Senators Dodd and Dorgan Call Off Re-Election Bids; White Republican Male Senators Hardest Hit

Democratic senators are "dropping like flies"; both Dorgan and Dodd have announced that they won't be seeking re-election.

Surprisingly, no one has written commentary along the lines of "it is a tragedy for the American people to be losing statesmen of this caliber."  Rather, they're wondering "is this good or bad for the Republicans?"

I think the signal is good for the Republicans; they're dropping out because being a Democrat no longer helps you win a tricky race.  But it actually makes their immediate task harder, since Dodd and Dorgan now face no electoral pressure from a citizenry that isn't so enamored with the health care bill.  And this clears the way for the Democrats to put up candidates who actually have a chance of winning in November.