In roughly two weeks, I will be proudly joining thousands of people across the state by participating in the Iowa Democratic Caucus. As a relatively new resident of Iowa and first-time caucus goer, I am eagerly awaiting the opportunity to show my support for the candidate I believe will be an agent of change and is best qualified to be our country's next president. I desire an individual with decades of leadership experience, a person with strong principles who will strive to restore the Constitution, and someone who all Americans can be proud to call their president. That is why, on January 3, I will be supporting Chris Dodd.
Dodd has served the nation in numerous capacities and would bring a wealth of experience to the Oval Office. He spent time in both the military and in the Peace Corps during his younger years. He was first elected to Congress in 1974 and has been a senator for 27 years. Dodd has served with distinction on numerous committees over that time and is currently the chair of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, which oversees America’s financial institutions. He is well versed on the issues, both domestic and foreign. He can repair our reputation around the globe.
Dodd boasts a progressive voting record and is not afraid to tackle challenging issues. He would fight to restore aspects of our constitution that have been shredded by the Bush/Cheney Administration, such as the right to habeas corpus. Earlier this week, he exhibited his leadership and commitment to his job by leaving his campaign to return to Washington so that he could oppose the FISA bill, which in its current form would grant retroactive immunity to telephone companies that assisted in warrantless spying on United States citizens. While Dodd's primary opponents Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden agreed with his stance, Dodd was the only current senator who left his campaign to debate the legislation. He put his responsibility as a public servant first, even when it was personally inconvenient.
I am tired of the Karl Rove political mentality that all that is needed to govern is "50% plus one" support. I want a president who is not a polarizing figure and is capable of building a consensus that the vast majority of Americans can support. Dodd has a proven track record of working productively with his Republican colleagues, such as when he and Arlen Specter formed the first Children’s Caucus in the Senate and spent seven years working to enact the Family and Medical Leave Act. I want a Democrat elected next November. But that's not enough. I want someone who can unite rather than drive the wedge between "blue states" and "red states" deeper into the fabric of this great nation. I believe Dodd has the skills to achieve that.
I will follow Dodd's lead and refrain from attacking his primary opponents. He and I both know that they are generally talented individuals who we agree with on many issues. However, I think he has the best vision for the country and the ability to get things done. His body of work says enough.
Like Turkana wrote in yesterday's outstanding diary, Dodd isn't perfect. But nobody is. We aren't Republicans. We don't pretend to know God's infallable choice. What I do know is Dodd has shown a spine in Congress when others have capitulated. The fight will not end on election day and I feel that he has shown the fortitude to stand strong. He has shown both the willingness and ability to lead.
I realize that Dodd trails in the polls. I also realize that the only poll that matters in Iowa will be taken the evening of January 3. I have heard that Iowans cannot be bought by whoever spends the most money and that they closely analyze the candidates. If that's the case, I will have company when I show my support for Dodd the first Thursday night of the new year. A year flush with the possibility for great change.
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