Obama hit hard as Bayh bows out

AFP on Yahoo ^ | 2/15/10 | Tim Mannion

[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.

[SonOfDarkSkies]

There is too much partisanship and not enough progress -- too much narrow ideology and not enough practical problem-solving," he said.

Not to worry...O'Bama will heal our divisiveness...he is, after all, a post-partisan president.

Alright everyone, just click your heels together and say "there's nothing like hopey-changey, there's nothing like hopey-changey..."

[dennisw]

Evan Bayh sure had me fooled. He looked sober sane and moderate on TV. Then 0bama gets elected and he’s going along with the whole socialist agenda

My guess is too many of his Indiana constituents feel the same way. That no amount of talking can get him back to where he was

[fatnotlazy]

Yes. Bayh could retire and live it up. Or he could go into the private sector — maybe act as a consultant or a contributor to one of the cable channels. There may be some openings at MSNBC. (unladylike snort)

[DmBarch]

It might get better if, as some reports have said, this Friday is the filing deadline for the Senate Primary!!

[Past Your Eyes]

Yes, and he didn’t want to have to defend his “centrist” voting record and his incompetent president had he run for reelection.

[Let's Roll]

“Excessive partisanship”??

WTF did AFP call 8 years of BDS? Oh, that’s right it was “speaking truth to power” and “dissent is patriotic”.

[LoneStarGI]

"Someone missing a paddle?"

[DmBarch]

Oops - this from politico - By disclosing his retirement one day before the filing deadline, the idea was that no Democrat would qualify for the primary ballot and the party’s state central committee could tap their favored candidate.

[ought-six]

“Because of Obama, Reid, and Pelosi the country is fracturing down the middle. The only question is whether the divorce will be violent or peaceful. Self-styled middle-of-the-roaders such as Bayh have no place in the ‘people’s business.’ He is smart to get out.”

You are right, my friend.

[digger48]

It might get better if, as some reports have said, this Friday is the filing deadline for the Senate Primary!!

But doesn't this still give the state Democrats an opportunity to bypass the pesky cross-over votes in an open Primary, and fill the vacancy on the November ballot with anybody the state Party bosses choose?

They can pitch horsehoes to pick their candidate if they want.

[Let's Roll]

As deluded as they are, the DNC may think they have a better chance of running fresh, ‘untainted’ socialists in November than they would with the current roster.

[Oldpuppymax]

The “centrist” Bayh voted for every one of Hussein’s huge tax dollar grabs. Another Specter kind of centrist.

[ought-six]

“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.”

You make a very valid point.

[digger48]

Thanks for answering my question before I asked it. lol

[screaminsunshine]

In media world anything right of Castro is a Centrist.

[Bruinator]

Ok, so he has been on the public payroll for 25 of his 54 years. What did he do before that? 29 years old not really old enough to have amassed much wealth with a post college career. So how do these people become m’airs while in office /sarc.

[digger48]

Oops - this from politico - By disclosing his retirement one day before the filing deadline, the idea was that no Democrat would qualify for the primary ballot and the party’s state central committee could tap their favored candidate.

And since Indiana is an open Primary in Lugars safe years, and with a motivated conservative movemeent in the breeze, the Party didn't want to trust this to the voters.

[screaminsunshine]

Maybe an “Up Yours” to Obama?

[Luke21]

“Ambitious reform agenda?”

[hondact200]

Whom will O get in the four days before the deadline to file a candidate for the democRAT party? The oddity is how much will ACORN figure in the election process with a corruptocRAT. will O get a socialist to substitute and have ACORN endorse the socialist piece of dung.