After 30 years in the Senate, Chris Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, is choosing to retire rather than fight an uphill reelection bid this year. The news came after Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota — a Democrat whose seat was deemed safe — announced he would not run for reelection. Gov. Bill Ritter of Colorado and Michigan Lt. Gov. John Cherry, who had been the likely Democratic nominee for governor in that state, have also bowed out. Are Democrats retiring because they fear a Republican surge in the fall? (Watch an AP report about Democrats' announced retirements)
Dodd's departure actually helps Democrats: Chris Dodd's problems weren't part of a backlash against Democrats, says Nate Silver in FiveThirtyEight. Dodd, the Senate Banking Committee chairman, took much of the blame for post-bailout AIG bonuses, and his ratings were further hurt by his links to Countrywide's VIP loans. Now that popular state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is going for Dodd's seat, it should be "uber-safe" for Democrats.
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