“Evan Bayh’s Very Long 2009″
February 16, 2010
It’s safe to say, now that he’s confirmed his impending retirement, that 2009 was a terrible year for Evan Bayh. Pummeled by both the left and the right, Bayh evidently decided he didn’t need to endure any more abuse. That didn’t stop him from taking his time — he waited until just a few days before the filing deadline to let the news slip. Indiana Democrats, already facing a very tough electoral climate, now have little time to collect the necessary 500 signatures from each of state’s Congressional districts to qualify a new contender.
As Chris Cillizza pointed out two months ago, Bayh’s future in the Democratic Party was over long before this announcement (perhaps not coincidentally, Cillizza was also the first to report Bayh’s decision). But more than Bayh’s dimming political prospects, my guess is that what got to Bayh was the distinctly personal tone attacks on him had taken — particularly those on his wife, Susan, who serves on the board of WellPoint, one of the nation’s largest health insurers.
Worthwhile to point out something I posted as a comment:
The charges against Susan Bayh — which, as I noted, are political fair game even if her board work is legal — aren’t personal in the sense that they’re about her weight or looks. But they do necessarily touch on a family relationship.
