The Artful Doddger

How Dodd Continues To Evade Responsibility For Countrywide...

2009-10-23T20:30:00.001-04:00

No HELP For Dodd

2009-09-08T22:18:00.003-04:00

The WTNH 10 o'clock news just reported that a Senate staffer has told the AP that Sen. Chris Dodd will not take over the chairmanship of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, instead remaining in his position at the head of the Banking Committee. I can't find a link to the story, but will post it when I find it.

Lucky us. I guess he figures there is too much healthcare stuff remaining to be screwed up, whereas there isn't much left to destroy on the banking side.

UPDATE: AP report here.

Sen. Ted Kennedy Dies At 77

2009-08-26T08:37:00.001-04:00

The Hill (http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/senate-loses-liberal-lion-kennedy-dead-at-77-2009-08-26.html) is reporting this morning that Senator Ted Kennedy, D-MA, has died. My condolences to the Kennedy family and to Chris Dodd, who was a very close, long-time friend.

Dodd Predictably Cleared By Senate Committee On Ethics

2009-08-11T22:39:00.003-04:00

In what can only be described as anti-climatic, Barbara Boxer's Senate Committee on Ethics declared in a letter on August 7 that even though Chris Dodd was part of a VIP program at Countrywide that "often offered quicker, more efficient loan processing and some discounts" to it's members, he was not in violation of the Senate ethics rules.

Here's what I don't get: no one seems to dispute that Dodd was part of the VIP program due to his status as a US Senator, and being a part of the VIP program got him enhanced customer service (which has a value) and discounts. These benefits were clearly not available to the public at large, or else it would not be a "VIP" program, it would be a "P" program. He got a better deal because he was a Senator then he would have gotten otherwise. If that is not in violation of Senate ethics rules, then the rules are deficient. Not only does it provide an appearance of impropriety, as even the Senate Cover-up Committee found, but it is actual impropriety.

If ethics are defined solely by the U.S. Senate, then maybe Chris Dodd acted ethically. If, however, they have more to do with a moral compass, character and/or common sense, he has been found wanting.

And, oh yeah, he still hasn't kept his promise to release the records of his mortgages publicly so someone other than friends and colleagues can see them.

Additional coverage and commentary can be found at CT News Junkie, Michelle Malkin, Bloomberg, Washington Post, CNBC, Boston Globe, New York Times, and Libertarian Advocate.

Dodd Announces Cancer Diagnosis

2009-07-31T22:20:00.004-04:00

Senator Chris Dodd announced today that in June he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He stated in his press conference that the cancer was discovered at a very early stage, and that his prognosis is very good.

I certainly hope that is the case, and wish the Senator the best with his surgery scheduled for early August and a speedy recovery over the recess.

SCOTUS Decision in New Haven Firefighters Case

2009-06-29T14:57:00.001-04:00

Goverment-supported racial discrimination took a hit this morning when the decision in Ricci v. DeStefano was handed down (opinion at http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/08pdf/07-1428.pdf), holding that the promotional exam results could not be thrown out based simply on a fear that they might be sued for not promoting enough minorities.

More on this later, but I wonder if Chris Dodd has had the time to look into this case long enough to form an opinion?

Calling Chris Dodd

2009-06-28T22:01:00.002-04:00

The Connecticut Republican Party has launched a new site aimed at reminding voters of Chris Dodd's ever-increasing list of scandals and embarrassments.

Check out Calling Chris Dodd.

Chris Dodd Is On The Ropes, But Won't Be Knocked Out By Just Anybody

2009-06-16T23:38:00.005-04:00

The Hour is reporting that Greenwich businessman Steven J. Simmons thinks he can challenge Chris Dodd for the Connecticut senate seat in 2010. I know nothing about the guy, and neither does anyone else, I suppose. From the article:

"The latest Quinnipiac poll indicated that any Republican put up against (Dodd) would win," Republican Town Committee Chairman Art Scialabba told The Hour.

Unfortunately, that is just not true. Dodd beat Caligiuri 41-39 in the last Q poll, and at least he is a state senator. Steven Simmons best bet might be hoping people vote for him thinkin they are voting for Rob Simmons. Clearly there are some people who are underestimating what it is going to take to win this seat for the good guys. Just having an (R) after your name is not going to get you very far. This is Connecticut, after all, and Dodd has been "representing" us for some three decades. As bad as things are for Dodd right now and as incompetent as he continues to prove himself to be, there is a long time left before the election. Connecticut voters are not just going to hand the seat to whoever wins the Republican nomination.

In a statewide election, name recognition is huge; most of the announced (Foley, Caligiuri, Alpert) and potential challengers (Schiff, S. Simmons, Orchulli) have a lot of work to do on that front. Rob Simmons is better known than those already mentioned, and should Dodd step down, AG Blumenthal would be the best known candidate in the race as soon as he could rip himself away from his latest press conference.

Republicans need to work on narrowing the field of challengers, not adding new ones every few weeks. (Of course, I am not suggesting they should not be allowed to run, I am merely observing that it is not in the best interest of the party for these folks to hang around too long) Hopefully, Republicans (and conservatives in general) can keep the focus on getting rid of Chris Dodd; after all, anyone already mentioned, and many people not mentioned, would be an improvement over what we have.

But the reality is that not any (R) will beat Dodd. It will have to be someone who voters know, who they trust more than Dodd, and who is moderate enough to attract the votes of thinking Dems (they do exist) who aren't blind enough to pull the party lever (remember those?), even if Dodd hangs around to the bitter end. It is shaping up to be an interesting seventeen months.

In Case You Hadn't Noticed, Chris Dodd Is A Cheat

2009-06-15T23:42:00.002-04:00

Just to show the world how honest he is, Chris Dodd decided to get his fancy Irish cottage reappraised in light of the crazy conspiracy theories that have been drummed up by the right-wing nutjobs.

Oops.

That plan has not turned out as well as he might have hoped. Ends up that the house is worth about $660,000, hundreds of thousands of dollars more than he has been claiming on his financial disclosures since he bought it in a questionable-at-best real estate deal.

He is trying to spin this as a sign of how committed he is to the truth, but the fact of the matter is that if it were not for Kevin Rennie and others, he would never have done this. No parent would let their child get away with that, and we should not let Dodd get away with it. We cannot allow his ethical lapses to be overlooked, as he hopes, simply because he kinda-sorta acknowledges his actions may possibly have been a little bit less than completely truthful.

Rob Simmons wasted no time in releasing a statement blasting Dodd.

Lots of coverage at the following: Shelly Sindland's Blog, ConnPoliticsTV here and here, NRO, Irish Central, Everyday Republican, Hartford Courant, Kevin Rennie, Michelle Malkin, and RedState.

Foley Announces He Too Will Challenge Dodd

2009-06-03T23:48:00.002-04:00

Former Ambassador to Ireland Thomas Foley announced today that he too will challenge Chris Dodd for the Connecticut Senate seat, making three announced Republicans already lined up for a 2010 primary. Politico, the Hartford Courant and Capitol Watch have more information.

Foley has a website that can be found here.

Chris Dodd's Lack Of Empathy

2009-06-02T21:50:00.005-04:00

Connecticut has been host to a number of cases in Supreme Court history that have had a profound impact on the legal landscape of our country, such as Griswold v. Connecticut, and more recently, Kelo v. City of New London. Over the past few weeks, as most Connecticut residents have noticed, the Constitution State is again at the center of the legal universe, this time in a reverse discrimination case arising out of the city of New Haven.

Ricci v. DeStefano is a lawsuit brought by white firefighters (including a Hispanic) who scored well on a promotional exam but were ultimately not promoted when the city refused to certify the exam results because following the procedures in place would not have resulted in enough black firefighters being promoted soon enough. Judge Sotomayor was on the Second Circuit panel that upheld the dismissal of the plaintiff's complaint. The full text of the per curiam opinion she signed on to is reproduced below:

Plaintiffs appeal from a judgment of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut (Arterton, J.) granting the defendants’ motion for summary judgment on all counts.

We affirm, for the reasons stated in the thorough, thoughtful, and well-reasoned opinion of the court below. Ricci v. DeStefano, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 73277, 2006 WL 2828419 (D.Conn., Sept. 28, 2006). In this case, the Civil Service Board found itself in the unfortunate position of having no good alternatives. We are not unsympathetic to the plaintiffs’ expression of frustration. Mr. Ricci, for example, who is dyslexic, made intensive efforts that appear to have resulted in his scoring highly on one of the exams, only to have it invalidated. But it simply does not follow that he has a viable Title VII claim. To the contrary, because the Board, in refusing to validate the exams, was simply trying to fulfill its obligations under Title VII when confronted with test results that had a disproportionate racial impact, its actions were protected.

CONCLUSION

The judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.

Yes, the full text. Not a whole lot of empathy for the dyslexic white guy with the Italian last name who earned, against all odds, a promotion he never got.

And what does Senator Chris Dodd, J.D. have to say on the matter? Not much, since apparently he has never bothered to spend five minutes thinking about a case of national importance and involving his own constituents.

"Well, let me take a look at it more carefully - good question," he said, laughing, as he headed into the Democrats' weekly lunch in the Capitol." H/T Politico.

Yeah, Chris, that's hysterical. Apparently he's been too busy attending ritzy fundraisers to read up on things that matter to his constituents.

Rob Simmons released a statement on his website calling out Dodd on his response; I haven't seen anything from Caligiuri or Alpert.

Q-Poll Coverage Round-up

2009-05-28T00:12:00.003-04:00

If you are interested in reading more about this morning's Q-poll, you can get your fill from the following list:

Dodd Looking To Legislate Tan Lines

2009-05-27T14:30:00.003-04:00

The first time I ever wrote a letter to a state legislator, it was in response to a bill he proposed that would have statutorily required movie theaters to advertise not just the start time for the movies they were showing, but to list the start times of the previews. Apparently he felt his time was too valuable to spend ten minutes of it watching advertisements, and he thought it would be appropriate to devote the power and resources of the Connecticut state government to protecting him from that evil.

While this bill sponsored by Chris Dodd, which would push the FDA to enhance regulation of sunscreen labeling, may not reach that level of stupidity, it's not for a lack of trying. Is this what Dodd sees as the major concerns of his constituency? It's barely summer long enough here in Connecticut to get sunburned. And how stupid does he think we are? If I use sunscreen and get a sunburn anyway, I'll buy another brand. I don't need my legislators wasting their time and my money debating my tan lines.

This type of law is also demonstrative of the garbage he has a habit of imposing when he finds it politically expedient, like most of his recent credit card bill or his forcing lenders to make the risky loans to those with bad credit that sunk our economy. It is unfortunate for us all that he keeps choosing to use his powerful position in the Senate to promote this type of legislation instead of doing something to help us out of the hole he helped put us in.

Another Q-Poll, More Bad News For Dodd

2009-05-27T08:37:00.002-04:00

Quinnipiac University released their latest poll at 6:30 this morning, and ultimately it is more bad news for Chris Dodd. At first glance there appears some reason for hope on Dodd's part, but I don't think the results should make him feel any better. The poll was conducted between May 20-25, when Dodd was getting free play on every network for his credit card legislation and President Obama was stroking him on live TV in the Rose Garden. With that kind of fawning attention, David Ortiz's approval rating would have gone up in Boston.

Dodd picked up five points on Simmons in a projected match-up, now only losing 45-39, and Dodd has a 41-39 lead on State Sen. Sam Caligiuri, less than the margin of error. Those are pretty rough numbers for a thirty year incumbent Democrat in Connecticut. It is still early, and at least his plummeting stopped, but Dodd must have hoped for bigger gains than he posted. This is especially true when you consider that the April poll was done right at the peak of the AIG mess, the exact inverse of the PR scenario he finds himself in during this poll.

More numbers that should leave Dodd leary:

his approval rating is still WELL below fifty percent at 38-53.
complete unknown Merrick Alpert, Dodd's announced Democratic primary challenger, picks up 24% of the Democratic vote in the primary match-up, despite the fact that 92% of respondents indicated they do not know enough about him to have an opinion on his favorability.
49% say Dodd is not honest and trustworthy, and 47% say he does not care about their needs and problems.

Additional coverage at ConnPoliticsTV, ViceOnline, CTNJ, and Rick Green at the Courant.

Dodd on Sotomayor

2009-05-26T23:29:00.004-04:00

I love reading and writing about the politics of the Supreme Court and the nomination/confirmation process. I hope to have the time to write on it with some frequency in the coming months. I will try to do so without losing sight of the fact that this is a blog about Chris Dodd.

With that in mind, here is what Chris Dodd had to say about President Obama's nomination this morning of Second Circuit Judge Sonia Sotomayor to replace Justice David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court, from WTNH:

President Obama has promised to bring change to Washington and he continues to do that with his choice for Supreme Court Justice. Sonia Sotomayor is a highly qualified and historic nominee. She would bring extensive legal experience and a unique perspective to the Supreme Court. I look forward to the Senate's consideration of her nomination over the next few weeks."

Fresh off his "shout out" from new best friend Barack Obama, it is no surprise that Dodd immediately fell in line on the SCOTUS pick, and he likely would have done so regardless of who the President selected. In the two sentences of his statement about Judge Sotomayor, he calls her "historic" and mentions her "unique perspective." While these descriptions may be true, they are (or ought to be) far from important when discussing the merits of a nominee to the highest Court in the land.

Unfortunately, to the people now running our country (including Chris Dodd) concerns about the race, gender and life experiences now trump fidelity to our Constitution and the rule of law. Much more on this to come...

Room For One More? Schiff Leaning Toward Challenging For CT-Sen

2009-05-26T21:48:00.004-04:00

According to this report at The Plum Line, Peter Schiff is more likely than not to jump into the race for senate in Connecticut.

Peter Schiff, a Connecticut-based brokerage firm owner who has been widely hailed for predicting the U.S. financial meltdown, says he's "leaning towards" challenging Chris Dodd's reelection next year, a move that could make the contest a nationally watched media event.

"It's better than 50-50," Schiff told me a few moments ago, saying he'd decide in the next "two to three weeks."

This is the first time I have heard Schiff himself talk like that about a run. Most of the noise so far has been from the group at Schiff2010, who have been working hard to convince their guy to run. They have done some significant fundraising, though money would not likely be the biggest problem Schiff would face. According to their site, they have over 5500 donors, and presumably more than a handful of them are from Connecticut.

I am still not convinced a politician in the mold of Ron Paul can be successful in Connecticut, even when running against a seriously wounded Chris Dodd, but it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong. And I think it would be fun to watch Schiff dismember Dodd in a debate on all-things economic.

Off The Wire, Memorial Day Edition

2009-05-25T23:11:00.003-04:00

First, let me add my thanks to those who have served and are currently serving this country in the military. Having the opportunity to explain Memorial Day to a child who is just getting to be old enough to understand it gives one a refreshing perspective and a renewed appreciation for the sacrifices that have been made on our behalf. A few lines in a blog post are not much to offer in light of what I have received, but there they are.

So anyway, Chris Dodd got his credit card bill passed this week after thirty years in Congress. While there may be aspects of the law that make sense, like increasing transparency and requiring adequate notice when rates change, much is just more government meddling, which is what got us here in the first place. And I don't want to hear it when credit card companies stop extending credit to people with average to poor credit and begin charging "unfair" or "excessive" annual fees. This editorial from the Richmond Times-Dispatch discusses the downside of Dodd's new law.

Dodd even got a literal "shout out" from President Obama. Imagine, people made fun of Bush for the way he spoke. At least his gaffes were a result of him misspeaking. Obama reads everything he says, so someone on his staff thought it sounded appropriate for the President to issue a "shout out" at a press conference for a major bill signing. Next thing you know we'll have Slo' Joe Biden "raising the roof" in the background of bill signings.

Dodd's efforts also apparently earned him 100,000 fundraising/image-rebuilding emails from The One. Perhaps Dodd will be able to convert more than four of them into in-state donors?

So is all of this helping Dodd? It's not hurting, but an editorial in The Day wonders whether his image-enhancement campaign is doing much with the average voter.

In all of this, Dodd appears to have forgotten, or prefers not to acknowledge, that appearances mean so much in politics, especially the appearance of a conflict of interest. During his long Senate career, Dodd has happily and legally taken millions of dollars from the big business he and his banking committee are responsible for regulating. He insists and may even believe that their dollars have not influenced votes, but no opponent, especially a Rob Simmons or one equally experienced, will ignore those appearances.

Unlike Lieberman, who ran and won reelection without the Democratic party, Dodd seems to have retained the strong loyalty of the party and all the organizational support that goes with it. Even though he's been business' boy in the Senate, he also seems to have retained union support, or at least the support of union leaders.

It's the rank-and-file, also known as the voters, he's in danger of losing.

We'll see.

Another Primary Challenger For Dodd Is Good For Republicans

2009-05-18T22:17:00.008-04:00

Colchester native and Democrat Merrick Alpert announced today his intention to challenge Chris Dodd for the Senate in 2010. His website can be found here, and he got a coverage both nationally and locally, including from the Boston Globe, National Review Online, The Day, Politico, The Hill, CT Local Politics, and ConnPoliticsTV.

Alpert seems to have already created a stir amongst Democrats in the state. Jon Pelto, a former state legislator and Dem insider, wasted no time in attacking Alpert, calling the decision to run "strange" and suggesting Alpert is not ready for prime time and ought to start with an office he is more qualified for, like the state legislature. Roger Pearson, Dodd's other likely primary challenger, jumped in to defend Alpert, saying "he deserves a lot of credit for stincking his neck out."

Ultimately, I think it will end up being difficult for anyone not named Blumenthal to beat Dodd in a primary, and Blumenthal doesn't have the cajones for it. Both Pearson and Alpert are complete unknowns, though they have gotten involved early enough to work on that. Fundraising may be an issue for Alpert with the Democratic party machine still behind Dodd and another potential primary challenger to fight over donations with. In any event, I don't think either can overcome the obstacles to beat Dodd.

The biggest benefit could be had by the Republicans. The more the Democratic primary challengers attack Dodd, keeping his countless negatives in the public eye, the less Simmons and Caligiuri will have to. They will be free to focus more on the still-suffering economy, the nauseating Democratic spending orgy, and all of the other things that are wrong with the liberal agenda, while the Dems talk about Irish cottages, sweetheart loans, executive bonuses, Presidential pardons, etc.

It should be fun.

"Done With Dodd" Rally Tomorrow In Hartford

2009-05-15T18:20:00.003-04:00

Connecticut Resistance is sponsoring a "Done With Dodd" rally Saturday, May 16 (TOMORROW!) from 12pm - 3pm at Dodd's office at 30 Lewis Street in Hartford. The fine folks at the Official Connecticut Tea Party website are promoting it, as well.

I am out of state for the weekend, but I hope it draws well and gets some media coverage.

Chris Dodd Picks Up Key Endorsement ... From Tehran

2009-05-09T00:49:00.000-04:00

Chris Dodd's support of criminal investigations into legal research he finds disagreeable got some favorable coverage from PressTV, a "news" organization funded by the Iranian government. The article describes how Dodd "ridiculed," "rejected," "criticized" and "contradicted" Obama for his backing away from the idea of investigations after releasing the "torture memos" from Bush's OLC.

While he has support for his foolish proposal from a Tehran-backed propaganda machine, a recent CNN poll (HT Hot Air) shows he is not getting it from the American public. According to the poll, Americans approve of the decision by the Bush administration to utilize waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques by a 50% - 46% margin, and are against Congressional investigations into the matter by a 57% - 42% spread.

I suspect the number of Democrats supporting the show-trials for Bush officials will be diminishing (along with media coverage of the issue) as more information leaks out about how Congress (including the pathological liar Nancy Pelosi, among others) were repeatedly briefed in detail on what was being done. Or perhaps they will think again when they realize that Obama's DOJ is utilizing, and the en banc Third Circuit has overwhelmingly upheld, the very legal reasoning Dodd wants Republicans imprisoned for. (HT Karl at Patterico). Or when it dawns on them that it won't even be possible to have the witches they are hunting disciplined by their state bar committees.

In his desperation to distract from his free-fall in the polls and the now-countless scandals he is either involved in or linked to, I believe Chris Dodd has made another serious misjudgment. Pandering to the Iranians and those in Connecticut on the far left will not gain Dodd any votes; they are already included in the mere 34% who favor him. If he wants to stroke anyone, it is the other 2/3 of the electorate he should be wooing.

CTNJ's Christine Stuart Makes Time Magazine

2009-05-09T00:48:00.005-04:00

Connecticut's own Christine Stuart of Connecticut News Junkie finds herself this week in the pages of Time Magazine.

On any given day at CTnewsjunkie.com, there are stories about Connecticut's budget woes, health care issues and Senator Chris Dodd's attempts to reform the credit card industry. Most of the stories are written by Stuart. All the photos are taken by Stuart. And Stuart or her husband, who works as a layout editor at a local paper, handle most of the ads, which are for local unions or the Connecticut Dairy Farmers Association. So far, her best month garnered her site 67,000 page views. But Stuart, 31, who has to have a part-time job to make ends meet, says she is treated, more or less, as an equal by the other reporters in the office. "One of them told me, 'You have to make it, because you're the future.'"

Congratulations to Ms. Stuart for getting some high-profile recognition for her good work covering the goings-on at the State Capitol.

CT Senate On Local Media This Weekend

2009-05-08T10:56:00.003-04:00

FYI

State GOP Chairman Chris Healy and Dodd Campaign Manager Jay Howser will be on Fox 61's The Real Story this Sunday morning at 8:30am and on WTXX at 11:00am.

And via Chris Keating at the Courant, State Sen. Sam Caligiuri will be on CPTV's 8:30pm Friday (replayed at 10:00am Sunday and 11:00 pm Tuesday

Someone's Been Waterboarding Chris Dodd With Kool-Aid

2009-05-05T00:34:00.003-04:00

Perhaps he was playing to the crowd of lefties he was performing for. Perhaps he thought it would help his floundering poll numbers. Or, most disturbing of all, perhaps he actually believes his analogy is apropos.

In any event, Chris Dodd on Sunday defended the ridiculous notion of criminal prosecutions for those who authorized waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques that were indisputably applied to very few high value terrorists under tightly-controlled circumstances and which were directly responsible for interrupting plots to murder Americans. And he did it by comparing his imagined show-trials to the Nuremberg trials his father participated in. If the elder Dodd felt any pride for what he did, his son's analogy must have made him roll over in his grave.

So on one hand we have the Democrats advocating for the outright release of terrorists into the United States so they can collect welfare. On the other hand, led by Reid, Pelosi and now Dodd, the Dems are pushing for criminal investigations and "truth commission" investigations of government attorneys from the opposing political party for performing legal research that resulted in opinions they disagree with (though no objections were raised at the time). Even the LA Times thinks it's a stretch.

Despite the growing demands to bring criminal charges against the authors of the so-called torture memos, even critics of the Bush administration see problems with seeking to prosecute lawyers such as John C. Yoo, Jay S. Bybee or Steven G. Bradbury...

"It would be a real stretch. As long as they thought they were honestly interpreting the [anti-torture] law, they are not criminal conspirators," said Stephen A. Saltzburg, a law professor at George Washington University and a former prosecutor.

And in that context, Chris Dodd has the temerity to state that writing a memo that allows trained men to pour water on the face of our enemies to save American lives is equivalent to ethnic cleansing and genocide. He has gone from an incredibly popular and widely esteemed public official to an embarassing caricature of an incompetent ultra-liberal. It is time for Chris Dodd to go.

More coverage from RedState, Victor David Hanson, The Hill, and Hot Air.

Chris Dodd Dismisses Another Budding Scandal

2009-05-03T20:16:00.008-04:00

This morning's Sunday Courant brought with it more questions about the benefits Chris Dodd's powerful position as Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee bring him, though this time the benefits are a half-step removed.

Over the past year, much has been made of the special treatment and sweetheart mortgage deals Dodd received from his friend, Angelo Mozilo, at Countrywide. Questions have been raised about a real estate deal in which Dodd apparently was given the opportunity of a lifetime to buy out a partner on a cottage in Ireland at a price that ignored the skyrocketing land values throughout the country (it so happens that Dodd had just finished using his influence to get a Presidential pardon for their mutual friend, a convicted felon). And Dodd penned legislation that ended up allowing some of his government-bailed-out corporate donors to give themselves millions of dollars in bonuses.

With each scandal that has come to light, we have seen similarly inept damage control. Dodd's modus operandi appears to be "pretend there is no issue, and my constituents will believe it." While that may have worked earlier in his three decades in government, a very brief look at Dodd's plummeting poll numbers leaves no doubt that this strategy has run its course.

Dodd has ignored the Countrywide scandal since it broke, with his inattention only slightly interrupted by a sham press conference in which he "released" some records by allowing a few select people to glance at several hundred documents. On his Irish troubles, the company line has been not much more than "we won't dignify that with a response" and the occasional reference to a mystery appraisal. On the AIG bonus flap, his plan to lie about his role imploded when he was thrown under the bus by Obama, at which time he began ignoring the scandal.

As a dog returns to it's vomit, so Chris Dodd is going with the bury-your-head-in-the-sand defense yet again. This time the charge is that his wife, Jackie Clegg Dodd, is making a cool $500k annually by serving on numerous Boards of Directors, jobs for which her best qualification may be that she is married to a US Senator. The response?

Clegg Dodd was dismissive late last week of any analysis linking her professional income to her husband's political career.

"I'm curious if you would ask the same questions of a male spouse of a female lawmaker," she said.

More dismissive attitude, with a little half-hearted gender discrimination thrown in for some variety.

Now I have no idea how Ms. Clegg Dodd was chosen for these positions. She is not entirely unqualified for at least some of them, having served as a staffer to the the Banking and Appropriations committees in the senate, which led to a position at the Export-Import Bank of the US, followed by a stint as a self-employed consultant. However, they look more questionable when you find out that she is flagged as a financial expert on the audit committees of two of the Boards. These positions, since Sarbanes-Oxley, are typically reserved for accountants with substantial experience who are able to review their company's books, identify potential problems and have enough credibility to challenge suspicious activity. Some are not so sure she fits the bill. One example:

An official familiar with the [Export-Import] bank's operations said that Clegg Dodd's duties at the bank involved, for the greater part, administration and public and congressional relations. The official, who asked not to be identified for fear of offending Dodd, said he does not believe that Clegg-Dodd's legislative and banking experience qualified her as an audit committee expert.

The opinions cited in the article are certainly not dispositive, and I suppose there may be an explanation out there. But Dodd has apparently chosen not to substantively address it. Instead of taking the challengers head on and showing that her resume is equivalent to the others on the Board, or giving us another reasonable basis for her inclusion in these positions besides her husband's job, it is simply dismissed out of hand.

I refuse to believe that after watching his approval numbers freefall for the past year, Dodd is ignorant enough to think people will just move on. Not if there were legitimate explanations.

All the avoidance, in this case and each of the others, just makes him look guilty. And it is Dodd that would be guilty here, which is why this story is important. As a general rule, I couldn't care less about the spouse of a politician, including what they do for a living. But when they are potentially being used as a conduit to line the pockets of their spouse, this is a legitimate line of inquiry. And one that Dodd could put to bed without too much trouble, if there was nothing there. But instead he is again choosing to ignore it.

I believe he does so at his peril.

A Reminder Why Beating Dodd Matters: Souter Reportedly To Retire From SCOTUS After This Term

2009-04-30T23:02:00.003-04:00

NPR reports that Justice David Souter has advised the White House of his intention to retire from the Supreme Court following the current term.

With all the recent US Senate developments, from the self-serving defection of Arlen Specter to Sen. Bunning's reported retirement to Minnesota's ever-more apparent election of an idiot, the stakes could not be higher. It will be terribly difficult for Republicans to hold the Dems below 60 seats anyway, but it could very well be impossible without Dodd getting what he deserves.

Rob Simmons' thoughts on the Specter embarrassment makes much the same point before the news of the Souter retirement went public.

4:1 Odds On "Friend Of Dodd" Indictment

2009-04-28T21:54:00.006-04:00

Portfolio magazine put together a list of the most likely former CEO's to end up getting indicted, and the list included none other than Countrywide's Anthony Mozilo, the now-infamous Friend of Dodd who curried favor with numerous politicians by providing them VIP deals on mortgages.

Angelo Mozilo, Former CEO, Countrywide
Legal issue: The company faced predatory lending charges from about 11 state attorneys general. Mozilo is accused of fraudulently misleading investors about credit risks
Possible charges: Securities fraud and insider trading.
The PR headache: No executive embodies the subprime crisis more than Mozilo. The public seems hell-bent on holding someone accountable.
The investigation: The SEC and FBI are all over Countrywide, probing Mozilo’s trading in company stock and the company’s financial disclosures.
Jury deliberation: “This guy’s managed to make himself public enemy No. 1.” ... “The subprime people did a great injury to this country. These guys were selling junk beyond junk. Mozilo’s on the wrong side of a very difficult issue.”
Odds of prosecution: 4:1
The verdict: The smart money bets against Mozilo.

Fortunately for Mozilo, his good friend Chris Dodd has a history of securing Presidential pardons for felons who are willing to hook him up.

HT National Review Online.

More Miscalculations From Chris Dodd

2009-04-27T23:32:00.003-04:00

Via National Review Online, Chris Dodd made the following statements, revealing what he thinks of you and me, his constituents:

"When I go home," Dodd says, crossing Constitution Avenue in the fading light, "people don't ask me about the warrants, or the accountability standards, or how much transparency there is, or what am I doing about systemic risk. I mean, some do, obviously, like community bankers and businesspeople who are knowledgeable. The average person looks at me and says, 'What are you doing? You're writing a check [for bailouts]? And 700 people at Merrill Lynch on average got $5.1 million? What are you people thinking?' You know? You cannot explain this to them."

Got that? Chris Dodd does not think you are intelligent enough to understand all of the complicated things he is doing in Washington for us. If you question whether throwing hundreds of billions dollars of borrowed money at a problem he created is the best way to deal with our current predicament, it is only because you are a simpleton, and you should just leave that kind of heavy lifting to the professionals.

His constituents aren't buying what he is selling. The Register-Citizen has a report indicating that Dodd's message may not be resonating as he hopes (HT Politico):

Just how much trouble is Sen. Chris Dodd in as he runs for re-election next year? You’ve seen the surprising opinion polls showing record unfavorability, and other poll finding that any Republican — even those virtually unknown across the state - would beat him easily if the election were held today. Well, at the well-attended annual meeting of the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, outgoing President Joe Greco’s comments about various dignitaries, including Gov. M. Jodi Rell, being unable to make it was followed by a crack about Dodd being available but the group asking him to stay away. It was met by laughter and a very loud round of applause from the several hundred, typically reserved, local businesspeople, in the room.

Then there's the Irish cottage thing Dodd was just beginning to think had faded away. Not so. Judicial Watch has filed a formal complaint with the United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics. You can read the entire complaint, complete with exhibits, here. And instead of addressing the complaint on it's merits, Dodd said the following through a spokesman (as reported by the Hartford Courant):

"It's appalling that any 'respectable' news organization would give currency to the rantings of this laughable band of kooks," spokesman Bryan DeAngelis said in a brief statement. "Their allegations are a joke, beneath dignifying.

No denial, no explanation, no recent appraisal showing there is no issue here, just an attack on the newspaper that reports that a complaint was filed. Despite his plummeting poll numbers he has still refused to acknowledge, even to himself, apparently, that Connecticut voters think he is full of crap. Chris Healey at The Everyday Republican has a post on the complaint, as well.

And it's not just Republicans. Even though the President has sworn his allegiance to the Dodd re-election campaign, there is at least one Dem who doesn't think Dodd deserves Obama's support. Roger Pearson, who is considering a primary run against Dodd, wrote this letter to the President asking him to reconsider.

Here's to hoping Dodd stays in the race long enough to lose to whoever the Republicans ultimately choose to challenge him.

Chris Dodd Goes All In With His 7-2 Off-Suit Face Up

2009-04-23T23:03:00.012-04:00

Apparently deciding to stick with his recent populist pandering, Chris Dodd is getting some press for this:

The Senate passed an amendment to an anti-fraud bill yesterday that would create an independent outside commission, complete with subpoena power, to investigate the causes of the crisis on Wall Street. The amendment was written by Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), but was cosponsored by, among others, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT).

"Through dozens of hearings at the Banking Committee, we have documented a web of negligence, regulatory failures, and other abuses that caused this crisis in our financial system, and in the broader economy," Dodd said upon passage of the measure. "It will be the responsibility of this independent commission to build upon these findings, investigating every level of regulatory failure, and sniffing out any illegal or abusive activity within the financial services industry."

This is akin to O.J. putting together a commission to determine who killed his wife. Everyone knows, including Dodd himself, that a great deal of responsibility for the current economic crisis lies at his feet. He's been on the Senate Banking Committee for more than a quarter of a century, he encouraged sub-prime lending while accepting vast amounts of money from the lenders themselves, blocked additional regulation of the banking industry, and as the economy was being driven to the brink during his "leadership" as Chairman of the Committee, he abandoned his responsibilities in favor of a move to Iowa as part of his embarassing Presidential run.

So what is he thinking sponsoring the creation of a commission that can do nothing less than embarass him? I've come up with two possibilities:

1. He thinks Connecticut voters are oblivious enough to believe his charade in the short run, and figures that by the time the commission is convened and releases any report outing him, he will be safely elected for his final term as U.S. Senator; or,

2. He is banking (bad pun) on the commission being staffed with individuals as incompetent as your average Obama appointee, who will conduct their investigation and determine that everything is the fault of George W. Bush, and he thinks Connecticut voters are not intelligent enough to see through it.

Are there any other explanations for such an ill-advised bluff?

The Downside For Dodd In Outraising His Opponents By $1 Million

2009-04-19T14:39:00.011-04:00

Campaign fundraising numbers for the first quarter of 2009 were release a few days ago, and Chris Dodd came in with a $1.05 million haul, well ahead of his challengers (Caligiuri at about $45k and Simmons not reporting any significant fundraising). Generally when a three decade incumbent out-raises his potential challengers by a million dollars in a quarter, even if his challengers got in the race late in the reporting period, it is considered positive news and a good sign.

Not so for Chris Dodd. Even after reading this account in the Connecticut Post and follow-up from other news outlets, I though it must be a typo or some sort of misunderstanding, but I was wrong. Of his million dollars raised from nearly 400 donors, a mere $4,250 from only 5 individual donors came from Connecticut voters. That is right...only 0.4% of Dodd's cash raised came from the individuals he represents.

Rob Simmons took immediate advantage, sending out this letter to supporters and reportedly getting more in-state individual donation within minutes that Dodd managed to drum up in the first quarter.

So if it didn't come form the people Dodd represents, where did the other 99.6% of his money come from? Let's see.

$610,000 was from individuals, $440,000 from PACs.
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia yielded more cash for Dodd than his home state, including approximately $90k from individuals in Massachusetts (maybe Barney Frank is expecting reciprocation from Connecticut donors!).
$299,000 came from executives and PACs representing banks, financial services companies and real estate brokerages, $48,000 from insurers and the heath care industry, and $62,800 from lobbyists (H/T Mother Jones).
$44,000 came from pawnshops and other companies that make high-interest loans to those with poor credit (H/T Hartford Courant).

Why is it that only out-of-staters and financial types, yet none of his constituents, want to see Chris Dodd re-elected in Connecticut? Probably because they want something from him and won't have to live in his state themselves. As you can see, huge chunks of money came from those Dodd is supposed to be regulating rather than those he is representing. And why not? It worked for the folks in the mortgage industry for years, and it worked for the AIG executives. They all got what they wanted after making sizeable donations to previous Dodd campaigns. Just a cost of doing business in the banking industry.

Additional coverage at Hot Air, FoxNews, Heath at CT Local Politics, Ironman at The Next Right, and RadioVice Online.

Chris Dodd: When It's My Fault, Let's Not Point Fingers

2009-04-12T21:44:00.007-04:00

Don Michak at the Journal Inquirer had a good article on Thursday (read the whole article) pointing out yet another Chris Dodd hypocrisy. Though many may not remember, in 1999 Dodd was the "unsung hero" (according to Fortune Magazine) in passing the Graham-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act, which repealed portions of the New Deal-era Glass-Steagall law that regulated the banking industry. It is exactly this type of deregulation that has frequently been blamed for the economic crisis we find ourselves in.

So, did this legislation Dodd had such an influential role in passing lead us to where we are? Some say yes, others say no, and Chris Dodd's opinion depends on the political winds:

Dodd’s public comments about Glass-Steagall have evolved over the last few years, moving away from his initial defense of its repeal and increasingly blaming regulators for failing to do their jobs.

In 2003, when Dodd, who had yet to become chairman of the Banking Committee, was asked by the Journal Inquirer if the move was a good idea given a scandal in which top Wall Street firms were seeking to claim tax deductions for multimillion-dollar fines, the senator said he still thought it was...

Five years later, soon after Dodd took the helm of the banking panel, the senator acknowledged in another JI interview that he might have had second thoughts about brokering the repeal...

Dodd hewed to a similar line last month in his interview with Fortune.

“I regret we didn’t pay more attention to this at the time,” he said, referring to the regulatory framework. “We’re not going to go back and rewrite that. We want to be able to have those kinds of efficiencies in the system. But clearly the division between commerce and banking — that needs to be a bright line.”

Asked last week if he was saying the repeal was a mistake, Dodd ducked while admitting some regret.

“If I could have written the bill myself, I would have done it differently,” he said. “In fact, I along with almost every Democrat in the Senate opposed the bill when it went through the Senate at first. The language was changed through negotiations and compromise which improved on the original Republican bill, and we trusted that the regulators would do their jobs and make the system work.

“Unfortunately, that did not happen, which is partly why we’re in the situation we’re in today,” he added. “However, we are in a national crisis, and the time has come to put aside finger pointing. Now is the time to look ahead and develop comprehensive solutions to these problems.”

To recap: Dodd worked hard to pass this law, still supported it a few years later, it (possibly) leads to a financial collapse and all of the sudden it was a bad Republican plan on which he did all he could to water down. Then, after pointing fingers at the Republicans and regulators, he urges us not to point fingers at him because "the time has come to put aside finger pointing."

The man has no shame.

Off The Wire: Another Rought Stretch For Dodd

2009-04-12T21:43:00.001-04:00

Another (or perhaps just the same, nearly year-long) run of not-so-hot coverage for Connecticut's senior senator this week, with a few selected articles/posts below for your review:

Kevin Rennie at the Hartford Courant keeps swinging, with no signs of ever letting up, at what is left of Chris Dodd.
The Connecticut Post editorial staff encourages Roger Pearson to jump into a Democratic primary against Dodd.
Some Dodd advisor thought a good theme for his come-back attempt would be "Banking on Change." Brian Faughnan at RedState thinks otherwise.
Megan McCardle at The Atlantic looks at this Op-Ed from the Augusta (GA) Chronicle and decides on what bothers her most about Chris Dodd.

Also, Lagomorph at The Next Right has a summary of a recent conference call with Republican candidate Rob Simmons.

He Is Risen!

2009-04-12T00:00:00.001-04:00

But the angel answered and said to he women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you." Matthew 28:5-7 NKJV

Off the Wire: Dodd, Joey and Jack

2009-04-08T21:41:00.007-04:00

While Chris Dodd has managed to keep himself out of any new scandals over the past week or so, the attention he has been getting still has not been that positive. Stuart Rothenberg at RealClearPolitics thinks Dodd is the most vulnerable incumbent (thanks for link, LR) in the Senate. Helen Ubinas at the Courant, OpEdNews, Riehl World View, and Consent of the Governed have posts along the same lines. Even those on the left think Dodd may be done.

Then there is the endorsement of the only politician in the state who could rival Dodd for ill-will: Joe Lieberman. My guess is that while Dodd is glad Lieberman isn't out campaigning against him, he'd just as soon have Joe keep his support to himself. Do you think if Dodd and Lieberman combined their votes they could win an election right now?

There are rumors that Jack Orchulli may be interested in running again, as well. CT Local Politics links to video of Orchulli, as well as Sam Caligiuri on Face the State.

Has The Dump Dodd Movement Been Too Effective?

2009-04-03T15:23:00.004-04:00

Has Sen. Chris Dodd's fall been too precipitous? Has Kevin Rennie been too competent at reporting the stories the "real" investigative reporters have missed for years? Has the grassroots movement to oust Dodd been too effective? If the goal of that movement has been to replace Dodd with a Republican, the answer may be yes.

According to Rennie at RealClearPolitics, Democrat Roger Pearson of Greenwich has indicated that he has formed an exploratory committee to consider challenging Chris Dodd for the senate in a 2010 Democratic primary.

A Democratic challenge to Senator Christopher Dodd emerged today when Greenwich, Connecticut Democrat Roger Pearson told [Rennie] he has formed a committee to explore a run for his party's 2010 nomination. The former First Selectman of the Republican bastion says that like many others he "is very disaffected" with Dodd, who has "really disappointed a lot of people."

In one sense one of Dodd's fellow Democrats taking the seat would not a bad thing, because at this point I truly believe that almost anyone is better for Connecticut (and the country) than Dodd. I don't know that much about Pearson, but if he won a local race in Greenwich, he may not be that liberal. And he isn't Dick Blumenthal, another Dem prospect for whom I have less respect than Dodd, so he has that going for him, too.

But the truth is that 2010 is the best chance for Connecticut Republicans to take a U.S. Senate seat in recent memory, and the likelihood is that it will be the best opportunity they will have for some time. Were Dodd to lose in a primary (or worse, decide not to run and give the Dem candidate a free pass to the general election while the Republican candidates duked it out in a primary) the Democrats would instantly have a better chance to retain the seat. I mean, even if their candidate were named Joe Lieberman and he was running for a second, simultaneous senate seat, he'd probably have a better chance than Dodd the way things are going.

There is a real possibility that the damage has been done to Dodd a year too soon. If the groundswell against Dodd pushes another Democrat to successfully challenge him in a primary, or forces him to suddenly "need more time with the family" and retire, the road will be much tougher for the eventual Republican challenger. It won't be impossible, but if Dodd's toxicity level remains anywhere near where it is right now, there is no one the Republicans would rather run against.

Chris Dodd is very liberal, ethically challenged, a huge contributor to the economic collapse, supportive of the most socialist of Obama's policies, afraid to tell the truth and apparently for sale to those who are willing to raise campaign funds for him. The best chance the Republicans have to take the seat is with Dodd on the other side of the ballot. Fortunately, Dodd also has an ego the size of his pompadour, and insists he is going to run. Hopefully he's not lying about that, too.

Everybody Beats Dodd In Latest Q-Poll

2009-04-02T21:12:00.006-04:00

The latest Q poll is out, and despite his seemingly endless repetition of the worn out "all I can do is my job" line and his protestations that he intends to run again, Chris Dodd and Democratic party leaders have some serious thinking to do.

The poll, released this morning, shows Dodd getting crushed in a match-up against Rob Simmons, 34/50, and losing to Sam Caligiuri 37/41 and to Tom Foley 35/43. Pretty incredible since 88 and 80 percent of voters don't even know enough about Caligiuri and Foley to have a favorable/unfavorable opinion. Had the pollsters asked, they probably would have found that the only Republican Dodd could beat was George W. Bush.

It will be interesting to see what part of these results is AIG-induced hysteria and fades away by the next poll, and how much is just voters realizing what they are stuck with for a senator.

Coverage of the results was everywhere and largely harsh. Here's what I got:

And from the left (I wade through the muck so you don't have to!):

Off The Wire: Dodd Low On Dem Support And Lower On Cash

2009-04-01T21:23:00.002-04:00

Politico reports on the substantial dissent that is growing amongst those in the Democratic party here in Connecticut.

Bloomberg has an article on Dodd's cash shortage.

ABC talks to Rob Simmons about Dodd and the 2010 race.

And via Gateway Pundit, the collected scandals of Chris Dodd:

Another Felon For Dodd To Get Pardoned?

2009-03-31T21:38:00.005-04:00

As reported by the Washington Times yesterday and covered in this post (thanks to Moe at RedState for promoting it to the front page), AIG chief exec Joseph Cassano is an FOD (Friend of Dodd). He raised some $160k in a few months for Dodd by pressuring his peers and subordinates to pony up.

Well, it looks as though he may have more trouble than just getting caught trying to buy his way into Dodd's pocket. ABC reports that the feds are "closing in" on him for fraud. Perhaps part of the payback for Cassano for Dodd's fundraising will be a Presidential pardon at the senator's request on Obama's way out, like Dodd did with felon and BFF Edward Downe when Clinton was heading home.

This Hot Air post by Ed Morrissey also raises questions about whether the AIG employees were used as strawmen to funnel cash to Dodd. At this point, I don't think anything would surprise me.

Ed also links to an NRO post describing the first time Dodd created massive, taxpayer funded windfall legislation with the primary beneficiary being AIG.

The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act privatizes profit and socializes risk. Though he voted for the Homeland Security Act, even conservative Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas) voted against the insurance measure, dubbing it "a windfall."

One of the big winners will be American International Group (AIG), the world's second-largest financial conglomerate and largest U.S. underwriter of commercial and industrial insurance. CEO Maurice "Hank" Greenberg was instrumental in persuading leaders of both parties to give insurance companies a handout in the event of losses ascribed to terrorism...

The federal program, which will pay out insurance company claims for losses up to $100 billion, will be triggered once the insurance industry sustains only $5 million in terror losses... The lead sponsor of the original Senate version was Democrat Chris Dodd, who represents the insurance capital, Connecticut.

Like our new lefty leaders love to believe, a crisis is a terrible thing to waste, whether it is an economic downturn or a terrorist attack.

H/T to Karl at Patterico's Pontifications.

Caligiuri Announces Bid To Challenge Dodd

2009-03-31T11:41:00.001-04:00

Republican state senator Sam Caligiuri announced this morning that he will run for the U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by the embattled Chris Dodd.

It will be an uphill battle for the young attorney and former acting mayor of Waterbury, whose name recognition is far below Dodd's and the other announced Republican challenger, former rep Rob Simmons. Caligiuri seems to be well-liked and well-respected, and it will be fun to watch.

You'd Be Foolish Not To Contribute To Chris Dodd's Campaign

2009-03-30T20:19:00.004-04:00

In today's Washington Times there is a report about how a bunch of AIG Financial Services executives were "asked" by their CEO to donate to Chris Dodd's campaign, and to encourage their subordinates to do the same. Read AIG chief executive Joseph Cassano's email for yourself.

Was this more than just a suggestion? Well, the boss said he wanted copies of the checks they sent. And it seems pretty clear that the recipients of the email got the gist: in less than two months, Dodd received over $160,000 in donations from AIG employees and their spouses.

Did Chris Dodd have any part in this request? We may never know. And it's not illegal. So what's the big deal? Well, the email pretty explicitly calls for the donations with the understanding that they will have very real and practical effects in their favor:

With the Democrats having regained control of the Senate following the November elections, Senator Dodd is next in line to become chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. From securities litigation reform, class action reform, mutual funds, and international trade, Senator Dodd will now have the opportunity as chairman to set the committee's agenda on issues critical to the financial services industry.

And it just happens to turn out that Cassano was right on. On the eve of the passage of the stimulus bill, who tweaks an amendment that a few weeks later allows numerous AIG executives to collect about $160 million in bonuses that would not have been allowed without the last minute change by Chairman Chris Dodd! Not a bad return on an investment: donate $160k, 28 months later get $160 million.

Dodd doesn't deny any of it. Instead, he sends his spokesman to trots out his now-tired line of "it's old news." From FoxNews:

...[DeAngelis] said Dod's fundraising "has always been above-board, transparent and in accordance with campaign finance rules."

"This is a biased news story that seems to be a blatant attempt to repeat old news," DeAngelis told FoxNews. "The truth is, Senator Dodd has made it clear that he will not accept contributions from PAC's of companies receiveing (federal bailout) money and has also made it clear that if anyone who received these recent bonuses from AIG has donated to his campaigns, he will donate that money to charity."

As if the fact that he got paid off two years ago and that he was "transparently" bought off makes it okay. Just like when he got caught with his sweetheart Countrywide mortgages, he figures that since the unethical behavior was a long time ago and he recently got around to remortgaging, there is no story there.

Frankly, the fact that he doesn't seem to think any of his numerous scandals are newsworthy is nearly as worrisome as the scandals themselves.

Here are a few links on the story: NRO (and here and here), Everyday Republican, Hot Air, Courant's Capitol Watch,

And via "A Disgruntled Republican," you might get a chuckle out of this:

Hey, you hear about this? Very strange incident at JFK Airport in New York City today. An AIG executive going through security had to empty out all his pockets. You know what fell out? Senator Chris Dodd." - Jay Leno

Kos Poll Shows Dodd/Simmons Still Tight

2009-03-26T21:53:00.002-04:00

Research 2000's poll for Daily Kos shows Dodd up 45-40 on Simmons, with a 4% MOE. While a bit better for Dodd than the last Q poll, it is difficult to compare two different polls with different samples, different questions and different methodologies. In any event, these are still pretty poor numbers for a three decade incumbent. Dodd's favorable/unfavorable is +7 (13 no opinion), while Simmons' is +23 (41 no opinion).

Kos' analysis:

Dodd is the most endangered incumbent in the Senate at the moment. He has certain things going for him: he's got a famous name, formidable fundraising ability, and Connecticut is a Democratic-leaning state. On the other hand, he hasn't been battle-tested by a series of tough races, as Simmons has.

This will be the toughest race of Dodd's long career, and he'd better be up for the challenge. He's still slightly favored, but if he doesn't watch out be [sic] could end up like Elizabeth Dole.

Caligiuri appears to be a nearly-complete unknown; 82% have no fav/unfav opinion. Even so, Dodd barely breaks 50% against him, 51-30. That means there are a lot of people simply voting against Dodd, and not for his opponent, regardless of who it is. Good for the R's, not so much for Dodd.

Also, Rell retains an approval rating of over 70% and polls pretty well in hypothetical 2012 matchups against Lieberman and either Lamont or Blumenthal.

Coverage can be found at My Left Nutmeg, TPMDC, Hedgehog Report, Swing State Project (who downgraded the race to "Leans Dem"), and The Hill.

Evening Inspiration

2009-03-25T21:49:00.004-04:00

Watch this video and then get to work on figuring out a way to have him traded to the U.S. Senate for Chris Dodd (or anyone else, for that matter).

I know this is not my usual subject matter, but I was inspired. And he didn't even need a teleprompter!

H/T The Corner at NRO.

Off The Wire: Kudlow, Foley, Dodd and Jackie

2009-03-25T20:30:00.004-04:00

As noted late last night, Larry Kudlow has announced he has no intention of campaigning for Dodd's seat in 2010. While some are disappointed, I think he would have had a harder time beating Dodd than Simmons would. Now, we'll never know. Coverage at Newsbusters, the Courant's Capitol Watch, the New York Times, and Huffington Post (with video).

With Kudlow out, Connecticut Local Politics points to a Stamford Advocate article that indicates that former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland is still considering a run. He acknowledges his name recognition isn't much better than mine, but seems to think it is a hurdle that could be overcome without too much trouble. While I concede it wouldn't be insurmountable, starting that far behind Simmons, whose last district covered almost half the state, is a very substantial disadvantage in a primary. Granted, he's got sixteen months before the primary, but Simmons has a running start on him.

Speaking of Ireland, Brian Faughnan at RedState has a post on Dodd's Irish cottage:

Here's the quick-and-dirty: find a convicted felon and get him to put up two-thirds of the purchase price, then 8 years later - when the value of comparable real estate has quadrupled - buy him out at around the same amount he bought in for.

Voila! Before you know it, you own an Irish 'cottage' worth about a million dollars, but whose value you claim on ethics forms is as little as $100,000!

To be fair, Dodd bought the DC townhouse with the felon, and the Irish cottage with the felon's friend. I know, it is hard to keep them all straight...

Faughnan also chimed in on the 2010 races in the Northeast that the GOP is optimistic about, as well as Jackie's history with AIG. HuffPo covers Dodd's indignant response to the questions raised about his wife's AIG ties, but I think with all of his ethical lapses, he has lost any right he once had to get upset about anyone questioning anything about him (or his wife, if there are potential problems). As I said before, I don't think this is actually a big deal, but he has lied and stonewalled about his other problems, so you'd be an idiot to take his word for anything at this point.

Kudlow Won't Challenge Dodd

2009-03-25T00:12:00.001-04:00

NewsBusters has a report on Larry Kudlow's announcement that he will not enter the 2010 senate race for the seat currently held by Chris Dodd.

More info at www.newsbusters.org.

Dodd's Wife Recevied Tens Of Thousands Of Dollars For Serving As Director For AIG-Controlled Company

2009-03-23T21:04:00.007-04:00

Do you remember the "analogies" section of the SAT? A is to B as X is to Y? Well, after the lady Huskies dismantled Vermont 104-65 in Sunday's first round match-up, I think the following analogy is apropos.

Kevin Rennie : Chris Dodd :: UConn women's basketball team : University of Vermont

Rennie has been ripping the scabs off of Dodd's festering wounds for some time now, but today, writing for RealClearPolitics, he sticks the knife somewhere new, taking aim at Jackie Clegg Dodd's connections to AIG. Just as things started to die down on the bonus front, a new motivation for Chris Dodd to interfere on behalf of the AIG execs emerges. It's amazing how Rennie, in his free time, has turned up more info than the rest of the Courant reporters put together, isn't it?

Not only is Dodd the largest all-time recipient of campaign donations from the bailed-out insurance giant, but apparently his wife has received tens of thousands of dollars from an AIG-controlled company out of Bermuda, as well.

Clegg was compensated for her duties to the company, which was managed by a subsidiary of AIG. In 2003, according to a proxy statement, Clegg received $12,000 per year and an additional $1,000 for each Director's and committee meeting she attended.

Of course there is nothing blatantly illegal or unethical about this, but it certainly adds fuel to the fire already burning against Dodd for his deception about, and questionable motivations for, writing/allowing the exemption to the stimulus bill.

There is also an interesting, interactive map of interpersonal connections of Mrs. Dodd (and the Senator) at Muckety.

Dodd Crushed By Local Media Over Weekend

2009-03-22T13:57:00.002-04:00

I think it would be fair to say that Chris Dodd has never had a three or four day period with this much negative press from his local mainstream media. You might have to go back to John Rowland to find anyone in Connecticut who has. These jumped out at me, but I am fairly confident that this is not an exhaustive list.

From the Hartford Courant:

Dodd's Self Inflicted Wounds Taking Toll (editorial board)
Dodd's Explanations Misleading, Incomplete (Kevin Rennie)
There's No Bonus For Lies, Sen. Dodd (Helen Ubinas)
GOP's Simmons Positions Himself As The Anti-Dodd
Dodd Needs To Say He Won't Run In 2010 (Rick Green)

From the Connecticut Post:

Dodd's Popularity Began Dropping Before AIG
Dodd's Credibility Takes Another Hit (Post staff)
Dodd's Actions Speak Louder Than His Words (Aaron Kennon)

From the New Haven Register:

From the Waterbury Republican-American:

'Dodd Eruptions' Provide Cover

I think each of Dodd's numerous scandals got at least a mention, from his ill-timed move to Iowa for his disaster of a Presidential capaign, to his accepting sweetheart mortgage deals from his friend at Countrywide, to the Washington condo, to the mysterious, non-appreciating Irish cottage, to Dodd's stimulus amendment that ended up giving millions to AIG execs who made Dodd their most-contributed-to politician and Dodd' subsequent lying and blame-shifting.

Not bad for a weekend!

Off The Wire: Day 3 Of Dodd And AIG

2009-03-20T22:05:00.003-04:00

Another day of unfortunate press coverage if you are Chris Dodd. Here are a few links:

New York Times
Associated Press
American Thinker
Rick Green at the Courant calls for Dodd to step down
The Hill here and here
CQ
Ann Althouse

And once the AIG thing begins to fade, expect more to be made of this new information on the Countrywide scandal Dodd has never really dealt with.

RNC Vid On AIG Flap, Cameos By Gibbs, Dodd, Obama

2009-03-20T21:19:00.004-04:00

Check out this planned Web video from the RNC on the whole AIG fiasco, via MSNBC. I can't believe Gibbs gets paid to speak in public.

Milk Dodds: Munch On These While Watching Dodd Go Down In Flames

2009-03-20T17:36:00.004-04:00

Via RedState, a funny cartoon from TobyToons.

Rough Day For Dodd

2009-03-19T22:37:00.003-04:00

Chris Dodd has had a few days he'd rather forget over the last few months, but I don't know that any have been as bad as today. It cannot be comfortable when virtually everyone, on both sides, is pointing the finger at you for something as unpopular as the Dodd Amendment has quickly become.

When it comes to Dodd, I am much more bothered by the fact that he lied about his role in the whole thing than what the amendment said or who wrote it. There is no longer any reason to believe anything he says, from his claim he didn't know he was getting a VIP loan from his buddy, to his questionable real estate dealings with a convicted felon he got a pardon for, to the real story behind the drafting of the legislative in question now.

Anyway, here is some of what Dodd was reading today:

US Conservative Politics:

As chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Dodd's made some highly suspicious decisions. He's a walking ethics nightmare. I'm guessing that if he thought about it at all, he never imagined his behind-the-back maneuver (the one where he slipped the bonus loophole into the stimulus package) would come back to haunt him, but with all the attention being paid to these gigantic corporations, how could he not? Dodd is that rare breed of politician who is either too greedy to serve the people or too dumb to swindle them. Either way, he shouldn't be in office.

Washington Post:

It seems that there's one Democrat who really should be afraid. If you listened closely yesterday in the Capitol, it's possible you heard the sound of Chris Dodd's career coming to an end. Too harsh an assessment? Perhaps, but it's hard to overstate how badly the Connecticut senator stepped in it when he admitted that he had put language in the stimulus bill ensuring that contractual bonuses were paid out at companies receiving bailout money, a day after saying he didn't know how the language got it.

Rob Simmons in the Hartford Courant:

I can't believe the chairman of a committee can take a bill to the floor and speak in favor of it and vote on it without knowing what's in it. The issue of executive compensation is obviously an important issue...you would think someone's reading the language of the bill.

Gawker:

Dodd's apparent strategy is contrition: He apologized to Blitzer over any "confusion" he may have caused with his lie. And he also announced his intention to return all donations from AIG executives. It may work, but because of his own mendacity, this episode has strengthened a growing reputation as a well-rewarded shill for the banks and mortgage lenders that ruined the country. He was regarded as a "special customer" of Countrywide Financial by CEO Angelo Mozilo, and received a sweetheart interest rate on his home mortgage. Dodd says he was unaware that he got special treatment, but how do you know whether to believe him?

The Nation:

"We are outraged to learn that Sen. Dodd, at the behest of the Obama administration, inserted a last-minute loophole into the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that allowed AIG employees to receive exorbitant bonuses at the American taxpayers' expense, and the vast majority of elected officials, not to mention the American public, missed the amendment because they only had 13 hours to read the bill!" the Sunlight Foundation commented today.

Associated Content:

Senator Chris Dodd revealed yesterday he was the one who removed the language preventing things like the AIG bonuses from happening, and he should resign. These are the kind of politicians we don't need representing us. Dodd heads the Senate Banking Committee, a position too important for this career politician. While I may enjoy his comments and personality, this is about principle. President Obama talked about changing the way Washington works, and what Dodd did is exactly what's wrong with Congress. To be in Washington for 34 years and to make this blunder is unforgivable. I've had it with the incompetence. Dodd will be lucky to win re-election in Connecticut in 2010.

Real Clear Politics:

Stepping back for a second, Chris Dodd is already in a bit of trouble in his reelection bid, based on recent polling. Obviously, this further complicates matters. Dodd is now directly associated with two of the most distasteful aspects of the current financial meltdown: getting a sweetheart mortgage from the CEO of a company that was a major player in the subprime mess, and now authoring the loophole that allowed AIG to pay $165 million in bonuses after already taking scores of billions of bailout dollars, all at taxpayers expense.

Even Stan Simpson and Helen Ubinas at the Courant think Dodd is done!

Not a good day.

Chris Dodd Needs A Credibility Bailout

2009-03-18T20:19:00.005-04:00

Lie: noun; 1. a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood. 2. something intended or serving to convey a false impression; imposture. 3. an inaccurate or false statement.

As I posted earlier, yesterday Chris Dodd claimed that he had nothing to do with the exemption in his executive compensation amendment to the stimulus bill for bonuses distributed pursuant to contracts entered into prior to February 11. From Fox Business:

Dodd’s original amendment did not include that exemption, and the Connecticut Senator denied inserting the provision.
“I can't point a finger at someone who was responsible for putting those dates in,” Dodd told FOX. “I can tell you this much, when my language left the senate, it did not include it. When it came back, it did.” [emphasis added]

After Obama decided Dodd was the next to go under the bus, Dodd decided to come clean today. From CNN (video here):

On Tuesday, Dodd denied to CNN that he had anything to do with adding the language, which has been used by officials at bailed-out insurance giant AIG to justify paying millions of dollars in bonuses to executives after receiving federal money.
He said Wednesday that the "grandfather clause" language "seemed like innocent modifications" at the time.

"I agreed reluctantly," Dodd said. "I was changing the amendment because others were insistent."
Dodd said he did not speak to high-ranking administration officials and the change came after his staff spoke with staffers from Treasury.

Yesterday he didn't know where the language mysteriously materialized from, and today he said it was his. At least one of the statements is a lie; I can think of no reasonable alternative. He didn't want to take the blame for allowing these bonuses to be paid in the face of the violent public reaction, so he said something that he knew was not true to mislead his constituents.

Lies vary in their significance and severity, but every intentional telling of an untruth chips away at the liar's credibility.

Some lies are insignificant, like telling you daughter there is a fairy that comes into her room at night and exchanges the tooth she lost in her Granny Smith apple for cash (what's the going rate for a seven year old incisor, anyway?); but when she inevitably finds you were leading her on, she will feel a sense of betrayal and somewhere in her psyche you lose some level of credibility.

Other lies are bigger, or more significant. You know it when you tell a big lie; you can feel it in your gut. Your body has certain involuntary physiological reactions, some which are obvious and others which are not. You look away, you blush, your pulse quickens, your blood pressure rises. Think Scott Peterson telling Diane Sawyer he didn't kill his wife. More significant lie, less credibility remaining afterwards.

I would also posit that the severity of a lie can be scientifically categorized as either "bad" or "not-so-bad." Telling the SS soldier at the door in Nazi Germany that there are no Jews in the house when in fact there is a family hiding in your closet would qualify as a not-so-bad lie. Telling your wife you have to work late when you are actually going to a motel to meet your girlfriend is a bad lie. The difference are largely in the motivations of the liar.

Accusing someone of lying is a serious charge. After all, lying made the all-time top ten list of bad things to do (see Exodus 20:16). In the end, when all the superficial stuff is stripped away, one's integrity is all they really have, and to accuse someone of lying is to take a shot at their integrity. It is not something I do lightly.

That being said, it certainly appears as though Chris Dodd lied. His lie is both significant and severe, and another huge chunk of Dodd's credibility has been flushed down the toilet.

The worst part is that he actually had a reasonable explanation. If he had said from the beginning that he added the language at the behest of Treasury or the Administration to save the amendment, many people would have accepted that. Instead, when placed under pressure, he lied, leaving Connecticut voters no reason to believe anything he says in the future.

I question whether Senator Dodd has enough credibility remaining to allow him to effectively serve as Connecticut's senator.

Dodd's Most Recent Kick To The Groin: AIG

2009-03-17T23:09:00.009-04:00

Just when you find yourself wondering if things could get any worse for Chris Dodd, insurance giant AIG, which he recently helped bail out, gives away $160 million of taxpayer money in bonuses to their executives. He must be sitting on his couch right now, rubbing his temples, and just wondering when it is going to let up.

In the New York Times we find an anonymous source from Obama's Treasury Department throwing Dodd under the bus for enabling AIG to get away with this:

The second group of bonuses covers some 208 retention payments from contracts entered into before government involvement in A.I.G. Indeed, in his letter to Mr. Geithner, Mr. Liddy wrote that he had shown the details of the $450 million bonus pool to outside lawyers and been told that A.I.G. had no choice but to follow through with the payment schedule.

The administration official said the Treasury Department did its own legal analysis and concluded that those contracts could not be broken. The official noted that even a provision recently pushed through Congress by Senator Christopher J. Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, had an exemption for such bonus agreements already in place. [emphasis added]

The administration blames this all on what they are calling the "Dodd Amendment," the executive compensation amendment to the stimulus bill that included the loophole allowing bonus payments that had already been agreed to prior to February 11. Dodd denies he was the author of that aspect of the provision , but he won't pin it on anyone else, either.

Dodd's original amendment did not include that exemption, and the Connecticut Senator denied inserting the provision.

"I can't point a finger at someone who was responsible for putting those dates in," Dodd told Fox. "I can tell you this much, when my language left the senate, it did not include it. When it came back, it did."

This post from FDL does a decent job of demonstrating the blame lies squarely on Obama and Treasury rather than Dodd. But the fact of the matter is that it doesn't matter who is to blame for that particular clause. It is all the rage these days to be outraged about how the bailed-out companies are spending taxpayer money. From the Senator's press release:

This is another outrageous example of executives - including those whose decisions were responsible for the problems that caused AIG's collapse - enriching themselves at the expense of taxpayers. A car mechanic or teacher in Connecticut shouldn’t have to subsidize the bad decisions of these executives.

Seriously, how hypocritical can our politicians be? We are talking about $160 million here. I know that used to be a lot of money, but our new President has spent like 10,000 times that much in the past two months. Literally. These bonuses are only a few years of playing third base for the Yankees. As John at Powerline pointed out, the earmarks in the recent stimulus bill accounted for $8 billion, and to run our government costs about $11 billion A DAY.

So I agree with the Senator that the taxpayers should have nothing to do with this. What's Dodd's plan to rectify this injustice? Raise taxes.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) on Monday night floated the idea of taxing American International Group bonus recipients so the government could recoup some or all of the $450 million the company is paying to employees in its financial products unit. Within hours, the idea spread to both houses of Congress, with lawmakers proposing an AIG bonus tax.

This is a classic. Let's spend almost a trillion dollars of taxpayer money, give it to failing companies, then take as much of it as we can back in taxes when they pay it to their employees. Of course, once the government does get it back, it is not as if they are going to send it back to you and me. They'll spend it on saving mice or buying prophylactics to limit the number of consumers draining our economy.

If only our legal system had developed a way for companies that were in financial trouble to restructure themselves and get out of contracts that require payments of millions of dollars of bonuses to the people who crashed the company without raping the American taxpayer. Like this.

As all of this mess were not bad enough for Dodd, the world has yet another reason to be reminded that he was the top recipient of campaign contributions from AIG, closely followed by President Obama.

Looking back at the past year, it is difficult to comprehend how Chris Dodd has managed to survive in politics over the past three decades. It is time for him to go.

UPDATE: I swear to you I am not making this up... Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has demanded that AIG pay back the $160 million in bonuses with taxpayer money that the government will give them in the near future. Unreal.

NRSC's First Shot At Dodd A Dud

2009-03-17T22:00:00.002-04:00

I get the St. Patrick's Day connection and all, but this ad is pretty weak. It looks like a high school student put it together when they should have been paying attention in class. The Irish accent is atrocious and I think Dodd has involved himself in too many scandals to cram them all into one commercial. It is dizzying!

I hope Simmons and company have more creative talent on their side than the NRSC showed here. The good thing is I can't imagine it cost very much!

Off The Wire: Rob Simmons Edition

2009-03-16T23:54:00.003-04:00

Rob Simmons got a fair share of press today, despite the late-night, email-only announcement of his candidacy. Coverage from today of Simmons' announcement can be found at:

Dragging Dodd Downe?

2009-03-16T21:55:00.005-04:00

On Face the State Sunday, Chris Dodd talked with host Dennis House (who returned to Dodd's ethical problems repeatedly throughout the interview) about his relationship with his good friend Edward Downe, Jr. As you may recall, Downe was Dodd's real estate partner on a DC condo in the mid-80's, and he helped facilitate the partnership that resulted in his purchase eight years later of the now-infamous cottage in Ireland.

Oh yeah, he was also a felon, convicted of making millions by illegally trading stocks based on insider information. After pleading guilty, he paid a fine, was placed on probation and did some 3,000 hours of community service in the early nineties.

"I'm a great believer: You deplore the sin, embrace the sinner...I didn't walk away from my friend at a dark moment for him," Dodd said about Downe, seemingly expecting someone to come from off camera and present him with a plaque from Mr. Trophy recognizing him as Best Friend of the Year, 1993. Look, I get that they were friends, and I don't think that most people have too much of an issue with Dodd not abandoning the guy. But if you are a smart politician, or even just a smart person in general, it should occur to you that while you can still be his friend, it might not be wise to have him involved in your financial dealings, accept campaign contributions from him, or try to use your official position to benefit him.

But not Dodd. Not only did he stand by his man, he also got involved in a real estate deal with William Kessinger, someone Downe introduced him to. They had Downe sign some of the paperwork, and he continued taking Downe's campaign contributions. Then Dodd used his position as a U.S. Senator to pressure outgoing-President Clinton into giving Downe a pardon, apparently because he was sorry and was fortunate enough to be friends with a senator. The controversial pardon was granted on Clinton's last day in office.

Soon after getting the pardon, Dodd buys up Kessinger's share of the Irish cottage for barely more than it was worth when they purchased it nearly a decade earlier, despite the rapidly rising real estate market across most of the country. Did he really think doing something like that wouldn't raise eyebrows, despite the "independent appraisal" he is relying on?

Well, it has raised eyebrows, and it does not appear to be going away. Kevin Rennie has been all over it for some time now, and this week even the Courant's news reporters thought it might be worth an article. The Wall Street Journal has noticed, as well, and they're not buying it across the pond, either.

Rob Simmons has already given indications that shady real estate deals and sweetheart mortgages will be issues during his campaign against Dodd, and there is little doubt that we will be hearing about them from anyone who throws their hat in the ring. And we should.

It's Official: Rob Simmons To Challenge Dodd

2009-03-16T00:08:00.002-04:00

As reported by the Hartford Courant, Rob Simmons has officially announced his intention to challenge Chris Dodd for his senate seat in 2010. Via an email to the AP, Simmons said that after meeting with family and friends today, he received unanimous support and made the decision.

I have said Simmons is probably in the best position to challenge Dodd of those whose names have been mentioned, and the recent Q-poll certainly supports that assertion. I think it was wise to make the decision early, allowing him to start hitting Dodd while the he is still vulnerable on his many issues, rather than waiting until the fall when Dodd has had more of a chance to rehabilitate himself. Such a strong candidate getting in early may also keep one or two other potential Republican challengers, like Schiff or Kudlow, from deciding to run.

Simmons And Dodd On Sunday Morning Talk Shows

2009-03-14T15:07:00.004-04:00

Set your Tivos for tomorrow morning for info on Connecticut's senate seat up for grabs in 2010.

The Real Story, Fox 61 at 8:30 am: Host Shelly Sindland will have Dodd-challenger and former-Congressman Rob Simmons. Perhaps he will announce his run? He had said earlier he thought he'd decide by the Ides of March.

Face the State, WFSB 3 at 11:00 am: Host Dennis House will have Senator Dodd, where he will likely continue to ignore his flailing in the polls and the questions about his numerous ethical lapses and just talk about how he must plug along and do his job. Of course, had he been doing just that over the last few years, perhaps he wouldn't be where he is.

H/T The Laurel.

Off The Wire: Kevin Rennie On Dodd, The Q-Poll, Joe And Chris Friends Again And More

2009-03-13T17:49:00.007-04:00

Unfortunately for me, I am back in the United States, though I haven't made it back to Connecticut yet. I picked a less-than-optimal time to be away, and feel like I missed a lot. I have done my best in the short time I have had to put together some links that may be of interest from the past week.

There are a lot of links and some of it is slightly old news. If you are prioritizing, I would check out the links marked "**" first.

- Kevin Rennie, the Hartford Courant opinion-columnist-turned-investigative-reporter continues his crusade** to hold Chris Dodd accountable for his ethically questionable real estate dealings with William Kessinger and convicted felon Edward Downe. Rennie is doing a fine job of digging through details the mainstream media has thus-far neglected to do, and has gotten plenty of much-deserved attention. Be sure to read Rennie's article, and if you want more, check out:

- Quinnipiac released it's latest poll on March 10, and the news is not good for Dodd, regardless of how his folks want to spin it. The poll itself can be found here, with news coverage and analysis at the following:

Wall Street Journal
Politico here and here
Ironman at The Next Right
ConnPoliticsTV
CT News Junkie
Washington Post**
RedState
Swing State Project
Connecticut Post
New Haven Register
The Day
WFSB
CT News Junkie again** (with Dodd's response to the poll)
RTT News
Capital Beat

When I get home I will put together a more complete look at the poll results.

- Joe Lieberman's transition back to being mostly Democrat continued with his announcement of support for Dodd in 2010 despite Dodd' backing Lamont a few short years ago. Coverage at:

- Dodd's current plight warranted a substantial article in Time. Connecticut Local Politics has a post on the article, and on Dodd/Lieberman as well..

- Dennis House of WFSB and Face the State has a post worth reading about his role as a journalist in covering someone he likes.

- Ennuipundit on the irony that is Chris Dodd.

Why I Won't Worry About Chris Dodd This Week

2009-03-07T16:16:00.008-05:00

That picture is where I will be for most of the next week. I will be without a computer, so posting will be light, sporadic or non-existent. Hopefully I don't miss too much, though Simmons may make an announcement before I am back on-line. In any event, soon after I return I plan to transition from this site to a more attractive and easier to use Wordpress site; hopefully that excitement will be enough to get you to come back. I will have limited email access on my phone, so somebody email me if anything good happens. I'll try to read them between Coronas.

One last installment of Off the Wire before I go.

- The Minority Report on Barney Frank's desire for criminal prosecutions of those responsible for the banking crisis - except, of course, for himself, his boyfriend, Chris Dodd, etc.

- New York Magazine, Right Soup and Osmoothie on Dodd's plan to increase the FDIC borrowing limit some seventeen times it's current level. Because, you know, we have a bunch of money lying around and we didn't know what to do with it.

- Ironman with a flashback to Dodd on failing banks.

- Brainflation with an interesting point regarding the constitutionality of Ted Kennedy receiving honorary knighthood, and Chris Dodd's response. I don't imagine that that this is going to turn into a scandal, but my guess is Dodd hadn't thought about it before laughing off the claim. That is how many politicians these days view the Constitution (see the recent blatantly unconstitutional DC voting rights bill that passed in the Senate with Dodd's support).

Chris Dodd And What's For Dinner

2009-03-07T15:40:00.003-05:00

I wrote about Chris Dodd's short-sighted, politically motivated last-minute inclusion of executive compensation limitations into the TARP bill here last month, but check out American Thinker for a post on yesterdays article in Fortune magazine. An excerpt:

Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd, beneficiary of nepotism (his father was a beloved Senator from Connecticut), sweetheart mortgage deals, and the number one beneficiary of Wall Street donations - at least until Barack Obama came along - turnds around and bites the hands that have fed him so well over the years.

All for political gain. Yet his moves to punish, and treat in a child-like way, higih quality performers in the financial world will backfire and cause untild losses to our economy.

And another, quoting from the Fortune article:

Senator Dodd's attempt to turn masters of the universe into bureaucrats even extends to where they dine. Instead of using the Zagat guide, TARP recipients may be expected to work from a list of restaurants "identified by the Secretary" of the Treasury, since by law he must now specify which entertainment expenditures are "excessive." Thus, a Washington civil servant could end up judging whether a Manhattan banker can take good customers to dinner at Per Se, or whether TGIF might be elegant enough to close a deal. Your tax dollars at work.

Good stuff. Read the whole thing.

Are Connecticut Democrats Hoping For A Dodd Retirement?

2009-03-07T00:52:00.006-05:00

The Yale Daily News has a look at Dodd's prospects for 2010, including the perspective of another Democrat who will be campaigning at the same time.

By all accounts, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd is vulnerable.

With 20 months until he is up for re-election, Dodd has yet to announce whether he will seek another term. And the five-term senator's prospects are by no means positive - he is suffering in the polls and is recovering from political scandal. But the uncertainty regarding Dodd's candidacy transcends his career alone; many Democrats are anxious about the political ramifications of his delay.

[snip]

[Democratic gubernatorial candidate Susan] Bysciewicz said that while she does not know for certain if Dodd would seek reelection, she encouraged him to make up his mind soon, and announce his intentions.

"If I secure the nomination of my party, I want the strongest possible Democrat on the ticket with me," she said. "If [Dodd] is running, he needs to announce and he needs to meet with constituents."

Sounds like she is a little concerned Dodd may drag her down, which poses an interesting dilemma: as great as it would be for our state and our country to be free of Chris Dodd, his retirement could very well make the seat easier for the Democrats to retain.

I believe those currently considering a run on the Republican side, especially Simmons but Kudlow and the others as well, have a realistic shot at taking the seat in a match-up against the much weakened Dodd. But if Blumenthal changes his mind with a Dodd retirement, or if Ned Lamont wants back in, I think the odds of a Republican pick-up are very likely diminished.

So here's to hoping Dodd's ego refuses to let him step aside gracefully, and that he gets beat by whichever Republican challenger eventually emerges.

What Kudlow Would Have To Overcome

2009-03-03T23:53:00.002-05:00

I received some negative feedback to the suggestion that Larry Kudlow would bring some baggage to a senate race against Chris Dodd, some going as far as suggesting Kudlow has no baggage whatsoever. I do not know much about the man, but the baggage of which I wrote is all available in the public domain.

First there is his history of alcohol and drug abuse, which he has admirably confronted and to his credit put behind him. While he has turned his own personal nightmare into something of a success story, to pretend that it is not an issue that will be brought up is ignorance. It gets raised all the time - Clinton and whether or not he inhaled, Bush and alcohol (admitted) and illegal drugs (alleged and not denied), Obama and cocaine - even when the substance abuse is decades old. To think Kudlow will be treated differently because of the way he fell on the sword or any other reason is just foolish. Of course, it is not something that he can't overcome, but it is something that will have to be dealt with at some point.

Second, Kudlow has a recent history of being very wrong on economic predictions. One of Dodd's key weaknesses that can be exploited to his Republican challengers benefit is the economic disaster he has so heartily contributed to. Kudlow gives significant ground on the issue when confronted with statements such as those compiled by Mark Nickolas at his blog here. For example:

December 5, 2007

The recession debate is over. It's not going to happen. Time to move on.

At a bare minimum, we are looking at Goldilocks 2.0. (And that's a minimum). The Bush boom is alive and well. It's finishing up its sixth splendid year with many more years to come.

Or:

February 5, 2008

I'm going to bet that the economy will be rebounding sometime this summer, if not sooner. We are in a slow patch. That's all. It's nothing to get up in arms about.

Or:

July 24, 2008

It's a pity the mainstream media keeps searching for more and more pessimism. The reality is a possible upturn in the housing trend, and at the very least we are getting a bottom. Stocks sold off 165 points largely on media reports of terrible home sales and prices. But I am hoping the market comes to its senses and realizes the data are a whole lot better.

I don't think all of the quotes listed in the post are bad or wrong. I don't think Kudlow is an idiot. But for anyone to pretend that these kinds of quotes won't be thrown in his face is farcical.

I don't think that the other potential candidates, either Simmons, Caligiuri or Schiff, have issues as potentially damaging and already so public. 2010 will be a rare opportunity for Republicans in Connecticut to make some hay, and everything needs to be considered in making our selection. Ignoring the obvious will only hurt our chances.

Off The Wire: Dodd, The Dow and Kudlow

2009-03-02T20:21:00.004-05:00

- From Ironman's blog at The Next Right, quoting Chris Dodd on February 15, 2007, when the Dow was a little north of 12,600:

"At the end of my tenure on this Committee, I want it to be said that the safety and soundness of our financial institutions was not weakened on my watch," Dodd said.

While Dodd's tenure is not over yet, it may not be too early to say his tenure is likely to be a failure by his own standard, what with the Dow now about half of what it was when he took over.

- Michael Barone at US News and World Report on 2010 and the Kudlow rumors. (HT Ironman again).

- More on Kudlow at Politico here and here (quoted below).

Kudlow confirmed his interest in an interview with POLITICO this afternoon and said he was talking to strategists to assess the feasibility of a statewide run. He said NRSC chairman John Cornyn met with him over dinner last week to discuss the idea, and the two have since had a follow-up phone conversation.

"He came up to me, and put it right on the table. He seems to think it would be a good race, and a national race," Kudlow said.

Kudlow, though, said he enjoys his job as a CNBC anchor and commentator - and it would be tough to leave it for the world of politics.

"I'm thinking about it, that's all I can say...it's the kind of thing where I'm talking to friends, talking to strategists, talking to my wife, and praying on it," Kudlow said. "It's all come on very fast, and I don't have any definite thoughts at all other than the fact that I am thinking about it."

Could be the makings of an interesting primary!

- An interesting post at binder'sblog on Chris Dodd's "liberation."

Larry Kudlow To Challenge Dodd?

2009-02-28T20:19:00.002-05:00

Add Larry Kudlow's name to the list of those considering competing to be the Republican nominee to challenge Chris Dodd in 2010.

Reports at National Review Online, CommentaryMagazine, Wizbang, CT Local Politics, The Huffington Riposte, etc.

From the NRO Post:

Republicans in Washington think they may have found their man to pick up a Senate seat in Connecticut in 2010: Larry Kudlow, the former Reagan budget advisor, Wall Street economist and now CNBC TV news anchor. The Internet is abuzz with the chatter of a Kudlow for Senate boomlet, which has even hit the Drudge Report.

In an interview yesterday, Mr. Kudlow confirmed to me that he did sit down for dinner with Senate Republican Campaign Committee Chairman John Cornyn "to hear him out on the idea."

That makes it sound like it was Cornyn's idea. Whoever's idea it is, I don't think it is a great one, at least not if Simmons plans on running. Kudlow's got the name recognition going for him, but he comes with a lot of baggage, too.

Ironman over at The Next Right has a good look at the names that have been thrown out there to this point.

Dodd Just Doesn't Get It

2009-02-26T23:05:00.003-05:00

An article from a Maryland area ABC affiliate, WMDT-TV, quotes Sen. Dodd making the following incredible analogy:

Banking Committee Chair Senator Chris Dodd says, "We don't blame the patient when the doctor fails to tell them, that they might not survive the surgery. Why should we blame the home owners in many ways."

Is it any wonder we are in such trouble when one of those in charge of getting us out is so misguided he thinks those who tried to take advantage of sub-prime lending are comparable to medical patients?

Perhaps the analogy would be more apt if the patient were going to a doctor for an elective cosmetic procedure and went to some hack doctor in a dark alley because they didn't have the good fortune or the patience and discipline to save up for a board certified doctor. Somehow I doubt that Dodd, of the housing and government-funded healthcare are God-given rights school of thought, had that in mind.

Off The Wire: Dodd, Arthur Andersen, And More On His Irish Cottage

2009-02-25T13:09:00.005-05:00

Instapundit links to an article from Jewish World Review in January, 2002, highlighting questionable associations Chris Dodd had tied to Arthur Anderson and the Enron collapse. In light of this same type of behavior with Countrywide and others in more recent times, a pattern seems to be appearing.

While many candidates of both parties have received campaign contributions from Enron and its self-serving "independent auditor" Arthur Andersen, very few have passionately fought their cause in Washington as diligently as Chris Dodd. Dodd has received more money from Artur Andersen than any other Democrat - $54,843.00 - and has aggressively worked to insulate Artur Anderson and other accounting firms from liability to defrauded investors in cases like Enron.

Read the whole thing.

Also, there's an article in the Telegraph on Rennie's piece on Dodd's cottage in Ireland that has apparently been immune to the rise in property values that has been affecting the rest of the country.

Given the Irish property boom, a conservative estimate would be that the house would be worth approaching $1 million, and very possibly much more than that.

So why hasn't Dodd declared a more realistic true value of hte property? No doubt he didn't want to highlight the fact that he had a third splendid pile, to go along with his residences in DC and Connecticut, as he sought the presidency (remember how all those homes harmed John McCain?). Maybe he knew it would mean further scrutiny of his connection with the pardoned crook Downe.

Now that President Barack Obama - whom Dodd enthuisiastically endorsed for president over Hillary Clinton - has declared a new era of ethical government in Washington, his former colleague will order a fresh, long overdue reappraisal of its value. Or perhaps the Senate Ethics Committee will look into the matter.

Call me cynical, but I wouldn't advise you to hold your breath.

Neither would I.

Dodd Apologizes For Nationalization Comments

2009-02-25T12:38:00.003-05:00

After seeing the resulting damage and recovering from his inexplicable shock at the reaction they elicited, Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee Chris Dodd apologized yesterday for his foolish and ill-timed comments suggesting that U.S. banks may be nationalized.

From the L.A. Times:

Sen. Chris Dodd is apologizing today for his comments Friday suggesting that it might be necessary to nationalize banks for a short time.

The Connecticut Democrat, who chairs the Senate Banking Committee, told reporters in Washington that he was surprised by the market's reaction.

Dodd said his statement Friday "should have been better thought-out at the time. I didn't realize it was going to have the reaction it did," according to Bloomberg News.

I am still perplexed by Dodd's story that he was caught off guard by the market reaction. I suppose the truth is that he was not surprised at all, but figured that was a better excuse than "I screwed up." Since he went ahead and apologized anyway, he would have been better off falling on the sword to begin with rather than pleading ignorance of basic economic cause-and-effect.

Secret US Plan To Destroy Ukranian Economy Disclosed

2009-02-23T15:00:00.004-05:00

How else can you explain this?

Washington, Jan. 27/PRNewswire/ - Senator Christopher J. Dodd is scheduled to give the keynote speech at a breakfast forum hosted by the Ukrainian Foundation for Effective Governance (FEG) and The Hill, on February 24 in Washington, D.C., announced Nataliya Izosimova, Managing Director of FEG.

[snip]

"The event, focusing on 'Building a Strong Economy for the Real Ukraine,' will further raise awareness of key economic issues affecting Ukraine," Izosimova stated. "Through our ongoing public discussions and the implementation of key economic projects, FEG is working to increase economic competitiveness and create an attractive investment environment for Ukraine."

What's he going to say? "Force your banks to throw money at people who you already know will never be able to repay it, don't allow the lenders to be adequately regulated, and while you're at it, collect hundreds of thousands of dollars for your self!"

Admittedly, I don't know that much about the Ukranian economy, but it must be in a sorry state if they are looking for advice from one of the architects of the collapse of the US economy (can you be an architect of a collapse, or is that an oxymoron?).

Perhaps he will be there as a cautionary tale of what can happen when politicians who are ethically challenged, ripe with conflicts of interest, and oblivious to the facts around them are in charge of your economy. In any event, pray for the Ukranians.

I wonder if they will ask him to lead a break-out group, like "The one word you need to know to to tank a bank's stock" or "How to arbitrarily set a limit on executive compensation and make it look principled."

(Slightly updated since originally posted on 1/27 when this was announced, but as Dodd's speech is tomorrow, I though it appropriate to re-post)

Dodd's Friday Meeting On How To Spin His Scandals? Opinions Solicited On Twitter

2009-02-23T12:41:00.008-05:00

I was poking around on TweetDeck this afternoon when I saw the following two Tweets in my "Search: Dodd" window:

[ ] Sen Chris Dodd. Popularity declining amidst Countrywide scandalMeeting Friday w staff to brainstorm Any ideas to help spin this?

Suggestion on how to reestablish Chris Dodd's popularity after recent Countrywide scandal? Brainstorm session with his team on Friday. Help!

I replied, suggesting he resign. The following Tweet came in response, and the earlier two tweets were apparently deleted from the persons profile (I have the screenshot, just can't figure out how to post it):

How would you suggest Sen. Chris Dodd reestablish his popularity since the Countrywide scandal? Serious responses only, please.

If this "spin" meeting is scheduled as advertised, it would seem to indicate that the Dodd folks are getting a little worried about where they stand in the public eye, despite his repeated statements that he is unfazed by the swelling public disfavor. I am not sure that begging for ideas on Twitter is the best way to get PR advice on how to "spin" his involvement in scandal after scandal, though. He may want to try not doing things that are unethical or maybe apologize for flushing the economy down the toilet.

Do the Dodd people actually have a meeting scheduled for Friday? I don't know why a random Twitterer would make that up, but stranger things have happened, I suppose. A little internet research (LinkedIn, etc) on the name on the Twitter account showed someone with the same name/gender/age range in the area has a graphic design/PR background, so it could be.

In any event, if you have any great ideas for how Chris Dodd can repair his image in your eyes, you may want to relay them to the Senator's office before their Friday "brainstorming" session.

We're Running Out Of Shoes To Drop On Chris Dodd

2009-02-22T20:22:00.007-05:00

Chris Dodd has to be ecstatic that February is almost over. The month that began with the sham "release" of his oft-questioned Countrywide mortgage records is now ending (hopefully for him) with Kevin Rennie's piece in the Hartford Courant about an earlier questionable real estate deal.

This particular scandal allegedly begins with Dodd going in on an Irish cottage, continues with him working the President of the United States for a pardon for his millionaire inside-trader buddy, and ends when Dodd buys the cottage outright from his partner (who happens to be friends with Dodd's newly-pardoned buddy) for a price that seems to indicate that it never appreciated, despite the skyricketing value of every other property in the country.

Rennie does a great job telling the story of just another reason to vote Dodd out. Here's the beginning, but read the whole thing.

Ireland does not easily give up its secrets. That may have been one attraction it held for Sen. Chris Dodd in 1994 when he became an owner of a refuge on nearly 10 acres on the Irish west coast. The murky tale includes a felonius inside trader, a Kansas City businessman, a presidential pardon and what appears to be a financial bonanza to Dodd during the Irish property boom.

The saga of Dodd's lucrative Irish odyssey reveals that his two 2003 sweetheart loans from subprime mortgage titan Countrywide Financial were not the first time he enjoyed a financial advantage from a wealthy benefactor. The trail begins at one of New York's most desirable addresses.

Additional coverage of this story is at Everyday Republican and RadioViceOnline, and For What It's Worth has additional information about Edward R. Downe, Jr., the man Dodd got a pardon for.

Hartford Business Journal on the Republican Resurrection In Connecticut

2009-02-22T19:24:00.004-05:00

In the Hartford Business Journal tomorrow, Dean Pagani looks at the changing political landscape in Connecticut for the 2010 elections.

For the first time in a long time, there are Republicans thinking about waging statewide campaigns, not only because they think they have a shot at winning but to position themselves for future campaigns. That's a healthy approach if the party ever hopes to be relevant.

[snip]

Despite minority status and the lack of candidates as political stars, Republicans see 2010 as their best chance to change Connecticut's political landscape in a long time, The question is no longer whether to run. There is a sense the pendulum is swinging their way.

That is the sense indeed. Hopefully it plays out that way.

Also, as mentioned here, Rob Simmons was on Face the State this morning (video here). He didn't say anything we hadn't already heard, stating he would likely make a decision by the Ides of March. He brought his own mortgage papers and gave a copy to Dennis House, and Dodd's mortgage problems were mentioned every few questions. He did fine, and sounded the entire time like a candidate.

Rob Simmons To Appear On Face The State To Discuss His Potential Senate Challenge

2009-02-21T22:05:00.010-05:00

Rob Simmons is scheduled to appear on Face the State tomorrow morning at 11:00 am on WFSB 3 talking about whether he will challenge for Dodd's senate seat next November, and the timeline for making his decision. Christine Stuart from CT News Junkie will also be discussing the potential Dodd-Simmons contest.

A brief clip from the show can be found here. Simmons is talking like a candidate if you ask me.

Senator Sinks Stocks With Statement, Seems Stunned

2009-02-21T15:09:00.011-05:00

Yesterday, when asked about the nationalization of banks in an interview with Bloomberg, Senator Chris Dodd said that he is "concerned that we may end up having to do that, at least for a short time." The foolishness of Dodd, the Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, talking publicly about nationalizing the banks while the industry is teetering on the brink is readily apparent to all but Dodd himself, and the responses of the industry and the stock market demonstrate it nicely.

"We believe that the whole discussion about nationalization is impairing the financial sector and making the credit situation worse," Edward Yingling, president and chief executive officer of the American Bankers Association, a Washington-based industry group, said in a statement.

Citigroup tumbled 22 percent, to $1.95, the lowest since Jan. 29, 1991. Bank of America, the biggest bank by assets with $883 billion in deposits, plunged as much as 36 percent before recouping most of the drop after Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Lewis said the bank can survive the recession "on our own."

This to me seems like Economics 101. Why would investors hold the stock of a bank that they believe is about to be taken over by the government? When I told my wife about Dodd's comments and asked her what she thought happened next, she said the bank's stock would take a hit. Of all the wonderful things my wife is, an economist she is not, but she figured it out.

Yet somehow Chris Dodd, our senior senator and Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, was blown away.

"I'm sort of stunned in a way that some people are reacting the way they are about all of this," Dodd said. "At a time like this, everyone needs to be pulling in the same direction."

First, the fact that he was stunned by the reaction to his statement is frightening. If it was the market reaction that stunned him, he should be removed from his position immediately for incompetence. If he was stunned that people don't want the U.S. banking system to be nationalized, perhaps he would be better suited for a seat in the Cuban legislature. We are not a socialist country yet, Senator.

As to the fact that we should all be pulling in the same direction, I agree completely. So start pulling with everyone else! Dodd obviously wasn't pulling with the Obama administration:

The Obama administration turned aside questions about a U.S. takeover of banks, saying a "privately held banking system is the correct way to go, ensuring that they are regulated sufficiently by this government," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said today at a briefing. "That's been our belief for quite some time, and we continue to have that."

Nor was he pulling the same direction as his somewhat more flamboyant House counterpart, Barney Frank:

Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat who heads the panel that crafts banking legislation, said he didn't see the likelihood of U.S. banks being nationalized, and Geithner's bank bailout plan unveiled this month should be given time to take effect.

As bad as the economy is right now, with someone like Chris Dodd manning the helm of our country's financial ship, it is nothing short of a miracle that it hasn't been completely decimated by the rocky shoals his leadership has driven us into.

Additional coverage at the Hartford Courant, ABC, CNN, WSJ's MarketWatch, and Reuters.

Off The Wire: More Reasons To Vote Dodd Out

2009-02-21T14:09:00.006-05:00

I've been pretty sick with the flu (guess that flu shot wasn't all it's cracked up to be) since Wednesday, but I am trying to keep on top of things. Who would have known when I started this blog the day after the election that Dodd would provide so much material?

Anyway, a few items that caught my interest in the few minutes I was conscious over the past two days:

- Schiff's money-bomb is off and running today. As of 2:55 EST, they stand at $9,348, rapidly approaching their goal of $10k. The Courant has an article about Schiff today, and he answers a question some have asked, namely whether Schiff would run as a Republican, Libertarian or Independent.

If he were to run for Senate, Schiff said he would run as a Republican. "If I wanted to and put int the effort, I could probably get the Republican nomination, but I don't know if I want to," he said.

But what would be the point? "I don't need the power, the fame ... or the money," Schiff said. "I don't need those things. If I really thought I could make a difference, might I be willing to change careers? I might ... but there needs to be a bigger movement, there needs to be more candidates."

Seems a little presumptuous to just assume he would win the Republican nomination, especially if Simmons is in. We'll see.

- The Wall Street Journal takes a few shots at AG Blumenthal for his slobbering support of Dodd and statement that Dodd has done nothing wrong. As the piece points out:

It's interesting that the state's top lawyer can pronounce that there's no evidence of wrongdoing by Mr. Dodd, especially since Mr. Blumenthal told us this week that he has never investigated Dodd's Countrywide deals.

[snip]

Mr. Blumenthal's decision to stay out of the way of federal law enforcers contrasts with his approach when Republican Governor John Rowland and others were successfully prosecuted on federal corruption charges. In that case, Mr. Blumenthal was so zealous that in 2004 a state court judge temporarily blocked his civil suit after federal prosecutors claimed he was making it more difficult to prosecute the federal case.

It's not exactly comparing apples to apples, but the contrast is striking. Of course, Blumenthal had nothing to gain from backing Rowland, while he would need Dodd's support in 2012 were he to challenge Lieberman for his seat. The Everyday Republican's take can be found here.

- Chris Dodd has gotten to someone at the Kansas City Tribune (where's this level of outrage in the CT media?) with his accepting huge campaign contributions from the banking industry and then giving them a 258,000% return on their donations. A taste:

In my weeks of research into understanding how America went from economic lynchpin to a wayward ship drifting on a sea of economic trouble, I find myself baffled and appalled by statements from Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.

His anger seems real enough. But the stench of hypocrisy reeks up the room every time he forgets to mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars he received in 2008 as campaign donations from these same banks, their management and employees - currently not under receivership of the U.S. taxpayer.

Read the whole thing.

- Finally, I never posted on Time's list of the 25 people to blame for the financial crisis (and I won't link to it, since it is a joke for not including Dodd and Frank; find it yourself). But Jack Dunphy, a frequent guest-contributer at Patterico's Pontifications, has. Read that post, and while you are there, bookmark the site. Good stuff on a regular basis.

Another Hat In The Ring? Caligiuri "Strongly Leaning" Towards Challenging Dodd

2009-02-20T15:57:00.006-05:00

State Senator Sam Caligiuri will make a final decision in the coming weeks, but as of now he is "strongly leaning towards running" for Chris Dodd's senate seat in 2010. From the Waterbury Republican-American:

Caligiuri said he senses voters in Connecticut are ready to boot Dodd out of office after more than three decades in Congress.

"I thank Senator Dodd for his service to Connecticut, and I appreciate his commitment to public service, but I don't think he is the same Chris Dodd we sent to the Senate nearly 30 years ago, and I think he has forgotten over time that he is there to represent Connecticut," he said.

"There are times when it becomes very clear that change is necessary. Then you have to ask yourself do you think you can bring the right kind of change to the people. I am convinced it is time for a change, and I am convinced if I do decide to run that I can bring the kind of change that Connecticut needs," he said.

I imagine he is waiting a few weeks to see if Rob Simmons is running. I can't picture a scenario where Caligiuri could beat Simmons in a primary. On name recognition alone, Simmons would be so far ahead I doubt if Caligiuri could ever catch up.

Also, did you notice the the last quote from Caligiuri was just a little "Hope" short of an Obama campaign commercial? I guess he figures that "Hope 'n Change" worked so well for O, why not give it a shot.

Schiff Supporters Talking Up Saturday's "Moneybomb"

2009-02-19T22:42:00.003-05:00

The New Haven Independent, via Instapundit, has a lengthy article on Saturday's fundraising blitz for Peter Schiff organized by the Political Exploration and Awareness Committee PAC (PEAC). Their goal is to raise at least $10,000, but Schiff has indicated that a senate run is a long shot.

From the NHI, which also has an embedded FoxNews interview with Schiff:

Judging from a conversation with Schiff Wednesday, it will take much more than [$10,000] to convince him to step away from his Darien stock brokerage and hit the hustings as a Republican challenger to Chris Dodd.

He does warm up - instantly - to the subject of why he feels Chris Dodd should be handed a forced retirement from the U.S. Senate.

"Dodd has a role in creating a problem. He's not playing a part in the solution," said Schiff, who's 45. "He was one of the biggest promoters of Fannie[Mae] and Freddie [Mac]. He's one of the reasons efforts to rein them in was curtailed. The reason we're in such a mess is the lax lending standards and moral standards that were a result of Fannie and Freddie. Dodd has his fingerprints all over this."

[snip]

"I'm not running for anything. They're hoping if they can raise a lot of money and start an organization, they can convince me and draft me into a senate campaign. I think it is a longshot," he said. "Is it impossible? Nothing is impossible. Is there a slim chance? The odds are I'm not going to do it. It's just not something I think is the best use of my time. Even if I could become a senator, I don't know what the hell I could do! I would be one guy out of a hundred."

So if you believe Schiff, he is not likely to run, but he certainly left the door open wide enough to change his mind and throw his hat in the ring. The bigger question is whether he would run in a primary against another Republican candidate, or would he go the third-party route? A libertarian third party candidate might be enough to really screw things up for a more moderate Dodd challenger, like Simmons.

Dodd Steps In It Again; At Least He's Consistent

2009-02-19T20:48:00.005-05:00

The Connecticut Post and the Hartford Courant both have coverage of Chris Dodd's latest embarrassment, the revelation that he was one of the recipients of a significant amount of campaign contributions from R. Allen Stanford, this week's Bernie Madoff. In fact, Dodd was fourth on the list, coming in at $27,500 according to the Post, though the Courant quotes Dodd's spokesman as indicating the amount he received from Sanford was $3,000. Apparently the difference was donated by other Sanford employees.

Dodd responded with his now-standard line that he did nothing wrong, but he is going to make things right anyway, this time by donating the contributions to charity. See video of his press conference at the LOB at CT News Junkie, NECN and WTNH.

The Post article was particularly harsh on Dodd:

Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd came under renewed attacks Wednesday from Republicans who claim he has been bought off by a "rogues gallery" of financial scofflaws.

Dodd, who is up for re-election in 2010, has been ripped by Republicans for reportedly getting favored treatment on two mortgages from Countrywide Financial, which was at the heart of the nation's subprime meltdown.

He's now under the gun for accepting $27,500 in campaign contributions since 2002 from Stanford Financial Group, whose Texas offices were raided Tuesday by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
[snip]
"Only when faced with public scrutiny and plummeting poll numbers did Dodd turn his attention to fixing the economy, but unfortunately for his re-election chances, Connecticut voters are seeing through this political posturing and not liking what they see," said Brian Walsh, NRSC communications director.
[snip]
[Larry] Sabato, who handicaps federal campaigns, said Dodd is one of three or four Democratic senators who could face a serious challenge in 2010. Given the "slim pickings" for Republican gains, Sabato expects Dodd will continue to face an onslaught of attacks from the NRSC.

Attacks like this are coming regularly now, softening Dodd up for the real attacks to come from his eventual challenger. Dodd has certainly provided the ammunition.

Other coverage of Dodd most recent debacle can be found at the Everyday Republican, Wall Street Journal - Washington Wire, Shelly Sindland's blog, and connpolitics.tv.

Simmons Sounds Serious As Dodd's Decline Draws National Attention

2009-02-17T22:50:00.005-05:00

Politico is the latest national outlet to report on the increasingly tenuous position Chris Dodd finds himself in as November, 2010 looms on the horizon, and Rob Simmons sounds more and more like a candidate every day.

One of those ousted GOP incumbents, former Rep. Rob Simmons, told Politico he is "seriously exploring" running and would be making a final decision by the end of March. Simmons, who held a solidly Democratic seat in southeastern Connecticut before losing by 83 votes in 2006, met with NRSC Chairman John Cornyn of Texas last month to chat about a prospective campaign.

"My consideration of running against Sen. Dodd is not poll-driven," said Simmons, who criticized Dodd for losing touch with his constituents. "When I first ran for Congress in 1999, the Republican brand was way down in the toilet, and people said I was crazy to run when the GOP was out of favor - and I was able to beat a 20-year incumbent."

Simmons said that, if he runs, he would face a significant fundraising disadvantage against Dodd. Still, he believes he would be financially competitive enough to run a formidable statewide campaign.

"He'll go to his pals in the banking industry and get lots of money - and I won't have that opportunity. But I don't believe that Senate offices are meant to be bought and sold," Simmons said.

The Hartford Courant Capitol Watch blog has more from Simmons, who certainly sounds ready for the fight.

"I'm definitely interested," Simmons told Capitol Watch. "I'm angry about what's going on in Washington D.C. ...I've worked all my life, and I've watched my IRA go down 50 percent, and I'm luckier than most." [snip]

"[NRSC Chairman Sen. Cornyn] expressed interest in me as a candidate, and I told him I would give it very serious consideration, which I am doing," Simmons said. "He reached out to me."

And if his comments on Sen. Gregg's "thanks, but no thanks" to Obama's offer of an appointment as Commerce Secretary are not the words of someone campaigning against a Democrat, then I don't know what would be.

"Good for him to stand up for his beliefs," Simmons said of Gregg. "It's ironic that the Democratic choices don't get approved because they don't pay their taxes, and the Republicans don't get approved because they won't sell out their principles."

I for one would be shocked if Simmons didn't throw his hat in the ring.

Connecticut Local Politics has their take on the Politico article, and they have a poll pitting Simmons against Dodd. Check it out.

Dodd's Desperation: His Executive Compensation Limitation Amendment

2009-02-16T22:25:00.006-05:00

If financial institutions are taking federal funds under TARP, the government should have some say in how much they executives get paid, right? It's only fair.

That is the knee-jerk reaction of many people, and it is understandable to some extent as a gut feeling, but Chris Dodd is one of the few in government who thinks this is actually a good idea in the long run.

Dodd added an amendment, over strenuous objections from the Obama Administration, to the Democrats socialist spending plan that goes much further than the restrictions Obama/Geithner/Summers imposed, and will likely cause far more problems than they solve (see Dodd's plan for increasing minority home ownership that has crashed our economy for another example).

From the Harvard Business Review Blog, Obama's restrictions were as follows:

Hard caps ($500,000 in pay plus restricted stock that only vested when TARP money was paid back) applied just to companies who did "exceptional" deals with the government--but only prospectively. The initiative didn't apply to past special deals with AIG, Citi and Bank of America.
Soft caps applied, in the future, to all other TARP companies (those receiving "general" assistance with the same terms for all recipients). A similar $500,000 pay cap plus restricted stock with delayed vesting could be waived if the "general" TARP company does three things: Discloses compensation for senior executives; shows how the comp strategy encourages sound risk management; and puts the comp plan to a "say for pay" shareholder vote (which was coming this year in the financial services sector anyway).
The Administration hoped that companies would take these procedural prompts seriously and produce a variety of plans which would then be analyzed further to see if more regulation was needed to align compensation with proper risk management and long-term value and growth. It sensibly envisioned a public dialogue on this tough issue, not hard and fast rules now.

Well, that wasn't good enough for Dodd, who had to do something to deal with poll numbers that show his support vanishing faster than the questionable mortgage records he let reporters peek at earlier this month. So he adds this (again from HBRB):

In Dodd's amendment, TARP companies that receive more than $500 million are prohibited from giving the top five officers and 20 most highly paid employees (e.g. traders) a bonus of more than one-third of total annual compensation--and that bonus must be in restricted stock which doesn't vest until the government is repaid.
This rule applies to companies that have already received funds, not just to those that may in the future. Although it doesn't set a flat cap on salary, the cap on bonuses at one-third of total compensation is a flat rule. (The rule applies to fewer officers/employees if companies receive less than $500 million).

The numerous problems with Dodd's plan are being pointed out all over the place. For instance, the Chicago Tribune's Washington Bureau blog:

As sources quoted by the NYT and others say, one unintended consequence is that financial institutions will just raise the salaries to offset the limits on bonuses.

Another is the risk of a brain drain at the very time when the financial industry and the economy can least afford it.

Yet another possibility is that the financial institutions will repay the federal money they received sooner than they would have otherwise to get out from under the restrictions.

There's a requirement in the Troubled Asset Relief Program that if a bank repays the government it must then raise replacement capital in the private markets. Banks may just decide to go that route at greater expense and risk to themselves.

Then there's always the chance that banks that could use the cash to strengthen their balance sheets will forgo it altogether or wait until they are forced by federal regulators to take federal money.

Fearing any and all of these possibilities, the Obama Administration opposed Dodd's limits. Yet Dodd insisted on them.

From the New York Times:

So what? Goldman and 349 other banks have taken cheap loans from taxpayers. It’s only right that some limits should be imposed. The problem is that the restrictions work against the logical, capitalistic idea of offering incentives for workers to do a good job.
The goal of compensation reform should be to ensure that pay is more closely linked to performance, not less so as the stimulus bill’s provisions would require. Under the new rules, banks will have every incentive to increase salaries across the board to remain competitive with banks at home and abroad that aren’t subject to the restrictions, like Credit Suisse, Barclays, Deutsche Bank or UBS.
That would destroy one good thing about Wall Street — its flexible cost structure. By paying relatively low salaries, investment banks have historically adjusted pay according to earnings and economic circumstances.

The Harvard Business Review Blog concluded:

Questions remain about the amendment (does it apply to '08 bonuses?), but it's clearly more rigid and draconian than the Administration initiative. Critics have already argued that it encourages companies to set annual salaries too high and does nothing to relate compensation to longer-term performance (a critical goal). Critics also speculate it could start an exodus of talent from TARP companies, right when talent (including new faces not responsible for past transgressions) is needed most. Lastly, Dodd's plan may also force fast paybacks to the government when there are better uses of capital in a crisis.

[snip]

In sum, the Dodd Amendment will feed the populist impulse but, as a policy matter, may well impair efforts to fix the financial sector, unless the Administration can work out some future modification.

From The Day:

Administration officials also said they were worried Dodd's plan would still allow multimillion dollar paychecks, just not structured as bonuses...Dodd's plan provides no limit to base salary pay, which typically is relatively small but supplemented with gigantic bonuses.

From Politico:

Administration officials were at the forefront of some heavy lobbying against [Dodd's proposals], arguing that they could encourage executives to leave for much higher-paying jobs at firms that hadn't received government funds, and ultimately slow the flow of credit by creating an incentive for banks to repay bailout funds before they have enough capital of their own with which to provide loans.

Another downside, this one for Dodd, is that he is at the top of the list when it comes to campaign donations from the very people whose income he is restricting. Either Dodd truly does not understand the downside to his plan that everyone else seems to grasp, or he has calculated that he needs to gain votes from the "regular Joes" who believe him when he says this is a good idea, even if it means upsetting his big donors.

Take your choice: Chris Dodd is either too unintelligent to be our senator (which I don't believe) or he is a political panderer of the worst kind, willing to put the country at continued and greater economic risk for the votes of the people he has misled.

Either way, it is time for him to go.

Off The Wire

2009-02-16T21:04:00.003-05:00

Another local paper is taking notice of the declining position Chris Dodd has worked himself into. Ray Hackett at The Norwich Bulletin points out that the NRSC is issuing press releases hitting Dodd, even though there is no Republican challenger yet, which is a good sign that this race may get the national attention from the GOP that it deserves.

You've also got posts at the Everyday Republican and Radio Vice Online (with video) regarding AG Blumenthal's endorsement of Dodd. As anyone in Connecticut knows, Blumenthal has never walked past a television camera or microphone without stopping to kiss the collective rear ends of whoever happens to be on the other end. He has indicated that he is not going to run for governor, but instead will run for another term as AG. Yippee. As he may be interested in running against Lieberman in 2012, he really has no choice but to back Dodd and I think everyone knows it, so I don't know how much this endorsement really helps.

Dodd's Decision: To Run Or Not To Run

2009-02-14T10:31:00.006-05:00

The Hartford Courant has another editorial, this time questioning whether Chris Dodd will run for re-election in 2010.

Five-term U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd has some thinking to do. Poll numbers are dropping and potential Republican opponents are circling like sharks in the water, sensing an opportunity to end the political career of Connecticut's tarnished Democratic icon.

Mr. Dodd must decide whether to plow forward with a re-election campaign next year, one that looks increasingly problematic, or leave the Senate on his own terms. It cannot be an easy decision.

[snip]

Quinnipiac's latest polling yielded the senator's worst results ever. For the first time, more voters disapprove of Mr. Dodd's job performance than approve, and a majority say they are unlikely to support his re-election. By more than 2 to 1, respondents said they were dissatisfied with his Feb. 2 explanation of the refinancing with Countrywide. And, although 41 percent of those polled said they thought Mr. Dodd was honest and trustworthy, 42 percent said they thought he was not.

These poll results are sobering. Bad enough to make a veteran politician think hard about whether to call it a day.

I for one doubt that Dodd's ego will allow him to retire. His disastrous Presidential bid, his pompous handling of the Countrywide fiasco, his book-deal-in-the-making to write about how he saved the country from financial crisis when in fact he largely caused it; all of these things point to someone who is blind to the polls and will refuse to believe he can lose. He thinks it is HIS seat, handed down from his father, and what his constituents think doesn't really enter his mind.

This man needs to go.

Premature Circulation - Dodd Book Deal Not Done Yet

2009-02-13T17:45:00.004-05:00

Talk of Dodd's book deal may have been premature. Reports at the Everyday Republican, Hartford Courant and CT News Junkie indicate nothing is set in stone. Hopefully someone at Crown publishing will see how ridiculous the entire premise is. From NBC Connecticut:

The publishing company, Crown, which is an imprint of Random House issued this "clarification" by e-mail Friday:

Publishers Weekly, through information prematurely sent by the publisher, announced a book deal between Crown Publishers and Senator Christopher Dodd on the Senator's role during the financial crisis last fall.

Crown Publishers would like to clarify that in fact, Senator Dodd and Crown do not yet have a signed agreement, and that the actual content of proposed book will chronicle how Congress and the Bush Administration responded to the financial meltdown.

Um, whoops.

Yeah, whoops.

Off The Wire

2009-02-12T22:27:00.003-05:00

Dodd's Book Deal:

Chris Healy at The Everyday Republican

Genghis Conn at CT Local Politics

Ted Mann at The Day

Michael Scherer at Time

Q Poll:

Chris Keating at the Courant (Capitol Watch Blog)

Ken Rudin at NPR

Chris Cillizza at The Washington Post

Steve Kornaki at The New York Observer

Also, a good editorial at the Waterbury Republican-American

The Nauseating Impudence Of Chris Dodd

2009-02-12T15:47:00.006-05:00

I am praying that this is some sort of sick joke. It has to be.

Crown senior editor Sean Desmond has acquired a history of the congressional bailout of the financial markets by Sen. Christopher J. Dodd with Lary Bloom. Titled Thirteen Days: How the Financial Crisis Changed the Politics of Washington, the book will provide an intimate look at how, over the course of 13 days last September, a financial crisis led to panic and meltdown. Dodd, the chair of the Senate banking committee, will also describe how he and others acted swiftly to try to save the American economy.

If Ashton Kutcher is not behind this waiting to jump out and tell the American public they have been "punked," then I severely underestimated Chris Dodd's impudence and narcissism that must be approaching pathological levels. This is no better than Bernie Madoff writing a book praising himself for bringing about changes at the SEC.

Chris Dodd knows the entire premise of his fairy tale is garbage, but has made a tactical decision to pul this stunt as a way of rehabilitating his damaged image. He is banking (bad pun, I know) on the fact that his constitutents are completely intellectually bankrupt and will swallow his revisionist history hook, line and sinker. Every dollar he "earns" should be donated to the people his policies have screwed.

Voters of Connecticut, Chris Dodd thinks you are idiots. Don't prove him right in 2010.
He needs to go.

H/T The American Pundit

UPDATE: Wonkette has a good post up. It includes a four letter word that starts with "F," so depending on where you work, you may want to wait until you get home.

Inside The Q Poll: For Dodd, At Least As Bad As The Headlines Suggest

2009-02-10T23:38:00.006-05:00

Apparently, Connecticut voters are not the ignorant fools Chris Dodd takes them for. After electing and reelecting him to the US Senate for almost as long as Carter's CRA has been eating away at our economy, they are coming to their senses and appear poised to hold Dodd responsible for his actions by finally replacing him. The latest Quinnipiac poll was released today, and it paints a bleak picture for our senior senator:

A total of 42 percent of voters say they "definitely" or "probably" will vote to reelect Sen. Dodd in 2010, while 51 percent say the [sic] "probably won't" or "definitely won't" vote for him.

By a 54 - 24 margin, Connecticut voters say they are not satisfied with Sen. Dodd's explanation of allegations that he received preferential mortgage treatment and 56 percent of voters say they are less likely to vote for him because of this controversy.

"Sen. Dodd is vulnerable. His approval has sunk to a new low. More voters disapprove than approve of the job he is doing for the first time in 15 years of polling," Schwartz said. "The mortgage controversy has taken a toll on his approval rating. Most voters are not satisfied with Dodd's explanation and say they are less likely to vote for him next year because of it."

Let's look a little closer at the poll, which was conducted between February 5-8 (post-Dodd's concocted press conference) of 1,603 registered Connecticut voters, and has an MOE of 2.5%.

Question 14: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Chris Dodd is handling his job as United States Senator?

Dodd's approval number has plummeted to a mere 41, his lowest ever. Among Republicans, it is only 15, with Dems at 62 and Independents at 36. His over all approval percentage has dropped six points in less than two months.

Question 19:How likely are you to vote to re-elect Chris Dodd for United States Senator in 2010 - definitely, probably, probably not, or definitely not?

Overall results were 11 def/31 prob/19 prob not/32 def not. That puts him on the downside of a 41/52 positive/negative split. This continues the downward trend since July '08, which was soon after the mortgage story broke. He is getting absolutely crushed in Litchfield and Fairfield counties, and is closer but still in the negative in every other geographical area reported, though he is within a point in Hartford.

Question 20: Would you say that Chris Dodd is honest and trustworthy or not?

41 percent say Dodd is honest and trustworthy, and 42 percent say not so much. Only Hartford country gave him a positive result, at 45/37. Must be a high concentration of family and mortgage lenders in the capital city.

Question 21: How much have you heard or read about allegations that Senator Dodd may have received special treatment from Countrywide Financial on mortgages on his two homes - a lot, some, not much or none at all?

42 a lot/31 some/12 not much/13 none. So nearly three-quarters (up from 62 on 7/1/08) of those polled are familiar with the story, and only 13% are completely in the dark. Interestingly, Hartford respondents were paying the most attention to this story, but also found him the most trustworthy. Weird.

Question 22: Are you satisfied or not satisfied with Senator Dodd's explanation of this matter?

Less than a quarter (24%) said they were satisfied, compared to 54% who are not, leaving a large percentage undecided. The numbers were relatively similar across the state, with the exception of Litchfield county, which had nearly 2/3 unsatisfied. Again, Hartford respondents confuse me, with 53% not satisfied with his explanation, yet more find him honest and trustworthy than not.

Question 23: Does the controversy surrounding Chris Dodd's mortgages make you more likely to vote for him for Senator in 2010, less likely or it doesn't make a difference?

56% indicated they were less likely to vote for him, to 36% who are unaffected. Amazingly, 2% said the whole thing made them more likely to vote for Dodd. Must be from Hartford. Republicans were 73 less likely/21 no difference, Democrats were 43 less likely/47 no difference, and Independent voters were 60 less likely/33 no difference.

So what does this all mean? All of his trends are still going down at a decent clip, with no indication that he has hit the bottom. His ill-conceived presser from last week didn't play well with the voters, and he is in trouble unless he turns things around.

According to Roll Call (via Swing State Project), NRSC Chairman John Cornyn (TX) met with Rob Simmons a few weeks ago regarding a run for Dodd's seat. Hopefully after reviewing these numbers, he will come to the conclusion that this is a race the Republicans ought to invest in. Between the mortgage mess, Dodd's leading our economy to hell in a handbasket, and his support for the increasingly unpopular "stimulus" plan, he has left many avenues of attack for Simmons, Schiff or whoever else throws their hat in the ring. The sooner the attacks begin in force, the better for his eventual challenger.

This seat is squarely in play, ladies and gentlemen.

Chris Dodd Q Poll Coverage

2009-02-10T22:53:00.002-05:00

As much as Chris Dodd must have disliked the last Q poll, this one isn't making him feel any better. I will be putting together a summary of all the Dodd-related polling information when I get the chance, but until then, here are some related links:

Quinnipiac poll results

Hartford Courant (Capitol Watch blog, Hamilton's On Background)

Everyday Republican

Stamford Advocate

Connecticut Local Politics

Connecticut News Junkie

Ironman at The Next Right

National Review Online

Swing State Project

CNN

ABC News

MSNBC

If A-Rod Were C-Dodd

2009-02-10T00:45:00.000-05:00

Some time last June, rumors surfaced that New York Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez had tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2003. He denied it, saying there was no story here, and promised to release his test results, which he assured us would clear his good name. From that time forward, he played the fans as fools, telling them he would release the reports as soon as Major League Baseball finished their investigation, even though everyone knew that MLB was not preventing him from releasing the results.

One morning in February, he called a few reporters and told them to come to his house in Miami in a few hours so he could release the test results (despite the fact that the MLB investigation was still ongoing, but apparently no longer a hindrance). His invited guests show up to his choreographed press conference and he allows them a glimpse of hundreds of pages of information, which they are not allowed to copy. He does provide copies of a summary report prepared by some chemist Scott Boras hired that concluded Rodriguez did nothing wrong, and which was apparently completed backin July; no reasonable explanation was provided as to why the information had been held secretive for so long or why the information was being released that day, which just happened to be 48 hours prior to Commissioner Bud Selig's critical address to the baseball world about the dire economic straits baseball has fallen into because of the huge contracts players have been signing (beginning with A-Rod's own 10 year, $252 million contract).

The New York Times wrote an editorial a few days later, issuing the mildest possible rebuke, noting that the whole thing was a little odd, but largely brushing the seriousness of the allegations under the rug.

Meanwhile, in Connecticut, Senator Chris Dodd gave an in-depth interview to one of the most respected journalists in the country to be aired for nearly an hour in prime time that evening. During this interview, Dodd admitted that he had made a decision he called "stupid" and "naive" and accepted a couple of sweetheart mortgage deals from his friend who ran a mortgage company. He knew it was wrong, especially since his responsibilities on the Senate Finance Committee included regulatory oversight of the very people who were giving him the VIP treatment.

He acknowledged that he got the deals because of his status as a US senator, and he deeply regretted using his official position for personal gain, but it was just the way the culture was in DC at the time and he got caught up in it. He said that he knew he could not take it back, but he would do his best to teach the incoming Congressmen and Congresswomen not to make the same mistakes he had made. He apologized to his constituents, and expressed his hope that his honesty now would begin the process of regaining their trust. He answered every question put to him, acknowledged there would be those who would not forgive him, but he committed himself to doing the best he could do as long as his constituents would have him.

For days, the media would rip Dodd for being insincere, and he would be booed loudly by the gallery when he entered the Senate chamber. But he would buckle down and do what he had been elected to do; he would find some principles and stand behind them, becoming the first Senate Democrat to break ranks on the "stimulus" bill, leading to a crushing defeat for Obama, Reid and Pelosi. Then...

Beep, beep, beep, beep.

Ughhhh, alarm clock. [stretch] I must have fallen asleep. Did I miss anything?

Off The Wire

2009-02-10T00:02:00.004-05:00

Via Instapundit, here is a video clip of Peter Schiff, potential Dodd challenger, on the Democrats plan to destroy our economy for decades to come.

Also, the Washington Post has an article looking at the cash on hand for incumbent senators up for re-election in 2010. Chris Dodd is listed under the category of "the worst" of the recent reporting period:

National Republicans believe they have a chance at pulling an upset in Connecticut against Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D), and the five-term incumbent didn't do much to scare away former congressman Rob Simmons, who is weighing the race, over the past few months. Dodd raised a respectable $279,000 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 but closed the period with just $671,000 on hand -- not much for an incumbent senator.

Looks like he may need a government bailout before too long.

Jim Vicevich looks at a Washington Times commentary linking Dodd to the Democrats culture of corruption.

The New York Times voices slight discomfort, but no more, with Dodd's disclosure debacle last week, and Ed Morrissey takes them to task for it at Hot Air.

If Dodd Thought His Staged Spectacle Would Make His Troubles Go Away Here At Home, He Was Wrong

2009-02-08T20:18:00.002-05:00

Apparently, no one here in Connecticut is buying Chris Dodd's sorry "apology" and half-baked disclosure of his mortgage records. Here are a few comments from his hometown papers.

Hartford Courant: Sen. Dodd Disappoints

Seven months after a magazine article disclosed that Sen. Christopher Dodd was among several high-profile federal officials who got loans on favorable terms from now-failed mortgage giant Countrywide Financial Corp., he has sought to set the record straight. It was a disappointing performance.

Hartford Courant (Kevin Rennie): Why We Can't Just Trust Dodd

Monday's revelation tells us something we are reluctant to conclude about a leader: We cannot believe Christopher Dodd.

During his 35 years of representing Connecitcut in Washington, Dodd created and could draw upon a deep reservoir of goodwill at home. In the past eight months, Dodd has drained it down to a muddy swamp of suspicion. He's mired in muck and he keeps making it worse.

Stamford Advocate: Dodd Only Goes Halfway

If Sen. Dodd's explanations hold up - and there are many indications that they will - there's no reason he couldn't have put an end to these questions last summer. The fact that he did not is why people have continued to ask questions, and why many are convinced that they still don't have all the answers.

If Dodd had done the same half-disclosure six months ago, he probably would have skated on this. Instead, he drew it out and made it such a big deal even the media couldn't cover for him. Maybe the voters in Connecticut are starting to pay attention. Let's hope so.

Rob Simmons v. Chris Dodd In 2010? Simmons Says He Is Considering It

2009-02-07T12:45:00.007-05:00

The Journal Inquirer has the following news report regarding Rob Simmons and his plans for the future. In it, he indicates that he wouldn't run against Rell for Governor, but would consider running if she decided to bow out after this term. Regarding Dodd's senate seat, he said this:

The one-time CIA officer, who during a Journal Inquirer interview said several times that he was continuing “to look for opportunities for public service,” also acknowledged that he was considering a race against U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, a five-term Democrat.

But while Simmons suggested that Dodd, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, had been made vulnerable by the nation’s economic crisis and the disclosure that the incumbent had received special treatment from a company at the center of the collapse of the subprime mortgage industry, he also admitted to being cautious as “a Republican from a blue state.”

“New England has pretty much become a Republican-free zone,” he said. “So in this zone, the question is: What does it take for moderate Republicans to get back into the game?”

He added: “I don’t know what the future is of a Republican in Connecticut for elective office. I’ve not ruled out some sort of political race, but conditions have got to be right.

“I’ve got to see where we are,” he continued, referring to polls that show how Republicans are perceived.

Simmons would be a great candidate to run against Dodd; he would make the race a good one. He says he could have an exploratory committee formed by "the ides of March."

H/T Genghis at Connecticut Local Politics.

Who Got UsTo Where We Are, And How

2009-02-06T23:56:00.003-05:00

The American Spectator has a good article in the February issue that walks you through the beginnings of the mortgage market crisis that has contributed so heavily to the floundering economy. Here's the intro, but take five or ten minutes and read the whole thing:

Two narratives seem to be forming to describe the underlying causesof the financial crisis. One, as outlined in a New York Times front-page story on Sunday, December 21, is that President Bush excessively promoted growth in home ownership without sufficiently regulating the banks and other mortgage lenders that made the bad loans. The result was a banking system suffused with junk mortgages, the continuing losses on which are dragging down the banks and the economy. The other narrative is that government policy over many years--particularly the use of the Community Reinvestment Act and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to distort the housing credit system-- underlies the current crisis. The stakes in the competing narratives are high. The diagnosis determines the prescription. If the Times diagnosis prevails, the prescription is more regulation of the financial system; if instead government policy is to blame, the prescription is to terminate those government policies that distort mortgage lending.

If you find that kind of stuff interesting, also check out this article and timeline from Public Opinion Online, some comments on that article from The Virginian. And remember as you read that Connecticut's senior senator, Chris Dodd, made sizeable contributions to the"success" of the CRA, the lack of appropriate regulation in the industry, and ultimately the collapse of our economy.

Shays Not Planning On Challenging Dodd In 2010

2009-02-06T19:54:00.002-05:00

Strike one name from the list of potential Republican challengers to Chris Dodd in 2010. As reported by The Hill, Chris Shays says that he has no plans to run.

Former Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) says he isn't gearing up to challenge Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) in 2010.
"I am not running for the Senate," Shays emailed The Hill.
Shays, who was beaten by Rep. Jim Himes (D) last year after holding the seat since 1987, has been mentioned as a potential challenger to Dodd. Dodd recently refinanced two loans he had with Countrywide Mortgage Loans after it appeared he was given a favorable rate.
Shays did not, however, respond to a follow up email asking whether he had completely shut the door on the possibility.

Dodd and Dems Cannot Even Convince Their Own On "Bad Bank"

2009-02-05T23:31:00.008-05:00

One of Chris Dodd's more recent bright ideas is to set up a government bank to buy up all the toxic mortgages that he helped create with his "home-ownership is a God-given right" schtick. Apparently, not everyone thinks that is a good idea. Not even lefty investor George Soros:

That leaves the second issue: what to do with the toxic assets currently held by financial institutions. The idea d'jour that has been floated around is the creation of a "bad bank" that would own all of the bad mortgages and securities. But that's not necessary. There have always been mechanisms within easy reach, via either the temporary suspension of certain regulations or very simple Congressional legislation, which could take care of both the existing bad assets and the recapitalization of banks -- relying not on the federal government, but on the private sector. From Soros:

For these reasons it would be a mistake to take the "bad bank" route, especially when there is a way to adequately recapitalize the banks with currently available resources. The trick is not to remove the toxic assets from the banks' balance sheets but instead put them into a "side pocket," as hedge funds are doing with their illiquid assets. The appropriate amount of capital -- equity and unsecured debentures -- would be sequestered in the side pocket.

This would cleanse bank balance sheets and transform them into good banks but leave them undercapitalized. The same $1 trillion that is now destined to fund the bad bank could then be used to infuse capital into the good banks.

Although the amount needed to recapitalize the banks would be more than $1 trillion, it would be possible to mobilize a significant portion of the required total amount from the private sector. In the current environment, a good bank would enjoy exceptionally good margins. Margins would narrow as a result of competition, but by then the banking system would be revitalized and nationalization avoided.

This seems to be an intelligent way to solve the fundamental problems currently freezing the credit and housing markets. It is also comprised of programs that the Democrats have not promoted or included in their 'stimulus' bill, which places Soros in opposition to the Democrats - an odd place for him to be.

Instead, Democrats like Harry Reid, Chris Dodd, Nancy Pelosi, and Barney Frank - with assistance from Obama Administration members Timothy Geitner at Treasury and Sheila Bair at FDIC - seem intent an nationalizing both the housing sector and the banking system.

Let's hope that Soros and the Republicans can convince them otherwise.

How do people like Chris Dodd end up running our economy?

Via American Thinker.

Dodd's Act Not Going Over Well

2009-02-04T23:28:00.009-05:00

Gov. Rell's budget address this afternoon has taken the spotlight away from Chris Dodd's media stunt on Monday, and there is little doubt that was part of the plan. But there were two editorials today that make some good points about the whole situation.

First, Ed Morrissey has an article in the New York Post (H/T Hot Air). A taste:

Problem is, this doesn't negate any prior influence peddling. It's akin to closing the barn door after the horse has bolted, torn down the fences and set the farm on fire.
The influence-peddling took place when Dodd got the special deal from Countrywide - and the shenanigans that Dodd & Co. allowed Countrywide and other irresponsible subprime lenders to engage in have already burned down the US economy.
Dodd promised last summer that he'd release all of his mortgage documentation to the public. He's now in his seventh month of failing to deliver. This week, Dodd released some of the papers - but only to a select group of reporters, who weren't allowed to make copies.
The long wait suggests that Dodd has something to hide. The incomplete "disclosure" and the refinancing, meanwhile, look more like an attempt to bury evidence than a sudden commitment to clean government.

Also, check out the Waterbury Republican-American:

What Sen. Dodd delivered Monday was not full disclosure, but more of the same: The Dodds never asked for special treatment (nor did they refuse it); had they known they were in Countrywide's VIP program, they would have gone to another lender; at the same time, they knew they were VIPs but thought it was just a courtesy.

"We were highly sought-after customers," Jackie Clegg Dodd said. No kidding. But it never once crossed their minds that the VIP treatment might have had something to do with Sen. Dodd's long, destructive service on the Senate Banking Committee? And if he's really this naive about mortgage matters, why in God's name is he allowed to be the committee's chairman?

The sweetheart mortgages are but a small piece of the big picture. While the lending industry was showering him with millions in campaign donations and giving him special mortgages, Sen. Dodd was opening credit markets to unworthy borrowers so Countrywide and other lenders could make a killing on subprime mortgages for "affordable housing."

Read them both, and make sure your fellow Connecticut voters don't lose sight of these issues in the blur of the budget.

Dodd Round-up, Day 1 Post "Release"

2009-02-03T22:19:00.006-05:00

The Wall Street Journal isn't buying Dodd's little get together yesterday:

Heck, we'd all love the kind of courtesy that would have saved Mr. Dodd $75,000 over the life of the two loans he refinanced to the tune of $800,000, according to an analysis by Portfolio magazine. The savings came from rock-bottom interest rates and a free "float-down" -- the right to borrow at a lower rate if interest rates fall before you've closed on the loan.

On Monday, with interest rates -- even for non-VIPs -- near historic lows, Mr. Dodd announced that he would refinance the sweetheart loans with another lender. The rates on the two Friends of Angelo loans were 4.5% and 4.25%, so the Senator will probably end up paying a bit more than he is now. But getting out from under the original loans doesn't shed any light on the key question: Whether Mr. Dodd knew that he got the red-carpet treatment because of his central role in regulating the financial industry. That's what former Countrywide employee Robert Feinberg has claimed to us and others.

[Snip]

If, as Mr. Dodd claims, he has nothing to hide, then why is he still hiding it?

And the guys over at Capitol Watch are seeing the beginnings of a Republican response to this mess:

Anyway, groups like the NRSC only spend time and money when they think a seat might be in play. Bluer-than-blue Connecticut, which has no Republicans in Congress, suddenly is on that list.
The NRSC e-mailed two attacks on Christopher J. Dodd, a five-term Democrat up for re-election in 2010.
[snip]

The e-mails are a sign they will try to further soften up the senator, whose job approval rating has dropped below 50 percent, and hope they can convince a credible Republican what has been a hard sell for long time:
Dodd might be vulnerable.

More coverage on the Dodd debacle can be found at the Courant, ProPublica, Michelle Malkin, Instapundit and some analysis of the loans can be found at Loanzen Blog.

Chris Dodd Spits In The Faces Of The People Who Keep Electing Him

2009-02-02T20:44:00.006-05:00

News leaked this morning that Chris Dodd was going to release his mortgage documents, but instead what we got was a quasi-release of records, a confirmation from a hired hand that what he has been saying all along is in fact true, and an "apology," kind of. It was like a Rod Blagojevich press conference; something out of the Twilight Zone.

First, the fact of the matter is he still won't release the records. He apparently allowed reporters to look briefly at (but not copy) some 100+ pages of records, and handed out some summary sheets prepared by CrossCheck Compliance LLC, a company his attorneys hired that "provides regulatory compliance and loan review services." I for one doubt that this company is going to destroy their reputation by covering up for this windbag, but still, not making the records available for the public and having some firm you hired declare you are not a crook is probably the least effective way to go about this whole thing.

The summary sheets they put together compare Dodd's application info and the rates he got on his loans with market averages at the time and it looks like his deal was in line with what was available for 10 year adjustable rates at his loan-to-value. But I have more questions now than I did before. What was the benefit to holding on to this info for so long? And what changed in the last week that made it a good idea to "release" this information at this time? What made him just want to "put this behind him" now? And if there was nothing shady about the loan he received, why is he now refinancing? Why did Senator Kent Conrad, who was in the same VIP program, think it appropriate to refinance immediately and donate over $10,000 to charity? Too many secrets.

But what was most offensive to me was what came out of his mouth. I think Chris Dodd truly believes that the people of Connecticut are ignorant fools who will simply take whatever he says as gospel. Here are a few of his statements that struck me.

"We asked what [the VIP program] entailed and we were told that it was nothing more than enhanced customer service. For instance, being able to get a person on the phone instead of an automated operator."

You can get that by pressing "zero," Chris, you don't need a VIP program. This guy is a US Senator, and his wife is a banker, and that is the best they could come up with after six months of scheming?

"I planned on making these documents public after the Ethics Committee completed its work, but I should have realized with national elections and the start of a new Congress it was unrealistic to expect the Committee to finish by now."

For someone who has been in the Senate since I was in grade school, he doesn't know very much about how the Senate works. There is no part of the investigation that has ever prevented him from releasing the documents. That has been a smokescreen from the start, but he refuses to let it go. And how long did he think the investigation would take, fifteen minutes? The Senate can't decide when to take a bathroom break without polls, witnesses and hearings.

"Knowing what I know now, I regret having ever done business with Countrywide."

The only thing he knows now that he didn't know before is that the voters, and even some in the media, aren't going to let this go, even if he wants to pretend the whole fiasco is no big deal.

Read about today's events at The Everyday Republican, the Connecticut Post, the Hartford Courant here, here, here and here, the Washington Post, Bloomberg, AP, The Day, Politico, NRO, Michelle Malkin here and here, Hot Air here and here, CBS, CT News Junkie, Instapundit, and see video at NECN.

Dodd To Refinance Loans, Allow Inspection Of Docs

2009-02-02T12:15:00.001-05:00

The Hartford Courant is reporting that Chris Dodd will have a third party identify a lender and he will refinance his Countrywide mortgages. I see this as all but an admission that he was benefiting from the loan terms, otherwise there is no reason to refi.

He will also be allowing reporters to view, but not copy, his loan docs.

Much more on this story as it develops.

Courant Calls Out Chris For Countrywide Circus

2009-01-31T21:51:00.007-05:00

Kudos to the Hartford Courant editorial board, with whom I rarely see eye to eye, for taking Dodd to task for playing games with regard to his Countrywide mortgage documents.

U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd says he's got nothing to hide. Yet for two months he's issued confusing and conflicting statements on whether he'll publicly release documents relating to two loans he and his wife received from failed mortgage giant Countrywide Financial Corp.

He still hasn't released them. On Jan. 23, Mr. Dodd was asked if he intends to await the conclusion of a Senate ethics inquiry before making the documents public. "Not necessarily," he told a reporter for The Courant. "At some point soon we'll do it."

[snip]

His continued waffling about whether or when he'll release the documents only fans speculation. That's a disservice to Mr. Dodd's constituents, who deserve straight talk and accountability from the state's senior senator.

This is right on. I hope they keep it up until we get some answers.

UPDATE: The Day gets in on the calling out.

Where In The World Are Chris Dodd's Mortgage Papers?

2009-01-31T01:11:00.004-05:00

Check out this great video from Fox's Glenn Beck. Good stuff. I love how Beck laughs every time they play the theme song.

Even Socialists Think The Bailouts Are Insane

2009-01-30T21:06:00.009-05:00

Would you have ever imagined that you would read about the Russian Prime Minister lecturing the United States on the dangers of socialism? Courtesy of The Times:

Vladimir Putin, the Russian Prime Minister, launched a swingeing attack on Western financial rescue packages yesterday, calling for a new world order to reverse the financial crisis.
On his first visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Putin called the crisis a “perfect storm” that had arisen from a world dominated by the US. He said that only a rebalancing of global power could cure the problem and that financial stimulus packages of the kind agreed by Washington and London could lead them down a path well-worn by Moscow while doing little to aid recovery.
“Interference of the State, the belief in the omnipotence of the State: that is a reaction to market failures,” Mr Putin said in his keynote address at the opening of the four-day meeting. “There is a temptation to expand direct interference of state in economy. In the Soviet Union that became an absolute. We paid a very dear price for that.”

When your senior senator and his buddies need lessons on the free market from Vladimir Putin, it is time for a change.

Dodd's Guide to Managing Political Scandal

2009-01-29T22:26:00.007-05:00

Mark Hemingway at National Review Online has a great article calling out Chris Dodd for his handling of Mozzillo-gate. He describes the four steps of the Dodd plan to managing a scandal: 1) proclaim innocence, 2) promise exculpatory evidence but don't provide it, 3) hide behind congressional ethics inquiries, and 4) wait around for everyone to forget.

This paragraph summarizes exactly why Dodd is playing the games he is playing:

Of course, his stalling here is just the preferred tactic for managing the media coverage of the scandal. “It’s hard for people in the media to keep writing stories when there’s nothing new to report. Which of course they count on. You get through the bad news cycle and there’s nothing new to report and people can’t keep writing the same thing every day,” Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told National Review Online. “The pressure fades and people in Dodd’s position know their constituents forget about it.”

That's why we can't let the story die, and it leads me to one aspect of the article I'll take issue with. Why the fawning over the Courant's coverage? I suppose it has been good compared to the national media, but that should be a given. It's a Connecticut paper; they ought to be covering Connecticut's corrupt senator a lot closer than the LA Times. But asking one question, with no follow-up, every month or two is far from the hard-hitting journalism Hemmingway seems to think we are being treated to.

Speaking of the Courant, Capitol Watch linked the NRO article here, and Instapundit linked it here.