Bayh says new Sen. Brown may be 'cure'

Source: AP

Retiring Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana said Monday that electing more lawmakers like new Republican Sen. Scott Brown may be the "ultimate cure" for partisan gridlock in Washington.

Brown's upset victory over a Democrat who held a double-digit lead a week before Massachusetts' special Senate election last month signaled that voters wanted "more practical problem solving," Bayh said in an interview Monday on ABC-TV's "The View.

"Scott Brown is a good example of what I think the ultimate cure might be," Bayh said. "My read on what happened in Massachusetts is the vast majority of moderates and independents rose up and said enough already."


He reiterated that Monday, saying the Senate used to be a more polite place. He said senators should be more open to compromise and rely on filibusters less to block legislation.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BAYH_ON_BROWN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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Does he really think electing Brown means the filibuster will be used less?

See Bush years.

Plouffe: Obama's Veep Pick 'Coin Toss' Between Biden And Bayh

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/plouffe-obamas-veep-pick-coin-toss-between-biden-and-bayh.php

even though his reelection was a certainty.

I could see anyone doing it if they were in the minority, but seldom do you see someone quit who is facing the same circumstances that Bayh was.

that's just my gut take. Or, it could just be all about the money. The recent SCOTUS decision opens up corporate spending to a whole nuther level. Imagine applying Obama's fundraising ideas to corporations. Whoever spends more is usually the winner. We'll see, right.

Scott Brown can kiss my ass.

I'm going to hurl.

I am truly insulted that a Democrat would point to a Republican as a "solution" to anything. How have Republicans earned this?

Republicans are the problem--not the solution. The solution is getting Republicans out of positions of power so we can continue fix the incredible damage they and their idiotic ideology have caused.

that's why he's doing this.

. . . the beginning of some puke spin, offering themselves up as the "moderates."

There is nothing "moderate" about "conservatives" or any Republican.

There used to be a group refered to as "liberal" Republicans. Nelson Rockefeller was part of that crowd and most DLCers are to the right of him.

Didn't it?

while Democrats hold a majority of both Houses of Congress, say voters should throw out all incumbents.

A leftie would never say things like that. Never.

utterly spineless Dem senators should be??? Truly?

... of not knowing what the hell he is talking about, politically.

situation in the Ohio voting for president in 2004 and that the Bush selection in FL in 2000 was a good solution. The topic was election reform.

the Democrats try to do. As Maher says, he signs his name "41"!

IMA (Independent my ass.)

have some impressive bragging rights. But. He. Didn't.

Drove a big ass truck around?

Nice of him to clear that up for me!

Does he really think electing Brown means the filibuster will be used less?

If he thinks so, he's a fool. If he says it and doesn't believe it, he's a liar.

In any event, we are well shot of him.

to be a real a-hole if he thinks that Brown will be bi-partisan. In any case what the hell did this clown do in the senate to prevent stagnation. If I'm not mistaken he was one of those who help cause the gridlock.

Brown is a blot on our political system, agreed.
But are we throwing stones at Bayh just because of Brown? What else did he say?

In a New York Times Op Ed article, written by Bayh himself, he admits to having used the filibuster, but not just to use it. Now,this could just be him covering his ass, but he makes some good points:

"Challenges of historic import threaten America’s future. Action on the deficit, economy, energy, health care and much more is imperative, yet our legislative institutions fail to act. Congress must be reformed.

There are many causes for the dysfunction: strident partisanship, unyielding ideology, a corrosive system of campaign financing, gerrymandering of House districts, endless filibusters, holds on executive appointees in the Senate, dwindling social interaction between senators of opposing parties and a caucus system that promotes party unity at the expense of bipartisan consensus."

He also makes the good point that we too often fight amongst ourselves, from our respective blue and red sides and fail to see what we're missing in looking at ourselves. We continuously cry out against Republicans and they continuously cry out against us, but isn't this turning into a little bit of the Romeo and Juliet problem, where we hate each other just to hate each other. Are we that true to the extreme blue that we don't even want to dig deeper on people like Bayh to see what he's all about - why he's actually leaving?
I'm not saying we should continue to give the Republicans everything they want, Obama seems to be doing a just stellar job at that. We need to stand our ground on important issues but also realize that this country is made up of 300 million people, most of which are moderates. Compromise doesn't always mean defeat and standing your ground doesn't always mean partisanship.

The two party system needs reform, the senate and house need reform, the whole damn thing needs an overhaul. But Bayh is not the problem, Brown isn't the problem either. The problem is the corporate interests behind them. Dig that out and start the DC cleaning.

did he do that what most Hoosiers supported the nominations? Well, Bayh was in the early stages of a Presidential run and needed support from the progressive base to have a snowball's chance. It's just like Clinton, Kerry & Edwards voting to authorize military force in Iraq. While at least 2 of the 3 really opposed it but voted for it anyway, the conventional thinking at that time was that nobody voting against would be a viable candidate in 2004.

should we enter that circle of hell.

Don't let the Senate door hit you where the good Lord split you! DLC Toad.

When he announced his retirement I did have the fleeting thought that he would switch parties and run against Obama as a Republican, but then I said to myself, "Nawww, he's not THAT evil and stupid.".

This praise of Brown makes me think Bayh could just be.

than he ever was in his career, it seems...

Bayh needs to go away...Hearing him spew shit is making me miss John Edwards in the news cycle...

Is going to make them compromise and filibuster less.

If filibustering is the problem - ADD ANOTHER DEM!!!

Seriously, nothing shocks me with this turd anymore. Knowing he could've been VP is like knowing Lieberman could've been VP.

to fill a Senate vacancy, the appointment is made from a slate drawn up from the party of the departing Senator. This way, the appointment doesn't change the Senate "balance of power." Sorry but I don't recall exactly who draws up the slate, but I believe it's the state party central committee or something like that.

Maybe that explains it then - if he could've had Daniels appoint his replacement, then he probably would've stepped down.

Regardless of who wins his seat, they will have a hard time living down to Sh*t for brains here. The ultimate cure is to get rid of self serving, entitled, sanctimonious pricks like Bayh and replace them with people who will stand up and do their job without equivocation. Franken seems to be the role model for that right now.

Brown will show his true spots as soon as he is forced to vote. I would be willing to lay good money on his being a straight party line voter robot. And then he'll be out in 2 years.

Time to take out the trash.

He's basically a corporatist who thinks the progressive wing of his own party is a hell of a lot scarier than the Palin wing of the Republican party--of which Scott Brown is a card-carrying member. If he wants problem solving, he should get the fuck out of the way and let the progressives do what we elected them to do. Every time he opens his yap I'm that much happier he's leaving--it's obvious that, like all of the DLC/Blue Dog/New Democrat types, he's really a Republican at heart.

Scott Brown: "I'll be the 41st vote, not the 60th vote."

Evan Bayh is a big bag of useless that can't go away fast enough. And my prediction is he will hop over to the Republican Party either before he leaves or shortly thereafter.

will fix everything! I think that man just got too used to being in the minority and not being expected to do much of anything because the majority Republicans were doing it all without his input.

Yeah, Bayh, the job changed and we need people who will actually do it, not place holders who collect a paycheck for not much of anything besides electioneering every six years.

Why doesn't he just shut up????

I suspect he will be a lobbyist soon.

Calling Dr. Dean---EMERGENCY IN WASHINGTON!!!!!!!!!!

stupidity.

to improve compromise in the Senate?

Bayh says:

"Those on my side need to accept half a loaf when the alternative is nothing,"

When the F*CK has the Senate given the Left even half a loaf on ANYTHING? Heck, a crumb?

We have already bent over for the repukes more than we should have. And where did that get us? A crappy-ass HCR bill that isn't worth the paper it's written on. And they're STILL talking shit about the dems.

Screw the repukes, and screw Bayh.

Good riddance and I hope the Democratic Party wakes up to these whankers in their midst.

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. . .


Truly this guy lives in bizarro world.

than I can recall from all the years he has served in the Senate. Is it wrong to wish a really stubborn case of laryngitis that hurts like a motherfucker every time he activates his piehole?

Donning my flame-proof suit...
;)

:nuke:

...motivation; it's good to have one of them finally admit it.

Tesha

what a lying piece of shit this man is.

spin spin. left is right. up is down.

religious rightwingers are "democrats."

Didn't take long to drop the facade and show his true colors.

to aloow the bill to go forward. Let's wait and see if he votes for the bill because the RW is now twisting hois arm.

and go be a lobbyist flunkie for corporate america...oh wait i forgot thats his current job...

Sure, gridlock would end, but there would no longer be a need for the Democratic party because they'd all be voting with the republicans.

Exactly what corparasites such as Bayh would like to bring about.

the last straw for me for Bayh. In the same oped, he also talked about "my side" needing to cooperate with Republicans more!!! No suggestion that Republicans were at all culpable for the current gridlock.

This story nicely dissects Bayh's worthlessness. Headline summarizes the general point:
"Chris Dodd leaves a legacy; Even Bayh leaves a handful of dust"
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/02/16/chris-dodd-leaves-a-legacy-evan-bayh-leaves-a-handful-of-dust?icid=sphere_blogsmith_inpage_poldaily