The Democrats continue hemorrhaging their own as Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) announces that he won’t seek re-election. The reason? Utter frustration:
“Two weeks ago, the Senate voted down a bipartisan commission to deal with one of the greatest threats facing our nation: our exploding deficits and debt. The measure would have passed, but seven members who had endorsed the idea instead voted ‘no’ for short-term political reasons,” he said.
“Just last week, a major piece of legislation to create jobs — the public’s top priority — fell apart amid complaints from both the left and right. All of this and much more has led me to believe that there are better ways to serve my fellow citizens, my beloved state and our nation than continued service in Congress.”
Sen. Bayh is considered a young rising star among Democrats, having been elected as governor at age 33 in 1988 and in 2008 as a possible running-mate with Barack Obama. He also has presidential ambitions as he’s formed exploratory committees in both 2006 and 2008 but dropped out soon after.
Perhaps by not seeking re-election he’ll be able to focus on the White House? I do not think Bayh will just retire and disappear from politics altogether. He’s still young and has an impressive political resume. I’m willing to bet that we’ll hear a lot more from him in the years to come.
