Last week DailyKos commenter episty wrote, "If Chris Dodd doesn't stop acting like a leader....I just might have to vote to make him one."
I think this sentiment captures Chris Dodd's candidacy for President and the leadership he has displayed in the Senate along the way very well. On issue after issue, Dodd has stepped forward and defined the forward edge of the Democratic field.
On Iraq, he has repeatedly called for ending America's involvement in Iraq's civil war by setting a date certain for withdrawal and enforcing that by tying it to funding. As another Democrat candidate has recently turned to saying, "No timeline. No funding. No excuses." That is the Dodd plan for ending the Iraq war in a nutshell. And not only does it exist on the small screen of America's TVs and the pixels of our computers, it's the only piece of legislation in the Senate that will succeed in ending the war in Iraq.
This isn't a recently arrived-at position for Chris Dodd. He lead the Democratic field during the supplemental funding debate in May -- declaring long before any vote was cast that he would not vote for legislation that failed to include a firm, enforceable date to end the war. Senators Clinton and Obama never said how they would vote and waited until the 18th minute of the 15 minute vote to cast their ballot in the right place.
This time around, Dodd stated that he would not vote for "any measure that does not have a firm and enforceable deadline to complete the redeployment of combat troops from Iraq" weeks before a vote would come. He called on his opponents to state clearly and directly if they would vote for Iraq legislation that did not include a firm timetable tied to funding. While none have directly answered the question, Senators Clinton and Obama seem to be making moves to follow Dodd's lead and do the right thing. They would not be there were it not for Chris Dodd's leadership and the pressure from grassroots Democrats around the country -- who've sent thousands of letters to their Senators -- to get them to support legislation that actually will end the Iraq war.
But Dodd isn't just leading on Iraq.
On energy policy, Dodd is the only candidate to call for a Corporate Carbon Tax. Any plan that lacks this bold move fails to pass the smell test -- because polluters will only stop polluting when it's made too costly for them to pollute.
Dodd is the only candidate who has pledged to restore the Constitution in his first hour in office. He's not waiting until January, 2009 to effect change, though. He's doing it now. The Restoring the Constitution Act will reverse the terrible Military Commissions Act -- not just restore habeas corpus, but ban torture and ensure that America honor our commitments to the Geneva Conventions.
And much, much more. Rebuilding the Gulf Coast. Education. National Service. Health care. Protecting America's middle class. Transforming America's relationship with Cuba.
Quite simply, Chris Dodd has defined what it means to be a leader in America today. In the Senate he has used his office to push for the real, substantive change that these times demand. On the campaign trail he has pushed for the most bold plans for the future course of American policy. No other candidate has offered the breadth of leadership on issues that Americans deeply care about and are demanding leadership on.
Now is the time to take the support for Chris Dodd's leadership on these issues and turn it into votes for Chris Dodd to lead America as our next President. All apologies to you, episty, but Chris Dodd is not going to stop leading, so you'll just have to vote to make him President.
Update:
Thanks to everyone who has recommended this diary and commented in the thread. The feedback is overwhelmingly positive. It's clear that this community is looking for and recognizing the leadership Senator Dodd is offering.
Here's how you can get involved and help the Dodd campaign today:
Disclosure: I proudly work for Chris Dodd's presidential campaign.