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Dodd chastises party for immunity vote

Dodd chastises party for immunity vote

Presidential candidate Chris Dodd, D-Conn., called on the Senate to reject civil immunity for any telecommunication companies that gave the Bush administration information about U.S. customers without court approval. "I'm going to hold firm on this, and my hope is the committee will agree to drop it at some point," Dodd said during an interview Friday with The Telegraph editorial board. The 26-year senator lashed out at the Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee for attaching the civil immunity provision to the latest Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act. The committee approved the provision by a 13-2 vote Thursday. "Candidly, I'm a little disappointed that the Democrats would agree to put this in a bill. If the president wants to extend immunity, he can do that through executive order as we've seen the past few years, but why involve the Congress?'' Dodd asked rhetorically. Dodd said he couldn't recall the last time he invoked the privilege to place an indefinite hold on legislation. "It's sad that it's become a presidential campaign issue to defend the Constitution, but unfortunately that's where we have come,'' Dodd said. Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic in the 1960's.

Dodd chastises party for immunity vote

Dodd chastises party for immunity vote

Published: Saturday, October 20, 2007

By KEVIN LANDRIGAN
Telegraph Staff

NASHUA – Presidential candidate Chris Dodd, D-Conn., called on the Senate on Friday to reject civil immunity for any telecommunication companies that gave the Bush administration information about U.S. customers without court approval.

"I'm going to hold firm on this, and my hope is the committee will agree to drop it at some point," Dodd said during an interview Friday with The Telegraph editorial board.

The 26-year senator lashed out at the Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee for attaching the civil immunity provision to the latest Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act. The committee approved the provision by a 13-2 vote Thursday.

"Candidly, I'm a little disappointed that the Democrats would agree to put this in a bill. If the president wants to extend immunity, he can do that through executive order as we've seen the past few years, but why involve the Congress?'' Dodd asked rhetorically.

Dodd said he couldn't recall the last time he invoked the privilege to place an indefinite hold on legislation.

"It's sad that it's become a presidential campaign issue to defend the Constitution, but unfortunately that's where we have come,'' Dodd said.

He admitted regret at not trying to filibuster last year's Military Commissions Act that denies basic, due process rights to suspected terrorists.

The pending Senate bill would direct courts to dismiss lawsuits against telecommunications companies if the attorney general certifies the company rendered assistance between Sept. 11, 2001, and Jan. 17, 2007, in response to a written request from the president to help detect or prevent an attack on the United States.

Lawsuits also would be dismissed if any company named in the case provided no assistance to the government. The public record filed with the court would not reflect which position each telecommunications company had taken in response to Bush's request.

Dodd, mired in single digits in national and New Hampshire primary polls, took a swipe at Democrat front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's attempt as first lady to get passage of a national health-care program in 1993-94.

Clinton, of New York, said she has "political scars'' from that battle and blamed its defeat largely on the health insurance industry that waged a multi-million dollar advertising campaign against it.

"You have political scars, but they are nothing compared to the people who went without health care for 15 years in this country,'' Dodd said.

"With all due respect, it's not about us. You were in a position to do something here, and it's not always everyone else's fault.''

The foundation of Dodd's universal health-care plan would create Universal HealthMart, a marketplace option similar to the numerous private insurance options members of Congress have.

The price tag – $70 billion a year – is $40 billion less than Clinton's and much cheaper than plans of rivals Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and former Sen. John Edwards, of North Carolina, because everyone would pay a premium based on their ability to pay and coverage would be phased in over four years, Dodd said.

Savings from administrative efficiency and chronic disease prevention would pay for the plan, Dodd maintained. He would require all those 55 years of age to get a full physical to identify chronic diseases that currently drive up the costs of Medicare available to all once they turn 65.

Dodd bristled at opponents Clinton, Obama and Edwards, all who warn his plan to remove all troops from Iraq in six months was too hasty and dangerous.

"This idea of putting the troops at risk, I'm the only one of these candidates who has worn the uniform of the military, the National Guard and Reserves and served in the Peace Corps during the '60s,'' Dodd responded.

A lesser-known candidate than Dodd, former Sen. Michael Gravel, of Alaska, served in the U.S. Army from 1951-54.

On education, Dodd supports a broad expansion of federal support offering matching grants to states that offer universal pre-school to families that make less than $50,000 a year and provide half in-state tuition for all community college students.

He said auctioning off the accounts of federal loan subsidies to private banks would pay for the agenda.

His record over a quarter century of working with Senate Republicans to win landmark legislation is unmatched in this race, Dodd maintained. He pointed to the seven years it took to get the Family and Medical Leave Act that spanned three presidents and overcame two presidential vetoes.

"Don't tell me what you're fighting for, tell me what you've done,'' Dodd said.

While other siblings were turned off, Dodd got turned on to public service by his father, former U.S. Sen. Thomas Dodd, who died shortly after losing a re-election bid in 1970. Nearly the entire Senate censured the elder Dodd for using $100,000 in campaign cash for personal use.

Dodd recalled a New Haven Register reporter asking his father just before his death if he'd have pursued politics had he known this scandal would befall him.

"He said, 'I'd do it again in a minute. Doctors can have only so many patients, lawyers only so many clients. But a well-intended person in public life can change the lives of millions.' I thought, wow, that's quite an endorsement given all he'd been through,'' Dodd concluded.DODD ON THE ISSUES

These are the views of presidential hopeful Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., on major issues.

IRAQ WAR: Opposed troop increase, would removal all troops within six months, voted against recent funding bills and chastises party leaders for failing to respond to 2006 elections he said were a mandate for withdrawal. Voted for war authorization in 2002.

IMMIGRATION REFORM: Voted for 2007 bill offering legal status to illegal immigrants subject to conditions including English proficiency and payment of back taxes and fines. Voted against border fence.

HEALTH CARE: Proposes a mandate that employers and individuals obtain coverage. Creates Universal HealthMart akin to the federal health care for members of Congress to be an option to private insurance. Would phase in national coverage over four years, starting with younger and older Americans. Says administrative and efficiency savings finance the annual $70 billion cost of the bill.

EDUCATION: Would match dollar for dollar states that finance up to half of tuition for students who attend community college, would also match dollar for dollar for states that offer universal preschool to all families with incomes of less than $50,000, give $10,000 salary bonus annually to certified teachers who agree to teach in low-performing, income-poor schools and alter No Child Left Behind to let states use measurements other than current assessment tests to track success.

FEDERAL BUDGET/TAXES: Supported pay-as-you go principles to reduce federal budget deficit. Voted against and later to repeal 2001 and 2003 federal income tax cuts for the wealthy and to end in 2008 the Bush tax cuts on capital gains and dividends. Proposes tax-deferred, Homeownership Savings Account that would match up to $500 a year for low- and moderate-income families who set aside money to buy a home.

ABORTION: Favors abortion rights.

GLOBAL WARMING: Calls for a polluter tax on carbon to get companies to reduce emissions and price alternative energy more competitively to fossil fuels. Supports a mandatory, automobile fuel efficiency standard of 50 miles per gallon by 2017.

GAY MARRIAGE: Would let states decide. Opposed constitutional amendment to ban it.

STEM-CELL RESEARCH FUNDING: Supports relaxing restrictions on federal financing of embryonic stem cell research.




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Headlines: October, 2007; RPCV Chris Dodd (Dominican Republic); Figures; Peace Corps Dominican Republic; Directory of Dominican Republic RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Dominican Republic RPCVs; Politics; Congress; Homeland Security; Connecticut





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Story Source: Nashua Telegraph

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Dominican Republic; Politics; Congress; Election2008 - Dodd; Homeland Security

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