Connecticut Local Politics

A new Courant/UCONN poll shows that people in Connecticut are taking out some of their frustrations with the way things are going in Connecticut on Joe Lieberman and Chris Dodd.

According to the poll, only 42% approve of the way Dodd has handled his job, while 48% disapprove. The news for Lieberman is even worse: 41% approve of his performance, while 53% disapprove.

This is a trend, as the article points out. Both men have had slumping job numbers for a while now, as the public sours on Lieberman’s antics and grows weary of Dodd’s mortgage woes and his seeming inability to find a solution to the economic crisis. Only 12% of those polled had a “great deal” of confidence in Dodd’s ability to manage the current situation. That sounds about right.

Lieberman may face more bad news after the election is done. Democrats are finally, it seems, working up the spine to take away his chairmanship of the Homeland Security committee, which he has led since 2007.

Connecticut hasn’t changed senators very often over the past half-century. The last time a sitting senator was unseated was in 1988, and you’d have to go all the way back to 1970 to find the second most recent such event. Joe Lieberman faced a strong challenge from Ned Lamont in 2006, although Lamont eventually failed to defeat the incumbent. The Republicans have barely bothered to field a candidate ever since they conspired to dump Lowell Weicker–all of their candidates since haven’t made it past 40% of the vote (a fact that I’m sure gives Weicker a chuckle or two). But if these bad numbers continue, could a real Republican candidate emerge to challenge Dodd? Or will a brave Democrat take him on in 2010? His prospects could dim should a Senate ethics probe go against him, or if there are more damning details in the mortgage documents he has yet to release.

For Lieberman, electoral Armageddon looms in 2012, when he faces the prospect of either running against a strong Democrat (they won’t nominate or endorse him again–and a guy like Chris Murphy could beat him) or retiring. I’m betting he chooses the latter option rather than face the music. Of course, should John McCain manage to eke out a win against Obama, Lieberman has a place somewhere in the McCain cabinet, which would save him the trouble of having to make up his mind about 2012.

For the first time in recent memory, both of the state’s senators are on shaky ground with the electorate. Both men should be glad they aren’t up for re-election for a few more years.