Reports: Bayh bows out
Washington Post and Fox News carrying breaking news that Democrat Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana is bowing out and will not seek re-election.
Stay tuned for more…Update: Press conference will be streamed live here.
Via The Fix:
Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh will not seek re-election this year, a decision that hands Republicans a prime pickup opportunity in the middle of the country.
“After all these years, my passion for service to my fellow citizens is undiminished, but my desire to do so by serving in Congress has waned,” Bayh will say.
Bayh will announce the decision at a press conference later today.
Via RCP (h/t Major Garrett), here’s a summary of Bayh’s numbers.
Flashback: From last month, here were the Bayh v. Pence numbers reported by Rasmussen before Pence took a pass on the race.
Baseball Crank Dan McLaughlin quip of the week: “Take-home lesson for GOP: you can’t tell who will fold until you push them.”
***
Question: What’s Bayh going to do with his $13 million war chest?
Answer: Preserve his political viability.
***
Yikes, this wasn’t very considerate, was it?: “Bayh’s decision will set Dems scrambling for a replacement. The deadline to file to reach the ballot is Friday, meaning any Dem considering running for the seat must make a decision quickly.”
***
The Indianapolis Star has more details on Bayh’s prepared statement:
“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.”
Bayh had never lost an election, from his first win in 1986 as secretary of state, his wins for governor in 1988 and 1992 and his election to the U.S. Senate in 1998 and 2004.
“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 hat he would definitely seek a third term in the U.S. Senate.
***
Update: Now, Pence mulls again. Sigh. He shoulda listened in the first place!
Update: Pence will stick with his decision not to run. Good call. Doing otherwise would have smacked of credibility-ending opportunism.
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WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Bye Bye Bayh!
We have a new anthem for the Democrat party….
‘N Sync – Bye Bye Bye
I know that I can’t take no more
It ain’t no lie,
I wanna see you out that door
Baby, bye, bye, bye…
Bye Bye
Don’t wanna be a fool for you
Just another player in your game for two
You may hate me but it ain’t no lie,
Baby Bye, bye, bye…
Bye Bye
Don’t really wanna make it tough,
I just wanna tell you that I had enough (ooh ooh)
It might sound crazy,
But it ain’t no lie,
Baby, bye, bye, bye
The bad news is, this leaves him free to channel his inner leftist for the remainder of his term and vote for health-care, carbon taxes, amnesty, etc.
He must have a love child somewhere.
“May you live in interesting times.”
The Marxist-in-chief has made the Democrat label toxic, they are dropping like flies.
Thank God John McCain lost, we would already have amnesty, carbon taxes and amnesty.
Go JD!!!!!
Another Dem to suffer from the Brown Effect.
So nice to see MA(R) these days eh ?
“Captain, the anti-matter warp drive inverters are about to blow! The dilithium crystals are going critical! Don’t… know… how… long… I … can… hold… her… together!”
Bye bye, Bayh.
Hopefully Indianans are smart enough to make your retirement permanent.
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
Bayh? Baaaaahhhh! Seems like a lot of other sheep got theirs, and now they are punching out when the going gets tough.
Good enough. As they say, water seeks its level. Bayh is a bottom-feeder of the Legislative Branch.
$13MM. That is a sweet retirement.
Just like Dodd and the others, they are much more valuable as lobbyists if they aren’t shamed at the ballot box before leaving the Senate.
rightwingrocker, it’s Hoosiers, not Indianans.
Mrs. Malkin, there’s already a woman seeking the Democrat nomination for the U.S. Senate here in Indiana. She’s a virtual unknown who, if I’m not mistaken, is considered more to the Left than Senator Bayh is.
Another liberal rat jumping ship to avoid blame.
The Scott Brown tsunami rolls on…
I wonder if it has struck Obama, Pelosi, and Reid that their policy is killing the the Democrat Party. Thank God for all these favors.
Mrs. Malkin, to further my last comment, the woman’s name is Tamyra D’Ippolito and her campaign website is here.
As I’ve said before, I don’t expect Obama to run in 2012. So all these other Dems are just the preview.
Hey, Morgan, I live in Indianapolis, and I have not seen anyone throw their hat in the ring on the Dem side. Who might that be?
(And please don’t tell me it’s Vi Simpson…)
What? Hooters? That can’t be right. What would mom say?
Not the Brown tsunami, but the Obama Tsunami. Bayh is going to run against Obama in 2012. He will campaign for the heart of the democrat party to move back towards the center, but will probably lose due to east and west coast socialists and communists. This will probably create a total divide in the dem party between moderate blue collar democrats, and the radical left educated social elite communists with their willing pawns, blacks, gays, and hispanics.
That lying, thieving, illegal SOB in the WH is decimating country and the Dem party.
He’s the best thing that could have happened to the conservatives.
Tom, check out comment #18, and don’t worry, it isn’t Vi Simpson.
Bye Bye Bayh? I have my doubts. In fact, I think it is more likely they will just be changing offices. In other words, they’ll be back. Not as an elected “representative,” probably, but there will be plenty of openings in the emerging Democrat One-party superstate to do all the mischief they crave and get compensated in ways you can’t imagine. Or don’t want to imagine. This emerging superstate is so vast, in fact, it may well be on the way of making Congress irrelevant. Seriously, other than cut NASA’s and the military’s budget, what else can Congress really do? Cut entitlement spending (almost all dollars these days go to entitlements and related spending — e.g. interest payments)? I don’t think so.
So while I want to jump up and down with glee at this news, realistically, I find myself worrying there is something ominous about this exodus of democrats. These people never really go away unless they die.
MIKE PENCE – SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
SAY NO TO BOEHNER!
…it was strictly for health reasons. Aparantly the public is sick of me.
You have to wonder if part of this has to do with moderate Democrats not buying into the agenda of the people in charge.
What I am saying is it more “I cannot support this garbage in my party” more than “I can’t get re-elected?”
By getting the hell out!
beenthere,
Lose the tinfoil, dude.
Payback?
In Evan Bayh’s case, I think it’s the latter question. He has spent years fostering a facade of being a moderate Democrat when in fact he is as much a Leftist as Hillary Clinton and President Obama. With what happened over ObamaCare (and Bayh’s role in motivating support for it amongst Democrats), that facade was beginning to disintegrate.
John Hostettler For Senate!
This is only good news if the GOP nominates Hostettler. Knowing the Stupid Party, it won’t.
If you have a criticism, give me something to work with. Since you didn’t, my points stand. Dude.
No, not Hostettler; Marlin Stutzman for the United States Senate!
Good thing I just bought all possible domain names for Evan Bayh’s certain 2012 Primary Challege against Obama. Hilary has to be mad she didn’t quit her current job yet and get campaigning lol.
The real struggle is not between the Republicans and the Democrats. It’s between the liberal and conservative factions within the GOP. Which is why this decision by Bayh is interesting but not really that big a deal. If the GOP wins this seat but does so with a Scott Brown type, we’re still screwed.
I still wonder/worry that all these Democrat departures may allow fresh new Dems to rush in to fill the void. Fresh new Dems who profess to be moderate may be enough to rejuvenate the electorate in their district. Then we are stuck with the same drift to the left.
I hope the Republicans and or Tea Partiers can (continue to) come up with strong fresh conservative faces.
Dan Coats is running on the R side again. Maybe Bayh is running scared from Coats?
Either way, I don’t see another Dem winning the seat in Nov…Bayh rode his daddies coat-tails from the Gov mansion to DC. I can’t think of any Dem with state-wide name recognition that could keep the seat from going back to a conservative candidate.
A farmer and Chamber of Commerce Republican? No thanks. Those are the sort of people who’ve run the GOP into the ditch.
The deadline to run in this race is THIS FRIDAY.
You’re assuming the GOP will run a conservative candidate. That seems doubtful.
Give me a break! It’s the moderates and spineless leaders in the GOP responsible for driving the party to the ground! Marlin Stutzman is the kind of Republican I support and want to see representing me in Washington.
Then you support the US Chamber of Commerce. Which is probabaly at least as anti-conservative as the ACLU.
flenser, please tell me you are joking or doing that /sarc stuff! I don’t know much about farmers but the Chamber of Commerce? They represent the small business folks who have holding on by the skin of their teeth. They haven’t run the GOP into the ditch.
Seriously, how so?
Bullcrap. I support Marlin Stutzman the candidate; the Chamber of Commerce had nothing to do with his candidacy.
To say that it will be a challenge for Democrats to hold the seat now is an understatement, and not just because of the political climate. According to the Indiana Secretary of State’s Web site, the filing deadline for candidates to qualify for the primary ballot is this Friday. But to qualify, a candidate needed signed petitions from each of the state’s Congressional Districts by tomorrow. That gives Democrats almost no time to find a replacement.
—————–
this almost looks like a layup for the GOP now. the only person who has close to enough sigs is a little known art dealer.
Its all about Reconciliation.
Bye knew he was done if he voted for it… and cut a deal with Barry…
He will now walk out with $13 Million, and watch for an appointment to either a Cabinet Post, or an Ambassadorship in a Nice freindly country.
Its a Chicago style Payoff folks…
You badly need to do some research into the CoC. They have the same relationship to “small business” as the SEIU does.
Here is a recent instance of your Chamber of Commerce in action, fighting for open borders.
And here is another example. The CoC strongly supported the spendulus bill which we fiscal conservatives opposed.
You want more? The Virgina CoC lobbied the then Republican legislature to increase taxes.
So why don’t you try to figure out what good things the CoC does. It will be a short list. If the GOP has turned into a big government/big business party in recent years, the US Chamber of Commerce is the number one reason why.
More evidence supporting the argument that the GOP was in the way of progress. Now that we are working directly through the Tea Party movement, we are finally getting results.
It’s great being us.
He looks like John Edwards’ brother to me. I get icky feelings when I see him.
As someone who has lived some 20 miles east of Indianapolis most of my life – I could never see how Bayh was ever elected in the first place. Goodbye and good riddance!!
He’s a farmer with a 90% approval rating from the CoC.
The two biggest supporters of amnesty in the GOP are farmers and the CoC.
Just because the GOP and the CoC support amnesty doesn’t mean Marlin Stutzman does, and he doesn’t. Check out his website.
Martinez didn’t support amnesty either. Until after he got elected. At which point he was one of its biggest supporters.
Hostettler has a track record of voting the right way. What’s your objection to him?
Follow my links in #53 to get you started. Then start doing your own digging.
Except possibly for foreign policy, I have no objections to Hostettler. It doesn’t matter because I’m a Stutzman supporter and believe he’s the best of the candidates seeking the GOP nomination.
As for amnesty, Stutzman also has a record as a state legislator in which he combatted illegal immigration, and not with amnesty.
Glad to hear it. Can you provide any details?
I read somewhere else that the filing deadline for the House might be Friday, but according to this, the official petition form, the Senate signatures (500 from each district) have to be in by tomorrow.
flenser
You may be right overall and that’s disappointing. I can only see from my local level – the business owners I speak to/know/live with.
I thought I had by watching what my small town’s CoC is trying to do to bring in businesses into the vacant buildings downtown. Re: your example of illegal immigration – I’ve a sister/bro-in-law in Dallas who created a large successful business from scratch and who are extremely conservative but can see the advantages of cheap labor – not that they want to allow illegal activity but that there ought to be a way to have legal cheap labor.
And another one bites the dust! Hope the trend continues. There should be no such thing as a career politician. They all created this mess. We will be the ones who will have to fix it, while the current administration continues to blame Bush. Note to Bho: Blaming Bush doesn’t fix things. Big government doesn’t fix things. Progressive programs and high taxes won’t fix things.
Okay, I’ve not asked this question in about two years, just for science, to see if things have changed:
Does Michelle still ignore her commenters, or has she posted at her own site in the past couple years, interacting with the common people?
Why? Just like any other commodity, labor should be purchased at its going price. That is what is happening to our job market and our economy, going down the tubes because people want cheap labor. Without illegal workers, the demand for labor in this country would be quite high, even now.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the lady, and her columns, and her blogposts, but sheesh. I hate that.
Michelle, you’re not the Queen of England. You have some intelligent commenters here. No, they’re not on television or being published, but should still probably be worth at least some of your time.
Just sayin’.
Then she’s not really “extremely conservative”, is she?
“Extreme conservatives” don’t expect the government to provide them with cheap labor. What you are describing is just the average rent-seeking businessman. There is not a dimes worth of difference between people like her and the people on the left who believe that “there ought to be a way” to have free health-care for all and that there “ought to be a way” for everybody to earn a middle-class income.
In both cases, left or right, the people concerned are moochers on the rest of society.
Michelle frequently updates her articles with comments some of the more articulate of us leave, and I’ve seen her answer questions in the comments.
She might not read all the comments, but she absolutely reads some of them.
The question is, whether the state supreme court is donk-controlled. If it is, they won’t let some irksome detail like “The Law” get in the way. That’s how Frank Lautenberg managed to replace Robert Toracelli back in 2002, even when New Jersey law prohibited such a last-second switcheroo: the donk-controlled NJ supreme court simply “interpreted” the law into non-existence.
So if the state supreme court in this instance is donk-controlled, I wouldn’t put much reliance on the law in question.
Morgan, probably know Bayh better than me. I think your analysis might be correct. If it is, you’re right and it was a facade Obamcare made that evident.
If he is in fact a moderate, he had an opportunity to stand up and speak out. When he didn’t, he was a political coward.
Either way, it would seem he doomed himself.
Don’t worry, there are plenty of high paying jobs the government or with wages set by unions or the governmental body that sets minimum wage. Wanting cheap labor is different than getting it.
My earlier comment was not my opinion but a business owner’s opinion as to what to do with foreigners who want to work for a cheap wage.
Based on a few years of observation, her pattern suggests that if you want to maximize the chance that she’ll notice your comment then you need to be one of the first five or so commenters.
Rare are the occasions when I have seen her return a thread past the first few comments.
Regulus, looks like they won’t need to. A “Indiana ballot vacancy” search led me to this: Wednesday, June 30, 2010
DEADLINE, by noon, for the Democratic or Republican Party to fill a vacancy on the general election ballot due to primary election ballot vacancy. So, I guess the party bosses will choose somebody to fill the spot. Drat.
The trouble is, it’s not just some random business owners opinion. It’s also the opinion of a very powerful and influential lobbying group made up of such business owners. And these people are shafting the entire country for their own selfish benefit.
Have you checked the unemployment rate in American lately?
Yeah, spoken like a true conservative.
I don’t know where you are coming from on this. They are extremely fiscally and socially conservative with absolutely no desire for any assistance from the government (other than getting out of there way). Maybe I didn’t explain it very well before but you are off track in your response to me as well as insulting to some very fair and generous business owners. I’ll leave it at that.
I’d like to think that she has more productive things to do with her time.
I wonder if Bayh is going to sit on his $13 million war chest to run against Obama in 2012?
Other than this thing about their wanting the governemnt to provide them with cheap labor? Cheap labor which other tax payers are required to subsidize? That sure looks like “assistance from government” from where I sit.
You seem to need a crash course in economics and fiscal conservatism.
I said:
Don’t worry, there are plenty of high paying jobs the government. (left off the word “in” the government)
A sarcastic comment with truth behind it.
I said:
wages set by unions or the governmental body that sets minimum wage.
Another sarcastic comment.
Really lighten up.
Other than this thing about their wanting
What government? This is going nowhere.
The implication was that the people hiring cheap “foreign labor” (aka illegals) are somehow striking a blow against bog government and the unions.
And that’s a joke, as what they are actually doing is strengthening big government and the unions. Which is why big government, the unions, and the Chamber of Commerce agree with each other more often than not.
The government which, according to your sister, “ought to provide a way” for her to get cheap labor from abroad. That government. The one which the CoC lobbies relentlessly.
Interesting interpretation but nope – not my opinion or my family’s.
Wrong again. They want nothing from the government nor from illegals.
I apologize to everyone here – I’ve done what I never wanted to do … go off track – waste server space.
Please, back to the good news of Bayh bows out.
If you want to engage in cryptic comments, don’t complain about how people interpret them.
Now you are contradicting your earlier comments. If they are members of the Chamber of Commerce they most certainly do want something from the government. The CoC exists for no other reason than to get something from the government.
HAHAHAHA Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…
Um…anyway…heh..um Go Marlin. Now more than ever we should be choosing the right candidate. We don’t have to sacrifice conservative principle in favor of so-called “electability” now what with… HAHAHA…
DLTDHYOTWO HAHA!
I hope the Dems keep dropping out to get away from the toxic One…….
Here’s two examples: Stutzman voted for SB 580 in 2009, and this year, he was a cosponsor of and voted for SB 213, the E-Verify bill.
Song for the democrats: “Another one bites the dust”.
I hate to be the cynic (I don’t really), but as these High Priced Criminals drop from the election rolls many are estimating their worth now, before they’ve been embarassingly whuped, as lobbyists, ambassadors etc.
They would lose future income if they went with their hands out after an electoral defeat. So this is all just CCYA.
Would the REAL American Democratic Party please stand up and stop this insanity!
Marco what did you mean when you said its all about reconciliation?
Or more like rats off a sinking ship. The USS DNC is going down by the bow. You can go down with her or else “every man (or rat) for himself”.
BYE BYE BAYH! Have a nice trip and please forget to write.
Bayh makes it clear in his speech with all the executive references he’s planning on running for Prez against Obama if he seems weak in 2012.
And now Doug Ross is reporting that Barbara Mikulski will soon announce that she too is not running for re-election.
Is it something I said?
And NOW 86-year-old Sen Lautenberg has been admitted into the hospital after falling in his apartment.
Between the Tea Party pressure and the grim reaper, the establishment corruptocrats don’t have a chance.
As you get older it becomes easier to lose your balance and it doesn’t take much of a fall to break a hip. That’s why it’s not a good idea to bow too low when paying homage to your statue of The One.
Alright folks myself,family and friends mostly conservative democrats and a few republicans will be voting in this election. I rarely post here,but read the site every day,found it while looking for a way to fight amnesty.
No way will we vote for Dan Coats. Supported bailouts,lobbyist,dissed our state when he said North Carolina is where he wanted to live,oh yeah he hasn’t lived here for many years and has a F I believe from NumbersUsa when he was a senator. Already have a open border senator Richard Lugar. Bayh was better on immigration.
Can you say elitest country club republican. We have supported Bayh for gvnr and senator but were ready to go against him because of his healthcare vote.
The congressmen looking to maybe be selected to run on dem side Ellsworth our congressman and Hill next door. We have supported Ellsworth but he now has become a Obama/Pelosi dem so no more. If Hostetler or Stutzman do not get the republican nomination we will leave the senate vote unmarked. Yes we voted for Palin. Not McCain in 2008.
I saw coverage of the Bayh announcement on last night’s news and came away with the impression that Evan Bayh is a purely political animal and a terrific phony. He dragged his family into the announcement event and, all while he’s going on and on and on, his two sons were standing there stone-faced and his wife had her own version of an “Elizabeth Edwards smile” pasted on her face. It was a sickening sight. Bayh could have spoken his piece and just gone away, but no. His family had to be up there with him to show everyone how mechanical they can be when his political gamesmanship requires it. Yuck!