Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) criticized the Bush administration’s newly released plans to establish a permanent U.S. presence in Iraq yesterday. A statement on Dodd’s website said he is “fearful that the lack of clarity on the long-term presence will be used as a justification by this Administration for a permanent military presence in Iraq, at precisely the time when we should be declaring the opposite.”

Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) responded to claims by Republican candidates that the troop surge in Iraq has worked. Speaking in Iowa yesterday, Biden said: “There is no evidence—none—that the surge is succeeding in achieving its stated objective: to allow Iraqis to come together politically.”

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) called for an investigation into the Department of Homeland Security’s signing of no-bid contracts. “In too many cases, DHS appears to be awarding bonuses without evaluating work or, even worse, despite poor performance,” Clinton wrote.