If he was ever in the hunt, Chris Dodd is probably out as a VP pick

[wyldwolf]

Condé Nast Portfolio exposes two U.S. Senators, two former Cabinet members, and a former ambassador to the United Nations, who got favorable mortgage terms from Countrywide Financial.

Among them: Sen. Christopher Dodd, Sen. Kent Conrad, former HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson, former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, and former U.N. ambassador Richard Holbrooke.

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/06/13/senators_implicated_in_countrywide_scandal.html

[Thrill]

1. Damn.

Two good Senators

[bigscott]

2. shit

I got a favorable mortgage term from Countrywide - at least that is what they told me!

[watrwefitinfor]

3. What, no Repubs got them any 'favorable terms'?

I smell bullshit.

Wat

[asjr]

4. It seems to me anyone wanting a mortgage is

going to seek a "favorable" one. Can Portfolio prove these were nefarious transactions?

[Stinky The Clown]

5. I smell bullshit!

"Favorable terms" .......... what does that mean?

"Hi, I want a mortgage. But please, whatever you do, I do NOT want favorable terms. I want to be gouged."

[Barack_America]

Yes. "I want to be gouged. And I'm going to insist that...

...my stable employment as a dedicated public servant makes me a very risky prospect. So risky that I demand the highest interest rate possible."

[dionysus]

6. whoops...

[ErinBerin84]

7. There's an article about this in the WSJ too

Uh, I find it a bit "convenient" that only Democrats seem to be getting exposed for their ties to Countrywide loans. Dodd's press secretary says that they didn't seek any special treatment. This all just seems a bit fishy to me, even if it turns out that there is any wrongdoing, watch the RNC try to link it to Obama somehow bc Chris Dodd is a surrogate/was on the VP "leaked" list. I love how the other day on Morning Joe, Joe was asking Howard Dean about Jim Johnson and said "So, are you saying that someone from the McCain campaign called up a writer at the Washington Post and asked them to write a front page story on Jim Johnson, and Howard Dean said "Yes, that is EXACTLY what I am saying." I am so sick of the republicans getting away with everything.

"The Dodds received a competitive rate on their loans," said Bryan DeAngelis, Sen. Dodd's press secretary. "They did not seek or anticipate any special treatment, and they were not aware of any."

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB121332396326070639.html?mod=blog

[Douglas Carpenter]

8. I doubt that any Northeastern Senator from a safe Democratic state was ever in the running

[Colobo]

9. Not good.

[high density]

10. What's wrong with a company giving a customer favorable terms?

I fail to see the "scandal" here. Is there some proof that these bargain loans were bribes or something? There are plenty of companies and banks out there that give preferential treatment to certain "VIPs."