chris dodd

Posted at Kos.

Chris Dodd will likely announce his retirement from the United States Senate today, as reported by various media outlets. As the sun sets on Senator Christopher J. Dodd's years in elected service, I'd like to take the time out to toast our latest Democratic retiree.

I have obtained a copy of the letter that Senators Kennedy and Dodd distributed to their colleagues on the HELP committee. It's public information, so will post the entire letter.

Dear HELP Committee Member:

No issue is more important to our constituents - or to our economy - than health care reform. As President Obama has said - and as even those who disagree about the particulars of reform understand - inaction is not an option. The status quo isn't just unacceptable, it's unsustainable.

Senators Kennedy and Dodd sent a letter to the rest of the HELP (Health, Education, Labor & Pensions) Committee outlining the final plan from the committee. The plan has a smaller price tag than originally reported and will provide coverage for 97% of Americans. It has a healthy public option and is unlikely to garner bipartisan support.

I have a call in to Senator Hagan's office to verify her support for the plan. With all of the hyperbole and nastiness thrown at Kay Hagan the past two weeks, if she comes out in support of the plan I not only expect some here to offer apologies, but I expect us all to embrace the new Kay Hagan Health Care Plan and work like hell to see it through both houses of Congress.

If she fails to support the plan then I provide the next round of rotten tomatoes.

In Las Vegas this Thursday, at the Democratic debate, the elephant in the room will be housing. With the housing market meltdown, foreclosures are sweeping the country. Nevada has the worst rate with one foreclosure filing in every 61 households, while the nationwide rate is one foreclosure filing for every 196 households.

Democrats have done little on this issue...and are poised to make problems worse...

I'm still a Biden Guy, but I will admit that I've been really impressed with the campaign ideas coming out of Senator Chris Dodd's camp. Sure, I thought parts of the website were a little hokey - the "Dodd Squad" and the "Dodd Pod" get a nod - but many of us have seen the talk clocks; an Internet presence second only to that of Edwards; great use of ustream.tv; the first bare-bones, text-only "personal" e-mails; YouTube as a tool for pushing bills through Congress; and more. In the words of Marc Ambinder:

his campaign itself is near flawless; his argument is pitch-perfect and attuned to his audience ... he's the first out of the box with attractive policy ideas, like a carbon tax. And, especially for a campaign run largely by veterans of Washington, he's used emerging technologies more fruitfully than just about everyone else.

Dodd was definitely surging as my second choice due to his voting record, innovations, and subtle jabs, but his latest idea makes him a second-place lock ...