President Barack Obama is expected to announce that he will run for reelection in 2012 on Monday, CNN reports.
Democratic sources tell the network that the president will alert supporters of his plans in a video sent via email or text message.
Mike Allen wrote in Saturday morning's Politico Playbook that Obama would likely make his plans known on Monday; however, officials would not confirm a specific date "in case some transcendent event in the world would overshadow the kickoff."
Obama aides want to tell their supporters first, and so are not encouraging preview stories by the press. The president's announcement will be transmitted directly to supporters through text messages, e-mail and social media, not with an appearance by Obama, the sources said.
The AP reported on Saturday:
Democratic officials familiar with the president's plans said Saturday that Obama intends to file papers as early as this coming week with the Federal Election Commission to launch his 2012 re-election campaign.
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The officials asked not to be identified in order to speak before the papers are filed.
That widely anticipated but formal step of registering with the FEC will free Obama to start raising money for the re-election effort, which, like his 2008 campaign, will be run from Chicago.
CNN reports:
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.
Obama secured $750 million in his 2008 political operation for the White House.
For his 2012 reelection campaign, Obama's team will be based at One Prudential Plaza in the Windy City. The location sits just a few blocks away from where the president delivered his victory speech in 2008 at Grant Park.
Jim Messina, who served as deputy chief of staff to Obama for two years until last January, will be Obama's campaign manager for his operation in the next election cycle.
Obama is not expected to face a serious primary challenger for the Democratic presidential nomination. He will likely face off against one of a number of potential Republican candidates currently testing the waters in a general election match-up for the White House in 2012.