Chris Dodd for President

In case you haven't noticed it already, the Iowa Independent provides some of the best coverage of presidential politics in the state of Iowa, bar none. Their writers frequently attend campaign events and they provide great on the ground reporting from the state where Democrats will first cast their lots in process of selecting our next President (date to be determined). So basically, if you're not already a regular reader of Iowa Independent, I highly recommend it as a source for news out of the Hawkeye State.

By way of example, I want to bring your attention to this post by the Iowa Independent's John Deeth, who attended an event with Senator Dodd at the Iowa City book store, Prairie Lights. Deeth writes:

Matters turned back to the 21st century and Dodd's campaign during question and answers, as Dodd cited George Bush's remark that the Constitution " is only a piece of paper." He said the Geneva Convention is critical because it protects our own troops in harm's way, and our current policies put them in danger. "The worst info you get is the info you get from torture. There's no better witness to that than John McCain," he said. The world looks at the Nuremberg trials as a high point of American moral leadership, in contrast that to Abu Gharib and Guantanamo.

Dodd argues, in a sense that civil liberties and the rule of law are literally in his blood. "All of you have been asking me a question that you don't articulate. Who are you? What are your beliefs? What's my DNA in a sense? I am a product of my upbringing. My father talked about Nuremberg to his six children endlessly. These views on human rights and the Constitution come from my upbringing, not from a poll."
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I ask Dodd how his father would want to be remembered -- as a Senator, for Nuremberg, or as the father of a president? Dodd laughs at the last and cites his father's remarks from one of the letters. "Nothing I do will ever be really as important as this," wrote the then 38-year-old Thomas Dodd in 1946. "Someday the boys will be proud of it." Six decades later, his son clearly was.

I'd also recommend you to check out this post by Iowa Independent's Lynda Waddington on Rep. Ray Zirkelbach, an Iraq war veteran and Purple Heart recipient, endorsing Chris Dodd for President.

Also, Waddington has posted a series of video clips on her own blog, Essential Estrogen, from the Black Hawk County Democratic Presidential Forum. The videos are on global warming, Iraq, health care, economic security, minority disparities, and Medicare.

The video below is from a talk Senator Dodd gave today about the rule of law and his book Letters from Nuremberg in Burlington, Iowa.

I wanted to pass along part of an article in today's New Haven Register about a talk Senator Dodd gave around his book, Letters from Nuremberg.

Dodd now uses the lessons of Nuremberg as political talking points against the Bush administration’s policies.

Dodd said the ultimate value of his book is its importance to younger people.

"The rule of law is transcendent," Dodd said. "The principles embodied at Nuremberg are something we need to be mindful of today."

Dodd then cited reported abuses of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. forces at Abu-Ghraib Prison, safeguarding the right of defendants to habeas corpus, especially for the suspected terrorists being held at Guantanamo, and "warrantless wiretapping," all of which have angered President Bush’s opponents.

"The idea that we won’t be safe unless we give up some of our freedoms is a dangerous, dangerous notion," Dodd said as the audience applauded.

Dodd said the lesson of Nuremberg is that "a handful of people, including my father, at a critical moment when they could have chosen vengeance, chose a different course. They stood up and defended the rule of law."

Dodd called these principles "the centerpiece of who we are as a people."

I see this as a critical reminder of the importance of restoring the Constitution and maintaining our respect for the rule of law as a means of restoring our moral authority and standing in the global community. Doing so will make us more secure at home as well. The Register piece does a great job explaining the connection between Tom Dodd's work at the Nuremberg Trial and Chris Dodd's prioritizing these issues in his presidential campaign.

Bill Curry has a op-ed on Senator Dodd's campaign and his book Letters from Nuremberg in today's Hartford Courant. Here's an excerpt from the column:

Chris Dodd's "Letters from Nuremberg" is many things: an insider's view of history's most famous fair trial, a meditation on our recent failures to uphold its principles and a poignant family history. Calling it the best campaign book of the election cycle would be damning it with faint praise. No need for that. It's the best book I've read this year.
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Chris Dodd provides the book his own moments of eloquence, and in so doing proves himself an attentive as well as devoted son. He knows how long a fall it is from Nuremburg to Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib and understands the consequences for America's security and reputation in the world.

Dodd's campaign, like his book, outshines his competitors in its substance. More than any other candidate, he has taken the lead on ending the war in Iraq, defending the Constitution and combating global warming. His proposals on health care, wage stagnation and the credit crisis are credible and specific.

Dodd's performances of late are crisp, impassioned and on target. He must do a better job of getting his core message into every interview and speech but after Bill Clinton, he's as gifted and natural a politician as I have met, and these days it's all on display.
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The attention to Obama has faded slightly, causing Clinton to grow complacent. I don't know when it's safe to start acting like the nominee, but it isn't the year before the election. It's the first serious misstep of her campaign and it nudges open a door.

Dodd can still walk through it. The debate we're having doesn't measure up to the magnitude of the problems we face, nor does it acknowledge the boldness of the actions our government must undertake to solve them.

In Tom Dodd's day our democracy defeated its enemies, established a broad middle class and sanctified the rule of law. No one has studied more closely than Chris Dodd the kind of leadership it took to make it happen.

Last Friday, the New Hampshire Dodd Squad welcomed Senator Dodd's sister, Martha Buonanno, and his niece, Carolyn Chase, to the Granite State. Martha and Carolyn were in state to open our field offices in Keene and the Upper Valley.

Martha and Carolyn had a great time and Martha asked me to pass along her thanks:

Thank You New Hampshire!

For my most of my life I have had a family member in public office. I’ve attended hundreds of political events, but believe or not, Friday was the first time I went out on the trail to stump for, and not with, a candidate. I have to be honest-I loved it and can’t wait to get back out there.

New Hampshire is such a special place. Everywhere I went it was clear that New Hampshire voters are not impressed with fundraising totals or magazine covers. You take the time to listen to each candidate, question them, and make sure they are listening to you. It’s a patriotic duty that the people of New Hampshire fulfill every four years and that’s what makes this place so special.

I believe that my brother, Chris, is the most experienced candidate with the best ability to bring people together to solve the huge issues we face as a country. But I know that you want to find that out for yourself. So, I encourage you to take a look around this website, talk to the staff and volunteers working for Chris, and go see and meet him next time he is in New Hampshire. I promise that the decision will become very easy once you meet him.

I would also like to give a special thanks to everyone I met in the Keene and West Lebanon offices on Friday. I truly appreciate your warm reception and your willingness to take time out of your day to join me at the office openings.