I was not present in Springfield on the sub-zero windchill morning that Barack Obama announced his presidential candidacy. I had intended to attend, but things fell through and I laid in a prone position on my couch in DeKalb, watching it on CNN instead. I watched as a crowd of several thousand people cheered him as he made the bold statements I have come to expect from him. Here, I thought, is a politician who has become so beloved by his constituency that they practically forced his hat into the ring.

I could go on about where I stand with Obama's policies, but most people already know that. The entire point lies in that morning as I lay spread out on the couch with a blanket, space heater and a cup of coffee, watching him on CNN. I am a person who is interested in policy but hates politicians this is true of most people.

Daschle would consider VP invite

MITCHELL, S.D. (AP) -- Tom Daschle, who endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for president, said he would consider being Obama's running mate if asked.The Democrat and former South Dakota senator said he had not been contacted by any of the Democrats seeking their party's presidential nomination, and that his endorsement of the Illinois senator doesn't mean he's looking for a spot on the Democratic ticket."Theres not been any talk about it at all," he said Friday. "I have to say thats not something you can campaign for and its not something that you can plan or expect."Daschle, who explored his own presidential run in 2008, said he would never rule out a return to politics.He said the chances of considering a future run for presidency are slim, although he would not rule it out completely.Daschle said Iowa Gov.

Thomas L. Steiger: Obama encounters a strange double standard

Barack Obama is running for president of the United States. His is a remarkable story. He is hard working, idealistic and intelligent. Many pundits say he represents a different kind of Democrat. Obama is also "lucky" in that Peter Fitzgerald's Republican candidacy for senator from Illinois fell apart because of his wife's accusations about their marriage. If only Obama's father didn't have black skin. Because of that, we get questions about whether Obama "is black enough."The ongoing discussion of Obama's "blackness" is insulting. The premise of this discussion is that a black (enough) candidate is going to automatically receive all the black votes. In other words, he could stand for anything, and black voters will dutifully line up and vote for him. To suggest that Obama would not have to earn the black vote just as a white candidate would is to suggest that African-Americans can't discern how their interests are furthered by the positions and values of different candidates.