Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks, and Cronies (63 page)

2
“Dodd Falls Way Behind As Approval Drops To Lowest Ever, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters Are Angry At AIG Bonuses And Blame Dodd,” April 2, 2009; available online at:

3
Michael Powell and John Sullivan, “Dodd Endorses Obama for President,”
New York Times
, February 26, 2008; available online at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/us/politics/26cnd-campaign.html
[accessed April 30, 2009].

4
For a good overview through 2006, see Lynn Vincent and Robert Stacy McCain,
Donkey Cons: Sex, Crime and Corruption in the Democratic Party
(Nelson Current: 2006).

5
Daniel Golden, “Countrywide’s Many ‘Friends,’”
Portfolio.com
, June 12, 2008; available online at:
http://www.portfolio.com/news-markets/top-5/2008/06/12/Countrywide-Loan-Scandal
[accessed: April 30, 2009].

6
Michelle Malkin, “Another Massive Mortgage Boondoggle,”
michellemalkin.com
, April 2, 2008; available online at:
http://michelle-malkin.com/2008/04/02/another-massive-mortgage-boondoggle-and-one-lone-dissenting-vote/
[accessed: April 30, 2009].

7
David Mildenberg and Sebastian Boyd, “Countrywide to Refinance Up to $16 Billion of Loans (Update7),” October 23, 2008, Bloomberg News; available online at:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&refer=worldwide&sid=agNUe.4oR6mc
[accessed: April 30, 2009].

8
Jennifer Yachnin, “Dodd Knew He Was Countrywide VIP Since 2003,”
Roll Call
, June 17, 2008; available online at:
http://www.roll-call.com/news/25999-1.html
[accessed April 30, 2009].

9
“Connecticut Voters Are Down, But Still Like Gov. Rell, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Mortgage Scandal Takes Small Toll On Sen. Dodd,” Quinnipiac University press release, July 1, 2008; available online at:

10
Michelle Malkin, “Stop the Dodd/Countrywide bailout boondoggle,”
michellemalkin.com
, July 7, 2008; available online at:
http://michelle-malkin.com/2008/07/07/stop-the-doddcountrywide-bailout-boondoggle/
.

11
Ted Barrett, “Obama VP team discusses 20 possible picks,”
CNNPolitics.com
; available online at:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/10/obama.vp/index.html
.

12
Christopher Keating, “Edith Prague Opposes Chris Dodd as Obama VP,”
Courant.com
, July 11, 2008; available online at:
http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2008/07/edith-prague-says-obama-should.html
.

13
“Opening Statement: Turmoil in U.S. Credit Markets,” Office of Sen. Christopher Dodd, September 23, 2008; available online at:
http://dodd.senate.gov/?q=node/4572
[accessed April 30, 2009].

14
Lisa Myers & Amna Nawaz, “Feds probe Countrywide’s ‘VIP’ program,” NBC News, October 30, 2008; available online at:
http://deepbackground.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/30/1613877.aspx
[accessed April 30, 2009].

15
“Dodd and Countrywide,”
Wall Street Journal
, October 10, 2008; available online at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122360116724221681.html
[accessed April 30, 2009].

16
“Citi agrees to let judges alter mortgages,” Associated Press, January 8, 2009; available online at:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28562890/
[accessed April 30, 2009].

17
Christopher Weaver, “Show Us the Documents, Sen. Dodd,” ProPublica, February 9, 2009; available online at:
http://www.propublica.org/article/show-us-the-documents-sen-dodd
[accessed April 30, 2009].

18
Jesse A. Hamilton, “Dodd Releases Countrywide Mortgage Documents,”
Courant.com
, February 2, 2009; available online at:
http://blogs.courant.com/on_background/2009/02/dodd-releases-countrywide-mort.html
.

19
Chris Dodd, U.S. Senator from Connecticut, “Dodd makes public all of the documents related to his 2003 mortgages,” February 2, 2009; available online at: http://blogs.courant.com/on_background/Dodd’s%20Full%20Statement%20on%20Mortgages.doc.

20
Nicholas Riccardi and Johanna Neuman, “Obama criticizes McCain for lobbyist-run campaign,”
Los Angeles Times
, May 20, 2008; available online at:
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/may/20/nation/nacampaign20
.

21
Lindsay Renick Mayer, “Update: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Invest in Lawmakers,” Open Secrets, September 11, 2008; available online at:
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/09/update-fannie-maeand-freddie.html
[accessed April 30, 2009].

22
Andrew Miga, “Dodd taps Wall Street money for re-election,” Associated Press, April 20, 2009; available online at:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ixvoSkF4yknffeFgV_hCeE5mT1OQD97MBTP00
[accessed April 30, 2009].

23
Peter Urban, “Only 5 state residents donated to Dodd,”
Connecticut Post
, April 16, 2009; available online at:
http://www.connpost.com/ci_12158273
[accessed April 30, 2009].

24
Jonathan Stein and Daniel Schulman, “Chris Dodd’s Personal Bailout,”
Mother Jones
, April 2009; available online at:
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/04/chris-dodds-personal-bailout
[accessed April 30, 2009].

25
Lindsay Renick Mayer, “Power Players: Struggling Financial Firms Are Banking on Dodd,”
opensecrets.org
, January 27, 2009; available online at:
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2009/01/power-players-struggling-finan.html
[accessed April 30, 2009].

26
Timothy P. Carney, “Bank of America PAC money behind Dodd’s Countrywide loan,”
Examiner.com
, June 19, 2008; available online at:
http://www.examiner.com/a-1449448~Bank_of_America_PAC_money_behind_Dodd_s_Countrywide_loan.html
[accessed April 30, 2009].

27
“BREAKING: I was responsible for bonus loophole, says Dodd,”
CNN.com
, March 18, 2009; available online at:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/breaking-i-was-responsible-for-bonus-loophole-says-dodd/
[accessed April 30, 2009].

28
Kevin Rennie, “Dodd’s ‘Cottage’: A Cozy Purchase,”
Hartford Courant,
February 22, 2009; available online at:
http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-rennie0222.artfeb22,0,3796755.column
[accessed April 30, 2009].

29
“Judicial Watch Files Senate Ethics Complaint against Senator Christopher Dodd,” Judicial Watch, April 27, 2009; available online at:
http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2009/apr/judicial-watch-files-senate-ethics-complaint-against-senator-christopher-dodd
[accessed April 30, 2009].

30
“Obama launches presidential bid,” BBC News, February 10, 2007; available online at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6349081.stm
[accessed April 30, 2009].

NEW AFTERWORD TO THE PAPERBACK EDITION

1
Susan Davis, “Ill. Senate Candidate’s Bank Made $20 Million in Loans to Felons,”
Wall Street Journal
, April 2, 2010; available online at:
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/04/02/ill-senate-candidates-bank-made-20-million-in-loans-to-felons/tab/article/
[accessed April 22, 2010].

2
John Chase, “Alexi Giannoulias runs for U.S. Senate with President Barack Obama as a mentor,”
Chicago Tribune
, April 15, 2010; available online at:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-01-15/news/1001140829_1_obama-adviser-david-mentor-president-barack-obama/2
[accessed April 22, 2010].

3
Lynn Sweet, “State Giannoulias Hosts Obama Funder in Chicago,”
Chicago Sun-Times
, September 5, 2007; available online at:
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2007/09/sweet_blog_special_today_in_ob_1.html
[accessed April 22, 2010].

4
Rick Pearson, “Parties Get Set For Busy Primary,”
Chicago Tribune
, December 5, 2005; available online at:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2005-12-05/news/0512050047_1_democratic-party-house-speaker-michael-madigan-alexi-giannoulias
[accessed April 22, 2010].

5
Mick Dumke, “Can Alexi Giannoulias shake off the problems plaguing his family’s bank to win Obama’s old Senate seat?”
Chicago Reader
, December 3, 2009; available online at:
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/can-alexi-giannoulias-family-bank-obamas-senate-seat/Content?oid=1245291
[accessed April 22, 2010].

6
Chicago Public Radio City Room, “DNC Speeches: Alexi Giannoulias,” August 25, 2008; available online at:
http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=28460
[accessed April 22, 2010].

7
Natasha Korecki and Chris Fusco, “Rezko wanted in Vegas for $450,000 in debts,”
Chicago Sun-Times
, May 30, 2008; available online at:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/rezko/978735,CST-NWSREZKO30.article
[accessed April 22, 2010].

8
Steve Daniels, “Regulators clamp down on Giannoulias’ Broadway Bank,”
Crain’s Chicago Business
, January 27, 2010; available online at:
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=36887
[accessed April 22, 2010].

9
Mike Robinson and Philip Elliott, “Democrats stand by candidate seeking Obama seat,” Associated Press, April 3, 2010; available online at:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jL1ZWEFUQRATGMUSMPZFFCEBNXEWD9ERVVOG0
[accessed April 22, 2010].

10
Monica Davey, “F.D.I.C.’s seizure of Senate candidate’s family bank further complicates an Illinois race,”
New York Times
, April 24, 2010; available online at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/25/us/politics/25illinois.html
[accessed April 25, 2010].

11
“Giannoulias Discusses Bank Loans To Criminal,” CBS 2 Chicago, April 26, 2006; available online at:
http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/Alexi.Giannoulias.Christine.2.327536.html
[accessed April 22, 2010].

12
David Jackson, John Chase, and Ray Gibson, “$20 million in loans to felons,”
Chicago Tribune
, April 1, 2010; available online at:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-04-01/news/ct-met-giannoulias-bank-loans-20100401_1_michael-giorango-bank-s-loans-banking-consultant/2
[accessed April 22, 2010].

13
Ibid.

14
Lynn Sweet, “State Giannoulias Hosts Obama Funder in Chicago,” op cit.

15
David Greising, “As Lender, Senate Candidate Impacted Bank Woes,”
New York Times
, January 31, 2010; available online at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/us/31cncgia.html
[accessed April 22, 2010].

16
Capitol Confidential, “The Bailout Candidate: IL Dem Senate Nominee Runs from History,”
BigGovernment.com
, May 17, 2010; available online at:
http://biggovernment.com/capitolconfidential/2010/05/17/the-bailout-candidate-il-dem-senate-nominee-runs-from-history/
[accessed May 17, 2010].

17
Carol Felsenthal, “Goldman Sachs or Broadway Bank? Voters’ Choice,”
chicagomag.com
, April 21, 2010; available online at:
http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/Felsenthal-Files/April-2010/Mark-Kirk-Goldman-Sachs-Alexi-Giannoulias-Broadway-Bank/
[accessed April 22, 2010].

18
“Top Contributors,”
opensecrets.org
(undated); available online at:
http://images.opensecrets.org/obama_top_contribs.htm?cycle=2008&cid=N00009638
[accessed April 24, 2010].