Sen Christopher J Dodd

Congressional attempts to pass the most sweeping overhaul of financial regulations since the Great Depression suffered a potentially devastating blow Thursday as the lead senator working on the legislation vowed to move forward next week without Republican support. With the legislative clock ticking and bipartisan talks stalling, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) said he needed to press ahead without the consensus legislation he has been seeking during weeks of intensive negotiations with Republicans.

Bob Pisano is stepping down as president and chief operating officer of the Motion Picture Assn. of America after nearly six years on the job. Pisano's departure was expected after the board of the MPAA, which acts as Hollywood's chief lobbying arm on Capitol Hill, hired former U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd as its chairman and chief executive this year. The MPAA is not expected to fill Pisano's position. A spokesman for the group said Pisano's departure was a "mutual decision" reached with Dodd.

Against the backdrop of the H1N1 flu pandemic, congressional Democrats are pushing for emergency sick-leave legislation and using the crisis to garner support for a wider-ranging bill -- both of which, they say, would help prevent a more rapid spread of the virus by mandating that employers provide workers with paid time off. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), chairing a health subcommittee hearing Tuesday, said that requiring businesses with 15 or more employees to offer seven paid days off a year would end a dangerous choice "between staying healthy and making ends meet."

Reform plan Highlights of Sen. Christopher J. Dodd's financial regulatory overhaul proposal: Creates an autonomous consumer protection bureau within the Federal Reserve Grants the government power to seize and dismantle large firms if they're near collapse Establishes a council of regulators to monitor the economy for signs of major risks Adds new regulations for hedge funds and derivatives markets ...

Reform plan Highlights of Sen. Christopher J. Dodd's financial regulatory overhaul proposal: Creates an autonomous consumer protection bureau within the Federal Reserve Grants the government power to seize and dismantle large firms if they're near collapse Establishes a council of regulators to monitor the economy for signs of major risks Adds new regulations for hedge funds and derivatives markets ...

Sen. Christopher J. Dodd has been released from the hospital after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer. A statement from his office said the 65-year-old lawmaker was released from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Dodd spokesman Bryan DeAngelis said the Democratic senator was recovering well at home in East Haddam. Dodd expects to resume a full Senate schedule by the time members of Congress return from their summer recess Sept. 8.

Sen. Christopher J. Dodd this week joined the generations of dreamers who have called for eliminating the nation's muddle of banking regulators, arguing that a single agency would be more efficient and would end the ability of banks to choose the most lenient supervisor. "The financial crisis," Dodd (D-Conn.) said, "exposed a financial regulatory structure that was the product of historic accidents, one after another, over the past 80 years, created piece by piece over decades, with little thought given to how it would function as a whole and unable to prevent threats to our economic security."

Apolitical obituary for Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), who has announced that he won't seek a sixth term, would have to note that for a man who was so often right about political issues, it's remarkable that he could be so frequently wrong about his personal finances. Dodd, 65, is one of several prominent Democratic politicians who have recently opted to retire, including Sen. Byron L. Dorgan of North Dakota and Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. Most of those bowing out are centrists in traditionally conservative states where voter anger over healthcare reform and the federal stimulus program have produced a backlash against Democrats.

Capping a bitter, week-long debate on child care, the Senate Thursday approved a $1.75-billion, Democratic-backed measure that would expand day care programs across the nation and distribute the majority of funds to low-income parents. Republicans, however, vowed to offer a flurry of amendments before the Senate takes a final vote on the bill and sponsors said that the sweeping legislation is likely to undergo significant changes. "There are thousands of working parents who need this assistance, who have no choice about going to work and seeking care for their children," said Sen. Wyche Fowler Jr. (D-Ga.

As Sen. Christopher J. Dodd unveiled a sweeping plan last week to overhaul regulation of the banking industry, and as the banking industry complained loudly that this would be a horrible idea, I couldn't help but think of Silver Lake resident Jonathan Leahy. Leahy, 31, had shared with me a couple of letters he received recently from Chase Bank regarding his two different Chase credit cards. Both letters arrived the same day. One said that "we are pleased to let you know that your revolving credit access . . . has been increased to $10,300" -- a reward for Leahy being such a good credit risk.

Congressional attempts to pass the most sweeping overhaul of financial regulations since the Great Depression suffered a potentially devastating blow Thursday as the lead senator working on the legislation vowed to move forward next week without Republican support. With the legislative clock ticking and bipartisan talks stalling, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) said he needed to press ahead without the consensus legislation he has been seeking during weeks of intensive negotiations with Republicans.

Apolitical obituary for Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), who has announced that he won't seek a sixth term, would have to note that for a man who was so often right about political issues, it's remarkable that he could be so frequently wrong about his personal finances. Dodd, 65, is one of several prominent Democratic politicians who have recently opted to retire, including Sen. Byron L. Dorgan of North Dakota and Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. Most of those bowing out are centrists in traditionally conservative states where voter anger over healthcare reform and the federal stimulus program have produced a backlash against Democrats.

In deciding not to seek reelection, Sen. Christopher J. Dodd became perhaps the highest-profile political casualty of the deep recession and public outrage over the financial industry bailout. His rapid fall -- from 2008 presidential hopeful to lame-duck legislator -- parallels the arc of the nation's economic downturn. Long associated with Wall Street, Dodd saw his chances for winning reelection clouded by disclosures that he was among the "Friends of Angelo," who received preferential mortgage rates at Angelo Mozilo's troubled Countrywide Financial Corp.

As Sen. Christopher J. Dodd unveiled a sweeping plan last week to overhaul regulation of the banking industry, and as the banking industry complained loudly that this would be a horrible idea, I couldn't help but think of Silver Lake resident Jonathan Leahy. Leahy, 31, had shared with me a couple of letters he received recently from Chase Bank regarding his two different Chase credit cards. Both letters arrived the same day. One said that "we are pleased to let you know that your revolving credit access . . . has been increased to $10,300" -- a reward for Leahy being such a good credit risk.

As Sen. Christopher J. Dodd unveiled a sweeping plan last week to overhaul regulation of the banking industry, and as the banking industry complained loudly that this would be a horrible idea, I couldn't help but think of Silver Lake resident Jonathan Leahy. Leahy, 31, had shared with me a couple of letters he received recently from Chase Bank regarding his two different Chase credit cards. Both letters arrived the same day. One said that "we are pleased to let you know that your revolving credit access . . . has been increased to $10,300" -- a reward for Leahy being such a good credit risk.

Sen. Christopher J. Dodd this week joined the generations of dreamers who have called for eliminating the nation's muddle of banking regulators, arguing that a single agency would be more efficient and would end the ability of banks to choose the most lenient supervisor. "The financial crisis," Dodd (D-Conn.) said, "exposed a financial regulatory structure that was the product of historic accidents, one after another, over the past 80 years, created piece by piece over decades, with little thought given to how it would function as a whole and unable to prevent threats to our economic security."

As Sen. Christopher J. Dodd unveiled a sweeping plan last week to overhaul regulation of the banking industry, and as the banking industry complained loudly that this would be a horrible idea, I couldn't help but think of Silver Lake resident Jonathan Leahy. Leahy, 31, had shared with me a couple of letters he received recently from Chase Bank regarding his two different Chase credit cards. Both letters arrived the same day. One said that "we are pleased to let you know that your revolving credit access . . . has been increased to $10,300" -- a reward for Leahy being such a good credit risk.

In deciding not to seek reelection, Sen. Christopher J. Dodd became perhaps the highest-profile political casualty of the deep recession and public outrage over the financial industry bailout. His rapid fall -- from 2008 presidential hopeful to lame-duck legislator -- parallels the arc of the nation's economic downturn. Long associated with Wall Street, Dodd saw his chances for winning reelection clouded by disclosures that he was among the "Friends of Angelo," who received preferential mortgage rates at Angelo Mozilo's troubled Countrywide Financial Corp.

Against the backdrop of the H1N1 flu pandemic, congressional Democrats are pushing for emergency sick-leave legislation and using the crisis to garner support for a wider-ranging bill -- both of which, they say, would help prevent a more rapid spread of the virus by mandating that employers provide workers with paid time off. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), chairing a health subcommittee hearing Tuesday, said that requiring businesses with 15 or more employees to offer seven paid days off a year would end a dangerous choice "between staying healthy and making ends meet."

Sen. Christopher J. Dodd has been released from the hospital after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer. A statement from his office said the 65-year-old lawmaker was released from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Dodd spokesman Bryan DeAngelis said the Democratic senator was recovering well at home in East Haddam. Dodd expects to resume a full Senate schedule by the time members of Congress return from their summer recess Sept. 8.