memeorandum: WHAT BAYH IS THINKING.... Sen. Evan Bayh's (D-Ind.) … (Steve Benen/Washington Monthly)

5:50 PM ET, February 15, 2010

Top Items:

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

Evan Bayh won't seek re-election, Senate majority in play? — Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh will not seek re-election this year, he announce Monday, a decision that hands Republicans a prime pickup opportunity in the middle of the country. — “After all these years, my passion for service …

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

WHAT BAYH IS THINKING.... Sen. Evan Bayh's (D-Ind.) retirement is a shocker, leading many to wonder what on earth a popular incumbent with plenty of money and a big lead in the polls is thinking. Bayh alluded to his frustrations on the Hill as part of his rationale.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Firedoglake, The Impolitic, Democratic Strategist and The Washington Independent

Reid Wilson / Hotline On Call:

Bayh To Retire In Face Of Challenge — Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) will not seek a 3rd term in the Senate next year, according to a Dem source, handing Dems yet another setback as they struggle to salvage their damaged ship. — Bayh, elected statewide 5 times, will become the 5th Senate Dem not to seek another term.

Discussion: The Politico, AmSpecBlog, The Huffington Post, Michelle Malkin, Swing State Project, The Political Carnival, Wake up America and Open Left

Eric Zimmermann / The Hill:

Bayh to retire in huge blow to Dems — Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) will announce this afternoon that he will not seek re-election in 2010. — The news is a big loss for Democrats, opening up a very competitive seat in what's shaping up to be a tough cycle for Democrats.

Discussion: CNN, Ben Smith's Blog, The Swamp, The Moderate Voice, National Review Online, Hot Air, The Washington Independent, Gawker, Moonbattery and NPR Blogs

Hotline On Call:

Explaining The IN Filing Process — Sen. Evan Bayh's (D-IN) decision to retire has sent Dems scrambling to figure out who will carry the party's standard — and how to go about getting that person on the ballot in the first place. — Candidates running for statewide office …

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Plum Line, Commentary, Wizbang, Daily Kos and Riehl World View

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

Holy Crap — Evan Bayh will announce today he's retiring from Congress. Which is a huge blow for the Democrats and a big, big surprise. — Seems like the very effective political knee-capping of Dan Coats was all for naught. And that raises something questions in itself …

Discussion: USA Today and MyDD

ABCNEWS:
Bye Bayh: Sen. Evan Bayh to Retire, Deal Blow to the Dems

Discussion: TPMDC, The Page, Wonkette, neo-neocon and Gawker

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
Challenger adds to post-Bayh chaos

Discussion: CNN, Hot Air and The Washington Independent

Christina Bellantoni / TPMDC:
Surprise! Bayh's Choice Leaves State Party Officials Choosing …

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, Guardian, msnbc.com and Open Left

ABCNEWS:
Evan Bayh Disses Washington on Way Out

Discussion: CNN, Mediaite, Truthdig and Wonkette

Jake Sherman / The Politico:
Pence declines again on Bayh seat

Discussion: Swing State Project and The Note

The Cook Political Report:
2010 SENATE RACE RATINGS

Discussion: RedState

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Replacing Bayh — Petitions are due in Indiana this week …

Discussion: msnbc.com, Firedoglake, Blue Indiana and AMERICAblog News

David Dayen / Firedoglake:
Senate Candidate Tamyra D'Ippolito: “Politics in Indiana is the Old Boy's School.”

Discussion: The Washington Independent, The Moderate Voice, Open Left and Angry Bear

The Caucus:
Bayh Decides Against Re-election Bid

Discussion: Balkinization, Think Progress, Prairie Weather, The Reality-Based Community, Newsweek Blogs, CANNONFIRE and The Political Carnival

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Breaking: Bayh will retire; Update: Dems have four days until tomorrow …

Discussion: RedState, Washington Monthly, Firedoglake, Ruby Slippers and The Daily Caller

Peter Wehner / Commentary:
Barack Millstone Obama

Discussion: The New Republic

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Evan Bayh — Obviously, Evan Bayh's never been my favorite Senator.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Bayh, Relative to His State, Was Valuable to Democrats

Discussion: The Daily Dish

Eric Kleefeld / TPMDC:
Another Dem Already In Race For Bayh's Seat …

Discussion: RedState and Talking Points Memo

Ezra Klein:

Democrats released a compromise health-care reform proposal — On Friday, I posted about the guest list for the White House's health-care summit, but I missed the big news in the accompanying invitation (mostly because I didn't notice that there was an accompanying invitation). Here's the money bit:

Discussion: The New Republic, TalkLeft, Daily Kos, Washington Monthly, Hit & Run, Grasping Reality …, Democratic Strategist, SpeakEasy, Ben Smith's Blog and The Reality-Based Community

Michael D. Shear / Washington Post:

White House revamps communications strategy — White House officials are retooling the administration's communications strategy to produce faster responses to political adversaries, a more disciplined focus on President Obama's call for “change” in Washington and an increasingly selective use of the president's time.

Discussion: New York Times, The Corner on National …, The Plum Line, Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler, Hot Air, JustOneMinute, Dennis the Peasant, The Caucus, The Hill, protein wisdom, NewsReal Blog and The Page

Chris Bowers / Open Left:
GOP demands White House post health care proposal online …

Discussion: TPMDC, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, thedanashow.wordpress.com and Daily Kos

Rich V. / The Vail Spot:

Senator Mikulski of Maryland to Retire — I've just heard from an impeccable source that Barbara Mikulski, the Democratic Senator who is up for reelection this November, will choose to retire. Mrs. Mikulski is expected to make her formal announcement in the next few days.

Discussion: National Review Online, DownWithTyranny!, Power Line and The Lonely Conservative

Washington Post:

Series of missteps by climate scientists threatens climate-change agenda — With its 2007 report declaring that the “warming of the climate system is unequivocal,” the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won a Nobel Prize — and a new degree of public trust in the controversial science of global warming.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Hot Air, Times of London, JustOneMinute, Walter Russell Mead's Blog, The Strata-Sphere, dallasmorningviewsblog …, FP Passport, NewsBusters.org, Fausta's Blog, The Anchoress, Michelle Malkin, Gateway Pundit and Dr. Melissa Clouthier

RealClimate:
IPCC errors: facts and spin

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, The New Republic and Deltoid

Heidi Blake / Telegraph:
UN global warming data skewed by heat from planes and buildings

Discussion: Jay Currie

Boston Herald:

‘Oddball’ protrait emerges — Suspect's family, pals offer clues — As authorities searched for clues into what could have sent a University of Alabama neurobiology professor on an alleged killing spree, friends and family yesterday described Braintree native Amy Bishop as an awkward introvert …

Discussion: New York Times, theblogprof, Michelle Malkin, Don Surber, PoliBlog, Jules Crittenden, POWIP, No More Mister Nice Blog, Moonbattery, American Power, Another Black Conservative and JammieWearingFool

Carol E. Lee / The Politico:

Senator: VP comments ‘insulting’ — Joe Biden shakes hands with Scott Brown. AP — Sen. Scott Brown thinks Vice President Joe Biden was “off base” when he suggested Sunday that the Massachusetts Republican get his facts straight on the legal procedures for military tribunals.

Discussion: Josh Gerstein's Blog, The Jawa Report, Moe Lane, Weasel Zippers and Politico Live's Blog

New York Times:

Corrections — EDITORS' NOTE — In a number of business articles in The Times over the past year, and in posts on the DealBook blog on NYTimes.com, a Times reporter appears to have improperly appropriated wording and passages published by other news organizations.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Don Surber, Gawker, New York Magazine, Silicon Alley Insider, TPM LiveWire and Guardian

Peter Hamby / CNN:

Podesta: American political system ‘sucks’ — Washington (CNN) - John Podesta, president of the Center for American Progress, can describe the state of Washington politics with a single word. And it's not a nice one. — Asked in an interview with the Financial Times to comment on …

Discussion: Washington Monthly and The Politico

Josh Gerstein / The Politico:

Ken Starr to head Baylor University — Ken Starr, the constitutional lawyer who conducted the independent counsel investigation that lead to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, is expected to be named this week as president of Baylor University in Waco, Texas, according to a source with knowledge of the decision.

Discussion: Above the Law, Mediaite and Outside The Beltway

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

DON'T BRING A DOLT TO AN MTP FIGHT.... If you missed it, there was an exchange on “Meet the Press” yesterday, which only lasted about a minute and a half, but which deserves the attention it's received. — Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Discussion: The Huffington Post and Gateway Pundit

Andrea Adelson / Sun-Sentinel:

Sarah Palin Mania takes over Daytona — DAYTONA BEACH - Palin-mania easily surpassed Danica-mania at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday. — While Patrick got all the headlines for the better part of two weeks, she had no stake in the Daytona 500. Palin did, and as a VIP guest for the race, she ate up all the attention.

Discussion: Gateway Pundit and Conservatives4Palin.com