Insignificant in Iowa

The Iowa caucuses are tomorrow. Senator Dodd has moved his family to Iowa. He has lived there. He enrolled his daughter in school there. He played flag football there on Thanksgiving. He missed the lion's share of his Senate votes this year campaigning there.

And Iowa is about to repay his dedication by making him take it in the nuts.

I like this little story about the eminent death of Dodd's campaign over at the New Haven Independent. In particular, the part about an Iraq veteran and member of the Fire Fighter's Union who seems to be forced to support Dodd was delicious:

That quest hit a small roadbump at a morning stop in Clinton, with Dodd’s encounter with Livesay. Livesay showed up to support Dodd, but revealed he is not so eager about caucusing for the Democrat.

“Out of respect for the union, I’m here and I’m going to hear what he has to say,” said Livesay (pictured at right), an Iraq War vet and Clinton firefighter. The candidate earned the IAFF’s support through years of firefighter-specific legislation that has increased funding and aided families that had lost a firefighter in the line of duty.

But Livesay and the senator quickly diverged on the voter’s most important issues.

Dodd calls for withdrawing combat troops by the end of April 2008 and ending the war in eight to 10 months.

“That would be disastrous to pull them out” in that time frame, remarked Livesay. He asked Dodd about border security, and listened politely to the response, but later said he couldn’t commit to supporting the candidate.

It has to hurt. At 1%, even Dodd's supporters don't actually support him.