Menendez looks to quell talk of DSCC dumping Dodd

by: Jason Springer

Sat Apr 04, 2009 at 04:36:15 PM EDT

Taeggen Goddard posted the other day about the upcoming re-election campaign of Senator Chris Dodd, which at this stage is looking like an uphill climb. His post had the headline, Can Dodd be pushed aside?

Devastating poll numbers this morning should increase the pressure on Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) to consider retirement so a safe Democratic seat doesn't turn into a Republican one.
Ben Smith says that "at some point -- not immediately, but pretty soon -- DSCC chairman Bob Menendez and the White House will have to consider trying to push Dodd aside, or perhaps offer him a high-profile appointment (Ambassador to Mexico?), in order to run the state's popular Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal, for the seat."

Senator Menendez looked to stop that speculation with this response to reporters:

Q: "Does the DSCC still support Chris whole-heartedly in light of these new numbers, and do they surprise you?"
Menendez: : "Are you serious? Chris Dodd is going to be re-elected. He's a great senator."
Q: "So the DSCC still supports him all the way?"
Menendez: "Absolutely."

The longer Dodd's poll numbers stay down in the dumps (he's currently down by 16 points in the latest poll), the more these questions are going to come for Menendez and the DSCC. Even if Menendez was contemplating something else, it's not like he could or would come out and say it now. Dodd emerged badly damaged from the AIG executive compensation situation, which Senator Menendez aggressively pursued. The Dodd race will be one to watch and could be a test for Menendez as Chairman. That will be in addition to the Burris seat in Illinois.

Jason Springer :: Menendez looks to quell talk of DSCC dumping Dodd

Tags: DSCC, Chris Dodd, Bob Menendez, (All Tags)

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Menendez looks to quell talk of DSCC dumping Dodd | 1 comments

Dodd may be done, but there's a bigger lesson (0.00 / 0)

and the bigger lesson is that Democrats are way too close to Wall Street. The reports that that Obama's administration is working out ways to evade's Congress's restrictions on executive pay are frightening. It is even wose that it is all at the advice of a man (Summers) who made millions just last year off Wall Street. Menendez should get on the phone to the White House and put an end to this.

Frank LoBiondo Record and Jon Runyan Watch

by: Hopeful @ Sun Apr 05, 2009 at 20:21:18 PM UTC