The Curious Christopher Dodd

The Curious Christopher Dodd
Senator Christopher Dodd is the son of the late Senator Thomas Dodd, a widely respected and thoughtful Democratic Senator in his day.  Tom Dodd was well-read, conservative in demeanor, well-liked, very knowledgeable on foreign policy, and always put his country first.  He was proud to be an American.

That’s why I find it so curious that his son seems to be so undisciplined in thought and action.  When he first arrived in the Senate (clearly elected by the good people of Connecticut on the basis of his family name), he was publicly circumspect in his personal life and his political outlook, for at least a couple of years.

That, however, was not to be his ongoing persona.  Shortly, the newspapers were full of bawdy accounts of the shenanigans of Chris and his newfound friend, Ted Kennedy.  From bar to bar and from woman to woman, the two made the rounds in town staying just slightly beyond the arm of the local sheriff.

While Chris Dodd was clearly to the left of his father, his association with Ted Kennedy seemed to move him farther and farther to the left.  He was infatuated with the Communist Sandinistas in Nicaragua, and began mouthing every liberal inanity that came down the pike.

That was when he was a follower and thus made only minor mischief.  More recently, however, he has stepped out on his own.  As one of the chief architects of the subprime loan scandal, Senator Dodd is justifiably blamed for much of the financial difficulty the US is in today.  These actions hurt people badly, and those hurt the most were the very minorities he thought he was helping.  His meddling in the marketplace pressured banks to make irresponsible loans to folks who had no hope of paying them back and undermined our entire financial system.  It is not an exaggeration to say that without the efforts of Chris Dodd our nation would not be facing the financial crisis we now face.

One would think that Senator Dodd might slink quietly into the background, embarrassed and chagrined by the problems he has so mightily contributed to.  But no, we live in an age without honor or shame.  The Senator accepts no blame, and eagerly points the finger as the innocent to protect himself.

To make matters worse, the curious Christopher Dodd has once again meddled in the marketplace to eliminate “dangerous” charges made by banks on their credit cards.  The result will once again undercut the soundness of the American banking system and jeopardize the economic recovery.

The good Senator seems to think that the US Congress can repeal the law of supply and demand.  Perhaps he will next outlaw inflation, or legislate prosperity.  I find it very curious.  Is Chris Dodd an arsonist or just a fool with matches?

Whatever he is, Chris Dodd is a living example of someone with what appears on paper to be a good education, but in truth, knows nothing about economics and the fragility of a free society.  He may be well intended, but is nevertheless dangerous because as Bill Buckley said, “So much of what he knows is simply wrong.”

The polls show that Chris Dodd is in trouble in his re-election campaign.  I doubt it.  By the time the election rolls around, the curious Senator Dodd will be re-elected by the citizens of Connecticut who sadly listen to the same bent of folks who miseducated the Senator.  They populate our schools and have common traits—intelligence, but not wisdom; knowledge, but not understanding.  Here’s hoping I am wrong and that this will be Chris Dodd’s last term in the US Senate.