Obama campaign going it alone

Barack Obama and his campaign team are making fateful decisions with huge potential for rising up to bite them.

First was the decision to eschew federal campaign funds, after pledging to do so for the general election. This "new paradigm" leader, in one stroke, became just another money-grubbing pol.

Now Obama has told Democrats in Colorado, and presumably in other states as well, that he will run his own campaign in the state, and not coordinate with the state party and the rest of the ticket. In what is expected to be a very tight race in Colorado, this could quell just enough enthusiasm to tilt the state to John McCain. George Bush narrowly carried the state in 2006, as John Kerry pretty well wrote it off, so it was thought Obama would find the state ripe for a major push.

Disappointed local Democrats may well sit on their hands, and cost Obama crucial insider enthusiasm and extra effort. Just going through the motions won't be good enough for him to Colorado.

A double whammy for Colorado Democrats from Obama is his seeming failure to dig in on the local committee organizing the Democratic National Convention here in August and its need to raise some $15 million to make the confab solvent. Traditionally the anointed presidential candidate digs in to help the local host committee raise funds.

No such luck with Obama, who will have to prove it to party leaders, that he can abandon the party machinery and still expect their enthusiastic support in November. Grudging "of course I back Obama" speech with no action won't cut it.