion mark in fundraising. May as well get started now: Obama/Biden '12!!!!
Awesome! Go Obama!
Pres. Obama will be re-elected, and the Repubs know it.
Michelle B. and the other far-right idiots like her are the answer to the prayers of us Dems.
Go, loonies, go!!!! We can't wait for you to run, spend lots of money, and then be crushed.
I would like to take this time to formally announce that I shall run for mayor of Turdville. I will end the tyranny and allow people to wipe with something other than sandpaper. There will be free waffles for all!
I have utmost confidence in this president. He has never had a chance to breathe, since taking office. He had my vote for his first term and will certainly get my vote for a second term. Thanks Mr. President for maintaining your cool, in what I believe has been a very challenging first term. I am forever grateful for all that you continue to try and accomplish.
$1 billion for a campaign... what is wrong with politics in this country. I am pro Obama in general but this really just points out the sad state of politics in this country where we can't even afford to keep teachers in our school and here we go spending 1 billion dollars on campaigning.
lot nerve
Sorry Barry, you spent all the Hope you promised...Now the only Change I believe in is a Change in party...
Go get them
that's great this creep has done nothing but make things in our country worst and now he wants to spend the next two years telling us how we should allow him to screw up our country for four more years. Sorry Bama but no thanks! now go home and shut your stupid ignorant face!
Well, now that Obama is announcing to run again, I can sleep well tonight. We all know that he has done a hell of a job.
Wouldn't it be something.. I think that instead of spending all that money on his re-election budget, I would bet that more people would vote for him if he put the $$ towards our deficit.. Just saying..
Yea!!!! I LOVE President Obama!
Oh No! He promised change and government visability. What we have gotten is more of the same blah, blah, blah and game playing with special interest. He has managed to follow GW's path into sending this country to the poor house but managed to make allot of Wall Street friends, that have contributed signiifcantly to him since the bale out. I guess the president got bought out like Senator Dodd. Country Wide and AIG are so tight with the White House they have keys to the front gate of the White House.
go ahead barac or barry...who ever you are run again. In 2012 the gop will have both houses and the presidency...and then, we will get this country straightened out.
If he can convince US citizens he is that, he can be re-elected !!
What??!! So soon? Didn't he just beat the McCain/Palin ticket last year?
Oh please God not again!!!
Lets go. Lets fight the big business, the drillers, the birthers and the the whack jackos from the tea party. Lets bring SANITY Back to the USA and knock out the REDs.