They will tell you this is not the reason but Democrats are running from reelection bids because they know they are dead meat. The latest surprise retirement is North Dakota Democrat Byron Dorgan. Dorgan who is 67 years old was elected to the Senate in 1992 after serving a dozen years in the House. He might have heard the foot steps of Republican Gov. John Hoeven who might have challenged him in November. He might have just realized that signing on to a Healthcare plan is like a kill shot to your career. North Dakota was not like Connecticut, Vermont and mid west neighbor Nebraska getting any sweet heart deals for support. This is a lifetime politician who is stepping down when his party is in complete control they own the White House. In politics they do not mourn your loss long as Democratic Rep. Earl Pomeroy, who was first elected to the House in 1992, could be interested in seeking the Senate seat, along with Heidi Heitkamp, a former state attorney general who was defeated by Republican Gov. John Hoeven in the 2000 gubernatorial race. The domino effect is in play if Pomeroy runs as that might open another seat in the House for a bid by a Republican. If this was not enough good news Dorgan has nothing to lose and since he represents a large oil and coal-producing state, he opposes the bill backed by the White House and Democratic leaders that would put a limit on heat-trapping pollution and would allow companies to swap valuable emissions permits. Dorgan instead has pushed an energy bill that would boost renewable energy production and oil drilling and wait to tackle global warming pollution.