Chris Dodd for President

Karen Kinkel of Des Moines, IA talks about why she's supporting Chris Dodd for President.

Joe McGinn of Council Bluffs, IA discusses why he supports Chris Dodd.

Here's some video from the rally in Indianola this afternoon. Every event I've been to on the Caucus for Results Tour has been packed, and today in Indianola was no different. Please excuse the poor sound quality in the beginning of the video--Jackie Dodd delivered an excellent but very quiet introduction to her husband's speech.

Look out for more video tomorrow as Matt and I cover Caucus Day events in Des Moines.

Regular Dodd Blog commenter Dan McGinn of Council Bluffs talks about why he will caucus for Chris Dodd.

Lydia Caldeira of Logan, IA talks about why she supports Chris Dodd, citing his decision to leave Iowa to fight against retroactive immunity legislation last month.

Jerry Taylor of Mason City, IA also cites Dodd's efforts to defend the Constitution now -- and not waiting until 2009 -- as the main reason he'll be caucusing for Chris Dodd on January 3rd.

Alan Steckman of Mason City, Iowa talks about why he supports Chris Dodd for President.

Here is some video from the "12 Days of Results" kick-off event in Grinnell on Thursday. Dodd addressed a standing-room-only crowd for about twenty five minutes before turning to the audience members' questions. These videos are some of the best I've seen so far. Stay tuned for more video as the tour continues...

Dodd's Speech

Question and Answer Session, Part 1

Question and Answer Session, Part 2

Here are some more testimonials from Dodd supporters in Iowa talking about why they support Chris Dodd for President.

This past Saturday, three Iowa caucus-goers sat down with me to tell me why they support Chris Dodd. It was great to hear such varied responses to my question. From Cuba to the Constitution, here are some reasons why people have decided to support Chris Dodd:

Ned Miller talks about why he supports Chris Dodd.

Jim Bush talks about why he supports Chris Dodd.

Matt Johnson talks about why he supports Chris Dodd.

This week in Iowa Chris Dodd is rolling out his plan for Women and Families—a solid, comprehensive plan that will get results for women across the country. It tackles a range of issues including paid leave, equal pay, women’s health, and violence against women.

From women’s health issues, to child care support; pay equity, to a woman’s right to chose; Chris Dodd has been a strong advocate for women and their families, and his plan only reinforces his past leadership on this issue.

One thing in particular that continues to impress me about Senator Dodd’s leadership (and something that drew me to his campaign in the first place) is his willingness to be the first to fight. Chris Dodd doesn’t just support the legislation that changes Americans' lives—he writes it. He authored the Family and Medical Leave Act, allowing over 50 million workers to take time off from work to care for a new child of sick family member. He authored the Child Care and Development Block grant, providing billions of dollars to improve the quality of childcare for low income families. He authored the legislation that expanded state child protective service programs. The list goes on and on. Click here to read more about Chris Dodd’s leadership on these issues and many others.

Below are some highlights from Dodd’s plan for women and families. Click here to view the plan in full.

Chris Dodd on Family and Medical Leave:

His Record: Chris Dodd authored the Family and Medical Leave Act and fought for seven years, overcoming two presidential vetoes, until it became law. Since passage, an estimated 50 million workers have been allowed to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a new child or a sick family member.
His Plan: As President, Chris Dodd will provide 8 weeks of paid leave to care for a sick family member or to welcome a child into the world.

Chris Dodd on Women’s Health:

His Record: Chris Dodd was an early supporter of the Women’s Health Equity Act, which sought to expand research on women’s health issues and establish the Office of Women’s Health in the Department of Health and Human Services.
His Plan: As President, Chris Dodd will invest additional research dollars into diseases that disproportionately affect women and fund added research into how diseases and medicines affect women differently than men.

Chris Dodd on Pay Equity

His Record: Chris Dodd has cosponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would strengthen the landmark Equal Pay Act that mandates equal pay for women and men who do equal work.
His Plan: As President, Chris Dodd will require the Department of Labor to work with employers to eliminate pay disparities. He will also stiffen penalties for employers in violation of the Equal Pay Act.

Chris Dodd on a Woman’s Right to Choose

His Record: Chris Dodd was an early supporter of the Women's Choice and Reproductive Health Protection Act, which would have codified the Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing a woman’s right to choose into federal law. He has also co-sponsored the Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Act, which provided increased access to contraceptive services for women.
His Plan: A strong supporter of a woman’s right to choose, Chris Dodd will ensure access to women’s contraceptive services and equity in prescription drug coverage.

Chris Dodd on High-Quality, Affordable Child Care:

His Record: Chris Dodd authored the Child Care and Development Block Grant program which has provided billions of dollars in federal aid to improve the quality of child care and help low-income families cope with its high cost.
His Plan: As President, Chris Dodd will significantly increase funding for CCDBG and provide incentives for businesses to provide child care for their employees. He will also promote public-private partnerships to strengthen investment in early childhood development.

Read Chris Dodd's full plan for Women and Families here: http://chrisdodd.com/issues/women

Democratic activist Pat Forristal of Holstein endorses Chris Dodd for President.