Confirmed seeker of the U.S. presidency Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., participated in a question-and-answer session on Sunday. About 130 attendees filled the Hinman Forum at the Rockefeller Center while other students watched from the balconies as the senator answered questions about the economy, America's foreign policy in Iraq and in Iran, as well as his candidacy in the 2008 presidential race.
Dodd began with a short speech in which he recounted his formal announcement to run for president and a few items on his -- and the Senate's -- agenda for the coming weeks. Repeatedly, he stated that he did not want to "engage in partisan politics" during the forum.
After his speech, Dodd unhooked his microphone from the podium, re-positioned himself on the stage and opened the floor to questions from the audience.
In response to a question about Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, Dodd said the issue should be extrapolated to a broader context. The problems surrounding reconstruction in the Gulf Coast, he said, revealed graver issues about the nation's ability to cope with disasters -- both natural and man-made.
On the topic of health care, Dodd stressed the need for change but did not state any specific plan to alter the current system.
"We have to consider some sort of universality around this," he said.
He added that federal regulation of prescription drug prices was "long overdue," a necessary step towards reducing health care costs.
Dodd also spoke about the rising costs of college education, pointing out that nearly 200,000 students who graduated from high school last June were unable to go to college because it cost too much for them. He related this problem to his own life, discussing the tuitions his two children will face.
When asked about financing for the war in Iraq, Dodd focused on both the way the war has been funded and the ultimate financial cost of the conflict.
"The war has been all paid for on emergency funding; it has not been part of the budget process," he said, putting the final cost for the war in the trillions.
In recent weeks, Dodd has gained national attention for a proposal to cap the number of troops in Iraq at existing levels within the country. In a separate media session following the forum, Dodd said that opposition to the president's plans for Iraq was becoming increasingly bipartisan.
"The President is pretty isolated on this, even within his own party," he said, citing Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., as one example of a prominent Republican who has recently criticized the president's plan.
Dodd also expressed concerns about the way the Bush administration has dealt with the Iranian government, specifically Bush's refusal to engage Iran diplomatically.
"This idea that diplomacy is a favor to your enemies, is a gift to them, is outrageous to me," he said. "The idea that we don't talk to people should incense every American."
Despite the criticism, when one audience member asked if Dodd would introduce a bill calling for the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney, he responded in the negative.
"On impeaching the vice president, I'm not prepared to go there," he said. "We've got to really get together as a people here. I would not introduce a resolution of impeachment against Dick Cheney."
Social issues only appeared once during the forum, when one audience member asked abut gay marriage. Though Dodd offered support for his state of Connecticut, the first state to allow civil unions for same-sex couples, he avoided taking a direct position on the issue.
In recent weeks, the number of candidates vying to become the Democratic nominee for president in 2008 has grown with the introduction of Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and, as of Sunday, Gov. Bill Richardson, D-N.M. Dodd drew a parallel between himself and many of his competitors since he chose to directly announce his candidacy in early January rather than first creating an exploratory committee to evaluate a potential run for President.
"It is a rather crowded field," he said. "These are good people, quality people stepping up and saying they'd like to be considered."
Dodd is currently the Chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. He sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; and the Senate Rules and Administration Committee.
His appearance at the College was sponsored by the College Democrats and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
