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Ed Schultz: North Dakota Dems Have Asked Me To Run For Senate (VIDEO)
MSNBC anchor Ed Schultz.
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On MSNBC just now, liberal talk show host Ed Schultz said he was asked by top Democrats in his previous home state of North Dakota to run for the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan -- including outreach from Dorgan himself.
"Well last night, when Sen. Dorgan was talking to me, he asked me how old I was, and I went 'uh oh,'" said Schultz.
"I did get a phone call this morning from Merle Boucher, who's the [state] House Democratic leader, and he asked me to consider to run for the United States Senate seat in the state of North Dakota," said Schultz. "I asked him very point blank, 'Is this an official ask?' He said 'Yes, it is.'"
For now at least, Schultz isn't jumping at the opportunity, pointing to all the work he's put into his media career.
"I'm flattered, I'm honored. I can't say that I'm even considering it right now," said Schultz. "I've worked awful hard in my career to get where I am, to go from Fargo to 30 Rock and here at MSNBC. I've invested a lot of years to get the microphone to have an opportunity to advocate for the middle class in this country. I'm in a different place right now. So we're a long way from any consideration, we're a long way from any kind of decision."
Schultz didn't totally close the door on a run, though, and made sure to take some shots at Republican Gov. John Hoeven, who is expected to be the Republican nominee for the seat: "I must say that I personally think he's vulnerable in a lot of areas. I think he would be easily challenged in a lot of areas. It's gonna be very intriguing, but at this point I think I'm not even at the point of consideration. We're a long way from that."
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Virginia
January 6, 2010 10:41 AM
I hope he goes for it - he would be an awesome candidate and would bring in a lot of national media attention. It would still be uphill, but would sure be fun.
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JorgeOrwell
January 6, 2010 2:32 PM in reply to Virginia
Then he would be absorbed into the club and made to march or else have his personal life torn apart.
I say don't do it Ed.
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ericf
January 6, 2010 4:38 PM in reply to JorgeOrwell
So we should elect only people already corrupt or befuddled?
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JorgeOrwell
January 6, 2010 4:43 PM in reply to ericf
Where are you going with that??? If the syllogism fits?
I'm saying people shouldn't just join a party because it is big and has lots of corporate resources.
Vote for the individual like the folks in Vermont did with Bernie Sanders.
I just hope Dean will run again as an independent.
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JorgeOrwell
January 6, 2010 4:48 PM in reply to ericf
We need the 4th branch of government (media) to be strong and robust.
You know how most of them operate. They report anything the press officers tell them and call it a day.
Ed, and a few others are different. The dig and get to the essence of the matter.
I think that is a great quality for a statesman, but frankly, at this time with such a weak fourth branch, we need him out here.
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Walter Mitty
January 6, 2010 10:42 AM
Shultz would be a long shot, but he's the Dems only shot.
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CityGuy
January 6, 2010 10:42 AM
Well Ed Schultz can be elected statewide long before Rush Limbaugh ever could be.
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Seeryer
January 6, 2010 11:01 AM
Byron Dorgan is a great Senator. It is a shame he is not the Majority Leader instead of the horribly ineffective Harry Reid.
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btbradley86
January 6, 2010 12:55 PM in reply to Seeryer
Dont know that he'd make a great M.L., but Reid's failings come from being Tom Daschels understudy for too many year.
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JorgeOrwell
January 6, 2010 2:43 PM in reply to Seeryer
Have you been watching his actions on Health "care"? This guy has been a sellout for years.
I'll be watching closely to see what kind of lobbying firm he goes to work for.
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trevzb
January 6, 2010 11:18 AM
Shultz would be a great Senator.
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MaximusNYC
January 6, 2010 11:24 AM
Well, he's using the royal "we" -- a very senatorial sort of verbal tic -- so he may be thinking about it somewhat seriously after all.
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KeithL
January 6, 2010 11:38 AM
I know Ed's got a good, LIBERAL heart. Whether he has the patience and capacity for frustration to be a Senator, I'd be willing to find out. Dorgan is definitely a loss. He was definitely one of the "FEW good men/persons" in the Senate.
Al Franken, Ed Schultz, (Warren Beatty?) Hmmm! Maybe it time to stop hiring Lawyers (insert your favorite lawyer joke, here: usually involving bottom feeding or scum sucking)to do the people's work and turn to a different industry. Of course, we'll always have George Murphy and Ronald Reagan to remember fondly.
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Bloggin
January 6, 2010 11:54 AM
Ok, but we do know that this national 'story' is just for Schultz to test the waters before he decides to run. I am sure there will be much polling done after the MSNBC interview to see how viable a candidate he would be.
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Mad As Hell
January 6, 2010 11:59 AM
This seems to put paid to the story that the Democrats were SHOCKED that Dorgan would not run for reelection.
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Viva!America!
January 6, 2010 12:05 PM
Put your money where your mouth is Ed!
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twoviragos
January 6, 2010 2:45 PM in reply to Viva!America!
Amen, Viva. Maybe he can change Congress by making them answer his stupid daily non-poll polls. Sometimes I like him; often times I'm thankful that my remote control can switch stations so I don't have to listen to his overly simplistic bullshit.
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Tom Betz
January 6, 2010 12:08 PM
As he made clear on his show yesterday, Schultz is ineligible to run this year anyway. ND law requires five years' residency, and he's been living in Michigan for the last two years.
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Overreach THIS!
January 6, 2010 12:19 PM in reply to Tom Betz
If this is true, then this story is one heck of a red herring! The state Dem officials asked an obviously ineligible candidate to run for Senate? Really??
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Overreach THIS!
January 6, 2010 12:27 PM in reply to Tom Betz
Here is an article cited by poster WIds at daily Kos, which says that your account of this is legal impossible, and yes he can run since states cannot enact such rules:
http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2008/11/03/about-residency-requirements-for-congress.htm
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Tom Betz
January 6, 2010 1:03 PM in reply to Overreach THIS!
Yeah, but I wouldn't want to be the guy running for Senate in North Dakota having just had the US Supreme Court overturn the will of the ND State Legislature -- i.e., the people of ND.
Would you?
Would Ed?
I don't think so.
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Overreach THIS!
January 7, 2010 2:40 PM in reply to Tom Betz
Ruling was nearly 15 years ago, though...
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dtOZONE
January 6, 2010 12:29 PM in reply to Tom Betz
Not for federal office, the five year residency requirement is only for local and state office (Governor, State Legislature, Attorney General)
For Senate and House, all you need to do is meet Constitutional requirements, which are to be of age (in this case 30) and live in the state on Election Day. Remember Alan Keyes?
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Marinus van der Lubbe
January 6, 2010 12:29 PM
Run Ed, run. Then start beating the shit out of the douchebags you serve with like DeMint & Vitter, et al.
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masanf
January 6, 2010 1:45 PM in reply to Marinus van der Lubbe
Yeah, because he really has a chance of winning in North Dakota. They don't like barely coherent leftwing nutbars up there. His ratings are so low, he doesn't even have name recognition.
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Chris in Fargo
January 6, 2010 2:44 PM in reply to masanf
Ed has name recognition here in ND - not necessarily the best name recognition, but recognition none-the-less.
No matter who is placed against Hoeven, they will have a tough time. Here, Republicans are not merely ascendant, they are in full-on super-majority power. The congressional delegation is an anomaly based on accrued seniority and bringing home juicy port - Dorgan has always been good at that, to which we are all (here) grateful.
Hoeven is about as exciting as Cream of Wheat, without sugar, but he makes for a good candidate... At least Hoeven stood up against the wing-nuts here and raised teacher pay, amongst other things. So, I can affirm that he isn't a crazy fringe candidate. ...and knowing ND politics, once in, he'll be there for a long, long time...
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Marinus van der Lubbe
January 6, 2010 5:00 PM in reply to masanf
Fine, then he can just beat the shit out of DeMint and Vitter, unless of course, youre not done snorkeling their hineys....
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Overreach THIS!
January 6, 2010 12:36 PM
Well, DickDay may not like this one bit. Not a faithful viewer of Ed "He's crazy" Schultz, it might take some persuading to get Mr. Day to tramp around Fargo getting out the vote.
But read it and weep, Dick Day. I see a precinct captain in your future! (To bad I'm a bit a further away or I'd so gladly joint in, DD.) And so that's *Senator* Ed Show, to you, Sir!
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Overreach THIS!
January 6, 2010 12:42 PM in reply to Overreach THIS!
Oops! That's "join." Overreach THIS stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Dakotans in their struggle for a drug-free Peace Garden State!
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stillexhaling
January 6, 2010 12:46 PM
Ed is having too much fun with the radio and tv gigs. That wave has not even crested yet. I enjoy having his voice out there. Good to be flattered. Frankly miserable to run for office generally. Time will tell.
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drwu
January 6, 2010 1:30 PM
but you can make a fortune as a Senator...
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masanf
January 6, 2010 1:47 PM
This guy has about as much chance of winning in North Dakota as Bernie Sanders does in Alabama or Newt Gingrich in Massachusetts or Hawaii.
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masanf
January 6, 2010 1:47 PM
If he gets one vote for every person who watches his show, he would lose by the biggest landslide in the electoral history of the United States.
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commie atheist
January 6, 2010 5:57 PM in reply to masanf
According to the website TV by the Numbers, The Ed Show on MSNBC had a total of 505,000 viewers on January 5, 2010. Byron Dorgan last won re-election to the Senate in 2004 with 212,143 votes. So, if Schultz got one vote for every viewer, as you said, he would win in the biggest landslide ever in North Dakota politics.
I guess you really are as stupid as I thought you were.
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commie atheist
January 6, 2010 5:59 PM in reply to masanf
According to the website TV by the Numbers, The Ed Show on MSNBC had a total of 505,000 viewers on January 5, 2010. Byron Dorgan last won re-election to the Senate in 2004 with 212,143 votes. So, if Schultz got one vote for every viewer, as you said, he would win in the biggest landslide ever in North Dakota politics.
I guess you really are as stupid as I thought you were.
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JorgeOrwell
January 6, 2010 2:29 PM
Don't do it Ed! Judging by the comments from the fringy righties here (as if there are other types), they are already scared.
Clearly you would kick some serious ass and pick up the seat, but WE need you on the outside to hold some feet to the fire.
Clearly, they want to keep their enemy close.
DON'T DO IT ED!
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monet768
January 6, 2010 4:22 PM
RUN ED RUN....YOU ARE THE MAN
I LUV U
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Phil
January 6, 2010 7:36 PM
If you think it's right for America and right for you,RUN!! We're all behind you. It'll be like having Theodore Roosevelt fighting the corporations and stand up for the little guy!
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