Comedian Chris Dodd

Facing near certain defeat this November, corrupt Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd cut his losses and "retired" yesterday, but not before unleashing one of the greatest whoppers we've ever heard. Now consider this guy did all he can to enrich himself while in office and likely would've been carried out stiff if he didn't see the writing on the wall. So to pretend his departure from the Senate is some sort of magnanimous gesture to enable some fresh blood to come in is absurd beyond belief.

Perhaps the biggest lie of Dodd's long political career came yesterday when he insisted he was quitting because his job is done and it's time for the next generation of public "servants."

No human on earth has ever given up the Senate Banking Committee chairmanship just so somebody younger can take up the reins of graft and greed.

No, Dodd is giving up because voters were about to throw him out for his extensive involvement in so many of the policies that led to this economic collapse, not to mention the special treatment he enjoyed as one of the politically chosen.

Next thing you know the 700-year-old Robert "Sheets" Byrd will anounce his retirement claiming someone only a couple centuries old deserves a crack at representing West Virginia.

Remarkably, the man who helped bring on economic collapse is being floated as a possible future Treasury Secretary. It's as if Democrats wish to become extinct.

Is this who you want guarding the treasury?

Consider:

* In 2003, Dodd -- already a high-ranking member of the Banking Committee -- scored two cut-rate refinancing deals on personal mortgages worth nearly $800,000 from subprime-mortgage lending giant Countrywide Financial.

The deals arose from Dodd's being designated as a "Friend of Angelo" -- Countrywide co-founder Angelo Mozilo.

* In another questionable real-estate transaction, Dodd in 1994 acquired a one-third share of an Irish vacation home. The other two-thirds were purchased by William Kessinger, business associate of one Edward Downe, who pleaded guilty to insider trading.

Seven years later, Dodd successfully lobbied then-President Bill Clinton, on his way out of the White House, to pardon Downe. Shortly thereafter, Dodd took full ownership of the Irish property -- at a mere fraction of the appraised value.

* Last February, an amendment to the stimulus package from now-Chairman Dodd guaranteed that executives from firms receiving government bailouts -- including insurance giant AIG -- remained eligible for bonuses.

I guess if Dodd doesn't ascend to the top post at Treasury then his partner in crime, Barney Frank, would be next in lie.