Is There Anyone in New England with a Dimmer Understanding of the Principles of Regulation than Christopher Dodd?

Keven Rennie's column in today's Hartford Courant forces the reader to wonder if Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd is incredibly dim-witted, or incredibly dishonest (h/t Instapundit). I don't think there's any other choice. Or maybe there's no need to choose…

Sen. Christopher J. Dodd went one contrivance too far last week at his carefully choreographed press event to explain his mortgage deals with Countrywide Financial. Dodd has engaged in so many contradictions in trying to manage the gathering storm that he probably did not recognize his stunning blunder.

At his Monday event, Dodd wouldn't let reporters have copies of the selected documents he let them glimpse. Instead, Dodd released a report from a Chicago firm hired with campaign funds to review his mortgage transactions.

If this episode reflects Senator Dodd's idea of meaningful oversight and transparency, he needs to be relieved of his Banking Committee responsibilities immediately. But hey, it's not every New Englander who can brag he would win a "who is less trustworthy" contest if pitted against Sam Goliath of Goliath Insurance, the ethically-challenged main character from the Providence Auto Body spots heard on local radio.

And did you know that Senator Dodd voted last week against giving low-interest mortgages to American citizens as part of the stimulus package. Apparently, the Senator believes that low rates are a privilege reserved for Senators with influence on banking issues, not something to be shared with the hoi-polloi.