Essential Estrogen

It might seem disingenuous to say a 63-year-old politician has come of age, but that's exactly what Sen. Chris Dodd appears to have done.

On Monday night, while addressing roughly 40 members of the Linn Phoenix Club in the home of Cedar Rapids Mayor Kay Halloran, Dodd, who has been lacking spark on the campaign trail, found his box of matches. His display of humor and forcefulness of character seemed to catch many off-guard.

"Any jackass can kick down a barn door," Dodd said while discussing needed reforms in America, prompting eyebrows to dart up across the room. "It takes an architect to build the barn. And we've had too many jackasses in this country."

While Dodd covered many issues including Iraq, education, immigration, the environment, medicare/medicaid, and problems facing minority-run business during the stop, he was able to intertwine them around a central theme of putting America first.

"Look," he said during a more quiet moment, "I'm 63. I'm not going to be doing this twice. I don't have the luxury of being anything but bold and direct. More importantly, I think that's what this nation needs and deserves."

Dodd outlined his history of public service which began in 1966 when he joined the U.S. Peace Corps and moved to the Dominican Republic for two years. While there he built a school and a maternity clinic, became fluent in Spanish and "saw what the world could achieve when America leads." When he returned home, Dodd enlisted in the Army National Guard and later served in the U.S. Army Reserves.

"I went because a President stood up and asked me to serve," he said.

Dodd said he was "shocked" when, following Sept. 11, Pres. George W. Bush was asked what Americans could do for their nation.

"Do you remember what he said?" asked Dodd. "He said 'Go shopping.' That's almost a Doonesbury cartoon."

Dodd says he believes "every single American should be serving our nation in one way or another."

"I believe the issue of national service is as important to you as it is to me," he said. "Can we find ways ourselves to make a difference? It doesn't need to be take a tsunami or Katrina for us to act. Every day there are people who need our help."

In addition to national service, Dodd indicated a need for bipartisanship in government.

"I've just told you all of the things I think should happen in health care," he said. "If I were king, that's exactly how I would do it. The reality is that no one political party is going to write the health care plan."

Pointing to his recent cross of the aisle to work with Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens on a new paid family leave bill, Dodd said, "We have to be able to bring people together in order to get the job done. No one wants to wait another four or eight years for something to be accomplished. These are things we need now."

Dodd plans to return to Eastern Iowa on Independence Day weekend. Staff confided that the senator plans to attend the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival the night of the 4th, but the remainder of his schedule is being finalized.