Iowa's state flag reads "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain."
What a fitting motto for the state that tonight will serve as the proving ground for the Democratic field.
In little over a year, a new President will be sworn into the Oval Office. That person will be tasked with many jobs from Day One, but perhaps none is more important than the restoration of our Constitution following eight years of abuse at the hands of the Bush administration.
While Iowans spend the last three hours or so before the caucus pondering which candidate they will stand with, I hope they take the time to look at their state flag. Re-read their state motto. Then make their decision.
Only one candidate has made standing up for the Constitution central to his campaign.
Only one candidate authored a book this year about our nation's proudest moment standing up for the rule of law.
Only one candidate left the campaign trail to return to Washington and stop another assault on our rights.
Only one candidate has pledged that on the very first hour of the very first day, he will restore the Constitution of the United States of America.
Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.
Iowans, the time is now: Caucus for Chris Dodd, because he, above all others, will use his presidency to not just maintain our rights, but restore and protect them. We know he will do that in 2009, because he's already doing it now, in 2007 and 2008.
So stand by your state's motto and please stand for Chris Dodd tonight.
Comments
I saw a comment on another online post that seemed to question why the points Matt is makes are so important. The comment seemed to say, "Well when Bush is gone of course we get our Constitution back." Well, yes and no. Yes we get a new start, or a restart, on making this the great country she should be but we are also left with a huge mess. We are left with a lot of people who like the power they have acquired by breaking all the rules for the last eight years. We are left with war debt on a war only Chris Dodd says he is going to end sooner rather than later. We are left with an unstable Middle East. We are left without a plan for global warming in place. We are left with a country whose middle class are becoming less middle. There is a lot that we are going to be left with. The next president does not get a clean slate. They get a slate that Bush has scratch all up and yes, Bush will be gone but that is only one person and his immediate council. That still leaves a whole bunch of people who are going to view change with a less than an enthusiastic welcome. The next president gets the White House but they will also get a desk full of unfinished business. Some might try to let matters solve themselves, some might try to say that it is a new day and old business does not matter, some might not be up to the job of being president on 1/20/09. Chris Dodd is the most capable candidate we have and even he can not undo all the damage done but he can both work on unfinished business and start on new business with the same zeal he has put into the race.
Chris Dodd 1/20/09 and on that day we will start to set our course straight once again.
Agreed Robert. It's not enough to say that you're going to be different than the Bush administration when it comes to executive power, the real question is, "What are you doing about it now?" Restoring the Constitution shouldn't take an leap of faith in the person you pick to do it.