Obama launches Internet grassroots push

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama's Internet-based grassroots lobbying organization is still a work in progress even as it is officially launched, participants say.

The effort, called Organizing for America, has been set up under the Democratic National Committee and is meant to redirect Obama's precedent-setting online campaign machinery to helping him accomplish broad changes in healthcare, environmental and fiscal policy, The New York Times reported Monday.

Officially launched Friday, it envisions Obama supporters talking, sending e-mail and texting to friends and neighbors to mold public opinion as they did to support his candidacy. But an aide says fundamental questions have yet to be answered about how it will run and what exactly organizers are hoping to accomplish.

"This has obviously never been undertaken before," Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said in the video sent to supporters. "So it's going to be a little trial and error," adding the group had not yet settled on a budget or begun serious fundraising.

Plouffe says he wants to have a relatively small staff with representatives in most states, the Times reported.