A Welcoming Community
Senator Dodd traveled back and forth across America today to speak, first, at the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s Mid-Term Convention, followed later yesterday evening by a rousing speech at the Iowa Democratic Party’s Hall of Fame dinner.
Here’s Senator Dodd’s speech in Concord, New Hampshire:
And here’s Senator Dodd’s speech in Cedar Rapids, Iowa:
Follow wall-to-wall coverage of the New Hampshire debate on CNN tonight at http://chrisdodd.com/blog.
Today’s Los Angeles Times article reveals disturbing revelations about the Iraqi government’s likelihood of failing to succeed at meeting the current goals set for them by the Bush administration.
U.S. military leaders in Iraq are increasingly convinced that most of the broad political goals President Bush laid out early this year in his announcement of a troop buildup will not be met this summer and are seeking ways to redefine success.
In September, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, is scheduled to present Congress with an assessment of progress in Iraq. Military officers in Baghdad and outside advisors working with Petraeus doubt that the three major goals set by U.S. officials for the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki will be achieved by then.
It’s time for politicians on both sides of the aisle to recognize that benchmarks set for the Iraqi government that lack a firm deadline for withdrawal of American funding and a timetable for the redeployment of American troops simply do not work.
What’s missing is the clarity that Senator Dodd has called for so that the Iraqi government has the impetus to act. Without a firm deadline, we’re just offering nothing more than another half-measure – at best.
Here’s Senator Chris Dodd’s statement on this depressing story:
“Today’s report that top advisors to General Petraeus do not believe that the Iraqi government will meet basic political goals set out by President Bush in conjunction with the troop surge is yet another indicator that goals and benchmarks set without real consequences will not have any effect. We need to be clear in our policy in Iraq, not only for the sake of our national security, but for the sake of the Iraqi government as well. Setting a firm and enforceable deadline for redeployment of troops is the path toward such clarity.”
Disclosure: I proudly work for Senator Chris Dodd’s presidential campaign.
Hey folks. My name is Matt Browner-Hamlin and I work for Senator Chris Dodd’s presidential campaign. I’ve been blogging for a few years at sites like My Left Nutmeg, Huffington Post, Emboldened, and The Right’s Field, but this is my first diary here at Booman Tribune. I’ve read and enjoyed this site for a long while now and I look forward to participating as a diarist. I’ll be around in the comments to answer your questions. Thanks!
Today the Dodd campaign launched our second ad. “Ready to Lead” is now on the air in Iowa, New Hampshire, and on national cable stations.
Senator Chris Dodd is ready to lead. Through his leadership, we are moving the conversation from half-measures to bold solutions on our most pressing challenges: ending the Iraq War responsibly, stopping global warming and ending our dependence on Middle Eastern oil. On energy, he is proposing the boldest plan of all presidential candidates, which includes a Corporate Carbon Tax and 50 mpg fuel economy standards.
Senator Dodd is receiving wide praise for his leadership on these critical issues.
John Nichols of The Nation recently wrote:
But the Senate Democrats who would be president have, as a group, take an anti-war stand that is far more in keeping with the sentiments of the American people than most of official Washington yet understands.
That’s good for the party and good for the country. And it is unlikely this would have happened without the timely intervention of the candidate [who] is moving the Democratic race in the right direction: Chris Dodd.
New York Times columnist Tom Friedman said on Friday:
Chris Dodd finally said the t-word. He came out in favor of a carbon tax. And that’s the good news. The bad news is, he’s the only one.
The stakes are great. Senator Dodd is offering clarity, conviction, and honesty in his leadership.