Evan Bayh: "I wouldn't cast the same vote today as I did then." (Iraq)

[LynneSin]

:wow: :wow: :wow: :wow:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/6/5/12426/58832
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12907997/

At a living room event in Sioux City on Saturday night, former Woodbury County chairman Al Sturgeon told Bayh that rank-and-file Democrats still feel “outrage over this incredible debacle in Iraq.”

Calling it “the biggest political and military blunder of my lifetime,” Sturgeon said to Bayh, “I’d like you to explain your vote on the war and why you gave the president a blank check to get us into this disaster.”

Bayh calmly answered that “I wouldn’t cast the same vote today as I did then.” He noted that “the French believed that (there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq), the Germans believed that, the Russians believed that, everybody believed he had weapons of mass destruction.”

Bayh said if the Iraqi factions “get their political act together — and we will know this in the next six to eight weeks… if they can form a government… then there’s something to work with there.” If not, then “we’re out.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hey, it's a start. Remember Murtha was even a bigger supporter of this war until he started to meet with the people and the soldiers & their families and realized his vote was a mistake. Let's hope we can keep kudging Bayh so eventually he'll back Murtha with the pull-out in Iraq.

For some of these senators & representatives, it's baby steps trying to see our side about the war. But it's starting to happen. This is BIG that Bayh said this!!!

[bullimiami]

1. bayh is full of shit. the french, geermans and russians would NOT go

along with an invasion. Bush never went for another UN vote and we all know why.

Fuck him and the dino he rode in on if he cant take personal responsibility for his own failures.

[LynneSin]

4. You wanna end this war - then we need to work on the Bayhs in DC

I'm not asking you to vote for the guy
I'm not asking you to send him money

But it's clear that maybe, just maybe he's starting to realize the made a major mistake back in 2002. And if for some strange reason we get control of House/Senate then we're going to need every single vote we can get in order to end this war. So all I can say is "About fucking time you woke up and realized the mistake you made - now do something about it"

From what I'm reading, Bayh may have his leg over the fence dividing pro-war and anti-war senators/representatives. We need to continue pushing him.

And maybe what would really help is if everyone here at DU write him a letter and tell him to continue thinking about this war vote and do something about it to bring our children back from Iraq! Hell send him John Murtha's phone number so he can see just how former warhawks can sucesfully switch over to our team!

[Totally Committed]

6. D I T T O ! ! !

I agree 1000%.

TC

[ariellyn]

26. Agreed. He just wants to get re-elected. n/t

[karynnj]

28. He's not up for re-election until 2012 - He wants to run for President

He represents Indiana - which is ok with a more hawkish stand.

[eleny]

2. Yipes!

Is that a cool breeze coming up from hell?

[FrenchieCat]

3. Jeeze!

[ladjf]

5. Senator, the horse has left the building. Too late!

[Lefty-Taylor]

7. Oh my how contrite!! He's being misleading. Many people thought

that Iraq had NO or at least not many WMD -- from Scott Ritter, to Hans Blix to millions of us in the street.

[Tom Joad]

16. yep, i agree 100%. Get a clue phone, senator.

[LynneSin]

9. Too Late? - then you better be saying that about John Murtha too

Hell Murtha was one of the biggest champions supporting Bush's war. I guess you feel the same way about him too?

We can't change the vote that happened but we need to get these people to wake up and realize what they have done and help get this thing completed. Even with a democratic majority, we're going to need every vote we can get.

I'm not asking you to join the Evan Bayh fanclub but we need him to help us stop this war

[Selatius]

8. Didn't Evan Bayh also vote for that horrible "bankruptcy reform" bill?

Gee, I guess he did:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00044

That's one reason not to vote for Bayh. He voted to attack the working class with that bill.

[LynneSin]

11. GEEZ I'M NOT ASKING ANYONE TO VOTE FOR THE DAMN GUY

But could we get a little bit of help to get this guy on our team and help stop the war. We'll need every vote we can get to stop the war including folks like Evan Bayh

[MH1]

17. Welcome to DU.

;-)

Thanks for posting, this is good news.

[LynneSin]

19. It's always about MEMEMEME

Yes, Bayh voted for the war but none of us are Superman and can revolve the earth backwards in order for us to try again on that fateful vote back in Oct 2002.

We need to end this war and we need to get the Evan Bayh's of the house & senate to wake up and realize what their vote cost and then do something to end it ....... NOW!!!

[DELUSIONAL]

10. well whoopie doooo -- the people are still DEAD

because of his vote.

[LynneSin]

13. BTW - that's the same vote that John Murtha gave

I hope you're that rude and condescending towards him too! Hell he was Bush's personal war cheerleader in the house pushing for this war.

Stop looking backwards and start looking forwards. There's a war going on - how are we going to stop it? If we could get someone like Bayh fighting to end this then hopefully other moderates will have the courage to end this war. And if we got the moderates voting against it we could finally put an end to this thing

[DELUSIONAL]

24. I have zero tolerance for ANYONE who voted for death and murder

[Doctor_J]

12. Calm yourselves, folks

I strongly agree with the OP that this is great news. Everyone else seems to be viewing this as some sort of deathbed conversion. I see it as the first chirp of unity from the red state Dems heading into November.

[LynneSin]

14. EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and thank you very much)

This should be considered good news. We need all the votes we can get to end this war and if one of those votes has to come from Evan Bayh then so be it!

[Doctor_J]

15. You're welcome, and thanks for the OP

I admire these "real Dems" for their truth of heart, but they need to realize this: without some converts, especially red-state ones, we will lose again this year.

Welcome back to the real world, Evan. Now get out there and help turn just 2 IN red House seats blue in November

[welshTerrier2]

18. fair enough ...

i'm no fan of Mr. Bayh ... those who voted for the IWR were dead wrong ... they caused tremendous harm to young Americans, all Americans, all Iraqis and the cause of world peace ... it was a devastatingly terrible vote ...

whether we vote for these people in the future or we like them or hate them should NOT be at issue here ... i say focus on today ...

we need to end this insanity ... will Bayh vote incorrectly when it comes to Iran? has he learned anything? it doesn't matter right now ...

what does matter is that his current recognition that it's "immediate progress or immediate withdrawal" makes sense ...

let's commend him for getting it right today !!!!

we can make other assessments, good or bad, at another time ...

[LynneSin]

20. We need to look to tomorrow too

and help encourage Bayh to think and VOTE like this. I hate to harp on it again, but John Murtha is living proof that you can recognize your mistake and change your mind when it comes to the war. Instead of shitting all over Bayh we need to encourage him to learn more about what his vote cost us and get him on our team firmly for the next war votes (whether to invade Iran or end Iraq)

[welshTerrier2]

21. i don't at all disagree ...

my point was, that regardless of what views people hold of Bayh, we should at least commend him for doing the right thing now about Iraq ...

but you're right ... along with this commendation, we have to alert him to the importance of not handing bush the keys to yet another war ...

[Totally Committed]

22. Here's a question for you all:

Given that MANY are thinking of running for President (not just Bayh), if there IS another resolution brought to a vote to, say, attack Iran... will the Democrats that are running be MORE likely to vote for it or LESS likely to vote for it? Any guesses?

TC

[hippiechick]

23. Of course he wouldn't, he's read the polls.

:eyes: What a freakin' loser.

[corporatemedia]

25. Buh bye, Bayh! n/t

[IndianaGreen]

27. Bayh bails out, while Hillary stays the course

When an empty suit like Bayh realizes that Iraq is lost, what does that tell you about Hillary's stubborness?