Dodd jumps into 2008 race, calls Bush's troop surge "a mistake"

This morning, Senator Chris Dodd threw his hat into the 2008 Presidential race.

Chris Dodd is running for president, officially.

He launched his bid for the White House this morning on the Don Imus radio show, and then told the Courant he would file the papers today to become a candidate for the White House in 2008. He plans to base his campaign in Connecticut, and intends to have Attorney General Richard Blumenthal acting as state chairman and Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-3rd District, a former Dodd chief of staff, as a national co-chairmen.

He stressed today the themes he's been testing in key primary and caucus states since he began exploring a bid last year. He talked this morning about "the sense of urgency people feel," not only about the Iraq war, abut about health care, education and jobs.

Dodd also talked about his two young daughters, and how he has a responsibility to shape a better world, and said his experience and temperament make him uniquely qualified to lead the country.

"You have to have the capacity to lead and bring people together," he said, "and I have a lot of experience at that."

During his interview with Imus, Senator Dodd went over the themes of his campaign as well as let his feelings known about President Bush's plan to throw an additional 20,000 into the meat grinder.

Dodd's announcement:


Dodd on Bush's troop increase and the Kennedy proposal: