Sen. Dodd (CT) To Hit National Road For Causes, Image

[Larkspur]

Has Ample Campaign Funds To Finance Speaking Tour
http://www.courant.com/news/nationworld/hc-dodd0225.artfeb27,0,2072050.story?coll=hc-headlines-nationworld

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Christopher J. Dodd is sitting on a hefty $2.4 million in campaign cash and plans to use part of it to fund a series of 2005 appearances around the country to build support for his initiatives and get himself more national visibility.

The Connecticut Democrat plans to talk about matters with which he long has been involved, notably children's rights, foreign policy and litigation reform.

His speeches, as yet unscheduled, are aimed at giving him a strong political foundation - and lots of local media coverage - which could be useful in developing broader constituencies for his ideas and also for Dodd, should he choose to explore a 2008 White House bid.
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The Dodd camp is discouraging any presidential talk, hoping to avoid becoming the subject of the sort of intense speculation that already has begun among insiders. The senator has other things he plans to concentrate on, notably the impending birth of his second child and his 2005 legislative plans.

But Dodd is not ruling out a presidential run, and is gingerly assembling what could be the building blocks.

The $2.4 million available to him is mostly left over from his 2004 Senate run, when he raised about $7.4 million and spent $5.1 million. The rest, about $77,000, is money from CHRISPAC, a separate account that funds political activity unrelated to his Senate duties.
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While I prefer Dodd over Lieberman, I'm not an enthusiastic supporter of Dodd. He voted for the Iraq War, supported the anti-Middle Class bankruptcy bill, aka the tort reform bill, supported Condi.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. I like Dodd too. Even though he has made some...

bad votes, Tort "Reform" and the Iraq War, he is much better than Lieberman on most accounts.

[BoristheBewildered]

4. Didn't he actually endorse Joementum? Also voted for Ashcroft in committee

(like the other "hero" - Feingold)

[Placebo]

2. Few politicians ever rule out a presidential run this early...

but not all of them run. I doubt Dodd will, he seems more fitting as a senator than a head of state.

[Larkspur]

3. Some interesting news about Lieberman's campaign finances in this article

The state's junior senator, Joseph I. Lieberman, does not have Dodd's kind of bank account. Lieberman is up for re-election in 2006 and has $432,059 on hand. His political action committee, ROCPAC, has $137,057.

Lieberman state director, Sherry Brown, was unworried.

Her boss raised money nonstop from roughly 1999 to 2004 - for his 2000 Senate re-election, the 2000 presidential ticket and his 2004 presidential effort.

After Lieberman left the presidential race a year ago, "we weren't that active. We sensed donor fatigue," Brown said.

Late last year, though, the Lieberman effort began again, and fund-raising for his 2006 campaign has begun in earnest.

The later start should not be a problem, said Jennifer Duffy, a Washington expert on Senate races.

"It's not a problem to start with $400,000 when you really have no serious opponent," she said.

It would be interesting to see if Paul Newman is physically fit to campaign at age 80 against Lieberman, age 62, just to see how much money he could raise as oppposed to Lieberman.

[iwantmycountryback]

5. He did support Condi unfortunately

But he did grill and embarass her during the hearings. It's pretty shocking that he did vote yea considering that he was indignant over her answers to his questions. I like Dodd, but it's hard to see him being POTUS. And oh yeah, no more Senators from the Northeast this time.

[fujiyama]

6. Dodd is OK

His record is a bit to the left of Lieberman's and he doesn't openly kiss Bush's ass the way Joe does. Unfortunately though, I guess he too is beholden to the major corporations in CT, as it is a wealthy state with Rx drug, banking, and insurance interests.

I probably wouldn't support him for president though.