I think one of the hidden stories in this Roberts confirmation is the behavior of Evan Bayh. Bayh, who is seeking the Democrat nomination for President in 2008, completely surprised me by voting against John Roberts. Seeing as he is one out of 22 Democrats who stood up against Bush's appointee, I have to ask: What is going on?
Was Evan Bayh's vote today an attempt to connect with the liberal wing of the party, or was it a calculated political move? Bayh's position as a Democrat in a red state often causes him to run away from liberal position to the point where it is hard to actually know what Bayh stands for. His
website is no help, focusing on issues everyone can agree on to a certain extent. Could this be the moment when Bayh starts to move to a position, or is this a Russ Feingold moment of throwing a bone and then retreating?
Update [2005-9-29 15:34:10 by tonydimarzio]: I should clarify what I mean when I write "Was Evan Bayh's vote today an attempt to connect with the liberal wing of the party, or was it a calculated political move?". Is Bayh a closet Liberal or is he playing politics?