Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama is stepping up his criticism of Hillary Clinton’s vote approving a measure that critics warn could lead to war with Iran. Obama is sending thousands of Iowans a mailing today noting that he opposes the measure in which the Senate declared Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization.

Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, campaigning in Mason City this morning says that he can’t understand why Obama is going on the attack, especially since Obama wasn’t even there to vote on the measure. Dodd says he finds it somewhat amusing as he says Clinton cast "a dreadful vote in my view by giving this president the blanket of approval to take military action in Iran," and Ombama who missed the vote is critical of her. Dodd says he cast the right vote and showed leadership.

Dodd says those who didn’t vote against the measure don’t have much ground to criticize. He says for those who were there and "cast the wrong vote," and those who weren’t there to vote at all, they ought to be careful, as it was a big vote. Dodd says Clinton was wrong voting for the measure, but can’t understand why Obama would chastise Clinton when he wasn’t in the Senate the day of the vote.

Dodd says, Fool me once, your fault, fool me twice, my fault. What didn’t you learn about this administration’s desires to use military force to solve every problem in the world?" Dodd says he believes the president is determined to get us involved militarily in Iran and to have one Senator criticize another for a vote, when he failed to vote, "is a little sad." Dodd also made stops earlier today in Iowa Falls and Fort Dodge.

Senator Obama’s Iowa press secretary, Tommy Vietor, had this response to Dodd: "Senator Obama is the only major candidate in this race who opposed the war in Iraq from the start and opposed this dangerous amendment because George Bush could use it to justify keeping our troops in Iraq and launching a strike on Iran."