The Senate has become a regal nesting ground of lame ducks, some by their own choosing, some by the voters’ choosing and some by both – members who faced tough re-election prospects and are leaving on their own.
Mr. Dodd joined the latter category in January when he concluded he was in “the toughest political shape” of his career and announced he would not seek re-election. Connecticut voters had apparently soured on him after a disastrous run for president in 2008, a perception that he had grown too cozy with Wall Street and a Senate ethics inquiry into whether he had received favored treatment on a home mortgage (he was cleared of any wrongdoing).
But among departing senators, Mr. Dodd finds himself in the uncommon position of ending his run with a triumph.
Full story: Dodd Prepares to Depart in Triumph – NYTimes.com