Daley on Obama: 'Everybody wants him'
'If he wants to run, he should run -- why not?'
But if the freshman senator with the rock star appeal wants to run for president in 2008, Chicago's most powerful Democrat sees no problem with it.
"Everybody wants him. If he wants to run, he should run. I mean, why not?" Daley said Wednesday.
Pressed on whether Obama was seasoned enough to make the race, the mayor said, "Well, you know, if people want to run, they're going to run. I mean, you're not going to stop anyone who basically has the passion and commitment. If they want to do it, they want to do it. There's nothing wrong with that.
"This is what America's all about," Daley said.
"Take your energy and put it in Barack Obama. That's what I would say," she said. When King asked whether Obama was her choice, she replied, "That would be my favorite guy."
State Comptroller Dan Hynes, who was swamped by Obama in the 2004 Democratic primary, called a news conference this month to say the nation hungers for Obama's leadership.
Berry told the Philadelphia Daily News that she's so in love with what Obama stands for, she would be willing to "collect paper cups off the ground to make his pathway clear."
Obama has said again and again that he has no plans to run for president. But that didn't stop him from delivering the keynote speech at Sen. Tom Harkin's Iowa steak fry before a crowd of 3,500 adoring, autograph-seeking fans. Harkin introduced Obama as a "political rock star."