Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) today launched - not his 08 presidential capaign - but his 07 presidential exploratory committee. Not yet a year in the house and he’s gone all decision-by-committee. Brings a tear to my eye. Anyway, to get to the point, he clearly outlined in this speech his vision of an exploratory committee for and by the people:

Years ago, as a community organizer in Chicago, I learned that meaningful change always begins at the grassroots, and that engaged citizens working together can accomplish extraordinary things.

So even in the midst of the enormous challenges we face today, I have great faith and hope about the future - because I believe in you.

And that’s why I wanted to tell you first that I’ll be filing papers today to create a presidential exploratory committee. For the next several weeks, I am going to talk with people from around the country, listening and learning more about the challenges we face as a nation, the opportunities that lie before us, and the role that a presidential campaign might play in bringing our country together. And on February 10th, at the end of these decisions and in my home state of Illinois, I’ll share my plans with my friends, neighbors and fellow Americans.

In the meantime, I want to thank all of you for your time, your suggestions, your encouragement and your prayers. And I look forward to continuing our conversation in the weeks and months to come.

He obviously had in mind a community-generated, mass conversation about the topics that are most important to the American people. So, with no further ado I unveil the Barack Presidential Exploratory Commitee Swicki:

check out the obama swicki at eurekster.com

Watch the full video of his speech here:

ABC News: Obama to Launch 08 Bid in Springfield
Obama Presidential Exploratory Committee