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Dodd Chooses Not to Take Kennedy's HELP Committee Gavel
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)
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In a move that comes as a fairly big surprise, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) will reportedly announce today that he is not taking over the chairmanship of the Help, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which became vacant upon the death of Ted Kennedy. Dodd had been expected to take up Kennedy's mantle, leaving a vacancy on the Banking Committee, which he currently chairs.
The HELP chairmanship will instead go to Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), who is next in line after Dodd. Dodd had been the focus of much attention, because if he had taken the HELP chairmanship then Banking would have gone to Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD), whose home state is a major base for the credit-card industry.
To round out the game of musical chairs, Harkin will have to vacate the Agriculture Committee chairmanship, which will likely be filled by Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)--the only senior member of that committee who doesn't already have a chairmanship.
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Walter Mitty
September 9, 2009 9:25 AM
You can read this two ways - one way being Dodd, who is in a re-election fight and thus wants a big populist win on his resume saw the eventual health care bill as a political loser. On the other hand he feels that given the universal hatred for the financial industry greed/banksters that being the face/pointman to the next White House push of major financial institution regulations is the bigger political win.
Harkin is solid on healthcare and Dodd is better than Sen. Johnson. SD saw many credit card companies move their bases there in order to be able to exploit their pro-credit card company laws.
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Frog Leg
September 9, 2009 9:58 AM in reply to Walter Mitty
On the other hand he feels that given the universal hatred for the financial industry greed/banksters that being the face/pointman to the next White House push of major financial institution regulations is the bigger political win.
There is no doubt that this is the case. He wants to stick with what he knows.
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Libertine
September 9, 2009 11:19 AM
Well being from CT I know Senator Dodd is fighting Prostrate Cancer. He might not feel he is up to it under the circumstances. I don't know this for sure I am just guessing...
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JohnMcCSF
September 9, 2009 12:36 PM
Makes a lot of sense.
Harkin's GREAT for HELP and Blanche Lincoln needs that Ag Chair for her re-election race
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SPENCER ADAMS
September 9, 2009 2:03 PM
Fine, but Baucus and his bill is getting all the attention; let's see if Harkin can push the Kennedy bill down the media's throat.
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September 9, 2009 5:47 PM
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