From the Washington Post:

The surprise retirement announcements by a pair of veteran senators and a first-term governor often lauded as a rising star in the West underscored the degree to which the party begins this election year on the defensive.

The euphoria among Democrats that accompanied President Obama’s inauguration a year ago has disappeared. They face the possible loss of their governing majorities in the House and Senate and becoming the minority among the nation’s governors. Survival is now the watchword.

Democrats will note that there are individual reasons why each of the three politicians chose not to run, but Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd, North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan and Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter collectively sent a message that speaks to the nervousness of incumbents — particularly Democratic incumbents — in a year in which voter dissatisfaction is palpable. Six Republican senators said last year that they will not seek reelection.

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