NEW YORK - Democratic Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton entered the 2008 U.S. presidential race yesterday with a swipe at President George W. Bush as she capped years of speculation about her White House ambitions.

"I'm in. And I'm in to win," said the former first lady, who is aiming to become the first woman elected U.S. president.

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The second-term U.S. senator from New York leads a pool of five Democratic hopefuls including Illinois Senator Barack Obama, who is expected to be her main competitor within the party and whose bid could make him the first black president.

Clinton promptly took aim at the the unpopular Republican she wants to replace in the White House when his second, and final, four-year term expires.

"After six years of George Bush, it is time to renew the promise of America," she said in a videotaped message on her Web site.

The wife of former President Bill Clinton made history with her bid for U.S. Senate in New York in 2000, becoming the first former first lady to win one of the most powerful political jobs in the United States.

Clinton, 59, was re-elected by a huge margin to a second Senate term in November and is seen as a front-runner among Democratic contenders.

She took a first step toward becoming a candidate for her party's nomination yesterday by announcing plans for a presidential exploratory committee, which allows her to raise money and hire staff.

"I am not just starting a campaign though, I am beginning a conversation with you, with America," she said.

Bush was elected to a second four-year term in 2004 but by law cannot run again. The unpopular war in Iraq has driven his job approval ratings to record lows.

In a preview of the campaign to come, Clinton hammered at what she called "six years of Bush administration failures."

"I have never been afraid to stand up for what I believe in or to face down the Republican machine," she wrote. "Only a new president will be able to undo Bush's mistakes and restore our hope and optimism ... Let's talk about how to bring the right end to the war in Iraq and restore respect for America around the world," she said on tape.

Her announcement came days after a similar move by Obama, who issued a statement calling her a "good friend and a colleague whom I greatly respect. ... I welcome her and all the candidates, not as competitors, but as allies in the work of getting our country back on track," he said.