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Bayh's Drive-By Gym Bag Drop-Off Incident
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ShareAugust 20, 2008 2:07 PM
ABC News' Matt Jaffe reports: Doing "Dad duty" apparently isn't as easy as it looks.
While speculation runs rampant that Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh is one of the top contenders to become Democrat Barack Obama's running mate, the Indiana Democrat is spending his Senate recess taking care of his two twin boys at their Washington, DC home.
But this afternoon, Bayh's week of fatherhood fun hit a roadblock ... or rather, created one.
A large black gym bag got stuck on the door of a car driven by a friend of Bayh's as it pulled out of his garage. The driver then drove about a hundred yards up the street, with the bag dragging along behind the car.
When the car reached the top of the tree-lined residential road, Bayh, sitting on the passenger side, opened his door and the bag fall out into the street. And then, as if nothing had happened, the car drove away, leaving the tag-along bag stranded right in the path of oncoming traffic.
Members of the media staked out at the residence stood around confused about the bizarre scene, before one especially conscientious reporter walked up the hill to pick up the bag. Yours truly took the bag, weighed down with "Spartans" lacrosse gear, back to Bayh's house, dropping it off on the front porch.
The senator, via his spokesman, later expressed his personal gratitude to the good samaritan reporter.
It turns out that Bayh, who is apparently on "Dad duty" at the moment, did not know that the lacrosse bag was stuck on the car, as he drove off to pick up his twin sons, Beau and Nick, at their all-day sports camp. The bag, which belongs to Beau, will fortunately not be needed today, since the boys are at a tennis camp rather than a lacrosse one.
So consider it a crisis averted -- though the incident didn't go unnoticed by Bayh's neighbors.
"I thought it was very odd and very strange and out of character that the senator would just toss a bag out into the middle of the street," said Bayh neighbor Ashley Allen.
"He's serious about those boys and their lacrosse," she added. "I'm sure he'll be thrilled to have the bag back."
Bayh, a sports aficionado just like his sons, is planning on hitting some tennis balls with them before returning home later today, where he will find the lost bag safe and sound.
Maybe a little tennis might help Bayh work off some of the veepstakes stress -- the senator, ABC News has learned, has not heard from Obama all week.
UPDATE: Just back from picking up his boys at tennis camp, Bayh returned home moments ago, waving to cameras as he pulled into his garage.
Then one minute later Bayh, decked out in his tennis whites, opened his front door to pick up the stray gym bag left on his porch. "Thanks, whoever got this. Appreciate it."
You're welcome, senator. Glad to help.
For more veepstakes coverage, click on the ABC News Politics page.
August 20, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis, Romney, Mitt, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (42)
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Whew, I was worried about that. I'm glad there isn't anything more important going on in the world today.
Posted by: char19145 | Aug 20, 2008 2:24:17 PM
if you can't handle a bag how can you handle a country , or hillary for that matter
Posted by: evilknome | Aug 20, 2008 2:27:17 PM
LaCrosse?? Like John Kerry windsurfing, that will go over pretty well in middle America. A man who cannot unclutter his garage, in a million dollar home, is not ready to be the VP.
Posted by: Colonel Reb | Aug 20, 2008 2:29:36 PM
Was there a ball in it? Then we could say he dropped the ball. It's getting goofier by the minute.
Posted by: Kitty | Aug 20, 2008 2:33:06 PM
LaCrosse is a full contact sport that can get as rough or rougher than football (US style) but the players don't wear as much padding.
Wind surfing? - not so much.
Posted by: Fred | Aug 20, 2008 2:39:56 PM
His two twin boys? As opposed to his twin boys?
Let's get the general consensus on that one.
Posted by: passingthru | Aug 20, 2008 2:41:53 PM
WOW - WHAT AN INCREDIBLE STORY! I AM SO GLAD THAT THIS STORY HAS BEEN TOLD - AND TO THINK THEY MADE A MOVIE ABOUT THAT DEADBEAT GAHNDI - WHEN THERE IS STORY OUT LIKE THIS ONE THAT HAS YET TO BE TOLD.
WHAT AN IMPRESSIVE PIECE OF JOURNALISM!
Posted by: Frank- South Hampton | Aug 20, 2008 2:44:24 PM
Lol, now McCain supporters are slamming Lacrosse as not quite American enough?
Nah, you guys aren't being divisive again.
Posted by: Paul | Aug 20, 2008 2:46:11 PM
So he looked at the dashboard and the 'door-open' light was on. He opens it and shuts it and drives on...STOP THE PRESSES!!!
Bayh VP Not in the Bag!!
Posted by: thebob.bob | Aug 20, 2008 2:56:35 PM
This is a powerful gripping story about a young VP contender unaware that his son's lacross gear, and possibly the young son's lacross career was hanging
in the threshold of fate, balanced pecariously between the air-conditioned interior of neighbor's car and the bouncey uncertainty of a suburban street. Perhaps son's destiny as a star Lacross player was preserved by the quick-thinking, unselfish actions of a mere reporter/blogger. What a press! what a country! Where's Obama when you need him?
Posted by: Larry Clifton | Aug 20, 2008 3:05:03 PM
Glad to hear the Bag Police are on the job! ABC is really on top of important things!
Posted by: DenisR | Aug 20, 2008 3:13:50 PM
Was Bayh wearing his seatbelt?
Posted by: geevill | Aug 20, 2008 3:16:04 PM
I hope this riveting story was worth staking out Bayh's house for who-knows-how-long.
Pulitzer prize, here you come!
Posted by: Bob Loblaw | Aug 20, 2008 3:17:15 PM
Where is the picture Jaffee? I want to laugh at the sight of this!
Posted by: Ridiculous | Aug 20, 2008 3:18:58 PM
I think that they are getting ready to blame Bill and Hillary for the bag being on top of the car.
Posted by: Kitty litter | Aug 20, 2008 3:27:34 PM
I would LOVE for him to choose Hillary Clinton just so 95% of the press would have to say "OPPS!" to the 1,000 stories they have written about everyone else.
Posted by: Ryan | Aug 20, 2008 3:30:45 PM
Bayh-bye, bag.
Posted by: fact check | Aug 20, 2008 3:32:15 PM
Lacrosse isn't American? Native Americans invented the sport! Or is it a regional problem? And if so, does that make Delta Blues unamerican because people who don't live along the Mississippi can't lay claim to it?
Posted by: Jason | Aug 20, 2008 3:37:34 PM
excellent reporting abc news
Posted by: abby | Aug 20, 2008 3:45:36 PM
Jason, I guess to some heartland Republicans, Lacrosse seems like some high-falutin' game only kids of Democrats would play.
Don't know why - I didn't realize sports were so partisan, or at least seen to be by some folks.
Posted by: Paul | Aug 20, 2008 3:47:32 PM
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