CT-Sen: Chris Dodd Will Retire

Whoa — now this just caps off the craziest day of horserace politics we’ve seen in a long time:

Senator Christopher J. Dodd, the embattled Connecticut Democrat who was facing an increasingly tough bid for a sixth term in the Senate, has decided to step aside and not seek re-election, Democrats familiar with his plans said Wednesday.

Mr. Dodd, 65, will announce his decision at a news conference later in the day in Connecticut.

Unlike Byron Dorgan’s tragic retirement decision in North Dakota, Dodd is actually taking one for the team here. Dodd’s well-documented baggage proved to be a tremendous burden for him in every poll we’ve seen of his re-election bid this year. PPP will also come out with a poll soon suggesting that Democrats would breathe a lot easier with longtime state AG Richard Blumenthal in Dodd’s place in November. Blumenthal has been notoriously reluctant to leave his AG perch, but he has made noises in the past year about taking a crack at the Senate (in 2012, against Lieberman), but this would be a much clearer shot for him. If he decides to pass, Democrats would have other perfectly suitable choices to turn to, including 5th CD Rep. Chris Murphy, who has proven himself to be a strong campaigner.

(Discussion already underway here and here.)

RaceTracker Wiki: CT-Sen

106 thoughts on “CT-Sen: Chris Dodd Will Retire”

  1. [Just posted this on the other thread]

    I’m a longtime Connecticut Democrat and Dodd supporter.  I find this all very sad.  

    Obviously from a sheer national-politics perspective I’m happy and relieved that he took one for the team.  Blumenthal should have no trouble holding the seat (if he runs!) and Dodd really looked like he might lose.

    But Dodd has been a better Senator than a lot of people give him credit for.  He was the principal force behind the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which was the most significant progressive legislative accomplishment of the Clinton era.  He has always been excellent on budget politics as it affects families and children, and on all issues related to poverty.  At the same time he was always a moderate in regard to Wall St.  In that way I guess he represented Connecticut Democrats pretty well.  The Democratic coalition in our state includes both a bunch of rich Wall Street types AND several of America’s poorest cities.

    It’s unfair that the guy is getting the rap for the AIG bonus mess, which really wasn’t his doing at all.  But that’s politics.  And the choice to move to Iowa and run for President was an entirely self-inflicted wound.

    Anyway, just count me as not 100% happy about the end of the political career of the only real Democratic Senator our state has had for a long time.

  2. “Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking.”

    James, do you suppose we’re going to see a prompt race rating change like we had with North Dakota?  Seems to me they’re pretty much on par now, presuming both Blumenthal and Hoeven run.

  3. If you complain about an issue and beg for it long enough on this site, your wish just might come true. Plus with Blumenthal we get another Jewish senator!!!!!

  5. Hopefully this means that Rob Simmons political career is over! In addition, this mean the Peter Schiff gets to be the nominee and we have another teabagger on the ballot.

  6. I’ll go there.

    Any chance that we could get Chris Dodd to run as our Democratic nominee against Joe Lieberman in 2012?

    I don’t think this is crazy as it first sounds. Ask yourself which current sitting Senator from Connecticut has done more to alienate himself from his constituency.

    In any case, it’s all well and good to say that we want to remove Joe Lieberman from office. It’s quite another thing to identify a Democrat that can actually beat him. Offhand, I can think of no better options.

  9. Not only did he make our lives easier, but he also concentrated all the bad news into one cycle. Having this come out over a period of a week would just have created a narrative.

    Now we have two days of shitty coverage, before something shiny appears and distracts the press, preventing a meme establishing itself.

    I hope Dodd gets some reward for his service. I could certainly see him in a cabinet role a few years down the line.

  12. I’m actually still interested in seeing how McMahon/Simmons fare against Blumenthal in the PPP polling (perhaps Indies still side with the GOP), but I suspect the Attorney General has a floor somewhere in the mid-50s.

  13. I went to bed last night and woke up this morning depressed about Dorgan.

    Dodd’s retirement makes it an even trade, because now that seat is saved.

    I don’t think it matters if Blumenthal takes the plunge or not, as we’ll hold the seat now with just about anybody.

  18. I’m glad that Senator Dodd will be retiring.  Overall, I think Dodd was one of the better Senators, but his chances of winning this race was not very good, especially for a 30-year incumbent Senator in a blue state.

    Senator Dodd has earned my respect for taking one for the team.  I hope him the best.

  20. I’d extend thanks to Dodd for ultimately recognizing the nature of the problem and taking one for the team.  There are a lot of guys who couldn’t put ego second.

  21. The MSM narrative has been absolutely – though not surprisingly – nauseating.

    “Dems’ Black Tuesday” blares First Read.

    My favorite quote from the article: “The fact is that retirements, party switches, etc. hurt a party – period.”

    Oh, to live in the Magical Land of the Pundit, where one needn’t make any sense at all to be looked on as a guru to the blind masses.

    The only thing I want to hear on MSNBC today is Ed Schultz’s announcement that he’s in for Dorgan’s seat – and that, sadly, probably ain’t happenin’.

  23. Everyone in CT has heard some form of a joke about AG Blumethal and his ridicoulous frivolous lawsuits and legal actions. Heres the problem  . . . .the joke has always been on the people of CT who supported / let slide these actions and have now paid with there hard earned $$ and have allowed us to become the # 1 state in budget/deficit / PER every person (man women child resident). $4900. Utterly AMAZING considering we are also the richest.

    We the CT People are also attached to a : a Voted worst Attornet General # 50 by the American Enterprise Institute. The poster boy on most/all over-lawyered web sites.

    The attorney general comes with an inherent lack of or zero oversite as it is percieved as the buck stops there, but now with a Senate office run, these facts will come out in flying colors and show how this man is the worst possible choice in this ecdonmy and for CT.

    Legal actions against Facebook, Poker Games, wrong parties (just to name a few). . and this DOOZIE a $7000 refund dispute that in turn had AG Blumenthal take a $800,000 home from a Wilton resident Mr & Mrs Hoffman that resulted in the forced resignation of an assistant AG and now him seeking immunity from his actions?!?  http://donpesci.blogspot.com/

    PLUS

    Our AG was lambasted and made a fool of by a simple Glenn Beck constitutional interview in MArch 2009 that made him hide from  . . . .

    has never taken on THE #1 WHITE COLLAR CRIME of LAL TIME in CT  AIG scandal (all the main players are CT residents) and General-RE (stamford CT corp that cooked the books for AIG . . why? . . .

    Because he has sit and can sit in his silver-spoon clocktower in Hartford and fire away without reprecussions.

    BUT PLEASE people of CT do NOT allow this to go anymore . . . our hard earned $$ needs to be       dealt with responsibly.

    There will be A LOT More to come on the excesses of the CT AG Blumenthal in the next 10 months)and why he should be put into retirtemnt . . he is NO frontrunner . . . or financial friend to us here  . . . if the facts come on . . he is a “old school” let me spend your $$ on whatever I want to . . . politician . . and they are no longer needed in todays society and CT’s

    a registered Independent

  24. I guess you actually can “clue in the clueless”  Coakely – Biden drop out . . . 2 AG’s that after review didn’t deserve the position . . . and Blumenthal is the weakest outta of all 3

    ALWAYS remember 24.5 million emminent domain loss in 2009 coordinated by Blumenthal . . . and why the need for a state income tax for the RICHEST state . . can anyone defend reckless spending from the AG’s office . . if so please use precise accounting #’s dollars and cents and specifics

    THSI WILL Be THE LAST COMMENT Here . . . unless someone changes the topic a classic (debaters shell-game) tactic

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