Ben Smith reports the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is set to endorse Senator Chris Dodd for President. This is surprising, given that the IAFF is a substantial player in labor politics and Dodd is - how to put this as tenderly as possible - less than a substantial player in the Democratic presidential primary.

Anything can happen, certainly, between now and next January. But it's not often you see a major labor union picking such a long shot this early in the race. The smart money says the IAFF just placed a losing bet.