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An Interview With Senator Dodd

by: Connecticut Man1

Mon Aug 03, 2009 at 21:10:35 PM EDT

(Great post! When you get a chance, take a momnent to visit Connecticut Man 1's blog and drop him a comment. - promoted by ctblogger)

An exclusive interview with Senator Dodd on healthcare, single payer, the public option and a bit about Senator Jeff Merkley's recent statements. Sorry if it is just a wee bit shaky... I am just an amateur. Thanks to the Connecticut State Democratic Party for sneaking me into this event.

I still have a bit over an hour of video from the meeting in Hartford that I wrote about earlier to edit and process

Connecticut Man1 :: An Interview With Senator Dodd

I will have an interview with Senator Dodd coming up soon, as well as a little over an hour of footage from a meeting in Hartford between Dodd, Sebelius, DeLauro and some small business advocates that I was at today. Thank you kindly to the Connecticut State Democratic party workers that snuck me in there - it was closed to the public - and to Senator Dodd for giving me the time to take some shaky and slightly comical footage. :) (Note to my amateur self... Next time, open the lens protector for the camera BEFORE starting an interview)

Sadly, and though she had said she would give me few moments, I missed out on putting some questions to Rep. Rosa DeLauro because she had to go while I was interviewing Dodd.

I think you'll find the questions I put to him pretty good. The kind of of questions he probably does not typically get from others out there.

Final notes: I was even asked for a statement from a Tea Party representative there. I'll see if I can find the message on the net (might be at the Dump Dodd site?) since after making the statement in conversation he asked me to record it for him. Not sure if he agreed OR not... But he said he would put it out there unedited. We'll see.

As well, a FOX news correspondent, Shelly Sindland, took some information from me after my interview with Senator Dodd. She said she would try to send me some pics that she had (Ed. Note: updated with a photo and attribution link now), as well. And I bumped into Ken Kreyeske there, covering the event either for his Blog or a paper. I did not get much of chance to say more than hello and shake his hand.

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An Interview With Senator Dodd | 8 comments

Yeah... (4.00 / 1)

The video start is pretty emblematic of my brain as an interviewer. BLACKOUT! lol

Drinking Liberally in New Milford
ePluribus Media

by: Connecticut Man1 @ Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 01:27:44 AM UTC

by: you @ soon

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Excellent work! (4.00 / 2)

Really good job, Stephen! Well done!

...and don't sweat the lens cap; I can't count how many times I started an interview before remembering to press the "record" button! It's always fun to see the look of disgust on the politician's face when you tell him he has to start his whole spiel over. I think Dennis Kucinich gave me the most withering look ever when I told him that! Thank god Elizabeth was there or he might actually have punched me.

Connecticut Bob

by: Bob Adams @ Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 14:25:17 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

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At least I know that (0.00 / 0)

my camera works pretty good (as long as it's eye is open) and the sound isn't horrible without a mike.

Drinking Liberally in New Milford
ePluribus Media

by: Connecticut Man1 @ Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 16:43:41 PM UTC

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Excellent job (4.00 / 1)

That takes guts to stand in front of a senator, ask the questions and then share it with the rest of us.

by: Scarce @ Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 15:44:51 PM UTC

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Hard not to pale in comparison (0.00 / 0)

to a Senator with decades of public speaking under his belt. Next time I will actually write the questions out so there won't be so many streaming brain farts... "UMMM" "UHHHH"

Also gives me more appreciation for the others here that pioneered PPM and have been doing this forever. I think Bob was born to be in front of a camera, never mind just filming stuff and asking questions. lol

Drinking Liberally in New Milford
ePluribus Media

by: Connecticut Man1 @ Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 16:47:31 PM UTC

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by: you @ soon

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Did Dodd Actually Say Anything? (4.00 / 1)

Good job with the video and thanks for posting it.

However, I'm left to wonder what exactly Dodd told us. He said he was fighting to get us the best he can, but what does that mean?

Does that mean compromising on real reform in order to get some bi-partisan agreement? It's time Dodd and the rest of the Dems realize that they have the majority and they should use it. If the Republicans don't want to play, then don't play with them.

Or does that mean a watered-down reform so Dodd doesn't lose any of his corporate PAC money? Dodd has raised over $3 million from insurance, pharma and the health care industry. They don't keep giving him money because he stands up to them. The keep giving him money because he stands up for them.

by: Mr. Clean @ Wed Aug 05, 2009 at 16:28:04 PM UTC

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To be honest, (0.00 / 0)

the activist in me wants to say that the questions were as important as the answers given. I managed to do single payer advocacy without coming off as a hardliner (I am not, I really can accept a good public option, a position held by most single payer advocates) AND a Senator actually had to hear it AND he had to admit, yet again, that the majority of Nutmeggers want a nationalized healthcare system.

I expect parsed/hedged answers from politicians. Sad but true.

Drinking Liberally in New Milford
ePluribus Media

by: Connecticut Man1 @ Thu Aug 06, 2009 at 02:26:45 AM UTC

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The questions asked are important (0.00 / 0)

and it's important to get politicians answers on the record. Too bad that more often than not, the quality of the answers does not match the quality of the questions.

by: Mr. Clean @ Thu Aug 06, 2009 at 03:34:29 AM UTC

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