Dodd claims victory on wiretapping

Chris Dodd has parked himself and his family in Iowa, in hopes of pulling a surprise in the Jan. 3 caucuses to stay in the thick of the Democratic nomination fight.

But he returned to Washington on Monday to make his case that he has a record of tangible accomplishments and would do the same as president.

Dodd, the senator from Connecticut, successfully led the fight against a Bush administration plan to give legal protection to telephone companies that assisted the National Security Agency's eavesdropping program. Dodd threatened a filibuster against the bill, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that there would not be time to consider the legislation this week.

Dodd has argued that the Bush administration has been violating Americans' civil liberties in its wiretapping program, instituted after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Monday was the fifth day of Dodd's "12 Days of Results Tour," playing off the "12 Days of Christmas." While Dodd was in Washington, his campaign was highlighting his record on education.