Informed Speculation

The Indianapolis Star is none too pleased with Senator Evan Bayh:

Evan Bayh has erased any doubt that he’s running for president in 2008.

Indiana’s junior senator announced Friday that he will vote against Indiana’s John Roberts to be the next chief justice of the United States.

Roberts was sharp and insightful during four days of testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee this month. His intellect, command of the law and steady temperament won widespread praise, including from several Democratic senators. The committee’s 13-5 vote to recommend approval of Roberts as the next chief justice was in the end a formality. His approval for the post this week on the Senate floor also appears all but certain.

So why did Bayh decide to oppose such a highly qualified nominee? His official statement gave a vague answer about Roberts’ supposed vagueness before the Judiciary Committee.

The real answer, however, is political posturing. Bayh, who has been training for a presidential run for years, knows that Democratic primary voters tend to be well to the left of most Americans. He doesn’t want a vote for Roberts to be used against him by hyperventilating political action committees come time of the Iowa caucuses or the New Hampshire primary. On a purely political level, Bayh’s vote makes sense.

Voters back home in Indiana, however, have every right to be outraged. Bayh went to Washington talking about Hoosier values. He clearly lost them along the way.

Ouch!

In other 2008 news, Blue State Republican sets the record straight on a little progressive hysteria over an anecdote told by 2008 hopeful Mike Huckabee…