With just two days left before the Iowa caucuses, Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., stopped in Cedar Rapids on his way across Eastern Iowa on Tuesday to build support for his presidential campaign.
More than 200 people jammed into the Blue Strawberry, 118 Second St. SE, on New Year's Day to meet Dodd and hear the 63-year-old presidential hopeful speak about his record of leadership. Just last week, he said, he took three days off from the Iowa campaign trail to block a Senate bill that would have given immunity to telecommunications companies that helped President Bush with his secret wiretapping program.
"The Constitution of the United States does not belong to George Bush, it belongs to you and me," Dodd said. "I will stand up for your rights."
Like other presidential hopefuls, Dodd toted numerous family members with him to his Tuesday visits to Clinton, Davenport, Cedar Rapids and Marshalltown, including his daughters, 6-year-old, Grace, and 2-year-old Christina. His wife, Jackie Clegg Dodd, who served as vice chairwoman and chief executive officer of the Export-Import Bank under the Clinton administration, introduced him to the crowd. Harold Schaitberger, general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, also appeared.
Cathy May of Cedar Rapids said she came to see Dodd because she is still deciding who she will support in Thursday's caucuses. All the Democratic candidates have impressive expertise in foreign policy issues, she said, which are important to her. May also brought her mother, Chris Meier, who lives in the Chicago area, to the event.
"We don't have the opportunity to get this close to presidential candidates in Chicago," Meier said. "It's nice to get to meet them."
http://www.iowacaucus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080101/IOWACAUCUS/822828176/1011/IOWACAUCUS
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