Linda McMahon

Linda McMahon: We Need To Focus On Real Issues, Not 'Fictitious Content' Of Pro-Wrestling

Eric Kleefeld | November 17, 2009, 5:10PM

Former Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon (R-CT)

Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon, a candidate for the Republican nomination to run against Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), denounced Democratic attacks on her for the racy moments in pro-wrestling.

Connecticut Democrats have gone after McMahon for some of the WWE's content, including depictions of public sex, rape and necrophilia.

McMahon was asked about it in an online chat hosted by The Day:

WWE is a company that produces fiction. It's a soap opera that runs 52 weeks a year. I think instead of focusing on fictitious content, we need to focus on the issues that are real: unemployment, job creation, healthcare, education and the direction our country is taking in terms of fiscal issues. Those are the serious issues of the day, not the fiction that WWE creates for its entertainment product.

I will also say that the people I have spoken to around this state smile when I give the analogy that I don't believe the voters who elected Arnold Schwarzenegger expected him to show up in one of his outfits from the movie "Terminator" in Sacramento.

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Chris Dodd

Dodd In Trouble, New Poll Says

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 12, 2009, 9:48AM

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) is struggling in his bid for reelection, according to a new poll out today from Quinnipiac University. Both big name potential GOP nominees now lead Dodd, with former Rep. Rob Simmons beating Dodd by double digits, 49-38. Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon, another potential GOP opponent, also beats Dodd by a slimmer margin.

But as the pollster said it in its release today, those names are just two of the problems Dodd faces:

"Even potential Republican contenders with almost no name recognition and almost no Republican primary voter support give Dodd a run for his money."

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CT-SEN

CT Dems Charge WWE Violated Campaign Finance Law By Removing Necrophilia Video

Christina Bellantoni | November 2, 2009, 11:19AM

Connecticut Democrats filed a Federal Elections Commission complaint today against Linda McMahon, her campaign and World Wrestling Entertainment, charging they violated the law by removing racy WWE videos last month.

McMahon (R-CT) is one of several candidates hoping to challenge Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) next year. She is the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and wife of WWE principal Vince McMahon.

After TPMDC and others posted videos of WWE scenes depicting simulated rape and a wrestler pretending to have sex with a corpse, they were taken down from YouTube.

We spoke at the time to WWE's VP of PR and corporate communications, who said accusations the removal had anything to do with politics are false, but Democrats charge the move is equivalent to a campaign contribution from a corporation.

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Chris Dodd

Key Senators React To Lieberman's Fuzzy Public Option Logic

Brian Beutler | October 28, 2009, 9:32AM

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)

One of the most puzzling things about Sen. Joe Lieberman's opposition to the public option is that he says it's based in a belief that a new government "entitlement" will end up being a large burden on taxpayers. In fact, the public option will be paid into (i.e. not subsidized like an entitlement) and the vast consensus among experts, partisan and non-partisan, is that a public option will save the government lots of loot. Moreover, they conclude that the bigger the plan is, the more money it will save.

Yesterday, I asked Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Lieberman's Connecticut colleague Chris Dodd (D-CT) what they thought of Lieberman's backward thinking.

Singing the praises of her preferred 'trigger' solution, Snowe said "[triggers] obviously can have a maximum impact...certainly, not as comparable to a full public option and what they want, but on the other hand what you're doing with the public option is basically crowding out the private sector, because of the government's, you know, inordinate advantage in the market place."

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Chris Dodd

Dodd: I Fought For A Public Option

Brian Beutler | October 26, 2009, 5:26PM

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)--who lead the HELP committee's health care process, and supported the public plan behind the scenes--is a very big reason this compromise came to life. He wants you to know that: "I fought for a strong public option - in the HELP Committee and in this merger process - because it is the best way to keep costs low and insurance companies honest," said Dodd.

Majority Leader Reid has made a bold and right choice to endorse the HELP Committee public option, along with a provision allowing states to opt out. At its core, health care reform is about making insurance more stable and affordable for those who have it, and available to those who don't, while improving quality and lowering costs. I believe that the public option is a key component to successful reform, and I will continue to lead the fight for it on the Senate floor.

Health Care

Gibbs: Obama Is 'Pleased' Public Option Included

Christina Bellantoni | October 26, 2009, 3:51PM

White House Press Sec. Robert Gibbs

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs issued a statement reacting to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's press conference on health care:

"The President congratulates Senator Reid and Chairmen Baucus and Dodd for their hard work on health insurance reform. Thanks to their efforts, we're closer than we've ever been to solving this decades-old problem. And while much work remains, the President is pleased that at the progress that Congress has made. He's also pleased that the Senate has decided to include a public option for health coverage, in this case with an allowance for states to opt out. As he said to Congress and the nation in September, he supports the public option because it has the potential to play an essential role in holding insurance companies accountable through choice and competition."

CT-SEN

McMahon Buys Statewide Airtime During Dodd-Obama Fundraiser

Christina Bellantoni | October 21, 2009, 2:30PM

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Candidate for Senate Linda McMahon

Senate hopeful Linda McMahon (R-CT) has bought airtime for a statewide campaign ad Friday aimed to compete with President Obama's fundraiser for Sen. Chris Dodd.

Dodd (D-CT) and Obama are doing a $1,000 per plate fundraiser as part of the president's political push this week.

McMahon, a billionaire who is the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, will speak to the camera for the 30-second ad. It will run throughout the state and also reach into the New York media market.

Campaign spokesman Ed Patru said:

"Chris Dodd has spent a career chasing special interest cash and looking out for their interests. He was asleep at the switch while the banking system crashed, then he rewarded his special interest friends in the financial industry with taxpayer-funded bonuses. He's created a mess and it's time for him to go. It's important for Connecticut voters to know that just as another 6,600 people in the state have lost their jobs, and the state's unemployment rate hits a 33-year high, Chris Dodd is calling in every last political favor he's built up over 30 years as a career politician, and scrounging for every last special interest dollar in an attempt to save his job. Linda will remind Connecticut's families of that Friday."

McMahon is one in a crowded field of Republicans hoping to unseat Dodd next fall, and we posted last week about the Connecticut Democrats going after her WWE ties.

Health Care

Dems Keep Quiet As Leaders Hash Out Key Health Care Details

Brian Beutler | October 20, 2009, 6:35PM

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV); Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel; Senator Max Baucus (D-MT); Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT)

Another day, and still a dearth of details. Senators and White House officials were almost comically tight-lipped throughout the afternoon on the progress of health care reform negotiations, even though it's clear by now that the people in the room hashing out the Senate's bill are getting down to the nitty gritty.

During a weekly caucus meeting, Democrats were briefed on the details of last night's health care powwow, yet, afterward, none were forthcoming with details.

"What I'm especially pleased about is that we're not rushing," said Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE). "I'm sure there's some who are impatient."

"It wasn't a townhall meeting at all. It was more like a prayer meeting," said Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE), who declined to divulge any specifics.

"We got into it a little bit, not a lot," added Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). "[Leadership is] extremely open and working with everybody."

In a moment of coyness gone awry, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters, "we're leaning towards talking about the public option." Last night his spokesman Jim Manley said, without going into detail, that Senate and White House negotiators discussed "the public option, affordability, and other key issues," during their evening scrum.

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Chris Dodd

Health Care Negotiations Between Senate, White House Continue Tonight

Brian Beutler | October 20, 2009, 10:06AM

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)

The intricate process of turning two very different health care bills into one will continue tonight, as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hosts Sens. Chris Dodd (D-CT), Max Baucus (D-MT), and a number of high-level White House officials in his offices tonight.

Last night, Reid spokesman Jim Manley said the health care bill will come to the floor just as soon as a CBO cost estimate is available. Before negotiations got under way in earnest, Reid suggested that the Senate would begin debate on a single piece of legislation on October 26, but aides now caution that we're more likely to see action in the first or second week of November.

Before that time, negotiators will have to make some potentially monumental decisions, including whether or not the bill that comes to the floor will include a public option. We'll keep tabs for you.

Health Care

White House, Senate Principals Discuss Public Option, But Reach No Decisions--Talks Continue Tuesday

Brian Beutler | October 19, 2009, 7:36PM

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV); Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel; Senator Max Baucus (D-MT); Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT)

Senate health care leaders, and White House officials including Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Office of Health Reform Director Nancy-Ann DeParle and Sens. Chris Dodd (D-CT), Max Baucus (D-MT), Harry Reid (D-NV), met behind closed doors for over an hour in a leadership office Monday night to discuss and negotiate the merging of two different health care bills.

A spokesman for Reid was mum about the details, except to say that the group discussed the public option, affordability and other issues at the heart of the plan to reform the nation's health care system.

The same officials are expected to huddle again Tuesday to continue the talks.

Health Care

The Big Huddle: Where Health Care Goes From Here

Christina Bellantoni | October 19, 2009, 6:30PM

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)

Top Senate Democrats are huddling behind closed doors this evening with key White House advisors in hopes of crafting a health care bill that hits one big magic number: 60.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is the referee between Sen. Max Baucus' more conservative bill and Sen. Chris Dodd's more liberal one, and the White House deployed chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and presidential health care adviser Nancy-Ann DeParle.

It's a merger meeting extraordinaire.

The group has been quiet on goals for the evening, and the White House has taken a step back from official comments to let the Senate do its business. Aides know it's now in Reid's court to come up with a bill that can keep his caucus in line, though Hill staffers want President Obama to lay out his dealbreakers.

The group is under pressure to get a deal done quickly, but they also are attempting to avoid the media spotlight as dozens of reporters camp outside Reid's senate office.

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CT-SEN

WWE Removes Necrophilia Videos From YouTube After Dems Use Them Against McMahon

Christina Bellantoni | October 16, 2009, 6:05PM

A few hours after TPMDC detailed Connecticut Democrats using racy World Wrestling Entertainment scenes against GOP candidate Linda McMahon, WWE had YouTube remove the videos.

Connecticut political blog My Left Nutmeg caught their removal, but the Democrats mashed up the most eye-popping (and not-safe-for-work-or-children) scenes with voiceover of McMahon talking about how "PG" and "fun" WWE is. She's the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and wife of WWE principal Vince McMahon.

It's worth noting that WWE only removed a handful of videos, not the more than 500,000 that exist on YouTube. I've asked folks in their corporate headquarters for more information, and will update when they respond.

Also, a source points out that Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), who McMahon hopes to defeat in 2010, has taken more than $922,000 from the TV and movie industry, according to OpenSecrets. The source wonders if Dodd condones violence and sex depicted on film.

Late update: WWE's VP of PR and corporate communications got back to me just now, saying accusations the removal had anything to do with politics are false.

"It's an ongoing battle with online piracy," Robert Zimmerman told TPMDC. "It's copyrighted material, it's our intellectual property."

He said they "scour" the Internet for their videos and said they go after all of them, not just ones used for political purposes.

"We would love to be able to take everything down," he said. "It's WWE content and if we own it we are asking them to take it down."

Sunday Shows

The Sunday Show Line-Ups

Eric Kleefeld | October 16, 2009, 3:23PM

Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel

Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:

• ABC, This Week: White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod.

• CBS, Face The Nation: White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH).

• CNN, State Of The Union: White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA).

• Fox News Sunday: Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), Sen. John Thune (R-SD), former Bush White House adviser Karl Rove, former DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe.

• NBC, Meet The Press: White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ), California First Lady Maria Shriver, Center for American Progress president John Podesta.

CT-SEN

CT Dems: WWE Clips Suggest McMahon Condones Necrophilia

Christina Bellantoni | October 16, 2009, 1:44PM

Connecticut Democrats have unearthed some generally gross videos of WWE scenes as evidence they say proves GOP candidate Linda McMahon has "no place" in the Senate.

Billionaire McMahon (R-CT) is one of several candidates hoping to defeat Sen. Chris Dodd (D) in the 2010 race. She's the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and wife of WWE principal Vince McMahon.

In a release today, the Connecticut Democratic Party sent reporters links to WWE videos they say objectify women. Among the videos are wrestlers engaged in a simulated rape, a public sex scene and one depicting a wrestler having sex with a corpse. Warning, the video clips are very much not safe for work.

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Health Care

After Tense Health Care Discussion, Dems Predict Unanimity On Reform

Brian Beutler | October 15, 2009, 2:52PM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

After what Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) indicated was a tense health care discussion, Senate health care leaders declared, confidently, that the overhaul package that comes to the floor will earn every Democratic vote. However, they also made clear that the ultimate decision maker on key questions like the public option is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

"Reid's making these decisions ultimately, and I think he's listening and...I feel good about it," said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

"Conrad spoke out for co-ops," Brown said, "six or seven people spoke out for [the public option]," adding later that the pro-public option senators were articulating a policy preference, and not pressuring Reid to act one way or another as he weaves two competing Senate bills together. Nobody, he says, spoke out against a public plan.

Brown's confidence springs from a belief that conservative Democrats do not want to be held responsible for killing reform. "No Democrat wants to be on the wrong side of history and vote on a procedural vote to kill the most important domestic vote of their careers," Brown said.

But Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus went even further and suggested that every Democrat would ultimately vote for the final bill.

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Health Care

Senate Health Care Leaders To Brief Caucus On Shape Of Reform Bill

Brian Beutler | October 15, 2009, 9:56AM

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV); Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel; Senator Max Baucus (D-MT); Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT)

Yesterday's hour-long health care meeting between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Sens. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Max Baucus (D-MT), and a number of White House principles didn't yield too many noteworthy public developments. But what went on behind closed doors will be the focus of a Democratic caucus meeting today, where health care leaders will brief their colleagues on the early stages of negotiations as they merge two competing pieces of health care legislation.

At the meeting, Democrats will be given a chance to air their concerns, though none is expected to draw a line in the sand over any issue. One of the key questions the caucus faces is whether to heed the will of the party's majority and include a public option in the overall Senate bill, or to defer to the concerns of the party's conservatives, a few of whom join the Republican minority in opposing the idea of creating a government insurance plan.

On hand yesterday from the White House were Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Legislative Adviser Phil Schiliro, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and OMB Director Peter Orszag.

Health Care

Reid Dismisses Schumer's Insistence That Public Option Is In His Hands

Brian Beutler | October 14, 2009, 2:54PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

Speaking to reporters just outside the Senate chamber this afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid scoffed at the suggestion--articulated last night by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)--that the public option is simply in his hands.

"He would rather say anything so it wasn't up to him," Reid said, before departing for a meeting with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, and Sens. Max Baucus (D-MT) and Chris Dodd (D-CT). The four will hold the first meeting about how to shape a health care bill that will soon be introduced on the Senate floor.

Other senators have been significantly less vocal than Schumer (at least in public) with respect to what steps Reid should take to include the public option. I caught up with Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and asked him whether he agreed with Schumer. He said, "I'm definitely for the public option, I want it included in the final bill. I'm gonna leave it up to the Majority Leader's judgment and the vote of the Senate as to when that's going to take place."

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) was less forthcoming. "I never second guess the leadership on what kind of procedural moves they make," he said. "I just vote as I choose. I don't comment on their decisions."

Health Care

Key Senators, Rahm, To Hold Inaugural Meeting On Senate Health Care Bill

Brian Beutler | October 14, 2009, 10:13AM

Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel

At 2:30 this afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will host Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in the first of several meetings presaging the merger of two major health care bills. The foursome is expected to discuss key issues at the heart of the reform process--affordability, Medicare, the public option, revenues--but no decisions are expected today.

The meeting kicks off a process that may be the most important of the entire health care debate. Reid, in consultation with Senate health care leaders and White House officials will crib from the Senate HELP Committee's health care bill, and the more conservative Senate Finance Committee health care bill, which was voted favorably out of committee after multiple delays yesterday.

Reid and the White House will be the focus of a great deal of attention in the coming days from the liberal base, which is adamant that health care reform include a public option, and that party leaders prevent rank and file senators from joining Republicans in a filibuster of the final bill. If Reid decides that the legislation he brings to the floor will include a public option it would be a game changer--and public option supporters within his own party aren't being shy about their preference.

Additional reporting by Christina Bellantoni

Chris Dodd

Poll: Dodd Still Trails In Connecticut, But Is Inching Up

Eric Kleefeld | September 17, 2009, 9:47AM

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)

The new Quinnipiac poll in Connecticut suggests that Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd could be beginning to climb out of the hole he's been in -- but he's still most definitely in it.

Former Rep. Rob Simmons, the GOP establishment favorite, leads Dodd by 44%-39%, down from a 48%-39% lead in July. The margin of error is ±3.2%

Dodd's approval rating is at 43%, with a disapproval of 49%, but this too is an improvement over his 42%-52% rating in July. In addition, 40% of registered voters say he is honest and trustworthy, compared to 51% who say he is not, up from a 35%-55% deficit in July.

From the pollster's analysis: "Sen. Christopher Dodd's approval keeps edging up, and he is bringing down his high negatives. For the first time in six months, his disapproval is under 50 percent, just barely."

CT-SEN

Economist Peter Schiff Announces Run Against Chris Dodd

Rachel Slajda | September 17, 2009, 9:21AM

Peter Schiff

Economist Peter Schiff will run for Chris Dodd's Senate seat, he announced today on MSNBC.

Schiff, an economist who runs a brokerage firm, has earned fame over the past year for his book, called Crash Proof: How to Profit from the Coming Economic Collapse, and his predictions that the economy would collapse. He's running as a Republican and already faces four challengers in the primary: former WWE CEO Linda McMahon, State Sen. Sam Caligiuri, Former Ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley and former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, who's seen as the front-runner.

"I can't sit idly by and watch a train wreck in slow motion," Schiff said this morning.

"The main reason I think we should get rid of Chris Dodd is, he represents everything that is wrong with Congress. He is potentially the poster boy for the economic crisis, [and for] the much bigger crisis we're gonna go through over the next few years if someone doesn't go to Washington and put a stop to these destructive policies," he said.

The state Democratic party has already released a statement attacking Schiff for his lack of experience.

"The fact that I haven't had experience ruining the country, that I haven't brought the banking system to its knees," he said, "that's my greatest attribute."

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CT-SEN

Pro-Wrestling Executive Officially Launches Bid For GOP Nomination Against Dodd

Eric Kleefeld | September 16, 2009, 1:29PM

Former Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon (R-CT)

Linda McMahon, the CEO of Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment, has now officially resigned her position in order to run for Senate in 2010 against Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) -- joining a crowded Republican field, despite the NRSC's efforts to rally behind former Rep. Rob Simmons.

In her announcement video, McMahon introduces herself, touts her long experience in business, and pledges to run an unconventional campaign: "For starters, I won't be accepting campaign contributions from PAC's or other special interest groups -- and I will limit all contributions from individuals to $100. I think Connecticut deserves a Senator that isn't bought and paid for by the banks and Washington special interests."

To her credit, this is a pretty good video. Then again, another video of her has been making the rounds -- the sort of thing that might detract from her efforts to be taken seriously.

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Chris Dodd

Poll: Dodd Trails Simmons By Ten Points

Eric Kleefeld | September 11, 2009, 4:32PM

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)

A new Rasmussen poll finds that Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) continues to trail former Rep. Rob Simmons, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination.

The numbers: Simmons 49%, Dodd 39%. Former Ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley also leads Dodd by 43%-40%. Dodd leads state Sen. Sam Caligiuri by 43%-40%, and edges out financial commentator Peter Schiff -- a favorite of the Ron Paul crowd -- by 42%-40%.

The state remains good ground for Democrats overall, though. Connecticut voters approve of President Obama by 59%-39%, and they also favor the health care reform plan by 52%-46%. Dodd, however, is still stuck in the mud for now.

Chris Dodd

Dodd Chooses Not to Take Kennedy's HELP Committee Gavel

Brian Beutler | September 9, 2009, 9:05AM

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)

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.

Ted Kennedy

Like it or not, Kennedy's Death Will Impact the Health Care Debate--But How?

Brian Beutler | August 26, 2009, 2:32PM

As Josh suggested on the home page earlier today it's futile to completely sequester the historical moment of Ted Kennedy's death from the political moment of the day. Kennedy passed away in the middle of a health care debate he couldn't really shape, but that, more than almost any living politician, he'd helped to engender.

For both personal and political reasons, a great number of Democrats find the notion that health care reform might fail in the wake of Kennedy's death unacceptable. Undoubtedly, just as many Republicans will declare that using Kennedy's memory in the service of passing legislation is inappropriate.

But while these two opposing stances will dominate the headlines, and media figures will breathlessly ask if Democrats or Republicans are politicizing Kennedy's death, the more interesting question will be, How much influence will these two factions have on those who sit on the fence?

Already we're seeing the first signs that Democrats hope Kennedy's death will galvanize the majority, end the squabbling over minutae, and pass legislation that would have made him proud.

Ted Kennedy

Dodd: Teddy's Passing Should Remind People We're Here To Get A Job Done

Brian Beutler | August 26, 2009, 1:31PM

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) was perhaps Ted Kennedy's closest friend in the U.S. Senate. The mens' history together goes back to the days when Kennedy served with Dodd's father, and continued until two weeks ago when, Dodd said today, they had one of their "best talks" about health care. According to Dodd, it was as if Kennedy had never been sick.

On a conference call with reporters this afternoon, Dodd recalled that Kennedy had tried to raise his spirits just a few weeks ago when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer--welcoming him, in Dodd's words "to the cancer club."

Dodd says he hopes Kennedy's death will spur Congress to action on health care and other initiatives. "Maybe Teddy's passing will remind people that we're here to get a job done," Dodd said.