richard blumenthal was elected attorney gener in 1990 and nce almost roughly that time hhas coveted ate seat. he has been urted many times. he's taken a pass. obviousl he's had senators dodd and lieberm in those offices for quite someime. he is by the far a the state's most popul politician, if you beeve skadz of independent polling. the question is is not meone who has had a real rac in rghly two cades. we will ve a real race he. he is clearly e favorite in th election. it is nnecticut. it is reliably democratic state. senatododd's probms were his known noabout the underlying problemsf the state. thataid , rob m fronz eastern nnecticut, my home district, as well as lindhcmeny, have pledged to spend upwds of $50 llion on her campaign are still the ce on the republan side. is it better today for democts than yesterday wh chris dodd in the race? absolutely. is it entire over? let's see w richard blumenthal performs on thcampaign trail. >> ifillamy, you are not, for the rerd, north dakota, and it isot a reliablely democratic ate so what is the fallout there? >> very, very different. you'

in connecticut, a popular democrat, state attorney general, richard blumenthal, announced he will rundodd's seat. >> i have not been pressured to take this step, i have received a lot of >> i've received a lot of encouragement. and i emphasize a lot. i have two dead cell phones right now. i have 2 dead cellfones right now. >> ifill: five democrats and six republicans will not seek reelection to the u.s. senate this year. in the house, 10 democrats have announced they're leaving, and an eleventh, alabama congressman parker griffith, has switched parties. but 14 house republicans have said they will not run again. party leaders are worried about state races too. in michigan, democratic lieutenant governor john cherry decided against a run for that state's top job. and in colorado, democratic governor bill ritter plans to step down. >> ifill: here to discuss the fallout from these high- profile decisions are two who specialize in politics, writ large and small. amy walter, editor of "the national journal's" political daily, "hotline". and chris cilizza, who reports on politics for the "w

richard blumenthal will step in. how important is this? is it 1994 all over again? >> i want to give chris dodd credit for not saying i want to leave because i want to spend more time with my family. >> in this case, it might be true. >> look, i think it's going to -- you couldn't pick a tougher environment than you have today. election is ten months away. right now, today, the democrats stand to lose a couple dozen house seats and three or four senate seats. >> they'll hold control? >> almost an absolute to hold control in the senate. they could lose control in the house. this week aches event doesn't change much. the north dakota state goes into the republican side. the senate there have been six republican retirements but only two democrats. >> you could argue this has been a good week for democrats. if chris dodd stood for re-election, that looked really, really tough. now, as i think, al or you said, blumenthal is a strong candidate. >> jornl, good week for democrats? >> not great week. it's not that bad for them yet. republicans are not going to control the se

richard blumenthal will step in. he's ahead right now. how serious is this threat that the democrats are facing? is it 1994 all over again? >> i want to give chris dodd credit for not saying i want to leave because i want to spend more time with my family. which is what most politicians do. as journalists, we ought to track the next couple of years. >> in this case, it might be true. >> look, i think it's going to -- you couldn't pick a tougher environment than you have today. election is ten months away. right now, today, the democrats stand to lose a couple dozen house seats and three or four senate seats. i don't think the -- >> they'll hold on to control? >> almost an absolute to hold control in the senate. they could lose control in the house. it would have to be a tsunami. it would have to be 1994 all over again. this week's event doesn't chan much. the north dakota state goes into the republican side. retirements?ing to be other the senate there have been six republican retirements but only two democrats. >> you could argue this ha

joining me right now is karen blumenthal, author and family money writer for "the wall street journalse are our good friends, our best buddies, especially during the holidays, credit cards, right? you have some reminders for us to look out for as well as the changes. let's start with what we care about most, interest rates for most of us. >> right. right now we're seeing credit card companies raise interest rates ahead of new laws that go into effect in february. so you need to pay attention to whether or not your rates are going up, especially if you carry a balance, because it could really cost you. you have an option right now to get out of that, to choose not to do it, but you need to make that decision quickly. >> now let's get down to one detail. they can change the interest rate and these new rules take effect in february. is that correct? up to 45 days in advance they let you know. >> 45 days' notice, but the key thing is if you miss a payment right now your interest rate can go up. after february you have to be more than 60 days late before they can raise your interest rate.

throw the blumenthals up in connecticut much stronger than dodd. democrats will probably retain that seat. north dakota is a problem. i think the republican governor will wind up with that seat. john, i think the republicans will gain a little more than 26 but they won't gain the 38, 39 they need -- >> the democrats will be filibuster proof? >> no. >> 20 to 30 seat loss in the house is standard. if it goes above that, it's a problem, but it would be highly unusual if the democrats with are able to keep their 60 votes. >> the numbers are very steep for the republicans but nothing -- >> very what? >> steep for the republicans to take over both chambers, but i will say when you look at the generic polling for the congressional ballot, republican versus democrat, republicans are running an astonishing 8 points ahead. the reason is independents that broke 2-1 in the democrats last year are now breaking 2-1 for the republicans. >> i'm surprised that martin sounds so self-assured when he says the republicans will not take over in view of the fact that we'

had problems, that he had a better chance of keeping the state democratic by his leaving and dick blumenthal, the attorney general running in his place. byron dorgan and kent conrad, sort of the touchdown twins, the two democratic senators, they've been winning elections in that state since 1980 in a state that ronald reagan won 2- -- solidly republican, north dakota, and somehow they have managed to survive, a populist, fiscally responsible national democrats. and byron dorgan i think decided that he had spent enough time, energy and effort doing that. and maybe that the prospects weren't that great. >> lehrer: you don't see glaciers moving the way david does. >> i do think that what you have right now is -- it is a difference from 1933. 1933, in 1932 there were 217 republicans and 216 democrats in the house of representatives. and two years later there were 200 more democrats than there were republicans under roosevelt. in other words, it kept increasing. the democratic numbers are not going to increase. what the democrats are concerned about are more retirement in the house, especially be

i mean, richard blumenthal, who's the attorney general, is a consumer -- >> advocate rights. >> oh, he's to win, i think, in connecticut. so, it's -- >> i want to get back to dorgan with you, peter, because a little bit of inside baseball or playing the political chess board, if you want to. >> right. >> do you think dorgan got wind of bill owens in colorado, the governor who would not be running for re-election, despite his 2006 landslide victory, didn't think he could take it, and then there were theories that maybe former colorado senator ken salazar, now interior secretary, would say, look, i'm going to go for that post, and then he would have a position -- you know how it goes. >> in the administration. >> in the administration, but salazar says, no, i'm staying. >> well, that's a lot of dominos to fall, alex. >> right, right. >> and ritter's decision coming on the heels of these other two, you know, i think again a little bit of a blow. but i think he's looking to go out into the private sector probably to enjoy his life a little bit would be my guess with dorgan. >> okay. >> and s

>> to be honest with you, i think most connecticut democrats would say general blumenthal, in terms ofeeping that seat, it is hard to see how this is, quote, bad for the democrats, unquote. >> you assume he's going to be the democratic nominee and will coast to a win? >> well, i mean, i assume. i think if he runs, which appears to be likely, not much chance that he'll be challenged. supposedly from everything i read, and i'm told by, pretty connected to some connecticut democrats -- >> he won't be challenged on the democratic side but challenged by republicans. >> right. but he would be the strongest democrat that we could run according to my friends in connecticut from what they tell me. but, look, can i say he won't get challenged by a democrat? no. >> i guess it is a tough question. do you think that democrats in connecticut and elsewhere were encouraging senator dodd to step down? >> i don't know that. and i kind of doubt it. senator dodd is a very popular person. people -- he's very well liked. that's something people need to understand. i think that he was in angst. i think he wa

the very, very popular governor of north dakota is a little bit like richard blumenthal. he has been talked about as a senate canada for many years. he won a third term with 70% of the vote. he was reluctant to take on byron dorgan, but now he will probably be talked into doing it. >> do you expect any more surprise announcements? >> i am not, but that's what makes some surprises. it is getting a little late in the political calendar for senators to pull these surprises because it does not do your own party any favors if they have to start recruiting candidates and raising money at this relatively late stage in the calendar. >> how do the 60 votes for the democrats shape up in 2010? >> i think it is a relatively safe bet that harry reid or his successor as majority leader if he loses his own race in nevada this fall while not have 60 votes to work with. that seems a pretty good prediction that one way or another the republicans will pick up at least a couple of seat this fall. >> thank you very much for being with us. >> you are watching c-span, created by america's cable

and the democrat who will probably run, blumenthal, will probably win that seat, so -- he did something to hem the party. i don't think that's the case with dorgen. i think republicans have a good chance of winning that seat. it's really rare for a president's party to gain seats or to not lose seats in the first election after the president was elected. it's -- it is almost always a time when the president's party loses seats, and with you add to that the fact that this president has been very, very ambitious in terms of the number of major kinds of controversial issues, he's pushed in the first year, first two years of his presidency, by that time, a lot of which, you know, generates a lot of opposition, whether it's buying part ownership in companies, or the huge bailouts of the financial industry, or health care, all of which are very controversial, no matter which side you're on, i think democrats are going to take a bath. i think they're going to be really hurt in the elections. does that mean they'll lose their majorities? i don't know if it will be that bad, but i do think, you

it says that blumenthal is quickly becoming the front runner.l across the country -- here is that l.a. times -- dodd was tied to the economy and his connections to the financial industry turn into liabilities. guest: it was a very difficult decision for him. he has been thinking about it for a long time. in his speech yesterday mentioned he lost his good friend ted kennedy and his sister recently. he has also battled cancer over the summer. to his credit he also edged knowledge to was in the toughest political shape of his career. he said all that factored into his decision to decide to retire. an interesting anecdote -- on christmas eve he went to arlington cemetery to kennedy's burial site and thought about it. he soon made the call after the holidays that he would step aside. host: dennis is watching in fort washington, maryland. are you there? let me move on to kevin in hartford, conn. caller: if the healthcare bill is such a great bill then these democrats would not be dropping like flies. they would stand up and be proud. instead of doing

and picture is richard blumenthal, expected to succeed him and the "los angeles times" had a story about him as well. do you want to comment on that? guest: it was a very difficult decision for him. he has been thinking about it for a long time. in his speech yesterday mentioned he lost his good friend ted kennedy and his sister recently. he has also battled cancer over the summer. to his credit he also edged knowledge to was in the toughest political shape of his career. he said all that factored into his decision to decide to retire. an interesting anecdote -- on christmas eve he went to arlington cemetery to kennedy's burial site and thought about it. he soon made the call after the holidays that he would step aside. host: dennis is watching in fort washington, maryland. are you there? let me move on to kevin in hartford, conn. caller: if the healthcare bill is such a great bill then these democrats would not be dropping like flies. they would stand up and be proud. instead of doing this in secrecy. not transparent as they promised. they 1 because of republican incompetence, and now t

the very very popular governor of north dakota a little bit like richard blumenthal has been talked about senator for candidates for many years. he has never decide to run. he won his own term was 75% of the vote. he was reluctant to take on byron dorgan, but now if the now if the seat opens he will be talked into doing it. >> are you expecting any more surprise announcements, senate retirements? >> i am not but i guess that's a make some surprises. it's getting a little bit late in the political calendar for senators to pull these kind of surprises because it doesn't do your own party any favors if they have to start recruiting candidates and raising money at this relatively late stage in the calendar. >> and out of the 60 votes for the democrats shape up in 2010? >> i think it is a lover totally safe bet that you reread or his successor or majority leader back in nevada this fall will not have 60 votes to work with. it seems a pretty good prediction that one where the other republicans will pick up at least a couple seats this fall. >> david hawkings, managing editor of cq weekly. thank

>> the democratic candidates seems almost certain to be richard blumenthal who is in a rising star for 30 years. he has been seen as an obvious statewide candidates. he has never before action run for statewide office. he always thought it was thnot the right time. now it is the right time. the republicans at this hour have to viable candidates that were planning on running against chris dodd. he lost a few years ago. the other is a former executive of the world wrestling federation. she said chiselling to spend $30 million of her own money on the race. -- she is willing to spend $30 million of her own money on the race. kinetic politics are as a mixup -- connecticut politics are as mixed up in crazy as they always are. chris dodd seemed to have handwritten on the while for many months. by renegade indications that he wanted to run again for a fourth term. he expressed some frustration with the way things were going in washington, and not on the nation of partisanship but the whole competitive nature of how things had become even more competitive he was somewhat of a critic. he likes t