Has that one been taken yet?

I’m sort of amazed that people are taking Bayh’s explanation of how partisanship drove him out of the Senate at face value. Over at the Washington Post, I write:

Bayh’s announcement came days after former senator Dan Coats, a Republican, said he would challenge Bayh’s re-election. Which is more plausible: that Bayh suddenly noticed that Congress has a lot of partisanship, or that he decided he didn’t want to go through a tougher Senate campaign than he has ever had before?

Speaking of Bayh, Peter Beinart has a good column on what his decision means for the prospects of a Democratic realignment.