Obama's Officially In

I watched Barack Obama's announcement from Springfield, Illinois this morning on CSPAN. Surprisingly, the event was held outside in very cold weather, but there was a large crowd. Despite the weather, Obama gave a good speech. Here is Obama's closing...

And if you will join me in this improbable quest, if you feel destiny calling, and see as I see, a future of endless possibility stretching before us; if you sense, as I sense, that the time is now to shake off our slumber, and slough off our fear, and make good on the debt we owe past and future generations, then I'm ready to take up the cause, and march with you, and work with you. Together, starting today, let us finish the work that needs to be done, and usher in a new birth of freedom on this Earth.

There was a call-in show on CSPAN after the speech. One call was from an old woman who said America is not ready for a Muslim President. The host explained that Obama was a member of the United Church of Christ church. The old woman then questioned Obama's name and asked why Obama changed his name to a muslim name. The host explained that Barak Obama is his birth name. Unfortanately, Obama will have to answer these types of questions and take away from the important issues.

Obama's event in Ames on Sunday has been moved to Hilton Coliseum. Tickets are now not required for the event. This is the third venue change, so they must be expecting a huge crowd.

**Update**
I said it was a big crowd. From Political Wire...

...local police estimate there were between 15,000 and 17,000 people at Sen. Barack Obama's campaign kick off.