STANFORD, Calif. (CNN) -- Comparing Sen. Barack Obama's political skills to that of former President Bill Clinton, Sen. Richard Durbin called on his political supporters Monday to urge his fellow Illinoisan to run for the Democratic presidential nomination.

"In all my years in politics, I have only met one other person who connects with people as well as Barack does: former President Bill Clinton," Durbin, an influential player in Democratic politics, wrote in an email urging them to sign an on-line petition. "That says a lot about Barack's superior skills as a politician and a leader. I have complete confidence that Barack will be able to unite Americans across our country in support of a new agenda of hope."

A recent CNN poll shows that Obama enjoys strong support from Democrats for a possible presidential bid, but still trails President Clinton's wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, by 18 percentage points.

Durbin, who is set to become the Senate Majority Whip in January, has created an on-line petition titled "Run, Barack, Run!" on his webpage for people to sign.

"Barack has said publicly that he is considering a run, and part of his consideration will doubtlessly include measuring the level of his support from Democrats across the country," Durbin wrote. "So let's show him how strong that support is."

In a statement to CNN, Obama's communications director Robert Gibbs noted the Illinois senator is considering a run.

"Senator Obama hasn't yet decided whether he will run for president, but he greatly appreciates Senator Durbin's support and counsel," Gibbs said.