Bayh’s Drive-By Gym Bag Drop-Off Incident
EmailABC 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.
Rick Santorum Sweeps 3 States 
Pentagon to Open Additional Jobs to Women
Whew, I was worried about that. I’m glad there isn’t anything more important going on in the world today.
Posted by: char19145 | August 20, 2008, 2:24 pm 2:24 pm
if you can’t handle a bag how can you handle a country , or hillary for that matter
Posted by: evilknome | August 20, 2008, 2:27 pm 2:27 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 | August 20, 2008, 2:29 pm 2:29 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 | August 20, 2008, 2:33 pm 2:33 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 | August 20, 2008, 2:39 pm 2:39 pm
His two twin boys? As opposed to his twin boys?
Let’s get the general consensus on that one.
Posted by: passingthru | August 20, 2008, 2:41 pm 2:41 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 | August 20, 2008, 2:44 pm 2:44 pm
Lol, now McCain supporters are slamming Lacrosse as not quite American enough?
Nah, you guys aren’t being divisive again.
Posted by: Paul | August 20, 2008, 2:46 pm 2:46 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 | August 20, 2008, 2:56 pm 2:56 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 | August 20, 2008, 3:05 pm 3:05 pm
Glad to hear the Bag Police are on the job! ABC is really on top of important things!
Posted by: DenisR | August 20, 2008, 3:13 pm 3:13 pm
Was Bayh wearing his seatbelt?
Posted by: geevill | August 20, 2008, 3:16 pm 3:16 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 | August 20, 2008, 3:17 pm 3:17 pm
Where is the picture Jaffee? I want to laugh at the sight of this!
Posted by: Ridiculous | August 20, 2008, 3:18 pm 3:18 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 | August 20, 2008, 3:27 pm 3:27 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 | August 20, 2008, 3:30 pm 3:30 pm
Bayh-bye, bag.
Posted by: fact check | August 20, 2008, 3:32 pm 3:32 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 | August 20, 2008, 3:37 pm 3:37 pm
excellent reporting abc news
Posted by: abby | August 20, 2008, 3:45 pm 3:45 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 | August 20, 2008, 3:47 pm 3:47 pm
Oh, wait, now I get it. Lacrosse sounds French. Can’t be very American, lol. John McCain would never play Lacrosse!
Posted by: Paul | August 20, 2008, 3:50 pm 3:50 pm
Lacrosse is the national sport of Canada, of course it’s unAmerican!
Posted by: Jenn | August 20, 2008, 3:54 pm 3:54 pm
Obama throws his own grandmother under the bus. Bayh heartlessly drags his SON’s bag then dumps it in the street! My God these people will stop at nothing! Do we really want them as role models? What’s next,sexually abusing gullible interns?-wait, didn’t Bill Clinton already do that?
Posted by: Joe M. Omma | August 20, 2008, 4:23 pm 4:23 pm
Next Mystery??? Bayh’s third twin boy!!!
Guess Matt was winded from picking up the bag and bringing it home!?!
Obama 08
Posted by: jackt51 | August 20, 2008, 4:26 pm 4:26 pm
Glad to see that while the world is going to hell in a handbasket, you guys are keeping an eye on this VP hopeful’s ballbag.
Posted by: whitey | August 20, 2008, 4:33 pm 4:33 pm
How is this story relevant to, well, anything?
I’m not a Democrat and won’t be voting Democrat, but even I have to ask what is the point of this story?
Posted by: None of the Above 08 | August 20, 2008, 4:33 pm 4:33 pm
his son is named Beau Bayh? For real? That must be a joke.
bye bye beau bayh bye bayhbyebyebeaubyebayh.
Posted by: noooo.... can't be... | August 20, 2008, 4:44 pm 4:44 pm
Did someone with the last name “Bayh” really name their son “Beau”. Buh-bye?
Posted by: Ed | August 20, 2008, 4:45 pm 4:45 pm
This is stupid…. why the heck this is headline news? Nothing else happening in the world….. ?!?!?!
Posted by: Mbrane | August 20, 2008, 4:47 pm 4:47 pm
was there a jock strap in it?
Posted by: Burt | August 20, 2008, 4:48 pm 4:48 pm
Good God, is this news? What did he have for breakfast? The media is so pathetic.
Posted by: a reader in georgia | August 20, 2008, 4:49 pm 4:49 pm
bun-huggers or bocers?
Posted by: Burt | August 20, 2008, 4:51 pm 4:51 pm
The USS Obama Titanic keeps lumbering along. Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, George Soros and the other unrepetent terrorists, America-haters, racists and felons that Obama has partnered with the last 20 years are enjoying drinks on the deck, laughing and speculating about what will be on the menu for their first dinner in the White House.
But there is an iceberg ahead.
After November, when people talk about colossal failures, they will mention the movies “Ishtar” and “Heaven’s Gate” – and the Obama campaign.
Posted by: Jolly Roger | August 20, 2008, 4:55 pm 4:55 pm
I wasn’t trying to be funny, I was just interested.
Posted by: Burt | August 20, 2008, 4:56 pm 4:56 pm
If it was John McCain instead of the wooden indian, the Headline would scream SENILE McCain drags bag! Is John McCain fit for the Presidency?
Next ABC will report something silly like the uber rich Obama has at least one destitute half brother or some other such malarkey.
Posted by: Otto Focus | August 20, 2008, 4:58 pm 4:58 pm
Maybe SoetorObama will pick Barack Sr.’s prodigal son — his long lost brothter?
In the Obamessiah’s embarrassing performance the Saddleback Forum the man-child (attempting to equate Christianity with socialism) used a line from the New Testament to answer the moderator’s question about what had been America’s greatest moral failure. “We still don’t abide by that basic precept of Matthew that whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me.” Maybe he’ll take some of his millions amassed from community agitation and send it to this guy:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/2590614/Barack-Obamas-lost-brother-found-in-Kenya.html
Posted by: Rev. Michael Pflamethrower | August 20, 2008, 5:16 pm 5:16 pm
I think this is one of the most
useless reporting reports. Is
there nothing better? Maybe
there are to many reporters if
they cannot find something more
important to report on?
Posted by: curly | August 20, 2008, 5:17 pm 5:17 pm
blood is blood….obama should help out his brother
Posted by: chris | August 20, 2008, 5:21 pm 5:21 pm
Matt Jaffe – bagholder to the rich and powerful. Awesome!
Posted by: slick | August 21, 2008, 2:35 am 2:35 am
So now ABC is training its staff to do travel office advance work! Eek-ads! Now thats getting into the story!
Posted by: Advanceguy | August 21, 2008, 10:41 am 10:41 am
Rock on Senator Bayh!
Don’t let worry about these idiotic comments from the wingnutz.
The only sport their old dude is up to is shuffleboard, and even that is questionable.
Heck- Their dude is sitting in one of his many homes today trying to remember how many he owns so he can respond back to inquiring reporters. He’s old, his memory is shot, and he’s an elitist RICH out-of-touch man who believes the middleclass make $4 million dollars a year.
Get real.
Posted by: PFC Jake Meyers | August 21, 2008, 4:37 pm 4:37 pm
what seems important to me is that the “senator from indiana” is leaving his home in DC where bayh, his wife and their two boys live. this sounds to me like he should be the “senator from DC”. shouldn’t a senator live in the state he represents? send his kids to school in that state? the senate is on recess for god’s sake, shouldn’t he at least go back to indiana when there’s nothing going on in DC? Not the Bayh’s, i guess they’re too busy getting rich. just another well-connected, american royal family feeding its need for power and money.
Posted by: c61 | August 22, 2008, 8:23 am 8:23 am