Wednesday, the Connecticut landscape changed again with the departure of U.S. Senator Chris Dodd from the  political landscape. Enter stage left, literally, was Attorney General Dick Blumenthal, to say that he was there to fil the void and to take the first political risk of his long career.

Immediately, Democrats hailed the move by Sen. Dodd to not seek a sixth term as the right move and predicted that the 20-year Attorney General, the longest serving in state history, was the breadth of fresh air the state needed to turn our country around.  Blumenthal will be 64 next month.

Appearing with Democratic Party Chairman Nancy DiNardo, Blumenthal took no questions, said it was “Chris Dodd’s day” and then stood in Chris Dodd’s light. Dick can’t help it. He has to be some place, standing in the glare of media attention, just to get attention.

Dick Blumenthal is a ghost. He never leaves an impression other than the pres release his staff leaves on the chairs of reporters or on his website. 

When he attends political or community events, Dick Blumenthal shows up long enough to be noticed, recognized or checked in. He leaves quickly with a wave and a smile. Again, leaving nothing by the impression that he was there. Blumenthal is the character from the Woody Allen movie, “Zelig,” about a man who morphs into the situation he finds himself in at the moment but is nothing when alone.

Blumenthal says he will bring the same energy he did to the Attorney General  to the U.S. Senate, meaning lots of press releases. But the U.S. Senate is not a court of law and now the media, or what is left of it, will have their chance to ask Blumenthal about the issues, and then ask again, and again and again.

Not sure Dick  Blumenthal is going to like that or the questions about his various statements that don’t add up or contradict other statements, let alone the lawsuits that cost a lot or went nowhere or served no purpose.

It will be interesting. We shall see if Dick Blumenthal is up to the task of telling us who he is and whether the ghost will come to life.