On Sunday, State Representative Marcia Moody's letter about why she supports Chris Dodd was published in the Portsmouth Herald. You can read the entire letter below.
We'd like to thank Marcia and all of Senator Dodd's supporters who have been writing to their local papers to let their neighbors and friends know why they support Chris Dodd.
"We few. We happy few, we band of brothers" is a quote from Shakespeare's Henry V as he addresses his soldiers at the battle of Agincourt against the overwhelming odds of the French army. We few, we happy "privileged" few here in New Hampshire for over 40 years have had the unique opportunity of getting to meet person-to-person with each and every presidential candidate before they go into battle to win the nomination. This is done by town hall meetings, rallies, picnics, local parades and with that very special event known as house parties.
Even though these parties are held in a person's home, they are open to all. With the help of the Internet, the event is advertised well in advance and all you need to do to attend is RSVP. This is not some "media" event where candidates get up and make a speech before crowds of thousands and get to tell you what THEY think and what they want you to hear. They still give speeches, but afterward we get to grill them, make them be specific, make them clarify statements, catch them in contradictions, and have them be really responsible for what they say. It is the best training a candidate can ever have. It gives them more than a 60-second sound bite that they get in a debate. And it gives them a chance to really have to think for a change and not rely on canned responses.
Because of this unique opportunity, I have done as so many people in New Hampshire have done, and that is to thoroughly vet all the candidates. Because of the front-loading of the primary calendar, candidates have been coming here since early January. As a result, I have had to chance to see, hear and question them each at least five to six times. I lobbed enough softball questions in the beginning that they were not afraid to call on me. Soon, many of them recognized me and started calling me by name. So when the time came and I started with the tough questions, they answered in a straightforward way and didn't equivocate.
Finally, just recently, I made my choice for Chris Dodd. Here are some of the reasons why. His experience in the Senate has taught him how to get consensus. He has learned how to compromise on his bills without compromising the integrity of the bill or his values. His bills have been passed because of endurance and convincing the opposition that they are for the common good. I do not agree on every piece of legislation he has passed, but I am convinced he had the best interests of the people in mind when he wrote the bills. His Family Leave Act is a good example.
He is a man who truly believes in the rule of law. Whenever he is asked, "What is the first thing you would do if elected president?" His answer is, "Restore the Constitution." If you look at his voting record, he is a man of his word. Howard Dean said in the last election, "Don't just listen to what a candidate says, look at his record."
Chris Dodd was perceptive enough, when our own state party was too tied down in "politics as usual," to recognize what a jewel we had in our candidate for Congress in 2006, Carol Shea-Porter. Chris Dodd came to New Hampshire to campaign for her at a fund-raiser. Chris Dodd is aware of the people around him and recognizes talent when he sees it.
Chris Dodd wants to make health-care coverage mandatory and offer us the same plan that Congress enjoys while still giving us a choice. For those who cannot afford to participate in either the government plan or a private plan, he would have the government pay for their participation. While I am in favor of "Medicare for All," a single-payer plan, I seriously doubt if our Congress would ever pass such a resolution knowing the strength of the insurance industry lobby. Therefore, I believe that Chris Dodd's plan has an actual chance of passing. Again, it would cover everyone.
In February of this year, Sen. Dodd introduced the "Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007." It restores habeas corpus rights, bars evidence gained through torture or coercion, and reinstates U.S. adherence to the Geneva Conventions in order to protect the nation's military personnel abroad. His advocating an immediate withdrawal from the war in Iraq, his stance against nuclear energy and weapons, and his concern over the enormity of the federal debt all have helped me make my decision of supporting him. But the real clincher, the thing that helped me make up my mind, is the fact that he is the only candidate for president in 2008 that publicly acknowledges the tremendous impact Howard Dean's 50 State Strategy has had in promoting Democrats up and down the ticket all over the county. He also publicly stated how much he supports Howard Dean's effort through the DNC to ensure the voting rights of everyone in every state now instead of waiting until two weeks before the election.
So, if you are still looking at the candidates and have not yet made up your mind, I urge you to ignore the pundits, the pollsters, the naysayers and the talking heads and exercise your own good judgment. Just remember, you are the ones casting the votes and "you have the power". So make up your own mind and base your selection on your own good evaluation and research of the candidates. I've given you my reasons for supporting my candidate. On 20 January 2009, we need a man in the White House who can hit the ground running and immediately get things done. Chris Dodd need not go through a "learning curve." He is ready to act.
