MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Former United States Senator John Durkin, of Manchester, endorsed US Senator Chris Dodd's presidenial campaign.

Durkin served one term in the US Senate from 1975 to 1981. He is the last Democrat from New Hampshire to serve in the Senate.

"I've known Chris for over 30 years and it is clear to me that he has the leadership and experience we need in our next President," said Durkin. "In a field of strong Democratic candidates, Chris has stood out in the debates and throughout this campaign as a bright, tough, and experienced candidate who can take back the White House and be ready to lead on day one. Chris has a record of standing up for America's working families and the experience to restore America's credibility throughout the world. I am proud to support his candidacy."

Democratic presidential candidate Chris Dodd, a former chair of the Democratic National Committee, said that if New Hampshire decides to hold its presidential primary in December it could hurt the state's chances to be in such a prominent position in 2012.

"Breaking the coalition of Iowa and New Hampshire would give those in the nation who oppose Iowa and New Hampshire a strong argument to get rid of it," said Dodd in an interview.

As for his presidential campaign, Dodd said he does a chance to be the nominee. Under his calculation the three top-tier candidates have to win Iowa, but only one can. So besides the winner the second big story of the night is the candidate who comes in fourth, something he is vying to be.

Dodd says that without doing well in Iowa he can't be a player in New Hampshire and beyond.

In polls throughout the year Dodd has yet to register above five percentage points. He did get some news today with the endorsement of former New Hampshire House Minority Leader Jim Craig.

Ahead of tonight's big state Democratic Party dinner, the former New Hampshire House Minority Leader and former Congressional candidate Jim Craig endorsed Chris Dodd's presidential campaign.

Craig is campaigning alongside Dodd at a number of Manchester events today.

Oddly enough one of those events will be with Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter. Shea-Porter pulled off a surprise upset against Craig in the Congressional primary last year.

Shea-Porter has said she will not endorse any presidential primary candidate.

Chris Dodd's campaign thought they were on to something. They needed campaign contribution and Red Sox Nation wanted playoff tickets. So anyone who gave a contribution of $20.04 (like the magical year) was entered into a raffle to attend game six of the current series with Dodd.

But Major League Baseball says that ticket is technically their property and they are the only ones who can give ticket promotions.

CBS News reports the contest is now off.

Chris Dodd's presidential campaign will move nearly all staff in New Hampshire to Iowa where the Democratic contest for president is the most intense, the Globe has learned.

Details as to exactly how many staff would go or stay behind is expected to be released later today. Dodd's move to focus more on Iowa comes just weeks after Democratic rival Joe Biden moved many staffers from his Delaware national headquarters to Iowa, where voters have the first shot at selecting winners.

Dodd's New Hampshire spokesman Bryan DeAngelis said the shift out of New Hampshre would be "significant", but that some resources in the state would remain.

Dave Lang, a New Hampshire co-chair for Dodd's campaign, said the move was in response to the way the campaign is progressing.

"I think this reflects the big wave everyone is expecting Iowa to have," said Lang. "Obviously that wave will then go through New Hampshire."

In a statement, another of Dodd's New Hampshire co-chairs, Joe Keefe, agreed with Lang.

“Having been involved in the New Hampshire primary for years, I have seen this before, in fact just four years I was very involved in the Kerry campaign when they made a similar decision to focus on Iowa, and that worked," said Keefe. "Every campaign at some point shifts resources to where they are needed most, but I am confident with the structure we have put in place and the good will we have built up, we will do well on Primary Day.”

Democratic presidential candidate Chris Dodd said he wants American troops out of Iraq by April 30 and that he "wasn't impressed" by the testimony from General Petraeus.

"I don't have any more patience," Dodd, a Connecticut Senator, said of the surge strategy in Iraq.

On an conference call with reporters from early primary states, Dodd said he favors a plan to remove nearly all troops from Iraq by April 30.

"It pains me to say that this Administration's Iraq policy, including the surge tactic, is a failure and that failure is reconfirmed everyday by unfolding events in Iraq," he said.

The founder of the most popular Democratic blog on New Hampshire politics endorsed Chris Dodd's presidential campaign, he announced on his website, BlueHampshire.com.

Dean Barker, a high school teacher who lives in the Upper Valley, quickly become one of New Hampshire most influential Democrats as his blog gained in popularity. Modeled after the national Daily Kos, Blue Hampshire allows to multiple users to blog and comment.

In a sign of it's influence most many Democratic presidential campaigns heavily post on the page and in recent months the former state Democratic Party Chair and the current chair have become active users.

Barker said he chose Dodd because: "Chris Dodd is the strongest proponent of the progressive issues that matter most to me, and I trust him to carry those issues forward as President."

Another "Tale from the Trail" from Brian Lawson:

Speaking before a Manchester Fire Engine and surrounded by firefighters from throughout New England, Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd gained the endorsement of the IAFF. The IAFF is often credited with saving John Kerry's 2004 campaign.

What: Senator Chris Dodd/IAFF rally that highlights the IAFF's support for Chris Dodd.

Where: Manchester Fire Station 7

How many people: 125 firefighters wearing their signature gold and black t-shirts

Why would the IAFF support a candidate who is currently in the second-tier: "We pick the person we think should be the next president of the United States, the person who will be the next president of the United States. The person that has the skills, strength and courage to be the next president of the United States," IAFF president Harold Schaitberger.

Chris Dodd's favorite Chili recipe: "Any chili that is made in a New Hampshire firehouse."

Best quote of the event: "I love people with guts, I love people who got courage. They don't sit around looking at the polls or think about who should win. They say who ought to win," said Schaitberger.

In what might be the most significant moment in his struggling presidential campaign Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd is set to receive the endorsement of the powerful International Association of Fire Fighters tomorrow, the organization's president told the Globe.

"You are looking at a field of strong candidates we all have relationships with," said Harold Schaitberger. "But we go to the core principles of who is the candidate that has truly earned our union support.

"Chris Dodd earned it," he said.

Schaitberger said that not only has Dodd been voting for fire fighters he has been authoring bills.

"He started back in 1976 writing bills for us in the Connecticut legislature," said Schaitberger.

The fire fighter endorsement is one of the most coveted because of their ability to organize and stand by their candidate even when the political waters are rough. In 2003 they were the most visible union sticking by Senator John Kerry when his support in polls were in the single digits and helped him recover to be the nominee.

"Chris Dodd has been under the radar so far and this news could be the very thing that could allow him to pop up and for people to take a second look," said Wayne Lesperance, a political science professor at New England College.

Chris Dodd's presidential campaign announced the addition of 16 people to its New Hampshire steering committee.

Among those added were Art Gatzoulis, a prominent Manchester lawyer, and environmental activist Robert Z. Norman, a Dartmouth professor. Gatzoulis chaired the last campaign for influential state Senator Lou D'Allesandro, who has yet to endorse a presidential candidate.

There are now more than 60 members on the steering committee.

Chris Dodd picked up a pair of New Hampshire endorsements this week for his presidential campaign.

Today the campaign announced Concord State Representative Mary Stuart Gile, a six-term incumbent, is supporting the Connecticut Senator.

Earlier in the week he earned the endorsement of Peter Glenshaw, a co-founder of the liberal grassroots group Democracy for New Hampshire.

CONCORD, N.H. -- US Senator Chris Dodd met with environmental activists today, telling them that he would use the clout of the presidency to make energy and the environment key issues.

"The power of the presidency is not just the regulations in the agencies you can impose, but it is also the 'bully pulpit' and the example you can set," Dodd said to about 50 people at the Sierra Club's New Hampshire headquarters.

Dodd has among the most aggressive energy plans of all the presidential candidates. He wants to set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. In order to accomplish this he would tax companies based on how much carbon pollution they produce.

He also said that as president he would require the entire fleet of government vehicles to be more energy efficient and elevate the Environmental Protection Agency to be a cabinet level post.

Chris Dodd's campaign picked up the support of State Representative Emma Rous, a Durham Democrat, and she will head up his group Educators for Dodd.

The Concord City Chair Erika Thorsell has also joined the Dodd steering committee after being listed as a Hillary Clinton supporter.

Other Dodd supporters include:

- Rolf Bremer - Chair, Brookline Democratic Committee (Brookline)
- Shannon Chandley - Democratic Activist (Amherst)
- Matt Conley - Democratic Activist (Merrimack)
- Larry Finkelstein, Ph.D. - Democratic Activist (Nashua)
- John Hattan - Secretary, Concord City Democratic Committee (Concord)
- Gail Mitchell - Early leading organizer and volunteer campaign aide for Carol Shea-Porter for Congress, 2006 (Barrington)
- Mark Mitchell - Retired 23-year veteran NH State Police Detective, Barrington Town Democratic Chair (Barrington)
- Tom Silvia - Democratic Activist (Amherst)

Chris Dodd is scheduled to visit New Hampshire this weekend where he will give what his campaign calls a major policy speech on public service.

Dodd will give his speech outside of the Nashua City Hall, where a statue marks the site of John F. Kennedy's first campaign speech for president.

Dodd served in the Peace Corps, a program Kennedy created.

In addition to his speech, Dodd will also attend a house party at state Senator Lou D'Allesandro's home and a town meeting with US Representative Carol Shea-Porter.

In addition the campaign announced today he added six more New Hampshire field staffers.

Chris Dodd's presidential campaign named 35 people to his New Hampshire Steering Committee, many of which represent never before named endorsements.

The committee is headed up by former Congressman Norm D'Amours and former New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Joe Keefe.

Other members include:

State Rep. Mike Brunelle - Former Executive Director, Manchester City Democratic Committee (Manchester)
• State Rep. Mike Farley - Former John Kerry '04 NH Steering Committee Member, Democratic Activist (Manchester)
• State Rep. Maureen Nagle - Administrator, NH Community Technical College (Manchester)
• State Rep. Mike O'Brien - Deputy Fire Chief, Nashua Fire and Rescue (Nashua)
• State Rep. Sandra Smith - (Manchester)
• State Rep. Dan Sullivan - Lieutenant, Manchester Fire Department (Manchester)
• State Rep. Frank Sullivan - Retired Teacher (Manchester)
• Kathleen Kelley - Manchester School Board Member-at-Large (Manchester)
• Sherri Basso - Democratic Activist (Hampton)
• Dan Calegari - Former NH Field Director for Gary Hart '84, veteran of five NH Presidential Primaries, Small Business Owner (Deerfield)
• Beth Campbell - Former 1st Vice Chair, NH State Employees Association, Treasurer, Merrimack County Democrats, Co-Chair NH Democratic Party Labor Caucus (Concord)
• Janet Cataldo - Democratic Activist (Hooksett)
• Pat Clark - Democratic Activist (Tilton)
• Fran Egbers - Former State Representative (Manchester)
• Edward and Mary Lou Grevatt - Democratic Activists (Gilford)
• Kevin Hampsey - Vice Chair, Jaffrey Democratic Committee (Jaffrey)
• Skip Hebert - Retired Captain, Manchester Fire Department, Democratic Activist (Hooksett)
• Dick Kelley - Small Business owner (Manchester)
• Patsy Kendall - Treasurer, Plymouth Area Democrats (Plymouth)
• Chris Kennedy - NH State Senate Legislative Aide, veteran of the 2006 NH Senate Democratic Caucus Field Operation for the Lakes Region (Manchester)
• Mike Knapp - President, Dartmouth College for Dodd (Hanover)
• Scott D. McGuffin - Attorney, Activist (Northfield)
• Valery Mitchell - Former John Kerry '04 NH Steering Committee Member and Organizer of Democratic Network (Concord)
• Richard Molan - Esq., Attorney, Cook and Molan, P.A. (Concord)
• Henry Mullaney - Town Democratic Chair (New Boston)
• Bill Murray - Democratic Activist (Alton)
• Bobbi Ricci - Democratic Activist (Exeter)
• Sara Smith - Treasurer, New London Democratic Committee (New London)
• Joe Sullivan - Manchester Ward 12 Democratic Committee, Retired Teacher (Manchester)
• Lisa Sullivan - Vice President, New Hampshire Association of Nurse Anesthetists (Manchester)
• Cynthia Sweeney - NH Democratic Party State Committee member, Treasurer, Sullivan County Democratic Committee, Former State Representative (Charlestown)
• Barbara Tsairis - Former Lobbyist, NH Women's Lobby, Dean Delegate to 2004 Democratic National Convention, Seacoast Activist (Exeter)

While campaigning in New Hampshire Friday, we caught up with Democratic presidential candidate Chris Dodd. Amid questions on Iraq, health care, and the global economy, we asked how he, a Connecticut Senator, navigated the entrenched Red-Blue divide in his home state: the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry.

See his answer below.

HOOKSETT, N.H. -- Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, a Democratic candidate for president, said in New Hampshire today the presidency wasn't a place for on the job training.

"We need leadership and we need it now," said Dodd.

The comment might have been a subtle dig to Illinois Senator Barack Obama who was also campaigning in the state on Friday. Obama has been criticized by his rivals for not being experienced enough to be an effective president.

Dodd's speech to the World Affairs Council at Southern New Hampshire University kicked off three days of campaigning.

He will visit the state's North Country and western border of Vermont on Saturday and Sunday.

During his speech, Dodd repeated his support for a timetable to get troops out of Iraq in one year. He also said he supports alternative energy.

"Getting energy right is about the future," said Dodd.

Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd is preparing to spend three days in New Hampshire this weekend as he seeks the Democratic nomination for president.

Dodd will in the state all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. On Friday, he will give a policy speech to the World Affairs Council at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester. He will spend the rest of the trip at small "kitchen table" events in Nashua, Manchester, Conway, Plymouth, Hanover, Littleton, and Claremont.

Former New Hampshire Congressman Norman D'Amours today endorsed Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd for the Democratic presidential nomination.

D'Amours was in Congress from 1975 to 1985. Currently he is a lobbyist in Washington.

Dodd is scheduled to campaign in New Hampshire Tuesday and Wednesday.

Due to the Noreaster, Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd has canceled a Saturday morning event scheduled in Bedford.

Dodd was to attend a "meet and greet" at Old Bedford Town Hall at 10am. All other events on his schedule for Saturday and Sunday are still on.

For a full list of all New Hampshire primary events please check out this site on Boston.com"

Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd named four people, including Connecticut Representative Rosa DeLauro, to serve as national co-chairs of his presidential campaign.

Serving with DeLauro, who once was Dodd's chief-of-staff, are California Representative Xavier Becerra; former National Conference for Community and Justice President and CEO Sanford Cloud, Jr.; and former Tennessee Senator James Sasser.

Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, a Democrat, has hired staff for his presidential campaign in Iowa, ahead of a trip to New Hampshire in two weeks.

Dodd hired a press secretary and a state director in Iowa. He has a small number of staff in New Hampshire, including state political director Sean Downey.

He is scheduled to be in the Granite State on March 17-18, where he will be the keynote speaker at Manchester Democrats’ annual St. Patrick’s Day breakfast.

BEDFORD, N.H. – Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, a Democratic presidential candidate, said that above all else the next US president must have experience in Washington and a proven record.

Dodd spoke to an audience of around 80 business leaders at the classic New Hampshire primary stop “Politics and Eggs” sponsored by the New Hampshire Political Library and the New England Council.

“Where you come from is interesting, but what you do in those jobs is more important,” said Dodd.

Dodd was wrapping up a two-day visit to New Hampshire, site of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary.

US Representative Patrick Kennedy yesterday endorsed the presidential campaign of his father's old friend, Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd.

In a statement released by Dodd's campaign for president, the younger Kennedy said he and Senator Dodd "share a special bond of camaraderie".

Kennedy stressed the decades of experience Dodd, who was elected to Senate in 1980, would bring to the White House.

"Senator Dodd has a breadth of experience in both foreign and domestic affairs and the vision to lead this country," said Kennedy.

Patrick Kennedy's endorsement may not mean all that much -- in 2004, he skipped over family friend John Kerry to endorse Dick Gephardt's unsuccessful campaign -- but it may provide a hint as to who his father might support in the primary for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Senator Kennedy is close to Dodd, but Dodd has so far done little to show that he's a viable candidate. Senator Kennedy has often seemed to relish his king-making role in the Democratic Party, and is expected to give a long look to Senators Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois, both of whom serve on his health committee.

NASHUA, N.H. – Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, a Democrat, said he often thought about what it would be like to stand in front of an audience of an early primary state as an announced candidate for president.

He got that wish over the weekend in New Hampshire with a busy schedule of events all over the state on Saturday and Sunday. But as he kicked-off his first event, a breakfast with 60 Democratic activists in Nashua, the discussion wasn’t so much about him as it was about Senator Hillary Clinton, who less than an hour earlier announced she was forming a presidential exploratory committee.

Dodd didn’t specifically reference Clinton in his remarks but appeared to refer to her when he asserted that he was playing it straight with voters in the Granite State by being a full-fledged candidate and not someone exploring the presidency, as Clinton is doing.

“I am not much for sticking your toe in, then your ankle and then your knee. You either make the decision to do it or not to do it and I made the decision to be a Democratic candidate for president and I am going to be asking for your help,” said Dodd.

What seemed to bother Dodd more than Clinton, however, was the breakfast menu. As he rose to the podium at the Nashua Crowne Plaza, he held up his plate of eggs, bacon, and potatoes.

“I suspect that someone is trying to do me in here,” joked Dodd.

Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, a Democrat, will announce Thursday morning that he will run for president, the Associated Press reports.

Dodd visited New Hampshire only once last year.