IowaPolitics.com BlogWatch

The Presidential candidates have long since left town, but at least one person (or at least her campaign) forgot to take care of something. She apparently didn't pay her bills. We're hearing Hillary Clinton has been a little tardy in that area. Top Job Services, a cleaning company in West Des Moines, said the campaign stiffed him for $7561 (that includes service and late fees) for cleaning both Clinton campaign offices in Des Moines over three months. ... The campaign called Reese again Monday and said the check had been mailed. Reese told us he never had any similar problems with Chris Dodd's campaign. In fact, he told us he cleaned Dodd's office, as well as the home the Dodds rented in Des Moines. Dodd's campaign paid him promptly, he said. He added that whenever he went to the Dodds' temporary home t0 clean, Jackie Dodd always had a check on a counter waiting for him.

Labels: Chris_Dodd, Hillary_Clinton

Contrary to news reports from state and national media, three of Iowa's Democratic campaigns want their supporters to know that no blanket campaign directive has been issued, instructing supporters to throw support behind a different candidate during tonight's caucus. "If Iowans are independent enough to have chosen me from the field of candidates, I'm quite sure they have the ability to make an independent second choice as well," said Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd. The campaign for Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, offered similar sentiments.

Labels: Bill_Richardson, Chris_Dodd, Joe_Biden

Christopher Dodd rapped three other Democratic U.S. Senate members
running for president for not being in Washington to help him quash a
proposal he says violates the Constitution. Dodd, a U.S. senator from
Connecticut and White House hopeful, has been an outspoken critic of
warrantless wiretapping. He's working to defeat a proposal that would
give immunity to telecommunications companies that voluntarily handed
over years' worth of private phone, fax and e-mail records of American
citizens to the federal government without a court order.

Labels: Chris_Dodd

This evening while under threat of a filibuster mounted by Connecticut
Sen. Chris Dodd, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada,
tabled the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act bill that contained
retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies that provided
access without warrants to the current White House administration's
program of domestic wiretapping. The bill, which will expire in
February unless re-authorized, is expected to come back before the
Senate in January...

Labels: Chris_Dodd

I was out covering Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama's appearances in the metro, when I got a phone call. Our 10pm producer told me I had a delivery waiting for me downstairs at the front desk at our station. They were from Chris Dodd, he told me. "What?", I said, the obvious response. Apparently, Dodd's campaign sent me over two cheese pizzas as a friendly gesture for the final month of the caucus season. I could almost smell them. Too bad I never got to taste them. By the time I got back to the station, they were gone. Every last piece of cheese. Thanks for the thought.

Labels: Chris_Dodd

When the presidential candidates release plans to deal with important issues, such as education, global warming, or veterans' affairs, the Des Moines Register more often than not buries the story in the middle pages of the Metro Iowa section. That is especially true for the second-tier candidates. Tuesday morning I picked up the Register and saw a photo of Chris Dodd and Joe Biden on the front page of the main section. Wow, that's unusual. But what do you think the story was about? 'Both Dodd, a senator from Connecticut, and Biden, a senator from Delaware, each are hoping to emerge and knock out a front-runner. But both facing an increasing amount of questions about whether they are different enough for voters to tell them apart.'

Labels: Chris_Dodd, Joe_Biden

Labels: Barack_Obama, Bill_Richardson, Chet_Culver, Chris_Dodd, Hillary_Clinton, IDP, Joe_Biden, John_Edwards, Tom_Harkin

Democrats in Iowa this week continue to promise your tax money to
others. In just the last 48 hours Chris Dodd has said that he will
spend at least another $48 billion for Veteran's Benefits. Hey, at
least the people getting this benefit actually contributed something
to the larger nation for which they should be rewarded. Moreover, Dodd
is also talking about a defined group rather than a social entitlement
for everyone. Barack Obama promises far greater federal generosity.
Obama has offered plans to convert the Family Medical Leave Act into a
welfare entitlement, with paid leave instead of unpaid leave.

Labels: Barack_Obama, Chris_Dodd, taxes

Last night, I attened a Bio-Economy Conference Forum on the campus of
Iowa State University. The event, which was held in Hilton Coliseum,
featured four presidential candidates: Senator John McCain, Senator
Joe Biden, Senator Christopher Dodd and Congressman Dennis Kucinich.
Former Senator John Edwards was scheduled to also attend, but at the
last minute, had to bail out. The conference was a multi-day event and
this was, to the best of my knowledge, kind of the cap to it all. I
estimated about 250 attendees and then they allowed the general public
to sit in the seats to hear the speeches. I would estimate somewhere
between 300 and 400 people sat there. Thus, the candidates in
attendance got audiences that certainly surpassed 500 or 600 people.

Labels: Chris_Dodd, Dennis_Kucinich, Joe_Biden, John_McCain

Last night's Democratic Debate in Philadelphia provided the most
dialogue. Along with the YouTube Debate, this one was the best debate
so far this election. Here are my thoughts on the winners and losers
of the debate... Winners: Chris Dodd - He seemed the most presidential
and stressed his leadership and experience. He successfully drew
distinctions with Clinton and questioned her electability without
sounding like he was on the attack. He mentioned the need for public
financing of campaigns. John Edwards - He pressed Clinton all night on
her double talk on numerous issues and stayed on message. He made
strong points against the culture of Washington dominated by lobbyists
and special interests and tied that to Clinton's campaign. He had a
great line about Hillary's vote on Iran.

Labels: Chris_Dodd, John_Edwards

The Bush administration today announced a broad package of sanctions
against Iran. This development, coming as it does just 29 days after
Senate passage of the Kyl-Lieberman resolution designating Iran's
Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization, strikes me as a
significant, and worrying, acceleration in the on-going confrontation
with Iran over its nuclear program. As of this writing, Democratic
presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, John Edwards and
Barack Obama have issued statements responding to the imposition of
sanctions. Of all of them, Chris Dodd's is of particular merit... Chris
Dodd is absolutely right about this. Sanctions, and their effects, do
not operate in a vacuum.

Labels: Chris_Dodd

At Chris Dodd's Iowa City appearance Friday, he spoke more about his
father than himself, using his father's service as the number two
prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials to focus on the importance of the
Constitution and the rule of law. Larry Baker, an author and former
Iowa City council member, asked the last question and said he had
agreed with every word Dodd had said. But in that case, asked Baker,
why aren't George Bush and Dick Cheney being impeached? "I won't argue
the substance," said Dodd "But Having been through it, it takes all of
the oxygen out of the room. To be very practical, the most important
thing is to elect a new administration." Dodd predicted that a focus
on impeachment would lead to Democratic defeat.

Labels: Chris_Dodd

Chris Dodd, profile in courage, has had his communications director Hari Sevugan issue the following statement regarding the Michigan primary: "We are committed to the importance of Iowa and New Hampshire going first, and we signed the four-state pledge to hopefully prevail upon the DNC and the state parties to add clarity to that situation. However, it does not benefit any of us if we are the nominee to pull our name off the ballot and slight Michigan voters." Compare this with the statement Dodd himself made on August 31, 2007: "I believe that Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada offer a cross-section of America and allow for voters to probe the experience and vision of candidates in a meaningful way," said Dodd. "In this year, where the national media focus seems to be on celebrity and bank accounts, the role of these states is more important than ever. I am committed to the DNC nominating calendar and preserving the first-in-the-nation status of Iowa and New Hampshire."

Labels: caucus, Chris_Dodd

All aflutter is the Iowa blogosphere at today's developments regarding
the Michigan primary on January 15. I'm not too exorcised about it
either way, except... you guys signed a pledge, didn't you? Like, in
front of God - or at least the New York Times - and everybody. And I
know the Dodd and Clinton campaigns are already spinning like mad on
this, but it doesn't address the question: you guys signed a pledge,
didn't you? And it really doesn't cut any ice with me to have either
of these candidates assure us all that although they may have decided
to remain on the ballot, they won't be actively campaigning in
Michigan. For Hillary Clinton, at least, this is bound to invite
unflattering recollections of non-denial denials from the White House
years. And for Chris Dodd: what are you thinking? Being the
anti-Hillary in Michigan isn't going to help you much in Iowa.

Labels: Chris_Dodd, Hillary_Clinton

Iowan Jack Engstrom spent more than an hour listening to Connecticut
Sen. Chris Dodd speak and answer questions during a campaign stop in
Fairfield. The undecided caucus-goer didn't have much to say during
the event, but nodded in agreement as Dodd made points on Iraq, recent
votes in the U.S. Senate and domestic policy. "I haven't decided who
I'm going to support," Engstrom said as he was leaving. "But I'm very
impressed with Chris Dodd." Engstrom, like most Iowans, has had an
opportunity to meet most of the candidates, but he said he does not
plan to make a caucus night decision until he's heard them all. The
candidate he hasn't had opportunity to see in person is Delaware Sen.
Joe Biden.

Labels: Chris_Dodd

Labels: Bill_Richardson, Chris_Dodd, Hillary_Clinton, Joe_Biden, John_Edwards

Sen. Jeff Danielson, D-Waterloo, announced his endorsement of Chris
Dodd Wednesday night in a recorded "robo-call" to Iowa Democratic
activists. Danielson is serving as Senate president pro tem in his
first term, and is also a Cedar Falls firefighter. The firefighter
connection was emphasized in the endorsement: "Firefighters know that
when it comes to protecting this country and strengthening our
communities, proven leadership and experience matter," Danielson said
in the call. "We are supporting Chris Dodd because we believe he is
the candidate to keep America safe and keep our middle class families
strong." Dodd won the International Association of Firefighters
endorsement two weeks ago, followed quickly by a nod from the Iowa
firefighters.

Labels: Chris_Dodd

While polls in Iowa and the nation don't show their chosen candidates
as front-runners, former Minnesota Congressman Rick Nolan and Iowa
Rep. Mike Reasoner say the American people should stop and remember
history. "Of course there is some concern there," said Nolan, who has
been traveling Iowa as a surrogate for Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd.
"But, having said that, this time four years ago Joe Lieberman was the
leading Democratic candidate here in Iowa, and shortly after that Dick
Gephardt was the leading candidate and then Howard Dean was the
leading candidate. The same has been true for other Democratic
candidates -- Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, John Kennedy. Dodd is now
right about where all of those winners were." Reasoner, D-Creston, has
been stumping on behalf of Delaware Sen. Joe Biden and also believes
the lessons of four years ago are important.

Labels: Chris_Dodd

There's been speculation, but today all rumor has been put to rest.
International Association of Fire Fighters General President Harold
Schaitberger will announce tomorrow that the Fire Fighters Union has
endorsed Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd in his bid for the White House.
There is no over-playing the boon this is for the Dodd campaign, which
seems to be gaining traction in Iowa and New Hampshire. The
firefighters were instrumental in Sen. John Kerry's success in 2004
and there's no reason to suspect the well-respected men and women who
make up that union will not add a huge boost to the Dodd campaign in
terms of both community activism and respect. This news, when combined
with higher polling numbers for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and
added Iowa endorsements for Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, should give the
top three pause.

Labels: Chris_Dodd

Senator and presidential candidate Chris Dodd rolled out his health
care proposal today at a "kitchen table" campaign stop in Marion,
Iowa. Details of the plan, as released by the Dodd campaign, are:
'Universal HealthMart. The Dodd plan will create a health insurance
marketplace called the Universal HealthMart that is based on, and
parallel to, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP).
Individuals and businesses will pay for coverage within Universal
HealthMart based on their ability to pay. If a person or business is
unable to pay for insurance, the government will subsidize their
premium share on a sliding scale based on income. Universal HealthMart
will offer a variety of comprehensive plans and entitle every American
to the same benefits and types of plans as Members of Congress.
Universal Affordable Coverage. Under the Dodd plan, coverage will flow
automatically to all Americans regardless of their employment status,
health status or economic means.'

Labels: Chris_Dodd

If you would have asked me 2 months ago which candidate would be right behind Richardson in money raised, I would have said Joe Biden. However, Chris Dodd has more than twice as much money as Biden does. I wouldn't be surprised if Biden drops out early this fall. He seems to running a campaign focusing on Iraq and with Petreus' report coming out in September, Biden could drop out then. The surprising number to me is Chris Dodd having $6.4 million on hand. He has already aired TV ads in the state. Last month he opened up campaign offices in the state and has staff on the ground finally. With the money he should be able to have a strong organization in Iowa.

Labels: Chris_Dodd

I participated in a live blog sponsored by the Rocky Mountain News of the Democratic Forum. Also participating were fellow Iowans John Deeth and Essential Estrogen. Here were my thoughts I wrote... The winners were John Edwards and Chris Dodd. Dodd was energetic and really stressed education. As a teacher and member of the ISEA and NEA, Dodd is very credible when it comes to education. He very well respected among educators and might just have the answer to the mess that is NCLB. About Education Dodd said… I'm proud of the fact that I was called the Senator of the Decade by the national Head Start Association. I have walked the walk on these issues. Dodd and Biden were both fired up, however Biden sounded angry, while Dodd was on message and highlighted his experience. John Edwards hit the first question out of the park. He was able to condense his entire two America's theme into that answer and it was well received by the crowd. Edwards didn't stop there. The questions really played right into the issues Edwards is campaigning on and he did very well connecting to the audience. I think Hillary Clinton held her own and definitely did not hurt herself.

Labels: Chris_Dodd, John_Edwards

It might seem disingenuous to say a 63-year-old politician has come of
age, but that's exactly what Sen. Chris Dodd appears to have done. On
Monday night, while addressing roughly 40 members of the Linn Phoenix
Club in the home of Cedar Rapids Mayor Kay Halloran, Dodd, who has
been lacking spark on the campaign trail, found his box of matches.
His display of humor and forcefulness of character seemed to catch
many off-guard. "Any jackass can kick down a barn door," Dodd said
while discussing needed reforms in America, prompting eyebrows to dart
up across the room. "It takes an architect to build the barn. And
we've had too many jackasses in this country." While Dodd covered many
issues including Iraq, education, immigration, the environment,
medicare/medicaid, and problems facing minority-run business during
the stop, he was able to intertwine them around a central theme of
putting America first.

Labels: Chris_Dodd

An Iowa City event which had drawn a great deal of national attention has been partially postponed to allow presidential hopefuls who are also U.S. senators to travel back to the beltway for debate on a bill. The Iowa Professional Fire Fighters State Convention was to host presidential hopefuls Tuesday and Wednesday. Gov. Bill Richarson, Sen. Barack Obama, former Sen. John Edwards, Sen. Chris Dodd and Sen. Hillary Clinton confirmed they would be in attendance. Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden was also scheduled to appear and represent his father, Sen. Joe Biden. There was also speculation that Pres. Bill Clinton would appear beside his wife for the event. The fire fighters have decided to postpone this portion of their convention when it was learned the event conflicted with debate on the Employee Free Choice Act.

Labels: Barack_Obama, Bill_Richardson, Chris_Dodd, Hillary_Clinton, Joe_Biden, John_Edwards

Sen. Chris Dodd's presidential campaign has completed hiring regional field staff in Iowa and now has a director in eight major regions of the state. While other national campaigns in Iowa have managed to locate at least one women to serve in mid-level field staff positions, none are listed in the Dodd lineup. Dodd's field team is overseen by Ben Rohrbaugh. As Iowa field director, Rohrbaugh will be directly responsible for coordination of the eight regionals. He comes to the Dodd campaign following a successful run as the field director for Chicago city clerk Miguel del Valle. He has previously served on Congresswoman Melissa Bean's re-election campaign, the Christine Jennings recount in Florida, and the John Kerry campaign in Michigan.

Labels: Chris_Dodd

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd (from Connecticut) have agreed to participate in a presidential candidate debate conducted in Spanish. The debate is scheduled for Sept. 9 at the University of Miami and will be hosted by Univision Communications, Inc., the nation's largest Spanish-language broadcaster. The network's programming is available in most Iowa markets via cable and satellite television. Univision press statements indicate this is the first presidential debate conducted in Spanish. Simultaneous translation, however, would be provided to candidates and viewers. ... As Alexander Bolton aptly points out this places many of the hopefuls -- especially the 'frontrunners' -- in a bind. Candidates fluent in Spanish would speak directly to the audience in that language. Non-speakers would have their responses translated. ... The company has invited Republican presidential candidiates to a debate -- also in Spanish -- on Sept. 16. There is no word yet on which candidates, if any, will appear.

Labels: Bill_Richardson, Chris_Dodd

... John Edwards continues to lead in Iowa, Obama and Clinton are basically tied for 2nd. The big news is Bill Richardson's jump to 10% in the poll. Richardson has been running TV ads for awhile now and they are playing well. I hope this Richardson motivation to make a greater effort in Iowa. The people I talk to are interested in Richardson, but want more information on on him. Chris Dodd is not catching on, which is a shame. He has taken some strong progressive positions, including supporting the Feingold-Reid bill last week. He is getting out polled by Kucinich and Gravel who haven't even campaigned here.

Labels: Barack_Obama, Bill_Richardson, Chris_Dodd, Dennis_Kucinich, Hillary_Clinton, John_Edwards, Mike_Gravel

It's difficult to know the exact number of personal contacts that translate into vested interest and, eventually, into caucus goers. At least one Presidential campaign, however, is betting more is always better. Presidential hopeful and U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd will address a group at Drake University in Des Moines tomorrow on ending the War in Iraq. Throughout the state, however, individuals at satellite stations will use technology to interact with him in real time. "What we are doing tomorrow is special, but that doesn't mean it will be unique," said Matthew Browner-Hamlin, recently hired as the campaign's official blogger and key member of the online communications staff. "We plan on putting together this type of interactive event as often as possible as the campaign moves forward." The campaign has set up five community satellite locations. Conference calls will connect participants located in Sioux City, Charles City, Decatur and Burlington with the Drake event. Participants in Iowa City will be connected via a live internet feed. The internet connection, made possible through the beta Internet application UStream, has roughly a one second delay.

Labels: Chris_Dodd

... Here's the script for the first spot, a 30-second ad called "Civil": CHRIS DODD: Half measures won't stop this president from continuing our involvement in Iraq's civil war. That's why I'm fighting for the only responsible measure in Congress that would take away the President's blank check and set a timetable to bring our troops home. Unfortunately, my colleagues running for President have not joined me. ... OK, so I guess the kidding around is just about over for Dodd. I've been seeing stuff coming out from his campaign about calling the other candidates to find out where they stand on Feingold-Reid (or, as the campaign started referring to it, "Feingold-Reid-Dodd"), ... this is a pretty in your face move, and it looks like Dodd is swinging at everybody: Clinton, Edwards, Obama, Richardson, even Biden, who's no slouch when it comes to pushing the administration on ending the war. ... I think this is the right time for Dodd to make this kind of move: the fundraising process stories have receded, the top three candidates are playing so safe that they're in danger of atrophy, and Dodd has an opportunity to use these ads

Labels: Chris_Dodd

Chris Dodd delivered roughly a third of his remarks en espanol for a crowd of 60-75 at the Cinco de Mayo celebration in West Liberty. The Spanish remarks were not repeated in English. Yo comprende pequitito espanol, but I did pick up "el presidente" and "la Casa Blanca" in his conclusion. During the Spanish portion of his remarks, he also discussed the importance of reading for children (the event was hosted by the West Liberty library) and talked about his experiences in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. "I had to learn Spanish in the Peace Corps," he told me after the speech, noting that immigrants and their children would be well served by learning English - a remark he made in Spanish during the speech. ... Dodd favors a "humane" path to citizenship for people who are already here, but adds that we need to respect people who have waited through the process. "We have people lined up at embassies around the world waiting to come here."

Labels: Chris_Dodd

Radio Iowa notes that Dodd keeps telling the same joke at every campaign stop about being the only guy in the race who gets mailings from both the AARP and diaper services. After seeing Dodd speak before a group of young Democrats, Radio Iowa had a chance to ask a question: "... I'm wondering how a guy tells a joke like that, obviously exhibiting that he has the coin for a diaper service, and how he squares that with his discussion of how the middle class is being pinched. ..." ... I must have heard Chet Culver's joke about his daughter and the letter-carriers' endorsement half a dozen times last year. ... John Edwards has talked about being the son of a mill worker so many times that he added a joke to his stump speech about how the audience may have heard once that he is the son of a mill worker. Now, if Radio Iowa's complaint is that people in Iowa don't use diaper services and can't relate to the joke, that's partly true, at least concerning young voters. As a mom of two kids in cloth diapers, I can confirm that there are no cloth diaper laundry services in Iowa ... If Radio Iowa's complaint is that someone who can afford a diaper service may seem out of touch with middle-class concerns, I disagree. People who remember the days of diaper services could tell you that they were affordable for middle-class families.

Labels: Chris_Dodd

At nearly every gathering in which I have seen Connecticut Senator/Democratic presidential candidate Christopher Dodd give a speech or offer remarks, he has told the same joke. It's the one about how he is the only candidate who gets mailings from AARP and diaper services. This lets the white-haired Dodd, who will be 63 when he celebrates his next birthday at the end of this month, tell the crowd that he is the father of a two-year-old and a five-year-old. Dodd just told the joke over the noon hour during his appearance before a group of young Iowa Democrats, some of whom I presume have children. I just listened back to the tape and Dodd sort of raced through the joke, and I didn't hear any laughter. Checking the Des Moines phone book, there are no diaper services listed. I called directory information, and didn't find one that way, either. I called two laundry services in Des Moines and neither of the people who answered the phone had ever heard of being asked to launder cloth diapers. As Dodd was walking out of the restaurant where he had just given his 20-minute speech, followed by about 20 minutes of answering questions, I began asking about the joke. "You always tell that joke about the AARP and diaper services," I started.

Labels: Chris_Dodd

... HOT: John Edwards: I've been calling him the likely nominee for some time now, but it's probably time to back off that. I think he's running a better campaign than he ran in 2004, and he's been the first out of the gate with specific proposals on issues, including a very specific health care plan. ... On the downside, I think the early spotlight is shooting some holes in his image. ... (HOT) Barack Obama: He draws huge crowds wherever he goes, he's charismatic and he seems to be able to run a campaign on broad themes without anyone asking him why he's not specific on anything. ... But, I don't think he's prepared to be Chief Executive. I think he lacks the experience. The fact that he's entirely non-specific on issues means I have no idea what I agree with him on. ... WARM Chris Dodd: He jumped into the upper half of my list by being the first to advocate for public financing of campaigns in the debate. ... I'm glad he's running in Iowa, but he feels like more of a "I have something to add to the conversation" candidate than a true contender. (WARM) Bill Richardson: He brings incredible foreign policy experience to the race. He may be the last presidential candidate in my lifetime to bring 4 Nobel Prize nominations to the table. He's the only candidate in the race from farther west than Illinois. He might also be the only candidate that doesn't scare the crap out of the NRA. However, his admission that he hadn't advocated for the firing of the Attorney General because Alberto Gonzales is Hispanic was flatly racist, and there's no excuse for it. ... COLD: Joe Biden ... Hillary Clinton ... She's putting a happy face on her years of controversy and blaming them on "sticking up for her beliefs," which is partially true. She's got enormously huge money and the capacity to out-advertise any of her opponents 2-to-1. ... I'm a firm believer that voters should never choose a candidate just because they can beat the Republicans, but there's an argument to be made that there's no way she could beat a Republican.

Labels: Barack_Obama, Bill_Richardson, Chris_Dodd, Hillary_Clinton, Joe_Biden, John_Edwards

Here is a run down of our conversations with candidates in the month of April so far: Senator Dodd at a Forum on International Relations hosted by U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy: Question: Our country needs solid leadership and a candidate that is willing to commitment to changing our direction of foreign policy. Eisenhower warned in 1953 to be aware of the military industrial complex and the weakness it would create in our country and around the world. Over 50 years later, our country spends more on its military than the rest of the world combined yet social needs remain unmet. If elected, would you support making our country stronger by eliminating $60 billion in Pentagon waste and investing that money in domestic priorities? Response: He agreed that the current budget is not preparing to our country to fight what we need here at home. The Senator di d mention Cold War era weapons and the need to use of diplomacy. He mentioned that it is not about line item rather it's about a sense of balance. It's not about the $60 billion figure but about what makes sense. He further stated that our country needs leadership that is positive and to lead by example in order to strengthen our foreign relations.

Labels: Bill_Richardson, Chris_Dodd, John_Edwards, Mitt_Romney

Prez candidate Christopher Dodd took a subtle jab at one of his opponents (who also happens to have way more support in the polls right now). He hinted (o.k., more than "hinted") the past proves a newbie isn't the right guy for the country's future. Dodd was talking before about 100 or so folks at the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy in downtown Des Moines. He said restoring the country's international standing will take a lot more than promises of hope (Obama's catch phrase word during his campaign stops here). ... Dodd may have introduced a phrase we may hear him use again..."We don't need a surge of troops in Iraq - we need a surge of diplomacy."

Labels: Barack_Obama, Chris_Dodd

This is what a caucus event is supposed to be like. The Edwards and Obama events I covered recently felt like general election rallies. But this is the kind of gathering on which the caucuses built their reputation, and which remains Iowa's raison d'etre. A small group of dedicated activists sitting down with someone who, by any reasonable standard, deserves serious consideration as a potential president. The people waiting to talk to Dodd were not waiting to touch the hem of his garment, as I said of Obama. They were all armed with detailed questions. ... If we can't do these one on one events, that undercuts our case that the caucuses are special and should continue as the first event. Are we soon to be victims of our own success?

Labels: Chris_Dodd

After Obama had filled a high school gym here and McCain packed a ballroom in a downtown hotel within the last two weeks, a presidential campaign stop in Cedar Rapids resembled most of the hundreds that had come to this city over the last few decades. It was small-scale, personal, and not accompanied by a glut of national media. Which means one thing: Dodd, 62, is a dark horse in the Democratic field, out of the bright light cast by Clinton, Obama and Edwards. He insists he isn't a bit disheartened by it. Maybe that's because he could be more able to easily move about Iowa and meet more of its potential voters than the aforementioned trio.

Labels: Chris_Dodd