RUSH: So Snerdley comes in here and breathlessly says to me, ‘Boy, it must be worse than we knew.’ I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ ‘Evan Bayh.’ I said, ‘Ah, maybe. I mean, I’m sure it’s pretty bad out there but don’t forget this guy wants to run for president.’ And maybe in 2012 if things 
don’t improve for the Bamster… and this guy, if he has any hopes, has gotta get out of the Senate. He is a straight down-the-line vote for every Obama idea so far and he doesn’t have a prayer of being elected to anything if that’s the case. So I think it’s a prelude to a potential presidential run as well, I’m sure, the internal polling for the Democrats is bad all over the country, particularly in a state like Indiana, but I think he’s also gotta get himself out of the circumstance where he’s just seen as an Obama puppet or robot. He’s gotta distance himself somehow from Obama ’cause that’s where the negatives are and that’s what the dirty little secret is out there. So that’s it. But here’s the thing. He’s the fifth Democrat to retire this year, and in this case they got four days to find a replacement for him in Indiana and Peyton Manning is not interested. I don’t even know if Peyton is a Democrat. I really have no clue. I’ve talked to him on the golf course a couple times but I have no clue. So, anyway, it will be interesting to watch this.
It says here — this is the Washington Post, Chris Cillizza — that Bayh’s retirement is a blow for Senate Democrats. ‘Bayh’s universal name recognition and popularity — not to mention his massive campaign warchest — made him a favorite in the fall despite the Republican tilt of the state and the increased focus of national GOP strategists on the contest. Without Bayh, Democrats may look to their congressional delegation where Reps. Baron Hill, Brad Ellsworth and Joe Donnelly are likely to take a look at running.’ Now, it’s not clear whether the Republican field is going to grow. Dan Coats is in there. Mike Pence considered it, but he backed out because he wants to stay and take over the Republican leadership of the House and steer that — a move, by the way, I think is great.
As I say, Bayh, the fifth Democrat Senator not seeking reelection. He joins Chris ‘special favors on mortgages and the subprime mortgage architect disaster’ Dodd, Byron ‘Helmet Head’ Dorgan of North Dakota, which was a stunner, shocked everybody, Ted Kaufman from Delaware — have you ever heard of Ted Kaufman? Most people probably haven’t. Biden’s replacement. And, by the way, Beau Biden said he doesn’t want the gig, either, and Roland Burris, who nobody wanted in the Senate, from Illinois, is on the sidelines. ‘Six Republicans are not running again: Sens. Kit Bond (Mo.), George LeMieux (Fla.), Judd Gregg (NH), George Voinovich (Ohio), Sam Brownback (Kans.) and Jim Bunning (Ky.)’ It’s still looking better for our side.
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RUSH: Yeah, he’s running for president. He’s running for president. Evan Bayh, the son of Birch Bayh, says he’s leaving the Senate because of ‘excessive partisan gridlock.’ Excessive partisan gridlock? For all of last year, his party had 60 seats in the Senate. They still have 59. I mean, he’s bailing out of this even before the summit. I mean, you’re gonna get some bipartisan there, Evan, at the Obama presidential health care summit on February 25th. You’re bailing out before that.
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RUSH: This is a funny story, this is Politico.com. Democrats are shocked at the reasoning Evan Bayh is giving for retiring. Peter Fenn, Democrat media consultant: ‘I am shocked, shocked … usually this is said in sarcasm — from the line in the movie Casablanca to most Washington events that really cease to shock. But this one comes as a very big surprise and should engender more than the typical political horse race analysis. If what Evan is saying about the political environment in Washington is truly the reason for his departure, and I believe it is, that should mean something to people on both sides of the aisle. This is not the same Senate that his father served in for 18 years, this is not the same public service career that Evan signed up for at age 30. Partisan gridlock, vitriol dripping from nearly every press release, 60 votes accepted to rename a post office in the US Senate, serious problems swept under the rug because Congress can not function — this is not a blip, this is a sad commentary on our politics. … But why did these folks run for office in the first place? Hopefully, not simply to get reelected again –‘ Yes, Peter, that would be the reason, that and power and money under the table. Partisan gridlock. Thank God for it. If that’s the real reason he’s quitting, how the hell can you have partisan gridlock when your party has 60 freaking seats?
How can you have partisan gridlock when you have a super majority in the Senate and a clear-cut majority in the House, how can there be partisan gridlock? What did you say about the truth, Snerdley? Well, apparently he can’t tell the truth, partisan gridlock? If there’s partisan gridlock it’s partisan Democrats who can’t get along with each other from the House to the Senate. What the hell here? Partisan gridlock, and now Peter Fenn (crying) it’s so bad, it’s true, it’s true, 60 votes to rename a post office. Thank God. Jeez. Can you imagine being in a room full of Joe Bidens? That’s what it is. Who would want that?
Quick phone call here, this is Vance in Francisco, Indiana. Great to have you on the EIB Network.
CALLER: Good afternoon, Rush, from southwest Indiana.
RUSH: Thank you, sir.
CALLER: Home state of Indiana slut Evan Bayh.
RUSH: Yes.
CALLER: The beginning of the end, Rush, for Evan Bayh was when he earned the nickname Indiana slut for voting for Obama’s health care.
RUSH: That’s what he’s known as, Indiana slut?
CALLER: Well, you know, we got Ben Nelson of Nebraska, he’s a prostitute, Mary Landrieu prostituted her vote out down in Louisiana, Evan Bayh got nothing, he went with Obama, he went with health care, so you can’t call him a prostitute, he has to be a slut.
RUSH: Gotcha.
CALLER: He got nothing for his vote.
RUSH: (laughing.)
CALLER: That was the beginning of the end of Evan Bayh.
RUSH: Except a ticket outta town. (laughing) He got a ticket outta town. Okay. So you got prostitutes in Nebraska, prostitutes in Louisiana, but a slut in Indiana.
CALLER: Indiana slut in Indiana, yeah, that’s right.
RUSH: Do you know what the male word for a male slut is?
CALLER: No, I don’t.
RUSH: You don’t?
CALLER: No.
RUSH: Do you know what it is, Dawn? Libertine will work but no, it’s satyr. S-a-t-y-r. Look it up. I’m the host, look it up. S-a-t-y-r. I think that’s how you spell it. Libertine will work as well, raconteur, not quite there. I still think your reason is funny. Prostitutes get something, sluts don’t.
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RUSH: From Politico.com: More Democrats weigh in on the ‘centrist’ Evan Bayh. This guy is as far to the left as Obama is! He’s voted right down the line with Obama on every Obama issue. Diane Ravitch (sniffs), professor of education, NYU and Brookings. ‘Evan Bayh’s retirement is not a good sign for the future of bipartisanship. He is a centrist, and it seems that the center is not holding.’ These people cannot possibly believe this. ‘If senators such as Bayh leave or lose, the rancor in Washington will get louder and meaner. Not good for the country, and not good for President Obama’s agenda.’ Damn right, Diane! There ought to be rancor over this agenda. It’s un-American. There, I’ve said it: The Obama agenda is un-American. Not as we’ve known America. They’re trying to remake it. He’s even said so! Is redistribution of wealth American? Is that what this country was founded on?
Mike McCurry, former White House press secretary: ‘Evan Bayh [Hic!] is part of the glue [Hic!]that holds an [Hic!] increasingly polarized place like the [Hic! Hic!] US Senate together.’ What? ‘Evan Bayh is part of the glue that holds an increasingly polarized place like…’ (laughing) They had 60 votes, Mike! What is this? The Democrats can’t hold together, and it’s because of Obama. ‘Centrism is not much in fashion these days but the lack of it is wrecking our country.’ No, it’s saving it. The lack of ‘centrism’ is saving our country.
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RUSH: Evan Bayh, who’s getting out of Dodge with $13 million in his campaign cash fund, this is at his press conference this afternoon explaining why it is (or what it is) that’s driven him out of town with his $13 million campaign war chest in tow.
BAYH: After all of these years, my passion for service to our fellow citizens is undiminished —
RUSH: Mmm-hmm.
BAYH: — but my desire to do so —
RUSH: Mmm-hmm?
BAYH: — by deserving in Congress —
RUSH: Mmm-hmm?
BAYH: — has waned.
RUSH: Mmmmm-humph!
BAYH: For some time I’ve had a growing conviction —
RUSH: Oh, yeah.
BAYH: — that Congress is not operating as it should. There is much too much partisanship and not enough progress.
RUSH: Yeah?
BAYH: Too much narrow ideology and not enough practical problem solving. Even in a time of enormous national challenge, the people’s business is not getting done.
RUSH: Well, this is what we heard he was going to say — and now he’s gone out there and said it, proving once again that the guy is a dim bulb. They had 60 votes in his party in the Senate! That is a supermajority. How in the world do you have partisan gridlock when the other party can’t stop diddly-squat? And what is this business about ‘the people’s business’ isn’t getting done? Thank God! The people’s business as designed by Obama and the Democrats ought not get done, and it isn’t getting done — not because of partisan bickering. It isn’t getting done because the people of this country do not want it, Senator Bayh! They don’t want Obamacare, they don’t want cap and tax, they don’t want cap and trade. They don’t want any of this, and that’s why it isn’t happening. It’s not because of gridlock. These people try my patience, Snerdley. They really do, and it’s a challenge not to erupt in pure profanity when I hear this. You know, I’m in a great mood here today. I’m in a great mood most every day, but it’s getting increasingly difficult, folks, to hang around and be subjected to idiots. I’m talking about suffering fools. I don’t do it well. I don’t have a whole lot of patience for it. That’s why I could never be a diplomat. I could never tell somebody who’s lost their mind that they have holes in their head instead. That’s a great definition of diplomacy: Somebody that’s lost their mind or has holes in their head, you don’t say that. You say, ‘You have a very open mind, a lot of holes in it.’ I could never do that. You’re an idiot! You’re an absolute idiot! I’m not specifically referring to Senator Bayh here. I’m just talking about suffering fools in general.