STATEMENT OF SENATOR CHRIS DODD FOLLOWING EDWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT
WASHINGTON - At a hearing of the Senate
Senator Chris Dodd issued a statement following the announcement of Senator John Edwards and Elizabeth Edwards:
"Jackie and I wish Elizabeth, John and their family the best during this difficult time and throughout Elizabeth's treatment process. Our prayers are with all of them."
DODD OPENS OFFICE IN IOWA AND NEW HAMPSHIRE
WASHINGTON – Senator and Presidential candidate Chris Dodd today announced the opening of his campaign’s first regional campaign office, located in downtown Des Moines. Dodd also announced that his campaign will open an office in Manchester, New Hampshire, in the coming days. The two offices will serve as headquarters for the Dodd campaign’s operations in two important primary states.
“Opening these headquarters are two important milestones in building Senator Dodd’s organizations in Iowa and New Hampshire,” said spokesperson Christy Setzer. “The more people get to know Senator Dodd, the more they see he is the candidate best equipped to lead America in a new direction. Soon, our new offices will be bustling with volunteers and staff, working to get Senator Dodd’s message out to caucus and primary voters in Iowa and New Hampshire.”
Dodd’s Iowa office, located at 1115 Grand Avenue in the heart of Des Moines’ revitalized downtown, is across the street from the Des Moines Public Library and Western Gateway Park and features more than 6,000 square feet of office space.
In Manchester, the Dodd campaign will be located at 379 Elm Street, near the Verizon Wireless Arena and in a space previously occupied by the very successful 2006 New Hampshire Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign.
The offices come as the Dodd campaign is building an experienced staff in both states. In Iowa, the campaign recently hired Marc Beltrame, a former aide to Congressman Leonard Boswell, as State Director; Taylor West, former press secretary for Governor Chet Culver, as Iowa Press Secretary; and two experienced field staffers.
In New Hampshire, Dodd will be assisted by Political Director Sean Downey, a former advisor to Senator Evan Bayh; Field Director Dana Kelly, a former political director of the Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire; and two field operatives with stellar histories in electoral politics.
DODD ANNOUNCES NATIONAL CAMPAIGN MANAGER, MAKES MORE KEY HIRES
Cohen, Andreeff Jensen add momentum to growing campaign
WASHINGTON — Chris Dodd for President today officially announced the addition of Sheryl Cohen as Campaign Manager and Julie Andreeff Jensen as Deputy Political Director.
Cohen is a long-time Dodd aide, having worked in both his political operations and in his official offices.
Julie Andreeff Jensen brings a wealth of presidential campaign experience to the Dodd campaign, having served in key political roles for John Kerry's presidential campaign. Andreeff Jensen served as political director for Kerry in several key states, including Iowa. She ended the campaign running Get Out the Vote efforts in Cleveland, Ohio, where she oversaw the largest Democratic turnout in Ohio presidential history.
"Sheryl's passion, talent and experience have been instrumental in helping me get things done for the families of Connecticut over the last dozen years," said Dodd. "She is a trusted friend and advisor, and I am honored to have her with me as we embark on this campaign to restore leadership that can get things done for all American families.
"Julie's depth of political experience will prove essential in Iowa and across the country. Their additions build on the growing momentum of this exciting campaign," Dodd continued.
Recently, former Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Gordon Fischer noted on WHO-TV's "Up/Down with Dave Price" that Andreeff Jensen's hire, along with that of Iowa state director Marc Beltrame, makes Dodd "a serious player in Iowa."
"Both Sheryl and Julie bring to the Dodd Team a wealth of experience of working to improve the lives of people across this nation, as well as a wonderful energy. Their intelligence and political acumen will serve Chris well as he travels across the county sharing his vision for America's future," stated Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro, a Dodd Campaign National Co-chair.
DODD OPENS IOWA HEADQUARTERS
Continues Building Strong Iowa Presence
DES MOINES – Senator and presidential contender Chris Dodd today announced the opening of his Iowa campaign headquarters in downtown Des Moines. The office, located at 1115 Grand Avenue, will house the central operations for Dodd’s Iowa effort, with regional offices due to open around the state in the coming months.
The office opening marks another step in Dodd’s growing Iowa momentum.
“The more people get to know Senator Dodd, the more they discover that he is the truly experienced, thoughtful leader Americans are looking for. And there is no better place to get to know people than in the living rooms and church basements of Iowa,” said Taylor West, Dodd’s Iowa spokeswoman.
In recent weeks, Dodd has brought on experienced Iowa staff, including State Director Marc Beltrame, a former senior advisor to Congressman Leonard Boswell, and West, former press secretary for Governor Chet Culver.
The new office is located in the heart of Des Moines’s revitalized downtown, across the street from the newly opened Des Moines Public Library and Western Gateway Park. It features over 6,000 square feet of space for staff and volunteer operations.
DODD MAKES KEY HIRES, ADDS HEFT TO PRESIDENTIAL BID
Arceneaux, Sevugan, additions add to Dodd's growing momentum
Washington, DC — Chris Dodd for President today announced several key hires, including a National Political Director and a Deputy Communications Director. Scott Arceneaux, the new Political Director, and Hari Sevugan, the new Deputy Communications Director, bring substantial campaign and political experience and add serious momentum to Dodd's presidential bid.
"Nothing is a greater indicator of a campaign with momentum than the addition of such distinguished talent. Scott and Hari have built up impressive resumes winning difficult campaigns in the most trying of circumstances—I could not be more excited to add them to my team," said Dodd.
Dodd's momentum has also expanded into key early primary states, where veteran Iowa operatives have signed on the campaign. In Iowa, the campaign recently brought on long-time aide to Leonard Boswell, Marc Beltrame, as Iowa State Director, and campaign press secretary to newly-elected Governor Chet Culver, Taylor West.
DODD ELECTRIFIES FIRE FIGHTERS
Presidential Candidate Gains Praise, Ovations at IAFF Forum
WASHINGTON - Presidential Candidate Chris Dodd, an ardent supporter of Fire Fighters, was greeted with raucous applause and multiple standing ovations at the IAFF Candidate Forum, Wednesday, March 14th. Dodd, the author of the FIRE and SAFER Acts, two key pieces of legislation that provide critical funding for our nation's first responders, repeated his call for additional funding, citing the Bush Administration's failures to provide needed aid.
"If America's firefighters are going to be the first ones to respond to an emergency, you shouldn't be the last ones to receive support from the Federal government," Dodd argued in his speech. He then vowed, "Under a Dodd Administration that will change."
Today, USA Today, the Politico, the Washington Post, The Hill, ABC News and the Los Angeles Times reported on the event, noting the favorable reception Senator Dodd received from the influential union.
DODD ANNOUNCES PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN NATIONAL CO-CHAIRS
Becerra, Cloud, DeLauro, Sasser to head diverse group backing Dodd
WASHINGTON—Today, the Chris Dodd for President campaign announced a diverse group of backers to serve as National Co-Chairs of his campaign. Representatives Xavier Becerra (D-CA) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), former National Conference for Community and Justice President and CEO Sanford Cloud, Jr., and former Tennessee Senator and Ambassador to China James Sasser will lead Dodd's campaign, providing counsel and guidance as he continues his quest for the presidency.
"The people who lead my campaign are, in a way, a cross-section of America, representing backgrounds diverse in geography, race, and biography," said Dodd. "But they share one very important thing: a commitment to changing this country."
"When people focus on experience, straight-out transparent honesty and integrity, they'll find that Senator Dodd is second to none. No one works harder to increase opportunities for working families than Chris Dodd," said Becerra. "Chris Dodd truly is the 'Children's Senator,' making children's issues a priority before it was fashionable, as they say. And being fluent in Spanish, Dodd also has a wonderful capacity to reach Hispanic communities."
"Having worked for Chris Dodd before I worked with him, I know as well as anyone that he knows how to get things accomplished in Washington. He's made a career by rising above partisan gridlock and partnering with Republicans to pass important legislation such as the Family and Medical Leave and child care grants," said DeLauro. "We need a president with real experience who won't need on-the-job training."
"In an increasingly volatile world, we need a president who has historical perspective and a sensitive appreciation of situations across the globe," said Sasser. "Chris Dodd doesn't just fill a seat on the Foreign Relations Committee; he's played a central role in nearly every foreign policy debate over the last quarter-century. From the crisis in the Middle East to Latin America, where his experience leads back to his Peace Corps days, Americans will have a president with unparalleled foreign policy knowledge in Dodd."
"Chris Dodd has been my friend for as long as I can remember," said Sanford ("Sandy") Cloud, Jr. "and I know two things about him: He tells a great story and he knows how to win. Whether he's winning Homeland Security grants for firefighters or holding corporate leaders accountable for scandals like Enron, Chris Dodd never shies away from a fight, and he always wins for America."
CHRIS DODD ANNOUNCES KEY IOWA CAMPAIGN HIRES
Dodd announces Director, Press Secretary of Iowa campaign
DES MOINES - Chris Dodd for President announced today the hire of Des Moines native Marc Beltrame to head Dodd's Iowa campaign, and Taylor West as Iowa press secretary. Beltrame is a longtime senior staffer for central Iowa Congressman Leonard Boswell and a veteran Iowa political activist. West most recently worked as press secretary on newly elected Iowa Governor Chet Culver's campaign.
Senator Dodd praised the two for their records of service and expressed appreciation for their support. "Marc is a rising leader in the Iowa Democratic Party, and his addition to my campaign will be a huge boost. I'm honored that such a distinguished public servant has chosen to join my team. Taylor is a campaign veteran whose work electing Governor Culver makes her invaluable to my operation.
As I travel around the state speaking to Iowans about our ideas for changing this country, I'll be grateful to have Marc and Taylor by my side to offer counsel and guidance. "
Gordon Fischer, former Democratic Party Chair, said of Beltrame, "Marc Beltrame is as brilliant as the surface of the sun. His hire automatically makes Chris Dodd a major player in Iowa."
"Adding someone with Marc's talent and experience as director is a great first step to building a campaign in Iowa. It sends a strong signal that Senator Dodd intends to compete to win in Iowa," said Gary Dickey, Jr., a former policy advisor and general counsel to Governor Tom Vilsack.
Said Beltrame, "Iowans are ready for a president with real experience and real ideas about how to get America back on track after enduring six years of the Bush-Cheney presidency. From authoring the Family Medical and Leave Act at home to solving foreign policy problems across the globe, Chris Dodd is the strongest leader in this race. I'm so honored to be part of his team."
Congressman Kennedy's Statement Endorsing Senator Chris Dodd for President
WASHINGTON - Congressman Patrick Kennedy released the following statement on his endorsement of Chris Dodd for President.
"I am pleased and honored to endorse Chris Dodd for President. Senator Dodd has a breadth of experience in both foreign and domestic affairs and the vision to lead this country in a new direction in which Americans are safer, more prosperous, and confident in the future. He has been a tireless advocate for our children and their families and his legislative record absolutely reflects that commitment. He has authored and enacted landmark legislation such as the Family and Medical Leave Act, which has benefited over 50 million Americans. Chris understands the concerns of our working families and will fight for their access to quality healthcare, daycare, and education. Senator Dodd has been intimately involved with every major piece of legislation regarding America's children, and has been recognized as Senator of the Decade by Head Start for these efforts.
"I am proud to call Chris Dodd a friend - someone who has offered me his support and sound counsel for many years. As Providence College graduates, we share a special bond of camaraderie, reinforced by a similar set of values and goals aimed at improving the lives of all Americans. Forty years ago, Chris answered President Kennedy's call to serve in the Peace Corps. Chris dedicated years of his life to help families in the Dominican Republic where he worked to improve rural communities and became fluent in Spanish. The Senator's fluency in Spanish will help him communicate effectively with a broader audience. Chris Dodd is a devoted public servant who is driven by his passion to help others and improve our country. Chris Dodd's wisdom and compassion can make this world a better place for all. That's what it takes to be an effective leader. That is the kind of leadership Americans deserve."
Presidential Candidate Chris Dodd Addresses Democratic National Committee
“Mr. Chairman, none of us will forget the fuse you ignited with your speech at this meeting four years ago. Under your leadership, the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party is now being felt in all 50 states of this great nation.
About a year ago, President Bush’s approval rating stood at 40 percent, his Party was in revolt, and the Vice President had just shot somebody. Thanks to you, President Bush is now referring to that time as the good old days.
Thanks to your energy, diligence, leadership – and the efforts of great candidates and millions of volunteers who contributed, worked phone banks, knocked on doors, and stood out in the cold to get people to vote – the Democratic Party had great victories in state houses, governors races, and we now are the majority party in the House and Senate.
Thanks to the hard work, last week it wasn’t Dennis Hastert sitting next to Dick Cheney and behind George Bush – but Nancy D’Ellasandro Pelosi, the first female speaker in American history.
There were a number of issues that ignited the passions of the American people, but none as much as the war in Iraq.
Because we Democrats are the majority party in both houses of Congress, we’ll finally have a debate about ending the war.
Now, it’s time to do for the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue what we did for the House and Senate in 2006.
The last time I stood at this podium was to accept your nomination as the General Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, along with my great friend Don Fowler of South Carolina.
It had been almost 60 years since we Democrats had re-elected someone to the White House.
In 1996, with your help, Bill Clinton was the first Democrat to be re-elected as President since Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1936.
On January 20th, 2009, we will gather at the West Front of the Capitol to inaugurate the 44th President of the United States.
I predict with certainty that if we listen to the American people; pay attention to the dreams and aspirations they have for their children and our country; and we propose bold solutions for the world we must lead – the 44th President will be a Democrat.
Today and over the coming 12 months I hope you will give me the chance to make a case for my candidacy for the Presidency in 2008;
Just as they did this past fall, Americans, I believe, will vote for change in 2008.
No matter where you go in our country, people are tired and fed up with the Bush Administration, their enablers in Congress, and the greedy few who have enriched themselves – while millions of hardworking, middle class families have fallen further behind.
They are tired and fed up with the deceptions and incompetence of the Bush-Cheney Administration;
They are tired and fed up with a Bush-Cheney Administration who, in a 6,000 word State of the Union Address, couldn’t bring itself to utter the words “Katrina” or “New Orleans.”
They are tired and fed up with a Bush-Cheney Administration that has presided over a crumbling primary and secondary education system;
skyrocketing higher education costs;
a health care system that today is more expensive and less available for millions of Americans than it was 6 years ago;
and an energy and environmental policy that is shameful.
And they are tired and fed up with a Bush-Cheney Administration, which in the face of 3,000 American lives lost in Iraq, 22,000 Americans injured;
thousands more Iraqi dead, disfigured or permanently displaced,
and an America that is isolated from our allies with diminishing influence in the world, has the temerity to say “full speed ahead.”
And they are tired of a Bush-Cheney Administration that tries to scare Americans into supporting policies that undermine our history, our values, and our Constitution.
They’ve put a new twist on an old saying: scare me once, shame on you. Scare me twice, shame on me.
In 2008, the American people are going to have an answer for the election-defrauding,
wire-tapping, Abu-Graihbing, debt-exploding, Exxon-loving,
Brownie-you’re-doing-a-heckuva-job crowd that has driven American into a ditch: we are NOT going to take fear for an answer ever again.
We won in 2006 largely because of what the other crowd has failed to do. In 2008, that’s not going to be enough.
This is a moment of great urgency for America. We’ve had leadership the past six years that has squandered so much of what has made our nation great.
The more I travel around the country, the more I sense a hunger in America;
A hunger for our leaders to stand up for the values of equal justice, and equal opportunity.
A hunger for leadership that will keep us strong and safe.
A hunger for national leadership that will work harder for working families then they have for the Halliburtons and Exxon/Mobils of this world.
Let me tell who I am: I am a Democrat. In the words of Sam Rayburn, I am a Democrat without suffix, prefix, or apology.
Now I believe it is important for there to be bipartisanship in this country.
We cannot continue to survive as a nation divided as we are.
But unlike some, I believe that before you can have bipartisanship, you must have leadership.
Let me be very blunt.
Bipartisanship to me does not mean getting Democrats to agree with Republican principles; it means getting Republicans to agree with Democratic principles.
Leadership insists on holding to a core set of values, a core set of principles, and a demonstrated ability to bring people together around those values and principles. That’s what I did on the Family Medical Leave Act, childcare, in Central America, the FIRE Act, and that’s what I’ll do as President.
If we Democrats just spend the next 22 months of the Presidential campaign reciting a litany of what the Bush Administration and their Republican friends have done wrong, our national audience will grow smaller.
As a candidate for the Presidency, I will remind people of the damage that Republican leaders have done to our country at home and around the world, but I intend to spend more time telling people what I want us to do together to make America great again.
I am an optimist. I have great confidence in America. As great and urgent as our problems are – I believe firmly that our capabilities are greater.
Let me share with you a few of the issues I care deeply and passionately about.
People may not have paid much attention last fall to that vote in Congress to abandon habeus corpus and walk away from the Geneva Conventions.
This issue has a personal dimension for me. Six decades ago, my father was the number two prosecutor for the United States at the trial of Nazi war criminals in Nuremberg.
The moral authority America earned at that trial set a high standard – of human rights and rule of law – every President from Truman to Reagan to Clinton honored and abided by them.
It was the soft power of our moral authority that contributed to victory in the Cold War – and it will be the soft power of our moral authority that will contribute to winning the war on terror.
I will make this promise to you today:
One of the very first things I will do as President is send a bill to Congress that overturns that horrible torture bill the President signed into law last fall – to begin to restore America’s moral authority.
Here’s another thing I will do: I will bring our troops out of Iraq.
Let me tell you a story: about a month ago, once again, I was in Baghdad, where I met a bright young Army Captain, West Point graduate, named Brian Freeman.
He said to me, “Senator, it’s nuts over here. Soldiers are being asked to do work we’re not trained to do. I’m doing work that the State Department people are far more trained to do in fostering diplomacy, but they’re not allowed to come off the bases because it’s too dangerous here. It doesn’t make any sense.”
When I came home, I spoke about Captain Brian Freeman in public forums. We started an e-mail conversation, but then, I received a frantic call in our office from Brian’s wife. A military vehicle had stopped by her home when she wasn’t there, and she was desperate to know why.
We found out the awful news: two weeks ago tomorrow, Brian Freeman was killed in Iraq.
If you want to see the human face of this war – the cost of this war – imagine the life of Brian Freeman’s widow, Charlotte, their two year old son, and 14 month old daughter.
It is time for the government of Iraq and the people of Iraq to take responsibility for their own future.
Next week we will debate in the Senate a non-binding resolution on the war in Iraq.
Frankly, I am disappointed that we can’t find a way to do more than send a meaningless message to the White House – a White House that has said it will ignore anything we say about the war in Iraq.
The American people sent a message to us in November.
The voters were clear – change our policy in Iraq.
When over 60% of the Iraqi people think it is appropriate to attack our service men and women, then it’s time to get our troops out. And I don’t believe spending a week debating non-binding resolutions is the change America voted for. Last week, I proposed we send President Bush a real bill, with real teeth, and real accountability. With all due respect, my colleagues, that’s not what we’re considering in the Senate.
It is time to say enough is enough.
America’s security – economic and otherwise – must not, cannot depend on the most politically fragile corner of the globe.
As President, I will lead America toward an energy policy that within a decade will eliminate our dependency on a line of tankers trying to squeeze through the 34 mile choke point at the Straights of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.
I will lead America to an economic policy that recognizes that America gets stronger when the middle class gets stronger and I will be a national leader that is as optimistic about their hopes and dreams for their children as they are.
We Democrats won elections in the past because we were the party that kicked down doors and knocked over barriers to opportunity.
We must show America we haven’t forgotten how to do that.
As President, I will commit that no one who finishes high school, who’s qualified to go on, and who is admitted to higher education, is denied that opportunity because of financial need.
As President, I will fight to rebuild our manufacturing base.
It is a dangerous notion that manufacturing should no longer be part of the American economy in the 21st century.
We must not give up our industrial base – we have lost 3 million manufacturing jobs in the past 6 years.
This hemorrhaging must stop.
I understand the value of trade, but it will be fair trade.
In my Administration, we are going to make it at least as attractive for business to stay in America as this Administration has made it for them to leave America.
And as President, I am going to finish a job that Harry Truman started in 1948.
When I raise my hand on January 20, 2009 to take that oath, I will also make an oath that by the time my Administration is over, we are going to bring health care to every man, woman, and child in America.
I believe that kind of America is possible, with the right kind of leadership.
I believe the times demand leadership that knows how to build relationships, come up with answers, and deliver a vision that is realistic in the 21st Century.
In 2008, I believe experience will matter more than ever.
The last thing we need is four more years of on the job training in the Oval Office. We need a candidate who is ready to lead from day one.
In 2008, some say we need experience, others say we need idealism. I say we need both. And as your nominee, I will bring both.
Let me tell you a story about why I’m doing this.
GRACE STORY – WHAT KIND OF LIFE AM I GOING TO HAVE?
Now, the answer to that question becomes our responsibility. Elections are not just about those of us in this room – they are even more about the people who are not in this room.
They are about the people who don’t wake up wondering if they are Democrat or Republican, conservative or liberal, red state or blue state. They don’t have time for that – they are too worried about holding their jobs, concerned with their kids’ education and well-being, and anxious that an accident or illness could financially ruin them.
Theses people are less interested in our resumes than we think. Yes, they want to know who we are – but far more importantly they want to know if we know who they are.
They want to know if we are listening to them – do we have any idea what their lives are like, what they worry about, what are their dreams and hopes?
When I first ran for Congress, someone told me a story about FDR that I have never forgotten.
FDR STORY
If people say that about me at the end of my career, I will consider my public service a noble one.
So, I ask you today: give me a chance to be heard. Give me a chance to make my case.
The last thing Democrats across this country want is to be told who their nominee is going to be a year before the first primary or caucus.
I am hopeful and optimistic about our future.
I believe America can lead again, as we have in the past, if we have the right kind of leadership
Forty-five years ago last month, I stood on the East Front of the Capitol and heard John Kennedy’s inaugural address.
I heard that call, and I took it to the rural hills of the Dominican Republic, where I worked as a Peace Corps volunteer.
When people wonder why I joined the Peace Corps, I have a simple answer: because someone asked me to.
At a difficult moment in our nation’s history, somebody asked me and thousands of others in our generation to become part of something larger than ourselves.
I stand before you to make my case because I believe we need this kind of leadership again – a leadership that will call all Americans to be part of something larger than themselves.
It is now our watch – our turn.
We have but one brief moment in time, you and I, to get this right.
We are going to be judged, and very quickly, by a jury that’s coming along.
They are going to be my children and yours. They’re going to want to know what you and I did to keep America strong and secure.
They will want to know what we did to reverse global warming, to preserve our freedoms, to create a world with more friends than enemies – when we had the chance.
Let them one day say of us that at the beginning of the 21st Century, after an uncertain start, America returned to her heritage.
Let them say that America preserved freedom and lived up to her highest ideals
And let them say that in a broken time, we dedicated ourselves to the cause of an America that stands confident and proud once again.
We started the job in 2006. Now, let’s finish it in 2008. I ask for your support. Thank you.”
