Oprah mulls ‘broader’ Obama campaign role

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey is reportedly in talks about taking a “broader role� in the presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

Winfrey, whose daily TV show is produced in Chicago, endorsed Obama in May for the Democratic presidential nomination. She is in discussions with his advisers on the possibility of acting as a surrogate on the campaign trail, The Washington post reported Wednesday.

Winfrey -- the wealthiest African-American in the United States -- will play host Saturday to her first-ever presidential fundraiser at her 42-acre estate in Montecito, Calif. The event is expected to raise more than $3 million for Obama’s campaign, the newspaper said.

Neither the Winfrey nor the Obama camp has spoken publicly about the talks over her possible role in the campaign, but the idea of her appearing in commercials for Obama is “very much in play,� the Post reported.

Speaking recently with Larry King on CNN, Winfrey suggested her celebrity would be a more valuable commodity than money to the campaign.

"My money isn't going to make any difference,� said Winfrey. “My value to him -- my support of him -- is probably worth more than any other check that I could write."