Democrats place most corrupt Senator (Dodd) as front man for Healthcare

As expected, Democrats got exactly 60 votes to proceed to debate on the healthcare bill. What trully was unexpected was the Democratic leadership using Chris Dodd as the front man with the gavel (he presided over the vote) and the post vote press conference. You remember Chris Dodd(froom the NY Post)?

Dodd's lengthy record of ethical questions has clearly taken its toll.

Among his transgressions:

* In 2003, Dodd received two cut-rate mortgages totaling nearly $800,000 from subprime-mortgage lending giant Countrywide Financial.

The special mortgages apparently came about because the senator was dubbed a "Friend of Angelo," Countrywide co-founder Angelo Mozilo.

A Senate ethics committee determined last summer that Dodd violated no rules. But home-state voters appear unwilling to let Dodd off that easily.

* In 1994, Dodd purchased a one-third share of an Irish vacation home; the other two-thirds were bought by businessman William Kessinger, partner of one Edward Downe, who pleaded guilty to insider trading the same year.

In 2001, Dodd successfully lobbied the Clinton White House for a presidential pardon for Downe. A year later, Dodd took full ownership of the Irish property from Kessinger -- at a mere fraction of its appraised value.

* In February, Dodd introduced an amendment to the stimulus package that guaranteed that executives from firms receiving government bailouts -- including AIG -- remained eligible for bonuses.

With such baggage, no wonder 53 percent of Connecticut residents say Dodd doesn't deserve re-election.

After five terms in the Senate, the banking committee chairman and Washington special interests are just too close.

The use of Dodd as a prop here tells me much more about the process than any other single action. It's almost as if Democrats are saying, we are corrupt, we will ram this through and there is nothing you can do about it.

Enjoy it while you can Senator Reid.


Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/editorials/dodd_danger_lq11DZPXtHUX5pp0DYaCTN#ixzz0XY03FxQU

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