With the announcement of the retirement of Supreme Court Justice David Souter yesterday, Evan Bayh will have to find whole new ways to contort himself into a human pretzel to preserve his precious approval ratings. Fortunately, his lack of a spine should come in quite handy in this task.

Never one to spend political capital, Birch’s Boy now finds himself in an unenviable position. The switching of Arlen Specter means that Obama should be able to appoint whatever lefty judicial activist retread he wants from the hallowed lecture halls of the law school temples of American liberalism.

And, when the time comes to stand and be counted on all manner of judicial activism, Bayh will have to vote. And his vote, should the GOP choose to fight the nomination, will matter more than ever before thanks to the convenient switching of Arlen Specter.

Republicans can no longer stop the most liberal aspects of Obama’s agenda, nor can they curb the radical appointees he might find for positions like the Supreme Court. That task falls to supposed moderates like Evan Bayh.

And folks like Dan Dumezich and other Hoosier conservatives seeking to give Indiana a second senator instead of someone that wants to grow up to become vice president will be watching. Indeed, all of Indiana will be watching.

Will Birch’s boy stand up for Hoosier values, or will he kowtow to those of the far left wing and the radical special interest groups of the national Democratic Party?