Updated: 22 January, 3.30 pm Eastern
Add Brownback and Richardson To The Mix
A crowded field for President in 2008 grew more crowded this weekend as Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM) announced their intentions.

Brownback, like Barack Obama, is new to national politics, having been elected to the Senate in 2004 to replace Bob Dole. Richardson, on the other hand, is a former ambassador to the UN and Energy Secretary, both appointments in the Clinton Administration. For 15 years, he represented northern NM (3rd district) in Congress. He was recently re-elected to a second term as governor of New Mexico.

Originally Posted: 20 Jan, 4 pm Eastern
Presidential exploratory committee or not, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) says "I'm in, and I'm in to win." She joins Sen. Barak Obama (D-IL) and a host of others vying for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination.

AP reports that she already has $14 million in her campaign chest. I'm guessing that Obama's announcement this week that he is seeking contributions was a factor in Clinton's announcement.

Clinton made the announcement on her website, which now reads "Hillary For President" (it had read "Hillary Rodham Clinton for Senate"). From her statement:

As a senator, I will spend two years doing everything in my power to limit the damage George W. Bush can do. But only a new president will be able to undo Bush's mistakes and restore our hope and optimism.

Only a new president can renew the promise of America -- the idea that if you work hard you can count on the health care, education, and retirement security that you need to raise your family. These are the basic values of America that are under attack from this administration every day.

And only a new president can regain America's position as a respected leader in the world.

Similar themes to John Edwards, who declared in December.

I have very mixed feelings about her candidacy. As a woman "of a certain age," I am thrilled that society has changed to a point where it's possible to think that a woman might sit in the White House during my lifetime. I remember the raised eyebrows over Geraldine Ferraro's vice presidential bid. [Note: she was also from NY.] I've also noted to friends that if Bush and Cheney were impeached, we'd get our first woman president in the person of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), so it's clear that women are moving into more visible positions of elected leadership.

But it feels like Hillary is a polarizing figure. Maybe it's simply because she's female. Maybe it's because people were unhappy with her husband -- either his politics or his philandering. I don't know if this divisiveness is a media effect, or if it's a perception that she can overcome in less than two years. But I expect it to color campaign rhetoric. I don't look forward to more SwiftBoating. And I look at Tim Griffin's appointment as an Arkansas US Attorney with an even more jaundiced eye.

What do you think? What is the possibility she will be the 2008 Democratic candidate? If so, what are her chances -- is mainstream America ready for a woman in the White House?

Also, see: Hillary Clinton Profile, US Liberals Guide; election central for US Politics; for US Liberals; Women In Politics; Republican Presidential Hopefuls, Civil Liberties; Presidential Candidates and U.S. Foreign Policy, US Foreign Policy

Technorati Profile