Bayh: They Like Me For My Personality

Maureen Groppe, writing for the Indianapolis Star, has an article (h/t Advance Indiana) on Citizen Bayh who, you might remember, retired from the Senate with a great deal of sanctimony bemoaning special interest influence and a lack of public spirit.

A funny thing happened after his retirement, however. Bayh took on a bunch of jobs that reflect special interest influence and a lack of public spirit. But, one presumes, they pay well.

He is a partner in the Washington office of the McGuireWoods law firm; a senior adviser in the New York-based private equity firm Apollo Global Management; and a contributor to the Fox News Channel. On Tuesday, Bayh was named to the board of directors of Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bancorp. And, now he’s also working for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

But he’s totally not a lobbyist. In fact, he’s “amused” by the notion:

Bayh said he’s amused by criticism that he’s trying to cash in on his Senate career, which included service on the Senate banking committee.

“I’ve asked no government official for anything,” Bayh said. “If people want to hire me, it’s because of my knowledge and because I can give sensible advice, not because I’m attempting to wield influence.”

He’s either delusional or thinks we are if he’s serious in thinking that all these people are hiring him because he’s just such a sensible, knowledgeable fellow. He’s like the rich kid with all the cool toys who thinks people are always coming to his house simply because they think he’s a really great guy.

Update Matt Yglesias suggests that Mr. Bayh might be single-handedly responsible for the job crisis. Concluding:

They forgot that he’s also holding down a third job as a lobbyist and a forth job with Apollo Capital Management as a private equity rainmaker. That’s a lot of jobs for one man, especially since in a few years he’ll be eligible to double-dip on pensions as a former governor of Indiana and a former senator.