JG's Sylvia Smith on Sunday: Susan Bayh and how the Bayhs got wealthy

UPDATE: The Sylvia Smith story regarding Susan Bayh may be viewed here in the Sunday Journal Gazette.

Sylvia Smith gets elected to the National Press Club presidency on Friday.  She will then have published a story on Sunday which may have national implications for the presidential race.

The Saturday's Journal Gazette had this brief description on what is "Coming Sunday":

Susan Bayh was Indiana's first lady from January 1989 until January 1997.

Since then she has raked in millions of dollars in cash, stock and options as a professional board member for pharmaceutical, communications, insurance and other companies.

With husband Evan Bayh now representing Indiana in the U.S. Senate, critics of this boardrooom-Capitol Hill couple see an inevitable conflict of interest - that Susan Bayh's business interests will affect her husband's actions in Washington.  The senator insists that is not the case.

The Journal Gazette's Washington editor, Sylvia Smith, takes a look at Susan Bayh's career, the six companies she works for, how she is compensated and other couples in Washington who have encountered criticism.

The story is being published within weeks of the crucial Iowa Democratic presidential caucuses. Senator Bayh is supporting fellow Senator Hillary Clinton in that contest and is widely regarded to be on Mrs. Clinton's short list of potential running-mates.

The timing of the Journal Gazette story is somewhat curious.  The ethical considerations are not particularly new even though the mainstream media in Indiana have generally not broached the topic very often in either news coverage or opinion pieces.

Mention has generally been more of a matter in the blogosphere such as this piece by writer Rick Vassar. 

Comments

[Sylvia Smith]

Curious timing? Here's the truth: I finally finished it and wanted it off my plate before my duties as NPC president start!

Ed. note: I should have rephrased that, Sylvia. Rather than permitting an inference to be drawn that the timing was related the upcoming caucus, I should have just noted that the story may gain some national play because of Senator Bayh's support of Senator Clinton.

By the way, is it a tradition of the National Press Club that the incoming President's chili recipe gets featured on the club room menu for the year?

[dan jehl]

Congratulations to Sylvia on both. The NPC in DC is like the Baseball Hall of Fame. It's a process where you pay your dues and where merit and time requirements make one truly earn it--and in this case, deservedly so. Moderate-size city press may need to wait longer and keep doing what they do, and then maybe-in this case, a home run.

Also, on the Senator Bayh story. This was one where only the fearless dare to go. Although off the plate, I trust the issue and the Bayhs are not off the public radar.

There's a lot more to this story yet that needs to unfold---like how it ends.