On this weekend’s Journal Editorial Report on FNC, host Paul Gigot interviewed Kevin Rennie of the Hartford Courant, who has been closely following the story of the sweetheart deal Dodd, Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, received from Countrywide Financial under the “Friends of Angelo” program, a reference to Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo.

The segment opened with a clip of Dodd speaking with reporters at a recent meeting at which he made available a carefully selected set of papers about the deal.

CHRIS DODD: I’ve never been a friend of Angelo Mozilo’s, uh, Mozila?

The screenplay of Dodd’s little bit doesn’t do justice to the acting skills he displayed. You really have to watch the video to appreciate how, in feigned confusion, he turns to someone off camera for help in getting this Angelo fellow’s last name right.  Lawrence Olivier doesn’t have a patch on the Nutmeg State thespian.

Gigot went on to mention that by one estimate, Dodd benefited to the tune of $70,000 from the sweetheart deal.  As for Dodd’s denial that he was aware of being on the Friends of Angelo list, a former Countrywide exec is quoted saying, with impeccable logic:

“The senator did know that he was a VIP. That was the whole point of the program. Why else have a VIP program if the VIPs didn’t know who they were?”

Be sure to tune into the Oscars on February 22nd.  Should be interesting to see who Dodd thanks for his award.