Dodd Retiring To Avoid Electoral Defeat in 2010?

Dean Pagani has an interesting look at the future of Connecticut's congressional delegation in The Hartford Business Journal, and finds it is quite possible that future does not include our current senators.

Connecticut’s congressional delegation has been populated by the same seven to eight people for much of the last 25 years. Sens. Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman have been at the top, dominating state politics. But in the aftermath of the 2008 election, there are signs that the old guard is being ushered out and the new guard — that we may live with for the next 20 years — is emerging....

Both senators have been welcomed back [from Presidential runs] with less than open arms. Approval numbers below 50 percent are not insurmountable for two candidates as experienced and well funded as Dodd and Lieberman, but they are a sign of vulnerability. Ambitious birds of prey in both political parties are circling and watching for an opportunity. Many are betting Lieberman will not run in 2012 and others think Dodd may be persuaded to retire, to preserve his legacy as a senior statesman. It can be reliably reported, the conversations are taking place.

Talk of Dodd retiring, while appealing for so many reasons, is hard to believe. This guy, a member of the Senate Banking Committee for decades, blames President Bush for the mortgage crisis knowing full well it was the policies he advocated for twenty-five years that got us where we are. He tells the public, with a straight face, that he didn't know being a "Friend of Angelo" meant the loans he got from the companies he was supposed to be overseeing weren't available to the public. He refuses to release the records that would clear this all up in a heartbeat, despite promises to do so. And despite all this, he thought he would be a good President!

That kind of ego doesn't let go of power easily, and he likely is taking for granted the support he has received from Connecticut voters for decades now. He just ran for President a year ago, so it isn't like he has been winding down. There is even rumor that he could replace Harry Reid as Majority Leader. He's not retiring.

The drive to enlist Peter Schiff to run against Dodd in 2010 seems to be in full swing. This Artful Doddger post about Schiff, an economic advisor to Presidential candidate Ron Paul, ended up on the front page of RedState. And he is getting attention from places as remote as Sunnyside, Washington. The more attention we can bring to this race, both locally and nationally, the more beatable Dodd becomes.

So spread the word, and do it with conviction. There is a senate seat in Connecticut that is not out of reach for Republicans in 2010.