Chris Dodd could face a takedown or two in the Connecticut Senate race as former WWE CEO Linda McMahon has stepped into the political ring to challenge him.

A carefully constructed model of a Dingle currach sits proudly on Rose Kennedy’s piano in the family’s Massachusetts home in Hyannisport. Ted liked to use it to “assure future generations of Kennedys that the Irish truly did discover America, after all.”

Irish American Senator Christopher Dodd, 65, has been diagnosed with cancer. Dodd, (D-CT) has been diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer and will have surgery in early August. However, the senator was upbeat and said his prognosis is good and that he plans to run again next year for a possible sixth

Senator Chris Dodd's Irish cottage made it onto Fox TV at the weekend courtesy of Connecticut State GOP chief Chris Healy and his vacation camcorder. Turns out that Healy spent his summer vacation in Ireland and must have just stumbled upon Dodd's Irish hideaway on the tiny island of Inishnee in County Galway.

It will be quite an Irish battle for a U.S. Senate seat in Connecticut next year, with incumbent Chris Dodd likely to face off against former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley who is running for the Republican nomination.

Senator Chris Dodd has landed in further controversy over his Irish cottage which may have been appraised at a value far too low.

The former Ambassador to Ireland, Thomas Foley, is considering running for the U.S Senate in 2010

The Irish will be celebrating Barack Obama's ascension to the presidency in style next week amid signs that the Obama operation is reaching out quickly to leading Irish Americans. Several Irish activists have received premium VIP seats for the inauguration, a sure sign that the new administration is taking the role of outreach to ethnic groups seriously. In addition, the new administration has already committed to the continuation of the St.

THE congressional Friends of Ireland group hosted a special reception in honor of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern after his speech. Congressman Joe Crowley of New York told reporters that he felt Ahern's speech was well received."It was a very emotional speech especially when he spoke about the tragic events of 9/11 and all the Irish names he mentioned," said Crowley.

Senator Barack Obama's campaign has announced the formation of a new high level advisory panel on Irish issues, comprised of seven well known Irish American political heavyweights, to shore up Obama's somewhat frayed relationship with Irish America.

Senators George Mitchell (retired, Maine), Chris Dodd (Connecticut), Edward Kennedy (Mass-achusetts) and Pat Leahy (Vermont), Governor Martin O'Malley of Maryland and Congressmen Joe Crowley (New York) and Richard Neal (Massachusetts) were the names announced as panel members on Labor Day by the Obama campaign.

The move comes a week after a statement from the campaign seemed to call into question the appointment of a U.

While Senator John McCain was in Scranton, Pennsylvania on Monday addressing the Irish Presidential Forum, members of Senator Barack Obama's Irish advisory panel held a press briefing to slam the GOP nominee's prior record on Irish issues, including his opposition to the issuance of a visa to Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams in 1994.

Participants in the Monday morning conference sought to deliver a strong message to Irish voters - don't let McCain's sweet Irish talk fool you, because his past actions don't measure up to his current words of flattery.

Senator Patrick Leahy, on the call fellow Obama Irish advisory panel members Senator Chris Dodd, Governor Martin O'Malley of Maryland, and Congressmen Joe Crowley and Richie Neal, recalled the heated debate over the first Adams visa, and how McCain strongly criticized President Bill Clinton for giving the go-ahead.

Iowa Irish Launch Campaign

IRISH American Democrats will launch their Iowa campaign for Senator Hillary Clinton at the Historical Museum, in Winterset, Iowa, home of an historic Irish settlement, on Friday, November 9.

As usual, the chairwoman of Irish American Democrats, Stella O'Leary, has done an extraordinary job in rounding up the troops for an event that may well feature the former first lady.

Winterset is in Madison County -- yes, that Madison County - where millions of American women lost their heart to Clint Eastwood in the movie The Bridges of Madison County based on the best-selling book.

Talking Sense On Licenses

NEW York Eliot Spitzer has landed himself in extra hot water over the driver's license issue, but it is still important that Irish undocumented understand what has occurred.

By December of 2008 all undocumented will be able to obtain a license. That will allow them to get auto insurance, and they will be able to use the document as an ID everywhere except at an airport or a federal building.

Iowa Caucuses Are Complicated

THE first thing you need to know about the Iowa caucuses if you are a Democrat is that your second preference for president can be just as important as your first.

The Republican caucus is far more straight forward, essentially a straw vote with an immediate winner.

But the Democratic side is more complicated.

New St. Pat's Rules

ST. Patrick's Day and Holy Week will not fall in the same week again until 2160 - which is soon enough for many Irish American Catholics and church leaders around the country.

Bush for Belfast

WORD is that President George W. Bush will stop off in Belfast on an upcoming European trip that may take place as soon as June of this year.

Bush has already visited Belfast where he met with then Prime Minister Tony Blair in April 2003 at the height of the efforts to get the peace process moving after a long stall.