Obama in Elkhart; Bayh won’t tip hand!
By on
August 6th, 2008
Sen. Evan Bayh provided the warm-up act this morning for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, but left no signs whether this will become a permanent partnership.
Bayh introduced Obama at a town-hall meeting here, criticizing the Bush administration’s record on the economy and energy and telling the cheering crowd that “we can do better and with Barack Obama as president we will.”
Bayh had been a stauch supporter of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and helped her to a slim but ultimately meaningless win in Indiana’s May primary. Today, though, Bayh embraced Obama, both literally as Obama bounded on the platform in this Concord High School gymnasium, and through his words.
Obama’s 21-hour visit here — the second he has made to Indiana since the primary and the 42nd this year — spurred speculation that Bayh may be picked as early as today to be Obama’s running mate. Bayh, though, doused those expectations himself, saying in an interview with The Indianapolis Star that Obama had not asked him to be his vice presidential candidate and that he did not expect any announcement by Obama today on that topic.
Obama praised Bayh in his opening remarks as “one of the finest U.S. senators” — kind words, but not an indication of a political partnership to come.
Bayh and Obama are spending additional time together today to perhaps build that partnership as Bayh accompanies Obama throughout his visit in Indiana, before Obama departs about 3:30 p.m. today.
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