Evan Bayh Staff Changes

From the Indy Star:

Bayh's PAC has a new name -- the All America PAC -- and its first director, Steve Bouchard, who has worked for previous Democratic presidential hopefuls in New Hampshire, the site of the first primary.[...]

But Bayh's spokesman said Bayh's new PAC director, along with other staff changes, shouldn't be seen as preparations for a potential '08 presidential bid.

"This is building on his efforts from the day he got to the Senate where he became very active in doing what he could to help the party and help elect Democrats who share his views," said spokesman Dan Pfeiffer.[...]

Among other recent changes:

• Deputy chief of staff Linda Moore Forbes, a veteran of the Clinton White House, recently returned to Bayh's staff after working on John Kerry's presidential campaign.

• Pfeiffer, who worked for then-Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, recently joined Bayh's staff to replace the former communications director who left to work on the Democratic presidential candidate's campaign.

• Bayh hired former Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean's pollster, Paul Maslin, to replace Mark Penn, who was Bill Clinton's pollster and is expected to do the same for Hillary Rodham Clinton. Penn's wife, fund-raiser Nancy Jacobson, is still on Bayh's team.

Bouchard, the new, full-time director of Bayh's PAC, was the Ohio state director for America Coming Together, an independent group that tried to defeat President Bush. Before that, he was former Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark's state director in New Hampshire.

Bayh's spokesman said Bouchard's presidential campaign ties do not mean Bayh is running for president.

"Steve is one of the most well-respected people in the Democratic Party, and he's worked all over the country," Pfeiffer said.

The new faces, along with his longtime advisers Anita Dunn, who specializes in media, and informal adviser Ron Klain, an Indianapolis native who was Vice President Al Gore's chief of staff, show that Bayh "has the makings of a first-rate inner circle for a presidential campaign," said political consultant Chris Sautter.

Most have presidential campaign experience and worked for various candidates, he said.

He's running based on all that alone. There is no doubt about it.

Tom Delay's trial begins in Texas. Less media then Michael Jackson. What a shame. What a pure shame. Jackson will testify as a character witness. A character, indeed.