Chris Dodd for President

Senator Chris Dodd issued the following statement on New Hampshire's Civil Unions law taking effect today.

"Today, New Hampshire took a big step forward in ensuring that gay and lesbian couples enjoy the same rights and responsibilities as their fellow citizens. I was proud to support civil unions in my home state of Connecticut and I was proud to support Governor Lynch and the State Legislature when they passed this law last spring. I hope that New Hampshire's commitment to providing equal rights and responsibilities to all its citizens will serve as a positive example for the rest of the country."

Susanthe has a great diary about this at Blue Hampshire.

Next up in my series of bloggers talking about Chris Dodd and what they like about him is Lane Hudson of News For The Left and The Huffington Post. In this clip Lane talks about why he thinks Senator Dodd's personalization of how he thinks about the issue of civil unions -- by asking himself how he would want his daughters Grace and Christina to be treated -- is worthy of praise. PS -- I am not Digby.

Senator and Presidential candidate Chris Dodd today released the following statement following Governor John Lynch signing the New Hampshire Civil Unions Bill into law.

"I applaud Governor Lynch and the New Hampshire Legislature for passing the Civil Unions legislation, ensuring that all couples enjoy the same rights and freedoms regardless of their sexual orientation," said Dodd. "With two young daughters of my own, I want to ensure that they grow up in a world that is free of discrimination. That is why I supported Civil Unions in my home state of Connecticut and it is why I am proud to see John Lynch and the State Legislature doing the right thing here in New Hampshire."

This past weekend Senator Dodd spoke about his beliefs on equal rights and civil unions at a house party in Laconia, NH. Here's my transcription:

That's an interesting question. I've done this for years when people raise the issue. I simply ask audiences before I tell you what my view is on it I want you to spend just thirty seconds thinking about something I'm going to say to you. How would you like your children and grandchildren treated if they were to be raised, and I don't know what your sexual orientation is, if their sexual orientation was different? If my two daughters were a different sexual orientation from my wife and I, how would I want my two daughters treated, in terms of housing, job opportunities, whether or not they can be protected against hate crimes and the like, how would you like your children and grandchildren to be treated? And if your answer is, "I'd like them to be treated equally and fairly as any other human being should be," then the answer, I think, becomes rather simple. I'm very proud of the fact that my state and your state, by the way, I'm very proud of your governor John Lynch, proud of your state legislators here. It didn't take a court order in New Hampshire and it didn't take one in Connecticut either to recognize that civil unions ought to be allowed and supported and endorsed.