ct_sen_dodd
SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD
Age: 54 Born: May 27, 1944 in Willimantic, Connecticut Education: University of Louisville, J.D. (1972); Providence College, B.A.(1966) Military: Army Reserves (1969-75) Family: Divorced from Susan Mooney Dodd in 1982, no children Hometown: East Haddam, Connecticut Religion: Catholic Career: US Senator (1980-present); US House (1974-80); attorney (1972-74); Peace Corps, Dominican Republic (1966-68) |
· Senior Connecticut Senator, Christopher Dodd comes from a political family. His father, Thomas Dodd, was elected to the U.S. House when Chris was 8 years old. He served in the U.S. Senate for two terms from 1959-71 and was censured in 1967 for misusing campaign funds for personal use.
· After graduating from law school, and during Watergate, Dodd ran for Congress. He won the 1974 election easily.
· In 1994, Dodd ran for Senate Democratic leader and lost by 1 vote (24-23) to South Dakota Sen. Thomas Daschle. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, who switched parties in March 1995, cast the deciding vote. Clinton then appointed him Democratic Party National Chairman.
· After the Â'96 election, he shouldered some of the responsibility for the illegal foreign contributions the DNC accepted from former top-level Democratic fundraiser John Huang - Donald Fowler got most of the blame.
· Dodd opposed the Helm-Burton Act - enforcing a trade embargo on Cuba.
· Dodd has taken on several liberal causes including the ABC child care bill in the 80's - elementary school style molding of pre-schools. He sponsored the Family-Medical Leave Act and wrote the safe schools section of Goals 2000.
· Between dating Bianca Jagger and being the frequent drinking partner of Sen. Ted Kennedy, DoddÂ's personal life has become campaign issue in the past. While dating Jagger, a Nicaraguan native and ex-wife of Mick Jagger, Dodd rebutted President ReaganÂ's Central America speech because he felt that the President was condoning Salvadoran security guards who, he said, murder people "gangland-style".
· He is well known for the doughnut incident in Tennessee. In 1978, while Dodd and other officials were driving to Graceland, the group stopped at a DunkinÂ' Donuts. After he and Rep. Harold Ford (D-TN) stormed the counter, doughnuts were flying across the room.