Presidential candidate Chris Dodd will be with us tomorrow starting at 5pm ET/2pm PT for a live video vlogging session where he will answer questions left by the FDL community in the comment section.
Our first live vlogging session with John Laesch last Saturday was a huge success. Howie Klein went to Illinois and live streamed the interview for Blue America. Tomorrow, we're going to do things a little differently. This time Senator Dodd will be talking about the supplemental vote last week as well as new legislation he plans to be introducing on Iraq. A video of the event will then be available for viewing and downloading.
There is a new article in the LA Times which says that military leaders are acknowledging that the benchmarks set for the Iraqi government are already unattainable. That didn't take long, did it?
Dodd deserves a lot of credit for getting out in front of all the other '08 candidates on voting against those useless Iraqi benchmarks that Bush is free to ignore and also for putting pressure on Clinton and Obama. For my money I believe if he hadn't pushed as aggressively as he did things might have gone another way — he left them no choice but to vote against it. It should be interesting to see how he rates in the next DKos straw poll, his leadership position and his ability to move with agililty within the blogosphere to draw the dialog to the left have certainly earned him both notice and praise.
While he certainly wants to talk about a plan for moving Congress on Iraq, Senator Dodd has expressed his willingness to take questions on all topics. So if you'd like to ask him about habeas corpus, energy or any other issue, feel free to do so.
So what question are you itching to ask the Senator? We've set up a page dedicated for questions, so feel free to leave them here.
Related posts:
- Dodd: Reprimanding Lieberman is “Ridiculous”
- Member of Veterans Group “Gathering of Eagles” Told Dodd to Kill Himself
- Education & Labor Markup Tomorrow – Join Us!
- Health Care: HELP Bill Released During Public Option Call With Sens. Dodd, Brown and Whitehouse
- Republicans Move to Permit Credit Card Companies to Jack Up Their Rates for the Next Several Weeks
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Go Jane!
Nice, I can’t wait.
Good.
The Hartford Courant has an article up on the Dodd Tech Squad, including Matt Browner-Hamlin and Tim Tagaris. Not sure Hillary’s song contest is the stuff of breakthrough internet campaigns but there are some other good insights.
For Sen Dodd,
Are you going to introduce a stand alone bill to FULLY reinstate Habeas Corpus and all the other rights taken away from American Citizens via the Patriot Acts I & II?
Will you introduce a bill to negate the recently signed Presidential Directive that allows the current office holder to assume dictatorial powers at HIS decalration of a national emergency?
Will you introduce a bill reinstating the Posse Comitatus act so that the private security firms such as Blackwater will be blocked from serving in police type/Brown Shirt organizations in New Orleans and elsewhere in the US?
Will you introduce a bill to bring the private security firms under US law while in the US and under the UCMJ while in overseas operations?
Good one Jane.
Semi OT (certainly different candidate), can I just say that crap like this pisses me off – Janet Hook of the LA Times being a useful tool for the GOP:
But Edwards’ 2008 strategy carries risks, in part because it speaks most directly to a slice of the electorate that has notably little political clout. Perhaps the last major presidential candidate to make fighting poverty a central theme was Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (D-N.Y.) in 1968, before his assassination that June. Some analysts warn that an agenda that might suggest “class warfare” risks alienating middle-class swing voters and moderate Democrats who do not want to revive criticisms that theirs is the party of the poor.
[snip]
…Edwards’ focus on the disenfranchised has also left him open to allegations of hypocrisy. Wealthy from his career as a lawyer, Edwards has been pummeled by reports that he spent $400 for haircuts, built himself a 28,000-square-foot mansion on a 100-acre estate, and did consulting work for a hedge fund that trafficked in offshore investing of the sort he had criticized.
Can anyone in the MSM think for themselves?
Dodd never did much for me when he was just a Senator, but he seems to be on the right side of the issues a lot more often now that he’s a presidential candidate. Not meant as a slam, just an observation – he might actually be my favorite (declared) candidate at this point…
Eli @ 7
He went a long way in that direction when he got out front on the funding bill in my estimation.
Hi Jane!
dakine01 @ 8
He did, but I was liking him and thinking “Whoa, what got into Dodd?” even before that.
Dakine, Jane has a special thread to questions for Dodd. Don’t think he’ll see them here. Link is her last word in the post.
at this point, any congress person who holds to their principles on this Iraq horror is to be highly esteemed, imo. Look forward to the Senator’s visit.
dakine01 @ 8
That certainly made Hillary and Obama look wimpy, didn’t it?
And Biden just drank the hemlock…
I am warming to Senator Dodd.
Senator Dodd,
Will you lead the movement to stop the President’s use of signing statements to disregard the law?
Will you introduce legislation to either repeal, or else modify the Military Commissions Act to prohibit it being used against American citizens?
dakine01 @ 5
Good questions all. Dodd will be looking directly at the dedicated page for questions so please leave them over there (in addition to here for discussion) because I’d like to see him answer them, particularly the one brininging US security firms in Iraq under US law. That’s an important one.
Loo Hoo. @ 11
I saw the special thread after I had posted them and copied them over. Thanks for not calling me the idiot that I am though… ;})
Newspaperbrat — I like the question you left over there (heh heh)….
Can we ask two questions over there?
Oklahoma kiddo @ 19
Many as you want.
dakine01 @ 17
you’re not an idiot. furthermore, your little mustache emoticon is really cute. imo.
Jane Hamsher @ 18
Will he take questions from a Canuck?
oddmommy @ 21
Emustachecon?
dakine,
I did the same thing. Idiocy loves company.
I probably don’t need to say this, but I’m going to anyway: Please keep questions polite. (You guys know this, but in case some new reader is checking in, we try not to be rude to guests. Thanks!)
This is going to be a great chat. Am looking forward to hearing about the proposal for new Iraq legislation that he’s going to talk about — anything that gets us out of the quagmire and moving in a productive direction is welcome. Oh, and thanks to Jane for this one — good one! :)
Eli @ 23
ayup.
oddmommy @ 21
Well, I wear a handle bar so it fits. Think John L Sullivan rather than Snidely Whiplash. No wax, just comb it out and twirl it so that it’s well trained. Unlike me sometimes…
Petrocelli @ 22
Ne-er mind, NPB asked it.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 25
Christy, I hope the Senator will drive the debate into territory the front runners seem to be avoiding. And I trust you, Jane and the others will impress upon him the urgency with which he must do so.
I will further add to Senator Dodd’s entitlement to the utmost respect, that he endures — most graciously I am sure — the necessarily congenial relationship with his, uh…….Connecticut colleague.
Eeew.
hey jane, great to see you as always
I posted this downstairs, I’m sure you’d like to do something with it
never off topic here at the lake, we have indeed a new fitz fix;
fitz confirms valery’s covert status at sentencing
in no uncertain terms
the article includes links from larry johnson and others
one thing I would surely find out which one of the posters downstairs brought up;
just how many covert assets squandered when brewster and jennings was exposed as a cover
anyway, good to see you
dakine01 @ 17
Dakine, please, I hold you in high regard!
Unlike the junior Senator from CT, Sen. Dodd has been great on Iraq. The most important thing I want to communicate to Sen. Dodd is that the WH is kicking the left’s ass all around the block wrt the soundbyte war. It’s not a “war.” It’s an “occupation.” Failure to call it what it is creates even more serious problems downstream. Democrats need to include these facts everytime they talk to the press: Prior to the surge, the occupation cost $270,000,000/day. Everyday we’re in Iraq makes Russia and Iran more dominant in the region.
I’m not asking him these questions, but I will invite him to consider asking these very aggressively of the White House and the GOP.
From Joe Wilson at FDL:
I will also encourage Sen. Dodd to encourage the Democrats to return to the fundamental principles wrt making a decision on using military force:
FYI, here’s a summary of the Powell Doctrine of overwhelming force:
Since the Democrats have lost the “war of the benchmarks,” I want them to press the White House and the GOP for answers to the questions the Powell Doctrine asks.
To this I would add, Bush has inserted our military into an “occupation,” where they are in a classic “police action.” Our ground forces are trained exclusively to fight integrated war supported by air superiority and artillery. Now Bush and the GOP has forced them to “occupy” without that support. Only a real fool tries to “occupy” a civil war. Only bigger fools enable such madness.
As Sen. Dodd is well aware, we have a Posse Comitatus Act which prevents the military from moving against targets in the US. When it really needs to be destroyed before 10:00AM tomorrow, call 1-800-Marines. That’s what they’re trained to do.
The occupation of Iraq is a complete repudiation of the Hunt Report which has been taught at West Point since the 1920’s. Democrats need to ask the White House, GOP, and the Pentagon why they ignore the blue print that Gen. George C. Marshall used to “occupy” post-war Germany.
The other “high cotton” that the Democrats are ignoring is the Baker Hamilton Commission. There’s no better way to pry Republicans out of the GOP than to invoke it and ask why the WH ignores it.
Loo Hoo. @ 32
(smiling embarrassedly, shuffling the feet in the “aw, shucks” manner)
Petrocelli @ 22
Why would he do that? Them Northerners aren’t good for much but cheap meds and lousy Hockey teams!!! *g*
quietly slipping into the refreshing waters of the lake
Jane, will the Lake be doing this for the other presidential candidates and what has been the reaction by the candidates so far?
another off topic but very important link from think progress
CTuttle @ 35
Get off my Bacon, eh? *g*
We also have
freemedical marijuana. *g*Suzanne @ 36
We’ll be doing it for any presidential candidate who wants to come on. This was Dodd’s idea so we really haven’t presented it to anyone, we were impressed with the Laesch vlog and thought we might do something with the Presidentials but evidently they were thinking the same thing and beat us to it.
Jane Hamsher @ 39
Oh Boy, if Hillary comes on, you will need 100 servers … *g*
Petrocelli @ 40
Of course, if Hillary comes on, someone will declare that the topic under discussion is inapprorpiate for FDL. No matter what the topic may be…
High praise to Senator Dodd for his exemplary leadership on the Iraq supplemental spending bill. I wish we had a lot more like him.
My point was that we don’t allow the military to try and “nation build” inside the US. There’s no reason to suspect that our military is capable of doing it in a foreign country that speaks a different language. For those interested, posse comitatus was passed just after Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War
Assuming that whatever administration comes in in 2008 the likelihood of the US still being in Iraq is high. What would Sen. Dodd do either as President or Senator on the bases the military is establishing and the about the super-duper-growth hormone-enhanced embassy we are building there? Do we use these things or just get the hell out of Dodge?
What’s the difference between a blog and a vlog?
Aloha, Y’all!!! So this vlog will be similar to Siun’s? I hope Dodd can shed some light on his views on Iraq! Hopefully, shed a little sunshine on the NPSD-51 as well!!! I noticed Josh at TPM had mentioned it today, I wasn’t too impressed with the treatment tho…
Al Gore has a new book out. Book Salon, mmmmmmm…..
/subliminal
Loo Hoo. @ 45
Live video feed.
dakine01 @ 41
I don’t even know what that means but it does not sound accurate.
Jane Hamsher @ 49
I think that was snark based on the reaction to her last appearance…
It’s great to hear Senator Dodd is coming back.. The conversation continues..)
*snicker with a major eye roll*
dakine01 @ 41
Is this an appropriate topic for this blog? TeddySanFran?
That was my take too.
Eli @ 7
For myself, I only have so much time. But, when I attend every city council and planning commission meeting for four years straight, the discrepancy between what is reported and what is witnessed runs large. When I view days of testimony on CSPAN it is no different. It leaves me wondering if I really know who I am supporting or not, as my witness is very different than the press or the “skinny.”
I watched Dodd during the Gonzales and Rice confirmation hearings and he was phenomenal. If I hadn’t had the time to be glued to CSPAN I would have had no idea.
Just saying that sometimes when we think, well if they’d only had acted that way when they ran in 2000 (Gore) or said somesuch – they have often acted and said it – only we were the ones not paying attention. “They” didn’t change as much as our awareness.
Dodd in the Rice confirmation hearing:
My father was about a 35- or 36-year-old lawyer when he went to Nuremberg. And Winston Churchill and others at that time, when they talked about the defendants in the first round of prosecutions, who were some of the most vicious people that mankind had ever seen — whether they wore uniforms or not, they brutally murdered 6 million Jews and 5 million others, civilians, not to mention the millions who lost their lives as combatants. And Winston Churchill and others argued at the time that we just ought to summarily execute these people.
But the American team argued, without any basis — there was no Geneva Convention that I’m aware of in those days — and said that they believed very deeply that the place at Nuremberg was so appropriate because that was the site of the Nuremberg Laws that gave the Nazis the legal justification for the final solutions. And the Nuremberg trials occurred in that city, and we insisted that every defendant there get a lawyer. They could present evidence before that court, that tribunal made of the allies. They did so not because there was some body of law someplace that said they had to, but because we wanted to tell the world who we were. We were very, very different not just in terms of our economic plans and political plans, but how we viewed mankind.
Dodd, questioned Rice extensively during her confirmation hearing. He addressed many important points — from her shilling on the campaign trail for the President to the inadequate response to HIV to Venezuela to others — but I was most impressed with his inquiry regarding the use of torture.
If there is one issue that distills this administration to its very essence, it is the promotion of torture and disregard for due process. Dodd’s exchange with Rice was remarkable — his setup, her embarrassing and abject failure to assure the world we are not barbarians, Senator Boxer’s follow-up regarding the unanimous amendment against torture requested by Rice to be killed in committee, and then Dodd’s most eloquent revisiting of the issue stating the importance of our world attended universities and open institutions, explaining their relationship to WWII, and concluding with the supreme wisdom and grace of the Nuremberg trials as cited in the quote of above.
The profound lesson given in justice and due process and honor, is a jewel that this administration cannot fathom. One could despair at how little wisdom this administration holds, and how much power they wish to hold.
Dodd closed with his advice to Ms Rice, “Don’t become like them…. Don’t become like them.”
He s not my first choice, but he certainly holds my respect.
Jane Hamsher @ 39
That is promising!!! FDL is turning heads in the Blogosphere and influencing the debate in the runup to ‘08!!! Thanx to the impressive array of Posters, starting with you, Ma’am!!! :O
Jane Hamsher @ 49
Sorry Jane. I was being a smart a**. I seem to recall when you had Sen. Clinton in to talk about Women’s Pay issues that some folks took offense thinking she had named the topic and that besides it wasn’t what they came to FDL for.
jayt @ 47
I wonder how many times we can ask him if he’ll run for president before he totally hulks out and tells us to get stuffed…
Eli @ 50
Aha. I get it now! Sorry, chemo today Dakini, a little slow on the brain.
Yeah I think Christy is hitting that tomorrow, she was awfully pissed at the SCOTUS decision today. Too angry to write about it so she’s taking another day.
Let me clear on this. I will support the nominee of my party to be the next Democratic president.
AZ Matt @ 48
Psst, Suzanne, time to upgrade… *g*
This is what I’d liked Dodd to be asked(he was once .. like HoJo .. my Senator) .. and I know this might be a sore spot with him because of his chairmanship … but watching KO tonight .. Al Gore probably said something about it in his book.. and it is this:
How do the citizens of this country take it back from the moneyed interests? Given that it is doubtful we’ll ever have totally publicly financed elections, what can we do so that the people in Washington are representing the people, not corporations. Why do, when 70% of the people favor one course of action, the reresentatives in DC take the complete opposite? Does Dodd understand why, we the little people, despise those who represent us in DC? What would he do to make DC more responsive to “The People”?
Prayers, thoughts, and much love with you.
Jane Hamsher @ 58
Take care of yourself Jane. That Chemo brain is not a good thing. My sister is 3 years past her treatment and still feeling it…
Oklahoma kiddo @ 59
Amen to that!!! However, I would prefer not to have a clothespin on my nose when I enter the booth!!! (HRC)
I like Dodd. I do not like that he was “cushy” with Newt Gingrich. I like Richardson too.
Eli @ 57
KO asked him tonight. More then ever, it sounds like Al at least recognizes there are plenty of people out there that want him to run. I was proud of Keith tonight. He asked Al about running and used the line I always do. He asked Al, if you want to effect change so much, what bigger pulpit is there to effect change than the Presidency of the US. KO stumped him with that one. It seems to be the best reason there is to get Al to run. Using that reasoning, there is no reason for Al not to run, if he really wants to effect change at a higher level.
Labrador @ 54
Got a link? Beautiful.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 59
Me too.
I must say that the questions people are asking Dodd are phenomenal over on the dedicated page. Good job, everyone.
I should’ve done the same thing the day before for Hillary Clinton and I did not. That was a mistake. Live and learn.
LS @ 65
As a former CT resident, I can tell you Dodd is a good guy(10x better than HoJo). What kind of President he’d be? I don’t know.
Eli @ 57
It’s now or never. Somebody ought to write a song.
LS @ 65
I like Richardson also but I think he’s running for Vice President
Strategerie ; )
Jane Hamsher @ 69
I thought we could post our questions here.
dakine01 @ 63
Marcy is here and we were discussing that even she, in all her brilliance, had to re-wire a bit afterwards, four years later she still doesn’t have the focus she once did. But she thinks that forces her to think in another way which turned out to be a good thing. I’ve had to take on subjects that were less challenging in the level of detail you have to master to cover them because I just can’t do otherwise right now, and maybe that will continue to some extent. But I do believe that whatever it is you can be committed to making it work for you, and I certainly plan to do that.
Joe Klein’s conscience @ 73
Nevermind, I just reposted it over at the dedicated thread.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 59
Now every time you say that, I think of that song about the surrey w/ the fringe on the top. lol
This beingBeing this involved is a new process for many of us, Jane. I have never been this involved before. Thank you for helping us learn alongside you.Sparkles the Iguana 19 has my favorite question over there so far.
This is a great idea Jane, and it’s really great that the Senator is willing to do this.
On a similar score, I’ll be hosting this event in Manchester. We’ll be live streaming into Second Life a feed from pre and post debate events that the Senator has set up, where I’ll be taking questions from inworld participants.
I’d love to see some firepups there. This means you, Rayne.
Loo Hoo. @ 71
If you ask me, I think Al knows it as well. Seeing his appearance tonight on KO, I have to believe the chances of his running are getting better. I just think it all depends on what the polls look like come early fall.
TRex is upstairs
Keep up the fight, Jane! You are really making a difference. My heart is with you.
Trex is upstairs
Eli @ 57
ya know, I am starting to get tired of this. I don’t feel strongly one way or the other about Gore running (except that he did hire my college classmate Naomi Wolf to be his consulant in 2000, and someone more full of sh*t I have NEVER known)….but I am tired of this stupid game. If he doesn’t categorically say I AM NOT GOING TO RUN, that means he might…..and it means he might, depending on which way the political winds blow. I don’t like that. I don’t LIKE being jerked around.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 59
There’s the spirit, OKK!
Loo Hoo @ 67
My comments come from a letter I wrote at the time, and I pulled the Dodd comments from a transcript. The NY Times transcript of the confirmation hearing starts here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01…..mp;ei=5070
CNN also has a transcript of the hearing.
What the sudden interest in Darfur? The continent of Africa is rich with “American Interests”. Why now? Do you really think they care????? Yeah, I think they care. They look at the bottom line of what they can extract and profit from the continent of Africa. Nothing has changed. This makes me sick. Spit.
Jane Hamsher @ 69
Sweet Jane, you are doing so much. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. (Stevie anyone?)
jayackroyd @ 79
Your linkie is broken. But is that Manchester, CT or NH? I’ve lived both but not at the present time…
LS @ 87
Rovian obfuscation. On issues he is strong, (of which almost none remain) Rove will distribute talking points filled with “clarity” that does not exist. On issues where he is weak, Rove simply tries to make the issue more confusing than it really is.
Just gotta say that Jane on “chemo brain” beats 99.9% of everyone else …
Brava Lady!
jayackroyd @ 79
I didn’t hear back from you about last Saturday at 11:00 Jayackroyd. What was the foulup?
LS @ 87
Bush is trying to change the subject. Nothing will get done with Sudan because the Chinese will block it. They are buying up all the Sudanese oil they can. The Chinese are also building up a lot of the area around Khartoum.
I didn’t hear back from you about last Saturday at 11:00 Jayackroyd. What was the foulup?
I stalled. We’re talking about a broader training effort. I’ll drop you a note shortly.
dakine01 @ 89
Fixed link New Hampshire. Associated with the CNN debates.
Jane Hamsher @ 69
The candidates are learning too, Jane. Just learn together.
And strength to you. I spent most of 2002 as the person waiting by the bedside or kicking around the hospital parking lot.
Why are all the US Attys who haven’t been confirmed by the Senate still serving?
Especially Tim Griffin in Arkansas?