Matt Miller, the host of KCRW's politics show "Left, Right, and Center," announced this afternoon that he is running for the Congressional seat vacated by the retirement of Henry Waxman.

Miller, a centrist Democrat and a former White House budget official during the Clinton administration, said he would use his campaign to talk about "big challenges," such as the spiraling cost of health care, climate change, and the shortage of well-paying jobs.

Miller, who lives in Pacific Palisades, is a Washington Post columnist and the author of two books on public policy, The Two Percent Solution and The Tyranny of Dead Ideas. He also works as a communications consultant to corporations and foundations.

His columns should provide fodder for opponents, should the need arise. In a column in 2011, for instance, he set out a platform for a hypothetical third-party presidential candidate: "I want to raise your taxes, cut spending on programs you like, and force you to rethink how we run our schools, banks, armies, hospitals and elections."

Miller occupies the "center" position on "Left, Right, and Center." He announced his candidacy at the close of today's broadcast, saying he will take a leave as host to focus on the campaign.