U.S Sen. Chris Dodd was greeted by the headline of the year in the political journal - The Politico - yesterday as he resumed his Connecticut residency and full-time job as its state’s senior U.S. Senator.

“Lobbyists Welcome Dodd” blared the headline with glowing praise from some special interests about his ability to make sense of the sub-prime implosion and the legislative options open to the Democratic-controlled Congress.

Problem is Sen. Dodd is a little late to the fire. In fact, he is always late. One of his monikers over the years by the Capitol Press Corps. was Dodd’s Central Savings Time watch - always an hour behind for his appointed rounds. “The Late Sen. Chris Dodd” as he was and is known was routinely tardy for a press conference. But after spending months in Iowa with his family in tow to convince 40 people to vote for him for President, Dodd put his duties as chairman of the Senate Banks Committee on hold. Meanwhile, banks, mortgage companies and homeowners watched billions and their futures go up in smoke.

Now Dodd is back to extinguish the smoldering embers of a financial meltdown which ranks up with crash of 1987.

 That’s Connecticut’s Dodd.