Big news for Obama, from Lynn Sweet:

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Oprah Winfrey is poised to campaign for White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in Iowa and New Hampshire, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

Obama made the disclosure while working a crowd at Central High School here, after delivering an education policy speech. A man, Ralph Hoagland, asked Obama—who was mingling and shaking hands– if Oprah was going to stump for Obama in New Hampshire.

“First she’s coming to Iowa,” Obama told Hoagland, who in 1963 was a co-founder of what is now the giant CVS pharmacy chain. “But we’ll talk about it. We’ll get her up here.”

A woman piped up. “We need her here.”

“Is she thinking of not coming up to New Hampshire?” Hoagland asked?

Obama replied, “No, no no. We’re just doing it one state at a time.”

Big news for Oprah too, since she’s never really gotten this politically involved before as to actually stump for a specific candidate.

Nationally, Oprah’s endorsement hasn’t done all that much. However, for her to start campaigning for him on the local level in the early states that count could possibly give him an edge. I stress possibly.