Obama announces re-election bid in web video

VIDEO - US President Barack Obama formally launched his re-election campaign Monday, urging grass-roots supporters central to his first campaign to mobilize again to protect the change he's brought in his first term.

The official start of his second White House bid comes 20 months before the November 2012 election.

"This campaign is just kicking off," a short announcement said on www.barackobama.com. "We're opening up offices, unpacking boxes and starting a conversation with supporters like you to help shape our path to victory. 2012 begins now ..."

"We're doing this now because the politics we believe in does not start with expensive TV ads or extravaganzas, but with you - with people organizing block-by-block, talking to neighbors, co-workers, and friends. And that kind of campaign takes time to build," Obama said in an e-mail to supporters.

Obama's re-election video 

He told them he was filing the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Commission, and directed them to his new campaign website where a launch video featured snippets from supporters testifying about their continued backing of the Democrat.

Obama is not shown or heard in the two-minute, 10-second video on the site, titled "It Begins With Us."

The step was widely expected and planned to coincide with the second fundraising quarter of the year. Filing paperwork will allow the president to begin raising money in earnest for what advisers hope will be a record-breaking haul of more than $1 billion.

AP and Reuters contributed to this report

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