2007.08.13: August 13, 2007: Headlines: Figures: Dodd: COS - Dominican Republic: Politics: Congress: Election2008 - Dodd: Portsmouth Herald News: Joe Keefe writes: Dodd deserves the Oval Office
Peace Corps Online:
Directory:
Dominican Republic:
RPCV Chris Dodd (Dominican Republic) :
RPCV Chris Dodd: Archived Stories:
2007.08.13: August 13, 2007: Headlines: Figures: Dodd: COS - Dominican Republic: Politics: Congress: Election2008 - Dodd: Portsmouth Herald News: Joe Keefe writes: Dodd deserves the Oval Office
Joe Keefe writes: Dodd deserves the Oval Office
At this critical moment in our history, as we prepare for life after President George W. Bush, we desperately need to elect a president who is unafraid to issue bold, sweeping challenges to the American people. While many presidential candidates offer high-minded rhetoric, there is one candidate who has stepped forward with the boldest, most sweeping agenda of this campaign season. His name is Chris Dodd. While he is not as well known as some of the other candidates, Dodd's record eclipses the field. During 26 years in the United States Senate, he has authored and fought for the Family and Medical Leave Act, sponsored legislation to fund autism research and treatment, created the Child Care and Development Block Grant program, and was named "Senator of the Decade" by the National Head Start Association for his efforts to expand the Head Start program. Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic in the 1960's.
Joe Keefe writes: Dodd deserves the Oval Office
Dodd deserves the Oval Office
Veteran lawmaker isn't afraid to push bold agenda
Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., takes part in a roundtable discussion while campaigning Wednesday in Manchester.AP photo
By Joe Keefe
August 12, 2007 6:00 AM
Editor's note: The writer, a former chair of the N.H. Democratic Party, is president and CEO of Pax World Management Corp.
When President John F. Kennedy issued the boldest of challenges in 1961 — to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade — many thought it impossible and some derided it as lunacy. Likewise, when President Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate in 1987 and challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall," many greeted his words as mere Cold War rhetoric, and very few believed in the imminent collapse of communism. Presidents Reagan and Kennedy believed, however, and neither man was afraid to issue bold, sweeping challenges to the American people or to the world.
At this critical moment in our history, as we prepare for life after President George W. Bush, we desperately need to elect a president who is unafraid to issue bold, sweeping challenges to the American people. While many presidential candidates offer high-minded rhetoric, there is one candidate who has stepped forward with the boldest, most sweeping agenda of this campaign season. His name is Chris Dodd.
While he is not as well known as some of the other candidates, Dodd's record eclipses the field. During 26 years in the United States Senate, he has authored and fought for the Family and Medical Leave Act, sponsored legislation to fund autism research and treatment, created the Child Care and Development Block Grant program, and was named "Senator of the Decade" by the National Head Start Association for his efforts to expand the Head Start program.
Moreover, at a time when the next president will need to reach out and mend fences, Dodd has a proven record — and a natural gift — for bringing people together. When he authored the Family and Medical Leave Act, he was joined by Republican Sen. Kit Bond of Missouri. When he created the Child Care and Development Block Grant, he was joined by Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah. When he won passage of the FIRE Act to help our communities equip and train firefighters, he partnered with Republican Sen. Mike DeWine of Ohio.
Regardless of his record, however, this election is about the future, and this is where Dodd truly distinguishes himself — by his willingness to be bold at a time when our nation requires nothing less.
On the war in Iraq, Dodd co-sponsored the Feingold-Reid amendment, holding Hillary Clinton's and Barack Obama's feet to the fire in insisting on a certain date for withdrawing our troops, and then helped lead the fight against the supplemental appropriations bill to continue funding the war. He continues to push for a firm deadline to end this war and bring our troops home.
On the critical issues of energy independence and climate change, Dodd has proposed a sweeping plan to hasten the transition to a sustainable energy economy. While other candidates are afraid to use the "T" word, Dodd proposes a corporate carbon tax that would discourage big polluters and level the playing field so alternative energies can compete with fossil fuels. The estimated $50 billion in annual revenues would fund research and development of renewable energy technologies.
Dodd also goes further than the other candidates in proposing to eliminate our dependence on Middle East oil by 2015, and raising fuel efficiency standards to 50 mpg by 2017. No wonder his energy plan has been praised by leading environmentalists such as former Vice President Al Gore and the League of Conservation Voters.
Dodd is also the only candidate to propose a universal health-care plan that provides automatic coverage for all Americans, regardless of pre-existing conditions or ability to pay. Under the Dodd plan, Americans will be able to get their private insurance through their employer or individually through a health insurance marketplace based on the federal employee health-care plan. Individuals and businesses that cannot afford their share of the insurance will be subsidized — no American will be left without coverage.
Dodd's bold idea is therefore based on a simple premise — that every American deserves the same health-care coverage that he and other members of Congress enjoy.
Just as Presidents Kennedy and Reagan were bold enough to imagine the unthinkable — a man on the moon, the end of communism — so today we need a president like Dodd who is not afraid to be bold.
While others oppose the war in Iraq, Dodd was the first U.S. senator running for president to push for a firm deadline tied to funding. While other candidates talk about energy independence or raising fuel-efficiency standards, Dodd sets ambitious timetables. While other candidates dance around the tough decisions on climate change, Chris Dodd proposes a corporate carbon tax to tackle the problem head-on.
While other candidates talk about health-care reform, Dodd issues a sweeping plan to provide automatic, universal coverage.
The country needs that kind of leadership. We need Chris Dodd.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: August, 2007; RPCV Chris Dodd (Dominican Republic); Figures; RPCV Chris Dodd (Dominican Republic); Peace Corps Dominican Republic; Directory of Dominican Republic RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Dominican Republic RPCVs; Politics; Congress; Connecticut
When this story was posted in August 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| Senator Dodd's Peace Corps Hearings Read PCOL's executive summary of Senator Chris Dodd's hearings on July 25 on the Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act and why Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter does not believe the bill would contribute to an improved Peace Corps while four other RPCV witnesses do. Highlights of the hearings included Dodd's questioning of Tschetter on political meetings at Peace Corps Headquarters and the Inspector General's testimony on the re-opening of the Walter Poirier III investigation. |
| Dodd issues call for National Service Standing on the steps of the Nashua City Hall where JFK kicked off his campaign in 1960, Presidential Candidate Chris Dodd issued a call for National Service. "Like thousands of others, I heard President Kennedy's words and a short time later joined the Peace Corps." Dodd said his goal is to see 40 million people volunteering in some form or another by 2020. "We have an appetite for service. We like to be asked to roll up our sleeves and make a contribution," he said. "We haven't been asked in a long time." |
| Public diplomacy rests on sound public policy When President Kennedy spoke of "a long twilight struggle," and challenged the country to "ask not," he signaled that the Cold War was the challenge and framework defining US foreign policy. The current challenge is not a struggle against a totalitarian foe. It is not a battle against an enemy called "Islamofascism." From these false assumptions flow false choices, including the false choice between law enforcement and war. Instead, law enforcement and military force both must be essential instruments, along with diplomacy, including public diplomacy. But public diplomacy rests on policy, and to begin with, the policy must be sound. Read more. |
| Ambassador revokes clearance for PC Director A post made on PCOL from volunteers in Tanzania alleges that Ambassador Retzer has acted improperly in revoking the country clearance of Country Director Christine Djondo. A statement from Peace Corps' Press Office says that the Peace Corps strongly disagrees with the ambassador’s decision. On June 8 the White House announced that Retzer is being replaced as Ambassador. Latest: Senator Dodd has placed a hold on Mark Green's nomination to be Ambassador to Tanzania. |
| Peace Corps Funnies A PCV writing home? Our editor hard at work? Take a look at our Peace Corps Funnies and Peace Corps Cartoons and see why Peace Corps Volunteers say that sometimes a touch of levity can be one of the best ways of dealing with frustrations in the field. Read what RPCVs say about the lighter side of life in the Peace Corps and see why irreverent observations can often contain more than a grain of truth. We'll supply the photos. You supply the captions. |
| PCOL serves half million PCOL's readership for April exceeded 525,000 visitors - a 50% increase over last year. This year also saw the advent of a new web site: Peace Corps News that together with the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps serve 17,000 RPCVs, Staff, and Friends of the Peace Corps every day. Thanks for making PCOL your source of news for the Peace Corps community. Read more. |
| Suspect confesses in murder of PCV Search parties in the Philippines discovered the body of Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell near Barangay Batad, Banaue town on April 17. Director Tschetter expressed his sorrow at learning the news. “Julia was a proud member of the Peace Corps family, and she contributed greatly to the lives of Filipino citizens in Donsol, Sorsogon, where she served,” he said. Latest: Suspect Juan Duntugan admits to killing Campbell. Leave your thoughts and condolences . |
| Warren Wiggins: Architect of the Peace Corps Warren Wiggins, who died at 84 on April 13, became one of the architects of the Peace Corps in 1961 when his paper, "A Towering Task," landed in the lap of Sargent Shriver, just as Shriver was trying to figure out how to turn the Peace Corps into a working federal department. Shriver was electrified by the treatise, which urged the agency to act boldly. Read Mr. Wiggins' obituary and biography, take an opportunity to read the original document that shaped the Peace Corps' mission, and read John Coyne's special issue commemorating "A Towering Task." |
| Chris Dodd's Vision for the Peace Corps Senator Chris Dodd (RPCV Dominican Republic) spoke at the ceremony for this year's Shriver Award and elaborated on issues he raised at Ron Tschetter's hearings. Dodd plans to introduce legislation that may include: setting aside a portion of Peace Corps' budget as seed money for demonstration projects and third goal activities (after adjusting the annual budget upward to accommodate the added expense), more volunteer input into Peace Corps operations, removing medical, healthcare and tax impediments that discourage older volunteers, providing more transparency in the medical screening and appeals process, a more comprehensive health safety net for recently-returned volunteers, and authorizing volunteers to accept, under certain circumstances, private donations to support their development projects. He plans to circulate draft legislation for review to members of the Peace Corps community and welcomes RPCV comments. |
| He served with honor One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor. |
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: Portsmouth Herald News
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; Dodd; COS - Dominican Republic; Politics; Congress; Election2008 - Dodd
PCOL38725
66