Clinton says 'I'm in' for U.S. presidential race
Updated Sat. Jan. 20 2007 9:43 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Former first lady and current Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton launched her 2008 bid for the U.S. presidency today.
Clinton made the announcement on her website Saturday morning.
"I'm in. And I'm in to win. Today I am announcing that I will form an exploratory committee to run for president," Clinton said on the site.
"And I want you to join me not just for the campaign but for a conversation about the future of our country -- about the bold but practical changes we need to overcome six years of Bush administration failures."
The announcement comes just days after Sen. Barack Obama ended speculation and announced his intention to try and become the first black president.
Clinton is considered the front-runner in the race. In addition to Obama, the field so far includes 2004 vice presidential nominee John Edwards and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who would be the first Hispanic. He intends to announce his plans on Sunday, AP reports.
Clinton is in good field position. According to AP, she has millions in the bank, a vast support network, and consistently finishes at the top of the polls among the other contenders.
She will also be the first presidential spouse to run for the job. Former president Bill Clinton, Hillary's husband, spent two terms in office, from 1993 to 2001, and still enjoys rock star-like popularity.
Clinton, a 59-year-old former Arkansas attorney, has equally dedicated supporters and detractors.
She is often compared to her husband, and critics say she falls short in terms of natural charisma and warmth, and is overly cautious and calculating.
Among Democrats, many feel she is unelectable in a general election because of her long history in public life. She is best known for standing by her husband through his marital infidelity, and for a disastrous 1993 attempt to overhaul the U.S. health care system.
Others, however, argue that Clinton's intelligence, experience, work ethic and immense understanding of government policy outweigh any perceived weaknesses.
Clinton won a landslide victory in 2000 in her first run for Senate in New York, a state in which she had never lived.