Still not running, Bayh bashes Bush

[AwakeAtLast]

Yep, you read that headline correctly. Read on.....

Still not running, Bayh bashes Bush

By Matthew Tully
[e-mail]
June 5, 2005

Sen. Evan Bayh walked past a row of "Bayh '08!" campaign signs as he headed into an Indiana Democratic Party fundraiser Saturday night.

Bayh doesn't have to run for his U.S. Senate seat again until 2010. But the junior senator from Indiana could be on the ballot in 2008 if he decides to run for president.

<snip>

In a speech that lasted more than 30 minutes, he rebuked President Bush's administration on a range of issues, from the federal deficit to the need for energy independence.

"When the history of our time is written," Bayh said, "I believe this president will be judged very harshly."

Bayh said Republicans have divided the country, and Bush failed to summon Americans to "something more" following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The president, he said, should have urged people to accept potentially costly moves to lessen the country's dependence on foreign oil.

Bayh said he would have made such a request "if I'd been president of the United States at that time."

Massive budget deficits threaten future generations, Bayh said, before accusing Bush of not doing enough to respond to the unfair trade actions of other nations.

"We need a government that will stand by our workers," he said, offering a message for unions, a key base of any national Democrat's candidacy. ". . . We need a government that will do something other than roll over and let them down."

Pointing to the Republican Party's symbol, Bayh joked, "The elephant always leads to some unpleasant stuff that you have to clean up."

More... http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050605/NEWS02/506050450


I gotta say, this is more than I thought I would ever hear from Mr. Bayh about Repubs. He has been labeled a DINO repeatedly, but this does not seem to be DINO talk. Any thoughts?

[iwantmycountryback]

1. It's nice to see him using such language

Clearly he's trying to appeal to the liberal base of the party for '08, the same thing when he opposed Rice and Torture Gonzalez, though I commend him for that. Though from what I heard about him besides being very moderate, he is very drab and not charismatic. Also, he's a senator. I think if we do nominate a senator, it should the man in my sig or even Hillary.

[Chipper Chat]

4. I think he will run for president someday .

But not in 2008. He is the son of Birch Bayh, so he knows quite a bit about politics. I wouldn't consider him "drab." He's just a typical Hoosier politician - with a good work ethic and a modest personality, in the same vein as Lee Hamilton and Richard Lugar.

[Southsideirish]

2. This guy would have to take much longer strides towards the "Democratic

wing" of the Democratic Party to get me to notice him. Come to think of it, even that wouldn't do it, he has too much DLC baggage.

[Toby109]

3. Uh-Oh!

Biden is not gonna like this.

[quiet.american]

5. Nice effort, but still not Bayh-ing. n/t

[IndianaGreen]

6. Not one word about Iraq, or about globalization

In essence, Bayh emitted a lot of sounds from his mouth, but said nothing of substance.