VP Biden on Sen. Dodd’s Re-election Battle — “Chris is getting the living hell beat out of him, the living bejesus beat out of him”
EmailABC News' Karen Travers and David Chalian report:
The always-loquacious Vice President Biden today gave an assessment of his good friend Chris Dodd's Senate race in Connecticut – and he didn't mince words.
"Chris is getting the living hell beat out of him, the living bejesus beat out of him," Biden said at a fundraiser Hartford, Conn. "Why? Because he's being a leader."
"This is going to be a hell of a race and it's an uphill race,'' Biden said, "but Chris Dodd will prevail.''
Sen. Dodd is one of the most endangered Democrats in America. The veteran Senator hails from a very Democratic state, but has been fighting terrible poll numbers and unable to gain traction all year long after his failed presidential bid (during which he moved his family to Iowa) and his involvement in the Friends of Angelo Countrywide mortgage controversy.
Many Democrats in Washington and Connecticut are growing concerned that the race may be unwinnable for him. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is potentially waiting in the wings to help the Democrats hang on to this seat should Sen. Dodd decide to step down and seek other employment.
Republicans currently see the Dodd seat as a prime pickup opportunity.
Biden was effusive in his praise today for Dodd, calling him "the single most gifted legislator in Congress, now that Teddy Kennedy's gone."
Dodd wasn't there to hear the compliments or the stark assessment of his re-election campaign. The Connecticut senator stayed in Washington to handle Senate business. His wife, Jackie Clegg Dodd, attended in his place.
Biden credited Dodd with having "the guts" to stand up to the banking industry and for his work as a leader on health care reform in the Senate.
"Chris Dodd is the first United States senator that has simultaneously chaired two major committees in a moment of genuine national crisis,'' Biden said. And had he got either of those jobs wrong, the consequences for America would be dire. That is not hyperbole, that is a fact."
This is Biden's second campaign appearance in the Constitution state for Dodd since October. About 175 people paid $500 each to attend the fundraising luncheon.
- Karen Travers and David Chalian
Rick Santorum Sweeps 3 States 
Pentagon to Open Additional Jobs to Women
Dodd is one of many. The fact they are
shocked by this tells you what a bunch
of clueless idiots we have running this
country.
Posted by: wis134 | December 11, 2009, 5:02 pm 5:02 pm
Cool!
Posted by: LongT | December 11, 2009, 5:04 pm 5:04 pm
I sure hope Joe Biden stumps for his pal Chris “Countrywide” Dodd.
Posted by: Denbo | December 11, 2009, 5:10 pm 5:10 pm
Something tells me that sending Joe Biden to campaign for you isn’t a very good thing.
Could ask for better for our dear old friend Chris Dodd, he of the Irish castle, sweetheart loans, and other graft that is now expected of US Senators.
Posted by: Aaron | December 11, 2009, 5:12 pm 5:12 pm
Dodd has been involved in to much corruption and too many bad policy choices to warrant reelection. I would really prefer Peter Schiff out of the republican camp. If Peter was able to debate Chris Dodd, it would be a schooling by Schiff. I would enjoy it immensely.
Posted by: Huh | December 11, 2009, 5:14 pm 5:14 pm
Term limits is the only answer. We need to kick all 100 incumbents out and start over. Career politicians, like Dodd become corrupt after too many years in DC.
Posted by: jerry | December 11, 2009, 5:34 pm 5:34 pm
Term limits is the only answer. We need to kick all 100 incumbents out and start over. Career politicians, like Dodd become corrupt after too many years in DC.
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I’m with you. Throw ‘em out! My only concern is preventing a situation in which civil servants end up running the country. There was a funny British comedy show some years ago, “Yes Minister,” in which the crafty civil servant made a puppet out of “his” cabinet minister (and eventually Prime Minister).
Posted by: Bob | December 11, 2009, 5:41 pm 5:41 pm
Dodd deserves to have the bejesus beaten out of him. He is corrupt. He is useless for the state of Connecticut. He serves his masters in the DNC and White House, NOT the people of his state. Dodd moved his family to Iowa in 2007 in his quixotic Presidential campaign. He got an Irish mansion in return for a pardon. He falsified financial statements.
The sooner he’s gone the better.
Posted by: drjohn | December 11, 2009, 5:42 pm 5:42 pm
Time to drain the swamp.
Something Pelosi promised to do in her quest to get rid of the corruption in Congress. I noticed that she wants to keep Charlie Rangel.
Joe Biden may be dumped in 2012.
Obama has no loyalty–not when it comes to saving his own neck.
Posted by: mick | December 11, 2009, 5:44 pm 5:44 pm
It will be sweet if Dodd is sent home in 2010. But I’d rather see Dirty Harry go.
Posted by: tyler | December 11, 2009, 5:46 pm 5:46 pm
19% of Federal employees are earning six figures…nice to see that the government is feeling our pain.
Posted by: cal | December 11, 2009, 6:00 pm 6:00 pm
Joey B puts the fun in a dysfunctional administration.
Posted by: The Audacity of Copenhagen | December 11, 2009, 6:26 pm 6:26 pm
Dodd deserves to be given the pink slip. He has outworn his welcome and he is going to be defeated. So when 2010 comes and the election returns come in and he sees that he has been resoundly defeated by his constituants, he packs his stuff in a box, and he shouldn’t let the door of his office hit him in the butt…he doesn’t care about the people, he cares about
Chris Dodd…plain and simple.
Posted by: tressa | December 11, 2009, 6:27 pm 6:27 pm
Joe, this is a preview of coming attractions
Posted by: pauldia | December 11, 2009, 7:02 pm 7:02 pm
Is Obama going to go down and ask him to resign so the Democratic governor can appoint another Democrat to the seat. These are the kind of tricks these guys are always pulling. Biden ran for president twice and lost, doesnt know when to keep his mouth shut.
Posted by: earl | December 11, 2009, 7:14 pm 7:14 pm
Biden was effusive in his praise today for Dodd, calling him “the single most gifted legislator in Congress, now that Teddy Kennedy’s gone.”
========================
I suppose “gifted” is in the eye of the beholder…
Posted by: tjp612 | December 11, 2009, 7:30 pm 7:30 pm
SENATOR DODD is a crook and is at least as morally corrupt as Ted Kennedy, and that’s saying something !
Posted by: Ron | December 11, 2009, 7:30 pm 7:30 pm
A lot of senators and congressmen from both parties are in for a big surprise in Nov 2010. The times they are a-changing!
Posted by: Terry | December 11, 2009, 7:40 pm 7:40 pm
Biden is truly the gift that keeps on giving. As for Dodd, almost no one is more deserving of a pink slip than he. I hope Harry gets one as well.
Posted by: ConservativeWoman | December 11, 2009, 7:59 pm 7:59 pm
Somethings are worth waiting for…like the comeuppance of all the so called Washington elite! Can hardly wait!!
Posted by: ross | December 11, 2009, 8:29 pm 8:29 pm
You have to love this line “”Chris Dodd is the first United States senator that has simultaneously chaired two major committees in a moment of genuine national crisis,” Biden said. And had he got either of those jobs wrong, the consequences for America would be dire.”
________
Ummmmm….don’t we have a genuine national crisis?
So….Joe….buddy….is it safe to say that Chris got it wrong?
Posted by: Lone Star Rules | December 11, 2009, 9:03 pm 9:03 pm
We need to get rid of the corrupt politicians and stop their free rides and special privileges. President Obama said he would get rid of the corruption in Washington, sorry but I don’t see any “change”. I am voting against all incumbents just to send a message to Washington! STOP SPENDING OUR HARD-EARNED MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Effie | December 11, 2009, 9:18 pm 9:18 pm
Naturally, I am not from Connecticut (see screen name)but I have been watching this race for awhile and hope that the voters in Connecticut drop kick Senator Dodd into pure orbit.
It is unimaginable to me that this guy gets a pass on being at the helm when the this country faced the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. The same is true with Barney Franks. I hope he goes – I hope the voters in Connecticut see just how bad this Senator really is and move on to someone new. I can only hope it is a Conservative but, in Dodd’s case, a flaming-radical liberal would be moving up.
Posted by: Lone Star Rules | December 11, 2009, 9:23 pm 9:23 pm
Biden credited Dodd with having “the guts” to stand up to the banking industry….
.
Yeah, Dodd stood up in front of banker Angelo and said “show me the money”!
Posted by: gk | December 11, 2009, 9:38 pm 9:38 pm
Of course Dodd’s getting hammered–he’s a crook, a liar and a weasel. He deserves every bit of it.
Love the nonpartisan HHS actuary’s report on the bill offered by the crook Reid. It makes me laugh out loud.
Gonna be a wonderful year, 2010. Gonna be a beautiful election. Almost seems unfair to be having so much fun while the serfs and yokels watch their cuckoo dreams go up in smoke.
And look what’s happened to Hopenchange.
Woot! Woot! Woot!
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | December 11, 2009, 9:48 pm 9:48 pm
I’m from CT and while I don’t think Dodd is a crook, I think he should step down as he is not going to win the next election. His admission to knowing he got a great mortgage deal but didn’t think they were trying to buy his support, seems to hard to believe. He would have to be clueless or lying, and either way he shouldn’t be representing us.
cal, as for your comment that 19% of fed employees earn six figures, I think the idea of six figures in today’s world isn’t that much. Our high school principal earns six figures, as does the super of the town’s educational department.
Posted by: Lydia | December 11, 2009, 10:16 pm 10:16 pm
Woot! Woot! Woot!
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | Dec 11, 2009 9:48:42 PM
______________________________________
I see the juvenile Republicans are out . . . same dumb partisan bullheadedness that sunk as with Bush, Cheney and that lot. . . pray to GOD they don’t get their hands near the reins of power again.
Posted by: tierra | December 11, 2009, 10:22 pm 10:22 pm
Sometimes I wonder if some of the posters on these pages are paid to post in support the administration and the democrats. It’s the only possible explanation for some of the posts.
____________________________________
I wonder the same thing about the right wing posts on here – except they often seem too idiotic to actually deserve pay.
Still . .. that could be the tactic. Outright lies and paid smear campaigns have worked for the Republicans before.
Posted by: tierra | December 11, 2009, 10:28 pm 10:28 pm
That’s right Joe, he’s losing votes because he’s a LEADER !
Just like you’re going to be watching over that “stimulus” money and no one will squander those tax dollars under Joe’s watch…no siree….
I think you need your plugs tightened.
Posted by: mjishernameo | December 11, 2009, 11:23 pm 11:23 pm
Sometimes I wonder if some of the posters on these pages are paid to post in support the administration and the democrats. It’s the only possible explanation for some of the posts.
__________________________________
Usually its the Republicans who have paid for smear campaigns against the Democrats.
Posted by: tierra | December 11, 2009, 11:41 pm 11:41 pm
No, Dodd will probably step down because his loss is inevitable. And, I would have to say that it could not come at a better time for the people of Connecticut and the people of the United States. I sure hope that the voters in all the 50 states do some house cleaning on both sides of the aisle in the next few years. Just because you have enjoyed the perks of being a worthless politician year after year does not mean you should automatically be entitled to that position. It is about time, people hold these leeches accountable. So, if you live in a state that has been represented how you thought it should be, then by all means re-elect that said person, but if you find that your state has been harboring a letdown (i.e., Dodd who as the Senate Finance Chair oversaw the biggest meltdown in our financial history: Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac held about $4 trillion of the $7 trillion of mortgages, so you think that would have been one of his priorities) loser, please do us all a favor, get informed and get those louses out of here! Come on people, it is your only chance to exercise your power, and that is by voting! Do your homework!
Posted by: Lisa | December 11, 2009, 11:56 pm 11:56 pm
Sometimes I wonder if some of the posters on these pages are paid to post in support the administration and the democrats. It’s the only possible explanation for some of the posts.
____________________________________
I wonder the same thing about the right wing posts on here – except they often seem too idiotic to actually deserve pay.
Still . .. that could be the tactic. Outright lies and paid smear campaigns have worked for the Republicans before.
———————————–
QED!
Posted by: Terry | December 12, 2009, 12:28 am 12:28 am
Turns out I am a Conservative can thank Jimmy Carter for showing me out of the darkness and into the light. (LOL – I loved saying that.) No question I have quipped and made sarcastic statements about this Administration and some of its members. I have even had a post or two deleted because, I can only assume might have been considered a little of the edge by those who screen the comments here. Guilty as charged.
If you want to condemn “juvenile behavior” then you might take a look at Liberals that go to speeches and appearances by people with whom they disagree and make it their mission to throw tomatoes and pies and heckle them. I tend to think of this behavior as low class of the sleazy variety and reflects just how vacuous and, frankly, stupid they are but, maybe it is just flat out, downtown juvenile.
As far as bullheadedness is concerned, again, guilt as charged: slow, deliberate change trumps sudden, non-vetted sweeping change that alienates the vast majority in this country. (40% of the population are conservatives, 20% Liberals, 40% are Independents)
The fact that posters on this forum and elsewhere disagree with the policies of this Administration and say so is a far cry from showing up at a speech and throwing tomatoes and pies.
Posted by: Lone Star Rules | December 12, 2009, 9:00 am 9:00 am
Karen and David forgot to mention some fact about how the stimulus money being spent by Biden to help elect or reelect his fellow lawmakers. In Biden’s first trip to Dodd home state Connecticut, he announced to spend 66 million stimulus money to widen the Merritt Parkway in honor of Dodd. In Biden’s second campaign trip to help Dodd campaign, he announced, after a visit to a local fire station at Dodd’s suggestion, he will spend 3.6 million stimulus dollars to improve the fire station. Looks like Biden has a check book for the stimulus account in his pocket, wherever he goes, he could sit down and write a big check in order to win voters for his fellow lawmakers.
Posted by: austin | December 12, 2009, 11:12 am 11:12 am
austin,
Nice post. I am hoping that the people of Connecticut see through all that behavior on the part of the Vice President.
Politics is about the money, no questions; getting money to be used on infrastructure is part of the political process. I don’t view what Biden did as somehow outside the norm or particularly earth shatteringly wrong. It is part of it.
You are right though – it needs to be mentioned as part of the political landscape and matters in this case. Is it wrong? I don’t know. Do the people of Connecticut see through all this? I hope so. There are other advocates out there for the citizens of that state who are just as capable as delivering for them – maybe not as star studded, but that is all headline nonsense.
Posted by: Lone Star Rules | December 12, 2009, 11:20 am 11:20 am
Dod will not step down. He will probably win again.He and his father were crooks from the getgo but people in Connecticut still elected them.Go to New Haven and see why-The entrenched liberal elite love him and the drones are too stupid to see the reality.He could move to his “cottage in Eire and still win.
Posted by: Nephron | December 12, 2009, 11:23 am 11:23 am
American politics has become just another crummy play where all the worst actors get the best parts.
Posted by: Lightning Jack | December 12, 2009, 11:37 am 11:37 am
(Imperial) birds of a feather ! Remember “Old Joe” bragging on his conductor buddy who’d hold up a train full of Amtrak commuters because Joe, the working man’s friend couldn’t drag his butt out of the sack ? Then there’e Angelo’s friend Chris who eagerly accepted a sweethesrt mortgage while the loan industry he was supposed to be overseeing was about collapse, and bring down the home ownership of mllions? No one bothers to deny these examples of aristocratic pretension; they just ask you, the citizens of the Nutmeg state, to vote for more. Joe even brags that his buddy Chris chaired the finance committee. Great job Chris. I think the Titanic is looking for a new captain. Don’t you think its way past time to throw the rascals out ?
Posted by: TomBeebe | December 12, 2009, 12:05 pm 12:05 pm
“Clinton left office with a surplus…”
The Republicans controlled both houses of Congress during President Clinton’s last SIX years in office.
By the way, the Bush tax cuts gave EVERYONE who paid federal income taxes a tax cut.
Posted by: James Danley | December 12, 2009, 12:14 pm 12:14 pm
By the way, the Bush tax cuts gave EVERYONE who paid federal income taxes a tax cut.
_____________________________________
And the Bush tax cuts (along with his spending) bankrupted the country to China.
Posted by: tierra | December 12, 2009, 2:05 pm 2:05 pm
So Dodd chaired 2 committees and we would be in dire straits without him? I think we are in those dire straits and probably a whole lot because of him. Not to mention all his spendthrift buddies. I promise every person out there I will do my part in 2010 and 2012 to help turn this around. I did not vote democratic last election and will now never consider doing so again. Out with all incumbants. Let’s Roll
Posted by: linda | December 12, 2009, 4:37 pm 4:37 pm
And. I guess all these politicians think We The People are stupid idiots. The way they slap each other on the back and heap the praises you would think we were in high cotton out here in the good old USA. Man what a stupid bunch of out of touch folks. My 2 senators are worthless. They will not get my vote as they come up for re-election here in the great state of Arkansas. One never answers an email. She’s too busy I guess getting praised. The other just answers with the party line after you complain to them and tell them not to go that way. Sheeesh.
Posted by: linda | December 12, 2009, 4:43 pm 4:43 pm
And the Bush tax cuts (along with his spending) bankrupted the country to China.
________________
No one spends like President Obama.
And, turns out, the Obama administration and the Democratic Congress are about to extend the Bush tax cuts because – well – turns out that is the one shining light in helping small business create jobs.
Funny how that works, isn’t it? First the Bush tax cuts are the driving force behind “taking us to the brink” and yet, they are too valuable to the health of the economy to let expire. And at the same time Bush is blamed for over spending but he is a pup compared to the shopping spree of this Administration.
If these guys pulled the evil Bush tax cuts this economy would go into a tail spin and no one would be able to pull it out – we would remember the good old days when unemployment was at 10%.
(Its interesting that with less than a year of the erratic overspending of the Obama administration 44% of the people wish Bush were President (per MSNBC poll).)
Posted by: Lone Star Rules | December 12, 2009, 9:46 pm 9:46 pm
tierra,
I doubt anyone needs to unnecessarily waste money smearing this Senator. Who needs to lie? lol.
Where did this guy get his education in financial markets? Wikipedia? Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory?
Posted by: Dave B. | December 12, 2009, 10:59 pm 10:59 pm
And the Bush tax cuts (along with his spending) bankrupted the country to China.
____________________________________
I see you didn’t challenge the truth of this at all.
The difference between Bush’s tax cuts (which through the country into huge further debt) and the Obama tax cuts is one thing – a HUGE ECONOMIC collapse.
This economic collapse happened on Bush’s watch, and extreme measures were taken by every western industrialized country attempting to hold their economies together. These basically boil down to putting stimulus funding, deficit spending and tax reduction.
They are measures being taken in a mammoth world-wide economic recession.
Posted by: tierra | December 13, 2009, 3:26 am 3:26 am
The difference between Bush’s tax cuts (which through the country into huge further debt) and the Obama tax cuts is one thing – a HUGE ECONOMIC collapse.
________________
The Bush tax cuts did not ‘through (the word is “threw” by the way) this country into further debt.’ In fact, there was no debt when Bush took office. The costs for the formation of Homeland Security and the War in Afghanistan were the first debt this country had in quite some time. Bush didn’t care about that debt – he knew that if he kept the economy strong (through (not “threw”) TAX CUTS) he could pay it back in no time; he had beaten the Clinton recession and the market was in high gear. The big daddy for was the war Iraq and he pushed us over the top.
(That is a much bigger discussion – let’s keep our eye on the ball here; first things first.)
Tax cuts do not add debt – it may be opportunity cost because the government can’t get their hands on it but it does not cost the government real dollars from the coffers. I know this is a widely held belief among some Democrats that the Tax Cuts have some mysterious way of adding debt; at best, the government loses the opportunity to collect and spend tax dollars – this is very different from the government bringing money in in the form of taxes and putting money out in the form of governmental services.
The core argument from Democrats that adhere to this school of thought appears to be that if the government is spending more than it is bringing in in the form of services that not taxing forces the government to borrow to provide. The government then has to pay interest on real dollars that it borrows as as a result and the process goes on and on and we remain hopelessly in debt by the very nature of the beast. Their answer is that spending is a constant and we need to tax to be sure we can pay for these services. The opposing view says reduce government spending and the government will not have to borrow (based on the belief that the government is not the Omni-provider).
Free market advocates – like Bush – believe that government facilitates the market and the less intervention and tax burden the better. The presupposition is that the market is bigger and, God knows smarter than government. The opposing view argues that the destination of the money not brought in through (not “threw” here) tax cuts is not controllable and, therefore, unreliable. The free market view is that its unreliability is exactly the point: the market is smarter than any government can be. This is why things like price controls don’t work.
This “HUGE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE” is not the direct result of the Bush tax cuts. There were and are different issues at stake on how this happened and how it is going to be corrected. But if cannot get through (not “threw” here either) this basic understanding of tax cuts and their effect on the debt then we are unlikely to be able to discuss the broader issues. In my view this difference between us is fundamental: I believe the government facilitates the market and the citizens – they work for us; you appear to believe that the government knows and provides all things and we are its flock – they are the bosses and we are workers in the field.
Posted by: Lone Star Rules | December 13, 2009, 8:06 am 8:06 am
A better way to put that last point: you appear to believe this is the government’s country; they are letting us stay here, letting us participate in their market with their money which is essentially on loan to us on a temporary basis. We work for them. We are here here for support the whole, not the individual.
Posted by: Lone Star Rules | December 13, 2009, 8:18 am 8:18 am
that’s GOLF – my game is definitely not GOLD
Posted by: Lone Star Rules | December 13, 2009, 11:15 am 11:15 am
I voted for Sen. Dodd Since I’ve lived in CT in 2000. However, all my family member won’t vote for Dodd in 2010; because, he’s connected with receiver of dirty and illegal momey from Wall St.
that are Country Wide, AIG and so on.
Also Obama, Dodd, Tim, and Barney Frank knew already bonus party of AIG in 2008.
CHRIS DODD, TIM, BARNEY FRANK AND HARRY REID SHOULD GO HOME IN 2010.
Posted by: Chances-CT | December 13, 2009, 1:24 pm 1:24 pm
Sheriff Joe Biden has got it right,Chris Dodd is going to get the bejesus kicked out of him in 2010 elections,just like the rest of the scumbags in the Democratic party.
Posted by: Johnny L | December 13, 2009, 2:11 pm 2:11 pm
===”Clinton left office with a surplus…” ===
He did? Where was the money? What bank held it?
Posted by: Axey | December 13, 2009, 5:56 pm 5:56 pm
Here is the bottom line on Chris Dodd (in my humble view)
Chris Dodd was chair of the Senate banking committee during the biggest financial meltdown since the great depression. The real culprits in this financial meltdown were – alas – banks.
Let’s see – he heads up the oversight of banks for the US Senate (he has a lot of influence). Banks fail. Dodd appears that he is about to lose his job.
So why is this a big surprise?
Posted by: Lone Star Rules | December 13, 2009, 8:01 pm 8:01 pm
In fact, there was no debt when Bush took office.
Posted by: Lone Star Rules | Dec 13, 2009 8:06:02 AM
________________________________________
The national debt when Bush took office was approx. $5,730,000,000,000.00.
The national debt when Bush left office was approx. $10,630,000,000,000.00.
Posted by: tierra | December 14, 2009, 2:11 am 2:11 am
That could correct – Need to do some research on the Clinton surpluses. If wrong, then I stand corrected.
Wonder why all we hear are crickets when it comes to the tax cuts issue?
Posted by: Lone Star Rules | December 14, 2009, 9:12 am 9:12 am
If the people in Connecticut want to get rid of a Senator it should start with Joe Liberman.
Posted by: Lori | December 14, 2009, 11:20 am 11:20 am
The Center for Media Research has released a study by Vertical Response that shows just where many of these ‘Main Street’ players are going with their online dollars. The big winners: e-mail and social media. With only 3.8% of small business folks NOT planning on using e-mail marketing and with social media carrying the perception of being free (which they so rudely discover it is far from free) this should make some in the banner and search crowd a little wary.
http://www.onlineuniversalwork.com
Posted by: henrylow | January 14, 2010, 4:57 am 4:57 am