Chicanery like this is why Progressive voters stay home. What about the Dem who was hoping to challenge Bayh? Is there no way she can finish the signature task in time? Can a call be put out for people to help her?

And Obama’s apparent hand in this is more even reason to be disturbed with him.

Rahm has such a good track record picking excellent candidates. s/

If Tamyra D’Ippolito actually pulls off getting the 4,500 signatures by tomorrow, she’s the candidate. There’s nothing anyone could do about it. But there’s no indication that she’s close to that goal.

Emanuel is content to see Republicans win if it keeps liberals out of office.

There are many sides to this. It leaves the Republicans with their current primary field of Hostettler, Coats, and others with no time to react. They face the same 2/16 12:00 noon deadline. Rumor is that the Democrats will have to nominate at the State Convention in June.

I’m waiting for the real reason he dropped out to spend more time with his family. It is all too sudden which makes me suspect there is more to this than meets the eye.
Thanks Jane. Question: how did Bayh compare to Sodrel and Hill?

But there’s no indication that she’s close to that goal.

I’m just a nobody at computer in Phoenix. But surely an effort can be made to get the signatures by those with networks.

Run for your lives, the inmates are running the asylum.

You may be on to something there.

Slight correction – the recourse that IN Dems would have is that they would have to try and run a write-in campaign against D’Ippolito. I’m trying to find out more information about D’Ippolito’s signature gathering efforts.

Ellsworth is seen as the likely candidate here, based on reports.

TPM suggests that D’Ippolito might make the goal. She’s short, but not so short that a miracle impossible.

Indiana has 9 Congressional Districts. And 500 signatures per district is not as high a bar as some states.

Who exactly were Hoosier Democrats afraid would file to run? Must be something going on with the timing.

Save the centrists emails will be coming to your inbox from Obama and the veal pen any moment now.

I’ve read elsewhere that Bayh may be strategically leaving before the Dem slaughter of 2010 in order to come back unscathed in 2012 to primary an ineffective Obama, claiming he’s too far left to get anything done.

Who says Rahm Emanual is a Democrat? With his history, he looks nothing more than a extremely aggressive opportunist. His electoral part of Chicago is Democratic, so what else would he have run as, Rahm being Rahm.

Gee, if that “fabulous” OFA organizing machine were behind her, I’m sure those signatures could be rounded up in a snap.

AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…

Citizen Hamsher and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:

To be clear here, are you sayin that Rahm settin’ up Blue Dog seats to be beaten is a BAD thing? All progressives need to do it seems to me is let the Rahmster run around the country chasin’ his skanky tail and rearrangin’ the chairs on the sinkin’ Blue Dog ship…unless you are gunna tell me that the fascists have a chance to pick up 8 Senate seats and if you are, then share some a that stash yer smokin’.

The reason Clintonian triangulation worked after 1994 was because the fascists were able to get control of both Houses…I don’t think there’s a snowball’s chance in a hot place of that happenin’. Gridlock is what is savin’ Obama’s poll numbers right now but he knows he’s toast if he doesn’t get somethin done on healthcare and jobs between now and November. And if he’s stupid enough to think he can get away with Clintonian politics with these bastards then good riddence to ‘im.

KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE WARS STUPID!!

Seems to me the Dems should be less concerned about holding marginal Senators from marginal states, like Indiana and Arkansas, and more concerned with picking up some open GOP seats like Ohio and Florida. I mean, Ohio should be practically a gimme if there’s another Sherrod Brown out there. And FL, whutup w/ Diaz-Balart retirining? Doesn’t that say something?

I totally agree. Just don’t wait til October to pass health care. People need to see some benefit BEFORE it’s time to vote. A number of important things kick in immediately (e.g. 5 more years of family coverage for young adult children) but they need to be in effect for awhile.

Something about this whole thing smells fishy to me. Bayh’s action is odd to say the least. I’m looking forward to the dropping of the other shoe.

Once again it appears that Rahm and his lackeys are trying to be too clever by half.

Rahm? Mr Wizard you ain’t.

It seems to me they should do both. One move marginal states into your column by having Senators who are not themselves marginal, Senators who can change the political climate of a state. So far, I haven’t seen that kind of chutzpah among any Democrats. They currently seem content to coast.

Pass health care.

What bill are you dreaming about?

Nothing so far has been about care. Certainly wont kick in that soon. And anything on the table now would prove to be a disaster for all who vote for it, rightfully so.

Be careful what you ask for because WE might just get it.

You are 100% correct.

The goal of Clinton politics was to maintain the status quo.

Clinton promise the elites he would keep the liberals and progressives away from the controls of power.

Obama and Rahm just look foolish trying such strategies in a room with all the lights on.

This definitely makes me want to cough up loose change for DSCC/DCCC/DNC.

Thanks for the reporting, it took a few minutes to figure out this was for the smoke-filled back room appointment.

Gosh these punks are just so darn…clever.

So they could pick Jesus and he would still get attack ads that he was appointed in a smoke-filled backroom.

Gosh the corporate parties are either getting dumb and in-breed, or they truth is so far from the show (kabuki) that they are losing touch. OK for them though, the SCOTUS took care of the in “Citizens United” -v- “Actual Citizens”.

Well, if you were an eleventy dimensional chess player, you might see this as Bayh’s payoff to pharma, helping them to get another Republican seat.

I will say this – the fact that Hill isn’t leading comfortably against Sodrel isn’t necessarily a huge issue – there is a wide variety of district composition in Indiana and Hill’s is even more rabid right than the State in general (hard to believe, I know).

It would be throwing Ellsworth to the lions to run him in a race like that, this early – surely they’ll try to keep him back for more later.

this reeks.

What’s your plan? We can only work within the system that exists, I think. All the everything sucks comments don’t move the prospects forward.
Hi ES. Having a good day off?

What about Senator Pence?
Do we all ready have a third party, part centrist Dem, part R?

Correction, now it is the State Democratic committee that decides. Unless Ippolito gets on the ballot.

Do candidates have to collect signatures or can they pay a filing fee?

Every time I’ve heard Pence speak, my worries for this country grow bigger, darker and more desperate.

My plan does not include shooting myself in the foot. The insurance pharma looting bills would be a disaster.

PO or tri care or single payer… or nothing, thank you. That’s four possible plans. I’m flexible..)

As long as Obama and the dems are praising the type of economics which got us here… we must look elsewhere, imo.

Just seems like promoting the current bills for any reason is a form of self triangulation into another cesspool. No thanks.

Ya call this pestilential process a “system” do ya, if sewer “systems” worked this well we all would have floated out to sea on the results of our own efforts long ago.

Dis system is broken despite Obama being flush wid suckscess and I dahope that al dis ill noise wud wreckcognize SO…? fer wud it akshulee means, alla zounds! zignifying nuttin’ and sech like as dat.

How are ya doing, demi, ya blonde bombshell, you?

;~DW

I’m for single payer. Not that anyone cares – anyone with influence – about what I think.

Sounds like defending this seat is Rahm’s play all the way. There was no fair selection, no chance to get a Lefty on the ballot. The district is very Red and if Rahm isn’t nice to us if even just 1% of the vote is Lefty Rahm will need that 1% to turn out if he expects to hold that seat.
Say what you want about the GOP they listen to their base.

You would have appreciated yesterday’s Book Salon, demi.

DW

So what do we call a broken system? It may well be that this Little American Experiment will crash and burn. Or, has it already.
I’m doing pretty fine except for floating in the broken sewer excrement. Ha.
I don’t like the smell much, either.
(Oh, and thanks. Blushing.)
Cooking and cleaning and working later. Gonna kick some ass at the gym, later. That’s the plan anyway.

I’ll go back and check it out. Thanks. Was watching a movie. Chilling kind of day.

RT @daveweigel: In the time it took you to read this tweet, you could have named all of Evan Bayh’s legislative accomplishments.

Best news ever!!! I DESPISE Evan Bayh!!! I’d rather have Cheney or Palin in his seat.

newsflash: Pence NOT running – MSNBC

FYI/FWIW, some discussion in comments of this Indiana Blue blog post by several participants. Their general consensus is that D’Ippolito isn’t likely to get enough signatures in time. But they seem optimistic (without much explanation) that they might like whatever decision is made by state Dem. leadership, although they don’t like the non-democratic nature of this way of doing business.

Ass-kickin’ plan?

Wud ya send that along to a certain Barack?

Well, good riddance to Bayh, who should be ashamed of himself for trashing his family’s good name. But the timing obviously stinks, leaving me wondering about the makeup of the state party in IN. Are they stooges or actual Democrats who would try to anoint a good candidate instead of a RahmBot? Definitely something fishy here, though.

If not for Biden he would have probably been VP.

Sumthin’ rotten among the Dem-marks?

Surely you jest, topcat?

In the same way that I am a social liberal and fiscally conservative, I like the theory of turning the other cheek, but have found that when it’s necessary, it’s good to have enough strength and flexibility to shoot the leg out once in a while. Metaphorically speaking, of course. No fantasy violence meant here.

People here have a problem with Joe’s mouth, but, considering the alternatives…ya know? I’ve always pretty much liked Joe.

Blue Texan’s regularly scheduled post is up: Don’t Let the Door Hit You in the Ass on the Way Out, Evan

De fence is very nice. A good thing to has. Picket or plank.

This equivalent to “get a leg up …”?

Flexibility is paramount, all ways.

DW

Mouth just follow, brain not engaged, them’s the brakes …

;~DW

Tai Chi will make ya flexible.

But if it accidentally does, please clean up any marks you left on it?

No, I think Kaine would have been much more likely. Evan Bayh would have posed a huge risk of depressing base turnout. They only used him for speculation so they could get brownie points in IN, and then threw him out like the piece of stale white bread he is.

Comment adorable, subject, implied, not so

Just happily is to see um go outta de do …

de do
Yep, ha.

Me, too. Thanks for saying that.

I love Rahm myself. Then again I always thought very highly of those who are in actuality nothing but a POS.

How can we help a true progressive win the Democratic nomination? I’d gladly hold a phonebank here in Atlanta tonight to get signatures for a like-minded candidate — if only the Left were organized enough to distribute call lists for the most progressive feasible candidate.

It’s times like these that I wish I could join a third party. Now, I know that you’re thinking, “That’s a very dumb idea, Calamar — the reality of the flawed electoral system means that we’d split the Democratic vote, get slaughtered at the polls, and surrender the government to the corporatists.” True, but can’t we have a party constituting a unified front for progressives, social democrats, democratic socialists, and civil libertarians, while still voting for Democrats until we achieve electoral reform? This organization could still support Democratic candidates, but run progressives against incumbents in the primaries, engage in grassroots activism against DINOs, yet maintain independent and principled membership, messaging, fundraising, and canvassing. It would be the Left’s response to the reactionary parties forming on the right, without the disadvantages of potentially splitting the Democratic Party.

Granted, this is essentially what Jane’s doing now with FDL and ActBlue, but I’d like to see a more overarching, structured approach with bottom-up power structure (ie, the official membership elects a leadership council and votes on initiatives through instant run-off voting, etc.). All we’d need is a name, a registration procedure, and the support of several high-profile blogs like FDL, DailyKos, and so on. Any thoughts?

I wonder if there are a lot of commenters who hesitate to say something that goes against the flow. Fear of being labeled a troll or something? I think we should all speak what our hearts believe.

Can anyone explain why Rahm would want to replace Evan Bayh? Unless the suggestion is Bayh planned to leave, told Rahm, and Rahm wants to control the field in his wake, I don’t get it.

heh Raven? Norske? selise? et al

Unfortunately there was some of that with the single payer advocates being hammered on but I think there were some lessons learned from that experience.

I don’t think any modern political system can remain functional in the presence of extreme wealth gaps. Too many bought off politicians…

And we are basically back to the Gilded age in terms of wealth gaps.

So I don’t think changing the political process would fix anything. They need to put a lid on extreme wealth.

Back to work.

Namaste

She’s a 1,000 signatures short statewide. Look at my post: http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/29850

Oh I don’t think Rahm was planning to throw Bahy out. But if Bayh goes on to, say, replace Billy Tauzin at PhRMA or something, he’s not going to want to enrage the very people he’ll be lobbying on his way out the door by dropping this on everyone’s head. Rahm’s presence in Indiana suggests he knew in advance and was scouting out a successor. But, maybe not. Who knows.

Thanks Jane!
Bayh – Palin 2012, the healing candidates who can reach out to both sides in a troubled America?
Sounds like a match made in heaven!

Them catches, twenty-two, skidoo, capt’n.

Righto you is.

Yet without a functioning legal system, and ours has been hijacked quite as much as those civilian airliners were, and a “social contract” that states that those who’ve been well rewarded have OBLIGATIONS beyond conspicuously consuming everything, sort like the Europeans do it, we haven’t a chance at changing anything.

“If voting could change anything, if it could make a real difference, it would be illegal” … still holds.

Where will the obscenely rich go, once they have sucked the rest of us dry?

DW

As I just posted on your thread, you should call up your local (you’re in Indiana, no?) Republican politicians and county chairmen, they’d be delighted to help line up the signatures.

Its not every day that fate gives the GOP a chance to be on the side of good government at the same time they get to stick it to the Democratic party bosses. :o)

Don’t just sit there DO SOMETHING!

Hope we Progressives lean towards giving Ellsworth our help.

At first I was stunned that the Obam/Rahm team would so quickly jump in to campaign for Hill out of all the other solid Dems that also need help.
But it’s no coincidence. Hill’s congressional homepage boasts of his BlueDog affiliations, a Rahmm delicacy, plus he’s considered more vulnerable than Ellsworth according to Cook.

Where Ellsworth’s homepage stresses a wider more populist agenda, his small business affiliations, concerns for healthcare, etc.
Interesting isn’t it, that the non-Blue Dog is less vulnerable??

Haha, yes. Catch 22. Note that toxic assets have been handled in the same manner as egyptian cotton.

Where will the rich go? Jim Rogers recommends Singapore although I’d suggest even warmer climes.

Paul Volckers calls it a generational problem. Our current generation of ultra wealthy are extremely short sighted. Maybe they are waiting for riots in the street before they consider any form of moderation.

Anyway, something is gonna give. The “powers that be” are giving the shaft to far too many people that they depend on. And any system that depends on expodential growth in corruption and theft has a limited lifespan due to far more linear physical realities.

BTW, voting does matter. Protesting does matter. Strikes do matter. It’s far better to live on your feet rather than die on your knees.

That quote, attributed to Mother Jones, appeared on a bridge over the Charles river, between Boston and Cambridge, quite some years ago, during a period which had some slight similarities to the linear physics in “play”, today.

The streets will, unfortunately or fortunately, as your tastes may dictate, be, likely, more effective than the voting booth, Yossarian.

BTW have you read other of Heller’s books? Merely curious.

“Warmer” climes? Yes. Yes, and for a very long time.

DW

Well yes, I’d agree that voting alone isn’t gonna do crap. Protests are needed. But voting is still important because it sends a message.

For example, it was important to vote for Obama even if you didn’t completely buy his campaign. Why? Because allowing McCain to win would have been an endorsement of “the Bush years”.

I’ve never read other Heller books, just Catch 22(more than a few times).

This is just complete crap.

I didn’t vote for Obama and I didn’t vote for McCain… asserting that I therefore supported either one (much more, the Bush team!) of them is total BS.