Those lucky few readers who follow us on Twitter learned earlier today that U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., has announced he’ll retire instead of seeking re-election in November, further imperiling U.S. Sen. Harry Reid’s slippery grasp on the 60-vote majority. But Reid was gracious in his response.

“Byron Dorgan is a friend and has been a strong voice for North Dakotans during his 30 years of service in Congress. I respect his decision to pursue other interests and wish him and his family the best in the future.”

Of course, that was edited down from Reid’s original response, uttered when Dorgan first called to tell him the news: “Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!”