Bayh's explanation that he is quitting because he no longer likes Congress not only came off as whiny, it was indicative of his gutless style. No one would disagree that Congress is dysfunctional, though the problem isn't partisanship, as Bayh suggests. It's that Democrats, because of guys like Evan Bayh, can't lead. Period.
Yes, Congress's inability to represent the people is a crisis that threatens our society. But Bayh's reaction to that challenge is not to stand up and fight, it's to wrinkle his noise and quit. Since he leaves no legacy of any kind from his 12 years in the Senate, and since he has been and always would have been one of its most ineffectual members, it's no surprise that when the going got tough, the senator chose to split.
Evan Bayh has no vision, he's no fighter, and he's no Democrat. He's a child of destiny. He touts bipartisanship because he's a Republican stuck with a Democratic family.
Democracy never has been a cherished institution in Indiana, which was openly controlled by the Ku Klux Klan in the early 20th century and spawned the John Birch Society in the 1950s. With one of the most restrictive ballot access laws in the nation, the state is one of only four in the nation where Ralph Nader was unable to get on the ballot for president. It is virtually impossible for anyone other than establishment Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians to provide electoral alternatives to Indiana voters at the state and national levels.
So, it again came as no surprise that Bayh waited to announce his retirement until it was too late for the electorate to determine his replacement. He announced his decision on the last day that candidates had to collect and submit signatures for ballot placement.
Only one candidate, Bloomington cafe owner Tamyra d'Ippolito, had initiated a petition drive to seek Bayh's seat. On Feb. 19, she announced she did not obtain the 5,000 signatures necessary but will challenge Indiana election laws in court. If d'Ippolito's legal challenge fails, the Indiana Democratic Party will select the candidate for Bayh's seat.
One of two things happened here. Either Bayh did just reach a decision, in which case he's an impulsive quitter. Or, he knew all along and deliberately chose to circumvent state Democratic Primary voters.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) believes it was the latter. "It raises serious questions whether he purposefully timed his announcement to deny Hoosiers a voice in the political process," NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh said in a Feb. 17 news release.
Only Evan Bayh could make the National Republican Senatorial Committee seem noble. What an embarrassment.
Steven Higgs is editor of The Bloomington Alternative. He can be reached at editor@BloomingtonAlternative.com
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