I can't believe he had the nerve to tell other SDs not to endorse "anyone" until the primaries were over. But he endorsed Clinton, and I guess that was okay but everyone else needed to wait. :eyes:
It's been a rough few days for Sen. Evan Bayh.
After years of holding a near death grip over so much of the state's Democratic Party establishment, the junior senator from Shirkieville has taken a series of very public hits in recent days.
From Democrats, no less.
What I've been calling the Stick-It-To-Evan-Bayh tour began last week when Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel announced he would endorse Sen. Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primary.
Bayh, as you know, is campaigning for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as hard as he's ever campaigned for anyone other than, well, himself. So the Weinzapfel endorsement was notable for at least two reasons.
First, he is seen as one of the state's rising Democratic stars. Second, there was a time when straying from Evan Bayh on such a crucial matter would have cast doubt over an Indiana Democrat's political future.
Not anymore.
Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Baron Hill, D-Seymour, also endorsed Obama, giving the Illinois senator another superdelegate. To Bayh, Hill's endorsement was a superdiss.
The Weinzapfel and Hill announcements were interesting. But former state and national Democratic Party Chairman Joe Andrew outdid them both. Standing in Obama's Indiana headquarters Thursday, Andrew announced he was switching his support from Clinton to Obama.
It was another superdelegate for Obama. It was also another perceived knock against Bayh -- by one of his own.
After all, Andrew became state party chair in 1995, when Bayh was governor and making the decisions for Indiana Democrats. With that history in mind, I asked Andrew about his move being perceived as a public slap at Indiana's senator. He said that wasn't the case and promised to encourage Obama to consider Bayh as a running mate.
That was great spin.
But Andrews is a political pro and no doubt understands how damaging his announcement is for Bayh. At a time when Clinton seems to have momentum in Indiana, the defection of three top Indiana Democrats has some wondering if Bayh's power has weakened.
"What this tells you is people aren't worried about retribution anymore," one top Indiana Democrat told me Thursday. "You wonder if there's also been an erosion of respect."
Many state Democrats have privately complained about feeling pressure from the Bayh camp to support Clinton, or at least to not endorse Obama. Others believe Bayh has lost touch with up-and-coming Indiana Democratic politicians during his time in Washington.
Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Dan Parker disagreed with that, and defended Bayh. Andrew's switch, Parker said, "is not surprising given that Joe is a paid Washington lobbyist."
"We'll see on primary night who is in touch with Indiana voters, and who isn't," Parker, a Clinton supporter, added.
Whatever happens, it's been a rough few days for the senator.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080502/NEWS08/805020426
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