Mr. Dodd Goes to Washington

I've been trying to stay out of the so-called "horse race" aspect of the 2008 election, mostly because it smells like horse ass. But you have got to give someone their due when they go to work for you, and so far only Christopher Dodd has done that. By go to work for you, I mean actually doing something rather than saying, over and over again from state to state, what you are going to do. The difference, to mangle the Bush administration's philosophy of change, is the same as walking down a road map to somewhere rather than agreeing to agree on building a road map to nowhere.

In that sense, Dodd has seized upon a strategy of action over diction. While campaigning hard in Iowa like the rest of the Democratic hopefuls, Dodd actually came back to Congress to do his job and filibuster the hell out of the offensively named Protect America Act. By heckling the halls of government for pretending to protect America while granting retroactive immunity to the telecoms like AT&T and Verizon that have compromised its constitutional freedoms while receiving industry favors for their efforts, Dodd achieved escape velocity back into reality. Those he left in his proactive dust like Biden, Clinton and Obama? Well, they decided that they favored the hyperreality of rhetoric, which is to say flurries of language with no intent to follow it up with substantive action.

Now, I'm not a doddering Dodd-ite, make no mistake about that. I've had my eyes on Obama. But you have to walk the walk if you're going to talk the talk. And as much as I'm not a fan of Dodd's stance on many things, I do remember sighing with happiness and gratitude when I found out he kicked the Protect America Act out on the street where it could freeze until January. Sure, he got help from other Democrats, like Russ Feingold, who is really the man that should become president of the United States in 2008. But Dodd took a plane and blew the ears off of noncommittal wafflers for eight full hours, saving all of our asses in the process. And for that, I have to give him his due.

Whether you do is up to you, and there's much time between now and then for Dodd to screw up. But his plan of action should be circulated from one of this nation to the next, by as many millions as possible, to remind the Democratic hopefuls looking to take America out of our new dark ages that you can say anything and you can't do everything. But you should do something, anything, to help Americans enter the post-Bush phase without a sneaking suspicion that they're about to get screwed all over again.

So thanks, Senator Dodd. We needed that. Badly.

VIDEO: MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON

Comments

[donttasemebro]

This is so beautiful...
... sniff.

[Tubby]

Good for Dodd!

[aznurse]

hardly any mention of what happened yesterday in the papers or on the news. Keith was off, but did have a brief mention about Dodd. It was glorious to hear Dodd speak, instead of the couple of sentences you get at the "debates" I note that the main story here today is, as usual, about Hillary. my only tiny bit of concern about the filibuster was that Ried decided to basically end it just as CSPAN was going off the air. However, hearing why the senators want to give immunity to the telecommunication companys was a hoot!! I was hoping Dodd would get more coverage for what he did. thank you.

[siri2k]

RIGHT ON TASRGET SCOTT THILL!

Bravo to Senator Dodd, give the man a hand (and a fistfull of dollars!) and SCOTT!

POST MORE OFTEN WILL YA? I WAIT to read your stuff!

[e-mail]
www.legitgov.org

[Halsey]

I salute and applaud Sen. Dodd for doing his job.

Isn't is an example of our sad state of state affairs..when we're grateful for a Senator showing up? Not to lessen the importance of Dodd's action..God Bless Him...

but we are pathetic... oh that I would be accolades every day I showed up at MY job...

Sen. Dodd needs to keep raising the bar..to the point where it reaches how the rest of us earn our livings... Obama, Hilary and Biden..big disappointments on this one.

[Mayme]

I love Dodd, but no one has done more than Dennis Kuchinich or John Conyers to stop this bunch in Washington.

[vippy]

Before you vote it behooves you to check the voting record of the incumbent and then make a decision but that will never happen. Barack and Obama either don't show up so they can say later they were either against it or for it or
they actually voted for the detrimental bills,
like the Patriot Act twice and the Military Commission Act, the Banking Bill, the Kyl/Lieberman Amendment, etc. So if you get more of the same look in the mirror!!!

[factanonverba]

Senators Boxer, Kennedy, Wyden, Cantwell, Sanders and Feingold also deserve much applause today. It was a good day but the battle is far from over. In January, it will come up again.

[fatmo]

It is great to finally have someone who is willing stand up for what is right. Dodd just won our support. We are from Michigan and had trouble finding any Dem. we could support, now we do.

[foolchild0]

Just for the record, while I applaud Dodd's actions, it still doesn't hold up a candle to Mike Gravel ending the draft in 1971.

If only he were still around...oh, wait!

Gravel 2008.

[gladiatorpodolsky]

Dodd is The Man.

[RDixon]

No get out of jail free card for you AT&T.
Well, not yet anyway.
Reid and his cohorts in the white house are already talking compromise and we all know how that works with Democrats.

And just to make sure the NSA reads this post...
NUCLEAR...

[kahalaman]

A presidential candidate doing something presidential, showing leadership, what a concept! Kucinich has shown the same spine and I would hope Edwards would do the same if he was still in office. This reinforces my view that Hillary and Barak are the posers in the field. Neither of the two Democratic frontrunners represent progessive change, we should expect more.

[bassman4534]

Mr. Hill , I just finished sending Mr. Dodd a " Thank You " and keep up the " moron ass - kicking " note ... You both keep your foots on their necks ...
Gene Russell Key

[Listen2me]

One thing I will do at once is to contribute to Senator Dodd's campaign.

I hope the good people of Iowa will realize that this is what leadership looks like!