Surprise, surprise! Evan Bayh goes to work for the Chamber of Commerce.

[Mass]

Not a surprise really, as it was fairly obvious he would be lobbying for some corporation or group of corporations, but now, it is official: he will work for the Chamber of Commerce. Yeah!!!

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2011/06/evan-bayh-drops-other-shoe-0

Evan Bayh Drops the Other Shoe
— By Kevin Drum| Tue Jun. 7, 2011 8:27 AM PDT
When Evan Bayh announced he was retiring from politics because the Senate had become a disfunctional pit of partisan rancor and he wanted to be "engaged in an honorable line of work," I didn't really believe him. Still, signing up with a private equity firm and then Fox News was a little more blatant on the cashing-in front than I expected. And now Andy Kroll passes along word that the other shoe has dropped:

Bayh has signed on with one of the most corporate-friendly, anti-environment shops in all of Washington, DC: the US Chamber of Commerce. According to an internal memo penned by Chamber president Tom Donohue, Bayh, along with former Bush White House chief of staff Andy Card, are now part of the Chamber's anti-regulation messaging team, doing "speeches, events, and media appearances at local venues."

The Chamber's hiring of Bayh, a big name in Washington circles, will only help its efforts to delay or kill new regulatory legislation in Congress....Bayh and Card, the memo says, will help the Chamber push this pro-corporate agenda in Washington and beyond.
...

It is a good thing that Obama chose Biden as VP rather than this corporation supporter.

[alsame]

1. The DLC is such a wonderful training ground for the GOP. nt

[ProSense]

2. "now part of the Chamber's anti-regulation messaging team"

Ugh!

Steve Benen: Evan Bayh and a never-ending series of disappointments

<...>

I’m not sure what’s a bigger disappointment: Bayh’s Senate career or his post-Senate career. At this point, I’m leaning towards the latter.

To be sure, Bayh is free to do as he pleases. I’m sure the Chamber will pay him extremely well to undermine the public’s interests, and I don’t begrudge a guy for wanting to make a good living. But if Bayh wanted to cash in, did he really have to vow to seek “an honorable line of work” that would prove “worthwhile for society”?

On his way out, Bayh made himself out to look like some sort of hero. He envisioned coming home from a day of teaching and telling his wife, “Dear, do you know what we got done today? I’ve got this really bright kid in my class, and do you know what he asked me, and here’s what I told him, and I think I saw a little epiphany moment go off in his mind.”

But he never made it to the classroom.

Bayh is practically a caricature of what a sell-out looks like.

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. No surprise here. (nt)

[4_TN_TITANS]

4. Hasn't Bayh always worked for the Chamber?

:sarcasm:

[JTFrog]

5. Don't think Bayh ever really made Obama's shortlist.

He put himself on the list and Obama had no choice but to address him.