Dodd draws fire for tortured tale -
Manu Raju - POLITICO.com

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) could have prevented a media firestorm by giving a simple explanation about why Congress couldn’t stop AIG executives from receiving lavish bonuses — and about his role in the ongoing brouhaha.

But the confusing way in which the Banking Committee chairman has handled an issue that has turned into political nitroglycerin has many people on Capitol Hill scratching their heads — and venting their anger at Dodd.

The questions center on a tortured chronology. Initially, Dodd deflected blame about changing legislative language that allowed the big bonuses to go forward — but later acknowledged that he did alter the provision. Also inexplicable: why Dodd would struggle to explain the issue by himself for nearly 24 hours before Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner admitted that he was the one who urged Dodd to make the changes