WASHINGTON—Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, an influential Democrat who carved out a rare role at the political center, announced Monday that he won't seek a third term, dealing a blow to a party already facing the prospect of big losses in November's congressional elections.
"What am I going to do? If I create one job in the private sector, I will have done more than this Congress has in the past 6 months".
Past the grave yard
10 comments:
Can't blame him. The Republicans are holding the Senate hostage. Too bad the voters don't have a third choice.
This isn't one to crow about, Jim. The Senate will be poorer for his absence.
Hostage, you guys have had a Super Majority for 8 months! Come on, get real! Hostage with all our 41 to your 59 now - WOW. Once again blame someone else - Hell blame Bush. You guys are nothing but excuses. I personally think Evan Byah was fed up with his own party's agenda - he was somewhat of a moderate and I could have actually voted for him. I also believe most Democrats in Congress are breathing a sigh of relief that this reckless socialist agenda is not going to happen. Give me a football team with 11 players on the field vs 5 anyday. Typical light weight Liberals - their balls rattle like beebee's in a boxcar.
Baxter you are right - he was good guy. Could have voted for him.
There was a talking head on the other day - on Morning Joe I think, that said the Republicans are always much meaner in Congress - they take no prisoners. The Democrats are always much more tentative.
Surely - that is a little bit of an overstatement. However, I have always felt that the GOP was much more disciplined. Will Rogers talked about this phenomenon decades ago and he is still right.
I do not see a meaningful third party option for the next 50 years. There are simply too many hurdles and each of the two parties can adapt as needed.
The system is broken - I continue to advocate institutional reform in the Senate. No more Filibusters. No more minority rule. No more holds where one Senator can bring a stop to the whole Senate's business by simply demanding it. The House got rid of the Filibuster in the 19th century, as it had become unmanageable. Well...
But Baxter what about all the time you had 60 votes and now you opine about 59. You guys could have done anything you wanted.
But did we really ever have 60? In light of events, why count Lieberman as a Democrat? Bernie Sanders will leave the reservation if things aren't liberal enough. Nelson & Lincoln (and others) are not reliable as they are Conservadems, constantly worried about losing the next election. It goes to my comment regarding discipline and organization.
It used to be that you could pick up s many from the other party that you might lose in yours, however, there are really only two Republicans available for a cross over vote. The small GOP caucus is extremely conservative and disciplined. Even if a GOP pol wanted to vote with the Dems, they can't for fear of raising Tea Part ire. Just watch McCain as he morphs into Arizona's own Jesse Helms.
McConnell & Co have been very effective at gumming up the process. Baucus should never wasted time with the Group of Six, which Grassley later admitted was simply a method of holding up the show.
We will see. We have "term limits" every two years - they are called elections. I feel much more comfortable than many of my fellow Dems. I think the GOP has peaked too early and they have provided a treasure trove of material for Democrats to work with. The one real Republican advantage is the passion on the right, but that knife cuts both ways.
Let's see, so they only count if they vote your way, uh sure. And you can only pass a bill if you can buy them off, ok. 60 is still 60. Is that anything like saved jobs?
Most of the great legislature is past with bipartisan support where each side can cross over - Civil Rights, Medicare and Social Security. When a bill goes so far one way or another - such as the Health Care fiasco and you cannot even get Snowe or Collins, something is wrong.
As far as the Tea Party goes, so what - they are expressing their views. It sure is interesting to watch when a Liberal group protests - the coverage sure has a different feel to it. Code Pink and Cindy Sheehan come to mind. As a side note where has the media been when our dead soldiers arrive home - it wasn't that long ago they were all over that situation. Anyway I digress!
What about the wacky Libs pulling their side ao far left - Dailey Kos and the Huffington Post (both I love to read). Once again that doesn't count, that's different.
Gumming it up - just pass the bill. Where is all that management ability from Obama, all those oratory skills coming to fruition. Where is all leadership. More excuses.
I do agree that the next 8 months is an eternity in politics, but it looks pretty ominous. Really the Republicans can just let this unfold - don't stand in the way of a crackup.
They are coming apart at the seams. They have a president who looks like a fighter who is just throwing wild punches hoping to land SOMETHING. The truth is, he is in so far over his head. His resume was so thin, voters just got caught up in the moment. It's ashame Baye is leaving I could have voted for him for president - but Obama, what a stretch. Hopefully he will fail with the rest of his Socialist endeavors.
One calculation Alinsky (Obama's mentor) never took into account was the speed at which information travels now. Much of what he believed - saying whatever it takes to accomplish your goal, worked when news traveled slowly. But today information is dissected quickly and sent out to the masses in a millisecond. Mao, Hitler, Stalin, Marx, Alinsky and now Kim Jong-il could never have gotten away with what they did/do to their people with high speed information.
Mark -
You are missing my point. I accept the fact that we had 60 and could do whatever we wanted - provided that the 60 could be held together. I also acknowledge the Democrats bear responsibility for their failure to get legislation through.
That said - the 60 vote requirement to do ANYTHING these days is not what the framers intended and needs to be dropped. I do not think that any big legislation should be bipartisan per se. The American people overwhelmingly elected the Democrats to govern and the GOP have effectively blocked said governance under the existing rules.
I think the Tea Party folks are on the far right and way out of the American mainstream. I do not fault them for expressing their views unless they are heckling or shouting down a congressperson at their own town hall meeting (which happened A LOT last year).
Code Pink and Michael Moore are as out of the mainstream as the Tea Party. Agreed.
Kos, Huffington and Olbermann are not crazy nor further from center than Hannity or Limbaugh. In fact, I think they closer to the middle. Kos and Olbermann are to the left of my views. I am just to the left of Evan Bayh.
Gumming it up. Right you are. The GOP are successfully doing what I wanted the Dems to do under Bush. If they had more success at that, perhaps we wouldn't be in this big of a mess.
The Dems should liberally use the GOP "Party of No" during the coming election. They should also show photos of GOP congressmen handing oversized checks to constituents for projects that they voted against (Maddow's idea). Hypocrisy doesn't sit well with the center.
Your advice for the GOP to simply stand by is politically sound. If the Dems get courageous (pass health care, reform banking), you'll be in trouble. Otherwise, you may be okay.
Obama did have a thin resume - my primary criticism prior to his election as nominee. I do not think he is a socialist or in over his head. Reagan was having more trouble at this stage of the game.
I am sure you didn't mean to compare Obama to Mao, Hitler, Stalin or Kim. I think the speed of information helps the Democrats as well. These days, it seems that those on the outside have all the passion. Remember 2006?
1) I accept your point, but that is your party's problem and goes back to the roots of leadership - zip, nada.
2) Change it, be ready for the blow back if they use it for health care, cap & trade, immigration or card check. The American people are against these in their current form. Do it - let's see what you guys got.
3) Really, why that's never happened from your side - but that's different.
4) Agreed.
5) Disagree Wow, whatever.
6) Back to Bush, typical.
7) Agreed.
8) Do it, when I see it I'll believe it - too weak-knee'd. If they do be ready for the blow back - good luck with that.
9) Very thin resume and votes present most of the time. Have you read his book Dreams From My Father or Alinsky. Are you well versed in Marx, Lenin, Trotsky and Communism/Socialism as a whole, I am. He's at the very least a Socialist - I can smell them a mile away. They just can't be honest about who they really are, kind of like religion and Rev Wright. The Socialist and Communist Parties were overjoyed when he was elected - It's our time now" was the quote. By the way he is no Reagan - probably not a "Tear down this wall Mr Gorbachev", Reykjavik or Air Traffic Controllers moment in his future.
10) No I don't think he is comparable to them. My point is that because information travels so quickly we have time to sort out the issues. Something people in the past have not had the luxury of and it led to great disasters.
From now on, just the results please. Good Luck!
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