Considering the way the election went Tuesday, you'd think it would be Republicans trying to reach out to the middle. But here's Evan Bayh, telling his party to avoid extremism:
Sen. Evan Bayh, a potential 2008 presidential candidate, told reporters from USA TODAY and Gannett on Thursday that most Americans don't know what Democrats stand for despite the party's electoral success.
The Indiana Democrat said Tuesday's election was a vote against the status quo in Washington and in Iraq, and Democrats need to show that they can deliver on issues that matter to most Americans.
"It's up to us to prove that we're something better than just a mirror image of the people they voted against," Bayh said. "And if we serve up a highly partisan, ideologically extreme, Democratic version of what they just voted against, we're not going to do very well."
Bayh said Democrats must focus on middle-class concerns, including affordability of health care and college, as well as pension and job security. But they also have to prove Democrats can be trusted with national security and should implement all the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.
A cynic might say he's jsut tryin to sound moderate because of his presidential aspirations. But he's also right that most Americans don't know what Democrats stand for. The election wasn't for Democrats as much as it was against Republicans. Now the winners have two years to show us their stuff.
