Chris Dodd has been increasingly earning my vote in recent weeks, and he just came out and took yet another giant step toward that today. He shown that he's completely unafraid to stand up for what's right, whether it's against Bill O'Reilly, against telecom immunity, or against the California National Guard being in Iraq instead of being here at home.
Below the fold is the full quote via the official Chris Dodd campaign blog.
"As you know, Governor Schwarzenegger has had to ask other states for help because so many of California's National Guard, who provide critical support to the citizens while you are fighting the fires, were deployed to Iraq. In a Dodd Administration, never again will our houses be on fire because our troops are taking fire in Iraq. Never again will our first responders be left without the support they need because our President failed to do what it took to keep our communities safe. That is why in 2008, nothing will be more important than leadership that can get results that make us stronger and more secure. That's the first responsibility of an American President."
As a Californian with close connections to many people threatened by the fire, I cannot thank Chris Dodd enough for being bold and saying what many of us have all been thinking. And Chris Dodd isn't looking to just score cheap political points off this tragedy like we've seen Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh do. Rather, the state has been warning for months that California's National Guard is stretched to the max and missing key resources because of its forced Iraq deployments. From the San Francisco Chronicle, back in May:
As state forestry officials predict an unusually harsh fire season this summer, the California National Guard says equipment shortages could hinder the guard's response to a large-scale disaster.
A dearth of equipment such as trucks and radios -- caused in part by the war in Iraq -- has state military officials worried they would be slow in providing help in the event of a major fire, earthquake or terrorist attack.
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In California, half of the equipment the National Guard needs is not in the state, either because it is deployed in Iraq or other parts of the world or because it hasn't been funded, according to Lt. Col. John Siepmann. While the Guard is in good shape to handle small-scale incidents, "our concern is a catastrophic event,'' he said.
I'm sure I speak for many Californians when I say: Thank you, Senator Dodd, for standing up and saying the right thing.
The occupation of Iraq must end so that our first responders can respond at home.