Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Senator Dodd Announces Retirement, Democratic Majority in Senate at Stake

   Cindy Saine 06 January 2010
   Senator Christopher Dodd (file photo)

Photo: AP

   Senator Christopher Dodd (file photo)

   After  nearly 30 years as a U.S. senator from Connecticut, Christopher
   Dodd says he will not run for re-election later this year.
   Speaking  from  his  Connecticut home Wednesday, Dodd said he made the
   decision  two  weeks  ago,  and  admitted he was, in his words, in the
   toughest shape of his political career.
   He also cited the deaths of his sister and of his close friend Senator
   Ted  Kennedy and his own battle with prostate cancer - all in the past
   year - as contributing to his decision.
   Dodd,  who  also  served  in  the U.S. House of Representatives in the
   mid-1970s   and  early  1980s,  was  facing  a  difficult  re-election
   campaign.  As chairmen of the Senate Banking Committee, he co-authored
   unpopular  financial  industry  bailout  programs  and was linked to a
   controversial  low-rate  VIP  mortgage  program,  all which caused his
   popularity to plummet last year.
   Dodd's  announcement  comes  one  day  after fellow Democratic Senator
   Byron Dorgan from North Dakota said he will not seek re-election.
   There   are  currently  58  Democrats  in  the  U.S.  Senate  and  two
   independents  who  usually vote with the Democrats, giving Democrats a
   60-vote  majority. That majority allows Democrats to bypass opposition
   Republican  procedural  tactics  that can delay legislation, sometimes
   indefinitely.
   Senate   Democrats  recently  used  their  60-vote  majority  to  pass
   President Barack Obama's health care reform initiatives.
   Like  Dodd,  polls  showed  Dorgan  was  facing  a  tough  re-election
   campaign,  trailing  potential  Republican  contender and North Dakota
   Governor John Hoeven.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters..

.