Are Sen. Dodd's AIG Actions Impeachable?

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This is a rush transcript from "Glenn Beck," March 19, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GLENN BECK, HOST: You know, the only thing that was important about the AIG thing was really what came out with Chris Dodd. I mean, when are people going to say what they mean and mean what they say? If people stuck by this, we wouldn't be in this mess. Chris Dodd, his role in the AIG bonus controversy is amazing.

Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS DODD, D-CT: I can't point a finger at someone who is responsible for altering the language that put those dates in. I can tell you this much — when my language left the Senate, it did not include it. When it came back, it did.

They came to us, our staff, and asked for changes. And the changes at the time did not seem that obnoxious or onerous. And none of us have — I certainly didn't still have idea about AIG and these retention bonuses. And so the modifications, the argument was to deal with potential — a flood of lawsuits that could have come to the — come to the government over the matter.

So, we agreed to some modifications at the time. The alternative was, quite frankly or at least implicitly suggested, that if we didn't take some modifications that the entire amendment could be dropped.

And so then the administration, which they admit, they had problems with my amendment. They thought it went too far. And they came and said we got a couple of modifications we'd like to make for the amendment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: OK. When it left, there were no modifications, there were no dates, I don't know what happened. Then, OK, yes, there was some modifications, they came to me. And then it was the — it was the administration, it was Obama, it was the treasury.

• Video: Watch Beck's interview

You got to be kidding me!

Chris Keating is the capitol bureau chief for the Hartford Courant. He's been covering Christopher Dodd for over 20 years. And look at him, he's 25 years old. Look at to what he's done to him.

(CROSSTALK)

BECK: He has a front page story on this. Now, this is — this is amazing to me. I mean, you know, Connecticut, when are you going to wake up on the corruption and what's going on with Chris Dodd? Can you give me just some of the highlights here with Chris Dodd?

CHRISTOPHER KEATING, HARTFORD COURANT: Well, Dodd has been an incredibly successful politician basically. This is the — this is the biggest issue that he's ever faced from what we can see up here, starting back with Countrywide back in June. But, prior to that, Dodd generally wins re-elections, sometimes by 30 points, sometimes by 20 and 60-to-40 race.

BECK: Wait, I don't want to talk about elections. I don't — you know, I specifically asked for you on the show today, because I didn't want to talk to some partisan. I didn't want to talk to a guy who's running against him or anything else. I just want somebody...

KEATING: Correct.

BECK: ... who is trying to be fair, who's just trying to report the story.

I mean, you say he hasn't had problems. Tell me about the — what it was — the Irish cottage that he had, and then he's sharing it with somebody that was pardoned by Clinton, that turns into a little something, and then the Countrywide that he holds on to his mortgage papers forever, which is directly linked to what's going on right here. Oh, but, I got no special favors.

And now, writing — did he not get — wasn't he the number one recipient from — for election money from AIG executives — number one?

KEATING: Yes, that is correct. That is correct. He is the chairman of the banking committee, and that is correct.

BECK: Chairman of the banking committee, and he gets more than anybody else on re-election. This country is out of control. Then, number two, by the way, was Barack Obama — getting money from AIG. Is there any connection with him getting money and then him putting in this little bonus line into the language of the stimulus bill, do you know?

KEATING: I don't — I don't know for sure. He — what he says is that he did not know about the AIG bonuses until a couple of days ago.

I just got off a conference call with him less than an hour ago, and basically, he said when this all went down in February, he said that he and Obama — and I guess the others — didn't know about the specific AIG bonuses until a couple of days ago. This did focus on all bonuses prior to February 11th, 2009. That was the magic date that is in the legislation.

BECK: This is...

KEATING: So, anybody who was before that date is covered.

BECK: He was — he was involved with not only Countrywide but AIG, but also Fannie and Freddie. He and Barney Frank, the wonder twins — the wonder twin powers, activate! No, no, please don't!

They were involved in Fannie and Freddie. Those guys are getting bonuses, and yet, nobody seems to be talking about the banks or the lending institutions that are government institutions that are reaping our nation, and nobody seems to care. Why is that? Do you have any idea, Christopher?

KEATING: Well, the taxpayers, as you probably know, allegedly own 80 percent of AIG. But AIG is still being run by the people who run it. So, some people would say if the government owns 80 percent of AIG, why isn't the government running it?

BECK: They are.

KEATING: And the answer is it's just not happening yet.

BECK: Well, they are. And you know what? The reason you're not hearing anything about Fannie and Freddie is because the government — and the media is in the bag for the government right now. And shame on you, media, for not covering Fannie and Freddie.

And the other thing is, I've changed my position. I don't think we will nationalize banks, because if we nationalize the banks and — this is a big "and" or "if," the media would actually do its job, they would run out of scapegoats, because we wouldn't be talking about the executives at AIG. If the media was doing their job, and they had nationalized AIG or these banks, we would have to go to Barney Frank and Christopher Dodd. And they're too good at using other people as — look at them, there's the bogeyman! Instead of looking at them and saying — what the hell have you been doing the whole time?

Now, here is the next bogeyman - by the way, Christopher, thank you very much for your reporting. I appreciate it. You keep in touch with us.

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