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| Dodd's exit gives Dems better shot at saving Senate seat in 2010 |
| 2010-01-08 |
| Sen. Chris Dodd's (D) exit has made way for popular Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, also a Democrat, to become the favorite in Connecticut's Senate race. It also has left Republicans struggling to figure out how to win a seat that had once looked like a likely 2010 pick-up for the party. While Sen. Byron Dorgan's (D-N.D.) retirement leaves Democrats trying to retain a seat in a deep-red state, Dodd's exit could actually help his party keep a seat. Blumenthal is one of the most popular statewide officeholders in the country, and his entry changes the trajectory of the Senate race in a major way. Immediately after Dodd's announcement Wednesday, Democratic polling firm Public Policy Polling released a survey showing Blumenthal leading all Republican candidates for the seat by more than 30 points. He led former Rep. Rob Simmons (R-Conn.) by a 59-28 margin and former WWE CEO Linda McMahon by a 60-28 spread. In matchups with the incumbent, Simmons and McMahon were both either tied or leading. Dodd's GOP challengers said Wednesday they would remain in the race with or without Dodd. Blumenthal's approval in the poll stood at 59 percent, with just 19 percent disapproving. In other surveys, his approval has polled as high as 78 percent. He has served five terms in his current office, making him a well-known commodity in the Nutmeg State. He wasted no time jumping into the race, which suggests there was an arrangement for Blumenthal to take over Dodd's seat. Dodd succumbed to allegations of ethical misconduct stemming from a special mortgage with Countrywide Financial, a cottage in Ireland and a flap over a provision he put into the bailout bill which allowed AIG executives to keep their massive bonuses. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Blumenthal's been aiming for (and missing) higher office since he was got the CT Atty Gen'l slot back in the early 90s. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2010-01-08 22:42 |