(CNN) - Two days after Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh shocked fellow Democrats with his decision not to run for reelection, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine pledged that the party will field a top-flight candidate to defend the seat.
"We're going to have a marquee candidate in Indiana," Kaine told CNN's Kiran Chetry on American Morning on Wednesday. "There isn't any reason for Democrats to walk around with sad faces."
Kaine did not indicate who that candidate might be. The top two prospects appear to be Indiana Reps. Brad Ellsworth and Baron Hill.
Hill, who is out of the country this week, has remained silent on his plans. Ellsworth has indicated that he is actively considering a run and will make up his mind shortly.
"I don't want to hold it to exactly a week, but I wouldn't think that kind of stuff takes much longer than that, and I know that [Indiana Democrats] are going to want to find somebody to get busy running," Ellsworth told the Evansville Courier & Press on Tuesday.
A former sheriff, Ellsworth beat Republican Rep. John Hostettler in 2006. Hostettler held the seat for six terms. The district was nicknamed "the bloody eighth" because of its history of incumbents losing in bruising contests. But in 2008, Ellsworth won re-election easily with 65% of the vote.
"We'll miss Sen. Bayh but we'll go after the Indiana race and we're going to compete everywhere," Kaine also said on CNN.
From CNN Politics
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You'll defend it, spend alot of money on it, and still lose.
Proggressives don't have a clue what America is all about.
As long as it stays in DEM hands, I'll be satisfied. I say "no" to the part of no (GOP)
IN is not as a red state as most people think. After all, president Obama did carry IN in the last general election.
Bayh is a wolf in sheep clothing. A blue-dog democrat is a euphemism for undercover Republican (the hate group). Their main objectives are dividing and conquer.
Better get a list,the Dems are jumping the SS Obamie quicker than replacements can be found.The party of NO. NO jobs NO plan NO hope NO accountability.Chronic wasteful spending
Rack um up,we will knock um down.The Dems are 1 and done.The real reason Bush had "No Child Left Behind" was the Dems and lack of education.
Cheer up-do you really have someone that will run,the Democrats are dropping fast,quit now and avoid the November rush.
I'm already cheered up. Because Bayh's departure was a signal that the majority of the democrats are left-wing idiots that have no prayer in November.
I wonder if Kaine feels like the orchestra leader on the Titanic?
A breath of fresh air. Fighting evil Republicans can sap ones' spirit.
Bayh is not the reason democrats are sad. They are sad because their party has let them down but pursuing far, far, far left socialist policies. Also, they are realizing that having Obama as oru President is not as cool as they thought it would be. Being cool and hip does not get the job done.
I am a conservative and I'm sad too.
Out with the old and in with the new. That's all I've got to say about that.
"There isn't any reason for Democrats to walk around with sad faces..."
good one.....
I'm sure November will be just fine for you.........
You probably don't have a top candidate. Most of the Dems are just "yes" people to the political machine. They haven't got any real concept of what it means to represent the people.
Kaine has no track record for candidtes he(and Obama)have supported in the past 14 months. He was the worst Governor ever in Virginia. Ask Doug Wilder; don't take my word for it.
Defend all you want Democrats, but you can say good-bye to Bayh's seat. The people of Indiana - like the rest of the country - are fed up with the liberal agenda. Conservative candidates are going to win coast to coast!
They lost Bayh–the best of the left– and do not even know why?! a HUGE loss for dems–though they try to downplay it and blame the right–Re: speech by Obama/Biden....how can anyone listen to this arrogant twosome?! again and again Obama mocks and scorns the intelligence of Americans and blames republicans for his failures! Amazing! why does Biden have ashes on his forehead? who is he sucking up to now? I notice Obama keeps Biden in the background to grin and mock while he does all the talking!! These 2 should join Letterman on his sarcastic republican bashing comedy(?) show.....
Yes, let's blast a cartoon show on Fox while simultaneously allowing real "hunters" to blast real wolves from airplanes in Alaska. Yes, Sarah, you're a real bright bulb aren't you? The Republican Party is the perfect place for that kind of intelligence.
If you don't like what's on TV: turn it off. If you don't like a band's music: don't buy it. If you don't like what's at the art gallery: don't go. Just leave the rest of us alone.
It's not a matter of whether a Democrat or a Repulican fills Senator Bayh's seat.
What matters is avoiding his replacement by a Democrat with the Marxist thought patterns of the President, Pelosi, and Reid.
Defend Bayh's seat? You mean put another corporate owned Democrat in it? Don't we have enough of them already?
GOOD BY TO SENATOR CRY BABY BAYH
Now is the time to elect a real Democrat for
Indiana in November 2010. Oh! that self-righteous quitting
speech should have made his wife, mother and God proud.
Read more at internetfreepress.com
I betcha 100 million Obummie dollars that the Repubs will win this election. It took a while for our country to realize that Obummie was all hot air and just a teleprompter reader. His true ideas have come out and he is a true socialist and people are rejecting that.
If Bayh is gone, some nicer dude, young will replace and work for the nation and it's robbing health care reform. This nation needs disperately "Health care reform". BCBS paid only 75/ I had to pay 145 dollars....listen America, these idiotic thugs are robbing the nation. Doctors and hospitals, and insurance thugs are robbing the nation.. sad, 7 US presidents failed on health care reform.....corruption...corruption, corruption.....everywhere...in senate....lobbying...lobbying....wake up America and fight it back...if you have guts.....this nation is getting worst than third world nations....ok....pass this healthcare reform....Pres. Obama needs to be less rehtoric and work more and impliment things....just not talk....put it in action...ok, I am sick and tired....
Good ridence of Byah.
Just say Bye-yah and move on, he was way more troubled than he was worth. Dems just need to stand up for what is right, not what is politically right, and they will win. The Repubs are so frought with corruption and hypocracy as they only stand up for "NO" while being fuel by their nasty and fearful base. The Repubs are sure to stay in the shadows (fringe) with their tea-bagger klan gnawing on their butt turning them into more and more just a radical and arrogant joke.
I have no doubt the Democrats will find someone very capable of running.
Bayh never represented middle class America. And, his wife being involved so strongly with the insurance companies explains his non support for Health Care Reform.
We need a good Democrat who will follow the democratic mode of getting our country back on it's feet, representing the people and have the backbone to fight back against all the republicans propoganda and hypocrasy.