Dayton Expected to Bow out of Re-election bid...Minnesota

[SaveElmer]

Just up on the Star Tribune web site

http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5231507.html

Don't know if this is good or bad

Paging Alan Page!!!

[Worst Username Ever]

1. It is only bad if we have a crappy candidate.

I don't care of dayton, but he is better than some shitty neocon.

[Moderator]

2. SaveElmer, pls edit your post to reflect actual headline

Dayton expected to bow out of re-election bid

[SaveElmer]

5. Done ...eom

[Wickerman]

3. Hope he writes a tell all book

if he won't run again.

[dflprincess]

4. Breaking: Minneapols TV reporting Mark Dayton will not run for reelection

On it's noon news, WCCO the locale CBS affiliate reported that Mark Dayton will not run for reelection in 2006. There has not been an official announcement, the story is coming from "sources".

We can only hope the sources are wrong. Mark sure sounded like a candidate last Saturday at the State Central Committee meeting.

[bloom]

7. I hadn't noticed him much until

he was speaking out about Rice - prior to the SoS vote.

I thought he articulated the argument quite nicely.

[WI_DEM]

6. but why?

was in he trouble? Ok, who can Dems get who can win?

[SaveElmer]

9. If they could convince Alan Page

The Dems would definitely hold onto that seat!

He's the most popular vote-getter in state history...and we can only hope that the Republicans are stupid enough to put up Rod Grams again!

[jeffgad]

15. Franken, maybe? Hey, it might just work.

Jesse ran as a non-politician, and he didn't even have a brain.

[meow2u3]

42. I could just picture Sen. Franken

mimicking and making fun of the likes of Frist, Hatchet, and/or Bush on the Senate floor. He'd crack up the Democrats and piss off the Republicans!
:evilgrin:

[Oreo]

8. No! Unless they can find somebody

that will question authority like Dayton has, there can't be any good in this.

[Teaser]

12. Dayton had no shot, unfortunately.

His organization stinks and his popularity was in free fall. This could be good for us.

[stevedeshazer]

10. Franken

There's his opening, although I'll bet he was planning to run against slimeball Norm Coleman in '08.

[Emboldened Chimp]

11. This is sad...Dayton is one of the good ones...

Not the most eloquent speaker, but his heart is in the right place. It'll be a shame to lose a good senator, especially if the pigs pick up his seat.

[mzmolly]

13. This is sad. Perhaps he can ask the new DNC chair for help?

I think anyone that is being targeted by Republicans deserves FERVENT support from Democrats.

[Placebo]

14. Good news.

We can do better than Dayton for that senate seat.

[jpgray]

16. Voted against the IWR, exposed NORAD 9/11 lies

Regardless of the alternatives, despite a few quibbles with his Ohio certification remarks, this Minnesotan will miss him.

[MNDEM2004]

17. It's True he is done

Just heard his telephoned speech on the radio. We need this seat.

[bigtree]

18. Doesn't sound like anything serious in his life

Sounds like he's whipped or something. Weird. I thought he was one of the most vocal against Bush in the past weeks. Wonder what they have on him?

[Freddie Stubbs]

19. Closing his office last fall was a dumb, dumb, move

And now he is paying the price.

[catgirl]

20. He probably doesn't want to deal

with the republican attacks. They wanted him out badly and would do ANYTHING to acheive this. He has a family and probably wants to live.
Didn't he receive an anthrax letter or was it just Daschle?

Supposedly the repugs are going to run Mark Kennedy who is one of the slimiest repugs around. He's a dirt slinger (look what he did to Patty Whetterling).

[OnBackground]

21. link to his release

http://dayton.senate.gov/news/details.cfm?id=231813&&

[wheresthemind]

32. it was a principled move...

and a brave one, he deserves only respect.

[Freddie Stubbs]

33. It was stupid

Why didn't other principled politicians, like Russ Feingold and Barbara Boxer also close their offices?

[wheresthemind]

39. Thats a perfectly good question...

and one you should ask them...

Assuming they got the same briefing why did they feel the lives of their staff should be at risk when they will not even be in Washington? Dayton knew the political consequences of his action and chose the well being of his staff over his own political ambitions.

It reminded me of Wellstone... People said he was stupid for voting against the Iraqi war resolution, yet Minnesotan's have a way of recognizing true courage.

[stuckinlucky]

22. Minnesota Senator Will Not Seek Reelectioin

Potentially bad news, but could this be Franken's seat in '06?

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Minnesota Sen. Mark Dayton, a first-term Democrat atop the Republicans' 2006 target list, said Wednesday he won't run for re-election next year.

"I do not believe that I am the best candidate to lead the party to victory next year," Dayton told reporters on a conference call. "I cannot stand to do the constant fund raising necessary to wage a successful campaign, and I cannot be an effective senator while also being a nearly full-time candidate."


http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/02/09/senate.dayton.ap/

[davidinalameda]

23. who is the state supreme court justice

that has been mentioned several times for higher office in Minnesota

he is a former pro football player

[GalleryGod]

25. Alan Page! Perfect Choice!

Let's hope they don't "fumble" this choice again

[davidinalameda]

35. exactly

from what I understand, he would be great

[Metrix]

27. This guy?

http://www.courts.state.mn.us/judges/JudgeProfile.aspx?pageId=123&ID=30009

Please, not Franken. Minnesota, if you elect any more people like Ventura or Colemanson, you won't have any right to make Iowa jokes.

[Rosco T.]

24. Actually I heard Jesse was considering a run... n/m

[Edgewater_Joe]

34. .. and I don't think Jesse's a Bush guy

Remember, Bush may already be feeling his lame-duckyness, so depending on who the Repunks pick, he may not be under Rove's thumb for long.

But Alan Page is an inspired choice. I thought he was pretty sick, though. Cancer, if I recall ...

[mudderfudder77]

26. It's honorable.

He knows he won't be able to do the fund raising necessary to combat the RW machine, so he's stepping aside for someone more willing.

[jean]

37. well...Mark can keep hitting hard in the Senate while a new candidate

hits the campaign and fund raising trail.

[VegasWolf]

28. The repukes must have pictures of him and the donkey. n/t

[Nancy Waterman]

29. I really liked him

He spoke out bravely on a number of issues. To me the message is that you can't speak the truth and stay in office. I find it heartbreaking.

[w4rma]

30. If that's true the Dems deserve more slack from progressives.

Bah. Sen. Dayton was one of my favorite Senators, too. Why did he make such a hairbrained tactical error by closing his office?

[amandabeech]

43. Delete. Wrong Thread

[briemann]

31. Isn't he an heir to

the Dayton Hudson fortune? How could someone so wealthy fairly represent all of MN?

[quaoar]

36. AP: Possible Democratic candidates

This is from an AP story on Dayton:

Democrats said they expected a lively competition for the party’s nomination. Possible candidates range from Minneapolis lawyer Mike Ciresi, who ran against Dayton in the 2000 primary, to radio show host Al Franken, who told The Associated Press he would make an announcement on his show Thursday.

Former Vice President Walter Mondale, who lost to Republican Norm Coleman in a Senate race in 2002, said he had no idea who would run. He ruled himself out.

“I’m sorry he’s stepping down, but on the other hand, I can understand why he might feel that the time has come,” Mondale said. “I really like Mark Dayton — he’s been a terrific senator, and a really good human being. If he wasn’t comfortable with running again, then it’s the right the decision.”

Minnesota, once reliably Democratic, elected Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Coleman in 2002. Coleman’s victory, in particular, dramatized the state’s political change, although Democrat John Kerry carried the state over President Bush last year.

[jean]

38. AAR Mn just said Alan Page and Amy Klobucher are possibilities

[Josh]

40. Bring back FRITZ!

I was so sad when Mondale lost Wellstone's seat right at the last minute, all because of the blatantly lying media coverage of Wellstone's memorial.

Let's put Mondale back in the Senate. NOW is the time. Social Security was HIS issue.

[Shananigans]

41. This is such a bummer!

I have had the opportunity to meet and chat with him on many occasions and always found his demeanor friendly and his ear open for whatever was being said. He is a true advocate for the liberal cause. Not only is this a huge loss for Minnesota, but a loss for our United States of America, as well.