All Blog Posts from Horserace

Chris Dodd’s attempt earlier this week to boost his fundraising has struck out swinging. On Wednesday we reported that Dodd, a fan of the Boston Red Sox, was offering anyone who donated at least $20.04 to his campaign the chance to be entered into a raffle to win a ticket to Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park to watch the Red Sox face the Cleveland Indians.

But, apparently, Major League Baseball didn’t like the sound of this gimmick once they caught wind. According to an e-mail Dodd sent to his supporters, posted on the blog Don’t Tell The Donor, the tickets are technically the property of Major League Baseball, which has strict rules about promotional giveaways, and asked the campaign to suspend the contest.

Dodd spokeswoman Colleen Flanagan told CBS News that those who already forked over the cash can get their money back or remain entered in a contest to spend a day with Dodd on the trail in either Iowa or New Hampshire. Flanagan didn’t say how much money the promotion had netted the campaign before its abrupt end.

Listen up, members of Red Sox Nation: Democrat Chris Dodd wants to take one of his supporters to Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park against the Cleveland Indians. The cost? Only $20.04 … or a lot of time persuading your friends to visit Dodd’s Web site.

Dodd, who says he’s been a Red Sox fan all his life, made the offer today. Anyone donating at least $20.04 – representing the last time the Red Sox won the World Series – or getting 24 people to sign up at Dodd’s Web site will be entered in a drawing to attend the game with Dodd.

Entrants may hope for a Red Sox sweep over the Indians, however. If there is no Game 6, the winner gets to attend Game 2 of the World Series.. assuming, of course, that the Red Sox make it that far. If they get eliminated, the prize isn’t quite as glamorous – in that case, the winner gets to spend a day with Dodd in either New Hampshire or Iowa.

As anyone who’s been to a game at Fenway knows, Red Sox fans are a ferociously loyal group of people, and many may eagerly pay $20.04 for a chance to see a sold-out ALCS game – even ones who don’t support Dodd, or even know who he is.

Move over, Joe Biden: Chris Dodd would like to offer two cents about Bill Richardson.

Dodd’s campaign released a statement critiquing what it saw as bad math by the New Mexico governor, reports CBSNews.com's Joy Lin. Seizing upon today’s launch of “NoTroopsBehind.com,” an official website endorsed by the Richardson campaign, the Dodd camp pointed out that just last week Richardson suggested that he would keep some troops in Iraq to protect the American embassy.

The statement also noted that Richardson said he would support leaving up to 5,000 troops in Iraq in July.

“When does ‘zero’ = up to 5000?” asked the Dodd campaign.

“There’s nothing new here,” Richardson spokesperson Tom Reynolds told CBS News. “We have consistently said we would leave a Marine contingent to protect the embassy. That is different from residual combat troops.”