Obama to Announce White House Bid

    The Old State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. — where Abraham Lincoln held office before running for president — is the setting for the latest milestone in Sen. Barack Obama's remarkable rise to prominence. The first-term U.S. senator planned to formally announce his candidacy for president Saturday in the city where he began his political career just 10 years ago.

    Obama is a newcomer to the national scene, having served just two years in the Senate, but he already is considered Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's chief rival among many vying for the Democratic nomination. He brings a wealth of political skills but a thin elective resume