Wow! Bayh Says Bye!

He is not seeking a third term:

"Bye bye, Evan Bayh:

Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh will not seek re-election this year, a decision that hands Republicans a prime pickup opportunity in the middle of the country.
“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,” Bayh will say.
Bayh will announce the decision at a press conference later today.

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.  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.  The state relies on coal energy anyway, and the upcoming cap-and-trade bill would have hammered a state already suffering more than most from the Great Recession.  It usually skews conservative, and most certainly would have done so in the midterms, even with Bayh remaining in the race."

And it's only still Februray!