More Miscalculations From Chris Dodd

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.

Dragging Dodd Downe?

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.