Chris Dodd on Restoring Habeas Corpus

Chris Dodd is introducing legislation that would restore Habeas Corpus and redefine who an enemy combatant is. The legislation is co-sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Russ Feingold, and Sen. Robert Menedez. Here is Sen. Dodd discussing the bill...

Feingold Leading the Way to End the War

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) is leading the way in the Senate to end the war in Iraq. Last week Sen. Feingold held hearings about Congress's consitutional authority to end the war. Here is Feingold's opening statement from the hearings...



Feingold then introduced legislation calling for troops to be withdrawn from Iraq in six months and prohibiting funds for continued operations after six months. Feingold then issued this strong statement about Congress's power to end the war (emphasis added is mine)...

“By passing my legislation, Congress can respond to the will of the American people and force the President to safely bring our forces out of Iraq,” Feingold said. “With the President set on pursuing his failed policies in Iraq, Congress has the duty to stand up and use its power to stop him. If Congress doesn’t stop this war, it’s not because it doesn’t have the power -- it’s because it doesn’t have the will.”

Also, Feingold, along with Sen. Chris Dodd, called the non-binding Warner/Levin resolution a mistake. Feingold went on to say...

I oppose the weak Warner-Levin resolution as currently written because it misunderstands the situation in Iraq and shortchanges our national security interests. The resolution rejects redeploying U.S. troops and supports moving a misguided military strategy from one part of Iraq to another. The American people have rejected the President’s Iraq strategy and it’s time for Congress to end our military involvement in this war. We must redeploy our troops from Iraq so that we can focus on the global threats that face us.

Feingold was the first Senator to call for a timeline to redeploy troops out of Iraq back in August of 2005. It is just now that other Senators are catching up. Now Feingold is looking ahead and offering a plan, will others follow or stay a step behind Feingold?

I Really Want to Like Chris Dodd in 2008

This week Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd announced he was running for President in 2008. I really want to be able to get behind his candidacy, but I am not sure if I can. Let me explain...

When it comes down to issues, Dodd is way better than a lot of the other candidates. Dodd has been a strong progressive voice in the Senate on many issues. Here is a look at some of those (in no particular order)...

• He is strong on education. Dodd has introduced an legislation to fix NCLB that has been endorsed by the NEA.
• He has a strong record against free trade. Dodd voted against CAFTA and knows that “the best social program is a good job” and sees that free trade is shipping American jobs overseas.
• He is outspoken against Iraq. In December, he called for the withdrawl of troops from Iraq. Then this week in the Foreign Relations committee, Dodd had this to say to Sec of State Rice.
  

  Isn’t it the State Department’s job to engage in this debate and win the world over, or at least try? Instead we’ve had year after year of inaction, bellicose rhetoric, a categorical refusal to ask for help, to work collectively, to engage—and what has it bought us?

  How weakened is our standing in the world and our support from foreign peoples? How many tools have we thrown away? How safe are we now?

  Madam Secretary: We have arrived at a moment of choice. We can choose to continue down the road we are on, one that has produced divided, angry allies and strong, emboldened enemies. Or, we can dramatically alter our journey with the first steps beginning a new direction in our policy in Iraq – robust diplomacy within Iraq and with Iraq’s neighbors to promote dialogue and reconciliation.

  Yes, he did vote for the war, but, unfortanately, it is looking like it there won't be many people running who didn't support the war at the beginning.
• He introduced legislation to restore Habeus Corpus rights taken away in the Military Commissions Act (also known as the Torture Bill).
• He voted against Sam Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court.
  
• He has experience in the Senate. He helped enact the Family and Medical Leave Act, and pushed pay-as-you-go legislation and campaign finance reform.

So what are my reservations about Dodd as a candidate?

• He has experience in the Senate. He has a lot of votes that can be twisted and turned and used against him. We saw this with John Kerry and it will be used against Dodd too.
• He is from the Northeast. He will be seen as a Northeast elite by many in the midwest and mountain west, both areas that Democrats need to make gains if they are going win the control of the White House. If Dodd was from Minnesota or New Mexico then I might be more interested in his candidacy.

The negatives that I see in Dodd's campaign could also be said with Joe Biden's campaign. Dodd is way better when it comes to the issues than Joe Biden is. If the candidate's positions were the only thing that mattered then Dodd would be at the top of my list. However, when you look at the other things, I think it is a lot for Dodd to overcome.

With all of that said, I am glad that Chris Dodd is in the race. He will be pushing important progressive issues that might not otherwise be discussed. Democrats made gains in 2006 by pushing many of these issues. If the other candidates ignore them, Dodd could gain traction.

I saw Dodd campaigning for Chet Culver and Dave Loebsack back in September. Check out my report and watch Dodd's announcement video. Then chime in with your thoughts.

Dodd Calls for Iraq Withdrawl

Chris Dodd (D-CT) wrote in the Des Moines Register today that our troops should be redeplyed from Iraq. Dodd just returned from a trip to the Middle East. Here is what Dodd had to say about the need to withdrawl troops...

The time has come for the United States to begin the process of getting our troops out of Iraq.

In Baghdad last week, I joined in a conversation with a West Point graduate who is serving in Iraq. He said, "Senator, it is nuts over here. Soldiers are being asked to do work we're not trained to do. I'm doing work that State Department people are far more prepared to do in fostering democracy, but they're not allowed to come off the bases because it's too dangerous here. It doesn't make any sense."

Dodd then laid out a plan on how to redeploy the troops to better fight terrorism and protect American troops.

The proposal being considered by the administration to add between 15,000 and 30,000 soldiers in a "surge" of American troops will do nothing to address this issue. If anything, "surge" is a tactic in search of a strategy. How does it lead to victory? It won't solve any problems; it won't force the hands of Iraq's leaders; at best, it will simply be one more reason for delay - a delay that will be paid with American blood. That's a price our troops and our nation shouldn't be asked to pay any longer.

Instead, the president should announce in January that we will begin withdrawing and redeploying our troops - to the Syrian border, to stop the flow of terrorists; to the north of Iraq, to better train Iraqi security forces; to Qatar, to form a quick-strike force if necessary to defend our vital interests; to Afghanistan, to resume the hunt for Osama bin Laden; and for those who have already over-extended their tour of duty by one or two years - home. If the Iraqis don't demonstrate the political will to unite, we should begin this process - in consultation with our military leadership - of reducing troop levels within weeks, not months.

We should then undertake a new American policy of intense diplomatic and political engagement with the entire Middle East.

New Poll in New Hampshire

There is a new poll out in New Hampshire. From Political Wire...

In a New Hampshire presidential primary, a new Research 2000 poll shows that Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) leads the pack of potential 2008 candidates in the Democratic race with 22%. However, she's closely followed by Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) at 21%, John Edwards (D) at 16% and Al Gore at 10%.

Again, I am surprised about how well Barack Obama is doing and have to ask if he is just treading on hype. Clinton isn't running away with the nomination as the media wanted you to believe she would. Edwards is polling well. New Hampshire is believed to his weakest state out of Iowa, South Carolina, and Nevada. No Kerry or Biden or Dodd, all Northeasterner's that would need to do well in New Hampshire to get off the ground.

I think most surprising, though, is Al Gore at 10%. Gore hasn't made any of the moves the other candidates have and is polling well in both New Hampshire and Iowa. It would really shake things up if Gore got into the race.

Chris Dodd Introduces Legislation to Restore Habeus Corpus

Today, Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd introduced legislation that would restore Habeas Corpus and other rights to the Military Commisions Act, or the Torture Bill, (which I wrote about here and here) that was just recently pushed through the Senate before the election. From Dodd's website, the legislation...

• Restores Habeas Corpus protections to detainees
  
• Narrows the definition of unlawful enemy combatant to individuals who directly participate in hostilities against the United States who are not lawful combatants
  
• Bars information gained through coercion from being introduced as evidence in trials
  
• Empowers military judges to exclude hearsay evidence they deem to be unreliable
  
• Authorizes the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces to review decisions by the Military commissions
  
• Limits the authority of the President to interpret the meaning and application of the Geneva Conventions and makes that authority subject to congressional and judicial oversight
  
• Provides for expedited judicial review of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 to determine the constitutionally of its provisions
  

“We in Congress have our own obligation, to work in a bipartisan way to repair the damage that has been done, to protect our international reputation, to preserve our domestic traditions, and to provide a successful mechanism to improve and enhance the tools required by the global war on terror,” Dodd said.

Now that Feingold is out of the 08 race, one of the candidates that I have my eye on is Chris Dodd. This is a postive statement by Dodd and shows that the Democrats are serious correcting the failings of the Bush Administration over the past 6 years.

Here, is the Matt Stoller's take from MyDD.

Report from the Johnson County Democrats BBQ

I had a great time at the Johnson County Democrats BBQ. The event was very well attended and it is lucky the Hawks pulled out the victory or the speakers would have faced a tough crowd. The first speaker at the event was Mike Mauro, who squeezed in some remarks during a commercial break. Mauro stressed three things: making voting easy, making voting accessable, and insuring safety and integrity in our elections. I will be shocked if Mauro is defeated in November.

Once the game was over the program began. After the introductions of the local candidates the Nussle Hussle dancers debuted with a special guest appearence from Gov. Vilsack. They put on a pretty good show.

Then it was time for the speakers. First up was Dave Loebsack. This was my first time meeting Loebsack and I was very impressed. He spoke about trade agreements, the mess that is Medicare Part D, and the need for Universal Health Care. He left giving 1 campaign promise. When elected, he will never leave behind those that need our help.

Loebsack then introduced CT Senator Chris Dodd. Dodd came out saying that this Connecticut Yankee has recieved a warm welcome in Iowa. Dodd's theme was community. He said Americans need to come together as one community and we can achieve amazing things when we work together. Dodd said that under Bush the theme has been "your on your own" and the greatest achievements by our country was achieved by working together as a community.

Dodd gave a good speech and he has a solid history of progressive stances on the issues. However, I think it will be hard for a Connecticut Yankee or a Northeat Liberal to be elected in 2008. I do hope he enters the race because we need more people out there pushing progressive issues.

Tom Vilsack was up next. Vilsack was very passionate and fired up. Maybe the Hawkeye game got him pumped up. Vilsack talked about how Johnson County Democrats have led the push for universal health care, education, and equal rights for gays. Vilsack added that it is this election that these issues are finally coming up.

Johnson County is a very progressive community. It is progressive ideas like universal health care, education, and equal rights that will lead this county forward. That is why we need Progressive candidates that are willing to fight for the underdog and not a DLC candidate who is afraid to take a stand because they might step outside the so-called center or upset the corporate interests.

The final speaker was Chet Culver. This was the first time hearing Culver since the primary. I have heard that Culver still needed some work on his stump, but after hearing him, I was impressed. His speech was very good and it was very clear that he has a plan. If I had a quarter for everytime he said that he has a plan, I could start my own Values Fund. Speaking of Culver's plan, I think his plan for education and renewable energy are great and those are my top 2 issues. Culver said that this election comes down to values. At this point, I was really hoping he would mention Nussle's lack of family values, but he didn't. Instead, Culver said that he was born in Iowa and has served in Iowa and leads with Iowa values. Nussle has served in Washington DC and would bring the Washington values of deficit, deceit, and cronyism to Iowa.

I was happy that I decided to make the trip for this event. I got the chance to hear some good speeches and I also met 2 bloggers and 2 regular posters on Democratic Underground.

For some more coverage and pictures check out John Deeth's blog.

Chris Dodd coming to Iowa on Sept. 9th

I just found out that CT Senator Chris Dodd will be coming to Iowa and is holding an event in Marshalltown on Saturday, September 9th from 3-5 pm. I believe this will be Sen. Dodd's first trip to the state in the past few years. I am sure that he will be making stops elsewhere in the state. Dodd has said that he is exploring a run for President in 2008. Here is a look at Dodd on the issues.