Jump to content

Chris Dodd: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
→‎2008 Presidential campaign: add more recent poll result, from campaign article
→‎Political positions: add some requested cites, copied in from Political positions article
Line 127: Line 127:
{{main|Political positions of Chris Dodd}}
{{main|Political positions of Chris Dodd}}


Dodd favors a one year troop withdrawal timetable to end the [[Iraq War]] and is against [[NSA warrantless surveillance controversy|warrantless surveillance]]. Dodd has supported amending the [[Family Medical Leave Act]] to include paid leave, <ref>{{cite web
Dodd favors a one year troop withdrawal timetable to end the [[Iraq War]] and is against [[NSA warrantless surveillance controversy|warrantless surveillance]].{{cite web
|url=http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/10/18/post_137.html
|title=Dodd Makes Play on FISA Legislation
|first=Shailagh
|last=Murray
|publisher=washingtonpost.com
|date=2007-10-18}}</ref> Dodd has supported amending the [[Family Medical Leave Act]] to include paid leave, <ref>{{cite web
|url=http://chrisdodd.com/issues/labor
|url=http://chrisdodd.com/issues/labor
|title=Economic Opportunity
|title=Economic Opportunity
Line 139: Line 145:
|accessdate=2007-12-17
|accessdate=2007-12-17
}}
}}
</ref> and a corporate [[carbon tax]] to combat [[global warming]].
</ref> and a corporate [[carbon tax]] to combat [[global warming]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/48722990_2008_presidential_election_chris_dodd_dodd_touts_energy_plan_biodiesel_plant_kitchen_tables
|title=Chris Dodd: Dodd Touts Energy Plan At Biodiesel Plant, Kitchen Tables In Southeast Iowa
|author=Chris Dodd Campaign
|date=2007-05-11
|accessdate=2007-05-29}}</ref>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==

Revision as of 18:41, 22 December 2007

Chris Dodd
United States Senator
from Connecticut
Assumed office
January 5, 1981
Serving with Joe Lieberman
Preceded byAbraham A. Ribicoff
Succeeded byIncumbent (2011)
Personal details
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseJackie Marie Clegg

Christopher John Dodd (born May 27, 1944) is an American lawyer and politician from Willimantic, Connecticut who is currently serving as a Democrat in the U.S. Senate.

Dodd served as a U.S. Representative from Connecticut from 1975 until 1981, when he became a U.S. Senator. He served as general chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1995 to 1997. He is now the state's senior Senator. He currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee.[1]

He is a candidate in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

Early life and education

Dodd was born in Willimantic, Connecticut. His parents were Grace Mary Dodd née Murphy and U.S. Senator Thomas Joseph Dodd; all eight of his great-grandparents were born in Ireland.[2] Dodd is a Roman Catholic. He is the fifth of six children;[3] his eldest brother, Thomas J. Dodd Jr., is an emeritus professor of the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University, and served as the U.S. ambassador to Uruguay and Costa Rica under President Bill Clinton.

Dodd attended Georgetown Preparatory School, a Jesuit boys school in Bethesda, Maryland. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Providence College in 1966. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in a small rural town in the Dominican Republic until 1968. While there, he became fluent in Spanish. [4] Dodd then joined the U.S. Army Reserve, and served until 1975.

In 1972, Dodd earned a Juris Doctor at the University of Louisville, where he served as vice magistrate of the law school's student body. The following year, he was admitted to the Connecticut bar, and began practicing law in New London.

U.S. Congressman

Dodd was part of the "Watergate class of '74" which CNN pundit David Gergen credited with bringing "a fresh burst of liberal energy to the Capitol."[5] Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's second congressional district, and reelected twice, he served from January 4, 1975 to January 3, 1981. During his tenure in the U.S. House, he served on the House Select Committee on Assassinations.

U.S. Senator

Congressional portrait circa 2002

Dodd was elected to the Senate in the 1980 election and was subsequently reelected in the 1986, 1992, 1998, and 2004 elections. He is the first Senator from Connecticut to serve five consecutive terms. From 1995 to 1997, he served as General Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. As General Chairman, Dodd was the DNC's spokesman. Donald Fowler served as National Chairman, running the party's day to day operations.

The Center for Public Integrity has criticized Dodd for "being the leading advocate in the Senate on behalf of the accounting industry."[6][7] Political consultant and commentator Dick Morris wrote that Dodd had received more from accounting firm Arthur Andersen than any other Democrat and bore responsibility for trying to shield accounting firms from investor fraud liability in cases such as the Enron scandal.[8]

Dodd briefly considered running for President in 2004, but ultimately decided against such a campaign. He was also considered a possible candidate for replacing Tom Daschle as Senate Minority Leader in 109th Congress, but he declined, and that position was instead filled by Harry Reid.

Dodd has announced in a letter to the Federal Election Commission that he is no longer a candidate for the Senate in 2010. [9]

2008 Presidential campaign

Template:Future election candidate

On 11 January, 2007, Dodd announced his candidacy for the office of President of the United States on the Imus in the Morning show. On 19 January, 2007, Dodd made a formal announcement with supporters at the Old State House in Hartford.

The watchdog group opensecrets.org has pointed out that the Dodd campaign is heavily funded by the financial services industry, which is regulated by committees Dodd chairs in the Senate.[10][11]

In May, he trailed in state and national polls and acknowledged he wasn't keeping pace with rival campaigns' fund raising. However, he said that as more voters became aware of his opposition to the Iraq War, they would support his campaign.[12] However, his prospects did not improve; a November 7, 2007 Gallup poll placed him in last place among Democratic contenders, behind both Joe Biden and Dennis Kucinich at 1%. [13]

Political positions

Dodd favors a one year troop withdrawal timetable to end the Iraq War and is against warrantless surveillance.Murray, Shailagh (2007-10-18). "Dodd Makes Play on FISA Legislation". washingtonpost.com.</ref> Dodd has supported amending the Family Medical Leave Act to include paid leave, [14] restoring the rule of law to the U.S. immigration system,[15] and a corporate carbon tax to combat global warming.[16]

Personal life

In July 1970, Dodd married Susan Mooney; they divorced in October 1982. Afterwards, he dated at different times Bianca Jagger, Erin Carter, and Carrie Fisher.[17] In 1999, he married his second wife, Jackie Marie Clegg, who is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The couple has two daughters, Grace (born September 2001) and Christina Dodd (born May 2005).

Dodd lives in East Haddam when Congress is not in session.

Electoral history

References

  1. ^ Moore, Heidi (2007-11-09). "Wall Street experts invade Washington". Financial News Online US.
  2. ^ Battle, Robert. "The Ancestors of Chris Dodd".
  3. ^ Biography of Thomas J. Dodd
  4. ^ http://peacecorpsonline.org/messages/messages/2629/1010583.html
  5. ^ Gergen, David. Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership from Nixon to Clinton. Simon and Schuster. p. 119. ISBN 074321949X.
  6. ^ Morris, Dick (2004). Off with Their Heads: Traitors, Crooks, and Obstructionists in American Politics, Media, and Business. HarperCollins. p. 205. ISBN 0060595507.
  7. ^ Moon, Freda (2007-11-15). "Chris Dodd: PAC-Man". New Haven Advocate. The New Haven Advocate. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  8. ^ "The odd couple: Chris Dodd and Arthur Andersen". jewishworldreview.com. Retrieved February 25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "Sen. Dodd Not To Run for Re-Election In 2010, Uses PAC to Buy NH and IA Voter Files". cqpolitics.com. Retrieved February 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Ritsch, Massie (2007-04-18). "Financiers, Along with Lawyers, are Underwriting the Race for the White House, Watchdog Finds". Opensecrets.org. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  11. ^ "Christopher J. Dodd". 2008 Presidential Election Campeign Money. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  12. ^ "Sen. Dodd Calls For End To Iraq War". Associated Press. 2007-05-26.
  13. ^ Newport, Frank (2007-11-07). "Hillary Clinton's Big Lead in Democratic Race Unchanged". Gallup. Retrieved 2007-11-20. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  14. ^ "Economic Opportunity". Christopher Dodd Presidential Campaign 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  15. ^ "Senator Dodd Delivers Democratic Hispanic Radio Address". Chris Dodd US Senator. 2007-12-04. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  16. ^ Chris Dodd Campaign (2007-05-11). "Chris Dodd: Dodd Touts Energy Plan At Biodiesel Plant, Kitchen Tables In Southeast Iowa". Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  17. ^ Horowitz, Jason (2006-12-03). "Can '08 Race Make Dodd Bedfellows?". observer.com. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Connecticut's 2nd congressional district

1975 – 1981
Succeeded by
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 3) from Connecticut
1981–present
Served alongside: Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., Joe Lieberman
Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee
2001 – 2003
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee
2007 – present
Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
1995 – 1997
Succeeded by