Obama Forms Presidential Exploratory Committee

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama (D), one of the Democratic Party's brightest young stars, jumped into the 2008 race for the White House today, establishing a presidential exploratory committee that is expected to lead immediately into a full-blown campaign for president.

Obama has electrified Democratic audiences around the country, generating pressure for him to seek the presidency despite having been elected to the Senate just two years ago. Recent national polls show him challenging Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who is seen as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination.