Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana announced Monday that he will not seek reelection to the U.S. Senate, shaking up the political world and giving Democrats the feeling they had just been knocked down for the count in a heavyweight prize fight.
Despite a $13. million dollar political war chest and a 20 point lead in recent polls, the centrist Bayh decided to walk away from an almost guaranteed reelection bid. In his parting words, Bayh took a swipe at his fellow colleagues in Congress, particularly Democrats who have been unable to get much done in spite of their majorities, saying he was burned out from the lack of bipartisanship and the ever growing political posturing that has ruled Washington and angered most Americans. His frustration over congressional stalemates, including Congress’ recent failures to pass a new jobs bill and set up a bipartisan commission to tackle the debt and deficit, reportedly brought him to the decision that was only made within the past few days. “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,” he said.
Although Bayh has chosen to close out his Senate career, he was especially careful not to close the door on politics altogether. Having served as Indiana’s Governor prior to his Senate years, Bayh is said to be reconsidering a return to the Governor’s Mansion. But his decision to retire has caught the Democratic party and particularly the White House by total surprise. President Obama, who reportedly tried to talk Bayh out of retiring, faces a looming Republican resurgence and risks watching strong majorities in Congress crumble in November mid-term elections. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was not even informed of Bayh’s decision until after the public announcement was made. Also, the deadline to file as a senate candidate is this week, limiting the Indiana Democratic Party’s ability to select a suitable replacement. The likely and only scenario at this point is for the local party to skip a primary election, choose a candidate themselves, then try to build up that person’s stature so as to aggressively compete against an advanced Republican.
Bayh’s decision to retire has now given him a certain “free-wheeling” power in Congress that he will likely make substantial use of in his remaining months. Since he’s not running for reelection, he doesn’t owe anyone anything. So he is free to vote with his conscious instead of with his party.
