2007.12.24: December 24, 2007: Headlines: Figures: COS - Dominican Republic: Politics: Congress: Election2008 - Dodd: Christmas: Military: DesMoinesRegister.com: Chris Dodd played Santa on a Christmas Eve visit here, filling boxes of goodies for shipment to Iowa soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan

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Chris Dodd played Santa on a Christmas Eve visit here, filling boxes of goodies for shipment to Iowa soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan

Chris Dodd played Santa on a Christmas Eve visit here, filling boxes of goodies for shipment to Iowa soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan

On a day when the other presidential candidates had left the campaign trail and most Iowans were preparing to gather with their families, about 5 0 people came to see and hear Dodd. The senator was accompanied by his wife, Jackie, and daughters Grace, 6, and Christina, 2. “I’m sorry I didn’t bring Oprah and Bill Clinton along,” Dodd said, delivering a gentle jab to the rival, “celebrity” campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. “But I brought Jackie and the girls. They’re my celebrities.” The Dodds pitched in with their holiday service project — filling cardboard boxes with canned goods, popcorn, cocoa mix, batteries and items like poker chips and crossword puzzle books for the troops. Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic in the 1960's.

Chris Dodd played Santa on a Christmas Eve visit here, filling boxes of goodies for shipment to Iowa soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan

Dodd mixes politics, holiday service

JONATHAN ROOS • REGISTER STAFF WRITER • December 24, 2007

Caption: Sen. Chris Dodd and his daughter Gracie, 6, laugh as they get help from Peg Buman to tape up a care package. They put together the packages in Carroll to send to Iowa National Guard men and women deployed overseas. Dodd also addressed the crowd and talked about the importance of service in the community and to the country. Photo: Justin Hayworth

Carroll, Ia. — Chris Dodd played Santa on a Christmas Eve visit here, filling boxes of goodies for shipment to Iowa soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan before slipping into the more familiar role of presidential candidate.

“Well hello, everybody. Merry Christmas!” the Connecticut senator announced as he arrived for a midday campaign event at a park shelter house. Christmas carols were playing in the background. But the only decorations for the mantels of a pair of fireplaces were “Fire fighters for Dodd” and “Chris Dodd Democrat for President 2008” campaign placards.

On a day when the other presidential candidates had left the campaign trail and most Iowans were preparing to gather with their families, about 5 0 people came to see and hear Dodd. The senator was accompanied by his wife, Jackie, and daughters Grace, 6, and Christina, 2.

“I’m sorry I didn’t bring Oprah and Bill Clinton along,” Dodd said, delivering a gentle jab to the rival, “celebrity” campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. “But I brought Jackie and the girls. They’re my celebrities.”

The Dodds pitched in with their holiday service project — filling cardboard boxes with canned goods, popcorn, cocoa mix, batteries and items like poker chips and crossword puzzle books for the troops.

Gary Riedmann, administrator of the Carroll hospital, brought his daughter and son-in-law from Omaha with him to the political event, to be followed later in the afternoon by the family’s Christmas celebration.

Riedmann, an undecided voter, has been making a point of checking out the candidates in person to get a better fix on their character and to see where they stand on issues like health care. “It kind of makes it easy when you have a small crowd and get to visit with them.”

Riedmann said Dodd has been seen as a “potential statesman. That’s good. The bad news is he has the baggage of being in the Senate for a long time.”

Dodd spent part of his speech emphasizing that his senatorial record and experience are assets that demonstrate his ability to get things done and work across the aisle with Republicans.

“I don’t mean to make this a long-winded talk,” he said about midway through his speech. “You don’t need a filibuster on Christmas Eve.”
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Dodd also tried to make the case that he’s the candidate best equipped to take on the Republican nominee and win in November. “This will be a tough election. The assumption that Democrats automatically win makes me nervous when people say that.”

While polls show him lagging well behind the Democratic frontrunners, Dodd said anything can happen as caucus-bound Iowans make up their minds.

“People will say, ‘You’re not well known.’ Well, who heard of Mike Huckabee eight or 10 weeks ago?' " Dodd said, referring to the former Arkansas governor's rapid rise in the polls in Iowa among Republican presidential candidates.

“January 3rd is going to come fast and the glare of the world is going to be on Iowa,” he said.




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Headlines: December, 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; Election2008 - Dodd; Christmas; Military; Connecticut





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Story Source: DesMoinesRegister.com

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

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