The Obama campaign has been quietly organizing his 2012 effort for about the last month but according to the WSJ he may "launch" his campaign "as early as [tomorrow] and is already trying to raise some serious money. The "billion dollar campaign" may actually become a reality:
President Barack Obama will officially open his 2012 re-election campaign as early as Monday, according to people familiar with the decision, a step to be followed by an announcement to supporters and a series of fund-raising trips across the country.
Mr. Obama plans to hit the road this month to raise money for his re-election effort. He will headline a fund-raiser in his hometown of Chicago, home to his campaign headquarters, over the next two weeks.
The president's campaign manager, Jim Messina, has been warming up big-money donors. During a meeting in Washington, D.C., last month, he asked 450 donors to raise $350,000 each by the end of 2011.