Race on for Dodd's Senate seat

The retirement of U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd adds another jolt of excitement to the already electrifying 2010 election campaign in Connecticut

A politically wounded Dodd announced Wednesday he is dropping his bid for a record-breaking sixth term in the Senate.

"This is my moment to step aside," Dodd said, standing outside his East Haddam home on a bluff overlooking a partly frozen Connecticut River.

The departure of Dodd, 65, cleared the way for Attorney General Richard Blumenthal to pursue his long-held dream of becoming a U.S. senator.

Blumenthal declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination a couple of hours after Dodd's noontime announcement. By late afternoon, the state Democratic Party had issued a fundraising appeal on Blumenthal's behalf.

The developments Wednesday open up this year's state and congressional races even wider than they already were. Now, there will be open races for U.S. senator, governor, and attorney general.

Democrats were already lining up Wednesday to run for attorney general, including George Jepsen, a former majority leader of the state Senate and former Democratic Party chairman.

Jepsen watched as Blumenthal announced his Senate candidacy at state party headquarters. Afterward, he told reporters that he plans to seek the nomination for attorney general.

The retirement of Dodd wasn't completely unexpected, but his announcement was still a stunner. In serious trouble, Dodd faced the real prospect of losing his Senate seat and possibly weakening the Democratic Party's majority.

Independent polling in Connecticut showed widespread voter dissatisfaction with Dodd. His own polling had him trailing or running neck-and-neck with possible Republican rivals.

Dodd acknowledged his difficulties Tuesday, but didn't catalogue them — his failed run for U.S. president, the collapse of the financial markets, his role in the AIG bonus debacle, a controversy about two home loans.

"None of these events or circumstances either individually or collectively is the cause of my decision not to seek re-election," Dodd said. "Yet together these challenges have given me pause, and to take stock, and ask the question that too few of us in elected public life ever do — why am I running?"

I disagree. Blumenthal is no shoe in, he’s as charismatic as cold dishwater or wet toast, take your pick. He’s been AG since 1990, he has longstanding relationships with Dodd and Obama, and their relationships will be critiqued carefully. An example of what I’m talking about:

“Connecticut Republicans had pressured Blumenthal to bring suit, noting Countrywide’s ties to U.S. Senator Chris Dodd.[34] Blumenthal has defended the Senator, stating that “there’s no evidence of wrongdoing on [Mr. Dodd’s] part any more than victims who were misled or deceived by Countrywide,” although his office has never investigated the Countrywide deals.”

Lastly, and no disrespect meant, Dorgan is from North Dakota, and for the record he could not have beaten the incredibly popular Governor John Hoeven, no way.

The democrats took a beating in the 2009 elections..... Connecticut is now a purple state. I don’t know anybody that is happy with the democrats. If it can happen in NJ, it can happen in CT.

There's plenty of hope---- PASTE THIS ON YOUR BATHROOM MIRROR 2009 gubernatorial elections in Va and NJ clipped the wings of Obama’s hopes for a permanent Democratic realignment with illegal votes. NJ Repubs Chris Christie and Va’s Bob McDonnell-—the only two 2009 statewide races) won Independents by a 2-1 margin, (66%-33% and 60%-30%, respectively); McCain lost Independents in each state to Obama a year earlier.

Here's how it happened in NJ.

Ohaha was heavly invested in the NJ gubernatorial race. Ohaha's carefully laid plans----for installing a permanent Dem majority (getting illegals to vote) went haywire. Pulling out all the stops for NJ made Ohaha a VERY good target for those disgusted with Ohaha’s policies.

OBAMA WAS DESPERATE FOR A NJ WIN TO PROTECT THE WH AGENDA. Obama put the power of the WH machine behind Corzine. The NY Times reported:
(a) every TV ad Corzine put on the air was being screened by Obama's WH team.
(b) Corzine's aides gave the WH daily briefings.
(c) Obama’s pollsters took over for Corzine’s polling team.
(d) White House operatives were on the ground for internal strategy sessions.
(e) White House operatives were orchestrating obscure pep rallies with Latinos (kept secret from voters).
(f) Corzine had a "Peruvian Pac" endorsing him.
(g) Ohaha campaigned in the state three times, Biden was there twice. Ohaha TV ads ran relentlessly in costly NY media markets.
(h) Corzine promised to give illegals driving credentials & in-state tuition.
(i) Corzine sucked up bigtime and REFUSED to enforce current immigration laws.
(j)Corzine formed a Blue Ribbon committee of latinos and other hypenates who were using tax dollars to mine votes for Corzine.
(k) Also sucking up to illegals was Democrat US Sen Robert Menendez, a Spanish-speaking Corzine campaigner.
(l)Corzine appointed latinos to the Supreme Court and to other high profile state jobs.

Other pertinent facts:

>> Incumbent Dem Jon Corzine (the wealthy loser) outspent the Repub winner about 4-1.
>> New Jersey has a huge Democratic registration.
>> Corzine bragged he had 20,000 paid union helpers on the ground election day to get out the vote.
>> There was a third party candidate siphoning off Republican votes.
>> Corzine had the power of incumbency.
>> Corzine had the power of a crooked Democrat Machine cooking the vote.
>> Ohaha hid $17.5 BILLION stimlulus in New Jersey.....for Corzine's reelection campaign.

And still Corzine lost.

The WH's lack of political savvy was glaringly on display. Early in the NJ campaign, an onslaught of weird WH approved-ads blanketed the pricey NY media markets-----showed Ohaha at a NJ rally praising Corzine---with strange "reaction shots" of people w/ deadpan faces, watching Ohaha. Predictably Corzine's numbers fell precipitously.

But WH know-it-alls still didn't "get it." Ohaha and Biden came back to NJ---more weird Ohaha ads ensued. Corzine also ran some sap-happy liberal "I got feelings" ads. None of the pundits thought the Repubs could pull it off. The rest is history. It appears the WH bombed.....the unions failed Corzine.....and the Latino suckup failed.

THE UPSHOT According to Ohaha's slimy Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, Ohaha was "busy with other matters" election night and "wasn't really concerned" with election results... an indication the WH is sucking up valium and vodka in order to anesthetize themselves from the aftermath.....trying to convince themselves the election was not a referendum on Obama.

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