Chris Dodd for President

Yesterday Senator Dodd introduced a legislative plan to crack down on predatory lending. Today, Gabe of Connecticut Local Politics offers his praise and analysis for the Dodd plan.

Speaking for someone who who always pays a little extra on each mortgage check, the first point makes a lot of sense. Why would we, as a society, allow the least wealthy homeowners who are the highest risk to be blocked from paying off their mortgages early while allowing the wealthiest who are the lowest risk to do so? Do we like the idea of foreclosures and falling property values?

You know what else makes a lot of sense? Not allowing lenders to steer prime-eligible homebuyers into higher risk subprime mortgages. It increases the risk both on the buyers and their neighbors (whose own properties stand to lose value if there is a flood of foreclosures in the neighborhood) - for no good reason.

In case any of the other Democratic candidates are wondering, this is what leadership looks like.

I agree Gabe. Dodd is leading to stop predatory lending and help Americans stay in their homes. He's using his position in the Senate to lead now and is not waiting until he's in the Oval Office to make a difference in people's lives.

Senator Chris Dodd held a long committee hearing yesterday to assess the state of the subprime mortgage market. Dodd "blamed the recent rise in housing foreclosures on regulatory neglect and urged the Federal Reserve and others to 'put the brakes' on abusive and unsustainable lending," writes the Connecticut Post and "laid out what he called a 'chronology of regulatory neglect' as banks and other lenders loosened their standards for making riskier mortgage loans during the boom. He later said he plans to convene a special summit of regulators, mortgage lenders, consumer groups and others to work out a plan of relief for vulnerable homeowners," according to the AP. The AP story ran in more than 100 papers, including in all four early states.

The South Carolina Democratic Party, South Carolina State University and House Majority Whip James Clyburn invited Democratic candidates to an April 26th debate -- the first of the primary season -- in Orangeburg, and Senator Chris Dodd was first out of the gate accepting the invite. “The fact that we will be at Congressman Jim Clyburn’s alma mater for this first debate makes it even more significant,” said Dodd.

We know Senator Chris Dodd is a great guy, so we weren't surprised with this report from the Washington Examiner. Check it out, it's a great story. We started a new page called Trail Tales today, for all those times when we find a moment on the trail we just can't pass up. We've posted our first video here, of Senator Dodd stopping by Hampton (NH) Fire Station Number 2 and trying to recruit a new babysitter

Talk about dedication. Thanks to an ill-timed Nor'easter, Senator Chris Dodd's flight to Manchester was canceled last night, so he hopped a plane to Washington then jumped on a train for Boston pretty late at night. He had to cancel his first event in Bedford, but the rest of the schedule remains intact. I was in Chicago with him, so here's a special weekend version of what they're saying.