GOP On the Offensive in Connecticut

It's pretty much conventional wisdom that Chris Dodd is stepping down in Connecticut both because he can't win and because the Dems want him out of the way to clear the path for a stronger candidate. The candidate in question is Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who could help the Dems hold that seat.

The GOP is not waiting around on this one:

National Republicans wasted little time Wednesday in building an opposition research file against Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who will announce later in the day he will run for the Senate this year, CNN has learned.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee sent a request this morning to Blumenthal's office asking for copies of information ranging from "budget requests" and "state credit cards issued to Attorney General Blumenthal or provided for his use" to statistics on "plea bargain rates, felony conviction rates, and all other data associated with cases handled by the Office of the Attorney General for each year beginning in 1991 through present."

Blumenthal, a Democrat first elected as attorney general in 1990, will run for retiring Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd's seat. Former Rep. Rob Simmons and businesswoman Linda McMahon are seeking the GOP Senate nomination.

The NRSC asked for the information about Blumenthal under the state's Freedom of Information Act.

My guess is he'll run because everyone's telling him he's got it if he wants it, but I'm not sure anything is guaranteed for Democrats this year. If he opts out that would be almost as big an announcement as Dodd's.

UPDATE: Blumenthal will run. Just to see what might be coming, check out this video of Glenn Beck destroying Blumenthal.