Chris Dodd for President

The ONE campaign launched their "On the Record" video comparison site today. You can watch fifteen Presidential candidates, Democrats and Republicans, answer questions about what they will do to fight poverty worldwide. Below are Senator Dodd's responses:

On his legacy to the world poor:

On Africa's health care infrastructure crisis:

Dodd talks about the ONE campaign and its members:

Each video is few minutes long and are incredibly interesting. One of the things that always amazes me about Chris Dodd is his breadth of knowledge and long record of results on more issues than you can imagine. The issues that have received prominent discussion during this presidential campaign -- the war in Iraq, health care, the economy, restoring the Constitution -- are in no way the limit of the issues our next President will have to confront. If you haven't heard Chris Dodd talk about the work he's done and will do to fight poverty and illness worldwide, watch these videos.

In a letter to Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, Senator Dodd today recognized that education and fighting crime are connected. Dodd who has released a comprehensive and far reaching education plan that calls for universal pre-k for all American children, has pledged to commit $10 billion in new funding for early childhood education as President.

Read the full letter below the fold...

I just wanted to take a few minutes to update you on the latest news about Senator Chris Dodd's New Hampshire campaign. Senator Dodd just finished his 18th visit to the Granite State and this time he had a little help from his friends and family.

Senator Dodd spoke last Friday at the Granite State Independent Living Forum. He was introduced by his sister, Caroline Dodd, a retired school teacher who drove up from Connecticut to support her brother on the campaign trail. Later that day, Senator Dodd spoke at the Every Child Matters Forum in Durham where he discussed his various plans for improving the health care and educational opportunities available to our future generations.

On Saturday, Ted Kennedy Jr. accompanied Senator Dodd to his events in Windham, Nashua, Concord, and Keene. In Concord, Kennedy gave one of the best introductions of Senator Dodd that I have ever heard:

"One of the things I really admire about Chris Dodd is his sense of public service," Kennedy said. "When my uncle Jack asked people in the country in 1960, 'ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country,' Sen. Dodd answered that call ... and that's exactly the kind of inspiration that is needed in this country today."

This was a great trip and there are a number of news articles covering Senator Dodd's events available here at www.ChrisDodd.com/NH.

In addition to the great trip Senator Dodd had, he also received a big endorsement from former House Minority Leader and Congressional Candidate Jim Craig. Craig cited Senator Dodd's long record of bringing people together to pass legislation that benefits the American people as one of the many reasons he's supporting his candidacy.

Written by Eamon Welch, Field Organizer for Mason City.

With 26 years of experience on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a history of negotiating peace in Central America and Northern Ireland, and the most responsible plan for swiftly redeploying all of our troops from Iraq, it's easy to forget about the extensive and indispensable contributions that Senator Dodd has made to landmark domestic policies in the United States. Senator Dodd's unparalleled record on issues directly affecting working Americans is what especially distinguishes him from the rest of the Democratic field in my opinion. For instance, the National Head Start Association proclaimed him "Senator of the Decade" as a result of his tireless advocacy for children and public education.

On Monday, Senator Dodd toured the Head Start classroom and accompanying facilities at the Washington Early Childhood Center in Mason City, Iowa. The Washington Early Childhood Center is a collaborative project between the North Iowa Community Action Organization (NICAO) and the Mason City school district, and these organizations have done an extraordinary job creating a caring and enjoyable environment for 3 - 5 year old children to cultivate the necessary skills to succeed throughout the remaining years of their education. It was truly an incredible visit.

Upon arriving at the school, Senator Dodd was met out front by Dick Goerdt, Executive Director of NICAO, and Jay Urdahl, County Supervisor and President of the Board of Directors at NICAO. Senator Dodd was led into the classroom where he was introduced to the Head Start teacher, Jennifer Martin. Mrs. Martin has a remarkable story. As a single mom on welfare, Mrs. Martin utilized the opportunities provided by the government to attend 4 years of college and receive her teaching degree. This is just another example of how Senator Dodd's unwavering support for federal policies that provide opportunity for all Americans produce tangible benefits for real people.

Once in the classroom, Senator Dodd was greeted by a group of buoyant children who were eager to welcome their new visitor. Senator Dodd wasted no time making friends with the students. Sitting in the front of the classroom, Senator Dodd picked up the story "Five Little Bats Flying in the Night" and began to read. Senator Dodd animatedly encouraged the participation of the children by asking them to count the number of bats and identify colors, and I'm pretty sure he was having as much fun as the 15 or so students surrounding him.

Before he left the school, Senator Dodd went outside to view the impressive playground facility and give interviews to local press. Demonstrating his knowledge of both Head Start and community action issues, Senator Dodd emphasized the important role programs like Head Start, WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), and Low Income Home Energy Assistance have in our society. These programs provide an incredibly important safety net for America's working families. Overall, Senator Dodd displayed the principles and qualities that ensure he'll be a great leader for our country, and I was once again reminded why I'm so honored to work for his presidential campaign.

Today, Senator Dodd called on the chair of the National Governors Association (NGA) and the governors of all fifty states to defy the Bush Administration's recent ruling restricting the number of children covered by the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). In a letter to Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN), who chairs the association, Dodd called the Bush ruling "unconscionable," calling SCHIP "the only success story in health care for working families since the failure to pass universal health care in 1994."

"The idea that George Bush—someone who's never had to worry about health care himself—would take health insurance away from thousands of children shows how little he understands and sympathizes with what working families face every day. While he reportedly plans to call for up to $200 billion to continue a war that his top general can't even say is making the country safer, George Bush is rejecting the idea that we would spend less than one third of that amount for the health of America's children.

"That says all that needs to be said about this President's priorities."

Dodd is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) and the Chairman of its subcommittee on Children and Families. A longtime advocate for children's health care, introducing bills including the Better Pharmaceuticals for Children Act and the Pediatric Medical Devices Safety and Improvement Act, he is strong supporter of SCHIP reauthorization.

Text of the letter is included below the fold: