Jason Rosenbaum has his weekly Dodd-focused post up on MyDD. Today, not surprisingly, the subject is Dodd's leadership to secure a victory in the fight against retroactive immunity. While the recognition of Dodd's remarkable work on this issue has been widespread, Jason makes a convincing case that this is why we need Chris Dodd in the White House.
It was Presidential leadership that we saw on display.
...
Chris Dodd demonstrated uniquely Presidential leadership when he stood up for the Constitution... If you believe Dodd's defense of the Constitution demonstrated he has right stuff for higher office, then just come out and say it: This man should be President.
It seems some out there agree. People have responded in incredible numbers to Dodd's Constitutional argument (which I explained last week and which I believe was central to the success of Dodd's rhetoric on Monday). According to the Dodd campaign, over $200,000 was raised with an average donation size of under $50. 25,000 new people have joined Dodd's email list. 615,000 emails were sent through Dodd's website (not counting those that emailed through other sites). 21,000 comments were left in support (again, not counting comments left on other sites, like Firedoglake and Crooks & Liars). I submitted 4 stories on Dodd to reddit.com on Monday and received over 4,300 votes and 18,000 visitors.
Dodd's strong actions have translated into real, broad based, grassroots support for Dodd's presidential campaign. This movement isn't something that's going to evaporate after the Iowa caucuses. These citizens want to see Democrats protecting the Constitution and fighting for what they believe in. And they want someone who has shown the ability to do those things not as Majority Leader, but as commander and chief in the White House.
Of course, I agree with Jason's argument here. We're looking for a leader who will stand up for the Constitution and wage the hard fight against the Bush administration and get the results that our country sorely needs. Chris Dodd is leading through action now. In 2007. He's not waiting until 2009 to do something about what he sees as the ills in America. That's presidential leadership and it's exactly why America needs Chris Dodd in the Oval Office.
Comments
I am impressed with your knowledge and experience each time you take the stage during the Debates, but I was proud of your stand during the FISA debate. Your remarks should be played again and again so Americans can understand where the threat to their liberties really comes from. Congratulations. If you are not our party's nominee, I hope you will the first honest Attorney General in 8 years.
Leadership, leadership. Leaders come and leaders go. With some experience, and I do believe experience is necessary because I don't buy the 'leaders are born, they're not made'. Without experience the hard charging leader falls flat on their face, just ask Mrs. Clinton about the first time she tried to overhaul health care. (Owchie!) But granted that one has acquired the skills necessary to get a great leader the question remains which way to lead. I remember what a great leader Pres. Clinton was. To hear that man speak just made me want to march around the room in my jammies. And while he was in office, as a matter of fact in the second term alone, my wife and I went from barely getting by as two full time students to a household income of over six figures, which was needed to pay off the student loans. But other things were going on at that same time. My stepson was going to a school where there were tiles missing from the floor and the ceiling. My stepdaughter was not getting near the education she would need to be in the professional fields my wife and I choose. And no one seemed to care. The other event that happened in this time was my first, and only child was born. The time I was able to spend him in his first days of life was more precious than all the gold in the world. I begain to really look around and wonder whether he was coming into a world that was getting better or one that was just getting wealthier.
Well I will not keep you all up the whole night with my bedtime story. I have another one who needs a bedtime story about now. I will not also not tell of you the story of what happened in the time since then or we will all be hiding under our bed with our Bible, a roll of duct tape, and a flotation devise until the morning light. Let me just end with this thought. Someone who can lead America is all well and good but what we really need is someone who has a vision, a vision for a better tomorrow. We need someone who not only understands the bank industry for example but also knows how important it is to be able to put the tuppins away and enjoy the family. We need someone who will let us sleep at night knowing that they are looking out for our interests so that when we get up in the morning, put the kid on that nice shiny, biodiesel school bus, and head for our work that we have a fair chance at getting our hands on some more of those tuppins.