Hackett Likely To Challenge DeWine

[Tony_FLADEM]

Paul Hackett, the Iraq war veteran who nearly won a special congressional election in Ohio earlier this year, has “all but decided to take on” Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH), reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “After making the rounds recently in Washington, Hackett has begun trying to assemble a campaign team in hopes of announcing his candidacy in October.”

Said one Democratic Senate source: “He's said privately that he's running. He's going through the process of hiring staff and getting ready."

[saltpoint]

1. More power to him. It's time DeWine was sent out to pasture.

DeWine is a company man, not much more than a mannequin for the Far Right's ongoing assault on the Bill of Rights.

DeWine's a waste of oxygen. I hope Ohio voters will opt for a fresh face like Hackett's.

[Old and In the Way]

2. Great news!

Go Paul!

[Botany]

3. and DeWine will win 51 to 48.5%

end of story ....

[DCal]

9. Thank you for letting everyone know.

I guess the election can be cancelled now.

[KingFlorez]

11. Or Hackett could win

Let's be optimistic here

[Botany]

13. I will work for and vote for Hackett but

until they clean up the elections here ..... :wtf:

Hackett was running even with Schimdt until "humidity" stop
the vote count and SURPRISE she won every one of the last 90
precincts in Claremont County.

[DemReadingDU]

18. we need some whistleblowers on previous elections

Too many close elections have been won by the Republicans, by 3% to 4%, under odd circumstances. The voting system needs to reformed.

I'd like to see some kind of parallel voting. Take a few precincts and have people vote on the usual machines, and also have them vote manually with paper ballots. After the election, verify if the votes in those precincts are the same.

I'm from Ohio, and I'll help Hackett in whatever office he deicdes to run for. He was impressive in the August OH-02 special election.

[KTinOhio]

29. OK, :humidity" is pretty lame...

...but I'm not at all surprised that Clermont County went for Schmidt. The suburban counties around Cincinnati - Butler, Warren, and Clermont - are all bright red. Cultural issues have something to do with it, but it's mostly just greed.

[Awsi Dooger]

4. Here's a link to the full story

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/elizabeth_auster/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1127554730276460.xml&coll=2

<snip>

"His ability to raise big bucks. In his congressional race, Hackett's ferocious criticism of Bush made him a darling of liberal bloggers, who inspired donors nationwide to pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into his campaign. Hackett at various points called Bush a "chicken hawk" and a "son of a bitch." In interviews afterward, he refused to back down - a posture likely to attract more donations if he pursues a Senate seat.

"Meant it. Said it. Stand by it. Would say it again. I call a spade a spade," Hackett told me last month. "He is a chicken hawk."

"It's also accurate that I don't like the son of a bitch, but I was willing to put my life on the line for him and he should be happy about that. I don't have to love him. I just have to be willing to put my life on the line for him. And I was."

[FogerRox]

5. its time to pick targets --- now---

[NCarolinawoman]

6. Oh Wow! I'm looking forward to more soundbites!

They just come naturally to this guy!

[OKDem08]

8. I'm already eager to donate to his campaign n/t

[Doremus]

7. OMG! This is such good news!!!!!

:party: :toast: :bounce: :thumbsup: :headbang: :woohoo: :applause: :patriot:


Buh bye DeLyin', you repig puke!!!

May you lead a flock of Ohio repukes to crash and burn in '06!

:hi:

[napi21]

10. GREAT NEWS! I wish I lived in Ohio!!!

I don'tm but I know a few who do, and I'm sure at least some will vote for Hackett!!!

I only hope the Dems can find more candidates like Paul!!!!!!!

[drluch]

12. they'll swift boat him somehow. you know the

bush machine will lend rove out like a dirty library book to dewine.

[napi21]

14. I'm sure they'll try, but Paul's not stupid!

I think he'll handle that kind of stuff a lot different than Kerry or McCain did. Paul is a real down to earth guy, and whatever things he might have in his closet, he'll just say, yea, I did that, but so what, is it worst than ducking my military service or just being stupid?

[bklyncowgirl]

15. Good news. He'll make a strong statewide candidate.

Now if they can just clean up the voting in that state he'll have a real shot.

[sasquatch]

16. This is great news, Hackett is going to start a revolution in this state

[SteppingRazor]

17. Excellent! With Warner out in Virginia...

our hopes for a majority were looking very dim. This is definitely a bright spot.

[ps1074]

20. A majority is unreal this election cycle

Dems have more seats to defend. I forgot the numbers but it was something like 18 dems and 14 repugs.

For majority dems wil need a 6 seats gain (a 5 seat gain will result in 50-50 senate). So, we're looking for something like 24 dems and only 8 repubs elected this cycle which is hard to imagine.

Of course it is achievable if there is a big shift to the left. And I believe in 2006 there will be one. Wil it be big enough? Who knows... But if we are to take back the senate in 2006, the shift to the left will be so big that we will also take back the house.

[SteppingRazor]

21. Not necessarily...

Here's all of my Senbate picks. I think the Dems can hold all their seats while picking up more than a few. Lemme know what you think:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2117510&mesg_id=2117510

[safi0]

23. Simply looking at

Numbers this may be true, but looking closer you gotta like our chances perhaps not of retaking the Senate but making serious inroads and making a huge splash in 08 when we only have 12 incumbents up for re-election. Based on who's announced I don't think there's an incumbent Dem who looks like he's in trouble. If someone other than Harris wins in Florida and/or Hoeven decided to run in ND this could change but based on who's announced all look safe. We'll have tough races in Maryland, NJ, and Minnesota but I think only in Minnesota can one really consider the Republican candidate the favorite.

[Adelante]

19. Excellent news!

I've been waiting for this and if he's hiring a staff, I guess this is it. Clark endorsed him for the House and will for the Senate, so we'll be working hard on this race.

woOT!!

:bounce:

[tech3149]

22. Crank up the Paypal or write that check

It's not about buying a seat, it's more like saying that votes don't equal $. Our representatives must not be bought and paid for by the monied interests. They may have more money, but we have greater numbers. The average "working person" outnumbers the wealthy elite by 10,000/1. Every $ you can send to your candidate will help balance the scales. If you can't spare even a $, volunteer some time. Stand behind those who will stand behind you. Paul has never cut & run from responsibility and I don'think he ever will. You've got to do your own research. You should not believe me, you should do your own research and make your own conclusions. All I know is that Hackett has lived a life similar to mine. It's been a poor and hard life. I don't consider that a hardship and documented history shows that he has accepted his position in life and made the most of it. We all have only one honest option, play the hand that you're dealt. Beyond that, Paul understands that the health and welfare of the community affects the individual. The health and welfare of the individual also afffects the community. In a miitary environment, the weakest link could cause the death or injury of all those in the unit. I'm just a nameless/faceless vioce on the internet, but Paul could cover my ass any day, anywhere, anytime.

[Gronk Groks]

26. Where do we donate to his campaign?

This is one guy I am willing to give money to...
...where, when, how much...:kick:

[tech3149]

30. start here

http://hackettforcongress.com/

[Gronk Groks]

32. Kick

:dem: :kick:

[PurpleChez]

24. GREAT news!

[Fla4kerry]

25. For the Ohio people what do the people in your

State think of Dewine? Is he popular, how many terms has he served?
Do you think the voters are motivated to vote against him?

[johnkerryyip145]

27. What People In Ohio Think...

Having lived in Ohio for the last 19 years, here's what i know about DeWine:
He lost his first statewide election in 1992 to John Glenn, then won Howard Metzenbaum's open seat against Joel Hyatt in 1994...Hyatt wasn't a very good candidate at all, from what i remember. Partly b/c he was a trial lawyer--one of the types who use to have ads on TV incessantly. I can still remember the tag line, too--"I'm Joel Hyatt, and you've got my word on it."

Since then, DeWine has never had any real challenge, as there really haven't been any high profile Democratic candidates in this state since Glenn last ran. So DeWine has won in cakewalk after cakewalk, although i don't think anyone has ever been too enthusiastic about him. He's a stuffed shirt with little charisma. In the 10+ years he's been serving, i think i've seen him out front on a conetentious issue about 3 or 4 times, , the last one being the whole Fillibuster Compromise thing. He's a moderate Republican who doesn't engender much confidence from R's, D's, or I's. I've long thought he's been a sitting duck until a strong Ohio Dem challenges him, but, unfortunately, none has come along...until Hackett.

If anything, you can say that Ohio is a fairweather state. And our people aren't blind--we know who's in control, we know who's raised taxes on us, we know who's scrwed up the school system, we know who's failed to keep all our manufacturing jobs (and our youth) from fleeing the state, *AND* we know who bought and lost all those damn coins! If Ohio is ever going back blue, 2006 is *the* year. People here are not happy with the Republican leadership. Since the '04 election, Bush's approval rating has nosedived from 51% to the mid- to high-30's, and our governor--Bob Taft, now a convicted criminal--can't even muster a 20% approval rating.

On top of that, our state is in such dire straits that we have this $2 billion bond issue to create jobs in Ohio this fall. Taft knows he's screwed us and has had to resort to the unthinkable--he's recruited, yes, John Glenn to help sell the bond. This must be the first time since 1994 that the R's in Ohio have conceded that maybe it might be good for everybody if we work in a bipartisan way.

Well, that's my 2 cents. Here's to Blue Ohio, and to soon-to-be Senator Paul Hackett!

[liberaliraqvet26]

28. Hackett is gonna kick his ass!!!!

[Tatiana]

31. This is a MUST-WIN for us! We can gain lots of momentum going into '08

This will be a *verytight* race, but I think we can pull it out.

EVERY DEM nationwide must contribute to this campaign!