Dayton is out

The Republicans would have had to nominate Alan Keyes for me to vote for Mark Dayton's reelection. Thus, I greet this as good news.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minn., said today that he will not run for re-election in 2006.

Dayton made the announcement this afternoon in a telephone conference call with reporters.

"I do not believe that I am the best candidate to lead the DFL Party to victory next year,'' Dayton said.

The problem is that the likely DFL nominee is Mike Hatch (current Attorney General), an egomaniacal publicity hound. My dream candidate would be Tim Penny, former Democratic congressman, but he burned his bridges in the DFL party when he ran as an independent for governor in 2002.