Obama officially launches re-election campaign
President Obama formally launched his re-election campaign Monday, urging grass-roots supporters central to his first campaign to mobilize again to protect the change he's brought in his first term.
The official start of his second White House bid comes 20 months before the November 2012 election.
"We're doing this now because the politics we believe in does not start with expensive TV ads or extravaganzas, but with you — with people organizing block-by-block, talking to neighbors, co-workers, and friends. And that kind of campaign takes time to build," Obama said in an e-mail to supporters.
He told them he was filing the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Commission, and directed them to his new campaign website where a launch video featured snippets from supporters testifying about their continued backing of the Democrat.
The step was widely expected and planned to coincide with the second fundraising quarter of the year. Filing paperwork will allow the president to begin raising money in earnest for what advisers hope will be a record-breaking haul of more than $1 billion.
Obama raised an eye-catching $750 million in 2008.
Reports have emerged that two former White House aides are preparing to start an independent political group supporting his candidacy - a move that would represent a significant departure from the president's previous condemnation of outside groups in electoral politics.
Video: CBS News political analyst John Dickerson on the start of Obama's 2012 campaign
In the 2008 presidential campaign, Mr. Obama vocally condemned the influence of such groups, not only discouraging their formation but also pressuring donors not to finance them.
But in the wake of 2010 Citizen's United Supreme Court decision, which allowed corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts on presidential campaigns, the Obama administration has signaled an openness to accepting money from independent political groups. Groups like American Crossroads and Americans for Prosperity took in tens of millions of dollars in the 2012 cycle to spend on behalf of Republican candidates, often without disclosing their donors.
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.
Photos: Meet the Republican 2012 contenders
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.