U.S. Democratic Senator Barack Obama said Tuesday that he was taking the initial steps in his bid to become the first African-American president of the United States.

Obama's interest in joining the presidential race could have a huge impact on another potential Democratic candidate: Hillary Clinton.

"Black voters are what makes Hillary Clinton so invincible, so tough in this election," Democratic strategist Joe Trippi told CTV News. "But if Barack Obama gets in this race, that changes that dynamic big time."

Obama announced his interest in a possible presidential bid on his website.

"Running for the presidency is a profound decision -- a decision no one should make on the basis of media hype or personal ambition alone -- and so before I committed myself and my family to this race, I wanted to be sure that this was right for us and, more importantly, right for the country," Obama said.

"I certainly didn't expect to find myself in this position a year ago. But as I've spoken to many of you in my travels across the states these past months; as I've read your emails and read your letters; I've been struck by how hungry we all are for a different kind of politics."

The senator for Illinois said he intends to file papers to create a presidential exploratory committee. Such committees use polling and feedback to determine if a political candidate has a good chance of winning an election.

"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," said Obama.

He added that he will "share my plans with my friends, neighbours and fellow Americans" on February 10, in the hometown of Abraham Lincoln: Springfield, Ill.

Obama, having served about two years in the Senate, has the least experience from the list of candidates considering a run for the Democratic nomination.

However, his media savvy, background and his opposition to the Iraq war have catapulted him to the front ranks among the contenders. He also brings a fresh face to the Democratic Party in a race that is expected to include Clinton as another front-runner.

"He is the opposite of the Washington candidates, and that's a huge asset today," said former U.S. Representative Tony Coelho.

Additional Democrats who have announced a campaign or exploratory committee include 2004 vice-presidential nominee John Edwards, former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack, Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd and Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich.

Obama used his online speech to turn what critics say is his biggest weakness -- his lack of experience in national politics -- into an asset.

"The decisions that have been made in Washington these past six years, and the problems that have been ignored, have put our country in a precarious place,'' he said.

"America's faced big problems before... but today, our leaders in Washington seem incapable of working together in a practical, common sense way. Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions.''

Obama first burst onto the national scene as a state legislator, delivering a knockout keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston.

"There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America," he said.

Since then he has continued to gain significant momentum and was the most requested speaker on the 2006 campaign trail, reports the Christian Science Monitor.

With a report by CTV's Tom Clark and files from The Associated Press