Retiring Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana said Monday that electing more lawmakers like new Republican Sen. Scott Brown may be the "ultimate cure" for partisan gridlock in Washington.
Brown's upset victory over a Democrat who held a double-digit lead a week before Massachusetts' special Senate election last month signaled that voters wanted "more practical problem solving," Bayh said in an interview Monday on ABC-TV's "The View.
"Scott Brown is a good example of what I think the ultimate cure might be," Bayh said. "My read on what happened in Massachusetts is the vast majority of moderates and independents rose up and said enough already."
Bayh, who has clashed regularly with more liberal members of his party, announced last week that he had decided against seeking re-election after two terms in the Senate. He said he was tired of partisan wrangling in Washington.
He reiterated that Monday, saying the Senate used to be a more polite place. He said senators should be more open to compromise and rely on filibusters less to block legislation.
"Those on my side need to accept half a loaf when the alternative is nothing," he said.
Bayh repeated that he has no plans to seek the presidency as an independent in 2012, but pointedly left the door open to a return to public office in the future — but not be as a member of the Senate.
