CBS Buries Democrat Label in Chris Dodd/Kent Conrad Countrywide Scandal Story

From News Busters:

On Friday’s CBS Evening News, correspondent Sharyl Attkisson filed a report recounting mortgage company Countrywide Financial’s history of offering special deals on loans to government officials – including figures with connections to President Clinton, President Bush, and President Obama. But, while the two most prominent figures currently still in government who are implicated in the scandal are Democratic Senators Christopher Dodd and Kent Conrad, neither Senator was identified by Attkisson as a Democrat. Even while soundbites of the two Senators were shown, there was not even an on-screen label showing the party of either Senator. Until the end of the story, the only clue viewers had as to either Senator’s party was when Attkisson identified Dodd as being the "head" of a Senate committee.

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Dirty Dems: It Goes Far Beyond Dodd

Dodd: Sinking in pay-for-play mire.

From The New York Post:

EVERYTHING you need to know about false Hope and Change can be found in one picture: the image of President Obama embracing embattled Sen. Chris Dodd.

The troubled Democrat is in deep over his sweetheart Countrywide home-loan deals, corporate bailout cash and crony associations. New revelations by Countrywide whistleblower Robert Feinberg confirm what more and more of Dodd's Connecticut constituents are coming to realize: He's a lying weasel.

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Washington Democrats Try To Bail Out Chris Dodd

Photo: President Obama and other national Democrats are sparing no effort to help Sen. Chris Dodd.

From Politico:

With Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) facing an uphill battle to win reelection next year after a series of Washington scandals battered his popularity back home, President Obama and other national Democrats are sparing no effort to help him.

Despite the scandals which left his ethics called into question, the three-decade Senate veteran is not trying to shake his Beltway image. Instead, Dodd is working furiously to show the impact of his long service by racking up big legislative accomplishments - including, potentially, a health care reform bill - before the midterm elections. And some of the national Democratic Party's biggest names are coming in to back him up.

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$hady Land Of Dodd

Photo: FAINT APPRAISE: In Senate forms, Sen. Christopher Dodd valued his cottage on Inishnee Island far below what was typical for the scenic area.

From The New York Post:

Lists Irish Hideaway's Worth As Mere 638G

US Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut may have lowballed the value of a vacation property he acquired in a sweetheart deal in Ireland.

According to the Democrat's latest financial disclosures, obtained by The Post, Dodd claims his three-bedroom cottage on 10 acres with breathtaking views of the Atlantic is worth $638,000.

This figure falls far short of property values on Inishnee Island, where The Post discovered Dodd's next-door neighbor was selling a much smaller property for $1.2 million.

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My Comment: This Senator has no shame.

Jackie Clegg Dodd Making Big Money As Corporate Director

Jackie Dodd, left, with daughter, Christina, 2, introduces her husband Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Chris Dodd at a campaign stop Christmas Eve Monday, Dec. 24, 2007, in Carroll, Iowa. (M. SPENCER GREEN / AP / December 24, 2007)

From Hartford Courant:

U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd has long had a reputation as a politician of limited means — a reputation underscored, for good or bad, by recent disclosures about his dependence on friends to finance his homes.

The reputation could prove difficult to sustain as Dodd begins what political operatives predict might be the toughest campaign of his 35-year congressional career — considering the dramatic uptick in his wife's income since they married.

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Ethics Complaint From Judicial Watch Says Price Dodd Paid For Cottage Amounts To A Gift

From The Hartford Courant:

The conservative government watchdog group Judicial Watch filed an ethics complaint Friday against U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, saying the price Dodd paid for his cottage in Ireland amounted to a gift from a friend and accusing the senator of failing to report it as such on government disclosure forms.

"It's relatively straightforward," said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch. "It looks like he is getting taken care of in Ireland, and he's not reporting the nature of the gifts he is getting as a result of his being taken care of."

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Another Dodd Donor Debacle: ICE And Oil Speculators

The Next Right:

The hits keep on coming on Chris Dodd's flaky first quarter finance report.

We learned he raised $44,000 from usurious payday lenders. So, could he find some donors even more anti-consumer than that bunch?

Answer: Yes.

Dodd raised $18,400 from executives at the Intercontinental Exchange. "one of the nation’s leading exchanges trading credit default swaps and other risky financial instruments."

Actually, what the Intercontinental Exchange (a/k/a "ICE") did in 2008 is far more problematic.

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Dodd's Explanations Misleading, Incomplete

From Hartford Courant:

Sen. Christopher Dodd revealed himself again last week to be an unreliable source for explanations of his own actions. The five-term senator denied on CNN on Tuesday that he had anything to do with legislation passed in February that ratified $165 million or more in bonuses for executives at his generous campaign patron AIG, the financial giant sustaining itself on billions from the taxpayers.

A day later, Dodd returned to CNN to admit he'd done the deed that aided AIG executives. Dodd's penchant for incomplete and misleading answers was on display a few days before the bonus firestorm when he discussed his real estate dealings in Ireland and Washington, D.C., with two Courant reporters.

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Dodd's Wife a Former Director of Bermuda-Based IPC Holdings, an AIG Controlled Company

From Real Clear Politics:

No wonder Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn) went wobbly last week when asked about his February amendment ratifying hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses to executives at insurance giant AIG. Dodd has been one of the company's favorite recipients of campaign contributions. But it turns out that Senator Dodd's wife has also benefited from past connections to AIG as well.

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Dodd Defends Actions As An AIG Exec Returns $6 Million Bonus

From CNN:

(CNN) -- A defiant Sen. Chris Dodd defended his actions on bonuses for AIG executives Friday as news surfaced that a senior company executive was returning his $6 million bonus.

Dodd said he was misled on the issue of bonuses for AIG executives. He claimed he would not have drafted key legislative changes allowing the bonuses to move forward if he knew the purpose of those changes.

Meanwhile, a senior AIG executive said through a company spokesman that he will return his $6 million bonus. The executive, Doug Poling, is returning the money "because it's the correct thing to do," said Mark Herr, an AIG spokesman.

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Dodd Draws Fire For Tortured Tale

Photo: The confusing way in which Dodd handled the bonus issue has many on the Hill scratching their heads. Photo: AP

From Politico:

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) could have prevented a media firestorm by giving a simple explanation about why Congress couldn’t stop AIG executives from receiving lavish bonuses — and about his role in the ongoing brouhaha.

But the confusing way in which the Banking Committee chairman has handled an issue that has turned into political nitroglycerin has many people on Capitol Hill scratching their heads — and venting their anger at Dodd.

The questions center on a tortured chronology. Initially, Dodd deflected blame about changing legislative language that allowed the big bonuses to go forward — but later acknowledged that he did alter the provision. Also inexplicable: why Dodd would struggle to explain the issue by himself for nearly 24 hours before Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner admitted that he was the one who urged Dodd to make the changes.

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My Comment: Tortured tale?!?!?! ... The Politico is too kind in their coverage of Sen. Dodd.

Top Democrat In Holiday Home Intrigue

From Times Online:

Senator Christopher Dodd bought a share of the house in Galway 15 years ago.

A holiday home in Connemara is at the centre of a growing row in America involving a prominent Democrat politician, a convicted insider trader and the former president Bill Clinton.

The purchase of the home by Senator Christopher Dodd is being examined by the US Senate ethics committee after allegations that Edward Downe Jr, a businessman convicted of insider trading, acted as a “middle man” in the deal.

Eight years ago Dodd, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination against Barack Obama, lobbied Clinton, the then president, to grant Downe a pardon. This has prompted further questions about the financier’s involvement with the Galway house.

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Update: Chris Dodd: A Few Real Estate Deals Among Friends -- Hartford Courant

Update #2: Dodd woes continue with Irish cottage -- WTNH.com

My Comment: The U.S. main stream media is quiet on this story. The Brits are the only ones who are doing the heavy lifting.

Sen. Dodd Yet To Declare Bid For 2010

From Yale Daily News:

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.

“Chris Dodd’s poll numbers are of concern,” Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz ’83, a Democratic candidate for Governor, said in a telephone interview with the News this week. “I am also concerned about the Republicans getting a head start in the race.”

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My Comment: He is still going to run, and he will win simply because there are no "real" opponents running against him.

Kudlow is looking at the environment and the possibility of running against Sen. Dodd .... and he will be a good and viable candidate .... but I doubt that he will commit.

This Is How Washington Politics Works

Senator Christopher Dodd and his cosy Irish cottage.

How Politics Works: Senator Christopher Dodd And His Cosy Irish Cottage -- The Telegraph

An intriguing item here from the dogged Kevin Rennie of the Hartford Courant that highlights a classic example of why ordinary citizens become cynical about politicians and the way business in Washington is conducted.

Silver-haired Senator Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, has already been getting a lot of heat for his two 2003 VIP mortgage loans from Countrywide, one of the major actors in triggering the current financial crisis.

Seeking Senate re-election in 2010, the 2008 presidential candidate (he dropped out on the first day of voting after finishing seventh in Iowa, where he had moved with his family as a way of courting voters) is now in a bit of a sticky spot with another accommodation- his "cottage" on the lovely Irish island of Inishnee.

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My Comment: It takes a British newspaper to get the picture that everyone wants to see. If that is Sen. Dodd's summer home .... it is a very expensive one.

I am just curious to know if this is the only "other house" in Sen. Dodd's property portfolio. Are there more homes out there?

Dodd's 'Cottage': A Cozy Purchase

Senator Dodd (Photo from The Peace Corps Online)

From The Hartford Courant:

Ireland does not easily give up its secrets. That may have been one attraction it held for Sen. Christopher 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 felonious 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.

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My Comment: instead of less .... the more that reporters look at Senator Dodd, the more questions are found.

Dodd's Senate Seat Up For Grabs?

From WTNH News:

Hartford (WTNH) - Connecticut's senior senator, Chris Dodd (D), is seen as being politically vulnerable right now and it looks like the Republicans are lining up for the opportunity to give him a run.

Dodd spent the part of the day talking about the economy with students at Hartford's Weaver High School. He told Chief Capitol Correspondent Mark Davis that is he planning to run for re-election next year. But if you've been watching television lately, it looks like the campaign is already underway with commercials that are running throughout the state.

"They're not my spots. I never heard about them before," Dodd said.

The commercials are being paid for by the Pharmaceutical Industry, a labor union, the Cancer Society and a non-profit group lobbying for national health care. But why are they doing it?

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My Comment: I find it hard to believe that Connecticut voters will vote against Sen. Dodd in the next election. Connecticut is a very liberal and Democratic state, and for them to vote for a Republican candidate will be a difficult thing to do.

What will change the dynamics is if (1) more information and impropriety comes out, (2) Sen. Dodd continues to refuse the release of his mortgage papers, and (3) the tanking and/or no improvement in the economy. If these three variable are in play .... he is then vulnerable.

Did Campaign Cash Influence Bailout? Banks Get 258,000 Percent Return From Investments In D.C. Pols.

Senator Christopher Dodd

From KC Tribune:

“We're still in trouble. And it's now in the real economy. This is what is so frustrating. This is not Katrina. This is not a natural disaster. This was a man-made one. This was avoidable. This was preventable. What began with a problem with sub prime mortgages, which could have been corrected with some pain, clearly, but could have been corrected, has now cascaded into a problem that is affecting virtually millions of people's lives, their homes, their jobs, their retirements. So that is the great sadness in all of this, despite the efforts of many, including ourselves. And we're not without culpability.”

--Sen. Christopher Dodd (from Frontline Interview on the Financial Meltdown)

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 now under receivership of the U.S. taxpayer.

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My Comment: Follow the money .... the truth will always be found.

Conn. Senator Dodd On Hot Seat Again. Also Texas Sen John Coryn.

From Connecticut Post:

WASHINGTON -- 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 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.

But Dodd's Republican accusers have their own explaining to do.

Stanford treated the chairman of the National Senatorial Campaign Committee to a four-day trip to Antigua back in November 2004. Texas Sen. John Cornyn was joined by his wife on the $7,411 "fact finding trip" hosted by Stanford. Cornyn's campaign has also pocketed $19,700 in contributions from Stanford and his employees since 2003.

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A Tyranny Of Mediocrity And Sleaze Posted -- A Commentary

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (L) and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd talk to reporters after their meeting to discuss the economic bailout plan in the Capitol in Washington September 25, 2008. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (Photo from Portland Tribune)

From Wizbang:

As discussed the other night, Democrats in Congress are in heat over the opportunity to impose wage restraints on bankers, so much so that they desired to inflict their punishment retroactively. Sadly, this shovel ready load of spite found its way into the stimulus bill as the House and Senate voted to limit future compensation for the denizens of Wall Street. It has been reported that President Obama is opposed to this measure, which is no surprise since the intended victims pour large sums of cash into Democrat coffers.

This particular piece of legislation was tucked inside the stimulus bill by none other than Senator Chris Dodd. Yes, the same Chris Dodd who personally benefited from VIP mortgage terms offered by one of these now pay restricted bankers (Mr. Angelo Mozilo of Bank Of America subsidiary Countrywide Financial). The irony in this saga is rich (pardon the pun). Senator Dodd, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, lined his own pockets with cash that came from what is now essentially a ward of the government. This sets a new standard for the term Sleaze Factor.

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Why Senator Dodd Should Not Chair The Bankng Committee -- A Commentary

Senator Christopher Dodd

Exec Pay Cap = Sen. Dodd Job Protection? -- Swamp Politics

You don't have to be a Wall Street money magnet to be concerned about the unintended consequences from a provision tucked into the $787 billion economic stimulus bill that would limit executive pay.

Reports for a few days have said Sen. Chris Dodd placed in the legislation limits on bonuses and other compensation for senior executives whose companies receive federal money.

The New York Times has a report with a good description of the limits.

The pay restrictions resemble those that the Treasury Department announced this month, but are likely to ensnare more executives at many more companies and also to cut more deeply into the bonuses that often account for the bulk of annual pay.

The restriction with the most bite would bar top executives from receiving bonuses exceeding one-third of their annual pay. Any bonus would have to be in the form of long-term incentives, like restricted stock, which could not be cashed out until the TARP money was repaid in full...

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My Comment: Politics always makes strange bedfellows. The bankers and the business elite who were more than generous in giving Sen. Dodd mortgage benefits and campaign contributions are now being "screwed" by him in terms of pay caps and bonuses.

I can only hope that the idiots who gave him so much are now waking up to what they have been helping to elect to the Senate these past 30 years.