Chris Dodd for President

Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd pitched his plan to expand public service programs and lower college tuition costs Monday during his turn atop The Des Moines Register's soapbox at the Iowa State Fair.

THE RACE: Dodd, a Democrat overshadowed by the larger and better-financed campaigns of Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, insisted that he could still win the race. Dodd said his campaign planned to have eight offices open and 60 staff members in Iowa by Sept. 5.

ISSUES: A key theme of Dodd's 20-minute speech was education. He pledged to expand the federal government's Pell Grant program, make community college tuition free through a federal matching grant with states, and get rid of subsidies for private banks that charge high interest rates on loans.

KEY MESSAGE: Dodd painted his would-be administration as a chance to restore respect for the United States abroad and promote involvement in public service programs, such as AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps. He repeatedly mentioned the middle class as a group that needed help paying for college and health care. . . .

When Senator Christopher J. Dodd finished speaking at the Iowa State Fair this afternoon, he did something that is quite ordinary for presidential candidates here. He signed autographs. He posed for a few pictures. Then, he took questions from an Australian broadcaster.
It’s not only the presidential hopefuls descending upon Iowa. A contingent of foreign correspondents are here, too, questioning the Democrats and Republicans and capturing the spectacle of a presidential campaign.
Mr. Dodd and his rivals spend so much time in Iowa, of course, to meet the voters who will help open the 2008 presidential nominating contest early next year. Their conduit to those voters is the well-established corps of Iowa political reporters. And barely a day goes by when a candidate – or several – don’t make themselves available for interviews.

Today, standing amidst the Iowa pack, was John Barron, who is working on a documentary of the campaign. The old adage of all press is good press is applicable here.

Mr. Barron opened the questioning with a standard: Why are you running?
“Frankly, I don’t like the way I see my country headed,” replied Mr. Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, who ticked through his list of accomplishments and credentials. “I know how to do this. I think the country is ready for experienced leadership and proven success. They are tired of on-the-job training.”
Then, Mr. Barron said: “You’re running against some big names, though, how are you going to beat them?”
“People in Iowa aren’t impressed by names,” Mr. Dodd said. “They want to know what you stand for, what you believe in and if you get elected, what you’re going to do. The fact that you have a big name or a lot of money, that does not overly impress people in this state.” . . .