In Dodd We Trust: The Vice Presidency

A lot of people have been mentioning Chris Dodd for Majority Leader in 2008. I know that because I have been one of the people doing just that. But there is another idea that came up when I was interviewing Marcy Wheeler of Empty Wheel on Monday (during our filibuster show to promote Chris Dodd's filibuster in the Senate).

How about Dodd for vice president?

He could be the anti-Dick Cheney. Every force in the universe has an equal and opposite force. If Cheney was the dark matter of the Bush administration, Dodd can be the experienced hand inside the next Democratic administration pushing the new White House toward the light.

Sen. Dodd had a great line on Countdown the other night. It went something like this: If you want to be a leader in 2009, how about you start leading in 2007.

In some ways, of course, this is embarrassing because all of these folks should have been leading since 2001 when Bush stepped into office. The fact that they have to remember to lead this late in the game is a sad indictment of Democratic leadership.

But that's precisely why I'm scared that the Democrats in the Senate might not vote out Harry Reid as Majority Leader. They don't mind his leadership at all; he represents their collective inaction and timidity. He is their leader.

I'm not sure the Senate is at the point where there are enough progressive Democrats that someone like Dodd or Feingold can be the leader of a group of strong Democrats who know how to fight for their principles. But as Dick Cheney showed us, a vice president can do amazing things inside the executive branch (even though he might not even admit he's in that branch).

I believe in the title of this post (I'm sorry, I might have seen "In Dodd We Trust" somewhere else, but I don't remember, so let me know if I should credit someone for that catchy title). Because right now, I'm scoring the race for leadership among the presidential candidates as:

Dodd 1 Everyone Else 0

Senator Dodd won the fight to make sure Bush and the telecom companies didn't get immunity for their crimes (they admit they need immunity, so obviously they must have committed crimes). This was a huge win (by the way, the New York Times ran it on Page A29, that's ridiculous and shameful -- what, they didn't think Bush's only significant legislative loss this year was newsworthy?). And how many other wins do Democrats even have?

Which other Democratic candidate can claim to have defeated George Bush at anything? Isn't that really, really sad? The most unpopular president of all time and he blanked the other guys. I'll never get over that. But what might help is if the one guy who actually made Bush retreat on an important issue was on the Democratic ticket. Maybe I could trust that ticket a little bit more.

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Comments

[rwilliams1961]

One question: Where the hell did Harry Reid come from? He's a Republican wet dream. Inactive. Unimaginative. Inert. America's at war and our president is at war with the middle class and poor, and in response the Democrat party allows Reid to be the counterweight to that president? (Remember the feather in the old Doonesbury comics? Sadly, that turned out not to be Bush, but Reid.)

I'm 46 years old, and I have never been more embarrassed to call myself a Democrat. To a large degree, Harry Reid is responsible for that shame. Get him out of there and screw offering Dodd the VP slot (although he'd make a great one). Instead, get him at the top in the senate and let's get this country back on track.

[ptarantino]

Short term..I'd like to see him as Senate Majority leader & long term, he can be VP.

Politics would get a lot less frustrating (IMO) if Dodd was leading the charge in the Senate. He also seems to be a respectfull man & I could see him working across the isle.

Good post.

[RAMHaiti]

Sen Dodd is more qualified than Edwards or Obama. The voting public doesn't always see things as they are.

[Halsey]

Cenk...good idea..I KNOW he's running for President..and could just surprise everyone..and as loath as I am to support career politicians..I think, considering the state of our nation..and beginning the long process of cleaning up the mess left by cheney/bush...a Biden/Dodd (oh man..two white men...but oh well)...would be acceptable..OR..
Dodd/Edwar­ds...Dodd/­Obama..get­ting Obama ready for 2016...as it will take more that 8 years to "fix us"...

I am so proud of him for leaving the campaign trail to do what he's actually paid to do..the rest of them..HRC/­Obama..and yes..Biden..should be on unpaid leave...while they campaign..

[BBackSoon]

Why does it turn my stomach to think that someone doing the correct thing is so unusual?

Whatever happened to the collective good and Civil Service? It has all but vanished.

Yes, if he is really going to begin to grow a backbone and some balls I would like to see Dodd either as an effective VP or the Speaker.

[milo9]

Vice President Dodd? Sounds good to me. So does Senate Majority Leader Dodd. The near term goal for progressive activists should be to remove Reid and Feinstein from positions of power. It's up to us, not the weak-kneed Dems as the Fisa Battle proved. And even though the FISA Battle will resume in January, it has shown that we don't necessarily have to deal with another year of Democratic capitulation.

[DemandTruth]

Edwards/Dodd 2008

But what's more likely is that HRC will win, nothing will change - the Republicans and corporatio­ns/special interests will still get everything they want while disparaging Democrats as traitors at every turn, the MSM will still worship the right & parrot their talking points, and Harry Reid will continue to back down and whimper in our faces at every opportunity. I'm so cynical about what's happening in this country, I'm even sick of myself!

[PeaceCzar]

Not a bad thought.

Dodd as VP to Edwards is a good thought.

Even better... RUSS FEINGOLD, who in 8 years could run for president, and continue the United States in a progressive direction. Plus, Feingold secures states in the upper Midwest that run the minor risk of going Republican.

Edwards/Feingold ?!?

[JustAnotherJoe]

I'd score Dodd 0.5. I'm glad he found his and filibustered. Meanwhile, Congress votes to send $70 billion to the White House and the occupation continues.

[Cathexis]

Have to admit, I have taken a new look at Dodd since his recent displays of backbone. He's climbed in my esteem, of late.

VP ... ?

You know, I hadn't thought of it before, but ... I can see it!

[Tellmethetruth]

Why isn't Dennis Kucinich or Dick McDermitt Speaker of the house?

[Tellmethetruth]

Better to keep in the Senate - VP is a symbolic position with no power (Cheney exception) - even better to make him Speaker.

[darcy]

Too bad Senator Dodd had to actually fight Democrats, not bush, to temporarily stop the immunity.

I've thought of him for veep also, but only if Edwards wins. I think Dodd is too principled to play second to the likes of Clinton and Obama.