Congressional Democrats around the country may be worrying that ObamaCare and runaway federal spend ing will hurt their re-election chances next year — but Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut has other matters to fret about.
He’s in big trouble, after all, because of ethics — or, to be precise, the lack of same.
Indeed, a Quinnipiac University poll shows nearly the whole field of potential GOP Senate challengers — regardless of how well-known they are — doing quite well against Dodd.
Leading the pack: former Rep. Rob Simmons, who outpolls Dodd, 49 percent to 38 percent.
Even former World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon gets 43 percent to Dodd’s 41.
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.
Apparently, the good people of Connecticut want a senator focused on their interests.
Good for them.