Pro-Abortion Sen. Evan Bayh to Retire, Easier for Pro-Life Senate Wins
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 15, 2010
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Senator Evan Bayh, an abortion advocate from Indiana, will announced today that he will retire from the Senate. His departure is seen by political observers as making it much easier for one of the pro-life Republicans seeking his seat to win it and, ultimately, potentially shifting more Senate seats to pro-lifers.
The decision by the senator who was once viewed as a potential running mate for Barack Obama continues to put the Senate in play in the 2010 elections.
Bayh will announce the decision at a press conference later today and is expected to say, “After all these years, my passion for service to my fellow citizens is undiminished, but my desire to do so by serving in Congress has waned," according to a Washington Post report.
Republicans had recruited former Sen. Dan Coats, a pro-life leader when he served in the Senate, to challenge Bayh along with pro-life former Rep. John Hostettler. Both were seen as trailing Bayh in polls but would now have the edge in any race against potential Democrats who would vie for Bayh’s seat.
Conservative writer Ed Morrissey says Bayh’s leaving turned what would have been a potential pickup into a likely one.
"Indiana would not have likely sent Bayh back for a third term in any event. The entry of Dan Coats into the race gave Republicans at least one strong, credible candidate (there are others either declared or interested) to challenge Bayh on his support for the Obama agenda," he explained. "Bayh had recently tried to rebuild his centrist credibility, but his vote to allow ObamaCare to come to a floor vote undermined his supposed independence."
"The only hope Democrats had in holding the Indiana seat was in keeping Bayh in the race," Morrissey added. "It usually skews conservative, and most certainly would have done so in the midterms, even with Bayh remaining in the race."
Bayh’s decision makes it difficult for Democrats, who must find a candidate by Friday’s filing deadline.
Potential candidates include Reps. Baron Hill, Joe Donnelly and Brad Ellsworth.
Morrissey wonders if the slew of Democratic retirements will continue and speculates pro-abortion Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas could be next.
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 session, he has scored just a 33% pro-life rating from National Right to Life by virtue of voting for the pro-abortion health care bill and supporting Obama’s reversing the Mexico City Policy.
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.
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