I'M SHOCKED THAT THIS IS GOING ON IN OUR WHITE HOUSE – AT 10:37 A.M. ET:  From The Politico:

President Barack Obama’s top advisers are quietly laying the groundwork for the 2012 reelection campaign, which is likely to be run out of Chicago and managed by White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina, according to Democrats familiar with the discussions.

The planning for now consists entirely of private conversations, with Obama aides at all levels indulging occasionally in closed-door 2012 discussions while focusing ferociously on the midterm elections and health care reform, the Democratic sources said. “The gathering storm is the 2010 elections,” one top official said.

But the sources said Obama has given every sign of planning to run again and wants the next campaign to resemble the highly successful 2008 effort.

Planning to run again?  When did he ever stop running?  This White House is one long campaign.

Anita Dunn, former White House communications director, will be intimately involved, too.

Hey, wait.  Isn't she the one who was forced out for making a fool of herself, like saying kindly things about Chairman Mao?  I guess they think we'll forget.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer and senior adviser Valerie Jarrett are likely to remain at the president’s side in Washington, while exercising major influence over the campaign.

And why not?  When people volunteer to go down with the ship, you've got to repay them.

Get this:

The themes for Obama’s campaign are not yet chosen, but a top adviser said not to expect a radical surprise: “He knows who he is."

The trouble is, we don't.

February 24, 2010