Ed Schultz Considers Bid For North Dakota Senate Seat

MSNBC talk show host and liberal firebrand Ed Schultz is considering a run for Senate in his home state of North Dakota following the abrupt resignation of Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) on Tuesday evening.

The longtime talk show host, who was until recently based out of Fargo, North Dakota, told the Huffington Post that "there is a lot to think about" after he was approached by Democratic leaders in the state about a possible run. But the possibility is there, even if a decision is far off.

"The phone call from [North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party leader] Merle Boucher is certainly new territory for me," said Schultz.

The MSNBC host, who has lengthy ties to the state, said he was called last night by Dorgan who, in a rather suggestive question, asked Schultz how old he was. Hours later Boucher was on the phone asking Schultz to consider a run for the Senate seat.

"I asked him very point-blank if this was an official ask." Schultz said. "He said, 'Yes it is'. I'm flattered. I'm honored."

To jump into the Senate race, however, would require Schultz to drop his new spot on MSNBC's evening lineup, something that is weighing heavily on the host.

"I feel good about my position," he said. "I feel good about who I am and what I advocate for. I'm a strong believer in building the middle class. And to put that in terms of the Senate race I'm just not there yet."

Party officials, as of Wednesday morning, had not heard that Schultz was even considering a bid -- a reflection of just how quickly news is moving. And there is likely to be some tension should the MSNBC host ultimately decide to get into the race. The logical choice to replace Dorgan seemed to be Rep. Early Pomeroy, a Democratic representative in the state.

Dorgan and Schultz did work out one agreement, however: Dorgan will appear exclusively on Schultz's show at 6 p.m. this evening.

Comments

[skymuffin]

12:23 AM on 01/08/2010

Okay, then give Stephanie Miller your show, if she'll stop making those r@cist jokes about Asians.

[govtmule]

06:48 PM on 01/07/2010

Big Ed says he won't run, but the Party of No wants to make sure.

http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2010/01/07/nrsc-threatens-msnbc-with-legal-action-over-schultz.html

[DakotaMinnesota]

05:59 PM on 01/07/2010

It would be a real toss-up.

On one hand, nowhere is wind energy getting a stronger foothold than in NoDak. The windfarms being built there are stunning in their scope. The people behind that movement might be progressive enough (and have enough clout) to give Ed a chance.

On the other hand, the Old Boy conservative network would probably oppose him. The omnipresent oil and coal interests would go wild.

And most regular folks in North Dakota are just not ready for a guy like Ed. I went to high school with these people. They are still largely of the polo shirt, Stetson, and trailer park varieties of conservative. Progressives exist of course, but they have very little progress to show for their efforts. North Dakota is defined by the phenomenon of "brain drain," where the intelligent, creative people have such a bad taste in their mouths by the time they reach legal age that they end up leaving in droves for other more enlightened places.

[politi-wit]

02:32 PM on 01/07/2010

Ed is the man.

He's like everybody's favorite football coach/social studies teacher in High School.

As a coach he's definitely an "option" offense man; if he can find the right quarterback. This year the team has had a hard time, as his Quarterback "Barry Obama" is more of a talker than a player. Obama doesn't have much heart and he just can't seem grasp the "option." He can't seem to understand that he's not supposed to hand off and pass every time. Sometimes he's got to take the ball up the field himself.

politiwit.com

[OC4Obama4Pres]

06:44 PM on 01/07/2010

Clinton ran the ball himself. See what it got him?

[lordmi]

01:12 PM on 01/07/2010

I am watching him on MSNBC , his show is running there just less than year , but it is GREAT.
We certainly need people like Ed in Senate, which lacks Decency.
Decent, Patient Ed would be just Great there for America.

Go, Ed, Go!

[Okieborn]

11:59 AM on 01/07/2010

I am a fan of Ed Schultz and he stated that he had not lived in the state long enought to be a candidate !!
Ed !!
Your doing a great job for the Progressive Democrats , poor and un-insured !!
Happy New Year Sir and God Bless !!

[Nonamnesiac]

09:13 AM on 01/07/2010

As I mentioned before, Ed Schultz supports Obama's Afghan surge because he believes Obama deserves the benefit of the doubt. Schultz opposed the Afghan surge until Obama's despicable West Point speech and then, in deference to Pavlov Obama ringing the bell at West Point, Schultz started salivating as an Obama warmongerer.

Look at Ed's comments supporting Obama's Afghan surge located between 1:30 minutes and 1:42 minutes into this 10 minute + You Tube tape.. He has said similar things at other time also.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTVIcDfFYQw

[WritusMaximus]

05:06 PM on 01/07/2010

Not only Afghanistan. Gotta watch Ed closely. It seems he's willing to change his views so to be more in line with his future dem colleagues in Washington, his current talk about health insurance legislation sure has changed from before---he is now more of a "compromiser", and what we have now surely is no compromise but a cave in. It's all benn give, give, and give some more. Hope I'm wrong, oh how I hope I'm wrong!

[Nonamnesiac]

07:26 PM on 01/07/2010

You're absolute right. He caved in faster than Joe Lieberman. He's already saying "lefties" have to eat the sellout on health care because Obama is better than Bush. He's like Stephanie Miller and Bill Press, ready to cave for Obama against working people. Obama's health care reform is worse than what we have now and Obama's actually a bigger warmongerer than Bush. He has the same number of troops and contractors in Iraq that Bush had and he's escalated in Afghanistan. GITMO never closed. And Obama is friendlier with Wall Street than even Bush was. Both Bush and Obama are warmongering voodooistas.

Ed made the transition pretty quickly. He's another one who's willing to vote to tax workers health plans, give a trillion dollars to the drug pushers of Big Pharma and the health insurers, allow them to raise premiums, drug costs, deductibles, co-pays and cost sharing while reducing benefits with no controls and say it's not what we want, but it'll get better -- evidently when there aren't 60 Senators in the Democratic Caucus or 250+ Democrats in the House.

[DonAbernathy]

08:24 AM on 01/07/2010

Please run Ed. Really, here are your choices: 1) run in North Dakota, and get beaten by 30 points or 2) sit around at MSNBC, get ignored, and then get cancelled.....roflmao

[OnlyIfIHaveTo]

01:06 PM on 01/07/2010

I 2nd this! Lets pop the balloon already.

[sandals]

07:27 AM on 01/07/2010

I don't want to sound selfish, but "What about the Children?", were would we go, who would we turn to,
we would surly miss your voice everyday Ed.
Whatever Ed decides I will support him 100%!

[NJProgressiveIndie]

04:07 AM on 01/07/2010

You can never have too many courageous, progressive talk show hosts or senators. Whatever Ed decides to do, I support, wish him the best, and am glad he's on our side rather than following the GOP/Tea Bag/Blue Dog philosophy of throwing the poor and middle class under the bus for profit and for the psychotic thrill of it.

[oberon123]

01:09 AM on 01/07/2010

Ed Schultz would make a fantastic senator. There aren't too many politicians in this country who care about the common man. Ed has always been a champion of the middle class. If he decides to run, I'll contribute to his campaign in a NY minute.

[colette]

02:29 AM on 01/07/2010

Why would he make a great senator? Because he's a progressive and for the "common man"? Sorry, but successful governing takes some actual skills. I share most of Ed's political views, but his finger-wagging and grand-standing are not governing.

[lordmi]

01:16 PM on 01/07/2010

because he is honest, knowledgeable and decent.

You think palin has any sense to run anywhere with her tremendous stupidity?

[WritusMaximus]

05:09 PM on 01/07/2010

Bush had a ton less skills and got a ton of his agenda through Congress, with dems support.

[vandegrasse]

04:00 AM on 01/07/2010

We need more left-leaning grand-standing!

[AprilinDenver]

12:25 AM on 01/07/2010

Ed would make a great Senator. He has the passion, knowledge of the issues, and represents the rank and file rather than the corporations. However, I agree with others on this site that he is probably more valuable progressive cause remaining on the air. I really believe that Obama owes his election to Ed and Randi and other progressive talkers, particularly during the close primary contests with Hillary. Makes you wonder why the Obama administration would be so petty that they wouldn't invite Ed to the WH Xmas party. They don't know who their friends really are.

[proudcalib]

12:02 AM on 01/07/2010

I hope Ed changes his mind and runs. He' would be a terrific candidate.

[KingCujo]

11:42 PM on 01/06/2010

This story needs updating.. On his show tonight, Ed said he was not running!

[MuchMadness]

12:02 AM on 01/07/2010

He said that he was not considering running, but he also did not say that he would never consider running. I got the impression that he just wants the Democratic party to select a candidate that is progressive and can win the general election. I don't know how progressive N. Dakota is, so I don't know if the party would select a good candidate in the primary election or not.

[305Rider]

12:17 AM on 01/07/2010

The state is pretty conservative, but if they elected Dorgan there may be hope.

[APatrickHall]

11:39 PM on 01/06/2010

At first this story made me laugh. Then the comments made me sad. The world is in the hand basket and ...

[BambooHarvester]

11:54 PM on 01/06/2010

1st comment hope it's ya last !
~

[lordmi]

01:14 PM on 01/07/2010

thanks fos sharing Your Fear.
maybe You need to educate Yourself a bit?