Our nation and our Constitution are under severe assault today. That is why it is imperative for us to support Chris Dodd for president.

Under the current administration, we have experienced gross breaches of constitutional rights, from domestic wiretapping without the approval of the FISA Court to the prosecution of the war in Iraq and the war on terror, where acts of torture have become an all too common practice.

Our country is better than this, and Sen. Dodd is fighting hard to restore constitutional safeguards that enhance our integrity both at home and abroad. Under a Dodd administration, mock trials, coercion and torture, and a total disregard for habeas corpus would be abolished. We can then better prosecute alleged terrorists and war criminals under due process of law and obtain a fair and just verdict.

As the son of Thomas Dodd, who served as the lead prosecutor in the Nuremberg trials, Sen. Dodd best understands the moral authority that is obtained through the rule of law. It is time to hold this administration accountable and support Sen. Chris Dodd.

JOHN HATTAN

Concord