Academic

CHRIS DODD UPDATE: He?s going after . . . wait for it, wait for it. . . fishy lending practices. ?

By Glenn Reynolds

CHRIS DODD UPDATE: He’s going after . . . wait for it, wait for it. . . fishy lending practices. And calling his presumptive opponent a tool of Wall Street:

On one hand, it?s interesting that Democrats have chosen to attack Simmons on his connection to lobbyists and special interests ? Dodd?s greatest weakness and the reason the five-term Senator is performing so horrendously in the polls.

In September, the Hartford Courant wrote that Dodd had collected nearly $6 million over the past two years from PACs and employees of finance-related firms. Since then, the incumbent Democrat has been linked in unflattering ways to disgraced mortgage lender Countrywide Financial and even to American International Group, the embattled insurance and financial services company.

You might think that it?s crazy for Democrats to bring up ethics, lobbyists and Washington insiders where Dodd is concerned. Shouldn?t Democrats want the Connecticut Senate race to be about something where Dodd actually looks good? No, say a number of consultants I spoke with about the tactic.

They note that the DSCC?s strategy is right out of the campaign textbook: Convince voters that there is no difference on ethics and lobbyists between Dodd and Simmons, and voters will make their vote choice on other matters, including party, where Dodd has a significant advantage.

Ah, politics.

Full post as published by Instapundit.com on May 07, 2009 (boomark / email).