The Republicans running against Chris Dodd certainly are a virtuous bunch.
Rob Simmons went on Hannity and concurred with the Hartford Courant, calling Dodd a "lying weasel" over the AIG bonus issue. But Chris Calliguri wouldn't go there. . . he's not going to call Dodd a "lying weasel" because people care about issues, not about "lying weasels," and to call Chris Dodd a "lying weasel" is negative, and people don't want the kind of negative campaigning that using words like "lying weasel" about Chris Dodd would mean, so no, he's not going to call Chris Dodd a "lying weasel," thank you very much.
Whew! Now that Chris Dodd has said he won't take any money from TARP recipients, these two virgins will certainly remain taint-free from such filthy campaign lucre and we can all sip soft drinks and read the Nancy Drew for the rest of the race. It'll be like the first Senate purity ball, doncha think?
Or maybe not. From the same Hartford Courant that Simmons and Calliguri quote with such reverence:
"I haven't thought about that," Caligiuri responded when I asked whether he planned on refusing any money from anyone.
That's so lame it's funny. They all know it will take piles of money to even attempt a race against the still formidable Dodd. Oh, they're happy to whack Dodd for taking the money — but don't ask them whether they will refuse the same cash.
Wow. So disappointed. I guess that leaves Rob Simmons as the only Republican still clutching the abstinence ring:
So I turned to Rob Simmons, now crushing Dodd in the Q-poll, and asked him whether his reform plan includes rejecting cash from hedge funds, Wall Street fat cats or anyone remotely connected to AIG.
"I don't feel that I have any constraints on me," Simmons said.
That's for sure. During his career in Congress, Simmons has accepted more than $1 million from PACs and individuals associated with finance, insurance and real estate.
I tried again with Simmons. Does all this talk about Dodd being a lying weasel mean that you will reject the kind of contributions that the senator's critics are slamming him for?
"I'm a private citizen right now. I'm not a member of the Senate. I'm not the chair of the powerful banking committee, which oversees this disaster to the economy," Simmons said.
Simmons is making a fine point here that may be too subtle for most voters to understand. When Chris Dodd has a $1000 a head dinner with hedge fund managers, it's a "shakedown." But when Simmons does it, he's is a private citizen:
OK then, would you reject money from a hedge fund millionaire?
"If I was the chair of the banking committee involved with all these scandals do you think I would go to New York and have a dinner with hedge fund managers?"
Maybe that's a no. But perhaps if you are running for senator and calling your opponent a weasel on national TV, you should at least be willing to pledge you won't take money from the same sources that everyone is hammering Chris Dodd about.
AIG is headquartered in Hartford, it's going to be almost impossible for any candidate not to take money from them in one way or another. But I think most people may be just a wee bit skeptical when Simmons starts accepting huge campaign cash from FIRE (finance, insurance, real estate money) to beat Dodd over the head for being in the pocket of. . . FIRE.
Well, there go all my hopes that the Republicans will save us from the influence of the evil banks. Next thing you know, they're going to burst all my bubbles and tell me that whole Tea Party thing is bullshit.
Can we just pass the Fair Elections Bill, please?
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