Best To Chris Dodd

Sen. Dodd has been diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer. My dad had this, and my grandfather too. It's very common and eminently treatable in this day and age, and hopefully Dodd will be able to beat it as quickly and painlessly as possible. He still plans to run for re-election and be back at work after the August recess. Here's part of his letter to supporters:

I want to assure you that I'm feeling fine. As you know, we've been working hard to pass health care legislation and reform our nation's financial system to protect consumers, and that hard work will continue.

After the Senate adjourns at the end of next week, I'll have surgery to remove the cancer. After a week or two of recuperation, I expect to be right back to work.

After all, as a Member of Congress, I have great health insurance. I was able to get screened, seek the opinions of highly skilled doctors, consider all the available options, and choose the treatment that was right for me.

And I know you'll agree that every American deserves the same ability.

We have health care legislation to pass - and an election to win. And I can't thank you enough for your support.

I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Sen. Dodd when he ran for President last year. I found him smart, engaging and focused on the right issues. He's been hammered back home for being the fall guy in the AIG bonus scandal - falsely, I might add - and for this alleged sweetheart deal on his mortgage from Countrywide, which his hometown paper states in two editorials today were not at all sweetheart deals but widely available mortgage terms.

I hope he's back on his feet soon.