From Eric Dondero:

It's been the hottest rumor for weeks out of the Crab State. Longtime entrenched incumbent Democrat Senator Barbara Mikulski was planning on announcing her retirement. The rumors were hot and heavy for a day or two. Then the major media squelched all speculation.

From the Washington Post, Post-Partisan blog, "Mikulski retire, not likely" Feb. 16:

The Maryland political blogosphere has gone berserk in the last 24 hours with the rumor that Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D) is planning to retire, adding to the Democrats’ headaches about keeping control of the Senate...

The senator, who will turn 74 this summer, broke her ankle badly last summer. She had a plate and screws inserted in surgery.

A Democratic source close to Milkulski says she is definitely running for reelection, and her actions seem to support that -- raising money, setting up a campaign office, making appearances.

But now a new twist has arisen.

Rumors are spreading that Obama and Reid convinced the Senator to run for reelection, then resign, so that Democrat Governor (and longtime Mikulski ally) Martin O'Malley can immediately appoint a replacement.

The stakes couldn't be any higher.

Moe Lane of RedState opines on the possible Mikulski retirement:

the real problem for the Democrats... they cannot have any more bad luck if they want to be assured of keeping their Senate majority.

We are almost at the point where everything has to go right for them, from now until November, for them to preserve their Senate majority.

Caution; the Obama, Reid part is just at the rumor stage, eminating from various Maryland political blogs.