Evan Bayh's First Impression

I wasn’t prepared to be so impressed.

I figured Evan Bayh had something going for him. He had served two terms as governor of Indiana and was easily re-elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004 even though President Bush clobbered Kerry in the state. But I thought a large part of his career might stem solely from being the son of a political icon, Birch Bayh, who served in the U.S. Senate and ran for president in 1976.

But Evan Bayh made the most of his first impression in Sioux City Saturday night, speaking as part of the Woodbury County Democratic Party’s Truman Club.

He played to the crowd, pointing out that he knows things have reached bottom because the other day he saw a “Never Thought I'd Miss Nixon” bumper sticker. He came across as more of a political heavyweight than namesake lightweight as he explained his stance on issues from Medicare to national security to Iraq. And there was no question that he has the charisma for the national stage.

The most difficult moment for him was when he was asked to defend his vote on attacking Iraq. Bayh said as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee he attended classified briefings. At one of those closed-door briefings, he asked CIA Director George Tenet if his life depended on it would he say that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, to which Tenet answered “yes.” Bayh added that other countries’ intelligence agencies agreed with that assessment.

But now he said the vote was a mistake and if he had to do it over again he would vote against authorizing the use of force.

He said U.S. troops need to remain for at least six to eight weeks to give the new Iraqi government time to quell the violence. At that time, a decision will need to be made on whether progress to stabilize the country is being made or if civil and regional warfare is inevitable with or without our military presence.

He said a recent classified briefing for the Intelligence Committee by the Administration outlined how grave the situation is. Potentially, Turkey could move into northern Iraq to try to stop the Kurds from creating an independent nation. Iran could move into southern Iraq to help the Shiites. And all of the potential warfare could not just destabilize Iraq, but other countries in the region including Saudi Arabia.

Echoing John Kerry, Bayh said the Democratic plan for national security and fighting terrorism would be to be both tough and smart. He said Democrats cannot shy away from this issue because if people don’t feel we will protect their lives they’ll never vote for us.

On domestic issues, Bayh genuflected at the alter of ethanol and the need for energy independence. Corn growers in Indiana aren’t that much different than here in Iowa.

On education, he said as governor of Indiana he began a program where eighth graders receiving free or reduced school lunches could sign a contract to stay out of trouble and if they did they receive a college scholarship upon graduation from high school.

On health care, he said he voted against the prescription drug bill. He said it’s simply too confusing and should be changed. At the very least, he said, the deadline to sign up should be extended to the end of the year.

He cited the national deficit as another concern. He said some of President Bush’s tax cuts should be rolled back. He pointed out that he did not raise taxes for eight years as governor of Indiana, but said a tax increase may be necessary to close the whopping budget gap. He suggested his position will be somewhere between Walter Mondale, who as the presidential candidate in 1984 took the honest approach and admitted he would have to raise taxes to close the budget deficit, and George H.W. Bush, who as the presidential candidate in 1988 made the infamous pledge: “Read my lips. No new taxes.”

I thought these statements were Bayh’s weakest moment. He seemed to genuinely want to be frank about the difficulties ahead with balancing the budget and making investments in education and health care. But it’s never easy to endorse a tax increase.

He also did not present a grand theme that is at the core of why he wants to be president. But it’s early. He’s still clearly testing lines for reaction and more than likely looking himself for a compelling reason to run.

When his father was contemplating running for the Senate, he and his parents traveled to Independence, Missouri, to meet former President Truman. When they all sat down, the six-year-old Evan blurted out that he had to go to the bathroom. His parents were horrified. But Truman simply announced he had to go as well, and off they went.

It was a fitting anecdote to conclude the first Truman Club event of the year. And the best news for Bayh is that he accomplished his mission Saturday. Most people left the gathering impressed. It would not be hard to imagine Bayh on the national ticket.