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Democrat to try to unseat Dodd

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor May 18, 2009 12:21 PM


Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut, under fire for his role in allowing the AIG executive bonuses, now has a Democratic challenger in the 2010 race.

Connecticut businessman Merrick Alpert, who served in the Air Force in Bosnia, says in a video to voters on his website, "You deserve a senator who tells you the truth....Like many of you, I've lost faith in Senator Dodd. He's become part of a culture of corruption in Washington."

Dodd has become "beholden to special interests," Alpert continues. "He's more interested in protecting his job than yours."

Alpert makes clear he'll run an outsiders campaign, describing himself as not a politician and the product of a working class background in Colchester, where he was raised by a single mother who was a school teacher.

Dodd is trying to rebuild his popularity, which slipped during the financial meltdown and his failed 2008 presidential bid. As chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, he drew particular criticism for his role in allowing $165 million in AIG bonuses.

After first denying any involvement, Dodd acknowledged that during the drafting of the final version of the $787 economic billion stimulus bill, he led the charge on including "strong language" to limit executive compensation, but went along with Treasury Department officials who wanted to change the language to protect some already-contracted bonuses to avoid legal issues.

He said if he had known it would allow the payments, "I would have rejected it out of hand."

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Good, glad to see someone stepping up. It's the incumbents we need out and it can be done in the primaries.

Posted by Craig May 18, 09 12:50 PM
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He'll just pull a Liberman if he loses in the primary

Posted by JML02118 May 18, 09 01:00 PM
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I'd love to see a change in Washington. Fresh blood (in both parties) would benefit us all. Enough demonizing each other. That's distracting and it hurts our country. And when folks have been in DC as long as DODD and Pelosi have, we end up with messes like the ones we've got now. They spend all their time being 'political' and none of the time being servants of the states they were sent to represent. Democracy is like a bicycle. Each party is one wheel. Our votes determine which gets to steer for the time being. If we don't like it, we vote to make a change. But in DC, all they do is try to shoot out the tires on their own bike. I'm all for new blood that is willing to work with members from both parties to find solutions that serve everyone well. It's our job to get serious about voting in the folks that can do this. And if the next crew doesn't do it, we vote them out. Sooner or later, they'll catch on. It's time for voters to realize that WE are the ones in control... not the politicians. Time to exercise our control with our votes!

Posted by smc May 18, 09 01:02 PM
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How ironic. Dodd supported Ned Lamont when Lamont challenged Lieberman.

Et tu, Chis ?

Posted by Lamont Democrat May 18, 09 01:04 PM
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Senator Dodd has not "become a part of the culture of corruption in Washington." He is rather part of it by birthright. Daddy Dodd was a corrupt US Senator as well - and I believe the only Senator to have been censored for his activities. So go get him. Connecticut deserves better.

Posted by Dr Willy May 18, 09 01:12 PM
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We all deserve representatives that tell the truth and equally as important focus on their electorates business and not their own (getting re-elected). Our federal reps have just voted themselves raises and benefit packages when the rest of the country is facing the double whammy of severely reduced,or possibly no income and increased taxes. We even have a Speaker who can't remember the context of briefings critical to our National Security which she at best didn't bother to read the summaries.
The voters should require the highest standards of integrity of their represenatives

Posted by Peter A.Culley May 18, 09 01:41 PM
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good, people like him and B Frank are the ones that contributed to giving birth to the subprime mortgage disaster by pushing to repeal the glass seagulls act.

Yes , this mess is thier fault

Oh , add Rubin and Bill Clinton

Posted by ghikr May 18, 09 02:47 PM
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Need some new blood. Todd has been around much too long and is stale and overdone.

Posted by conserve May 18, 09 03:45 PM
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Good. Hopefully Dodd will lose or at least be so weakened that he loses in the general. I am looking forward to a very nasty Dem primary. Dodd will not go easily.

Posted by Odumba May 18, 09 03:48 PM
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