Many, many years ago, as a young reporter, I covered an event with former Sen. Chris Dodd, who explained to the audience that people could always tell which senators wanted to run for president — they were the ones who joined the Senate Foreign Relations or the Armed Services committees.
It’s a good barometer: Dodd, a former presidential candidate, had sat on the Foreign Relations Committee. John McCain, the 2008 Republican nominee, served as chairman of the Armed Services Committee. Dodd’s friend Joe Biden served as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee before becoming the running mate of fellow committee member Barack Obama in 2008.
