name	Edward E. Kaufman
Office	2nd Chairperson of the Congressional Oversight Panel
Appointer	Harry Reid
Term start	October 6, 2010
Deputy	Damon Silvers
Predecessor	Elizabeth Warren
office2	United States Senatorfrom Delaware
term start2	January 15, 2009
term end2	November 15, 2010
Appointed2	Ruth Ann Minner
predecessor2	Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
successor2	Chris Coons
office3	Member of theBroadcasting Board of Governors
term start3	1995
term end3	2008
president3	Bill ClintonGeorge W. Bush
birth date	March 15, 1939
birth place	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
residence	Wilmington, Delaware
party	Democratic
spouse	Lynne Kaufman
occupation	EngineerCollege Professor
alma mater	Duke University (B.S.) University of Pennsylvania (M.B.A.) }}

Edward E. "Ted" Kaufman (born March 15, 1939) is a former U.S. Senator from the state of Delaware and the second person to chair the Congressional Oversight Panel in the United States federal government, succeeding inaugural holder Elizabeth Warren. He is a member of the Democratic Party who previously served on the staff of the United States Senate.

He was appointed to fill the term of former U.S. Senator Joe Biden, who resigned to become Vice President of the United States. Prior to becoming a U.S. Senator, Kaufman had often been an adviser to Biden for much of his political career.

Early life and family

Kaufman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Helen (née Carroll), a teacher of Irish descent, and Manuel Kaufman, a social worker of Russian Jewish ancestry. He was raised in his mother's Catholic religion. Kaufman earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Duke University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Kaufman and his wife, Lynne, have been married since 1960 and reside in Wilmington. They have three daughters, Kelly, Murry, and Meg, and 7 grandchildren. He was a member of the Board of Directors of Children and Families First, WHYY, and the Board of Trustees of Christiana Care.

Professional and political career

Kaufman originally moved to Delaware in 1966 to work for DuPont as an engineer. In 1972 he joined Joe Biden’s long-shot U.S. Senate campaign on a volunteer basis. After Biden’s surprise victory in 1973, he took a one-year leave of absence from DuPont to organize and head Senator Biden’s Delaware Office. In 1976 he became Biden's Chief of Staff/Administrative Assistant and served until 1995, also working on Biden's subsequent Senate campaigns.

Prior to serving as a U.S. Senator, Kaufman was a Board member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) – the independent, autonomous, federal entity responsible for all U.S. government and government sponsored non-military international broadcasting. He was appointed to the BBG by Presidents Clinton and Bush and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate for four terms.

Since 1991, Kaufman has taught a course on the United States Congress in the law school of his alma mater, Duke University as well as "Government, Business, and Public Policy in the Global Economy" for law and business students at Duke. From 1995 to 1999 he was Co-Chair of the Duke Law School Center for the Study of the Congress.

US Senate

On November 24, 2008, Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner announced her intention to appoint Kaufman to replace Biden in the Senate. He was appointed on January 15, 2009, the same day Biden resigned his seat, and was sworn in the next day. Kaufman served in the Senate until his successor, Chris Coons, was chosen to complete the term in a special election in 2010. The term ends in January 2015. Kaufman was not a candidate in the 2010 election.

Kaufman inherited appointments to the same two committees that his predecessor, Biden, had served on before his resignation – the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on the Judiciary.

Early in his term, Kaufman supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The stimulus package has meant more than $800 Million in federal funding to support Delaware’s economic recovery.

As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Kaufman introduced bipartisan legislation with Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to strengthen tools and increase resources available to federal prosecutors to combat financial fraud. The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009 (FERA) was signed into law by President Obama on May 20, 2009.

Kaufman has sought to further restore confidence in the U.S. financial markets by introducing bipartisan legislation to address abusive short selling and other market manipulation. Since March, Kaufman has been urging the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) to consider reinstating the “uptick rule” – which aids market stability and hampers price discovery. He has given multiple floor statements and written numerous letters to the agency with Senate colleagues on this issue, as well as the need for a pre-borrow requirement or a “hard locate” system for short sales.

Foreign relations

In April 2009, Kaufman took his first trip to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, where he visited with U.S. troops, foreign leaders, and others to examine U.S. strategy in the region. He is a co-sponsor of the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009, which will triple non-military aid to Pakistan, providing $1.5 billion per year for development over the next five years. Kaufman has also stressed the need for increased civilian-military training focused on counterinsurgency and stability operations as essential to success in Afghanistan, introducing an amendment to the 2009 Defense Supplemental Appropriations Bill with Senators Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Jack Reed (D-RI). Kaufman has since visited Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan twice more.

In May 2009, Kaufman visited Israel, Syria and Turkey to discuss regional security issues and areas of mutual interest and cooperation. He met with foreign government and military officials, political leaders and civil society representatives. During the 2009–2010 Iranian election protests, Kaufman introduced a resolution supporting the protesters that was unanimously passed in the Senate. Kaufman also introduced the Victim of Iranian Censorship Act (VOICE) as an amendment to the 2009 National Defense Authorization Act. The VOICE Act – unanimously adopted by the Senate – supports similar objectives and authorizes funding for the Broadcasting Board of Governors to expand transmission capability and programming on Radio Farda and the Persian News Network. Kaufman spoke out for freedom of the press in China.

Hearings

In July 2009, Kaufman participated in the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Supreme Court nomination hearing for Judge Sonia Sotomayor. During the hearing, Kaufman’s line of questioning focused on the current Court's recent treatment of business cases and on Judge Sotomayor's judicial approach. Kaufman voted to send Judge Sotomayor’s nomination to the full Senate for a vote.

Kaufman sponsored the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics ("STEM") Education Coordination Act to establish a committee to coordinate the efforts of Federal STEM education programs. Kaufman also supported the Edward M. Kennedy National Service Act, which provides increased service opportunities for engineers and scientists to help inspire a new generation of science and technology students. In 2010 Kaufman was presented with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers 2010 President’s Award for his work on promoting STEM education.

Succession

In response to his perception that "people just feel it's perfectly okay to denigrate federal employees", Kaufman gave speeches once a week starting in May 2009 praising a different federal employee until the end of his term. Kaufman was succeeded by Chris Coons, a Democrat, after Coons defeated Republican nominee Christine O'Donnell in November 2010. Kaufman resigned and Coons took office on November 15, 2010, in accordance with Delaware state law and Senate rules.

Committee assignments

Committee on Armed Services

Committee on Foreign Relations

*Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs

*Subcommittee on African Affairs

*Subcommittee on International Operations and Organizations, Human Rights, Democracy and Global Women's Issues

*Subcommittee on European Affairs

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Committee on the Judiciary

*Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts

*Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights

*Subcommittee on the Constitution

*Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs

*Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security

Impeachment Trial Committee on the Articles against Judge G. Thomas Porteous, Jr.

Congressional Oversight Panel

Senator Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, appointed Kaufman to replace Elizabeth Warren on the Congressional Oversight Panel on October 1, 2010. Three days later, Kaufman was unanimously elected as the panel's second chairperson, succeeding Warren in that capacity as well. He remains chairperson of the panel despite the expiration of his Senate term.

References

External links

Senator Ted Kaufman ''official U.S. Senate site''

Duke University School of Law

Kaufman Bill to Punish Financial Fraud Passes Senate

Passage of Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act

{{U.S. Senator box |state=Delaware |class=2 |before=Joe Biden |after=Chris Coons |years=2009-2010 |alongside=Thomas R. Carper}}

Category:1939 births Category:2008 United States presidential electors Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent Category:American political consultants Category:American people of Irish descent Category:Appointed United States Senators Category:Delaware Democrats Category:Duke Law School faculty Category:Duke University alumni Category:Living people Category:United States Senators from Delaware Category:Wharton School alumni Category:Democratic Party United States Senators

da:Ted Kaufman de:Ted Kaufman fr:Ted Kaufman nl:Ted Kaufman no:Ted Kaufman pl:Ted Kaufman pt:Ted Kaufman simple:Ted Kaufman fi:Ted Kaufman sv:Ted Kaufman

name	Dylan Ratigan
birthname	Dylan Jason Ratigan
birth date	April 19, 1972
birth place	Saranac Lake, New York
occupation	Television journalist and show host
credits	Host of MSNBC's ''The Dylan Ratigan Show''
url	http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31510813/ }}

Dylan Jason Ratigan (born April 19, 1972) is an American television host primarily covering financial markets, the global economy, and politics. He is host of ''The Dylan Ratigan Show'' which airs weekday afternoons on MSNBC. He is also a frequent contributor on ''The Huffington Post''.

Early life

Ratigan was born in the village of Saranac Lake in upstate New York. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political economics from Union College in Schenectady, where he was a member of the crew team.

Journalism career

Ratigan served as the Global Managing Editor for Corporate Finance at Bloomberg News Service, and before that had covered Mergers and Acquisitions, the U.S. Stock Market and IPOs. At Bloomberg, he co-created and hosted ''Morning Call'' for Bloomberg's cable network and the USA Network. He has served as a contributor to ABC News and his articles have appeared in ''The New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', ''The Miami Herald'' and ''Chicago Tribune''.

Ratigan was the host of ''Fast Money'' (co-created with Susan Krakower and launching on June 21, 2006). Previously, he was the first anchor of CNBC's ''On the Money''. He also anchored the CNBC TV program ''Bullseye'' for about a year and a half. In addition to his former duties as co-anchor on ''Closing Bell'', Ratigan was a rotating co-anchor of ''The Call''.

Ratigan left CNBC on March 27, 2009 when his contract ended. ''The New York Times'' reported he was considering all options but quoted him as saying he was dedicated to covering the economy, "the story that is affecting every American in every setting."

''Morning Meeting'' launched June 29, 2009. Ratigan also contributes to other NBC News programs. Ratigan described the show's imperative as "to discuss any and all political issues with no directive other than to provide compelling content." The show was the second ever on the network to air in HD, as the network launched their programming in that format.

MSNBC announced in December 2009 that, beginning in January 2010, Ratigan would no longer host ''Morning Meeting'' and would instead host a new program, ''The Dylan Ratigan Show'' which debuted on January 11 and airs weekday afternoons.

On May 27, 2010, Ratigan appeared as a guest host on the daily internet news and opinion show, ''The Young Turks''. Cenk Uygur, regular host of ''The Young Turks'' is a frequent guest on ''The Dylan Ratigan Show''.

Reporting

Ratigan reported on NASCAR for the program ''NASCAR Gold'' and about Las Vegas for ''Las Vegas, Inc'' on ''CNBC on Assignment.''

Ratigan won the Gerald Loeb Award for 2004 coverage of the Enron scandal.

In Ratigan's final CNBC broadcast from the floor of the NYSE he reported on what he called "an important story developing" that Goldman Sachs and "a variety of European banks," in his assessment and that of his guests, essentially "perpetrated securities fraud" and an "insurance fraud scam" against AIG — and, by extension, the government and taxpayers funding that insurance company's "bailout" — by insuring their questionable investment vehicles and, upon their devaluation, making claims on them to be paid by AIG "at 100 cents on the dollar" despite all of the markdowns "being forced upon every other" entity including the government, banks, shareholders, bond holders, taxpayers and homeowners.

"I think that it should be a bigger political issue than whether somebody bought an airplane ... Forget the private jets, forget who got a million dollar bonus. ''Fifty billion dollars,''" he said, minimizing what he saw as populist side issues to "the real question" of how "government policy makers" are to deal with the "problems of contract law" inherent in the agreements of businesses receiving government assistance during the financial crisis.

"The banks are being asked to take 'haircuts' on their toxic assets, why are the Goldmans and the Deutsche Banks of the world not being asked to take haircuts on their toxic credit default swaps? It's a real question. I will continue to pursue it for sure, I hope others will as well." Ratigan praised New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's subpoena of AIG to determine the bank payouts as "legitimate inquiry" and looked forward to "a body of lawmakers in Washington D.C. who are going to ask, it appears, some of the same questions that I'm asking."

2011 rant

On the August 10, 2011 broadcast of The Dylan Ratigan Show in a round table discussion of the market meltdown following the Budget Control Act of 2011 Ratigan went on a two minute long rant against what he perceived to be the state of politics in the United States government saying

"We've got a real problem! This is a mathematical fact! Tens of trillions of dollars are being extracted from the United States of America. Democrats aren't doing it, Republicans aren't doing it. An entire integrated system, financial system, trading system, taxing system, that was created by both parties over a period of two decades is at work on our entire country right now. And we're sitting here arguing about whether we should do the $4 trillion plan that kicks the can down the road for the president for 2017, or burn the place to the ground, both of which are reckless, irresponsible, and stupid."

The video of his impassioned speech went viral and was praised by other media sources. TV Newser wrote that it was "a powerful, emotional editorial on the economy and Washington". On a followup post on his website the day after he wrote that he had received a lot of positive mail from viewers, writing "I’m mad as hell. And according to the piles and piles of responses I got after my rant, so are you."

Appearances

Ratigan appeared on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' in 2008 to discuss the financial crisis. He has also appeared on ''The Colbert Report'' with Stephen Colbert, and the Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

References

External links

Dylan Ratigan biography on MSNBC

Daily Beast profile of Dylan Ratigan

From CNBC Business Journalist to Critic of Bankers on MSNBC from The New York Times

Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:American broadcast news analysts Category:American television journalists Category:MSNBC Category:People from Essex County, New York Category:Union College (New York) alumni

de:Dylan Ratigan fr:Dylan Ratigan

{{infobox senator | name	Christopher John Dodd
nationality	American
office	Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America
term start	March 17, 2011
preceded	Dan Glickman
jr/sr2	Senior Senator
state2	Connecticut
party	Democratic Party
term start2	January 3, 1981
term end2	January 3, 2011
preceded2	Abraham A. Ribicoff
succeeded2	Richard Blumenthal
state3	Connecticut
district3	2nd
term start3	January 3, 1975
term end3	January 3, 1981
preceded3	Robert H. Steele
succeeded3	Sam Gejdenson
order4	Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration
term start4	January 3, 2001
term end4	January 20, 2001
preceded4	Mitch McConnell
succeeded4	Mitch McConnell
term start5	June 6, 2001
term end5	January 3, 2003
preceded5	Mitch McConnell
succeeded5	Trent Lott
order6	Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
term start6	January 4, 2007
term end6	January 3, 2011
preceded6	Richard Shelby
succeeded6	Tim Johnson
order7	General Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
term start7	1995
term end7	1997
preceded7	Debra DeLee
succeeded7	Roy Romer
birth date	May 27, 1944
birth place	Willimantic, Connecticut
occupation	Attorney
residence	East Haddam, Connecticut
religion	Roman Catholic
alma mater	Providence College (B.A.)University of Louisville (J.D.)
spouse	Susan Mooney (1970-1982)Jackie Marie Clegg (1999-present)
children	Grace DoddChristina Dodd
website	Chris Dodd
Signature	Chris Dodd Signature.svg
branch	United States Army Reserve
serviceyears	1969-1975 }}

Christopher John "Chris" Dodd (born May 27, 1944) is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut for a thirty-year period ending with the 111th United States Congress.

Dodd is a Connecticut native and a graduate of Georgetown Preparatory School in Bethesda, Maryland, and Providence College. His father, Thomas J. Dodd, was one of Connecticut's United States Senators from 1959-1971. Chris Dodd served in the Peace Corps for two years prior to entering law school at the University of Louisville, and during law school concurrently served in the United States Army Reserve.

Dodd returned to Connecticut, winning election in 1974 to the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut's 2nd congressional district and was reelected in 1976 and 1978. He was elected United States Senator in the elections of 1980, and was the longest-serving senator in Connecticut's history.

Dodd served as general chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1995 to 1997. He served as Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee until his retirement. In 2006, Dodd decided to run for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, but eventually withdrew after running behind several other competitors. In January 2010, Dodd announced that he would not run for re-election in the 2010 midterm elections. Dodd was succeeded by Richard Blumenthal. On March 1, 2011, the Motion Picture Association of America announced that Dodd will head that organization.

Early life

Dodd was born in Willimantic, Connecticut. His parents were Grace Mary Dodd (née Murphy) and U.S. Senator Thomas Joseph Dodd; all eight of his great-grandparents were born in Ireland. He is the fifth of six children; his eldest brother, Thomas J. Dodd, Jr., is a professor emeritus of the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University, and served as the U.S. ambassador to Uruguay and Costa Rica under President Bill Clinton.

Dodd attended Georgetown Preparatory School, a Jesuit boys' school in Bethesda, Maryland. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in English literature from Providence College in 1966. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in a small rural town in the Dominican Republic from 1966 to 1968. While there, he became fluent in Spanish. Dodd then joined the United States Army Reserve, serving until 1975 (and thereby avoiding active duty service in Vietnam).

In July 1970, Dodd married Susan Mooney; they divorced in October 1982. Afterwards, he dated at different times Bianca Jagger and Carrie Fisher, among others. In 1999, he married his second wife, Jackie Marie Clegg, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The couple has two daughters, Grace (born September 2001) and Christina Dodd (born May 2005). Dodd is also the godfather of singer/actress Christy Carlson Romano, who once interned in his office.

Dodd was part of the "Watergate class of '74" which CNN pundit David Gergen credited with bringing "a fresh burst of liberal energy to the Capitol." Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's 2nd congressional district and reelected twice, he served from January 4, 1975 to January 3, 1981. During his tenure in the House, he served on the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations.

U.S. Senator

Overview

Dodd was elected to the U.S. Senate in the 1980, and was subsequently reelected in 1986, 1992, 1998, and 2004. He is the first senator from Connecticut to serve five consecutive terms.

Facing a competitive reelection bid for his Senate seat in 2010 and trailing against both of his likely Republican challengers in public opinion polling, Dodd announced in January 2010 that he would not seek re-election for a sixth term in the Senate. Polls of Connecticut voters in 2008 and 2009 had consistently suggested Dodd would have difficulty winning re-election, with 46% viewing his job performance as fair or poor and a majority stating they would vote to replace Dodd in the 2010 election.

During the 1994 elections, the Republicans won the majority in both houses of Congress. Dodd therefore entered the minority for the second time in his Senate career. He ran for the now vacant position of Senate Minority Leader, but was defeated by South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle by one vote. The vote was tied 23-23, and it was Colorado Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell who cast the deciding vote by absentee ballot in favor of Daschle.

Dodd briefly considered running for President in 2004, but ultimately decided against such a campaign and endorsed fellow Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman. He then was considered as a likely running mate for his friend, eventual Democratic nominee John Kerry. He was also considered a possible candidate for replacing Daschle as Senate Minority Leader in the 109th Congress, but he declined, and that position was instead filled by Harry Reid.

On July 31, 2009, he announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, which his aides said was at an early stage and would result in surgery during the Senate August recess. Dodd has since had the operation, and says his operation was fully successful.

Committee assignments

Committee on Foreign Relations

*Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotics Affairs (Chairman)

*Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs

*Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs

*Subcommittee on European Affairs

Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (Chairman)

*As Chairman of the committee, Dodd may serve an ''ex officio'' member of all subcommittees of which he is not already a full member.

*Subcommittee on Economic Policy

*Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and Finance

*Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

*Subcommittee on Children and Families (Chairman)

*Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety

Committee on Rules and Administration

Joint Committee on the Library

Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

Legacy

From 1995 to 1997, he served as General Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. As General Chairman, Dodd was the DNC's spokesman. Donald Fowler served as National Chairman, running the party's day to day operations. Dodd has also involved himself in children’s and family issues, founding the first Senate Children’s Caucus and authoring the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which requires larger employers to provide employees unpaid leave in the event of illness, a sick family member, or the birth or adoption of a child. To date, more than 50 million employees have taken advantage of FMLA mandates. He is working to support a bill that would require employers to provide paid family and medical leave. For his work on behalf of children and families, the National Head Start association named him “Senator of the Decade” in 1990.

2008 Presidential campaign

On January 11, 2007, Dodd announced his candidacy for the office of President of the United States on the ''Imus in the Morning'' show. On January 19, 2007, Dodd made a formal announcement with supporters at the Old State House in Hartford.

The watchdog group opensecrets.org pointed out that the Dodd campaign was heavily funded by the financial services industry, which is regulated by committees Dodd chairs in the Senate.

In May, he trailed in state and national polls and acknowledged he wasn't keeping pace with rival campaigns' fund raising. However, he said that as more voters became aware of his opposition to the Iraq War, they would support his campaign. However, his prospects did not improve; a November 7, 2007 Gallup poll placed him at 1%. Dodd dropped out of the primary race on the night of the January 3, 2008 Iowa caucuses after placing seventh with almost all precincts reporting, even though he had recently moved from his home state to Iowa for the campaign.

Among eight major candidates for the nomination Dodd, even with later states where he was on the ballot after withdrawal, won last place by popular vote in primary (after Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Bill Richardson, Dennis Kucinich, Joe Biden and Mike Gravel, also including uncommitted delegates and scattering votes). He won a total of 25,252 votes in delegates primaries and 9,940 in penalized contests.

Dodd later said he was not interested in running for Vice President or Senate Majority Leader. Dodd endorsed former rival Barack Obama on February 26, 2008.

Post-senatorial career

In February 2011, despite "repeatedly and categorically insisting that he would not work as a lobbyist," Dodd was identified by ''The New York Times'' as the likely replacement for Dan Glickman as chairman and chief lobbyist for the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). The hiring was officially announced on March 1, 2011.

Controversies

Countrywide Financial loan controversy

In his role as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee Dodd proposed a program in June 2008 that would assist troubled sub-prime mortgage lenders such as Countrywide Financial in the wake of the United States housing bubble's collapse. ''Condé Nast Portfolio'' reported allegations that in 2003 Dodd had refinanced the mortgages on his homes in Washington, D.C. and Connecticut through Countrywide Financial and had received favorable terms due to being placed in the "Friends of Angelo" VIP program, so named for Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo. Dodd received mortgages from Countrywide at allegedly below-market rates on his Washington, D.C. and Connecticut homes.

Dodd's press secretary said "The Dodds received a competitive rate on their loans", and that they "did not seek or anticipate any special treatment, and they were not aware of any", then declined further comment. The ''Hartford Courant'' reported Dodd had taken "a major credibility hit" from the scandal. At the same time, the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee Kent Conrad and the head of Fannie Mae Jim Johnson received mortgages on favorable terms due to their association with Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo. ''The Wall Street Journal'', ''The Washington Post'', and two Connecticut papers have demanded further disclosure from Dodd regarding the Mozilo loans.

On June 17, 2008, Dodd met twice with reporters and gave accounts of his mortgages with Countrywide. He admitted to reporters in Washington, D.C. that he knew as of 2003 that he was in a VIP program, but claimed it was due to being a longtime Countrywide customer, not due to his political position. He omitted this detail in a press availability to Connecticut media.

On July 30, 2009, Dodd responded to news reports about his mortgages by releasing information from the Wall Street Journal showing that both mortgages he received were in line with those being offered to general public in fall 2003 in terms of points and interest rate.

On August 7, 2009, a Senate ethics panel issued its decision on the controversy. The Select Committee on Ethics said it found "no credible evidence" that Dodd knowingly sought out a special loan or treatment because of his position, but the panel also said in an open letter to Mr. Dodd that the lawmaker should have questioned why he was being put in the "Friends of Angelo" VIP program at Countrywide: "Once you became aware that your loans were in fact being handled through a program with the name 'V.I.P.,' that should have raised red flags for you."

Dodd was also responsible for writing and getting passed S. 1858 (Public Law 110-204): Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007. The implications of this law are many, including that any child born after April 2008 have a sample of their blood taken for DNA analysis. This sample is taken without consent or knowledge of the parents and then becomes property of the Federal Government. This data is supposed to be used for the good of the children such as testing for rare genetic disorders but is controversial in that it is not optional.

Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac controversies

Dodd was involved in issues related to the federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis. As part of Dodd's overall mortgage bill the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 before Congress in the summer of 2008, Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson sought provisions enabling the Treasury to add additional capital and regulatory oversight over these government sponsored enterprises. At the time, it was estimated that the federal government would need to spend $25 billion on a bailout of the firms.

During this period, Dodd denied rumors these firms were in financial crisis. He called the firms "fundamentally strong", said they were in "sound situation" and "in good shape" and to "suggest they are in major trouble is not accurate". In early September, after the firms continued to report huge losses, Secretary Paulson announced a federal takeover of both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Dodd expressed skepticism of the action, which the Treasury estimated could cost as much as $200 billion.

Dodd is the number one recipient in Congress of campaign funds from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Irish Cottage controversy

In February 2009, Kevin Rennie, a columnist at the ''Hartford Courant'', ran an op-ed concerning Dodd's acquisition of his vacation home in Roundstone, Ireland. The article alleged that Dodd's former partner in buying the home had ties to disgraced Bear Stearns principal Edward Downe, Jr. who has since been convicted of insider trading by the Securities and Exchange Commission. After paying an $11 million fine for his role in the scam, Downe later obtained a pardon in the waning days of the Bill Clinton administration. The controversial pardon was granted after Dodd lobbied Clinton on Downe's behalf. Dodd's letter to the President said, "Mr. President, Ed Downe is a good person, who is truly sorry for the hurt he caused others". After Downes' pardon, Dodd bought out the interests of his partner for a price allegedly based on a 2002 bank appraisal of the Roundstone home, which yielded little profit for Dodd's partner. Rennie criticized Dodd for claiming the Roundstone home was worth less than $250,000 in Senate ethics filings; some observers estimated the likely value in excess of $1 million USD.

In June 2009, Dodd provided a new statement to the Senate reporting the actual value of his Irish property at $658,000. The ''Wall Street Journal'' later compared this issue to the ethical charges which led to the political demise of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens.

AIG federal assistance and bonuses controversy

From the fall of 2008 through early 2009, the United States government spent nearly $170 Billion to assist failing insurance giant, AIG. AIG then spent $165 million of this money to hand out executive "retention" bonuses to its top executives. Public outrage ensued over this perceived misuse of taxpayer dollars.

Dodd was responsible for the inclusion of a clause limiting excessive executive pay in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. On February 14, 2009, the Wall Street Journal published an article, Bankers Face Strict New Pay Cap, discussing a retroactive limit to bonus compensation inserted by Chris Dodd into the stimulus bill that passed in the Senate.

The same article went on to mention that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Lawrence Summers "had called Sen. Dodd and asked him to reconsider".

When the bill left conference, Dodd's provision had been amended to include a provision preventing limits on bonuses previously negotiated and under contract. This provision was lobbied for by Geithner and Summers.

As Dodd explained in his March 18 interview on CNN, at Geithner and the Obama Administration's insistence he allowed his provision's original language to include Geithner and Summers' request, which in turn allowed AIG to give out bonuses under previously negotiated contracts. However, Dodd's provision also includes language allowing the Treasury Secretary to examine bonuses doled out and, if they are found to be in violation of the public interest, recoup those funds.

Dodd retreated from his original statement that he did not know how the amendment was changed. Dodd was criticized by many in the Connecticut media for the apparent flip-flop. In a March 20, 2009 editorial the New Haven Register called Dodd "a lying weasel" The same day, Hartford Courant columnist Rick Green called on Dodd not to seek re-election in 2010.

The Hill.com described Dodd as "reeling" from the controversy and having "stepped in it" after changing his story as to the bonus amendment.

At a press conference in Enfield, Connecticut, on Friday, March 20, Dodd responded to critics and explained that his original answer to a CNN answer was based on a misunderstanding of the question. He also said he was disappointed that the Treasury officials who asked him to make the legislative changes had not identified themselves, refusing to confirm the actual identity of the individuals responsible for changing the amendment.

The next day, voters in Ridgefield rallied against Dodd and the Obama economic agenda The Manchester Journal Inquirer suggested that "Chris Dodd's explaining may have only begun".

Opensecrets.org reports Dodd has received over $223,000 from AIG employees, many of whom were Connecticut residents, for his recent campaigns. Additionally, it has recently been revealed that Dodd's wife is a former Director for Bermuda-based IPC Holdings, a company controlled by AIG. She held this position before she married him. On May 3, 2009, the Courant reported Dodd's wife served on a number of corporate boards, including the CME Group and could be earning as much as $500,000 annually for her service on said boards. On March 30, 2009, it was reported that former AIG Financial Products head Joseph Cassano personally solicited contributions from his employees in Connecticut via an e-mail in fall 2006 suggesting that the contributions were related to Dodd's ascension to the chairmanship of the Senate Banking Committee. '''

Political positions

Dodd has supported amending the Family and Medical Leave Act, which he authored in 1993, to include paid leave, and a corporate carbon tax to combat global warming.

Dodd is credited with inserting the last-minute pay limit into American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The pay restrictions included prohibition of bonuses in excess of one-third of total salary for any company receiving any money from the plan and was retroactive to companies that received funds under Troubled Assets Relief Program. Fortune magazine however, panned this provision as likely to "drive the craftiest financial minds away from the most troubled institutions". This article also pointed out the Dodd bill delegated to the Treasury Secretary the right to approve appropriate restaurants for client entertainment.

In May 2009, Dodd was the author and lead sponsor of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act of 2009, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on May 22, 2009. The law requires card companies give cardholders 45 days notice of any interest rate increases, prevents card companies from retroactively increasing interest rates on the existing balance of a cardholder in good standing for reasons unrelated to the cardholder's behavior with that card, and prohibits card companies from arbitrarily changing the terms of their contract with a cardholder, banning the so-called practice of "any-time, any-reason repricing." Also included in the bill were provisions requiring companies to give cardholders time to pay their bills by requiring card companies to mail billing statements 25 calendar days before the due date and individuals under the age of 21 to either show income or have a co-signer in order to obtain a credit card. In a conference call with reporters after the bill was signed, Dodd stated his intention to continue work on capping credit card interest rates at thirty percent and to establish limits on fees that merchants pay when a customer uses a credit card for a purchase.

Dodd announced on June 22, 2009, that he supports same-sex marriage. He had opposed gay marriage in the 2008 election, but stated that his daughters are growing up in a different generation than his and that his views have evolved over time. Same-sex couples have been able to marry in Connecticut since November 12, 2008, following the Connecticut Supreme Court's ruling. In April 2009, the legislature overwhelmingly passed and Governor Jodi Rell signed a bill making all references to marriage in law gender neutral.

Electoral history

References

External links

Chris Dodd ''official campaign site''

{{U.S. Senator box | before=Abraham A. Ribicoff | after=Richard Blumenthal | state=Connecticut | class=3 | years=1981-2011 | alongside=Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., Joe Lieberman}}

Category:1944 births Category:Living people Category:People from Willimantic, Connecticut Category:American Roman Catholics Category:American lobbyists Category:American people of Irish descent Category:Connecticut Democrats Category:Cancer survivors Category:Connecticut lawyers Category:Democratic National Committee chairs Category:Dodd family Category:Expatriates in the Dominican Republic Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut Category:Motion Picture Association of America Category:Peace Corps volunteers Category:Providence College alumni Category:Subprime mortgage crisis Category:United States Army soldiers Category:United States presidential candidates, 2008 Category:United States Senators from Connecticut Category:University of Louisville alumni Category:Democratic Party United States Senators

br:Christopher Dodd cy:Christopher Dodd da:Christopher Dodd de:Chris Dodd es:Christopher Dodd fr:Christopher Dodd id:Christopher Dodd is:Christopher Dodd it:Chris Dodd la:Christophorus Ioannes Dodd nl:Chris Dodd no:Christopher Dodd pl:Christopher Dodd pt:Christopher Dodd ru:Додд, Кристофер simple:Christopher Dodd fi:Christopher Dodd sv:Christopher Dodd tr:Christopher Dodd yi:קריסטאפער דאד zh:克里斯多夫·杜德

Name	Barbara Boxer
Order	Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
Term start	January 4, 2007
Predecessor	James Inhofe
Order2	Chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics
Term start2	January 4, 2007
Predecessor2	George Voinovich
Jr/sr3	Junior Senator
State3	California
Alongside3	Dianne Feinstein
Term start3	January 3, 1993
Preceded3	Alan Cranston
State4	California
District4	6th
Term start4	January 3, 1983
Term end4	January 3, 1993
Preceded4	Phillip Burton
Succeeded4	Lynn C. Woolsey
Birth date	November 11, 1940
Birth place	Brooklyn, New York
Occupation	Politician
Residence	Rancho Mirage, California
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Stewart Boxer
Children	Douglas BoxerNicole Boxer
Alma mater	Brooklyn College
Net worth	$1–5.5 million (USD)
Religion	Judaism
Website	Barbara Boxer: US Senator from California }}

Barbara Levy Boxer (born November 11, 1940) is the junior United States Senator from California (since 1993). A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1983–1993).

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Boxer graduated from Brooklyn College. She worked as a stockbroker for several years before moving to California with her husband. During the 1970s, she worked as a journalist for the ''Pacific Sun'' and as an aide to U.S. Representative John L. Burton. She served on the Marin County Board of Supervisors for six years and become the board's first female president. With the slogan "Barbara Boxer Gives a Damn", she was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1982, representing California District 6. She sat on the House Armed Services Committee, and was involved in government oversight, passing several procurement reforms.

Boxer won the 1992 election for the U.S. Senate. She holds the record for the most popular votes in any U.S. Senate election in history, having received 6.96 million votes in her 2004 re-election. Boxer is the chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee and the chair of the Select Committee on Ethics, making her the only senator to preside over two committees simultaneously. She is also the Democratic Chief Deputy Whip.

Early life and family

Barbara Levy Boxer was born in Brooklyn, New York to Jewish parents Sophie (née Silvershein; born in Austria) and Ira Levy. She attended public schools, and graduated from George W. Wingate High School in 1958.

In 1962, she married Stewart Boxer and graduated from Brooklyn College with a bachelor's degree in Economics. While in college she was a member of Delta Phi Epsilon (social) sorority and was a cheerleader for the Brooklyn College basketball team.

Boxer worked as a stockbroker for the next three years, while her husband went to law school. Later, the couple moved to Greenbrae, Marin County, California, and had two children, Doug and Nicole. She first ran for political office in 1972, when she challenged incumbent Peter Arrigoni, a member of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, but lost a close election. Later during the 1970s, Boxer worked as a journalist for the Pacific Sun and as an aide to John Burton, then a member of Congress. In 1976, Boxer was elected to the Marin County Board of Supervisors, serving for six years. She was the Board's first woman president.

In 1994, her daughter Nicole married Tony Rodham, brother of then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, in a ceremony at the White House. The couple had one son, Zachary, and divorced in 2000.

Boxer's husband, Stewart, a prominent attorney in Oakland, represents injured workers in worker's compensation cases, keeping a very low political profile. Many cases are referred to him by labor unions, including the Teamsters. In 2006, the Boxers sold their house in Greenbrae, where they had lived for many years, and moved to Rancho Mirage. Their son, Douglas, a lawyer, practices with Stewart and is a member of the Oakland Planning Commission, having been appointed to that office by then-mayor Jerry Brown.

According to one story, which Boxer has acknowledged, in 1972, Stewart had planned to run for the Marin County Board of Supervisors, but decided the campaign would interfere with his law practice in Oakland, so Barbara ran instead. She was supported in that election by Marin Alternative, a broad-based, liberal political organization which she had helped found a few years before. A very active force in Marin County politics for a while, Marin Alternative dissolved in the late 1970s.

Boxer's first novel, ''A Time to Run'' was published in 2005 by San Francisco-based publishing company Chronicle Books. Her second novel ''Blind Trust'' was released in July 2009 by Chronicle Books.

U.S. Representative

Boxer was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1982, defeating Dennis McQuaid. Her slogan was "Barbara Boxer Gives a Damn." In the House, she represented California District 6 (Marin and Sonoma Counties) for five terms.

During this time she focused on human rights, environmental protection, military procurement reform, and abortion issues from a pro-choice stance. She was also involved in seeking protection for whistleblowers in government and pushed for higher budget allocations for health, biomedical research, and education.

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, with the help of the Project on Military Procurement (now Project On Government Oversight [POGO]), Boxer exposed the "$7,600 Pentagon coffee pot" and successfully passed more than a dozen procurement reforms.

In 1992, Boxer was embarrassed by the House banking scandal, which revealed that more than 450 Congressional Representatives and aides, herself included, wrote overdraft checks covered by overdraft protection by the House Bank. In response, she issued a statement saying "in painful retrospect, I clearly should have paid more attention to my account" and wrote a $15 check to the Deficit Reduction Fund for each of her 87 overdrafts.

In 1991, during the Anita Hill Senate hearings, where Hill accused U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, Boxer led a group of women House members to the Senate Judiciary Committee – demanding that the all-white, all-male Committee of Senators take Hill's charges seriously.

U.S. Senator

Elections

Democratic Senator Alan Cranston retired in 1992, creating an open contest, which Boxer won in the U.S. Senate elections that year, defeating Bruce Herschensohn, a conservative television political commentator, by 4.9% after a last-minute revelation that Herschensohn had attended a strip club. In 1998, she won a second term, beating sitting California State Treasurer Matt Fong by 10% of the vote. She had decided to retire in 2004 but says she decided to run to "fight for the right to dissent" against conservatives like Tom DeLay. After facing no primary opposition in the 2004 election, Boxer defeated GOP candidate Bill Jones, the sitting California Secretary of State, by a margin of 20 percent.

Committees

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

*Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security

*Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance

*Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard

*Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security

*Subcommittee on Science and Space

Committee on Environment and Public Works (Chairwoman)

'''Committee on Foreign Relations

*Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs

*Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs

*Subcommittee on International Operations and Organizations, Human Rights, Democracy and Global Women's Issues (Chairwoman)

*Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs, and International Environmental Protection

Select Committee on Ethics (Chairwoman)

A member of the Senate Democratic Leadership, Boxer serves as the Democratic Chief Deputy Whip, which gives her the job of lining up votes on key legislation. She also serves on the Democratic Policy Committee's Committee on Oversight and Investigations.

Presidential politics

2004

On January 6, 2005, Boxer joined Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio) in filing a U.S. Congressional objection to the certification of Ohio's Electoral College votes in the 2004 U.S. presidential election. She called the objection her "opening shot to be able to focus the light of truth on these terrible problems in the electoral system". The Senate voted the objection down 1–74; the House voted the objection down 31–267. It was only the second Congressional objection to an entire State's electoral delegation in U.S. history; the first instance was in 1877.

2008

As a superdelegate, Boxer had declared that she would support the winner of the California primary, which was won by Hillary Clinton. However, she remained neutral and only officially backed Barack Obama's candidacy the day after the last primaries, once he had garnered enough delegate votes to clinch the nomination.

Platform and votes

Health care

Senator Boxer is part of a coalition to increase medical research to find cures for diseases. In 2007, she authored successful bipartisan legislation with Senator Gordon Smith to combat HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis globally. In 1997, she authored a Patients' Bill of Rights. She has written a bill to make health insurance tax-deductible and another bill to let any American buy into the same health insurance program that members of Congress have. She supports comprehensive prescription drug coverage through Medicare and the right of all consumers to purchase lower-cost prescription drugs re-imported from Canada.

In October 2002, Boxer urged the Bush Administration to take specific steps to address the causes of the steep increase in autism cases in California. She wrote Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson to establish a common national standard for the diagnosis of autism; instruct the CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to convene a task force to review the current literature on autism and conduct its own study if necessary; and direct the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to work with the states to create a national chronic disease database.

Boxer is an advocate for embryonic stem-cell research, which has the potential to help those with diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, spinal cord injuries, and other diseases.

In March 2010, Boxer voted to support the health care reform agenda of the Obama Administration and Democratic 111th Congress by voting yes on the Health Care Reconciliation Act and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Education

Boxer introduced legislation providing Federal funding for local after-school programs, which have been shown to increase student performance while decreasing juvenile delinquency, crime, and drug use. Her 'Computers in Classrooms' law encourages the donation of computers and software to schools.

Boxer supported the No Child Left Behind Act. Since its passage in 2001, she claims that the bill has been underfunded by billions of dollars. She vows to work towards a goal that assures it will be fully funded going forward, as originally pledged by former President George W. Bush.

Boxer has voted to increase the maximum award for the Pell Grant program, which provides grants to lower income students for college. In addition, she has supported tax benefits that she claims will help more families pay for higher education.

Boxer has co-introduced legislation that she claims is designed to allow college graduates to refinance their student loans at market rate, in order to ease the financial burden on those starting their careers.

Boxer established the Excellence in Education award to recognize teachers, parents, businesses and organizations that are working to make positive changes in education. Since 1997 Senator Boxer has presented the Excellence in Education Award to 38 recipients.

The economy

Senators Boxer and John Ensign (R-NV) are the authors of the Invest in the USA Act. This legislation, which was signed into law in October 2004 as a small part of the more comprehensive American Jobs Creation Act, is intended to encourage American companies to bring overseas profits back to the United States, to create jobs in the U.S., and stimulate domestic economic growth.

In March 2004, Boxer offered an amendment to the Federal budget to create a $24 billion jobs reserve fund. The amendment would set aside funds for a variety of investments to improve the economy and create jobs by establishing a manufacturing jobs tax credit for companies that create jobs in the United States, expanding investment in science research and development, providing a tax credit to small businesses to pay for health insurance for their employees, and expanding trade adjustment assistance to help those who lose their jobs because of foreign trade. The Boxer amendment would also end the tax break that companies receive after moving plants overseas.

On October 1, 2008, Boxer voted in favor of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act.

On May 11, 2010, Boxer voted against the Vitter Amendment to the financial reform bill (no. 3760) originally crafted by Ron Paul, which would have given authorization for a complete audit of the Federal Reserve. Boxer instead voted for a stripped down version of the Amendment offered by Senator Bernard Sanders.

The environment

Boxer successfully led the 2003 Senate floor battle to block oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In 2005, Boxer voted again to block oil drilling at ANWR.

Boxer has introduced the National Oceans Protection Act (NOPA) of 2005. Some of the provisions of this act are: strengthen ocean governance; protect and restore marine wildlife and habitats; address ocean pollution; improve fisheries management. The bill also addresses needs regarding marine science, research and technology, marine mammals, coastal development, and invasive species.

Boxer is an original cosponsor of Senator Jim Jeffords’ (I-VT) Clean Power Act. This legislation would reduce emissions of three pollutants coming from power plants; sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury, and also reduce emissions of carbon dioxide .

As the new head of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in January 2007, Boxer wants to reduce energy consumption. She is attempting to curb global warming by leading pilot programs. The few things that she and some of her fellow Senators are doing could cut electricity consumption by as much as 50 percent in their Capitol Hill offices.

Senator Boxer was the Senate sponsor of the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act, which was signed in to law by President George W. Bush on October 17, 2006. The bill protected of federal land as wilderness and of stream as a wild and scenic river, including such popular areas as the King Range and Cache Creek. Senator Boxer worked with Senator Dianne Feinstein and Representative Mike Thompson (the bill's House sponsor) in the five-year effort to pass the legislation.

Boxer along with her colleague Dianne Feinstein voted in favor of subsidy payments to conventional commodity farm producers at the cost of subsidies for conservation-oriented farming.

Reproductive rights

Boxer maintains a strong stance in support of reproductive rights and the "pro-choice" movement. Boxer authored the Freedom of Choice Act of 2004 and participated in the floor fight for passage of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

Boxer is an original cosponsor of the Title X Family Planning Services Act of 2005, S.844, by Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY). This legislation aims to improve access to women's health care. It authorizes funding for family planning services grants; allows states to provide such services to individuals who may not be eligible for Medicaid; prohibits health insurance providers from excluding contraceptive services, drugs or devices from benefits; establishes a program to disseminate information on emergency contraception; requires hospitals receiving federal funding to offer emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault; provides grants to public and private entities to establish or expand teen pregnancy prevention programs; and requires that federally funded education programs about contraception be medically accurate and include information about health benefits and failure rates.

She was strongly critical of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which would prevent taxpayer-funded abortions possibly resulting in women not being able to pay with their own funds for abortion coverage Affordable Health Care for America Act.

Social Security

Boxer supports the current system of Social Security, and opposed President George W. Bush's plan for partial privatization of Social Security. She introduced the 401(k) Pension Protection Act to protect retirement by requiring the diversification of 401(k) plans. A modified version of the bill was signed into law as part of the 1997 tax bill.

Following the Enron scandal, Boxer again worked to ensure that retirement plans are diversified. She also introduced a bill to prohibit accounting firms from auditing and consulting for the same company.

National security

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Boxer authored a bill to protect commercial airliners against attacks by shoulder-fired missiles, and wrote the law allowing airline pilots with special training to carry guns in the cockpit.

Boxer wrote the High-Tech Port Security Act, and sponsored the Chemical Security Act to address terrorist threats against chemical plants. Senator Boxer also cosponsored comprehensive rail security legislation.

Iraq War

In October 2002, Boxer voted against the joint resolution passed by the U.S. Congress to authorize the use of military force by the Bush Administration against Iraq. In June 2005, Senators Boxer and Russ Feingold (D-WI) cosponsored Senate Resolution 171 calling for a timeframe for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq.

Boxer's petition demanding an exit strategy from Iraq drew 107,218 signatures.

Boxer was sharply critical of General Petraeus testimony regarding the political and military situation in Iraq in 2007, charging him with reporting while wearing 'rosy glasses'.

Surveillance

In June 2008 Boxer spoke in the Senate in opposition to the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, a pending bill in the United States Congress to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and later broke with her counterpart Sen. Dianne Feinstein and voted against it.

Election reform

Boxer voted in support of the 2002 Help America Vote Act, which mandated the use of voting machines across the country, among other provisions. On February 18, 2005 Senators Boxer, Hillary Clinton, and Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones introduced the Count Every Vote Act of 2005, which would provide a voter verified paper ballot for every vote cast in electronic voting machines and ensure access to voter verification for all citizens. The bill mandates that this ballot be the official ballot for purposes of a recount. The bill sets a uniform standard for provisional ballots and requires the Federal Election Assistance Commission to issue standards that ensure uniform access to voting machines and trained election personnel in every community. The bill also mandated improved security measures for electronic voting machines. The bill did not pass.

Bush nominees

During the confirmation hearings for the United States Secretary of State nominee Condoleezza Rice in January 2005, Boxer challenged her to admit to alleged mistakes and false statements made by the Bush Administration in leading the United States into the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and ultimately voted against confirmation, along with twelve other senators. The dissent was the highest vote against a Secretary of State nominee since 1825 when Henry Clay was so named.

Boxer voted against John Bolton's nomination for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and filibustered him on the Senate floor. As a result of the strong Democratic opposition Bolton could not obtain Senate approval. However, President Bush bypassed the Senate by employing the constitutional right of recess appointment, only the second time such an appointment has been used for a United States ambassador to the United Nations since the UN's founding in 1945. Recess appointments themselves have been used numerous times by various presidents.

Boxer voted against the confirmation of Chief Justice of the United States nominee John Roberts, and against the confirmation of Associate Justice nominee Samuel Alito.

Foreign policy

In 1997, the Senate passed a Boxer resolution calling on the United States not to recognize the Taliban as the official government of Afghanistan because of its human rights abuses against women.

In 2002, Senator Boxer voted against the U.S. invasion of Iraq. She has subsequently referred to that vote as the best vote of her career. She also voted against the first Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm) while a member of the House in 1991 and was a very vocal protester against the Vietnam War in the 1970s.

Boxer is a cosponsor of S. 495, or the Darfur Accountability Act of 2005, which would impose sanctions against perpetrators of crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Drug Policy Reform

Senator Boxer has come out against reforming marijuana policy and is opposed to the California Ballot measure to legalize and tax marijuana for those 21 and older in the state. Notably, this position is against the majority of Californians, of whom a recent Field Poll pegs 56% as supporting taxing and legalizing the plant.

Gun control

Senator Boxer joined colleagues to pass a Federal ban on various semi-automatic firearms and established the COPS program. She supports reauthorization of both programs.

LGBT issues

The Human Rights Campaign gave Boxer ratings of 100%, 88% and 100% for the 107th, 108th, and 109th sessions of Congress, respectively, indicating a support of the HRC's slate of pro-gay rights legislative issues. In 1996, she was one of fourteen Senators to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act and also voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004 and 2006, although when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom issued a directive to the city-county clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples she stated that she supported California's domestic partnership law but agreed with its definition that marriage was between a man and a woman. However, her 2010 re-election campaign website states that "Senator Boxer supports marriage equality."

She has also co-sponsored the Matthew Shepard Act, which expanded the federal definition of hate crimes to include crimes based on the victim's sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as the Uniting American Families Act. She opposed Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment that prohibited same-sex marriage in California. Proposition 8 passed with a 52.30% to 47.70% majority, but has since been over turned by a federal court

India-U.S. nuclear deal

Boxer is one of the most outspoken critics of the nuclear energy deal between the United States and India. Boxer is of the opinion that India should not get help from the U.S. in the civilian nuclear energy sector until it breaks its relationship with Iran.

Censuring President Bush

Senator Boxer was, along with Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, one of only two Senate Democrats to come out in favor of Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold's resolution to censure President George W. Bush.

Congressional scorecards

See also

Project Vote Smart provides the following results from congressional scorecards.

American Civil Liberties Union – 83% for 2005–2006

Americans for Democratic Action – 95% for 2006

American Land Rights Association – 11% for 2006

Americans for Tax Reform – 5% for 2006

AFL-CIO – 100% in 2006

Campaign for America's Future – 100% for 2005–2006

Conservative Index-John Birch Society – 20% for Fall 2004

Children's Defense Fund – 100% for 2006

Drum Major Institute – 100% for 2005

Family Research Council – 0% for 2006

FreedomWorks – 17% for 2006

Gun Owners of America – 0% for 2006

Humane Society of the United States – 100% for 2005–2006

League of Conservation Voters – 100% for 2006

NARAL Pro-Choice America – 100% for 2006

National Association of Wheat Growers – 0% for 2005

National Education Association – 100% for 2005–2006

National Federation of Independent Business – 0% for 2005–2006

National Journal – Composite liberal score of 95% for 2006

National Organization for Women – 96% for 2005–2006

National Rifle Association – F for 2006

National Right to Life Committee – 0% for 2005–2006

National Taxpayers Union – 11% for 2006

Population Connection – 100% for 2006

Republican Liberty Caucus – 10% for 2005

Secular Coalition for America – 90% on 2006 scorecards

United States Chamber of Commerce – 25% for 2006

Public image, political reception and controversy

Criticizing Condoleezza Rice's judgment

Boxer criticized then United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's judgment in relation to the war in Iraq: "I personally believe – this is my personal view – that your loyalty to the mission you were given, to sell the war, overwhelmed your respect for the truth."

In January 2007, Boxer was in the news for comments she made when responding to Bush's plans to send an additional 20,000 troops to Iraq. "Who pays the price?" Boxer asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. "I'm not going to pay a personal price. My kids are too old and my grandchild is too young. You're not going to pay a personal price with an immediate family. So who pays the price? The American military and their families... not me, not you." When Rice interjected, Boxer responded by saying, "Madam Secretary, please. I know you feel terrible about it. That's not the point. I was making the case as to who pays the price for your decisions. And the fact that this administration would move forward with this escalation with no clue as to the further price that we're going to pay militarily... I find really appalling."

''The New York Post'' and White House Press Secretary Tony Snow considered this an attack on Rice's status as a single, childless female and referred to Boxer's comments as "a great leap backward for feminism." Rice later echoed Snow's remarks, saying "I thought it was okay to not have children, and I thought you could still make good decisions on behalf of the country if you were single and didn’t have children." Boxer responded to the controversy by saying "They’re getting this off on a non-existent thing that I didn’t say. I’m saying, she’s like me, we do not have families who are in the military."

Keith Olbermann accused the commentators, particularly Rush Limbaugh, of making Boxer's comments into an issue when the same people were not outraged when "Laura Bush said Secretary Rice would never be elected president because she was not married."

Television appearances

She has made cameo appearances as herself in several television shows, including ''Murphy Brown'' (1994), ''Gilmore Girls'' (2002) and ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' (2007), as well as a cameo (as herself) in the 2000 film ''Traffic''. On November 2, 2005 she made an appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to discuss her new novel “A Time To Run”.

Awards and honors

Boxer has been awarded with two Doctor of Laws honorary degrees, one from Mills College and the other from Dominican University of California.

Major speeches and statements

Excerpts from Senator Boxer's Senate Floor Statement on the Resolution Authorizing the Use of Military Force against Iraq, October 10, 2002

Transcript from the Confirmation Hearing of Condoleezza Rice, January 18, 2005

Senate Floor Debate on the Confirmation of Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State, January 26, 2005 On the Nomination of Alberto Gonzales to be Attorney General, February 1, 2005 On the President's Budget, February 7, 2005 On Social Security, February 11, 2005 Senate Floor Debate on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, March 16, 2005 Statement on Earth Day, April 20, 2005 On the Iraq War, July 6, 2005

On Karl Rove's CIA Leak, July 20, 2005

On the Energy Bill, July 29, 2005 On Her Opposition to the Confirmation of Chief Justice Nominee John Roberts, September 21, 2005

Addressing World Affairs Council of Northern California (Video), October 13, 2006

Congressional service

Public Offices
! Office	! Branch	! Location	! Elected	! Term began	! Term ended
	Legislative	Washington, D.C.	1982	January 3, 1983	January 3, 1985
	Legislative	Washington, D.C.	1984	January 3, 1985	January 3, 1987
	Legislative	Washington, D.C.	1986	January 3, 1987	January 3, 1989
	Legislative	Washington, D.C.	1988	January 3, 1989	January 3, 1991
	Legislative	Washington, D.C.	1990	January 3, 1991	January 3, 1993
	Legislative	Washington, D.C.	1992	January 3, 1993	January 3, 1999
	Legislative	Washington, D.C.	1998	January 3, 1999	January 3, 2005
	Legislative	Washington, D.C.	2004	January 3, 2005	January 3, 2011
	Legislative	Washington, D.C.	2010	January 3, 2011	January 3, 2017

United States Congressional service
!Dates	!Congress	!Chamber	!Majority	!President	!Committees	!Class/District
1983–1985				Ronald Reagan
1985–1987				Ronald Reagan
1987–1989				Ronald Reagan
1989–1991				George H. W. Bush
1991–1993				George H. W. Bush
1993–1995				Bill Clinton	Commerce, Environment, Foreign Relations
1995–1997				Bill Clinton	Commerce, Environment, Foreign Relations
1997–1999				Bill Clinton	Commerce, Environment, Foreign Relations
1999–2001				Bill Clinton	Commerce, Environment, Foreign Relations
2001–2003				George W. Bush	Commerce, Environment, Foreign Relations
2003–2005				George W. Bush	Commerce, Environment, Foreign Relations
2005–2007				George W. Bush	Commerce, Environment, Foreign Relations
2007–2009				George W. Bush	Commerce, Environment (chair), Foreign Relations
2009–2011				Barack Obama	Commerce, Environment (chair), Foreign Relations
2011–Present				Barack Obama	Commerce, Environment (chair), Foreign Relations

Electoral history

Boxer was first elected to the Senate by a 4.9% margin in 1992. She was reelected in 2010, defeating businesswoman Carly Fiorina.

References

External links

United States Senator Barbara Boxer ''official U.S. Senate site''

Barbara Boxer 2010 Senate ''official campaign site''

NPR: Barbara Boxer: Rice Hearings and the 2004 Vote, Terry Gross, February 10, 2005

Progressive Magazine: Barbara Boxer Interview, Ruth Conniff, July 2005

Barbara Boxer speaks at The World Affairs Council of Northern California video, October 13, 2006

{{U.S. Senator box |before=Alan Cranston |state=California |class=3 |start=1993 |alongside=Dianne Feinstein}}

Category:1940 births Category:American pro-choice activists Category:Brooklyn College alumni Category:California county supervisors Category:California Democrats Category:Democratic Party United States Senators Category:Female members of the United States House of Representatives Category:Female United States Senators Category:United States congressional aides Category:Jewish members of the United States House of Representatives Category:Jewish United States Senators Category:Living people Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from California Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from Marin County, California Category:United States Senators from California Category:Women in California politics

cs:Barbara Boxer cy:Barbara Boxer da:Barbara Boxer de:Barbara Boxer es:Barbara Boxer fr:Barbara Boxer ga:Barbara Boxer it:Barbara Boxer he:ברברה בוקסר nl:Barbara Boxer no:Barbara Boxer pl:Barbara Boxer pt:Barbara Boxer ru:Боксер, Барбара fi:Barbara Boxer sv:Barbara Boxer zh:芭芭拉·柏克瑟

Name	Harry Reid
Jr/sr	United States Senator
State	Nevada
Alongside	Dean Heller
Term start	January 3, 1987
Predecessor	Paul Laxalt
Office1	Senate Majority Leader
Deputy1	Dick Durbin
Term start1	January 3, 2007
Predecessor1	Bill Frist
Office2	Senate Minority Leader
Deputy2	Dick Durbin
Term start2	January 3, 2005
Term end2	January 3, 2007
Predecessor2	Tom Daschle
Successor2	Mitch McConnell
Office3	Senate Minority Whip
Leader3	Tom Daschle
Term start3	January 3, 2003
Term end3	January 3, 2005
Predecessor3	Don Nickles
Successor3	Dick Durbin
Leader4	Tom Daschle
Term start4	January 20, 2001
Term end4	June 6, 2001
Predecessor4	Don Nickles
Successor4	Don Nickles
Leader5	Tom Daschle
Term start5	January 3, 1999
Term end5	January 3, 2001
Predecessor5	Wendell Ford
Successor5	Don Nickles
Office6	United States Senate Majority Whip
Leader6	Tom Daschle
Term start6	June 6, 2001
Term end6	January 3, 2003
Predecessor6	Don Nickles
Successor6	Mitch McConnell
Leader7	Tom Daschle
Term start7	January 3, 2001
Term end7	January 20, 2001
Predecessor7	Don Nickles
Successor7	Don Nickles
State9	Nevada
District9	1st
Term start9	January 3, 1983
Term end9	January 3, 1987
Predecessor9	James David Santini (At-large)
Successor9	James Bilbray
Office10	25th Lieutenant Governor of Nevada
Governor10	Mike O'Callaghan
Term start10	January 4, 1971
Term end10	January 1975
Predecessor10	Edward Fike
Successor10	Robert Rose
Birth date	December 02, 1939
Birth place	Searchlight, Nevada, United States
Party	Democratic Party
Spouse	Landra Gould
Children	1 daughter4 sons
Alma mater	Southern Utah UniversityUtah State UniversityGeorge Washington University
Profession	Lawyer
Religion	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)
Signature	Harry Reid Signature.svg
Website	Official site }}

Harry Mason Reid (born December 2, 1939) is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.

Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Nevada's 1st congressional district, and served in Nevada local and state government as city attorney of Henderson, a state legislator, Lieutenant Governor, and chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission.

Early life

Reid was born in Searchlight, Nevada, the third of the four sons of Inez Orena Jaynes, a laundress, and Harry Vincent Reid, a miner. His paternal grandmother was an Englishwoman immigrant from Darlston, Staffordshire. Reid's boyhood home had no indoor toilet, hot water or telephone. Searchlight had no high school, so Reid boarded with relatives 40 miles away in Henderson, Nevada to attend Basic High School where he played football, and was an amateur boxer. While at Basic High he met future Nevada governor Mike O'Callaghan, who was a teacher there. Reid attended Southern Utah University and graduated from Utah State University. He then went to George Washington University Law School earning a J.D. while working for the United States Capitol Police.

Early political career

State politics

He returned to Nevada after law school and served as Henderson city attorney before being elected to the Nevada Assembly in 1968. In 1970, at age 30, Reid was chosen by O'Callaghan as his running mate for Lieutenant Governor of Nevada. Reid and his mentor O'Callaghan won the race and Reid served as lieutenant governor from 1971 until 1974, when he ran for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Alan Bible. He lost by fewer than 600 votes to former Governor Paul Laxalt. In 1975, Reid ran for mayor of Las Vegas and lost to Bill Briare.

Reid then served as chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission from 1977 to 1981. When Jack Gordon, (LaToya Jackson's future agent and husband), offered a $12,000 bribe to get Reid to approve new games for casinos, Reid brought in the FBI to tape Gordon's bribery attempt and arrest him. After FBI agents interrupted the transaction as prearranged, Reid lost his temper and began choking Gordon, saying "You son of a bitch, you tried to bribe me!" Gordon was convicted in 1979 and sentenced to six months in prison. In 1981, Reid's wife found a bomb attached to the family station wagon; Reid suspected it was placed by Gordon.

U.S. Representative

Prior to the 1980 Census, Nevada had only a single at-large member in the United States House of Representatives, but population growth in the 1970s resulted in the state picking up a second district. Reid won the Democratic nomination for the 1st district, based in Las Vegas, in 1982, and easily won the general election. He served two terms in the House, from 1983 to 1987.

U.S. Senate

Elections

In 1986, Reid won the Democratic nomination for the seat of retiring two-term incumbent Republican Senator Paul Laxalt. He defeated former at-large Congressman Jim Santini, a Democrat who had turned Republican, in the November election. He coasted to reelection in 1992. However, he barely defeated 1st District Congressman John Ensign in 1998 in the midst of a statewide Republican sweep.

In 2004, Reid won reelection with 61 percent of the vote, gaining the endorsement of several Republicans.

Ensign was elected to Nevada's other Senate seat in 2000. He and Reid have a very good relationship, despite their bruising contest in 1998. The two frequently work together on Nevada issues.

While Reid won the Democratic nomination with 75% of the vote in the June 8 primary, he faced a competitive general election for the 2010 Senate race in Nevada. Reid engaged in a $1 million media campaign to "reintroduce himself" to Nevada's voters. He defeated Republican challenger Sharron Angle in the general election.

Leadership

From 1999 to 2005, Reid served as Senate Democratic Whip, as minority whip from 1999 to 2001 and again from 2003 to 2005, then as majority whip from 2001 to 2003 (except for a brief period from January–May 2001). From 2001 to 2003, he served as chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee.

Reid succeeded Tom Daschle as minority leader in 2005 and became majority leader after the 2006 elections. He was re-elected majority leader without opposition by the Democratic caucus on November 18, 2008, winning all 57 votes.

Committee memberships

Select Committee on Intelligence (''Ex officio'')

Political positions

Reid has scored a lifetime conservative rating of 19% from the American Conservative Union (ACU), and a 2008 liberal rating of 70% from the Americans for Democratic Action (ADA). Other independent ratings include a 29% rating in 2003 from NARAL, the abortion pro-choice group, and a 57% rating from Planned Parenthood in 2006.

Reid has spearheaded several initiatives while in Congress. In 2006, Reid co-sponsored the "Prevention First Amendment" with Hillary Clinton, which would fund abortion prevention efforts, such as giving women broader access to contraception; however the bill faced Republican opposition and failed. In January 2007, Reid brought a Senate ethics reform bill to a vote to bar congressional members from accepting gifts, meals, and trips from lobbyists and organizations employing them, as well as barring Senators from borrowing corporate jets for travel and compelling them to disclose the names of sponsors, or authors, of bills and specific projects. The bill passed 96–2. In the 111th Congress, Reid shepherded the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act through the Senate.

Regarding specific issues, Reid believes that ''Roe vs. Wade'' should be overturned and in 1999, he voted against an amendment that explicitly expressed support for ''Roe v. Wade''. He has stated that he believes in a restricted right to abortion, stating that "abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered." He has also voted several times to ban the "intact dilation and evacuation" or "partial-birth abortion" procedure. Reid has supported embryonic stem cell research.

Regarding same-sex marriage, Reid has stated he believes "...marriage should be between a man and a woman." He voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act but against the Federal Marriage Amendment.

In regard to local issues, Reid has firmly opposed the proposed Yucca Mountain federal nuclear waste repository in Nevada. Reid has opposed the legalization of online poker in the past, but has more recently changed his position, a move that some have argued was influenced by "the hundreds of thousands of dollars Las Vegas casinos contributed to his re-election campaign".

Reid called immigration reform one of his top priorities for the 110th Congress. He supports the DREAM Act the (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act), which would allow certain U.S. high school grads who had arrived in the U.S. illegally as children, conditional legal status so they could attend college or enlist in the military. They could then obtain permanent legal residency after completing two years of military service or two years of college. In June 2009, Reid announced his intention to enact a new guest worker program as part of a comprehensive immigration reform bill.

Reid has supported the use of force in the Middle East but in September 2007 he called for a drastic change in strategy. In January 1991 he voted to authorize the first Gulf War. quoting John F. Kennedy's 1963 State of the Union speech on the Senate floor, saying "the mere absence of war is not Peace." He also voted in support of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In March 2007 he voted in favor of "redeploying U.S. troops out of Iraq by March 2008", and later that year, he said, "As long as we follow [President Bush's] path in Iraq, the war is lost."

Reid has also advocated the outlawing of prostitution in Nevada, an unpopular position within the state.

Criticism

Over the years Reid has been criticized at times by both sides of the political aisle. Liberal critics have argued that Reid was not doing enough to end the American military presence in Iraq, and that he allowed Senate Republicans to create a 60-vote bar for passage of bills without a Democratic fillibuster.

Reid has also been criticized for several potentially self-enriching tactics. In 2005, Reid earmarked a spending bill to provide for building a bridge between Nevada and Arizona that would make land he owned more valuable. Reid called funding for construction of a bridge over the Colorado River, among other projects, "incredibly good news for Nevada" in a news release after passage of the 2005 transportation bill. He owned of land several miles from the proposed bridge site in Arizona. The bridge could add value to his real estate investment. A year later it was reported that Reid had used campaign donations to pay for $3,300 in Christmas gifts to the staff at the condominium where he resides; federal election law prohibits candidates from using political donations for personal use. Reid's staff stated that his attorneys had approved use of the funds in this manner, but that he nonetheless would personally reimburse his campaign for the expenses. Those reports notwithstanding, the conservative group Citizens United announced it had filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission to investigate the matter.

A series of investigative reports in the ''Los Angeles Times'' suggested that Reid had introduced legislation and imposed pressure on regulatory agencies to advance the business interests of his close friend Harvey Whittemore, a Nevada attorney-lobbyist who contributed heavily to Reid's campaigns and leadership fund and who employed Reid's son Leif as his personal attorney. With Reid's help, Whittemore was able to proceed with construction of a $30 billion planned golf course development, Coyote Springs, a project heavily criticized by environmental groups for reasons including its projected effects on several endangered species.

In 2006, the National Republican Senatorial Committee attempted to associate Reid with the Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal by pointing out he had "received more than $50,000 from four tribes with gaming interests between 2001 and 2004 after they hired Abramoff". Reid denied any wrongdoing, and media reported that the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan research group, had produced an analysis showing a general increase in the amount and number of contributions by Indian tribes since the late 1990s.

Reid apologized on January 9, 2010, for racially tinged comments he had made when Obama was campaigning for president. In private conversations, Reid had remarked that Obama could win the Presidency because the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama — to whom he referred as being "light-skinned" and "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one". These comments had been recently revealed by journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann in ''Game Change'', their book about the 2008 election. In addition to his public apology, Reid called Obama to apologize; Obama accepted his apology, stating that as far as he was concerned, the book was closed on the incident. RNC Chairman Michael Steele and Senators John Cornyn and Jon Kyl called on Reid to resign his leadership position in the Senate, citing Majority Leader Trent Lott resigning because of a statement relating to race. However, multiple experts said there was virtually no chance of such a thing happening. DNC Chairman Tim Kaine and Senators Dianne Feinstein and Jack Reed expressed support for Reid and confidence he would retain his leadership position, and another senior Democrat indicated Reid has "produced supportive statements from key African American leaders in the Congress and civil rights community".

In August 2010, Harry Reid spoke in front of National Council of La Raza: "''I don't know how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican, OK. Do I need to say more? '' ". The following day, Dr. Manny Alvarez and Republican Senator Marco Rubio, both of Hispanic descent, spoke out against Reid's remarks.

Cultural and political image

Part of Harry Reid's confrontation with Frank Rosenthal while chair of the Nevada Gaming Commission is reenacted in the 1995 movie ''Casino''. Reid had a role in the movie ''Traffic'' (2000), in which he played himself. He appeared along with Senator Sam Brownback and then Senator Barack Obama in the 2007 documentary film ''Sand and Sorrow'', which details the genocide in Sudan.

Reid was elected to the Gaming Hall of Fame in 2001.

An October 2007 ''Las Vegas Review-Journal'' favorability poll indicated 51% of Nevadans viewed Reid unfavorably, with 32% indicating favorability, although in May 2007 Reid had a 46% favorable rating versus a 42% unfavorable one. A December 2007 ''Las Vegas Review-Journal'' job approval poll showed 42% of Nevadans rating Reid "poor", 41% "excellent or good", and 16% "only fair". A November 2009 Rasmussen poll, showed that 25% of polled voters had a favorable opinion of Reid, while 47% viewed him unfavorably.

Family and personal life

In 1959, Reid married his high school sweetheart, Landra Gould. They have five children, a daughter and four sons. Their eldest son, Rory Reid, is an elected Commissioner for Clark County, Nevada, and 2010 Democratic nominee in the election for Governor of Nevada. Another son recently ran for municipal office in Cottonwood Heights, Utah.

Reid (who was raised agnostic) and his wife (who was born to Jewish immigrant parents and grew up in Henderson), converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon or LDS Church) while Reid was a college student. In a 2001 interview he said, "I think it is much easier to be a good member of the Church and a Democrat than a good member of the Church and a Republican." He went on to say that the Democrats' emphasis on helping others, as opposed to what he considers Republican dogma to the contrary, is the reason he's a Democrat. He delivered a speech at Brigham Young University to about 20,000 students on October 9, 2007, in which he expressed his opinion that Democratic values mirror Mormon values. Several Republican Mormons in Utah have contested his faith because of his politics, such as his statements that the church's backing of California's Proposition 8 wasted resources.

References

External links

Senator Harry Reid ''official U.S. Senate website''

Senator Harry Reid ''official campaign website''

Tough Reid, Eve Fairbanks, ''The New Republic'', April 15, 2009

{{U.S. Senator box| state=Nevada| class=3| before=Paul Laxalt| after=Incumbent| years=January 3, 1987-| alongside=Chic Hecht, Richard Bryan, John Ensign, Dean Heller}}

Category:1939 births Category:American federal police officers Category:American Latter Day Saints Category:Converts to Mormonism Category:Democratic Party United States Senators Category:Gambling regulators Category:George Washington University Law School alumni Category:Lieutenant Governors of Nevada Category:Living people Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Nevada Category:Nevada Democrats Category:Nevada lawyers Category:People from Searchlight, Nevada Category:Southern Utah University alumni Category:United States Senators from Nevada Category:Utah State University alumni

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