Dodd woes continue with Irish cottage

Hartford (WTNH) - Senator Chris Dodd always likes to talk about his Irish roots - especially around Saint Patrick's Day - but details about his purchase of a cottage in Ireland are coming back to haunt him.

This week's Quinnpiac University Poll indicates Dodd may be a getting a chilly reception from voters here in Connecticut.

Dodd is back in the state for the first time since the Quinnipiac University Poll showed him being beaten in a hypothetical race next year with former second district Congressman Rob Simmons. Simmons is one of four potential Republican challeners, but he's the one that topped Dodd among those polled by a percentage point.

Now, free-lance columnist Kevin Rennie has published a report in the state's largest newspaper connecting Dodd's purchase of two-thirds interest in a cottage in Ireland at a bargain price, to a man Dodd helped with a presidential pardon.

"The guy he bought it from was the business partner of a man he had gotten a pardon for from Bill Clinton the year before," Rennie said. "Senator Dodd had paid a lot less for that two-thirds interest than it was worth."

Dodd says the polls don't really matter right now, the only thing that matters is helping the public and the nation get back on its economic feet. But he knows he's in political difficulty.

Here is the text of questioning by News Channel 8's Chief Capitol Correspondent Mark Davis to Senator Dodd:

DAVIS: "A portion of the public is not really accepting your explanation on the Countrywide stuff."

DODD: "I know that."

DAVIS: "And there's also now a lot of chatter about the report that Kevin Rennie did in the Sunday paper. Can you comment on that?"

DODD: "Look, these are very transparent, routine non-controversial transactions, [and] have been reported for years in this state. All part of public disclosure statements and so I have no difficulty, what so ever, in answering those questions, when they come up."

DAVIS: "But the connection between the presidential pardon and your purchase of that cottage?"

DODD "There's no connection. None what so ever."

But the National Republican Party will continue to push both matters because they think, for the first time, that Dodd is really vulnerable.

"It's quite obvious, a lot of this is politically motivated," Dodd said. "I understand that. I'm a big boy. Politics is something I've been a part of for along time, so I'm not shocked by it all. Except I think it is a little early."