Enough already!

[Mythsaje]

Do you think, maybe, we can stop the snide sniping back and forth over the Hackett incident? Doesn't everyone think it's pretty much wound itself out by now? I sure as hell do. I'm tired of seeing threads that act as though EVERYONE here blames what happened on the DLC.

It's all getting old.

There were also plenty of people who never laid the Hackett thing at the feet of the DLC, bitching more that it was evidence of "politics as usual" and the habitually ineffectual trying to sabotage someone who had the chance to be a lot more effective on the national scene than they are.

Whether or not they're a part of an organized coalition such as the DLC is pretty much besides the point. People are out here wondering why so many Democrats don't take a stand and appear to waffle on anything of substance, or play party politics WITHIN their own party rather than trying to stand together against a really fucked up administration that's slowly taking America apart with what appears to be the consent of entirely TOO MANY fucking Dems.

Hackett was standing up and calling it like it is, and I realize that a lot of DUers had a problem with his stance on illegal aliens--which, personally, I can't argue with...as much as part of me would like to. I know a lot of people who are dissaffected by BOTH parties because no one will address the issue at all, or hedge around it as if to speak straight might cost them their job.

The problem DOES need to be addressed, but I guess we can continue to pretend it doesn't and piss and moan about an otherwise great candidate because he's willing to at least answer the goddam question.

I personally would like to see Thom Hartmann's plan put into action...if the CEO of a company who hired undocumented workers was looking at 6 months to a year in jail, there'd be thousands of illegals waiting on the border the very next day.

But we can't even talk about that because no one even wants to address the issue. Too many of those who claim to represent us are acting like complete chickenshits, and the Repugs certainly don't want to deal honestly with it, because the last thing their corporate masters want is to eliminate undocumented workers in the U.S.

But I digress.

So it wasn't the DLC who ushered him out of the race. Fine. Can we get over it now?

[Atman]

1. We're sniping at everything lately!

Hell, I've had someone hounding me all day over the definition of "SUV!" LOL! I think BushCo has gotten everybody so on edge, some people are desperate to pick a fight, any fight, they think they might actually be able to WIN! LOL!

[Mythsaje]

3. Ah, yes...

Just call us the Coalition of the Annoyed... :)

[WCGreen]

2. Again, if he was a great candidate....

And truly believed in himself and his cause....

He wouldn't have been scared away by threats form Washington or Columbus....

There is a decided underdog, a good man, a great mind, running against the Ohio machine that Congressman Strickland has put together...

Brian Flannery has had doors shut in his face...

Has had the party back Strickland with overwhelming support...

And yet, he stays in..

Because he absolutly believes in what he is doing....

He is running in Ohio for Governor...

He was a state rep....

He may be sacrificing his future career....

That is a man with conviction and strength...

And he never faught in Iraq...

Nor did he ever call Bush an SOB on national TV....

[FreedomAngel82]

5. Exactly

If he can't even stand up to members of the party than how in the world can he stand up to people like Sessions, Specter, Hatch etc?

[insane_cratic_gal]

8. He stood up by calling Bush a son of bitch

But if you read a single thing about him besides what you "think" you might of know he can hold his own against people like Sessions and Specter. Oh course not wanting to tar and feather another Dem he chose not stand up to "leadership" and step aside.. but damned if you do and damned if you don't right?

He stood up and called the rw'ingers fascist pigs and Christian extremists (is that what got you all pissy with him? I looked previously you were on board with Hackett last year)



You say you aren't against Hackett but I'll be damned if I haven't been chasing you around all friggin day long defending him against your attacks.

I just want to know what he did to offend you so, that you feel it's your obligation to go around slinging mud at him all day?

When are you going to let it go?

[WCGreen]

9. I'm not against him....

I just think Sherrod would be a better progressive candidate... He has a proven track record...

I wanted them to have a primary....

If he decided he didn't want to run against Sherrod, so be it...

But ultimately, he decided to step aside...

That is my point...

[insane_cratic_gal]

11. It wasn't directed toward you

Sherrod might be the best progressive Candidate we have my concern is convincing Ohio moderates and independents who heavily favored Hackett that voting for Brown is in their best interest.

They haven't seemed to care about their best interest in 2000/2004 that or Diebold didn't care.

[WCGreen]

13. But the moderates in Ohio don't know anything about Hackett...

Only those 8% or so that lived in O-2...

Look, I was impressed by the guy on TV.. I wanted him to be THE GUY...

But after I saw him in action... Heard what a lot of rank and file democrats had to say... I just didn't think he was ready for a grueling 8 month campaign...

He needs to set his sights lower, build a base and then run...

But that is just my opinion...

I wish he would have stayed in the race....

It would have served to get Brown and Hackett's name all over the state...

It would have boosted the name recognition of both...

Who ever won the primary would have been ready to take on Dewine...

[MercutioATC]

6. He was ASKED to run by the party...and promised support.

With Brown's change of heart, the party pulled the rug from under Hackett's campaign and backed Brown...ACTIVELY supporting Hackett's opponent.


That's a little different than entering a race and running as an underdog.

[WCGreen]

10. Flannery ws in the race before Strickland....

[MercutioATC]

12. Flannery made an independent decision to run, yes?

Was he asked to run by party leaders? Did the wives of the party leaders call his wife? Was he promised party support?

I think that creates a fundamentally different situation. Had Hackett entered the race of his own volition with no assurances of support from anybody, I'd agree with you. That wasn't the case.

[WCGreen]

14. People have been encouraging Brian to run for years...

They felt he was a legitimate statewide candidate...

But there were also a lot of people calling him and asking him to stand down...

[MercutioATC]

17. I think it's a different situation when Dem leadership initiates things...

...and then actively campaigns against the candidate they promised to help.


Just my opinion.

[brentspeak]

15. Another thing

The Brown partisans are blasting Hackett for the angry comments he made the other day, saying that Hackett's rant is damaging to Brown and the Democratic Party. But imagine how much more damaging it would for Brown if Hackett chose to fight in a primary under the present conditions: Brown would be called a "backstabber" and a "liar" by Hackett every single day on the campaign trail. Then, if Brown won the primary, Mike DeWine could immediately begin contemplating which caterer he wanted to hire for his reelection victory.

[insane_cratic_gal]

16. too late, have you seen this?

http://www.motherjones.com/news/update/2006/02/hackett_drops_out.html

Hackett, who says he would still like to help “retool” the Democratic Party, ends his meteoric political career with some advice for other maverick candidates. “They simply can’t rely on any of the party infrastructure to help them, and they must assume that people at high levels will work against them. These guys,” he says of the party insiders, “view the Senate as a club. They’re not gonna welcome you if one day they turn the key on the clubhouse door and you are sitting there with your feet on the table flippin’ them the middle finger. I understand that from their perspective. It works for them, but not for the rest of us out here.”



He has every right to feel the way he does.

We didn't do right by him. If i feel this angry about it being a strong outspoken Democrat I can only imagine what a won over moderate or republican thinks of the democratic party? I don't think OH 2006 is going to be a pretty sight.

[MercutioATC]

4. Of COURSE it wasn't the DLC. It was Schumer and Reid. (and Brown).

I think it's important to talk about it because these people are the ones we keep voting into office.

For me, it's like the security issue. Is a "secure" America worth it if we have to give up our civil liberties to obtain it?

In the same vein...is keeping some Dems in Congress worth it if we do it by compromising our integrity?


The issue is bigger than Hackett...this episode just brought it into the light.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

7. Do You Think, Maybe, We Can Stop The "Enough Already" Threads and

just ignore the ones we don't want to deal with? LOL

[seabeyond]

18. got old the first day, lol lol. let go of it long ago. just didnt know

what enough already was all about. i actually saw a poster that said now haskett supporters wont be enthusiastic and wont go vote for brown. wtf....... wtf...... again. i mean wtf. not going to go vote for a prgressive cause you are pissed. unconceivable

[Mythsaje]

19. I think the only valid argument you could make

was that those who might have voted for Hackett who wouldn't vote for Brown OR Dewine won't bother to vote at all.