CHRIS DODD UPDATE: Dodd could face serious challenge in re-election bid.

Incumbent Democratic Sen. Christopher J. Dodd is up for re-election next year, and will likely face the stiffest challenge in his political career. This could prove to be as big — maybe bigger — than U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s 2006 re-election bid. . . .

Dodd’s popularity in the state has fallen as quickly and as sharply as the Dow Jones. His approval ratings are below 50 percent for the first time in his political career. And he still has to deal with the controversy surrounding the preferential treatment on two home mortgages he received. He’s promised to release all the documents related to the Countrywide VIP program once the Senate Ethics Committee completes its investigation.

Of course, there’s no actual reason for him to wait until then, except that he doesn’t want you to see them now. And this is fun:

In fact, there’s already a grassroots effort coming out of Woodbury called Dump Dodd 2010. They’ve registered with the Federal Elections Commission as a Political Action Committee, allowing them to raise money and contribute to a potential challenger; they’ve launched a Web page (www.dumpchrisdodd.com), and they’re hawking Dump Dodd buttons and bumper stickers. (The material on the Web page is not flattering or unbiased in its view of the senator. It’s slanted to cast the senator in the most unfavorable light possible — surprise.)

They’re also urging supporters to write letters to the editor to their local newspapers expressing their disappointment and disapproval of the senator — and mentioning the Web page in those letters — in an effort to recruit supporters for the movement.

It looks like another hard-fought Senate campaign is shaping up here in the land of steady habits.

Stay tuned.