Sen Dayton: Dobson "false prophet" ... GOP "desecrating this institution"

"We are at the brink of desecrating this institution"

"I know politics brings out the best and the worst in people. I thought the Senate would inspire more of the best in people. ... My faith in the Senate was perhaps wrong, or at least right until now."

"We have not been agressive enough at 'advice and consent'"

His regret: "I moved too many nominees forward."

Too much good, good stuff to type it all in fast enough. I will need to find a transcript of this, he's absolutely ripping the GOP apart.

for the C-span cast.

You can watch CSPAN online at c-span.org

not really sure what's up with the DFL and dayton and that, btw

Crud! he is wonderful.

it was due to a lack of support from within the dfl / inability to raise enough money

A combination of things.

1. Fundraising: He self-funded in 2000 and did not want to do the work required to fund an expensive Senate campaign.

2. Electability: His approval took a double-digit nosedive over the past year, and he was below 50 in the last poll. This hurt his support within the party.

3. Disillusionment: Mark isn't a politician. He has all the money he needs, and he's not on a quest for power. He's in the Senate because he really did want to help people and bring his thoughts to Washington. Unfortunately, that doesn't go far in DC.

He really did give a damn about the country.

As close to Mr. Smith as I'll ever see before I die...

That is VERY good. I think one of the hidden authors of this whole performance should definitely be recognized. Unfortunately, I know that all the talking chuckleheads will hear that Dayton mentioned Dobson and either puzzle over "Who he?" or, even knowing who he is, they will evince all sorts of wonderment about what he has to do with the effort to kill the filibuster.

He doesn't speak often, but he did well today.

Did you hear what he said Frist said - "I used to cut people's hearts out" !!!!! Killed cats and cut people's hearts out. I wonder what the people of Tennessee with think about that next year? Oh that's right, he's not running for the senate next year.

..Declaration of Independence. It's personal with him. I admire him a great deal, and so does that Constitutionalist, Senator Byrd.

I think the comment about his only regret being moving too many nominees forward is telling. I bet there are a number of Dems who deeply regret trying to work in good faith with the rethugs.

Edit--SL too harsh. What I mean is that I hope they grow their spines before they run.

Can we get a dollop or two of Reid and Dayton's DNA implanted into some of the usual suspects?!

I really like Mark Dayton a lot, and was shocked a little while ago at the announcement that Dayton would not run again. It was described at the time as the constant pressure of having to fund-raise, as if always still campaigning rather than being able to just govern, having won. You knew it would come to this sooner or later, and the really good ones would be driven out of politics, as has been happening for some years now, of course, but still painful and disgusting when it happens. Eventually, only the most horrible, back-slapping type who wants to be at parties all the time will win, (or, in Bush's case, "win"), and not the more thoughtful who just want to get to work and help people, like Mark Dayton. If anything screams "campaign reform," it is a situation like this, where you lose someone great, because they can't stand the "hyping themselves for money" routine. This is a real loss. By the way, this seems to be the great statement:

http://dayton.senate.gov/news/details.cfm?id=237871&&