Indiana senator (Evan Bayh) may run for President

[truthpusher]

http://www.wndu.com/news/072005/news_43376.php

Indiana senator may run for President


Indiana Senator Evan Bayh

Posted: 07/11/2005 09:41 pm
Last Updated: 07/11/2005 09:41 pm
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Indiana - Indiana Senator Evan Bayh is keeping his options open when it comes to the 2008 presidential election.

That's what he told people in New Hampshire Monday where he was, in part, raising money for democrats.

Bayh is in his second term as senator of Indiana and he served two terms as governor. He was also on the short list of running mates for al gore in 2000. Now this darling of the democrats is looking at an '08 run for president.

The senator says he brings a practical approach to politics, dump the partisanship and get the job done. And on paper, Bayh is what many democrats want, experience, looks, and youth.

He's also a democrat from a republican state.

complete story: http://www.wndu.com/news/072005/news_43376.php

[still_one]

1. thats all we need another republican lite

[leesa]

2. Not in the least bit interested. Don't need no more wimps!

[MisterP]

3. it's almost like he's being pushed on us...

[Le Taz Hot]

26. Ya think?

I mean, it's not like the DLC has ever shoved a milquetoast candidate down our throats, sabotaged others IN THEIR OWN PARTY vying for the nomination, just to ensure their candidate "won" the nomination (electability you know) and proceeded to lose. Again.

Bayh. Yep. Sounds like the perfect DLC candidate. Let's see, that's Bayh, Clinton and Biden so far. (Sigh) They're running true to form.

[merwin]

4. Like it or not, the closer to the center, the more votes they will get.

It would be wise to run another Clinton-esque candidate that will get all of the dems and some of the repubs too.

[MisterP]

12. well, conventional wisdom is usually neither

[Occulus]

14. We're driving in a ditch right now.

We don't need to hit the shoulder, between the ditch and the road. A hard lurch to the left is what we need if we are to save ourselves and get back in the lane.

[merwin]

17. Swerve too hard and you start spinning out of control.

I've done it, not a pretty sight.

[Occulus]

22. Just right is the ticket.

But you want to be quick about it- that's what I'm getting at.

[sadiesworld]

29. Bayh is a corporatist.

That will make him unappealing to the left and the right.

[xxqqqzme]

32. yea, because the rethugs will

certainly B promoting a 'moderate'! Wake up - U will NEVER C the right go left. They have demonized the left 2 the point the left don't even think they R in a sound place. If we all don't stand up 4 our beliefs, we will continue 2 function as doormats.

[longship]

5. Evan Bayh is a nice guy...

He's a good person.

Unfortunately, he's a Republican (in the Eisenhower sense, not the Bush sense). That's why I cannot support him unless he gets the nomination, which he will not do unless he changes his stance on Iraq.

[OKNancy]

25. Actually he is not as bad as some would have you believe

http://www.adaction.org/ADATodayVR2004.pdf

[longship]

27. That's very good. Thank you.

As I wrote, Bayh is a very good man. It's comforting that his voting record is a bit more progressive than his reputation. I don't like that he supported *'s moonshine, missle defense, but that's just one vote.

Indiana is a conservative state. That may factor into the equation as well. We need Bayh in the Senate. We'd expect him to be more conservative than most Dems. Interesting that his voting record according to the ADA doesn't indicate that.

Bayh seems to be an honest, hard working Senator, just the type who would make a fine President.

It's 3.5 years until the next presidential election, I'll have to keep tuned-in to Bayh's doings.

[lateo]

6. No thanks Evan...

If you want to do something for the Democrats how about retiring?

[LiberalFighter]

8. Bayh needs to remain Senator to keep the Repugs at bay in the Senate

If he does not run a repug will probably get elected to fill the seat.
If he steps down before his term is up and the term does not end before the next election the Governor will appoint a repug.

[lateo]

10. You can't be serious.

Evan votes with the Republicans more than the Democrats. Why not let the Republicans have the seat. We need to purge the party of the DLC whores.

[DefenseLawyer]

11. Individual votes don't matter

nearly as much as leadership and procedure in the Senate. The reason we don't "let Republicans have the seat" is that a Democratic majority is our goal in the Senate. If we had ten Democrats that voted with the Republicans ON EVERY VOTE, it would be better than ten Republicans that voted with us on every vote, if those Democrats still caucus with our party and vote for democratic leadership in the Senate and as committee chairs. If you "purge the party" (which sounds very Stalinesque by the way) of "DLC whores" in a place like Indiana, you are going to lose. Now maybe in your political world you would rather lose than win, but that is not the political strategy that I would choose to follow.

[ElaineinIN]

Remember....

he was with us on Bolton cloture, and I don't think he's one of the gang of 14 (I could be wrong on that).

Do I love his voting record... hell no. I hate his support for estate tax repeal, and I've let him know it (repeatedly). But I'd rather have him than the alternatives in this red, red state.

[OKNancy]

24. That is incorrect

Although I don't support him, let's not spread a falsehood.
Americans for Democratic Action, the oldest and most respected liberal ranking organization has his liberal voting record for 2004 at 90%.

[LiberalFighter]

31. That is not true - Why have any repug have the seat? you kidding?

It is better to have Bayh as Senator in Indiana then to have ANY repug! If Bayh does not run in 2010 then the odds are that a repug will get elected to the seat. If Bayh is not elected then that means one less seat towards a majority control of the Senate. And we need every seat we can get.

As far as purging the party of the DLC the best way is to elect Democrats in other states that are not DLC members and give them the majority in the party.


Bayh's Voting Records as compiled by various organizations. (These are issues that are important to specific organizations. They don't necessarily mean that Bayh votes the right way on other issues that may be important to others.)

Here are Bayh's votes for 2005 and you can find for previous years from the website

NARAL gives Bayh 100% and Lugar 0% for 108th Congress
NEA gives Bayh 90% and Lugar 30% for 108th Congress

ADA 2004 Voting Records gives Bayh a 90 vs Lugar a 20

Lieberman 75
Kerry 25 (He had + for voting right way and rest were X for not voting)

ADA labels these Senators as Heroes because they were 100%
Corzine (D-NJ)
Dodd (D-CT)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy, E. (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin, C. (D-MI)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Reed, J. (D-RI)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)


Natl Assn of Social Workers gives Bayh 80% and Lugar 30% in 106th Congress

Federally Employed Women gives Bayh 80% and Lugar 20% in 108th Congress

AFL-CIO gives Bayh 90% and Lugar 9% in 108th Congress
Wyden (D-OR)

[longship]

30. I Evan retires

We'll get another Republican Senator. So how does that help us?

[LiberalFighter]

7. Senators have only been elected President when they...

were a military hero. Otherwise they need to be Governor or VP and then elected President.

Getting elected Governor and then Senator has never happened.

[oasis]

9. His dad was a great senator. Evan has a looooong way to go to measure up.

[SpeedwayDemocrat]

34. Yep, he isn't his father!

Leave him where he is, and look to someone who actually a DEMO, not a DINO. His Dad was one of the smarter choices Hoosiers made, and recognition of his father's achievements created a "halo effect" around Evan. I can't support him (and I'm a die-hard DEMO from Indiana) and would have to consider a third-party candidate if this is the best the DEMOs can do in 2008. Trying to appeal to the middle didn't work in 2004; what makes us think it will work in '08?

[DefenseLawyer]

36. So you would rather vote republican than for Evan Bayh?

because a vote for ANY third party candidate that has zero chance of winning has the net effect of voting for the republican. I'm sorry, but if you are democrat, you just can't do that. I share your view that the party shouldn't be "republican light" and am frustrated by people like Evan Bayh and the DLC. That being said, the place to make your protest is at the local level. Work for the party and work for candidates that are more progressive at the local level. You can't try to change the party from the top down, and not supporting the presidential candidate or a senate candidate won't "teach them a lesson", it will simply help the republicans win. What good is it to sit and lament that the Democratic party is too centrist when the Republicans have all the offices and all the power?

[cyr330]

13. god

Yeah, like we need another Republican masquerading as a Democatic.

[Hoosier]

15. He is being forced on us...

The big problem w/ Bayh is that I don't think he EVER did ANYTHING for Kernan in '04...and now we have W's Bitch Mitch as Gov. He's fucking spineless. He could have juggled babies and still beat Marvin Scott in the '04 senate race. Hell, I think he got as many votes as W did in Indiana.

Bayh is a true DINO, with no guts or balls. That being said, he needs to stay in the Senate. We needs all the D's we can get!

[SpeedwayDemocrat]

35. Yep, no help to Kernan!

Yep, where was he when Kernan needed his spotlight & backing? Sure, Kernan's campaign did ALOT of things wrong (like making him the "bad guy" going against Mitch on the IPALCO thing; should have left that to other folks like the state Union officials to sling mud, leaving Kernan to take the high road). Evan is partially to blame in why we have Mitch for four sorry years. If he can't support members of his own party in critical races, then who would support him? Some folks have really long memories...

[flaminbats]

16. Evan Bayh..darling of the Democrats?!?

:puke: nice editorial

[Gloria]

18. Forget about it, Evan. You're boring and GOP lite--a lousy

combination.

[JCMach1]

19. Not my 'darling'...

YUCK!!!!

[darkism]

20. He still has a better chance than Hillary.

Anyone who thinks Hillary can win does not understand how deeply she is reviled by the right.

Do you think there might be a REASON the conservative media is trying to push Hillary on us as our nominee?

[Protagoras]

21. He can run...but he can't hide from a lack of support.

just say NO to DINOs.

[salin]

23. Wow... now that is breaking news... who would have thought

that he might run {/sarcasm}

[Eurobabe]

28. yawn

not my candidate. If I HAD to, I'd rather have Mark Warner than Evan Bayh.

[Zorra]

33. Evan Bayh is a former DLC Chairman. This yellowdog says "no", I refuse

to support Bayh for President, in the interest of preserving the principles, and the very existence, of the Democratic Party. The DLC has almost killed the Democratic Party. And I'm not sure if this was intentional or not.

Here is some info on Bayh:

http://www.politics1.com/p2008-bayh.htm

"Democrats moving to the middle is a double disaster that alienates the party's progressive base while simultaneously sending a message to swing voters that the other side is where the good ideas are. It unconsciously locks in the notion that the other side's positions are worth moving toward, while your side's positions are the ones to move away from. Plus every time you move to the center, the right just moves further to the right.” George Lakoff