Chris Dodd for President

Well, I sent out the following email this morning:

Only a peaceful man can make peace.
Which is why, in this season of hope and anticipation, all your friends and relations need to hear is that what you want in '08 is a vote for Christopher Dodd. It won't cost them a cent, but it will take some of their time.
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Here are eight reasons to vote for Dodd in 08 on the 8th (or whenever your
primary is)

1) Ending the War in Iraq - Chris Dodd believes the time for giving
President Bush blank checks is over and that we set a firm deadline tied
to funding to begin safely redeploying U.S. troops out of Iraq,
beginning immediately and completed within one year.

2) Restoring the Constitution - Chris Dodd will restore our Constitution
on his first day during his first hour in the Oval Office. He would
restore habeas corpus, close Guantanamo Bay, and require the US to live up
to the Geneva Conventions.

3) Health Care - As President, Chris Dodd will offer high-quality
universal health care to every American regardless of their job status,
previous medical conditions or ability to pay. Dodd's plan ensures that
all Americans will have quality, affordable health coverage by creating a
health insurance marketplace called Universal HealthMart that is based on,
and parallel to, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan. Insurance
purchased in Universal HealthMart will follow individuals, not jobs
ensuring that no one will lose their health care by changing jobs or
moving to a different part of the country. Finally, the Dodd Health Care
plan will phase in universal, affordable coverage to all Americans over
the course of four years.

4) Global Warming - From a Corporate Carbon Tax that makes polluters pay
to his call for historic fuel efficiency standards that break America's
dependence on Middle East oil by 2015, Chris Dodd is the only candidate in
the field with a plan to make America the world leader on climate change
and bring energy costs down for families and businesses.

5) Restoring America's World Standing - Chris Dodd understands America
must lead to protect our security not only on Iraq, but also on the rise
of state-less terrorist organizations around the world, a resurgent
Taliban in Afghanistan, the HIV/AIDS crisis that is decimating whole
continents and creating failed states, and the growing threat of global
warming. As President, Dodd will strengthen America's alliances by
engaging in robust diplomacy, end the war in Iraq decisively, hold
America's allies accountable, and enhance and export energy technology to
free America from our reliance on Middle East oil.

6) Education - Chris Dodd is offering the most ambitious and comprehensive
education plan of any Presidential candidate, from preschool to college.
His plan will reduce the cost of college student loans, raise the Pell
Grant and provide an opportunity for free community college to every
American. It will ensure that all Americans have access to a world-class
public education including community college for all by matching dollar
for dollar any tuition reduction offered by the state up to 50% of the
cost of tuition. The plan will also ensure that every American graduates
from high school college- and workforce-ready, and will reform No Child
Left Behind to realize the promise of strengthening and supporting every
public school.

7) Homeland Security - As President, Chris Dodd will ensure that: 1) our
first responders have the tools they need to keep themselves and our
communities safe; 2) we are able to keep and recruit first responders; and
3) our communities are prepared to respond to any emergency situation.
America's Fire Fighters recognized Senator Dodd's record and leadership on
keeping our country secure and unanimously endorsed his candidacy.

8) National Service - Chris Dodd was the first candidate to put forth a
comprehensive plan for national service - The American Community
Initiative. Dodd's plan will double the size of the Peace Corps, create a
Rapid Response Reserve Corps, dramatically increase the number of
AmeriCorps members to 1,000,000, promote the Corporation for National
Service (CNS) to cabinet status, and mandate school-based service as a
requirement for high school graduation.
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Personally, I've decided that I just want to be able to stop worrying
about the nation and get back to making quilts and editing ten years worth
of video tapes before the mold consumes them. So, that's why I think you
should vote for Chris Dodd. He ain't perfect, but he'll do a good job.

P.S. You know, I used to think it couldn't get worse, but then I look at
what the Republican Party has put on offer...........

And I got this response from someone on the peace activists' list:

All the Democrats vieing for a win in the primaries are capable, especially in comparison to their Republican counterparts. All of them in varying degress offer platforms I'd fully support. Senator Dodd is particularly intelligent and articulate, very experienced, and presidential in character and demeanor. However, like many presidential elections in the past, Americans don't seem to have the savvy to elect a president based upon his/her competence and experience; rather, candidates are judged, for instance, on the basis of something as irresponsible as "Would I enjoy sitting down and having a beer with this guy?"....a totally absurd reason, nontheless, personality and affability, seems to come first as a reason to choose a president. Closely following that catagory, would be the ability of a candidate to raise millions of dollars, and finally there is the critical mass idea....all of a sudden, things add up in the publics' eye, and one candidate rises to the top, for better or worse. And that is whom voters will choose. I don't give fifty-one percent of American voters the benefit of a doubt that they would choose a qualified outstanding candidate over one who manages to be affable, raise money, have that certain "je ne sais quoi" that give him/her critical mass. I still haven't decided for whom I'll vote, but Senator Dodd is truly competent and up to the job.......................sbukowski, born and raised in Meriden, Connecticut, now living in Kennebunk, Maine