Paul Hackett, an Iraq war veteran shown in this July 19, 2005 file photo, In Cincinnati, has abandoned his campaign to win a U.S. Senate seat from Ohio less than a year after a strong political debut in which he gained popularity for his staunch criticism of President Bush, according to a published report Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2006. Hackett's wife, Suzi, is at left. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)This is off CNN.Com:
NEW YORK (AP) -- Iraq war veteran Paul Hackett, a Bush administration critic who had been recruited by top Democrats to run for U.S. Senate, said Tuesday he was dropping his campaign and declared his political career over.
Hackett said he was pressured by party leaders to drop out of the Senate primary and run for the House instead.
National Democratic leaders, especially Sen. Charles Schumer, chairman of the Senate campaign committee, had told Hackett's top fundraisers to stop sending money, Hackett told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
"My donor base and host base on both coasts was contacted by elected officials and asked to stop giving," Hackett said. "The original promise to me from Schumer was that I would have no financial concerns. It went from that to Senator Schumer actually working against my ability to raise money."
Schumer, who represents New York, was not immediately available for comment.
"I made this decision reluctantly, only after repeated requests from party leaders, as well as behind-the-scenes machinations, that were intended to hurt my campaign," Hackett said in a statement announcing the end of his campaign.
The deadline for candidates to file for the May 2 primary is Thursday.
Talk about a complete screw-up on the Democrats part. Hackett was a strong Democratic candidate--especially for the Senate race. He's an Iraqi war vet, a critic of the Bush administration, and he was a hair shy of winning the House race against Republican Jean Schmidt in a special election. More importantly, Hackett is a nationally-known figure. What are the Democrats thinking of--first goading Hackett to run for the Senate, and then pulling their support for him in place of Sherrod Brown? Continuing on:
Hackett, a Cincinnati attorney and Marine Reservist, captured national 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. Republican Jean Schmidt won the special election in a tight race.
Hackett had declared his candidacy for Republican Mike DeWine's Senate seat after it appeared Democratic Rep. Sherrod Brown would not run.
A few days afterward, Brown announced that he would run, and national Democrats privately began urging Hackett to step aside for the more seasoned politician.
Democrats also considered Schmidt vulnerable in a rematch against Hackett. She was widely criticized for saying in a House floor speech about a troop pullout recommendation by Rep. John Murtha, a decorated Vietnam veteran: "Cowards cut and run, Marines never do."
Congratulations to the Democratic Party--you have probably just lost a competitive Ohio Senate seat, and respect from liberals and progressives after this screw-up. This is not the way to recapture Congress from the Republican Party. A more seasoned politician? Hackett is not "seasoned" enough? This guy is a nationally knowned politician. He's got the military background--which can translate to foreign policy and defense experience. While he might not have held a public office, Hackett has shown how a progressive can be a threat to a Republican in an extremely conservative district. Look at his picture! Look at it again--he's a young, handsome, and telegenic! The TV cameras would love him--and presenting a positive television image of a candidate is a prime importance to a political campaign. The last thing you want to do is cut him off at the knees, after you've originally given your support to run.
This is not the way to enlist support from the liberals and progressives.
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