Essential Estrogen

If you count yesterday's visit from former Ambassador Tom Dodd, the Political Science Club at Coe College has had representatives from four presidential campaigns visit their weekly meeting at Brewed Awakenings in Cedar Rapids. That's the good news. The not-so-good news for the students is that they've yet to have a Republican campaign stop by.

"We've had representatives from the campaigns of Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama also visit," said Bruce Nesmith, who teaches political science at Coe and is the faculty adviser for the club.

Nesmith says having representatives from the various presidential campaigns visit is important for these students, all of whom are highly interested in politics and foreign policy.

"For a lot of students who are interested in political activity, the next step is to become part of a campaign," Nesmith said. "What I'm really hoping for them to see is the opportunity of learning how these people -- who aren't terribly older than they are -- how they got where they are. What do they do? What types of things do you do as personnel on a campaign?"

Tom Dodd, who is currently touring Iowa on behalf of his brother, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, was a different type of visitor from what the students had previously encountered. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay from 1997 to 2001 and then as ambassador to Costa Rica until 2005. Last year he authored a third book, "Tiburcio Carias: Portrait of a Honduran Political Leader," about the longest-serving head of the Honduran government. In addition, Tom Dodd serves as adjunct professor in the school of foreign service at Georgetown University and has previously taught at the Escuela de Estudios Superiores in Mexico.

The former ambassador discussed how the life of the younger brother he refers to as "Christy" and his own have often been on parallel tracks, despite a 10-year age difference.

"He went into a life of politics and got interested in Latin America as a Peace Corps volunteer," Dodd said. "I went into academic life. But we interact a lot because of his work with the Foreign Relations Committee. I've watched him build many bridges between United States and Latin America leaders. I also watched him build bridges -- such as trade agreements -- among and between Latin American leaders."

Dodd discussed at length the differences between his experiences abroad throughout the years and how the reputation of the nation has been tarnished in recent years. He also discussed his perceptions of life in Washington, D.C. and how things have changed between the two major political parties during the current administration.

"The most telling change in Washington is that years ago, when my father was in the House and in the Senate, there would be debates on the floor and they'd be tough fights between the Democrats and the Republicans on tough issues," he said. "There were bitter disputes, but, at night, in the homes of members of the House and the Senate, you'd find Republicans and Democrats sitting together and eating spaghetti or pasta at the dining room table. Today, members of both parties barely even acknowledge each other in the elevator. Something is wrong... something is really wrong."

Dodd points to a lack of commonality between the men and women currently serving in Congress as at least a portion of the problem.

"Back in those days you had so many who had served in the military or the Peace Corps or in AmeriCorps or similar organizations," he said. "They had shared experiences. They had a foundation that they could build on and forge relationships across the aisle. That seems to be lacking in Congress now."

Nesmith, who plans to caucus but is currently undecided as to whom he will support, says he thought Ambassador Dodd was "great."

"Tom Dodd was funny," Nesmith said. "He wasn't too partisan. They told me that he was very interested in talking about his own career and I think he did that well. He was a good diplomat. I think his preference clearly showed, but it wasn't too abrasive about it."

Alex Kaminski, a junior and political science major at Coe, asked several questions of the former ambassador and said he was satisfied with the answers he received.

"His answers were very well developed," Kaminski said before heading back to campus. "They weren't really off-the-cuff and he didn't babble on for a long time about nothing just so he could be saying something. I thought it was refreshing that he said 'I don't know' to a question. That was nice."

That's fairly high praise when you consider that Kaminski is currently supporting Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Republican in the race for the White House.

"I come as a part of the group and talk to whoever is there," he explained. "I think it's important to find out what everyone's point of view is."