Obama to announce candidacy in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD -- Sen. Barack Obama said Wednesday that a building with deep historical ties to Abraham Lincoln will be the backdrop for his announcement on a run for the presidency.

The announcement will take place Feb. 10 at Illinois' Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once served as a state representative.

The building was the site of Lincoln's famous 1858 ''House Divided'' speech warning that America could not remain half slave and half free. Lincoln used it as his campaign headquarters in 1860, and thousands of mourners filed past his body there in 1865 before the assassinated president was buried.

Spokesman Bill Burton would not explain why Obama chose the Old State Capitol. He simply called it ''a great place to demonstrate Senator Obama's work in bringing people together to solve problems.''

He said the event would take place outside, but he wouldn't say whether Obama is making other arrangements in case winter on the central Illinois prairie makes an outdoor event impractical.

Obama, a Chicago Democrat, announced Jan. 16 that he was forming a presidential exploratory committee. He has been hiring political staff and recruiting fundraisers, suggesting he intends to go forward with a presidential bid.

Reminding voters of Abraham Lincoln could help blunt criticism of Obama's lack of experience.

Lincoln became one of the nation's greatest presidents after serving eight years in the Illinois legislature and two years in Congress. Obama served eight years in the state Senate and has now spent two years in the U.S. Senate.

Lincoln's role in overcoming the nation's deep divisions over slavery also might reinforce Obama's message that he can help bridge America's partisan differences -- and perhaps highlight the possibility of Obama becoming the first black president.

The Old State Capitol was built after Springfield was named the capital city in 1837, thanks to a series of deals and backroom negotiations in which Lincoln played a key role.

The building, located in downtown Springfield, was the state capitol from 1839 to 1876. It was dismantled and rebuilt in the 1960s atop a parking garage and office space.