Retiring hurt

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) on Monday announced he would not seek reelection. It was big news, putting another Senate Democratic seat into serious play this November.

{mosads}But what was more intriguing was how he did it.

He waited until nearly the last possible moment to say he was sick of Congress and wasn’t going to seek a third term.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) heard the news first through the media. Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) Chairman Robert Menendez (N.J.) was similarly caught off guard. Not good.

Now Democrats are scrambling to find a replacement for Bayh, who had not even hinted that he was mulling retirement. (He has over $13 million in his campaign war chest, so that was no indication of a lack of interest.)

There has been widespread speculation that Bayh is eyeing a presidential bid in 2016. The former Indiana governor briefly entered the 2008 race before bowing out a couple weeks later, noting he had little shot of winning.

Let’s be clear: Bayh has little chance of being the Democratic nominee in 2016. His voting record is too conservative for the Democratic base, and the way he handled his retirement from the Senate isn’t going to win him any friends. If Democrats lose Bayh’s seat, many on the left will not forget how he waited so long to announce his decision.

In politics, the heads-up is extremely important. When Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) was about to launch his bid to unseat Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell, Waxman called the Michigan Democrat to let him know. That must have been an awkward conversation, but it was necessary.

Before Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) endorsed Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) for majority leader in 2006, she informed Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) of her impending move. Once again, awkward, but necessary.

Conversely, when Al Gore opted to endorse Howard Dean for president in 2004, he didn’t give a heads-up to Joe Lieberman, his running mate from 2000 who was also in the race.

Bayh should have given Democratic leaders in Congress a heads-up. He’s been in politics long enough to know the importance of being upfront when delivering bad news.

Bayh certainly has every right to be sick with Washington and enjoy some downtime with his family. And Democrats in the nation’s capital who are tasked with retaining their Senate majority have every right to be upset with Bayh.

To help mend some fences, Bayh would be wise to transfer millions soon from his campaign account to the DSCC.