Bye, Bye, Bayh -- From the Senate?

by John Gizzi

A week after Sen. Evan Bayh announced he would not run for the Democratic nomination for president in ’08, speculation is gradually mounting in Washington and Indiana that the two-term senator will instead run in two years for the job he held from 1988-96 and reportedly loved more than being in the Senate -- governor of the Hoosier State.

Sources close to Bayh, who explored and then opted against a bid for the White House, does not like the pace in the Senate and the hours that keep him from coming home to dinner with wife Susan and their twin sons. As governor, the same sources said, Bayh was more in control of his schedule and preferred being an executive to being a legislator.

Should Bayh run for the governorship, he would be an instant favorite over Republican incumbent Mitch Daniels, who served as head of the Office of Management and Budget under George W. Bush. In recent months, Gov. Daniels has seen his popularity diminish over his handling of state spending issues.

If Bayh wins his old job back, the same sources have already guessed whom he would name to fill the remaining two years of his Senate term: Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson, Bayh’s close friend and former top aide.

So he can run for the Governorship, then replace himself?
So then there is no lost seat. That is a good thing.

So I guess this dispels the last remaining thoughts of him becoming VP doesn't it?

He can't run for Governor, be a senator and VP all at the same time.
No, he can't.

Imagine someone who becomes a Senator not wanting to do any work.
Thank God he didn't become President or VP. Just what the world needed. Another person in office who doesn't want to work, yet wants to earn top dollar salary.

d'oh!!! Are you sure this guys name ain't Homer Simpson? All play and no work for high pay. Give me a tall one, Moe.

How can you disparage someone like this? Bayh had more committee seats than anyone else in the Senate! Talking to people in DC, they widely regard him as working harder than anyone else, not just biding his time collecting his 'top dollar salary'.

Running down a man that wants to spend more time with his family while also hoping to do more good for the people of his state. This is your idea of constructive conversation?

sounds like a whiny quitter to me.
When he couldn't get top position, now he wants to just be a governor so he doesn't have to work too many hours?

What do you call that?

And he is only in the middle of each committee, not like he is chairmen or #2 in any of them. The top guy is the one to do the hard work.
I call the others loafers. Run of the mill, middle ground, not people deserving of the presidency.

Bush was like that. Went to Crawford and vacationed all the time.

Graham, you are off the mark on this one. So he had a job that he liked and was good at. What's wrong with that? How hard do you work? Who are you to judge?

long as he is not the president or vice president or speaker of the house, I really could care less about him.
And 99.999 percent of America never even heard of him.

May it be kept that way.

On the other hand, why is the 2008 candidates for president thread being bogged down by this person who quit the race 15 months before it started, and it appears is quitting the senate in the middle of his term and not a VP candidate?

Surely there are enough other great candidates for President one can talk about and not this guy.
Or maybe there should be threads on the 90 other senators not running for President or quitting the race too.

Maybe Dan Quayle can come back and become Senator in Indiana in 2010. Why not start a thread on that?

As a Hoosier I am grateful and happy to have Senator Bayh in the Senate. As a Hoosier I cannot stand mitch Daniels. Daniels, a close ally to W, has followed suit and created much division in our state. Republicans in our state don't even like the man. I think Bayh would possibly be the best alternative to Daniels. I think Hoosiers would be very excited about this turn of events.

I will add that perhaps this thread should be moved to the Indiana section. Kuodos to Bayh!

It will not matter if you move it. G4 will follow the thread and trash Bayh.
Someday I WILL vote for Bayh for president.

Maybe because of all the gracious posts that you are making about him?

Seriously Graham, this guy made your wish come true and decided against running for President, and you still have to spew this vitriol. If someone decides that they just don't like a certain job, are tired of it, and/or want to do something else, for whatever personal reasons, what of it? That is their business. It is my business as a voter as to whether I think that they are good for the job that they do decide to seek. Yes, I would want someone who would be willing to work hard as my President, but that wouldn't seem to be a problem with Bayh. I would also want someone willing to work hard as my Senator, and apparently that is not a problem with Bayh (speaking hypothetically as I do not live in Indiana). Apparently he does work hard, and honestly wants to give what he sees at what the job requires. If that were not the case there would be no problem, as he could simply goof off in the Senate. The only ones who can keep a Senator from goofing off are the voters. No one else tells them to get up, attend committee meetings, vote, do research, or whatever. If he thinks that giving what he thinks is required takes too much time from his family, I say that is his decision. If he wants to retire to some little cabin in the wilderness and live off whatever nest egg he may have, that would be his business too. That is not being a "quitter". As long as he does his job while he holds his job that would be great. I don't think Lyndon Johnson was a quitter for deciding not to run in 1968, nor was Truman for deciding not to run in 1952.



If you want to start threads on these things then go ahead. Then you could spew vitriol about those people too.

I am looking forward to him leaving for Crawford and never coming back. That will suit me just fine. I will be okay with him simply living off the family fortune, just as I have no problem with the fact that Paris Hilton will always be able to live a life of wealthy ease, except when she decides to "work". It doesn't bother me that she probably won't run for political office because that might entail real work, and it won't bother me if Bush does nothing more taxing but clearing brush for the rest of his life after 1/20/09.

Hey, if it is not about the president or vice president and is a post about him running for governor,(or senate in 08 or 10), that is fine by me.
I won't "follow" you there, OK?

I said the day he decided not to go for iit, I would only comment again if it was about the VP (which it was).

Gov/Sen? Feel free (not that you need my permission), but I won't say a word.
Feel free to put it in the Indiana section. Not a peep out of me (again reserving judgement if the VP crops up).

How's that?

arne-you and I both know Bush is not a Cowboy, and his ranch will probably be for sale the day his term ends. (Probably his contract for hire
wife too).
A corner bar will probably be were W can be found after that.

Actually Graham, if I had as much money as he did, I might like the idea of living in a ranch in Texas. Although as a New Englander with inlaws in Colombia my dream is more like having one house in the Maine woods, not too far from the seashore (like near Machias), and another house in the llanos of Colombia (as long as there are no guerillas around). Of course he is not a cowboy, he can pay people to do the real work. Clearing brush is just a hobby for him. And I think Laura will stick with him and he with Laura. Even if they are not faithful on principle (and who is to know that they aren't?) just who else would have them?

If you keep your promise I think that people would sigh with relief! And of course anyone who crops up as a possibility for VP is fair game.

as long as it is not about the president or VP that is fine by me.

I never mnded him being senator or Gov. from Indiana. Just running for President or VP. (for what I think were great reasons, but let's not rehash them).

Put the items in the Indiana section, just like say a story on who will replace Alan Hevisi in NY would go in the NY section.

(again, not that you need my permission.) But I will not under those guidelines say a peep. (unless they break their word). OK?

OK. (At the moment I am not getting around to moving this to the Indiana section, but likely will.)

Of course if people tout Bayh as VP, that would not be breaking any word. But then you or anyone would be free to knock Bayh. No one could expect you not to knock those who you think would be a bad choice. All I would ask (in a friendly way) is that you actually wait until people actually tout him for VP, and not launch preemptive attacks on the notion, or see X/Bayh banners in people's sig lines as red flags to charge.

The reason why I suggested this thread go in the Indiana section was because it involves the governor's race in 08. The writer of this article is "right wing". I'm certain rumor of a Bayh run would make them nervous. The article may be nothing more then a propaganda ploy by the right but it is worth noting.

I think anyone who wishes to discuss any potential presidential or vice presidential candidate has the right to do so whenever they choose in this section. Folks also have the right to rebutt the info on a candidate as long as it remains within CGCS guidelines. My only concern is the bombardment of nasty/untrue comments in order to stifle other's right to speech here or elsewhere.

Please feel free to delete this message if you find it violates the guidelines as well.

I highly doubt Bayh wants to leave the Senate because he doesn't like to work. As a matter a fact, from what numerous ex-Governors who have been Senators after, have said that being in the Senate is cakework and they miss actually having to work as a Governor. It kinda goes back to the Executive branch and how it makes you more qualified to be President. In the Senate, they don't even have 5 work days... as Governor, they're always working.

Oh well, i actually encourage him to venture on this path. Hell, it's only going to make him that much stonger of a candidate in 2012.

I thought this belonged in the 2008 elections section because, well, if Bayh were to do this, he would be running, in 2008, for Governor. Regardless, wherever you want to put it is fine, Arne.

Last i checked, the thread was entitled, "2008 elections." Not only is this article justified, in my humble opinion since it has to do with the 2008 elections, but Bayh's potential VP candidacy is also justified considering, well, the VP will campaign in the 2008 elections. As much as you hate to admit it, Bayh is in the running; therefore, my psots are, indeed, justified.

Why not start a thread about Quayle running, in 2010, for Bayh's seat... well, because that has nothing to do, at all, with the 2008 elections. This isn't rocket science, you know. 2008, 2010.

Thanks arne for moving this.

Very well put, Noonan.

Haven't y'all figured it out yet...It's g4a's way, or the highway!

Personally, i don't know why this was moved. Bayh running for Governor in 2008 is obviously 2008 related.

I thought you m,ade a good point. I assumed 2008 was for the presidential election but it's not specified that way. So you're correct. i just thought it may be easily found by hooisers when looking for info if it was in the Indiana section.

Thanks for sharing the article.

Kinda why i asked for the 2008 section to be more organized, listing individual sections for each level of Government.

I, basically, made that last post because the sentence i quoted was like a slap in the face to me. Someone always has to cry about things until he gets his way. This time, it was about me posting Bayh as VP related things in the 2008 section. Bayh being a potential candidate for VP does relate to the 2008 elections. It's not rocket science. Blah.

Words by Jon Tester, explaining how the life of a Senator isn't all that quick paced.



Just like i was trying to say, Bayh wanting to be Governor, which is more difficult than being a Senator according to many, does not mean he's a lazy person who doesn't want to work that hard.