Here's something weird: Bayh voted no on cloture.

[Plaid Adder]

Evan "The Weasel" Bayh.

I'll tell you one thing: Bayh has made a career out of standing for nothing. He is the only Congressional representative I have who, when you send him a letter about an issue, responds with a letter which does not tell you his position on it. He apparently has his eyes on the presidential primaries in 2008. Pretty face, from a red state, not much else going for him at the moment.

So he voted no on cloture. WTF?

A few possible explanations:

1) He got a shitload of phone calls and decided he needed to be with the base on this one.
2) He knew the FB wouldn't work but figured he'd score points by voting for it.
3) He got confused about which button was which.

The interesting thing about it to me, apart from the fact that at least I can imagine that my phone calls, etc. worked on him, is that it suggests he thinks voting against cloture was politically advantageous to him. Cause ain't no other reason he does anything.

Who knows. Well, at least he was one vote.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Option 2. That's the common explanation.

[joemurphy]

2. Your analysis of Bayh is about right.

Still, he did vote against Roberts (surprising since he and Lugar "introduced" him to the Senate) and did vote against cloture.
My guess is he will vote against Alito.

His voting record is better than Lugar's. Hat's off to him on this vote from me.

I called his office too. I got a polite reception.

[Mass]

3. 2008 was what decided him.

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. Bingo!

[reality based]

4. I think Bayh made a shrewd calculation

No one who voted for cloture today will ever lead a national Democratic ticket. I am sure he has ambitions. Then, too, maybe he remembered his dad fought the good fight against some of Nixon's court appointments. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birch_Bayh

[Bouncy Ball]

5. I'll tell you something funnier:

when I wrote one of my senators, Kay Bailey Hutchison (repuke) about the war in Iraq, she wrote me back about Terri Schiavo.

When I wrote to her about the budget deficit, I got a letter back about how she supports the war in Iraq.

:rofl:

But John Cornyn (another repuke senator)? Hell, he doesn't even bother his staffers to have them send back a return letter at all.

I don't know which of them is worse.

[punpirate]

6. At least KBH was...

... amusingly stupid. That gives her a half-percent edge over Cornyn. :)

[Not_Giving_Up]

13. I once got three letters on three different subjects...

When I only wrote her once. None of the three letters addressed what I wrote her about.

[dogday]

16. Funny, when I call Cornyn's office, at least they ask me

for my zip... Hutchinson's office does not, even when I ask them if they want my zip, they say no... That's how much I matter to them....

[Vinnie From Indy]

7. Bayh's entire life has been run as a political calculation

His life has always been about running for President.

[jfern]

8. 2008

In order to have a chance in 2008, he had to vote nay.

[Misskittycat]

9. My phone call and fax were: Filibuster or forget 2008.

I figured that was the best way to get to him.

[skipos]

10. Boy, you sure are damned if you do, damned if you don't around here.

[brentspeak]

11. Thanks. My thoughts exactly.

[fujiyama]

12. One simple reason

He's trying to play to the base because he wants the nomination in '08.

Unfortunately, he's quite dull. I don't see him exciting many. And his record until recently was pretty moderate.

Still, I think he deserves credit for voting against cloture, that too, being from a dark red state. It's hard though to figure out whether the real political calculation was being really moderate all these years or his recent apparent turn to the left.

[insane_cratic_gal]

15. Apparently he voted against Roberts too

Bayh voted against confirming Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and Chief Justice John Roberts. He has also become increasingly critical of Bush's handling of the war in Iraq, for which he voted. Some viewed Bayh's shift as being an attempt to woo liberal Democrats who make up a large part of the presidential primary electorate

I think he's trying to court us for our votes.

But Former head of DLC and now one of the founders of New Democrat Coalition? Which is 74 dems on the house that are pro business.

We have so much cleaning up to do, it's almost exhausting to think about.

[IndianaGreen]

17. Those running for President knew they had to support filibuster

to just make it to the primaries. This is why people like Hillary, Biden, and Bayh voted against cloture, and why they are probably pretty sore at Kerry and Kennedy for being put in a situation in which they had to oppose Alito.

[Totally Committed]

18. It's called VIABILITY...

The DLC continues to make sure their candidates are well-funded, so not pissing off the base is their only "job" until the primaries.

TC

[LynneSin]

19. How about option #4 - he just felt it was the right thing to do

You know, every once in awhile an elected official will do a crazy stunt like that

Go figure!