by Brian Smothers

Created on: March 06, 2009   Last Updated: March 07, 2009

Chris Dodd, at worst, has the role of enabler in this mortgage mess. Yes, he had a hand in killing a regulatory bill in 2005, but he didn't singlehandedly deregulate the market. Dodd did not sell risky loans to Americans that could not afford them. And Chris Dodd didn't buy more house than he could afford and then walk away from it.

Yes, Dodd does share some blame for the deregulation of the financial industry in 1999. But so do the other 89 Senators who voted for the

Gramm-Leach-Bliley act. And so does President Bill Clinton, but it is somewhat out of vogue to launch partisan attacks against him lately. It is also out of vogue to attack Senator McCain, so we won't point out that he said that deregulation was "helpful" to the economy.

Neither Clinton, Mc Cain, or Dodd have a home in foreclosure, and this is the real root of the economic meltdown that has this country, and the world, in its grip. When trillions of dollars in loans suddenly turn into worthless bank owned properties, is it really fair to only blame politicians? The roles of banks, consumers, or mortgage agents instead can only be conveniently ignored when one only cares about blaming someone who is a member of an "enemy" political party in a thinly veiled attempt at a partisan attack piece.

Partisan solutions to the economic crisis include somehow winning a congressional election in 2010, blaming the other side, and criticizing recovery plans. It is unclear as to how these solutions will help this country right now, just as it is unclear just how Senator Dodd's ideas for economic recovery are bad. Instead, we get ad hominem attacks against Dodd, and very little talk about exactly what Senator Dodd wants to do or even Dodd's opinions.

Dodd has a share of the blame in this economic crisis, but unlike the consumers that have helped to create these problems, he has the power, the experience, and the ability to help solve these same problems. The rest of us are only able to pay our bills on time, educate ourselves about the root causes of these issues, and tell our elected representatives just what we want them to do. Partisan finger pointing does little in the way of problem solving, and playing the blame game only serves those who value political victory over economic recovery.

The time has passed for finger pointing and blame, and the public good can be better served by a public dialog free of attacks and full of ideas.

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