When Bayh flew back to Indiana to launch his campaign, he immediately embraced a number of corrupt politicos, proving that Bayh is an ultimate insider who can’t be trusted by Hoosier families. First up: Robert Pastrick, the ‘disgraced’ former mayor of East Chicago.
About a week after that announcement, Bayh attended a rally at a Hammond factory where the Senate hopeful spent part of the time conversing with and embracing former East Chicago Mayor Robert Pastrick. Disgraced is a word that can and should precede Pastrick’s name. Pastrick’s administration presided over the corrupt concrete-for-votes scandal of 1999… But there was former Sen. Bayh last month, hugging his old friend like it was old times.
Bayh has even welcomed another disgraced politician to his campaign as an advisor. Michael Pannos, a local political player with close links to corruption, is leading Bayh’s campaign strategy efforts in Northwest Indiana:
Another product of the East Chicago political machine, longtime Bayh friend and Merrillville lawyer Michael Pannos, appears to be making a return to the political scene. A number of Lake County Democratic Party insiders are expressing concern — with good reason. Pannos was one of the principal defendants in a lawsuit filed by the Indiana Attorney General more than a decade ago… Pannos was seen late last month, escorting his old friend Bayh to a local political fundraiser for Lake County Commissioner Kyle Allen. It turns out that’s not all he’s doing. Several local Democratic Party insiders said Pannos is leading bi-weekly meetings of Northwest Indiana party officials in which local campaign strategies for Bayh, gubernatorial candidate John Gregg and presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton are discussed.
As a career politician and political insider, it’s no surprise that Bayh is only looking out for himself as he embraces corrupt allies and allows them to guide the direction of his campaign. But it is a little surprising that he won’t even pay lip service to Hoosier voters by hiding his connections to his crooked associates.
Once again, Hoosiers are getting hosed as Bayh’s true colors show.