Check Out Evan Bayh ...he's not that bad

[Comicstripper]

http://www.issues2002.org/Senate/Evan_Bayh.htm
This link shows all his past votes and issue positions. Scroll all the way to the bottom, and it shows where he lies on the political spectrum(Moderate Liberal Populist). I think this guy has it.

[Reality Not Tin Foil]

1. FUCK HIM!! HE'S NOT PURE!! STRING HIM UP!!

HE SUCKS!! HE'S A FASCIST!! HE'S A REPUKE!!

IF I "CHECK HIM OUT" I'M SELLING OUT MY BELIEFS!! I WANT PURITY! I WANT TO TAKE A STAND!! I DON'T CARE ABOUT WINNING AGAIN!!

AND BESIDES...HE'S DLC!! LIKE I SAID...FUCK HIM!!!

[Forkboy]

55. I DON'T CARE ABOUT WINNING AGAIN!!

what do you mean "AGAIN"?

[DoveTurnedHawk]

68. Clinton?

:shrug:

That'd be my guess, anyway.

DTH

[Forkboy]

70. Oh sure...take his side!

;-)

[Senator Lamb]

2. yeah lets give him a chance

people are too soon in bashing him and threatning to quit the party if he wins the nomination. midwestern, well liked, respected, can appeal to independents and swing voters.

[lojasmo]

66. sounds like john kerry...he won, right?

I will not vote for Bayh, Clinton, Edwards, Kerry, or any other puke who supports bush with their votes.

[TexasSissy]

3. I'm interested. But four years is a long time away.

[theorist]

4. Hoosiers certainly like him.

And Indiana is a pure red state.

[Kahuna]

5. He has no personality. On paper, Bob Graham was great...

But his personality was a non starter.

But for the record, I certainly welcome him into the race. We could do worse.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. he's eye candy

graham wasn't eye candy....

[Kahuna]

37. Evan Bayh isn't eye candy to me. To each her own.

Bayh always looks like he's about to go to sleep.

[Spera]

47. I think Bayh

rivals John Edwards for the title of America's Sexiest Politician. I don't want to see him on a presidential ticket though. He has defended the war in Iraq and is pro death penalty, among other things -- blech.

[fujiyama]

51. HAHAHAHAHAH

I'm a little intoxicated...but I don't think Evan Bayh will be the one.

We need to look for charisma. I was out today earlier with the boys and the reason everyone likes Clinton is cuz he's one of the boys.

Damn, I now realize how rare of a politician (especially a Dem) Clinton is.

Evan Bayh is no Clinton.

[CityDem]

61. Holy Joe Lieberman is not that bad either

If you want Ariel Sharon to be the next president.

[quiet.american]

7. I'll take a pass - GOP-lite doesn't work

From an article entitled, An Intelligent Democrat
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/003/463ueeaa.asp
========================================
A LEADING DEMOCRAT on the Senate Intelligence Committee has reiterated his support for the war in Iraq and encouraged the Bush administration to be more aggressive in its preemptive measures to protect Americans. Evan Bayh, a Democrat from Indiana and a leader of moderates in the Senate, responded to questions last week on the war in Iraq and a memo detailing links between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden sent to the committee in late October by Undersecretary of Defense Douglas J. Feith ("the dumbest f--king guy on the planet" according to General Tommy Franks -- my insert) and later excerpted in these pages.

[JohnKleeb]

8. I saw him today interestingly

I would rather someone else honestly.

[zulchzulu]

9. Great...a presidential candidate with a name that says "bye"

The Repugs play dirty and would pound that message over and over again.

Sorry. Cabinet position maybe...

[greendog]

12. His father was defeated by Dan Quayle.....

...with money from the "moral majority". I remember a billboard on US 31, just south of Indy that read "Bye, bye, Bayh".

[zulchzulu]

17. See... it's an obvious Repug move

People are stupid in general and that's what would stick.

[FrenchieCat]

10. Yes....yes.....

Bayh said, when questioning Rumsfeld during the 9/11 commission...that he agreed with Lieberman and Iraq was an Honorable war.....
He should be fantastic....Not!

Here's the Transcript....
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A8575-2004May7?language=printer

BAYH: I appreciate your candor.

My second question has to do with some comments that Senator Lieberman made, and I would like to associate myself with what I thought were very appropriate and moving comments by Senator Lieberman.

I believe very strongly that our cause -- and these are not words I use frequently -- but that our cause is morally superior to our adversaries', both the terrorists we fight and those who now seek to undo the future of a free Iraq.

There is growing concern by the supporters of this cause that this situation that we're inquiring into today is part of a broader problem, that the effort may be bogging down, that we may be approaching a tipping point, that momentum needs to be regained if we're going to prevail.

I'd like to just read a couple of sentences from a column in yesterday's New York Times by Tom Friedman, who supported this endeavor in Iraq. He says, "We are in danger of losing something much more important than just this war in Iraq. We are in danger of losing America as an instrument of moral authority and inspiration in the world. This administration needs to undertake a total overhaul of its Iraq policy. Otherwise it is courting a total disaster for us all." And he goes on to say how he hopes that such an overhaul can be undertaken because we need to prevail in Iraq.

So my question, Mr. Secretary, my final question is just very simply, do you believe we're on the right course presently? Or is dramatic action necessary to regain the momentum so that we can ultimately prevail in what is a very noble and idealistic undertaking?

RUMSFELD: I do believe we're on the right track. It's a tough road. It's a bumpy road. It's always been bumpy going from a vicious dictatorship to something approximating a representative government that's respectful of its different, varied religious and ethnic groups. It's not an easy path

[greenohio]

11. Lets choose all of our future candidates based on their Iraq stance.

Give me a break.

[FrenchieCat]

20. No....

Let's judge them by how quickly and how easily they roll over for the Rethuglicans agenda instead. One can be moderate and electable without being a GOP brownnose, can't one?

No more senators! Arghhhhh!

[arewenotdemo]

24. Fuck him. That's all I need to read.

I want NO FUCKING PART of another motherfucking Democratic neocon like Lieberman.

"America as an instrument of moral authority and inspiration in the world"? Well, blow me. We've seen what we represent, in bits and pieces. Usually the complicit lapdog press filters it so we don't have to see it, but every now and then the ugly truth reappears.

I was more than willing to give Kerry a pass on the rhetoric because deep down I believed the Kerry of 1971 would get us the hell out of Iraq. I won't vote for any fucking Iraq war cheerleaders.

[SmokingJacket]

13. I'd have to hear him speak and answer questions.

Lotsa people look good on paper. (and he only looks okay to me)

Let him campaign in 2006 -- we'll give him a chance. Why not?

[NYCGirl]

14. LOL. Now there's a great campaign slogan...

Evan Bayh — He's not that bad!

[Sputnik]

65. LMAO! I was

thinking the same thing, NYCGirl.

Don't get me wrong, I admire Kerry and love Gore, but....

I want a KickAss candidate! :kick:

[Comicstripper]

69. Um..

It was a reference to people saying he's too Republican. I was saying he's not THAT bad. I didn't say I wanted him to run. He's just not that bad.

[Contrary1]

15. He's about as close

to a Repuke one can get, without the title. There was
talk in Indy that he was gonna make it official soon.

Don't know if it is true, or not.

[IndianaGreen]

16. We checked Bayh out, for the last 6 years. He is an asshole!

Bayh is a younger version of Joe Lieberman.

[DaveinMD]

18. hardly

yes ideological purity must be the way to build a winning coalition. Let's nominate Ted Kennedy. He'll do great.

[IndianaGreen]

43. Depleted Uranium Message Deleted without Opening by Senator Bayh

The following is an experience that is all too common to those of us who had dealt with Bayh and his staff. I deleted the names of the innocent:

----- Original Message -----
From: "David P."
To: ******.butler.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2004 5:07 PM
Subject: Depleted Uranium Message Deleted without Opening by Senator Bayh


> FYI Below is the response I received today from Senator Evan Bayh's
> Washington office, in response to my appeal that he become acquainted with
> the horrible destructive effects of depleted uranium.
>
> My email was deleted without opening by anyone in the Senator's office. My
> original e-mail is below his response.
> ____________________________________________________________________________
> __________________
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Senator (BAYH)
> Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2004 10:37 AM
> To: David P.
> Subject: Not read: View Video; take action to stop immoral use of
> depleted uranium
> Importance: High
>
>
> Your message
>
> To: Senator (BAYH)
> Subject: View Video; take action to stop immoral use of depleted
> uranium
> Sent: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 15:42:15 -0500
>
> was deleted without being read on Tue, 16 Nov 2004 10:37:17 -0500
> ____________________________________________________________________________
> ___________________
> September 23, 2004
>
> Dear Senator Bayh;
>
> I am writing to urge you to step up to oppose the immoral use by our nation
> ’s military of depleted uranium which is poisoning our soldiers and
> civilians in nations where DU is used and here at home. It has come to my
> attention that the US military is routinely using ordnance containing
> depleted uranium. Understanding that depleted uranium emits low levels of
> radiation that in time produce horrible genetic defects and cancers in the
> people living in proximity where the dust settles, which is created by the
> use of this material in munitions, I urge you to take public action to halt
> this practice.
>
> We in the United States worry about the potential for explosion of “dirty
> bombs” containing radioactive substances, labeling those who would perform
> such dastardly deeds, “terrorists,” yet we have routinely produced like
> effects in areas in Iraq, specifically in the cities, and in Afghanistan,
> Kosovo, and Serbia. Depleted uranium will produce its lethal effects for
> billions of years. Not only are civilians in these areas being exposed to
> this radiation from DU but our troops are suffering the consequences as
> well. I have read of US soldiers, knowing the risks to which they are being
> subjected, pledging never to attempt to have children for fear of the
> mutants they would produce.
>
> In five minutes you can see both the quantities of the material our nation
> is responsible for dumping not only abroad but within this country as well.
> You will also be confronted with the graphic consequences in terms of the
> grotesque genetic damage and birth defects produced by this toxic stuff.
> Please watch both parts of this video: http://www.kucinich.us/dkdu.html
>
> If you seriously contemplate the dangers of DU, there is much material
> available produced by the Department of Defense and other sources. Just type
> “depleted uranium” into Google to see for yourself. Much is said about the
> cynicism of politicians. That certainly cannot be applied to you if you
> take proactive action, as I hope, after becoming aware of the consequences
> of DU following your investigation.
>
> As a compassionate human being, I ask that you intervene by introducing
> corrective legislation and also appeal directly to President Bush to issue
> an executive order to immediately cease using weapons containing depleted
> uranium. How in God’s name can we call for a cessation of terrorism while
> practicing acts that approximate what we castigate?
>
> Thank you for your attention. I would welcome your response to this my
> appeal.
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
> David P.
>
> Change the way you look at things,
> and the things you look at will change!
> --Wayne Dyer

So take your charges of "ideological purity" that people like you hurl at progressives all the time and stuff it in the you know what!

[Forkboy]

54. "ideological purity" is code for

"I'm incapable of actually thinking about this."

[ArtVandaley]

19. Bill Richardson 2008

Experiance in Congress, UN Ambassador, Secretary of Energy, Governor of a swing state in a swing region that for some reason (which I don't understand) no one seems to pay any attention to. He'd be the first non-white elected president, which would be a huge step forward for us. Plus, the hispanic vote would be energized. He almost became a pro baseball player (of no consequence politically, I just think it makes him a cool guy). He ran the Dem Convention last summer, and did a damn good job. This gave him contacts throughout the country and built the skills he'll need to run a national campaign. He seems to have a deep understanding of foreign policy issues and is well respected already in the international community. I'm sorry, but this looks like an easy choice to me.

Richardson 2008.
Obama 2016.

[DaveinMD]

21. he's got

serious skeletons in the closet.

[ArtVandaley]

22. I have heard that

But never exactly what. Example?

[DaveinMD]

23. I was told

he has a serious drinking problem and has a womanizing issue.

[ArtVandaley]

26. Ah, that's not too bad

Could be a lot worse. Neither issue is a killer. Churchill was an alcoholic and FDR was a philanderer, as was Ike, kennedy and Johnson.


I'm being unrealistic, I realize. Half-joking. His past should be examined thoroughly, most definately.

[DaveinMD]

28. I liked him for veep this year

then I was told this would keep him off the ticket.

[arewenotdemo]

29. Most good Demo males have a certain weakness for women,

while Repukes generally worship their wallets.

[Cheswick2.0]

40. yeah and he's Mexican

can't have that. The democratic party is the other whiteguy party dammit!

[fujiyama]

52. adultary and womanizing

are fine to most Americans..

He's STILL be better than Bayh.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

25. With the continual threads about Evan Bayh, I'm undecided about whether

the events of this month have made people are so desperate that they've lost their minds or whether there are just a lot of trolls on the board.

[ArtVandaley]

27. Haha, well put

How about Lieberman, or Breux, or Zell Miller? Actually, let's just nominate Cheney! He'd go over well in the red states, we'd be assured a win! That's all that's important, winning, right? Not issues or beliefs or trying to change the country?

[jsw_81]

30. So who do you suggest we nominate?

Dennis Kucinich? Maxine Waters? I'm sure you and your fellow leftists would be thrilled. As for the rest of the country...

Call me crazy, call me a troll, but I think a young, moderate, red-state governor/senator like Evan Bayh may be just what we need to kick some GOP ass in '08.

[DaveinMD]

31. Mark Warner

[Cheswick2.0]

35. Maxine Waters sounds great to me

Moderates are sucking wind the last 12 years.

[Telly Savalas]

36. Why not a young, LIBERAL, red-state senator like Byron Dorgan?

[Telly Savalas]

39. Well, yeah, I guess he's not that young...

but he's pretty darn liberal and he keeps getting elected in a very red state.

I appreciate the fact that we can't demand ideological purity, and that we need to reach out and build coalitions. Nevertheless I'm baffled as to why we need to compromise the fundamental New Deal values of the Democratic Party. If 70,000 people in Ohio who voted for Bush would have voted for Kerry instead, then we would have elected a "latte liberal" Senator from Massachusettes to the presidency.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

38. "YOU leftists"?

And here I thought the Democrats were supposed to be the left-of-center party.

[MADem]

48. ???

I always thought the Democrats had the genuine BIG tent, from solid center to left. Not just "left of center."

If we give the center to the GOP, we may as well stay home. I'm not willing to cede the centrists to the GOP...they have some good ideas, and winning ideas, too.

[ArtVandaley]

64. GOP is nowhere near the center

Everytime we move towards the center, they move farther to the right and call us liberal and out of touch We need to stop being afraid of our own damn shadows and try actually believing in something.
Obviously, I'm not completely unrealistic, I don't think we should nominate someone like Kucinich, but why vote for someone who believes in nothing but winning?

[IndianaGreen]

49. We should not follow the same losing strategy that we did in 2004

We should nominate a candidate that represents our views, like a Dennis Kucinich or a Howard Dean, and forget all this pandering to some elusive "undecided" or some bland "middle."

We must stand fast against the war, for abortion rights, and for full equal rights for GLBTs, including the right to marry.

No more "ABB" nonsense, it is nothing more than capitulation to the conservative agenda!

[jsw_81]

57. Yes, let's nominate Dennis Kucinich and push for gay marriage

We'll win a coast to coast landslide! :eyes:

[IndianaGreen]

58. At least we would be standing up for our values

rather than surrendering them in order to appeal to religious bigotry and intolerance.

[Telly Savalas]

62. Every Senator that voted against the IWR won by more than 10 points

[Metatron]

45. Actually, the major paper in Indianapolis had an article about

Bayh running in 2008 today. So, I am not assuming posters who support him are trolls - but I do wish people would listen to those of us in Indiana who have dealt with him as a governor and senator. Many of us really do not want him to be the candidate. He is more than just his Senate record. And, on a party-level note, he rarely allows Indiana candidates to ride on his coattails (media, events, etc.) He barely campaigned for Gov. Kernan (D) who just lost to Mitch Daniels. Here's the Star article: http://www.indystar.com/articles/5/195076-2845-009.html

[jpgray]

59. Most of the usernames are unfamiliar to me

:shrug:

[dogman]

32. Pitaki's not bad either.

Maybe they could form a like minded coalition.

[DaveinMD]

33. Pitaki

is awful. His first act as gov was to gut the SUNY system. He's an ass.

[dogman]

34. Kinda my point.

Sarcasm!

[DemocratSinceBirth]

63. It's Pataki...

And Evan Bayh is not a Pataki clone...

I'm willing to look at any Democrat who can beat the Pugs...

Some folks on this board lack basic sales sense.....

They are trying to sell a left wing ideology to a center right nation...

Open up a shoe store and when your customers come in looking for some Bostonians try selling them on some Doc Martens instead....See how long you will stay in business..

This debate is past being sterile... It's positively flaccid... The American public does not want our left wing dog food....

People who want to keep selling left wing dog food to a center-right nation might as well just drop out of the process now because they are setting themselves up for more disappointment...

[madfloridian]

41. Go for it. Just pick whomever.

I just realized it does not matter to me at all. We will work with DFA/PDA/Progressive Majority and the others partnered with Dean,and we will vote independent...while working within the Democratic frame.

If the party won't listen, it is time to change another way.

[ibegurpard]

42. Yup

I could give a shit what the national Party does from this point forward. Local is the way to go.

[fujiyama]

53. Evan Bayh

I rememmber him ob Wolf Blitzer once and he was oogling at John McCain...It was sad...and kinda pathetic at the same time.

I feel like hitting my head at a hard surface repeatadly...and BTW I I'm not necessarily convinced Dean can change the party.

I just know that Bayh will turn it backward - a LOT.

[Heath.Hunnicutt]

44. Evan Bayh was the suggestion of my centrist Democrat relative...

Who is 27 and pretty new to the Democratic Party. She pointed out that Indiana elected Evan Bayh to be their governor, and the midwestern vote might fall into line. He's been really good on anti-hate and women's issues, and he is also very strong on military issues.

We could at least have a winner... He also is friends with the people he would be working with from the Congress. That kind of relationship could help our nation if we had that kind of President.

Heath

[Metatron]

46. A lot of Hoosier women would disagree with the idea

that he is good on women's issues.

[IndianaGreen]

50. I fear that the farther one gets away from Indiana, the better Bayh looks

It is only those that really know him, that realize that the only reason Bayh wins is because he has a strong appeal to Republicans. Bayh is to the right of Dick Lugar!

If you want a goy version of Lieberman, Bayh is your man!

ABB all the way! (Anybody But Bayh!)

[Guaranteed]

56. The one thing I noticed about that list is that it seems outdated, for one

and, for two, there's just a lot of stuff that isn't on it. Thirdly, there really is a lot of stuff that I do NOT like in there. Like allowing religious statues and organized prayers in public school, and using government money for it? And he only gets a 60% rating on civil rights from the ACLU. My candidate needs to be above 80% with regard to the ACLU- it's basic democracy stuff. Yeah, a couple of their positions are a little funky (which is why the leeway), but those guys know what they're talking about. They know what's important.

There's a lot more in that list that I'm not comfortable with. And it just seems skewed, somehow. Definitely incomplete. Someone should look into him more.

[autorank]

60. Thanks for the link. I agree with you.

AND HE VOTED AGAINST THE STUPID 2001 TAX CUT, SOMETHING OUR GLORIOUS ICON, DIANE FEINSTEIN ACTUALLY SUPPORTED (FOR SHAME DIANE-A-NATOR).

I could imagine him harboring some fairly progressive positions were he freed of the demands of his state's conservatism. Actually for IN, he seems pretty out there.

Clever, smart guy I suspect.

Corporate America controls the media and we get manufactured news.
Corporate America now controls the voting machines and we get manufactured elections.

http://www.blackboxvoting.org/

[fujiyama]

67. RE the 2001

tax cut, I will give him credit there...Even though I'm not a fan of him. The fact that Fienstien voted for it boggles my mind.

[liberalpragmatist]

71. Former Indiana Resident - ONE thing Here with Bayh that's a problem

I don't agree with all the Bayh-bashing on this site. On the whole I find him to be intelligent, moderate, reasonable guy. He was a good governor, and I'm glad he's in Washington. We need some Dem senators from blue states (esp. when red states outnumber blue states 31 to 19) and he's a solid centrist, slightly center-left.

Still, I think any Bayh presidential campaign would be hurt by the fact that he IS on the party's right flank. That's fine when he's 1 of 100. If he's leading the national party, that could be a problem.

Case in point: Bayh was one of the leaders in favor of the Iraq War. He's moderated his case now somewhat, but he's still quite hawkish. Now, that being said, his position was the same as Edwards', Schumer's, Hillary's (although those 3 have become more outspoken since). He'll have to be more critical of the war if he's gonna be credible with the bulk of the party, and that'll open up charges of flip-flopping to him.

More dangerously I think is his view on campaigning. Back in September, Bayh was one of those who urged the Kerry campaign (publicly) to mvoe to a focus completely on the economy and domestic issues, saying Democrats couldn't win on national security. Had we done so, I'm sure Kerry would have lost by a far more decisive margin. Kerry correctly sensed that we needed to be more aggressive on national security. Unfortunately, he couldn't overcome a 40-year deficit in 2 months. Future campaigns will need to have Democrats who are credible on national security.

Now, all this being said, there has been a history of political figures from red states becoming more liberal when representing the entire Democratic Party. Case in point: Al Gore, who ran a relatively progressive 2000 campaign that was significantly to the left of where Gore was in the Senate. Edwards, too, moved somewhat to the left these past 2 years on the campaign trail.

We shouldn't rule Bayh out, but these issues are going to stick with him. We shouldn't give him a free pass.