Posted on 02/14/2006 5:40:12 AM PST by Dane
Hackett Drops Senate Bid, Takes Democrats To Task Veteran Calls Party Moves 'Betrayal'
POSTED: 6:35 am EST February 14, 2006 UPDATED: 7:01 am EST February 14, 2006 Email This Story | Print This Story
CINCINNATI -- Iraq war veteran Paul Hackett, who gained popularity for his staunch criticism of President George W. Bush, has dropped out of the Democratic race for U.S. Senate in Ohio, according to a published report.
Hackett told The New York Times for Tuesday's editions that the same party leaders who urged him to run for Senate after his sensational political debut in a House race last year had turned on him.
"This is an extremely disappointing decision that I feel has been forced on me," Hackett said.
Hackett's spokesman, Karl Frisch, did not immediately return a phone call late Monday night.
Hackett captured Democrats' attention last summer by blasting Bush's war policies, raising huge sums on the Internet and capturing 48 percent of the vote in one of the country's most conservative House districts. He declared his candidacy for Republican Mike DeWine's Senate seat after it appeared Democratic Rep. Sherrod Brown would not run.
Brown declared his Senate candidacy shortly after that, however, and national Democrats privately began urging Hackett to step aside. On Sunday, some national Democrats made those requests publicly.
"If he stays in the Senate race, I'm with Paul Hackett, but this is about the House race and giving us another member of the Democratic caucus," said Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio, one Democrat who backed Hackett in the early going.
Hackett nearly split the vote against former state Rep. Jean Schmidt in the Cincinnati-based 2nd District in a special election last summer, less than a year after President Bush captured 64 percent there.
Schmidt later gained notoriety with unpopular comments about the war, leading Democrats to consider her vulnerable in a rematch against Hackett. But Hackett steadfastly said he would not drop out of the Senate race.
"For me, this is a second betrayal," Hackett told the Times. "First, my government misused and mismanaged the military in Iraq, and now my own party is afraid to support candidates like me."
Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory issued the following statement on Monday, before word of Hackett's withdrawal was widely known:
"I applaud Paul Hackett for making the difficult decision to step out of the race for the U.S. Senate and to step in to the race for the 2nd Congressional District. Paul's passion and dedication will make him an excellent Congressman for Ohio. It is time for Democrats to come together and focus on providing a clear vision for the future of Ohio and the country."
Hackett is the epitomie of the moonbat left and the base of the modern American democrat party.
suxor to be them.
Rent-a-vet tactics failed.
Again.
He lost. Only in democRAT/MSM circles does losing a bid for a House seat qualify as "sensational."
Yo, Hackett:
You'll sooner or later find that your party's loathing of all things military will make them turn on you in spite of any minor political successes that appear to come your way.
Betrayal is throwing in with a party that stands for lower military pay, benefits and readiness. Another Dem goldigger!
This is another "Rat In Uniform" that the rat threw under the bus. Yesterday fast eddie rendell force bryan lentz out of his race against Weldon ( able danger). Lentz was one of only four RIUs that was calling for immediate pull out.
Now the rat "band of brother" gets a little smaller!
Heads are exploding at DU over this.
"He lost. Only in democRAT/MSM circles does losing a bid for a House seat qualify as "sensational."
I'd say losing 52-48 in a district that has been going 70%+ Republican for decades was a surprise. It wasn't sensational, but it was a lot better than expected.
It's more like waking up the morning after a night of teetotaling, rolling over, and seeing who/what you REALLY brought home with you.
Read the threads on FR when the race was going on. First it was special election in the middle of summer, second Hackett was running pro-Bush ads in the district, when he was on the DC talking head shows and out of the district he was trashing the President.
Tell us Mr. Hackett, How does it feel to be used by the party you though was on your side?
Yeah, but if you saw his campaign ads, he was basically running as a Republican. The only thing to take from that race is that when a RAT can come across as conservative, they are much more competitive.
Any chance Hackett would consider a 3rd party run on a anti-war slate?
Whine on, hypocritical lowlife.
It was better than expected because the teachers' union got some issues on the ballot. The teachers turned out in droves and even then Jean Schmidt won!!!!!
The War-Hero-Against-The-War 'Rat was last year's model.
The Evangelical-Pro-Lifer-Against-Abortion-Restrictions 'Rat is this year's model.
Time to clear out the old stock to make room for the '08s!
According to the Times article, Hackett claims he was under pressure from Reid and Schumer to quit the race. Since it's the NYT, take it for what it's worth.
"Any chance Hackett would consider a 3rd party run on a anti-war slate?"
That'd be nice. Split the Democratic vote and guarntee us a win.
You have any idea at all what a "teetotaler" is?
He ran as a republican, tax cuts, pro-military and he had pres Bush in his commercials. AND NEVER called himself a DEM. Not as impressive as it seems.
Hackett is/was Kerry/Edwards all rolled into one. An opportunistic plaintiff's attorney (Edwards) who got rich off other's misfortunes, and a military vet milking his service, all the while trashing that same military and the POTUS, even calling the President an SOB in an interview! He got what he deserved. RATs eating their own -- gotta love it! BTW - Sharrod Brown, the RAT candidate running for senator against DeWine is a flaming left-wing lib. Should be an interesting campaign.
Didn't Hackett recently call for illegal aliens in this country to be deported???
Maybe Dean got to him...
Unfortunately this is NOT good news IMHO. A primary battle between Hackett and Sherrod Brown would have helped DeWine.
Sherrod Brown in the Senate would be a disaster for Ohio and not helpful for the Republican Party as a whole. For example, you can bet your bottom dollar that, unlike DeWine, Brown would have supported a filibuster against Alito.
Unpopular comments in THIS district would be what Murtha has said, not Schmidt. Jean will win re-election pretty easily. I'm more concerned about DeWine losing to Brown. Sherrod Brown is no better than Howard Metzenbaum.
Another victim! How surprising!
Actually he was SUPPOSED to win. Did not work out like the media predicted. That is the truth!
LLS
nooo this cant be true the ny slimes made him into the next fdr and they cant be wrong
How was he supposed to win in a district the Dems haven't carried in over 30 years and have rarely gotten over 30% in?
They could call it the " Peace Party" and he could inlist Cindy Sheehan.
So is Hackett (D-Barkingmoonbatville) going to run for the House seat again?
Alternate title: Hackett throws a hissy fit, quits politics
There. That's better.
I suggest that you ask the DNC, ABC/NBC/CBS etc how it was that THEY were the ones stating that he was leading, and was going to win that Republican seat.
What is that they say about "perception is reality"?
LLS
"Heads are exploding at DU over this."
Yes. Apparently that genius thinks Dean would have performed better than Kerry during the 2004 race. :)
Isn't this the guy that used a picture of him and GWB during his campaign that fooled the public into thinking he was a supporter of GWB?
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