DYERSVILLE - Presidential candidate Chris Dodd traveled up the Mississippi on the third day of his "River to River" Iowa bus tour. Dodd, his wife Jackie, and their daughters Grace and Christina, made stops in Clinton and Dubuque, before a break to play a few innings on the original "Field of Dreams" site in Dyersville. Later today, they'll attend events in Waterloo and Waverly. Throughout the tour, Dodd is speaking about his proven leadership and bold ideas at a time when the stakes have never been higher.
"Some day, my children and yours will turn to us and say 'what did you do at the outset of the 21st century to get this right?'" Dodd told a gathering at the Corner Deli and Ice Cream Shoppe in Clinton. "We need to get this country back on track so that we aren't the first generation to leave our children with fewer opportunities than we had.
"It's going to take proven leadership and experience bringing people together to get things done. And that's what I bring to the table."
Dodd has rapidly established himself as the candidate of bold solutions to America's most pressing challenges - from leading the fight in the Senate to responsibly end the Iraq War, to speaking honestly about the need for a corporate carbon tax to turn back the clock on global warming. Calling for a New American Patriotism, Dodd most recently unveiled his American Community Initiative, a sweeping and ambitious national service plan to engage the talent and energy of all Americans in getting our country back on track.
Dodd began the day in Clinton. Following that event, he met Jackie, Grace, and Christina for an event with Dubuque-area caucus-goers at Clarke College. Dodd was joined by Iowa House Speaker Pat Murphy and Dubuque County Democratic Party Chair Terry Stewart.
The family then traveled to Dyersville to visit the site where the movie "Field of Dreams" was filmed. The baseball field remains in place, and Dodd and several staffers took the field for a few innings against an Oelwein Little League baseball team.
Later today, Dodd will visit Waterloo for a Community Kitchen Table, then travel to Waverly for a potluck and barbeque.
Tomorrow, Dodd will make stops in Mason City, Fort Dodge, and Sioux City. He will close out the tour Saturday in Carroll and Council Bluffs.
