By Bill Raack, KWMU
St. Louis – Illinois' U.S. Senate candidate Barack Obama has been selected to give the keynote address at the Democratic national convention.
Obama is scheduled to speak on July 27th, the second night of the convention.
He says he is honored by the invitation, and finds it to be an enormous responsibility.
"One of the things that I'm planning to do I think is try to give voice to all the families in Illinois that I'm meeting and that are trying to make ends meet," Obama said. "And I think those stories are so powerful that it gives me confidence in being able to deliver this address."
John Kerry's campaign says Obama was selected because he is a leader of the next generation of Democratic politicians.
The four-day convention takes place in Boston, starting July 26.