FactCheck.Org: 'Blame Dodd' Attacks Ignore Facts

[steven johnson]

FactCheck.Org was set up by Walter Annenberg, a conservative and good friend of Ronald Reagan. It takes exception to the 'hang Chris Dodd' movement that seems to be permeating the conservative airways.

They feel he's getting a raw deal. I agree.

Some Republicans have been quick to blame Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut for allowing big bonus payments to AIG executives. They get the facts backward.

The public record shows Dodd authored an amendment that would have prevented "any bonus" being paid to top executives of firms getting bailout money. It was the White House and the Treasury Department that insisted Dodd's amendment be watered down to apply only to bonuses paid under agreements signed in the past five weeks. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has taken public responsibility for that...

We take no position on whether Dodd's bonus ban was a good idea or a bad idea, and we have no way of saying whether or not it might have caused the legal and practical problems that White House and Treasury officials feared. But it's a matter of record that Dodd favored a tougher ban than the one that became law, and was pressured by others to back down. Anyone looking for a scapegoat needs to search elsewhere.

http://www.factcheck.org/politics/blame_dodd_attacks_ignore_facts.html

[BlooInBloo]

1. It's been known. DUers nevertheless enjoy spewing the made-up bullshit.

[steven johnson]

2. GOP Hypocricy is Palpable

The hypocritical irony here is that GOP Congressmen opposed compensation limits on executives in the TARP legislation.

Now the Republican Sound Machine has marched out the Talking Points Megaphones to broadcast the lies.

GOP Opposes Pay Limits On Bailed-Out Bankers

Republicans and executive compensation limits

[ShockediSay]

3. As I recall, Dodd took a big favorable loan from Countrywide in addition to

a bunch of money from AIG, insurance co.s and bankers.

Blumenthal is ready to get into the campaign

State polls have Dodd losing to a Republican Rob Simmons

Sen Dodd, time to step down.

[JamesA1102]

4. If Dodd had done nothing to begin with this would be a non-issue

Those bonuses were in place and allowed by Paulson when AIG got their first bailout and long before there was a stimulus bill. This is just another attempt by the MSN and the right to divert attenion and blame the Dems for their sins.