Indiana Senator Evan Bayh is in Iowa this week, another Democrat considering a run for the White House. Bayh has raised more than a million dollars for his political action committee. He’s using some of that cash to finance travel to places like Iowa, where the Caucuses in 2008 will be the likely kick-off point for the next presidential campaign. During a news conference in downtown Des Moines on Tuesday afternoon, Bayh made a point of stressing his Midwest credentials. “Indiana and Iowa have a lot in common. We’re both Midwestern states. Our economies are similar. The cultures of our state are similar. We can be proud of our heritage,” Bayh said. Bayh’s political heritage: a father with the same name. While the senator uses the name “Evan” his full name is Birch Evans Bayh III. He was named for his father, Birch Bayh, who sought the presidency back in 1976. He finished just behind Jimmy Carter in that year’s Iowa Caucuses. This modern-day politician with the name Bayh served two terms as governor of Indiana. Then, in 1998, he was elected to the U-S Senate where his father had served. Now, Bayh may be following in his father’s footsteps and launching a campaign for president. For now, he’s traveling the state, meeting with Democrats and helping raise money for local races. “I’m also looking forward to beginning a conversation with the people of Iowa about the challenges that face our country, what we can do to meet those challenges and perhaps what role I might play,” Bayh says. What role does he want to play? “Time will tell,” Bayh says. “This is the beginning of the conversation, not the end.” He’ll make a final decision on a presidential bid no later than January of 2007. Bayh is spending three days in Iowa this week. “Politics in Iowa tends to be very personal and that’s a good thing,” Bayh says. “There should be a place for that in presidential politics. It shouldn’t be all about who can raise the most money or who has the slickest advertisements.” Bayh, however, has raised the most money among Democrats who have formed a political action committee as a prelude to a potential presidential campaign. Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack’s considering a bid for the White House, too. Bayh says a Vilsack candidacy wouldn’t necessarily mean other candidates would not compete in the Iowa Caucuses. “Clearly if (Vilsack) runs he would be a dominant favorite-son here in Iowa, but you know, look, I’ve got twin nine-year-old boys. They love one another, but sometimes they’re competitive, too,” Bayh says. “Sometimes public life can be that way.”
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