A self-described centrist is leaving Congress.

Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana insisted that it was hyper-partisanship, not left-wing blogs, that led to his decision to not run again.

“We’ve got a lot of good people in Congress trapped in a dysfunctional system,” he said.

Whatever his reasons for leaving, the bloggers are not likely to let up anytime soon.

The Huffington Post recently dismissed him as a “hyper-timid incrementalist.”

In a world of instant communication, “considered opinion” is an anachronism.

The moderate politician has become an object of ridicule.

For months during the heated contest for the Democratic presidential nomination, Mark J. Penn was the Hillary Clinton adviser everyone loved to hate.

Susan Bayh isn’t the only congressional spouse to sit on a corporate board.