Democratic Senators Bailing Out?

Today, Taegan Goddard at Political Wire, has a short but alarming piece on a few despondent Democratic Senators who may leave the legislative branch to take a run at gubernatorial seats in their home states. The information is taken from this New York Times article.

Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Sen. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D_NY), "are said to be dispirited over their continued minority status -- as well as the reality that their party does not appear to have a shot at winning the majority any time soon."

First of all, I can understand and relate to their concerns. It's easy to see how they might feel that they can have more of an impact in the executive branch at home than they can as minority members of the Senate. Remember, though, these Senators are all in fairly solid blue states, but their actions can still have consequences. I would urge Democrats in these states to take a long hard look at the state constitutional mechanisms for replacing a seated Senator who leaves, and who is waiting in the wings to run for such openings.

Here in New York, we just re-elected Chuck Schumer to another six year term by a huge margin. He's one of the more popular Senators this state has seen in decades, and he's a solid moderate. I believe he was the only incumbent I voted for at any level - local, state, or federal. Who will replace him and how?

Some states, such as Louisiana actually allow the Governor to "appoint" a new Senator when a seat goes vacant, depending on how much time is left on the current term. Other states will call for a special election. New York's population is more than 3/5 registered Democrats, but we have a state Senate with a Republican majority and a GOP Governor. How do you explain this? Well, in New York, we raise a peculiar brand of Republicans. They are almost exclusively pro-choice, they favor gun control, and in many ways mimic Democrats in other states. In short, they are moderates. It is the only way to survive in New York as a Republican politician.

Is it so far fetched to think that we might elect a Republican to take Schumer's seat? Trust me, it's not that much of a stretch. How about in Jersey and Connecticut? You Democrats need to take a long, hard look at the immediate aftermath of these Senators bowing out before you decide whether or not to endorse such a move.