Stories related to: Chris Dodd

A Senate committee is close to agreeing on expansion of a government insurance program for refinanced mortgages, the Wall Street Journal reports. Though ridden with partisan conflict as recently as a week ago, staff for Democrat Chris Dodd and Republican Richard Shelby said today the sides were nearing a compromise, and a vote to move the measure along could come in the next few hours. More »

Harry Reid brushed aside yesterday suggestions Hillary Clinton, fresh from a primary defeat to Barack Obama, might ascend to the top Senate job. “Keep in mind,” he told the Huffington Post, “a senator coming back who’s run for president is not a very unique one. Sen. John Kerry ran, he’s back. Chris Dodd ran, he’s back. Joe Biden ran, he’s back.” More »

President Bush said today that he would veto the Democratic housing bill being worked on in the House of Representatives. Bush claims the bill would unfairly bail out "speculators and lenders," the Washington Post reports. "I will veto the bill that's moving through the House today if it makes it to my desk," he promised. More »

The Senate approved a $15 billion measure to address the housing slump today, including $6 billion in total tax breaks to homebuilding firms and a $7,000 tax credit for buyers of foreclosed homes. Though it passed by an 84-12 margin, opposition from President Bush and the House could yet sink the measure, Reuters reports. More »

Bear Stearns was just hours from collapse, and letting it go down would have been disastrous, executives and regulators argued on Capital Hill today while defending the controversial bailout, the New York Times reports. Without the takeover, “we would all be facing a far more dire set of challenges,” said JPMorgan CEO James Dimon, citing the possibility of a mass run on other investment banks. More »

Ex-Fed chief Alan Greenspan and other high-profile economic bigwigs should take the lead in deciding whether the government should buy homes affected by the housing crisis, Hillary Clinton says. "As it has in the past, this kind of temporary measure by the government could give our economy the boost it needs and families the help they need," the candidate said today in Philadelphia. More »

Barack Obama didn’t take part in meetings on immigration legislation in 2006, recalls Arlen Specter, one of the handful of senators who did, but Specter just shrugs when the Illinois Democrat says he did. “It’s not an unusual matter for senators to take a little extra credit,” Specter says—and both Obama and Hillary Clinton have taken liberal helpings so far, the Washington Post reports. More »

Barack Obama said today that both Democratic campaigns should chill out. “It is important for me as well as Sen. Clinton to communicate to our staffs as well that we’re both trying out for quarterback, but we’re on the same team,” said Obama. He noted that the trail has become noticeably "hotter" in recent days, the LA Times reports. More »

Riding a record turnout of young, independent and new voters, Barack Obama decisively won the Democratic caucuses in Iowa last night, with John Edwards narrowly edging out Hillary Clinton for second. With all Democratic precincts reporting, Obama, aiming to be the first black president of the United States, prevailed with a commanding 38%; Edwards took 30% and Clinton 29%, CNN reports. More »

With four days of campaigning left in Iowa, leading White House hopefuls skipped church services and attended another weekend ritual—Sunday political talk shows. GOP frontrunner Mike Huckabee missed a service at the Cornerstone Family Church to appear on NBC, and Hillary Clinton arrived late and slipped out early at a Des Moines Baptist church service, although her ABC appearance was pre-taped, reports the McClatchy newspapers.  More »