The NYT is reporting that Sen. Chris Dodd will not seek reelection this November.
Even though his odds seemed very long. This one is still kind of a stunner. And I must confess that while I know the stuff about Countrywide and the larger political climate, I never completely understood just how Dodd — a seemingly untouchable figure in the Connecticut political firmament for decades — sort of out of the blue became unelectable. But there it is.
Here’s the thing though. In seat counting terms, this is the mirror image of the Dorgan retirement. Dorgan’s seat was probably safe until he retired. Now it’s a probable Republican pick up. On the other hand, Dodd’s being on the ticket took a really blue state and made it a very possible Republican pick up. It’s still a bad climate for Dems. But Richard Blumenthal, who I assume will step in and get the Dem nomination, will be in a much stronger position to hold the seat. So this is the one retirement Democratic seat counters were probably hoping for.
