I'll say this directly to you, Evan Bayh, the same thing that FDR said about the people who declared themselves enemies to our great New Deal and World War II President, and who also declared themselves enemies of our nation's mighty effort to rebuild itself out of the Great Depression into a more just and egalitarian society, but I'll paraphrase: "I welcome your hatred, Evan Bayh".
But you are not worthy of mine.
Even though you've spent your entire Senate career committed to the eventual unraveling of FDR's New Deal.
Even though your actions at the Democratic Leadership Conference were spent aiding and abetting the Reagan Counterrevolution's further brainwashing of Americans into a laissez-faire, know-nothing stupor.
Even though you betrayed most of the principles of and political trust of your own father, Democratic Indiana Senator Birch Bayh, who tried to teach you that the Right is Wrong by example.
Even though you abandoned a noble constituency who honored your father's legacy by electing you, thereby giving you everything you needed in life, but whom you betrayed by doing your damnedest to make sure the rich got richer and the poor poorer.
Even though after leaving the Senate you will undoubtedly continue and even intensify your actions to keep the Big Finance Ripoff, Big Pharma Ripoff, Big Insurance Ripoff, and Big War Machine Ripoff going stronger than ever.
And even though even now as you desert your post in this country's most dire time in many decades, and as you likely prepare to be the Democratic Party's new Zell Miller as you sabotage and rail against your former Senate colleagues (who treated you far better than you deserved!), and as well likely prepare to become a corrupt corporate lobbyist (joining your wife in that ignoble pursuit), I refuse to hate you.
I reserve my hate for what you stand for. I reserve my hate for the duplicity by which you operate. I reserve my hate for the coward's way you chose to legislate and demagogue. I reserve my hate for your fear of the right wing that became instilled in you when Dan Quayle ousted your father in 1980. I reserve my hate for your ignorance of and apathy about what your own constituency wants and needs. I reserve my hate for the fact that you wasted this country's precious time and hampered its best efforts since the 1960s to achieve something of real value for its hard-working and long-suffering people, against whom you worked diligently to sadly ensure diminishing returns for their American Dreams.
Evan Bayh, you are not worthy of my hate, yet I welcome yours. Your hatred only strengthens my resolve to gut your spineless ideology. Your hatred only hastens the day when the the true great Center of this country runs scoundrels like you into obscurity, except for the infamy you and they deserve.
Your hatred has weakened you steadily until now you are a completely empty suit with only plutocracy at your side and nothing in your heart except enmity and dread. You tried to drain the hope from the people, but you have only succeeded in hollowing yourself out. You will now complete your sell-out by auctioning off the remainder of your soul. But you'd better be careful. The devil drives a much harder bargain than the good-faith people who elected you and you turned your back on.