Chris Dodd for President

Douglas Burns of the Iowa Independent says Chris Dodd won the final Democratic presidential debate before the Iowa caucus on January 3rd. Burns writes:

With a command of details on China, foreign policy and education, U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, who also just seemed more alert, on the balls of his feet intellectually, this afternoon displayed a separating statemanship in The Des Moines Register Democratic Presidential debate on Iowa Public Television. It was his day on the stage.
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In barely a minute, Dodd managed to sum up the United States-China relations, why "we don't have access to their shelves" and the need for more "thoughfulness." It was one of the more impressive substantive -- and eye-opening -- answers I've heard during the debates.

On his A-game again, Dodd had a wonderfully constructed answer about the marriage of security and concern for human rights in our foreign policy.

"It ought to be a part of the seamless conduct of our foreign policy," Dodd said.

Today's debate was sponsored by the Des Moines Register. You can see the final Talk Clock times from the debate here -- Senator Dodd was given the least amount of time to speak off all candidates, which just goes to show how impressive his performance was for him to earn a win.

Today's debate starts at 2 PM Eastern and is airing on CNN.

You can get the embed code to put the Talk Clock on your blog here.

Live from Dodd HQ (warning: no sound):

Today at 2 PM Eastern, Senator Dodd will be taking part in the Des Moines Register-sponsored debate on CNN. This will be the last debate before the January 3rd caucus.

Stay tuned for coverage from the Dodd campaign surrounding the debate.

Walter Shapiro of Salon has a great write up of yesterday's NPR debate. In it he highlights how different a radio debate is from the TV debates we've had. Unlike debates where there are tight time limits and dozens of subjects touched on only briefly, the NPR debate only covered three substantive issues in two hours.

But for two hours Tuesday afternoon, Biden and Dodd made the case that traditional political experience matters in choosing a president. From the subtleties of Iranian policy (where Biden excelled) to the nuances of academic studies on illegal immigration (where everyone deferred to Dodd), the two senators sounded knowledgeable in answering questions rather than as if they were reciting "Canned Debate Answer No. 623."
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NPR's gift to Iowa voters may have been creating the setting for the campaign's first "Experience Counts" debate. Tuesday's broadcast served as a reminder that the leading Democratic candidates all boast unconventional political résumés -- Clinton's eight dramatic years as first lady; Obama's three-year skyrocket from obscure Illinois state senator to top-tier presidential candidate; and Edwards' own rapid transition from trial lawyer to 2004 vice-presidential nominee. But as Biden and Dodd demonstrated -- during an afternoon that probably will be no more than a political blip -- there are benefits to a long apprenticeship on Capitol Hill for the presidency.

Dodd's experience as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is yet another aspect of how his tenure in Congress has prepared him to be President. He's prepared to lead from Day One, just as much on the Constitution and the economy as he is on foreign affairs and national security.

Our country faces profound challenges. We need a President who can confront them from the start and not waste time with on the job training. Chris Dodd is that candidate. He's gotten results as a Senator and he'll bring the change America needs as President.

Today at 2 PM Eastern Senator Dodd will take part in NPR's Democratic Presidential radio debate. It will be two hours long. You can listen to the debate streaming online at NPR.org or on your NPR radio station (click here to find a station).