A Nod to Dodd: Pounding Pavement for Connecticut’s Senior Senator
Well, armchair punditry really got its Christmas wish this year: a deadlocked Presidential nomination race for both parties. But despite all of the prognostication, hand-wringing, and poll scrutinizing, one thing everyone can agree on is that the candidate for whom I am working – Senator Chris Dodd – doesn’t have to worry about writing a victory speech. The most recent American Research Group, Inc. poll found that only 2% of likely Democratic caucus voters would be supporting Senator Dodd. With few endorsements to speak of (featuring the International Association of Fire Fighters) and possessing under $4 million cash-on-hand at the last reporting period, Senator Dodd and I have roughly an equal shot at winning our party’s nomination.
With so much at stake in this election and with such a talented slate of candidates from which to choose, why schlep to Iowa to try and convince caucus-goers to jump on a sinking ship? Because Chris Dodd would make a really, really good President. Crowning a long career of principled stances, last week Dodd stalled debate on a FISA bill that would have granted retroactive immunity to telecom companies. After speaking non-stop for eight hours on the Senate floor, Dodd’s antics prompted Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to unexpectedly pull the bill ahead of the Senate’s recess. While Dodd’s Senate colleagues who are running for President expressed support for the filibuster, not one left the campaign trail to protect Americans’ rights to defend their civil liberties in court.
Every percentage point that Senator Dodd picks up in Iowa correlates to more time that the front-runners will have to devote to explaining the Senator’s firmer stances on a host of issues – especially civil liberties concerns. Stay tuned in the coming days as I document my experiences on the Dodd campaign and the atmosphere in Iowa.
