Pro-Abortion Senator Evan Bayh Won’t Seek Democratic Nod for President 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 17, 2006
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh announced Saturday he will not seek the Democratic nomination for president in 2008. Bayh said the odds against him defeating several top-tier Democrats and winning the party’s backing were too great and would have taken away from his duties as senator.
"At the end of the day, I concluded that due to circumstances beyond our control the odds were longer than I felt I could responsibly pursue," Bayh said in a statement.
"This path — and these long odds — would have required me to be essentially absent from the Senate for the next year instead of working to help the people of my state and the nation," Bayh added.
The announcement was somewhat of a surprise because Bayh had said just two weeks ago that he would launch an exploratory committee.
In a December 4 interview on ABC’s "This Week," Bayh said the American people "need someone who can deal with the dysfunction here in this city so that our government begins to empower our people to fulfill their potential."
At the time he said he would make a final decision about running for president early next year.
Bayh even made a trip to New Hampshire, the site of the first presidential primary, but his appearance was dwarfed in both size and attention by a speech pro-abortion Illinois Sen. Barack Obama gave.
Although considered a "moderate" on other political issues, Bayh has strongly supported both abortion and forcing taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cell research, which involves the destruction of human life.
During the 109th Congress, Bayh voted to spend taxpayer money on promoting and performing abortions in other nations and he voted to fund embryonic stem cell research. Bayh also opposed a measure requiring states to respect parental involvement laws so teenagers wouldn’t be taken to other states for secret abortions.
This year, Bayh has only a 25 percent pro-life voting record from the National Right to Life Committee. He compiled a scant 18 percent pro-life voting record from 2003-2004, a 0 percent record from 2001-2002, and just an 11% pro-life record from 1999-2000.
With his decision to leave the crowded Democratic field, Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton are considered the front-runners.
Both of the candidates in 2004 — John Kerry, a Massachusetts senator and John Edwards, a former North Carolina senator — are considering 2008 campaigns as are former Vice President Al Gore, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Sens. Joe Biden of Delaware and Chris Dodd of Connecticut.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack have already announced their candidacies.
All of the possible Democratic candidates are all pro-abortion and back forcing taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cell research.
On the Republican side, the top potential candidates include Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who opposes abortion but backs embryonic stem cell research, pro-abortion former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who recently became pro-life.
Pro-life Sens. Sam Brownback and Chuck Hagel, pro-abortion New York Gov. George Pataki, and pro-life Rep. Duncan Hunter are also considering presidential bids on the Republican side.
