Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Senator Bayh Gets It

Ryan Mauro of Pajamas Media relates how Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana has read the writing on the wall, and grasps how toxic levels of partisan politics on the one hand and anti-incumbent sentiment (not necessarily limited to Democrats) has prompted him to decide not to run for another term. Once again we see that not everyone is turned on by the shrill, divisive style of Reid and Pelosi. Here's the first paragraph of this article:

Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana has chosen to retire, citing his frustration with his colleagues in Congress basing their votes on “short-term political reasons.” He says that he is not retiring out of a fear of losing, but the competitive race that was likely to ensue after former Senator Dan Coats decided to run against him must have been a factor in his decision. Absent an economic upswing that is clearly felt to all, the anti-incumbent furor was going to continue to rise and Bayh could very well have lost come November. Whether you are a Democrat mourning the loss of the favorable political environment since 2006 or a Republican rejoicing in a possible pick-up of a Senate seat, both sides should feel respect for the man and miss some of his contributions to the country....

EDITORIAL COMMENT: Many readers of Pajamas Media criticized Sen. Bayh for giving in to the Obama agenda, but our take is that he should at least be given credit for recognizing the signs of mass discontent. We encourage more incumbent office-holders to search their souls and reflect as to whether hanging on is will benefit the public or not.

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