Concord – In his second day as an official 2008 presidential candidate, self-described longshot Democrat Tom Vilsack yesterday bore down on well-known likely Republican contender John McCain over the Iraq war.

In an apparent effort to get noticed quickly in the first-primary state and to attract the attention of independent voters who strongly backed McCain's 2000 presidential run, Vilsack said the Arizona senator's call for increasing troop levels in Iraq would "make a big mistake bigger."

Vilsack, the 56-year-old outgoing two-term Iowa governor, also talked about lessons he learned from a difficult childhood as he continued introducing himself to the Granite State.

Taken from an orphanage by "loving but troubled" parents, he said, "I know what it feels like to be alone and I know what it feels like to feel like you don't belong."

Vilsack told a group of students and faculty at the New Hampshire Technical Institute that sending troops to Iraq "was a colossal mistake, and there are some who are suggesting we ought to make it an even bigger mistake." McCain has reportedly proposed as many as 100,000 additional troops.

"We've stretched our military too thin," Vilsack said, "and I'm not quite sure where Senator McCain thinks we can get these troops. I think he is wrong." Vilsack refused to speculate on whether McCain will be the GOP nominee.

Vilsack would withdraw an unspecified number of troops from Iraq and redeploy others from the southern and central regions to the north. He said such a move would be a hedge against region-wide instability, ensure that Turkey will not meddle in the area and would back up diplomatic efforts to convince Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

Vilsack said the Iraqi people are "essentially using America either as an excuse or reason not to confront the problem they themselves must confront. Eventually, they have to decide for themselves: Do they want safety and security or not?"

Vilsack said that as a governor, he expects to face questions about his knowledge of foreign policy.

"I know this," he said, "The current direction of our country is not one that we're very excited about. We don't like the notion that people around the world don't like us, are not inspired by us, and some fear us."

He said the Bush administration's foreign policy "has basically isolated the United States," while he believes foreign policy "ought to be about building friendships and relationships and alliances."

Stressing what appears to be a central theme of his campaign, Vilsack lauded the gains made by Democrats in the Nov. 7 election and told the community college group he will "challenge you to get engaged in this process, to continue to work to make sure the job gets fully done."

He also spoke broadly about improving access to health care and weaning the nation from its dependence on "an energy supply that we don't control."

Vilsack also said, "We need to make sure that our schools are not only held accountable, and are not only doing well on a standardized test, but that we in fact become more creative and more innovative everyday."

Vilsack, accompanied by his wife, Christie, and his two sons, said he was orphaned as a youngster and then adopted by parents who separated after his mother became addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs.

He and his father "had a declining standard of living," he said. "We moved from a big house to a little house to a duplex to an apartment."

He said he was taught about each individual's "power to create change" by his mother, who eventually overcame her addictions. When his parents reunited, he said, he learned. "You never give up on people, on family, on things that really matter to you."

Vilsack and his small entourage moved from the community college to the State House, where he inspected the relics in the Hall of Flags and historic portraits on the walls. He informally met in the cafeteria for about an hour with about 20 Democratic legislators, including Rep. Terie Norelli, the next House speaker, and several college students. He called the Democratic gains in the New Hampshire election "remarkable."

Later, Vilsack visited Concord High School, GT Solar Inc. in Merrimack and then a reception hosted by supporter Gary Hirshberg in Concord. He was then scheduled to fly to his native Pennsylvania for the next leg of his announcement tour.

Vilsack said he intended to campaign in all states, but said New Hampshire's leadoff primary and Iowa's first caucus will be "enhanced" by the national Democratic Party's addition of Nevada and South Carolina to the early nominating calendar.