Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT), was scored by the Washington Post on the percentage of votes on which a lawmaker agrees with the position taken by a majority of his or her party members. The scores do not include missed votes.
Their summary: Voted with Democratic Party 95.8% of 238 votes. Overall, Democrats voted with their party 88.4% of the time, and Republicans voted with their party 81.7% of the time (votes Jan. 8 through Sept. 8, 2007).
Source: Washington Post, "US Congress Votes Database"
Sep 8, 2007
Decisive moments: joining Peace Corps; & loss of father
Q: What's the decisive moment in your life that led you to seek the presidency?
A: Well, there were two moments. One was the decision to join the Peace Corps, getting excited about John Kennedy inviting a generation of us to be a part of things larger
than ourselves. And the second was, a week before my father died, when he was asked, "Would he do it all over again?," he said he'd do it in a minute, because you can never do as much for the public good as you can through a public life.
Source: 2007 Democratic primary debate on "This Week"
Aug 19, 2007
Americans aren't divided; our political establishment is
Q: What is your core platform?
A: The core platform is to get America back on track again both at home and abroad, with strong leadership that knows how to bring people together. Americans aren't divided. Our political establishment is.
Americans want to see us solve the problems of energy and health care, make us less vulnerable, less isolated in the world. We want to once again feel good about our country and leave a generation coming along with more opportunities than the present.
Source: Fox News Sunday: 2007 "Choosing the President" interviews
May 6, 2007
Biggest professional mistake was the Iraq War
Q What is the most significant political or professional mistake you have made in the past four years? And what did you learn from this mistake which makes you a better candidate?
A: Well, it's been said before, won't be the first or the last, but I also agree on the war in Iraq was a huge mistake.
Source: 2007 South Carolina Democratic primary debate, on MSNBC
Apr 26, 2007
We can't survive as a nation 51-49; end partisanship
The stakes have never been higher, in my view. There's a sense of urgency in our country that I think we all feel. I believe it's going to take a sense of optimism, a sense of confidence, talking about hope for the future, bringing people together.
We can't survive as a nation 51-49. We've got to come together as a party first and then as a nation. I believe that takes optimism and confidence. It means talking about the future and rebuilding that sense of optimism in our country.
It's also going to take committed leadership, principled leadership, proven leadership. I've served in the US Senate for 26 years. I've been involved in every major domestic and foreign policy debate of our country. I know how to bring people together.
Source: 2007 AFSCME Democratic primary debate in Carson City Nevada
Feb 21, 2007
We've squandered years of building world alliances
Q: You're running for president?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: You're willing to take on Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards and say you're more qualified than they are?
A: Well, I want to make my case based on experience and judgment and ability. The very debate we're having here today, I think, indicates we need new leadership in the country.
I can't believe that in five years we've squandered years of the administration's, Republicans and Democrats, building world alliances to support us. When you think of where we were on
September 12th, 2001 and where we are today, clearly new leadership is necessary in the country, and I want to be part of that debate.
Source: Meet the Press: 2007 "Meet the Candidates" series
Jan 14, 2007
Voted NO on confirming Samuel Alito as Supreme Court Justice.
Vote on the Nomination -- a YES vote would to confirm Samuel A. Alito, Jr., of New Jersey, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Reference: Alito Nomination;
Bill PN 1059
; vote number 2006-002
on Jan 31, 2006
Voted YES on confirming John Roberts for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Vote on the Nomination (Confirmation John G. Roberts, Jr., of Maryland, to be Chief Justice of the United States )
Reference: Supreme Court Nomination of John Roberts;
Bill PN 801
; vote number 2005-245
on Sep 27, 2005
Religious affiliation: Catholic.
Dodd : religious affiliation:
The Adherents.com website is an independent project and is not supported by or affiliated with any organization (academic, religious, or otherwise).
What’s an adherent?
The most common definition used in broad compilations of statistical data is somebody who claims to belong to or worship in a religion. This is the self-identification method of determining who is an adherent of what religion, and it is the method used in most national surveys and polls.
Such factors as religious service attendance, belief, practice, familiarity with doctrine, belief in certain creeds, etc., may be important to sociologists, religious leaders, and others. But these are measures of religiosity and are usually not used academically to define a person’s membership in a particular religion. It is important to recognize there are various levels of adherence, or membership within religious traditions or religious bodies. There’s no single definition, and sources of adherent statistics do not always make it clear what definition they are using.
Source: Adherents.com web site 00-ADH11 on Nov 7, 2000
Rated 100% by the AU, indicating support of church-state separation.
Dodd scores 100% by the AU on church-state separation
OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2006 AU scores as follows:
0%- 20%: opposition to church-state separation (approx. 232 members)
21%- 79%: mixed record on church-state separation (approx. 79 members)
80%-100%: support of church-state separation (approx. 153 members)
About the AU (from their website, www.au.org):
Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.
AU is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom for all Americans.
Americans United is a national organization with members in all 50 states. We are headquartered in Washington, D.C., and led by the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director. AU has more than 75,000 members from all over the country. They include people from all walks of life and from various faith communities, as well as those who profess no particular faith. We are funded by donations from our members and others who support church-state separation. We do not seek, nor would we accept, government funding.
Dodd sponsored the 50 States Commemorative Coin Program Act
Mandates redesign of quarter-dollar coins issued during the ten-year period beginning 1999, with the reverse side emblematic of five of the 50 States each year during such period, selected in the order of their ratification of the U.S. Constitution or their admission to the Union.
Mandates that the dollar coin shall be golden in color, have a distinctive edge, with tactile and visual features making it readily discernible.
Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to place into circulation $1 coins that comply with such mandate upon depletion of the Government's supply of $1 coins bearing the likeness of Susan B. Anthony.
Corresponding House bill is H.R.2414. Became Public Law No: 105-124.
Source: Bill sponsored by 28 Senators and 1 Rep 97-S1228 on Sep 26, 1997
