For Immediate Release
NOVEMBER 13, 2007

Contact:  Taylor West

Kate Szostak

DUBUQUE – Continuing to build on his strong Iowa organization, Presidential candidate Chris Dodd today received the endorsement of Terry Stewart, Chair of the Dubuque County Democratic Party.  In addition to the endorsement, Stewart will serve as a Dubuque County co-chair for the Dodd campaign and a member of Dodd’s Iowa Steering Committee.  Dubuque County carries one of the largest caucus weights in the state of Iowa.

“I didn’t come to this decision lightly,” said Stewart.  “I studied the range of Democratic candidates this entire calendar year…I looked for the edge that one candidate would have over the others.  Chris Dodd rose to the top of the roster.”

Stewart, who has also served the Dubuque community as a professional fire fighter, cited Dodd’s long record of achieving results for families, including the Family and Medical Leave Act, the FIRE and SAFER Acts which support first responders, and his leadership in support of Head Start.

“As a political activist and fire fighter, and as a person committed to the range of issues affecting our lives,” Stewart told an audience gathered for a community forum in Dubuque with Senator Dodd, “I come before you today to endorse the candidacy of Chris Dodd for President of the United States of America.”

Calling him “uniquely qualified to be President,” Stewart added, “Senator Dodd has earned my respect for his relentless legislative successes.”

“Terry’s endorsement means a lot to me, both personally and for this campaign,” said Senator Dodd.  “He is a highly respected public servant in the Dubuque community and an experienced activist and leader among Dubuque Democrats.  He will be a tremendous asset as we continue to build a strong organization in Northeast Iowa.”

The full text of Stewart’s endorsement remarks is copied below.
 
 

I have been a Democratic political activist for over 30 years and was a professional firefighter on the Dubuque Fire Department for 23 years before retiring in June 2006.  As a political activist and firefighter, and as a person committed to the range of issues affecting our lives, I come before you today to endorse the candidacy of Sen. Chris Dodd for President of the United States of America.

I didn’t come to this decision lightly.  I studied the range of Democratic candidates this entire calendar year.  I now can say without hesitation that we are blessed with six excellent candidates, all of whom stand head and shoulders above their Republican counterparts, and any of whom I would enthusiastically support in the general election.

But having said that, I embrace Iowa’s position at the start of the race, and I looked for the edge that one candidate would have over the others.  Chris Dodd rose to the top of the roster.

Of course, my natural inclination as a fire fighter would be to support the person who has done more for our safety than anyone else.  But beyond that, way beyond that, Senator Dodd has earned my respect for his relentless legislative successes.  He authored the Head Start pre-school program to give millions of kids a better chance at success.  He backed up his belief in and support for family values with his authorship of the Family and Medical Leave Act.  And he’s pushing now for paid Family and Medical Leave, which would bring some more security and stability to our hard-pressed families.  And I’ve seen him with his wife and daughters, and he’s an excellent role model for family values.

The list of accomplishments and qualifications goes on.  Senator Dodd is the only candidate who served in the Peace Corps.  He also is the only one who served in the military, having been in the National Guard and Reserves after the Peace Corps.  This unique record enhances his ability to wage peace.  He is a fierce defender of the Constitution, and while the Republicans are trying to push a bill through Congress to grant immunity to the telephone companies that cooperated with the Bush Administration’s invasion of our privacy, Chris Dodd is fighting that move, and will even filibuster on our behalf if that becomes necessary to stop the erosion of our rights.

Senator Chris Dodd entered Congress in the same year as our beloved Senator Tom Harkin, and has learned and achieved throughout his more than three decades of service.  He is uniquely qualified to be President, and I wholeheartedly endorse his quest for that position.  I encourage people to embrace his candidacy and stand up for him on Thursday evening, January 3rd, 2008, as the Iowa Caucuses begin the selection of our next President.