At a stop at Iowa City's Hamburg Inn, Chris Dodd told Iowa Independent that "third or fourth" would be a good showing in Iowa, but "first is best."
David Osterberg and Jim Larew with Dodd
Dodd spent close to an hour at the politically famous diner, offering no speech but speaking with every one of about 50 every patrons, sometimes at length. Owner Dave Panther said Dodd was the sixth candidate to visit this cycle, joining fellow Democrats Joe Biden, John Edwards and Barack Obama, Republican John McCain and Green Cynthia McKinney. Three candidate's spouses -- Elizabeth Edwards, Jackie Dodd and former president Bill Clinton -- have also visited.
It was the second of Dodd's three Johnson County stops in 24 hours. Friday night, Dodd spoke at the Knights of Columbus Hall, where he won the endorsement of Iowa City Council member-elect Matt Hayek. "We need an adult in the room," Hayek said after the event. "Our next president won't have the luxury of getting up to speed internationally."
Dodd discussed his recent FISA filibuster with Iowa Independent at the Hamburg Inn.
Deeth: How's the FISA work that you did playing out on the campaign trail?
Dodd: I'm impressed how many people are aware of it, because the mainstream media wouldn't hardly cover it. People wonder whether or not blogs and the internet are having any value, and this story would have been buried away, forever maybe, and they might have gotten away with it. But we had 500,000 emails sent to members of Congress through our campaign office by the way, that was through our office and I respect that people did it. People expressing their concern about this had a lot of influence, I think, on people deciding they were going to pull this bill off the floor of the Senate. So it made a big difference, and people here this morning have certainly thanked me for making that trip back to Washington to be there to defeat that legislation.
Deeth. Some of the other Senators who are doing the same thing you're doing didn't go back.
Dodd: No, and they all went back for the farm bill, because that was good politics in Iowa. But the Constitution is what you swore to uphold when you are inaugurated or confirmed in the Senate, that's what you do when you take an oath of office. To me there's nothing more important, and this administration's had an assault on the Constitution for the last six years, and they continue to do it almost on a daily basis. If you can't come back and defend the constitution, I mean, this is a time when we need people to do that. If you let it pass and exonerate the phone companies who've vacuumed up people's phone messages, emails for five long years without a court order at the behest of the Bush administration, and they want to pretend it never happened, is just wrong. And that's why I stood up for 11 hours on the floor of the Senate and pushed back, and they finally pulled the bill out. That's going to come back in January, so we're not done with defeating that. It's a temporary victory, and I'm hoping next time I'll get some more members to come back to be a part of it. If you want to be President of the United States, you've got to lead, not just talk.
Deeth: You were saying last night at the Knights of Columbus that you were the best able to work across the aisle. So far this week I've heard Senator Obama and Senator Clinton also say exactly the same thing. What makes you more effective at working across the aisle than the other candidates who are claiming the same thing?
Dodd: Because I have. I mean, it's a simple record, it's one thing to say it, it's another to have done it. For 26 years, going back to the very first major legislation I was involved in, all the way up till just a week ago on Darfur. People say they are that way, I've actually done it. On the Family and Medical Leave, child care, all those I've done over the years really dozens and dozens, including fourteen pieces of legislation in the last two weeks that have become the law of the land as a result of my working with Dick Shelby, the Republican from Alabama, to get it done. So other people can say it, it's one thing to say it. But the question you want to ask is, where have you done this? What confidence do I have? Of course everyone wants to say that, but I think I'm the only one who's actually done it.
Deeth: You've been working really, really hard here in Iowa, literally staying in Iowa for a while, yet you're still lagging number-wise. What do you have to do to go on from Iowa?
Dodd: I think polls here don't mean as much as they do other places. It's a question of celebrity to some extent, and I think people are getting much more serious about this with ten or 11 days to go here before Jan. 3, and you need to have a good showing here. I don't know what that showing means, it depends where the others are.
Deeth: What's good?
Dodd: Well, you know, third, fourth, first is best here... and I'm hoping Iowans will recognize that it's important of those of us who've had something to say... I've been the most outspoken on the Constitution, the most outspoken on the Iraq war. I bring military service, Peace Corps service, I'm a person who can actually, with proven results bring Democrats and Republicans together. If that's what people are interested in, I think I'm an ideal candidate for Iowans.
Also at the Hamburg Inn was Jim Larew, chief legal counsel to Governor Culver, dining with former state legislator Dave Osterberg of Mt. Vernon. Larew, a leading backer of John Edwards in 2004, was pleased with First Lady Mari Culver's Edwards endorsement, though he was careful to note that the governor himself is neutral. Larew said the governor has "released" his staff to follow their conscience and support the candidates of their choice, and though Larew is busy he hopes to help Edwards again in the remaining days.
Patricia McMichael of Iowa City was signing a Dodd pledge card at the Hamburg. "He's a statesman," she said, " and we need that."
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