This can only mean one thing... PETER SCHIFF'S IN! (Even though there's no mention of him in the article)
From the Washington Post:
Embattled Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd (D) has scheduled a press conference at his home in Connecticut Wednesday at which he is expected to announce he will not seek re-election, according to sources familiar with his plans.
Dodd's retirement comes after months of speculation about his political future, and amid faltering polling numbers and a growing sense among the Democratic establishment that he could not win a sixth term. It also comes less than 24 hours after Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) announced he would not seek re-election.
State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is widely expected to step into the void filled by Dodd and, at least at first blush, should drastically increase Democrats' chances of holding the seat.
Blumenthal, who has served as state Attorney General since 1990, is the most popular politician in the state and has long coveted a Senate seat; he had already signaled that he would run for the Democratic nomination against Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) in 2012. (A sidenote: Assuming Blumenthal gets in to the race, Rep. Chris Murphy could be the long-term beneficiary as he is widely regarded as a rising star and would be at the top of the list of Democratic hopefuls to challenge Lieberman in 2012.)
Without Dodd as a foil, Republicans chances of taking over a seat in this solidly blue state are considerably diminished. Former Rep. Rob Simmons and wealthy businesswoman Linda McMahon are battling it out for the Republican nod but either would start as an underdog in a general election matchup with Blumenthal.
Dodd joins North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan on the sidelines for Democrats. Six Republicans Senators are not seeking re-election in November.
Dodd's retirement comes roughly two years after his presidential ambitions came to an end in the Iowa caucuses. Dodd, always a longshot in a field filled with better known and better financed candidates, had moved his family to the Hawkeye State in the fall of 2007 in hopes of generating some excitement for his bid. The move backfired on the Democratic incumbent as many Connecticut voters bristled.
Dodd's political problems were further compounded later in 2008 when it was reported that he had been included in a special VIP mortgage loan program by Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo. Dodd insisted he was unaware of his inclusion and he was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Senate Ethics Committee but the political damage was done.
Once among the safest of incumbents, Dodd's numbers plummeted in the spring of 2009 before rebounding somewhat over the summer. But, a Quinnipiac University poll conducted late last year showed significant slippage for Dodd and led to widespread speculation that he had to vacate the seat for his party to have a chance at retaining it in the upcoming midterm elections.
Old age set in on Dodd, not
Old age set in on Dodd, not as sharp as he used to be. Let them slide those big bonuses by him. Big mistake, time to go.
I see a great opportunity in
I see a great opportunity in the coming elections for 3rd party or independent party candidates.
I voted independent in the last presidential election. Some folks would see that as a wasted vote. I go to bed every night with a clear conscious knowing that I didn't waste my vote, I voted for the person that I felt would be best suited for the job.
I'm quite conservative but I don't feel that the GOP has my best interests at heart just as much as the liberal folks don't either.
Once we started having "career politicians" taking office our own best interests have been shelved for money and power.
Lower taxes, better education, and no ongoing wars is not a pipe dream, it can be reality. Folks have to get more informed with facts and not rely on what the media chooses to show.
I worry so much about this healthcare deal that the left keeps wanting to rush through. I am old enough to know that if the politicians are happy about a bill, we won't be very happy about it passing. I worry for my folks, my kids, my brothers kids, and my community. Will we even have enough money to pay for this forced healthcare? Would I go to jail if I refused to get it? How is this even constitutional? What invasion of privacy concerns will there be? I don't know about anyone else but I don't feel very good about the government having access to my healthcare records.
Everything the government touches is screwed up. If folks want to know how things will be under a government run system perhaps they should look at the US Postal service that can't balance its budget and was actually considering cutting days from its delivery days. Or perhaps we should look at Social Security. According to some folks by the time I get old enough to utilize my Social Security benefits there won't be any money available because the politicians over the years have dipped into OUR Social Security to fund little pet projects and other crap.
So in short. This is the time for independents. As a voter I am sick of both the right and left and wish that someone, some every day joe or jane, with no ties to rich organizations or people, with nothing to lose to rise through the ranks of the common man and take the country by the horns. Stop the wars for oil, stop the overtaxation, stop the tightening grip of "lawmakers""lawyers""judges" stripping us of our god given rights to live free and be in possession of our own bodies and what we do with them.
I wouldn't count my chickens
I wouldn't count my chickens before they hatch. Who knows what the Democrats/leftists will pull before this is all over. We could end up with a third party style candidate that would pull enough votes from Schiff to help the Democrat win.
Whichever democrat they put
Whichever democrat they put in there better be ready to get rattled by Nader, because he's a potential Senate candidate now. The dems have basically flipped off the left, so it would be pretty deserving for them to walk away with a black eye after this election.
Also, if you don't like vote splitting, argue for instant runoff voting, or better yet, a Condorcet method. Our plurality system sucks and encourages us to lie in the voting booth. The political arena should be a competitive marketplace and failing to criticize our own party or telling people not to run only hurts ourselves.
I've gotta say this is fairly
I've gotta say this is fairly bad news for the Schiff campaign. The recent polls showed every Republican candidate beating Dodd. Anyone the Dems find to replace him will be tougher to beat.
This is awesome news! Go
This is awesome news! Go Schiff!
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