WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama declared himself a candidate for re-election in 2012 on Monday, jumping ahead of a slow-starting Republican field and hoping an economic recovery will boost his case for a new term.
Obama’s announcement, made through an email and video sent to supporters, set in motion a plan to tap donors and raise as much as $1 billion, which would shatter the $750 million campaign finance record he set in 2008.
Five months after his Democrats were routed by Republicans in November congressional elections, Obama looks in fairly good shape for
