Obama launches $1bn bid to run again

US PRESIDENT Barack Obama has officially opened his quest for a second White House term, calling on his supporters to reconnect after two tough years and prepare for a battle to protect his crusade of change.

Obama, now a grey-haired incumbent who has aged significantly from the early days as the prophet of hope who swept to power in 2008, set course for the November 2012 election, with an email to supporters and a video launching his “final campaign”.

“Today, we are filing papers to launch our 2012 campaign,” Obama said, in a move that will allow him to begin piling up campaign cash for what could be a $1 billion (€700 million) election.