Chris Dodd for President

Here's video of yesterday's speech in Iowa City by Senator Dodd on national security, foreign policy, and defending the Constitution. You can read the text of the speech here.

Today, Senator Chris Dodd received the endorsement of Lt. Cmdr. Charles Swift, attorney in the historic Hamdan v. Rumsfeld case before the Supreme Court. That case found the military commission established by President Bush was illegal because it was not authorized by Congress and violated both US military law and the Geneva Conventions. Swift and Dodd spoke yesterday before the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council on the importance of the rule of law to our national security.

"I'm proud to endorse Senator Dodd because before it was popular, Senator Dodd fought for the rule of law. He understands that the honor of our military is at stake, that this is the right foreign policy that will win, and that in the end, our military is about our values. Our foreign policy must be about our values, or we have nothing."

Said Dodd, "I'm grateful to receive the endorsement of Lt. Cmdr. Swift - a true patriot who helped prove that the President cannot overturn the rule of law and establish his own system of justice. At a time when American men and women in uniform are making unbelievable sacrifices, Americans understand that our nation's moral authority isn't incidental to our security - but rather its very foundation. Having Lt. Cmdr. Swift's support is another step toward restoring the Constitution this President has trampled on."

Lt. Commander Swift is a retired JAG attorney. He was the military attorney for Salim Ahmed Hamdan and petitioned his writ of habeas corpus all the way to the Supreme Court, challenging the military commission established to try Hamdan. The Supreme Court found that the military commission was illegal and violated both the Geneva Conventions and U.S. military law. The case, Hamdan v Rumsfeld, was a landmark in the effort to ensure that the Bush administration follow the law, even when handling terrorism suspects.

Thank you, Lt. Cmdr. Charles Swift, for that introduction and for all you’ve done. As the Navy JAG officer who helped win one of the most important Supreme Court cases in recent memory, Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, you helped prove that the President cannot overturn the rule of law and establish his own system of justice.

I also want to thank you for calling my attention to some wonderful words from George Marshall, architect of the D-Day invasion, and namesake of the Marshall Plan. Here’s what he said:

“The United States abides by the laws of war….Wanton killing, torture, cruelty, or the workings of unusual hardship on enemy prisoners or populations is not justified under any circumstances. Likewise respect for the reign of law…is expected to follow the flag wherever it goes.”

George Marshall spoke those words in the middle of last century; but they could have been spoken at any time in our history.

Those words sum up a founding insight: that the rule of law extends even to those enemies we most despise; that our Constitution’s principles are transcendent; that in America, right makes might.

With the law following our flag, we threw down tyrants and oppressors for two centuries; we rid the world of Nazism and Soviet communism; we proved that great strength can serve great virtue.

America was a light to the world, and our adherence to the rule of law the foundation of our security for the last half of the 20th century.

Today, in the early years of the 21st century, our defining question is a very simple one:

Can we defend America if we fail to defend our Constitution and the rule of law?

That’s not a loaded question—there are a good number of Americans who say the answer is Yes.

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Today at 5:30pm Eastern we'll be live streaming a discussion of an event on the Rule of Law in U.S. National Security and Foreign Policy with Chris Dodd and Lt. Commander Charles Swift. The event is taking place in Iowa City, Iowa.

Lt. Commander Swift is a JAG attorney. He was the attorney for Salim Ahmed Hamdan and petitioned his writ of habeas corpus all the way to the Supreme Court, challenging the military commission that held Hamdan. The Supreme Court found that the military commission was illegal and violated the Geneva Conventions. The case, Hamdan v Rumsfeld, was a landmark in the effort to ensure that the Bush administration follow the law, even when handling terrorism suspects.

Tune at 5:30pm Eastern to watch the whole event, which will run about an hour long.