Barack Obama '08

Did the junior Senator from Illinois just flip flop?

In a decided and unequivocal shift, Sen. Barack Obama said Sunday he is seriously considering a run for the White House in 2008, affirming the stunningly rapid trajectory of a political career that saw him in the Illinois legislature just two years ago.

In an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," the same program where he categorically ruled out a run just last January, Obama went further than ever in discussing his Oval Office ambitions, and left clear the impression that he could well run, a move that would fundamentally reshape the contest for the Democratic nomination. [..]

When asked if he was ready to be president, Obama said, "Well, I'm not sure anybody is ready to be president before they're president. You know, ultimately, I trust the judgment of the American people that in any election they sort it through. We have a long and rigorous process, and, you know, should I decide to run, if I ever did decide to run, I'm confident that I'd be run through the paces pretty good, including on `Meet the Press.'"