Senator hails chief reasons for making run (Evan Bayh)

[IndianaGreen]

I am not a Bayh fan, but I did vote for him twice when he ran for Governor, and the first time he ran for the US Senate.

Compared to his GOP predecessor in the Governor's mansion, Bayh was a decent governor.

July 24, 2005

Q&A WITH EVAN BAYH

Senator hails chief reasons for making run
He says experience as governor would serve him well as president

By Maureen Groppe
Star Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana has been raising money, building a campaign team and wooing Democrats in Iowa and New Hampshire as he prepares for a potential 2008 bid for the presidency.

Monday, Bayh steps down as chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, a centrist Democratic group that was a vehicle for Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign.

Bayh sat down with The Indianapolis Star to talk about his potential run, the state of the Democratic Party and what he picked up from the movie "Zoolander."

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050724/NEWS01/507240512

[JDPriestly]

1. Thanks. He is one to watch.

[salin]

4. I hope not,

we really can do much, much better.

I am sorry that I was too young to vote for his father. And I have voted for Evan in the past. But his lack of depth, his plastic demeanor - and his political pandering would make him a pathetic national candidate.

Btw, four months after David Kay returned from the Iraq weapons hunt and claimed that not only did they find NO WMDS, but that they found no evidence there had been WMDs to begin with... Bayh is on the tv talk shows, parroting bush and cheney stating that he is sure that there are WMDs in Iraq, and that we would find them.

(on that my comment to bayh: "Moron.")

[ladjf]

2. Please America. Don't fall for Byah. He has consistently

supported Bush throughout the past few years. He is a PUB in a DEM suit. He is not on America's side.

[BornaDem]

3. Good post. You nailed him for what he is. n/t

[nickshepDEM]

5. Ummm, ok.

[nickshepDEM]

6. Bayh and Warner are gonna' duke it out for '08 nomination...

Can't wait.

[IndianaDemocrat]

7. FACT: BayhTurned Indiana Around, O'Bannon Screwed us...

The first campaign I ever worked on was Bayh's first run for Gov...

After many years of Repub control, The state Government had become Nepotistic and corrupt, and Patronage was the name of the game, IN BOTH PARTIES! Add to that the beating we took in the late 70's recession and we were a MESS...

Bayh Promised to END PATRONAGE, Return the License Branches (and thier REVENUES!) to State Control, instead of the pockets of whatever Party happened to be in charge.

He followed through on every promise, and created a "Rainy Day Fund" so the state would NEVER have to go through what nearly destroyed us in the early 80's again. (Some Counties had unemployment rates pushing 30% in the early 80's!)

O'Bannon however, was an old DEM Party Hack, and blew the 2 BILLION DOLLAR fund getting re-elected. His speech in which he said, "We need to make this money WORK for the State of Indiana. They call it the Rainy Day Fund, and it's NEVER rained!" was ingrained in the minds of a LOT of people...

Guess what...
9 months later (9/11) it was frickken pouring, and we were forced to put in a HUGE tax increase that cost us DOZENS of seats state-wide, and the Governorship, in 2004....

Bayh is not only seen in the Midwest as fairly Conservative, but as willing to go up against the entrenched "Politics As Usual" types, even in the DEM Party...

[msongs]

8. I liked the movie "Zoolander"..very funny nt

[election_2004]

9. Question about Bayh's senate seat....

If Bayh was elected president in 2008, who, hypothetically, would take over his U.S. Senate seat in 2009?