Sen. Byron Dorgan will not seek reelection

angeleno · 01-05-2010, 07:25 PM

I'm not sure whether this is good or bad news. Senator Dorgan is one of those "blue dogs" that voted against the DA and CIR in the past, but maybe now that he doesn't have to worry about getting elected, he might change his stance and fall in line with the rest of the Democrats.

Quote:

“Although I still have a passion for public service and enjoy my work in the Senate, I have other interests and I have other things I would like to pursue outside of public life. I have written two books and have an invitation from a publisher to write two more books. I would like to do some teaching and would also like to work on energy policy in the private sector.

“So, over this holiday season, I have come to the conclusion, with the support of my family, that I will not be seeking another term in the U.S. Senate in 2010. It is a hard decision to make after thirty years in the Congress, but I believe it is the right time for me to pursue these other interests.

“Let me be clear that this decision does not relate to any dissatisfaction that I have about serving in the Senate. Yes, I wish there was less rancor and more bipartisanship in the U.S. Senate these days. But still, it is a great privilege to serve and I have the utmost respect for all of the men and women with whom I serve.

8-bitPanda · 01-05-2010, 07:29 PM

We should definitely target this senator and see if perhaps he'll vote in our favor this time around.

nevfo · 01-05-2010, 08:00 PM

Let's do it! Me and you :]

questionsihave · 01-05-2010, 10:54 PM

This is actually good news for immigration reform. He will probably vote for the bill now since there is nothing for him to lose. He was facing a tough reelection this year against the governor of the state, and probably would have voted against any immigration reform to avoid the issue.

For democrats on the other hand, this is another blow for their 2010 election prospects.

justjohnjustice21 · 01-06-2010, 07:31 AM

He is now a prime target for DREAMers to convince him to finally co-sponsor the DREAM Act.

Forget about CIR! This year we will be defeated in trying to pass CIR. President Obama and Sen. Harry Reid are only going to push for it for their own benefit, trying to look pro-immigrant and stay on Hispanic's good side, which Reid desperately needs.

CIR has no hope in the Senate, where the 60 vote threshold will be difficult to achieve now that so many Republicans don't want to work with Democrats on anything.

But I do envision some type of bipartisan group that we could draw support from for the DREAM Act

positivecharge · 01-06-2010, 12:18 PM

Just heard on MSNBC that the Ed Shultz from their show was "officially" asked by someone to run for Dorgan's seat and it seems that Ed is not considering it "at the moment".

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Sen. Byron Dorgan will not seek reelection