The Artful Doddger

"...among his intimate friends he was better known by the sobriquet of 'The Artful Dodger,' [and] Oliver concluded that, being of a dissipated and careless turn, the moral precepts of his benefactor had hitherto been thrown away upon him." - from Oliver Twist
  • Dodd Looking To Legislate Tan Lines
    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.


  • How Dodd Continues To Evade Responsibility For Countrywide...


    Via Powerline.


  • No HELP For Dodd
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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.