Obamarama . . .

Run 'em: U.S. Sen. Barack Obama told Oprah Winfrey he would announce his presidential intentions on her show . . . but now he may be changing his mind.

• • To wit: In a meeting with the Sun-Times editorial board Thursday, Obama said he thinks Oprah would "let him out of his obligation" to declare from her famous couch.

Let's hope. You don't want to anger the queen.

Sneed hears Oprah's longtime beau, Stedman Graham, has been using the plural "we" in reference to Oprah's impending move to a posh East Lake Shore Drive apartment. Oprah will not be occupying the ritzy digs until April -- after the remodeling is done.

One more time.

• • Translation: Former Gov. George Ryan will be nominated again for the Nobel Peace Prize because of his work against the death penalty.

"George Ryan has done more effective work against the death penalty than the entire U.S. abolitionist community put together," University of Illinois College of Law Professor Francis Boyle told Sneed. "And he continued to speak out despite his travails . . . He's simply a monumental figure against the death penalty in the international community."

Boyle, who has been nominating Ryan for the prestigious prize since he cleared Illinois' Death Row in 2003, said he is acting without Ryan's urging.

Was it merely a case of bad timing?

• • Translation: The swarm of Illinois lobbyists who descended on the Hilton Thursday for the annual Third House holiday party found their usual watering hole, the hotel's Kitty O'Shea's pub, closed!

"All the lobbyists have long faces as they scurry around the hotel in search of holiday cheer," quipped one wag in attendance.

DatelThe Outreach Line -- U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has her eye on the churchfolk.

• • Translation: Clinton recently hired religious voter outreach specialist Burns Strider as part of her potential presidential campaign team, according to D.C.'s The Hill.

• • The kicker: The Park Ridge-born power femme isn't the only 2008 Dem presidential hopeful eyeing evangelicals. Sen. Obama made waves recently when he spoke about AIDS at an influential California megachurch.

A trinity of Chicago sports icons: Michael Jordan and Chris Chelios were spotted enjoying bottle service together at Y Bar while former Bears sack king Richard Dent partied nearby . . . David "Friends" Schwimmer hitting the town with his good friend Billy Dec at Gibsons and at Dec's own Rockit Bar . . . Gregory Mills, Cristen Paige and the rest of the Putnam County Spelling Bee cast toasting the holidays at Viand.

Deposed House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has found a new voice.

• • Translation: The man known as "The Hammer" has started a blog at www.tomdelay.com. The Texas GOPer has already taken aim at liberals, no surprise there, and "D.C. insiders." Hmmm. Don't DeLay's 20 years in Congress make him an insider?

Today's birthdays: Adam Brody, 27; Don Johnson, 57, and Tim Conway, 73.