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Obama hit hard as Bayh bows out
AFP on Yahoo ^ | 2/15/10 | Tim Mannion

Posted on 02/15/2010 1:05:00 PM PST by NormsRevenge

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama suffered another setback Monday as a fifth Democratic senator, centrist heavyweight Evan Bayh, decided not to run for re-election in dismay at the bitter political climate.

Obama, who reportedly tried to talk Bayh out of retiring, faces a looming Republican resurgence and risks watching strong majorities in Congress crumble in November mid-term elections, and with them his ambitious reform agenda.

With his tearful wife and two sons at his side, Bayh, 54, expressed disenchantment with excessive partisanship in the Congress as he announced his decision at a press conference in the state capital Indianapolis.

"For some time, I have had a growing conviction that Congress is not operating as it should. There is too much partisanship and not enough progress -- too much narrow ideology and not enough practical problem-solving," he said.

"Even at a time of enormous challenge, the peoples? business is not being done."

Democrats expressed shock at the development, seeing it both as the loss of a key consensus builder in the Senate and of a candidate strongly favored to win re-election in Republican-leaning Indiana.

A top White House official said Bayh, who called Obama on Monday morning, was "by nature a governor not a senator."

The New York Times reported that both Obama and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel tried to convince Bayh to run again, but to no avail.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Indiana
KEYWORDS: 111th; 2010; 2010election; 2010elections; bayh; bho44; bows; democrats; elections2010; evanbayh; hard; in2010; indiana; obama
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To: Ted Grant
Another ‘RAT’ abandons Obama’s sinking ship of state!
21 posted on 02/15/2010 1:16:23 PM PST by Kartographer (".. we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.")
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To: NormsRevenge

“excessive partinship” on the left side of the aisle.


22 posted on 02/15/2010 1:16:30 PM PST by exnavy (May the Lord grant our troops protection and endurance.)
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To: NormsRevenge
expressed disenchantment with excessive partisanship

Now, now...he could mean that he was upset that the democrats treated the Republicans so badly.

23 posted on 02/15/2010 1:16:39 PM PST by Slyfox
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To: NormsRevenge
Tee-hee-hee!

Things are looking up, Freepers.

24 posted on 02/15/2010 1:16:51 PM PST by fatnotlazy
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To: tatsinfla

Why spend campaign money to lose an election? It’s best to take the cash right now and let someone else lose.


25 posted on 02/15/2010 1:17:04 PM PST by Carling (Somewhere in Kenya, a village is missing its idiot.)
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To: TommyTrojan
Centrist heavyweight ????

That one's STILL got me giggling!

26 posted on 02/15/2010 1:17:08 PM PST by digger48
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To: NormsRevenge
"For some time, I have had a growing conviction that Congress is not operating as it should. There is too much partisanship and not enough progress...

"For some time..." I'd say it's been since Nov. 5, 2000, when Al Gore told George Bush not to get "snippy" about his rescinding of his conceding the election of 2000.

-PJ

27 posted on 02/15/2010 1:17:50 PM PST by Political Junkie Too ("Comprehensive" reform bills only end up as incomprehensible messes.)
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To: Lauren BaRecall

In other words, Bayh was sick and tired of having to toe the Dem party line. I wonder what sort of stuff they had on him to blackmail him for his DeathCare vote?


28 posted on 02/15/2010 1:18:35 PM PST by Carling (Somewhere in Kenya, a village is missing its idiot.)
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To: Elsie

Indy Ping

Are you in the game?


29 posted on 02/15/2010 1:18:47 PM PST by Utah Binger (Southern Utah, where the Creator made some great Fine Art)
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To: NormsRevenge
Centrist Heavyweight? Since when?

Disturbed by the partisanship in Washington? The DIMs have owned both a majority, and for the last year, a super-majority in the congress since 2006. Partisanship aside, the DIMs have only themselves to blame for not passing legislation, the Repubs have been castrated for years.

Another article made a good point. The DIMs have been blatently spending billions and billions of taxpayer dollars, pushing through 'stimulus' and partisan projects for the last year that have only served to make the economy worse. Faced with an almost lynch-mob-like backlash from the voters, the RATs are abandoning ship in droves in an attempt to hold to some shred of their political careers.

30 posted on 02/15/2010 1:18:51 PM PST by LoneStarGI (Vegetarian: Old Indian word for "BAD HUNTER.")
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To: Carling

Ditto.


31 posted on 02/15/2010 1:19:56 PM PST by Lauren BaRecall (No tag line - I travel light.)
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To: NormsRevenge

SOBs know they ruined the economy and don’t want to be around to face the consequences


32 posted on 02/15/2010 1:20:15 PM PST by uncbob
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To: NormsRevenge

Evan quits because Republican’s grow a backbone and in turn sets the stage for Republican’s to secure another senate seat.

It really doesn’t get much better than this.


33 posted on 02/15/2010 1:20:59 PM PST by Eddie01 (All we every really knew was it was crazy to be doin' it any other way)
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To: Carling

Maybe he voted for it anyway? Sometimes it’s hard to tell who is who.


34 posted on 02/15/2010 1:21:16 PM PST by Lauren BaRecall (No tag line - I travel light.)
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To: NormsRevenge
Another long time family seat. First the Kennedys, and now the Bayhs.

With his tearful wife and two sons at his side, Bayh, 54, expressed disenchantment

Just think, those two sons might have been future senators if Evan Bayh hadn't been forced to quit.

35 posted on 02/15/2010 1:21:31 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: NormsRevenge

What’s happening on the Rat side is about as close as we have to a “no confidence” vote on the leadership in this country.


36 posted on 02/15/2010 1:21:57 PM PST by Newtoidaho (Liberals are nothing more than drooling buffoons. Spread the word.)
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To: tatsinfla
"does it seem odd to anyone else that so many dems are dropping out...??...maybe they have something up their sleeves...then again maybe they really do see the writing on the wall...."

At first I thought it was odd that they continually pushed their agenda, against the peoples wishes, because they had something up their sleeve and didn't care.

However, after VA, NJ, MA, and even NY (although we didn't win) I think they saw the writing on the wall. I wish they'd ALL "retire"!

37 posted on 02/15/2010 1:22:48 PM PST by NoGrayZone
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To: Man50D

......Bayh, 54......

Time to cash in and live the good life.


38 posted on 02/15/2010 1:23:11 PM PST by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . Tax the poor. Taxes will give them a stake in society)
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To: NormsRevenge
...and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel tried to convince Bayh to run again

Yeah, I'm sure that went well... LOL!

"Evan, you're an f-ing retard if you don't want to run again!"

39 posted on 02/15/2010 1:24:44 PM PST by Mannaggia l'America
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To: NormsRevenge
AFP = France's version of the AP thinks Bayh is centrist heavyweight. Okay, that settles it. /s

So why did the little wimp QUIT (in re: Sarah Palin) and whine about partisanship as if that is new in DC?!

40 posted on 02/15/2010 1:25:26 PM PST by kcvl
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