"Congress needs to listen, and the American people need to help with this process," Sen Evan Bayh told George Stephanopoulous yesterday, attempting to misdirect viewers' attention from what was going on behind the politics-as-usual curtain. If we can believe what we read — not to mention our lying eyes — listening to the American people was the last thing on the minds of Indiana and DC powerbrokers maneuvering to get their favored candidate in place for next fall's election.
"Evan Bayh may have been a moderate, but he was still a Democrat to the end," writes a leery-eyed Dan Riehl re the Indiana Senator's attempted "coup" in "unexpectedly" announcing his retirement one day before the filing deadline. Politico explains:
The idea was that no Democrat would qualify for the primary ballot, and the party’s state central committee could tap their favored candidate.
The "central committee" quashing the vox populi? We're shocked, shocked. They may not get away with it, though. Liberal contender Tamyra D'Ippolito is scrambling under the wire to get the necessary signatures, and Republicans are "expected to call for Bayh to support an extension," notes Dan. Put this final bit from The Daily Caller in the category of we record, you decide (don't know enough about it to know, but we do know a bit about human nature and Rahm Emanuel's take-no-prisoners modus operandi):
Hoosier politics took an unexpected turn Monday night when Democratic Senate candidate Tamyra d’Ippolito accused the White House of conspiring with party officials to secretly draft Rep. Baron Hill to run against her …
"Don't you find that strange, Rahm Emanuel coming to Indiana"? she asked, adding that Emanuel was sent by the White House to "find a blue dog to put into power."
[S]he was informed Monday that Hill, a blue dog who represents Indiana’s 9th District in the House, already has the necessary signatures and is sitting on them until the deadline. She accused White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel of colluding with Hill and the Democratic party county chairs to secretly supplant her as the nominee.
"Fortunately, two can play at Rahm Emanuel's 'never-let-a-crisis-go-to-waste' game," we wrote on the eve of our very first Tea Party last March, quoting from an earlier February post, "Santelli reads the tea leaves": "Thank you, Mr. President, for your assist in awakening the forgotten man."
However things work out, it's pretty clear the Indiana powerbrokers didn't hear Scott Brown and the voters of Massachusetts January 19. Turning Brown's Kennedy-vs-the-people's-seat rallying cry on its head, they betray their business-as-usual belief that it's not the people's seat, it's the Bayh seat!
Update: Instalanche! Thank you, Professor Reynolds.
It's because of things like this that The People need to get involved at the precinct level. We Can make a difference and work for ourselves and leave the hacks out...but it requires real work, committment, and the ability to withstand the onslought of 'the team'.
Posted by: SenatorMark4 | February 16, 2010 at 11:37 AM
It is the people's America not the corrupt politicians'. Join the resurrection of freedom. Work with the Tea Parties.
Posted by: goomp | February 16, 2010 at 12:07 PM
Let the Dems run Baron "I set the rules" Hill. It will only serve to illustrate their contempt for the people of Indiana. If I were D'Ippolito I'd be showing again and again Hill's performance at his own town meetings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtmgQ2W3lhM
Posted by: J Richardson | February 16, 2010 at 12:13 PM
I think they heard the Scott Brown coalition and it scared the bejesus out of them. They are very clearly trying to prevent such a thing from happening in Indiana.
Prior to blogging, twitter, facebook, etc it's been very easy for them to get away with such ridiculously transparent strategies. No one had a voice to contradict them loudly enough.
Sadly for the Dems, their thinking hasn't evolved yet. They are like the 50 something woman dressing as a 20 something girl. They are trying to act as if they're all "with it" but they don't quite get it and it shows.
Posted by: Teresa | February 16, 2010 at 03:36 PM
You are mocking OUR FOUNDER'S seat and legacy.
Posted by: Teddy's SEARCH+RESCUE | February 16, 2010 at 04:09 PM