Kos says Hackett might be dropping out

[patrioticliberal]

Please don't, Hackett.

[autorank]

1. Don't drop out. Hackett, hang in there.

[GetTheRightVote]

2. I hope he does not but I heard he is getting pressure from DLC.

:kick:

[madfloridian]

3. No, the DCCC under Rahm is asking him to run for House again.

They want him to let Brown run for Senate, and he should run for House again.

[Writer]

6. In other words, they're trying to play 2006 smart.

Hackett will be Hackett, whether it's in the House or Senate.

[bigdarryl]

8. Hackett

Good idea if he runs again against that broad who called Jack Murtha a coward.

[salin]

38. I am guessing that he has a real good chance

of putting "Mean Jean" in the dustbin of failed political careers.

[jackster]

4. all the more reason for him to stay in.....

screw the DLC/Rethug lite!

[Adelante]

5. DCCC

DCCC

[Edgewater_Joe]

7. Is Brown DLC?

That's not the impression I get.

Besides, why not get 'em both? Hackett's positioning himself as a leader in the House, and he's young enough to be around for awhile. Brown seems to have decent credentials.

And really, who can argue with taking down The Wicked Schmitt of the GOP?

[11cents]

10. It has nothing to do with the DLC

... which isn't in a position to pressure anyone. The DCCC is a different animal and has the say and the money.

If it's true that Rahm Emanuel wants him to run for the House again, I think that's absolutely a good idea. There are currently two excellent Democrats running in the Ohio senatorial primary; it happens that one of them came within a whisker of winning a House seat in a very red district. We need the Senate seat and we need the House seat, so why shouldn't the guy with the track record in the House race try again? That gives us the best chance of winning that seat, and we'll still have a good chance of winning the Senate seat too.

[radio4progressives]

27. Excuse me, Emmanuel is DLC .. n/t

[11cents]

33. He's HEAD OF THE DCCC

That's the point here. The DLC is a fax machine in Washington DC. The DCCC is the party organization that recruits and runs candidates for House seats. If it's true that he wants Hackett to run for the House seat (and I don't know if it is) I think it's a good idea.

[LincolnMcGrath]

36. The DLC is a fax machine in Washington DC?

[jackster]

39. sorry, my understanding was that DLC

was also pressuring him to drop out

I have nothing against Brown and and could support him as well. I however liked that Hackett is not an "insider" and has a fresh voice. I didn't agree with him on every issue but then I don't agree with anyone on every issue. Here in Mass, our gov race sees a Democratic primary right now sees one insider running against another. I think it's time for new blood.

Some people believe that a contested primary is not a good thing and wasteful

I can understand that, especially in light of what we are facing this year

I, however, believe that a healthy Democratic Party should welcome new blood and encourage more people to run for office.

[rucky]

37. Why can't they just let us (OH) have a primary?

what do they have to gain from tainting things before voters get a chance to decide?

if its because so-and-so "polls better" that's fucked up, because the best poll you can take is in the voting booths.

[katinmn]

9. I wish DC party folks would not tell people which candidates

should run and which seats they should run for in various states.

That should be left up to the constituents who have to live under these people!

[Coexist]

11. but if we can pick up a House and a Senate seat

it would be worth it. They should have done this sooner - but Paul Hackett in Washington would be great - wherever he sits.

[0007]

23. Absolutely anywhere!

[xchrom]

12. i love hackett!

[snowbear]

18. Me too...

It seems like Sherrod Brown is popular among Ohio Democrats.. but Hackett almost won a seat that was in an extremely rightwing area with the help of crossover votes.

How will Sherrod Brown also obtain that same crossover appeal?

I don't understand the reasoning behind this..

Ohio.. Can Brown beat DeWine as easily as Hackett could have? Does he also appeal to all political persuasions like Hackett does??

:shrug:

[mtnester]

13. My meet and greet with him in my county on the 19th is still on so far

I have not gotten any cancellation notice - I think Hackett is the type of guy who will either craft his smackdown of the DLC request, or announce directly he is switching directions...and he will not do either just because their are rumors out. And he carefully considers before doing anything, so if there is an announcement, it will be soon but probably not tonight.

That said, with Noe's charges today, that may have changed everything.

[Adelante]

15. Why do you say it's a DLC request?

DCCC

[mtnester]

19. My bad - let me change that to Rahm

hopefully, those two are working this out, because if Hackett decides on the smackdown, I believe Rahm may cry.

Promises made have been promises broken here on many sides, I will say that I believe that negotiations are probably taking place, however, they will be on Hacketts terms, I am sure.

[Adelante]

31. No prob, thanks nt

[wyldwolf]

14. It should be his choice but I believe he should

[abbiehoff]

16. It would have been nice if Brown hadn't said he wasn't running.

I don't think Hackett would have decided to run for Senate had Sherrod Brown not announced that he was not going to run. After Hackett announced, Brown decided that he would run after all.

But of course it would be nice to have both of them in Washington.

The problem is that the whole election system in Ohio is a joke. The chances of fair elections are very remote.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

21. Ohio Elections

You're exactly right. I don't have much faith in any positive election results coming out of either Ohio or Florida.....or frankly many other states, but Ohio for sure.

[Catchawave]

17. I'm hearing the same rumors about my Ashe...

..see sig line. Also attached to the DLC/DNC/State Dems (?) trying to place more seasoned candidates in "hot seats" :shrug:

Trying to save money in the state primaries is my guess.

[WilliamPitt]

20. I like hackett a lot

but the other Dem in the rase is exceptional as well.

[snowbear]

22. But answer me this Will.......

Hackett has a unique crossover appeal. That's going to be vitally important in Ohio.

Brown is popular among Democrats there (obviously)..

But will Brown have the same ability to draw in voters of all political persuasions like Hackett could?

Is it really a smart move??

[WilliamPitt]

26. I don't know

Balance the crossover appeal with the apparent fact that he may be dropping out. If there is actually appeal there, why would he be leaving the race?

[cali]

24. Sherrod Brown has a liberal record

and is a real fighter, but I understand the concerns of those who note that Brown initially said he wouldn't run, and then changed his mind after Hackett announced.

[snowbear]

25. Which is why I'm trying to get someone to answer my question...

Will Sherrod Brown have the same crossover appeal and uniqie ability to draw in voters of all political persuasions like Hackett can??

Are Rove and DeWine dancing like pigs in mud about this possible turn of events?

[cali]

32. I don't think there's any way to answer

that question. And it leads to another question; Will Hackett have the same crossover appeal he demonstrated in the special election?

[asthmaticeog]

34. From the polls I've seen, Brown is far past Hackett.

I don't have the figures, but it's always more or less along the lines of Brown vs DeWine = Brown by a wide margin; Hackett vs. DeWine = Hackett by a slim margin.

Brown is very popular. He's served a long time in the House, and he's an experienced legislator with a good name. He's the rare Cuyahoga County liberal with a good name downstate.

Hackett has no legislative experience at all. Frankly the thought of him in the Senate is troublesome - he could *easily* take a house seat though, as he's shown by his astonishing showing last year, and Diebold notwithstanding, it would be a bigger gain for the dems overall to have BOTH of them in Washington. After a couple of house terms he could go after Voinovich's Senate seat and probabaly take it with ease, which makes Ohio all the more more solidly blue.

The truly troubling thing is the seat Brown will be vacating. The rather horrid Capri Cafaro - a wealthy party-girl from a mob-connected family - is running for it. She's the one who got her ass handed to her by Steve LaTourette despite his widely known (and rather appalling) moral and ethical lapses. It would make me happy to see Hackett move up north a few clicks and try for Brown's house seat. I think any of a number of dems could beat Schmidt at this point (except Cafaro;)), but I worry about Brown's seat going to a repub because of Cafaro being such an awful candidate.

[Nite Owl]

28. I was a little annoyed when I

first heard this but they do have a point, it might be better to have a good chance at two seats and let Brown who is more experienced go for the Senate seat. I like Hackett a lot and hope he gets in Congress either way. Don't know much about Brown's record, is he really a liberal or middle of the roader that seems liberal in todays climate?

[Vadem]

29. Oh, no, Paul! I know I'm late on my pledge to you! It will be in...

the mail tomorrow! This race is heartbreaking, because I love Sherrod Brown, as well! He is a liberal after my own heart; however, Paul FIRST said he was running for the US Senate; Sherrod decided after Paul announced to also run for the US Senate. What to do, what to do? I want them both in the US Congress and I just hope it can be worked out favorably for them, as well as us! Ohioans, please do your best!


:kick:

[JohnnyCougar]

30. Good. But "dropping out" is misleading.

Because Hackett would simply enter the congressional race that he narrowly lost before. And running a soldier against Jean Schmidt, the nasty lady that called Murtha a coward, would make for a very interesting and captivating story. Plus, it makes us competitive in another House seat. If we want to win back congress, we can't have two very good candidates competing against each other. They should be competing against Republicans. The Republicans are in an even weaker position now than the first time Hackett ran. And even if he doesn't win, it will be a close race, and will force the Republicans to divert funds to that race. Brown is a progressive, and should not be considered DLC.

[snowbear]

35. How to contact Rahm Emanuel ... (if you don't agree with him)

Right here ---> http://www.house.gov/emanuel/IMA/issue.htm



eek! =EDIT= ...if you do write him, use an Illinois zipcode!