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February 16, 2010
Bye Bye Democratic Senator Evan Bayh
Democratic Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana announced that he will retire and not seek re-election this year. Former Senator Dan Coats (R-IN) announced last week that he would challenge Bayh this year.
Sen. Evan Bayh will not run for re-election, a decision that will shock Democrats and Republicans alike in Indiana.
In prepared remarks, Bayh, 54, cited excessive partisanship that makes progress on public policy difficult to achieve as the motivation for his decision.
“After all these years, my passion for service to my fellow citizens is undiminished, but my desire to do so in Congress has waned,” he said.
“My decision was not motivated by political concern,” he added. “Even in the current challenging environment, I am confident in my prospects for re-election.”
“But running for the sake of winning an election, just to remain in public office, is not good enough,” Bayh said. “And it has never been what motivates me. At this time I simply believe I can best contribute to society in another way: creating jobs by helping grow a business, helping guide an institution of higher learning or helping run a worthy charitable endeavor.”
Only days ago, Bayh’s staff, close associates and Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Dan Parker, who was manager of Bayh’s re-election campaign, had assured an Indianapolis Star reporter that he would definitely seek a third term in the U.S. Senate. And Democrats recently released a poll showing Bayh easily ahead of both former Sen. Dan Coats and former U.S. Rep. John Hostettler, two of the four Republicans seeking the GOP nomination.
But in his statement, Bayh cited recent stalemates in Congress.
“Two weeks ago, the Senate voted down a bipartisan commission to deal with one of the greatest threats facing our nation: our exploding deficits and debt. The measure would have passed, but seven members who had endorsed the idea instead voted ‘no’ for short-term political reasons,” he said.
“Just last week, a major piece of legislation to create jobs — the public’s top priority — fell apart amid complaints from both the left and right. All of this and much more has led me to believe that there are better ways to serve my fellow citizens, my beloved state and our nation than continued service in Congress.”
Bayh also considered running for president himself, launching an exploratory effort in 2006 for the 2008 Democratic Party nomination before dropping the effort only a couple weeks later.
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Bayh attended a Democrat Senate luncheon that Obama attended on Feb. 3rd and was the last Senator to ask Obama questions of their choice. Bayh’s interaction with Obama is described below:
“Bayh drills Obama on party’s spending”
Feb. 14, 2010
WASHINGTON – Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., pressed President Obama on federal spending Wednesday as Democratic senators met for a strategy conference and asked him why the Democratic Party should be trusted in dealing with the public purse.
Obama said the party deserves Americans’ trust “because the last time this budget was balanced, it was under a Democratic president who made some very tough decisions,” a reference to former President Bill Clinton, who created a budget surplus.
Bayh’s views on the deficit and federal spending have set him somewhat apart from the White House and other Senate Democrats.
“Frankly,” Bayh said, “I think the public and average citizen have been way ahead of the political class on this. They understand in the long run this is unsustainable, it’s bad economics. They understand that generationally, it’s unfair to our children to ask them to pay these bills. And most of all, there’s a sense of unfairness.”
Bayh praised Obama for announcing plans to freeze some federal spending in the 2011 budget and his call for more transparency for budget add-ons that lawmakers approve.
But, he said, “my question to you, Mr. President, is (in) speaking to independents, conservative Democrats, moderate Republicans – people who know we have to do this – why should the Democratic Party be trusted? And are we willing to make some of the tough decisions to actually head this country in a better direction?”
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Wild Thing's comment........
This is huge news! The rats are abandoning the ship. More evidence that there’s an anti-Democrat (not anti-incumbent) mood across the country right now.
I wonder if he is setting himself up to challenge Obama in the next election??
The MSM spin on Bayh's announcement today (surprisingly) is that it is very bad news for the 'Rats in November nationally. Could it be that at least some of the MSM is moderating their their pro-'Rat cheerleading now that they are beginning to see the handwriting on the wall? NAH hell would have to freeze over.
Posted by Wild Thing at February 16, 2010 05:48 AM
Comments
We need to watch for a trap. I would not put it past the dums to set it up for the conservatives to win the house and senate and then when something happens, they can wave their grubby, stinky little fingers and talk about how "bad" the conservatives are. Then they can get their homeboy, Baracki in with a Chavez style dictatorship coup. Watch for the signs. They could be setting us up for failure.
Posted by: Lynn at February 16, 2010 08:08 AM
I think that any Democrat with a whisper of honesty is pulling out of the disaster that is the obama administration. Maybe even some of the crooked Dems are sensing the train wreck coming. It is going to be bad and the "blame Bush" is wearing thin as more Americans are starting to realize the ineptness and dishonesty of obama.
Posted by: TomR at February 16, 2010 12:05 PM
They are dropping like flies after a can of Raid. There are also a couple of Senators who are thinking of calling it quits...can't come soon enough.
Posted by: Mark at February 16, 2010 12:57 PM
Evan Bayh is only about half the far out bomb throwing radical liberal that he was in his youth. I'm not surprized that he lied to the Ininapolis Star, that was the Quale family paper.
I do need to point out that false Global Warming c;imate reports to the contrary Hell did in fact freeze over in Januaryas for
Posted by: Avitar at February 16, 2010 02:17 PM
Lynn, I agree, we need to pay attention and not relax, be alert.
Tom, I think so too, there are still some dems that are not as far left as Pelosi and Obama and have children that they worry about their futures.
Mark, love how you put that.....hahahha good one. spray that raid fsst
Avitar, yes your right Thanks.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 17, 2010 03:20 AM
Don't let the door hit you in the.... on the way out!
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at February 17, 2010 10:46 AM
