Democratic candidate Paul Hackett, an Iraq war veteran who has been
very critical of the Bush regime, has been forced out of the Ohio
Senate race despite his popularity.
Hackett has been one of the few Democrats willing to
unapologetically make harsh criticisms of the war and the religious
extremism of the Bush regime. And due to his criticisms (and the fact
that he is a veteran), he has been a popular Democratic candidate for
the Senate, including in “red zones” in Ohio. But the Democratic Party
leadership will have none of it.
Behind Hackett’s back, Party leaders were telling donors not to give
to his campaign. “For me, this is a second betrayal,” Mr. Hackett said.
“First, my
government misused and mismanaged the military in Iraq, and now my own
party is afraid to support candidates like me.”
The New York Times reported:
Jennifer Duffy, who analyzes Senate races for the Cook Political
Report, said that part of what made Democratic leaders nervous about
Mr. Hackett was what had also made him so popular with voters.
“Hackett
is seen by many as a straight talker, and he became an icon to the
liberal bloggers because he says exactly what they have wished they
would hear from a politician,” Ms. Duffy said. “On the other hand, the
Senate is still an exclusive club, and the party expects a certain
level of decorum that Hackett has not always shown.”
If you have been holding out for a savior from the Democrat Party in
the 2006 elections, this should come as a serious wake-up call. Leading
Democrats intend to tightly control the terms of debate so as not to
fundamentally challenge Bush’s program. The fact that they will not
allow an Iraq war veteran who can look “tough on national security”
while criticizing the war and other aspects of Bush’s program is telling of what kind of an election this will be.
If you want anything good to happen, this will come through the
independent political action of millions of people breaking out of the
confines which the Democratic Party leadership intends to stuff your
outrage into.
The World Can’t Wait! Drive Out the Bush Regime!
(source: “Popular Ohio Democrat Drops Out of Race, and Perhaps Politics”, NY Times, 2/14)