Issa's First Subpoena Issued

As new chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Darrell Issa (R-CA) has a virtual buffet of things to choose from but it looks like the first official thing on his plate is a subpoena for documents relating to the Countrywide scandal made infamous in large part by former Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd (CT). Assuming Issa gets the documents he's subpoenaed - based on the success of Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) in getting documents he ordered from the Dept. of Justice, they won't just be handed over - there will be a lot of slugs under the rock.

Via Daily Caller:

Top GOP oversight official Darrell Issa is issuing his first subpoena as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to demand documents related to a “VIP” program that gave key lawmakers special deals on mortgages.

The subpoena will reveal for the first time the scope of the company’s VIP program and could ensnare scores of lawmakers, congressional staffers, officials and lobbyists. Sen. Kent Conrad and former-Sen. Chris Dodd received special deals, as did dozens of top Fannie Mae executives.

An Issa report on the sweetheart deals says, “legislators, congressional staffers, lobbyists and other opinion leaders…business partners, local politicians, home builders, entertainers and law enforcement officials” were part of the program. Until now, the public has learned the names of only a few.

If Issa is able to sink his teeth into this scandal, perhaps we will be able to publicly identify all of the players that had a role in the mortgage crisis that contributed mightily to wrecking out economy.

Read it all.

VIDEO: IS THIS WHY DODD GOT $100 MILLION?

I must admit, upon seeing that Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd got $100 million in the latest version of the health care bill, I thought about this angle because there was no need for bribery to get his vote. However, he definitely could use some help getting re-elected. The $100 million is earmarked for a hospital in Dodd's state but is it possible that Federal taxpayer dollars could end up funding a portion of his re-election campaign?

Come on, in light of the political climate these days is that really a stretch? The reporter making the claim is NOT a conservative.



It's no secret Dodd is IN TROUBLE in 2010. This could be a small sampling of what we can expect in terms of election strategy all across the country in the tight races.

h/t to GP

CHRIS DODD GETS $100 MILLION FROM OBAMACARE

If not THE most corrupt senator in the U.S. Senate, Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd (D) is the runner-up. How is he held accountable? Well, he's awarded $100 million of taxpayer money in the Senate version of the health care bill. Instead of doing time for his role in the Fannie & Freddie debacle, Chris Dodd gets tens of millions more of federal dollars for his state.

Congratulations, America. Welcome to the fruits of apathy.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A $100 million item for construction of a university hospital was inserted in the Senate health care bill at the request of Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., who faces a difficult re-election campaign, his office said Sunday night.
The legislation leaves it up to the Health and Human Services Department to decide where the money should be spent, although spokesman Bryan DeAngelis said Dodd hopes to claim it for the University of Connecticut.

The provision is included in a 383-page series of changes to the health care bill that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., outlined Saturday. Scattered throughout are numerous items sought by individual lawmakers, many of them directing money explicitly to programs or projects in their home states.

HERE is the entire story.

CHRIS DODD IN SERIOUS TROUBLE IN CONNECTICUT

It appears that not only is Democrat Chris Dodd in danger of losing his seat but there are some democrats willing to help usher him out of it before the election, asking him to step aside. Polls are apparently showing Dodd behind his Republican challenger by double digits. So what reason is being given for former Connecticut Democratic Party Chair Ed Marcus wanting Dodd to step aside?

In politics, perception is everything and that is the reason here according to this CNN political tracker:

"Chris has had Obama in for him, Biden in for him, a lot of TV ads and they haven't moved the numbers," former Connecticut Democratic Party Chair Ed Marcus told local television station WFSB. "Rightfully or wrongfully the perception within the voting public in Connecticut is just negative toward Chris."

A recent Quinnipiac poll suggests Dodd faces an 11-point deficit against Rob Simmons, one of several Republicans vying for the party's nomination to face Dodd. The poll also suggests Dodd would loose to Republicans Linda McMahohn and Tom Foley, while he would tie Sam Caligiuri and Peter Schiff.

hmmmmm

Marcus has two things that lend credibility to what he is saying. One, he's a political animal and two, he's a local political animal in Connecticut.

This is good news for those who can't stand corrupt scumbags like Dodd.

h/t to HAP

CHANGING POLITICS IN WASHINGTON: OBAMA ENDORSES DODD FOR 2010

Maybe Chris Dodd (D-CT) isn't the most corrupt politician but he'd definitely make it's hall of shame on the first go-round. Not only that, but he's the epitome of an in-office-too-long incumbent with strong lobbyist ties who should be investigated over his sweet heart loan deals with countrywide.

MICHELLE MALKIN has the details on Obama's ringing endorsement of Dodd despite the former's commitment to changing politics in Washington and the latter's strong contributions to perpetuating them.

Gotta love Malkin's descriptive terms...

The embattled Democrat is in deep doo-doo over his Countrywide sweetheart home loan deals, corporate bailout cash, and crony associations. New revelations by Countrywide whistle-blower Robert Feinberg confirm what more and more of Sen. Dodd’s constituents in Connecticut are coming to realize: He’s a lying crapweasel. Dodd denied knowledge of the special treatment the sub-prime mortgage company had given him and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad on home loans. (Dodd’s were worth more than $800,000). Feinberg flatly contradicted him in secret testimony on the Hill this week.

So surely Mr. Obama would distance himself from this kind of an individual (based on one of his strongest campaign promises), right?

Well, Malkin sets the stage by whipping out this Obama quote after announcing his campaign for president in February, 2007 and follows it up with a rather astute observation:

“I know that I have not spent a long time learning the ways of Washington, but I have been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington have to change.”

Two years later, Barack Obama declared his support for an entrenched U.S. Senator drowning in the decrepit old politics of pay-for-play.

What? Barack Obama throwing his support behind someone involved in pay-for-play? There was NO WAY anyone could've seen that coming!

I realize Obama's poll numbers have dropped substantially since taking office and the month of July was particularly bad for him but Rasmussen is still showing that approximately 30% Strongly APPROVE of his performance. Wouldn't you just love to get inside the head of someone who sees things that way?

But only for a minute. Any longer and you might suffer irreparable harm.

Read MALKIN'S ENTIRE COLUMN. It's worth it.