Joe Biden and Chris Dodd dropped out of the Democratic presidential nomination contest.
The two U.S. senators, Dodd from Connecticut and Biden from Delaware, performed poorly in the season’s first contest, the Iowa caucuses, on Thursday night, scoring less then 2 percent despite heavy campaigning in the state.
Both senators emphasized their long Senate experience in their campaigns and their foreign policy expertise.
Biden has long been close to the pro-Israel lobby, and his occasional criticism of Israeli policies has always been well-received because of his pro-Israel record. Dodd also has been close to the pro-Israel lobby, telling the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in late 2006 that he did not believe the time was ripe for Palestinian statehood. Dodd also recently published letters from his late father describing his experience as a prosecutor of Nazi crimes at Nuremberg.
The National Jewish Democratic Council praised their records. “Both senators have served our party well through the years and demonstrated a special friendship with our community,” it said in a statement. “Jewish Democrats are grateful for their service to our country and the leadership they will continue to provide in the weeks, months, and years ahead.”
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