Courtney says he'll decide soon on a possible Senate run

Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2^nd District, said on a Stamford radio program Wednesday that he would probably come to a decision about whether to run for Senate by the end of this month.

"The decision by Sen. Lieberman not to run again is really almost an eclipse-like event. These things don't happen all the time," Courtney said on the "Lisa Wexler Show" Wednesday afternoon.

He added that a Senate bid was "tempting in many ways." He noted that 2012 would probably be a good year for Democrats in Connecticut with President Barack Obama at the top of the ticket. Even if Obama doesn't win re-election, Courtney said, the president will likely sweep Connecticut and boost some down-ballot Democrats along the way.

Lieberman's announcement last month that he would retire rather than seek re-election has already set off a skirmish among Democrats. Susan Bysiewicz, the former Secretary of the State, announced first, followed closely by Rep. Chris Murphy, D-5^th District.

Courtney reiterated that he didn't want his decision-making process to "drag on."

"We're going to get down to a final yes or no in the next few weeks," he said, and will probably make an announcement before the end of February.