Dodd tries to clear up AIG debacle

Hartford (WTNH) - Sen. Chris Dodd continues to be at the vortex of the controversy surrounding the AIG bonuses because of his conflicting answers to questions about his amendment earlier this week. He was back in Connecticut Friday to try and straighten things out.

There was a swarm of news media cameras and reporters around Dodd today for a routine announcement at the Enfield Police Department that normally would brought out two or three reporters at most. Even CNN was there with a satellite truck to interview Dodd, but they didn't want to talk about the grant to the Enfield PD.

Dodd also paid a visit to a Connecticut Public Television interview show where most of the questions were about the events of this week. Dodd then sat down with News Channel 8.

Mark Davis: I think we all understand now that you didn't write this part, the Treasury Department did, because they were afraid of lawsuits, but why was it so difficult to get you to say that?
Dodd: It was my fault for not understanding the question. I heard the word AIG bonuses in conjunction with the date at the time we wrote the amendment, and even up until the end of last week, I had no idea about any bonuses at AIG.

Davis: Why did Treasury Secretary Tom Geithner take so long to say; 'Dodd didn't write this, we did, we wanted it?'
Dodd: Well, that's a question I've been asking myself over the last three days too, Mark. You know, frankly, I would have preferred they stood up at the moment and said; 'listen, we're the ones who insisted upon this.' And I'm offended, in a way, that people haven't stood up and taken responsibility for what they requested.

Davis: Now the public sees the Congress has passed a law to allow the bonuses and then they passed another law to take them away, it's starting to look ridiculus.
Dodd: Well, it does, and, in fact, there's one provision. I don't want to get too much in the details, but a provision that remained in the amendment, Mark, that I want people to be aware of. [It] says the Secretary has the right, if there are any bonuses given, contrary to the purposes of TARP, or contrary to public interest, that he has the right to reach back after those bonuses. That language is still in my amendment, was not taken out at all.

As far as the political damage this may have caused, Dodd says he's more concerned about fixing the nation's ailing economy than saving his job. Although he said again today that he does plan to run for re-election next year.