Before everyone loses their mind about Paul Hackett's withdrawal...

[WilliamPitt]

...learn a little bit about Sherrod Brown, the guy who is also running to unseat Mike DeWine.

He has been endorsed by Progressive Democrats of America. Here is the page detailing his stance on the issues:

http://www.house.gov/sherrodbrown/issues.htm

Pay close attention to his stand on Iraq.

Now, I like Paul Hackett. But before DU goes spiralling off into a bender about DCCC/DLC centrist bastard fuckasses, take a look at Sherrod Brown. If the DCCC is backing good progressives like Brown, then all the yelling doesn't seem to jibe.

[springsteen4senate]

1. It is still a disgrace

[WilliamPitt]

2. Why?

[springsteen4senate]

9. cause hackett had a pair of balls...

they told him to run then screwed him

[WilliamPitt]

13. I didn't hear about Sherrod Brown being a gelding

Hm.

[Atman]

21. They must not have been very big balls

Sorry...I think there is more strategery here than is being reported. They want him for Congress, since they already feel assured they have someone who will lock up the Senate race.

[ISUGRADIA]

46. The Senate race is not locked up by any means with Brown

and they know it. No, they are conservative (as in caution) in their instincts and don't want an untested (to them) candidate running. So they nudge Hackett to get out to prevent, god forbid!, a contested primary. In a year when being an outsider is going to be an advantage they have blown it with this choice (but then they usually do when they meddle).

[WillyT]

23. Exactly...

pulled the rug right out from under him. Now he's talkin about leaving politics for good.

And WE make jokes about The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight!

We got some fucking nerve!

:puke:

[Skittles]

132. male body parts are not required for courage

ya know?

[Mythsaje]

15. If you don't know, I sure as hell can't explain it...n/t

[EFerrari]

16. Because calling a man's contributors behind his back is wrong. n/t

[InsultComicDog]

44. The Dem leadership pulled the rug out from under Hackett

now they can do what they are so good at - losing elections.

As you can see, I'm pissed about this.

This is not OK.

[Lex]

3. I sincerely hope Hackett doesn't choose to withdraw from politics

altogether.

That would be a terrible decision, imho.

[proud patriot]

This is my greatest concern too

Brown looks like a wonderful Guy ...

My concern is not in anyway meant as a diss
on him .

[Demoiselle]

29. If this kind of party pressure is enough to make him walk away entirely...

then Hackett has NOT got what it takes to be a good politician.
So many here at DU complain that the Dems don't put together
a unified front...and yet when the party asks one of its absolute
newcomers to accommodate a team effort...the screaming starts...against the team effort!
I think we need to calm down a little.

[Catrina]

32. I hope he doesn'e run as a Republican now ~ talk about alienating

people. Way to go, Schumer.

Maybe he can be persuaded to run as an Independent. I think he has way more name recognition than Brown, and that's important ~ people across the country would support him, as they did before.

I am sick of 'nice' candidates who think that you can be polite with the crowd who have hi-jacked this country. They are vicious bullies, and Paul Hackett is so not politically correct, which is what we need at this time, imo. He tells the truth, no matter how shocking it is to the weasels who call themselves journalists these days ~

[WildEyedLiberal]

81. If he does, then he was never a Dem and it's a good thing he withdrew. nt

[rocktivity]

47. What do the Rethugs have on him?

Withdrawing from one race is one thing. Withdrawing from politics altogether is another. I can't imagine what the Dems could have promised him in return.

:headbang:
rocknation

[FreedomAngel82]

4. And from what I'm reading

they're trying to get him to run for Congress and it seems the House is what the party is trying to focus more on than the Senate. Remember this is where impeachment starts. And if Hackett can't even say "no" and stand up for his own campaign and the people who believe in him than maybe politics isn't for him. How would he do in the Senate? (side note: I do like Hackett and agree with him on issues but I thought he was a fighting democrat)

[Pirate Smile]

109. This is what the Dems were trying to do.

Hackett's Move In OH

Great news for Dems in OH; if Paul Hackett sticks to his plan, the party has killed two problems with one deft withdrawal.

Vet Hackett (D) opts to run against Rep. Jean Schmidt (R), the freshman he nearly beat -- and Rep. Sherrod Brown (D) can concentrate on building a case against Sen. Mike DeWine.

We're told that Hackett plans an official announcement tomorrow, unless he changes his mind.

Make no mistake: Hackett's chances of defeating Schmidt are at least fifty-fifty, and Dems have credibly expanded the field of competitive races by one. (Can Dems clear the primary in OH-2?) Hackett's re-re-recruitement is the second major success for the DCCC in recent days: they just recruited ex-Rep. Ken Lucas to challenge Rep. Geoff Davis in KY-4.

AS Chris Cillizza notes, the filing deadline is Thursday, 4 p.m.

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/02/hacketts_move_i.html

:(

[DemonGoddess]

5. besides, if Hackett

goes after the contested HOUSE seat, and they both win, we get TWO seats, not just one.

[Mythsaje]

6. That's NOT the point, Sir...

With all due respect, the point is that they've managed to damage someone we desperately need in politics.

[WilliamPitt]

11. How is he damaged?

Exactly how?

Would it not be more damaging to have two good Democrats beat the shit out of each other in a primary battle? They spend all their money trying to beat each other and DeWine wins in a walk. Primary fights can be incredibly draining.

Or.

Brown runs for DeWine's seat and Hackett runs for a House seat. Two for one.

[berni_mccoy]

25. Or

Hackett is pissed from getting jerked around (told to run by party leaders, then told not to), that he loses faith in leadership for the party and gets out of politics. Win some, lose some, I suppose.

[derby378]

57. My sentiments exactly

The old adage still applies: Don't change horses in mid-stream. That's effectively what the Dems did when they chased Hackett out of the Senate race.

And yes, I'm reading up on Sherrod Brown. I'm not impressed by his HJ Res 24, which Nero would have blown through like it was wet toilet paper. But the Homeward Bound bill may have some promise.

[RagingInMiami]

80. But did he say he is running for congress?

I just heard on Malloy that Hackett said he felt betrayed twice, once by Bush in Iraq and now by the dems.

[noamnety]

136. Will, are you saying what I think you're saying?

For the good of the party, we should let DCCC/DLC select all our candidates, and do away with the concept of primaries, where the people get to vote for their favorite?

That's what it sounds like, and I'm sure not comfortable with a few people in power making the decision on who is allowed to run for office. That doesn't fit with my idea of democracy at all. Frankly, I find that aspect of this fiasco far more troubling than the specifics of which candidate is going to run in this particular race.

[Adelante]

12. Well, he shouldn't let himself be damaged

He should run for the House and win.

[incapsulated]

20. Exactly

I would imagine I would be less than thrilled to run as a Dem after being treated like this. First Brown says he isn't going to run, then he changes his mind after Hackett announces, then the party "leaders" come down on him like a fucking ton of bricks to get out. Fuck them. Or rather, fuck US since Hackett is the kind of outspoken, spine intact, charismatic democrat this pathetic excuse for an opposition party needs.

[slaveplanet]

96. And I'll add...

There are still adults left in Ohio. It should be their right to decide their course in the primaries..not by DLC decree.

[stop the bleeding]

7. self delete

[Nashyra]

17. They have managed

to aparently malign a Democrat with National appeal. You know the kind of guy that helps bring togehter the grassroots.

[FreedomAngel82]

27. National appeal??

Do you mean Hackett? How many people outside of Ohio who aren't political junkies and don't listen to any type of progressive radio know about him? :shrug:

[ISUGRADIA]

52. Gee, probably not that much given that's it's only February

but with hackett this would be much more of a national media race come this fall. With Brown it's just a race between two career politicians.

[deadparrot]

8. Thanks, Will.

For adding a little bit of sanity to this hysteria.

[seabeyond]

10. ya well i donated to hackett all the way from texas. thanks will

i have heard this about brown prior to your post. then i hope brown is capable of speaking out. that is why we all liked hackett so much. and he is cute, wink

[libnnc]

14. But Will, Hackett is a good guy

and should have been ENCOURAGED. We need all the good guys we can get, right?

[WilliamPitt]

18. I agree

But Brown is going to win DeWine's seat, and Hackett can win a House seat. Two for one.

Primary fights are ugly. Besides, I don't recall any Party folks encouraging him to run. In fact, I seem to remember the opposite happening.

[Donna Zen]

129. I doubt that Brown will win

I'm just thinking that knowing 1) how screwed up the Ohio party is 2) having lived in Ohio 3) knowing that we will need crossover votes which a maverick might get but not a partisan Dem.

I happen to like Brown, and I do know his record. Fine. But, I wanted to win this Senate seat.

The house seat in question is in a crazy part of Ohio. It may be do-able, probably not, but Hackett is smart to stay out. I'd imagine that he's seen enough. Hackett is a team player which is very difficult when people don't play as a team.

[deadparrot]

19. They encouraged him to run for the House seat.

It's a way to pick up two congressional seats (one Senate, one House) instead of just the one. Why is that such a bad thing?

[FreedomAngel82]

31. Right

That's what I'm getting too and from what I've been following is that the party is trying to get more House seats than anything. This is where the big stuff happens.

[Twist_U_Up]

69. Hackett told those running

for those seats he wouldnt do that to them. Hes good on his word. Is Brown ? I thought he was out at one time ?

[deadparrot]

85. I find it funny

how so many here keep declaring that Hackett has a right (which he does) to a bloody primary fight, "because it's our choice, dammit," yet Brown's a spoiler who needs to leave now. :shrug:

[Twist_U_Up]

94. Heres an idea

Brown can run for Congress, everybodys happy

[deadparrot]

98. He's already been in the House!

The man has a right to run for the upper house of Congress if he wants!

[Armstead]

22. I agree -- Brown has been one of the good guys in the House

If Brown and Bernie Sanders both make it to the Senate, they will add some much-needed progressive members to that body.

The national party perhaps should have let the primary play out, or nudged hackett to a House race.

But pushing for Brown is actually a good thing, ij the sense that it shows the psarty poo-bahs are not totally afraid of backing clear progressives like Brown.

[FreedomAngel82]

34. How is Bernie doing by the way?

[Armstead]

37. Unless a snowball survives in Hell, he's a shoo-in

Because Vermont only has one House member, bernie has already been re-elected to Congress on a statewide level mucho times, and is still very popular.

Unless the Vermont voters suddenly drink massive amounts of KoolAid, or Bernie is caught sleeping with a horse, he'll win the Senate race.

But this is 2005 in America, so anything can happen.

[Auntie Bush]

66. Don't worry! Bernie is In like Flin! Everyone loves Bernie! n /t

[mdmc]

137. kick for the Bernie love!

peace and low stress!

[Mend]

40. except if he loses to dewine...for being too liberal and too soft,

unlike the tough war vet Hackett who would appeal to repukes too

[Mythsaje]

53. Quick-witted, smart, tough, straight-talking, and no nonsense...

I can't imagine why anyone would vote for him.

Sheesh.

[Armstead]

54. If that's the case, Ohio would be a lost cause anyway

Brown is a progressive (or liberal if you want) with a track record in the House of fighting for what's right.

If the voters in Ohio drink the Bush Koolaid again, then they will have shown themselves to be irredeemably red, and there's nothing we can do about that.

[InsultComicDog]

75. Horseshit

You're already making excuses for losing.

[Armstead]

92. Whatever -- I was just responding with my opinion

[Guaranteed]

24. I don't fucking give a shit, Will.

Yeah, we've heard this fucking line for months, now.

I'm sorry- don't WE get to pick?

[WilliamPitt]

28. Are you from Ohio?

Did you pick all the people who ran in Ohio last time around? The time before?

That's a damned stupid statement.

[Guaranteed]

33. Is Harry Reid? Is Chuck Schumer?

Is Paul Hackett?

[kid a]

110. A-fucking-MEN

[theHandpuppet]

139. Oh -- Are YOU from Ohio, Will?

That poster has just as much right to have their say about Ohio politics as YOU. Sometimes your hubris in these debates really gets on my nerves, Will. Stop pedaling so damned fast for the DNC all the time, setting yourself up as the infallible source of all political wisdom.

So the Dem leadership wants Hackett to run for a seat in the House. Ummm.. didn't he ALREADY do that? Yeah, we remember Jean Schmidt, kiddies. Okay then, he can run again in District Two, the most conservative and corrupt district in Ohio where Ken Blackwell's buddies control the ballot boxes. Yeah, that makes sense -- NOT.

I was born and raised in Ohio and I say Hackett got SCREWED. Do I qualify? I reserve my pain for my family, who live in Ohio's District Two in a county that carried Hackett by two to one but got robbed by the GOP fascists in Cincy's tentacles. I can't wait until the DNC calls and asks my partner and I for more money. They can kiss my fat white ass.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

26. It's not Sherrod Brown that gets people's ire.

It's the fact that Paul was shuffled off so easily.

Peace.

[bonito]

30. K&R n/t

[Mend]

35. I read on another site that Paul Hackett was behind Brown

in the polls. If that is so, maybe he should move his resources into the congressional race. I donated to him from out of his state and this is a bummer.

[Botany]

36. With all repect sir, BULLSHIT

The choice of Brown or Hackett should be made by the
democratic voters of Ohio not senators from Nevada or New York.

Hackett would do very well at pulling repug voters to him ....
you can not say the same thing about Brown.

I am sick of this crap ..... everybody get on that dem bus and get
behind candidate X because come Nov. he/she will win big and
take us to the promised land.

I met Paul last week and he exactly what the party needs ....
a straight talking person who can think on his feet and has a
tremendous up side.

DeWine will paint Brown as a big city liberal and win in a walk
(partly due to dirty machines).

I live in Ohio and know what will happen.

[Guaranteed]

38. Exactly. For once we have a GOOD leader, with principles,

who is ALSO ATTRACTIVE TO THE MIDDLE!

HALLELUJAH! you'd think our leadership would be saying.

But, no. We get this bullshit. Same old, same old.

[WilliamPitt]

39. A good leader?

He has to win first. I'd like to see him in the House, and Brown in DeWine's seat.

But somehow the DLC wants a leftie like Brown to win...or something.

Brown is to the left of Hackett.

[Guaranteed]

48. Left or right is not the point. Being to the left isn't going

to make Brown a good anything.

It's the fact that people LIKE Hackett. He wasn't afraid to just speak the truth. And he needed more exposure. We had this great thing going- woulda had the seat for sure, and an amazing future ahead of that guy- and it's once again ruined by the Reids and the Schumers and the Clintons.

He could have transformed the party.

Maybe that was the problem?

Deja vu.

[TacticalPeek]

77. Fucking A!

He could have transformed the party.

Maybe that was the problem?

Deja vu.


Deja fucking vu. It's about Hackett standing up for what's right and that apparently makes some bigshots too uncomfortable. Sometimes the Democratic party could not act more in the Republicans' interest than if Karl Rove himself were running it. I swear, sometimes I wonder.

[Botany]

50. Brown is to the left of Hackett.

Which means come the general election it will be much tougher form Brown to win the
Hackett.

Are you from Ohio?

[NuttyFluffers]

134. logic and emotions, not always on the same page....

when in doubt go with emotions, easiest way to predict what people will do, basic human psychology. emotions get people off their ass and take action. hackett got people off their ass to take action. stop thinking about the people of ohio from your head in terms of political strategy. that's a lost cause from the beginning. think about people from ohio with your heart and read their emotions, then you'll know each and every twist and turn they'll make. it's not really that hard.

in fact, there's plenty of people from ohio on this board already stating what they can read emotionally from their fellow citizens in that state. hackett was the threat to republican established power, he was the mover and shaker, he would have motivated people to act, he spoke the 'republican language' of emotion and used it against them. brown? well, you're always welcome to delude yourself by overthinking things... but people are pretty easy to predict once you learn to listen and read them, not listen to your ego, logic, strategy, etc. so far there's been a majority of ohio residents pissed than happy about this; imagine how the non-involved voter and disgruntled republican will feel about this? the answer is pretty easy and i can only pray that i'm wrong.

[Mythsaje]

41. Which is why I posted this...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=410306&mesg_id=410306

[rockymountaindem]

73. Wait a minute... now we're for appealing to the middle

One minute DU wants nothing more than to tell those people with the fenceposts up their asses where to get off, and to dump the DLC which has staked it's reputation on appealing to the middle, and the next minute we're all about centrism because a favored candidate is getting flack from the leadership.

It's like Will just said, first we complain about the lack of party unity, and when it shows up we're mad.

Ya can't win around here.

[Mythsaje]

79. There's a difference between being a middle road populist

and a corporate hack.

[Guaranteed]

88. BINGO.

The DLC-coward philosophy and the populist philosophy are entirely different animals.

[Mythsaje]

97. I'm an anti-DLC moderate populist...

I know damn well what the difference is...I'm just not sure many other DUers do.

[melissaf]

42. Thanks

I was waiting for someone with a level head to comment on this mess. Schumer and the national dems may be squandering some (or a lot of) grass-roots support, but Paul Hackett's response sounds a bit on the juvenile side. I mean, "You pushed me out of this race, so I'm giving up on politics forever"? Come on. Politics is rough business. Plenty of people get chewed up and spit out by the system, and they come back and keep trying. But Hackett has his first run-in and decides he's going to take his marbles and go home?

I know this isn't a popular opinion (and will surely get me flamed), but I'm starting to get sick of people jumping up and down and shrieking wildly and threatening to join another party when the Dems do something they don't like. Isn't the reason the Dems do so poorly is that we're constantly attacking each other when something bad happens? Why can't we at least try to look at the issue from all sides, or give Schumer et. al. the benefit of the doubt, even for a few seconds, even if we still come to the conclusion that they f*cked up?

Please can we try to foster a little bit of good old fashioned solidarity? Please? Because I'm sick of being perpetually angry, and I'm sick of constantly looking for things to be angry at.

[Cleita]

43. I don't have a dog in this fight personally, but it

seems like more bait and switch going on here to me. Here comes along a guy who has a chance to actually take a bite out of a largely red neighborhood. Everyone get's behind him and then the DLC party Rovians come along and say, well here we have something, so thanks so much Paul but we have someone better. Oh, no we never would have run him before you came along because we didn't think we had a chance, but now you have proved to us that we do. So run along Paul and thanks.

It kind of reminds me why Dean didn't make it in the primaries. He actually proved his move away from centrism could work, but those who decide who will run didn't want him, but someone who could sort of seem like him. Ho Hum. Yawn.

[kentuck]

45. I was just getting ready to post on this subject...

The Senate is not the House. Paul Hackett has a bright future ahead of him. He is not a professional politician. There is no disgrace in starting with the House and moving up. And he surely has the potential to move up. There will be another Senate seat open soon in Ohio. He should think twice about where he is needed and the timing of his decision. Yes, he might even win the Senate but he needs a Party base behind him. He cannot go it alone. He should start with the House. He is not ready to run for the Senate, in my opinion.

[RazzleDazzle]

49. Totally, utterly, completely irrelevant

It's not about whether Brown is okay or better than okay, or even wonderful. It's about the betrayal of Hackett, the people of Ohio, and the purportedly democratic process itself, as well as the interference by know-nothings in Washington with Ohio politics and voters.

I swear, the longer they're in Washington, the freakin' less they actually know. Makes me about ready to support term limits. They are SO out of touch with reality and everyday people that it's ludicrous. As if they lived on some other planet, or in a world of their own.

[stevedeshazer]

51. Nothing against Brown

What's wrong with a good primary race? Come on, man. I guess you're for the party leaders picking the candidate instead of the voters?

Dude, I agree with you 98%, but this is fucked up. They threw him under the bus after encouraging him to run. That's just plain wrong.

[FrenchieCat]

55. That's why we keep fucking losing! Like "they" know anything....

Those party leaders!

Will, You said that Brown will "unseat" DeWine.

Let's just wait till after the election to say that.

Something that hasn't happen yet does not a good rationale make! :shrug:

[melissaf]

64. "they" are career politicians

"They" have devoted their lives to politics. I'm sure "they" probably have some skills and/or experience that the vast majority of us here at DU do not possess. So maybe "they" have a better reason for doing this than, "We don't want to win elections!" or "We're all fucking losers!"

[Mythsaje]

70. And they've been so successful recently, haven't they? n/t

Welcome to DU, by the way!

[melissaf]

87. Yeah, but does that mean

we can just write off what they're doing as stupid/evil/self-serving/corporatist/etc, etc. before we know all the facts?

And thanks for the welcome. :D

[FrenchieCat]

71. "they ain't shit"....

Politics ain't brain surgery now.

When you've got Bush in the White House for 8 fucking long ass years, ask yourself how smart "they" really are.

I ain't impressed!

[melissaf]

104. Schumer and Reid

have been in congress for 20+ years. They came to Washington loooooong before GW. They have my respect just for that reason.

[FrenchieCat]

107. Good for you.....

career politicians! Hell, I'm still not impressed!

[mdmc]

140. I used to make that same mistake

"someone up there must know something that I dont."

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

56. If Brown's such a decisive leader...

why did he say he wasn't running, wait til hackett entered the race, saw the polls for DeWine looking bad, then changed his mind and acted like he was entitled to the nomination?

[FrenchieCat]

59. I hate that "entitlement" shit....

Stinks like Kingmakers wannabee to me!

[InsultComicDog]

72. Sure does.

It stinks

[OzarkDem]

145. He didn't

Get the facts straight. Hackett sat on his butt and didn't announce his candidacy. The race became fair game.

[Blue_Tires]

58. well, all I'll say is this:

since the party decided to ambush Hackett to get 'their' candidate in place for the senate race......

BROWN FUCKING DAMN WELL BETTER WIN!!!!

No excuses...if somehow things get fucked up, and DeWine or whoever is still sitting in the senate, then this party leadership truly is deserving of every bad thing I've said about it...

[FrenchieCat]

61. And you know how politics goes....if something wrong can happen,

it will.

Brown better fucking win.....cause I'm bookmarking this damn thread!

[Twist_U_Up]

60. I dont know ,something stinks..........

Brown wants out, then hes back in after Hackett enters.

Now the Dem's gang up on Hackett and force him to step to a congressional run but Hackett has told others running for that seat, he wouldn't enter.He upholds his words.

Hackett is a fresh voice that speaks truth to power. We can all have faith in him, if he were to win the seat, we know he would put the fire to bush.

Browns institutionalized he does what you have to do to just coast by in the Senate.

I was kind of looking forward to Hacketts approach but of course ....we cant have that now can we.

[Guaranteed]

63. He'd just take over the party.

They can't have that.

He is...or was...our party's future. He has "stuck" virtually every issue imaginable, and he has the style and charm.

It doesn't get better for us. So of course our Dem leaders have to fuck it up.

[Mythsaje]

67. He doesn't stumble...

If he says something, he defends it. And WELL, even in the face of criticism. There aren't too many Dems willing to do that, and it stinks they'd do this to him.

I'm pissed off.

[Tiggeroshii]

62. This was a good chance for the Iraqi veterans to have

some very experienced representation in congress. He knows what it's like to have not jsut one tour of duty there, but a few more. Unlike anybody else in the Senate, he has the freshest memory of what it's like to be fighting an unjust war as -well as a first hand point of view of what these soldiers that the right wing has used as it's official criticism shield for so long, have gone through. No other really decent candidate has his kind of experience and if anything, it is really giving the veteran Democrats a short straw- not progressives.

Somehow people have mistaken Hackett's honesty for a progressive platform. He really is quite moderate, but his politics really aren't the main reason why I appreciated him.

[Mythsaje]

65. He's pro-choice, pro gay rights, anti-war, and pro-America...

That's damn good enough for me. How "left" do we need someone to be?

[Tiggeroshii]

68. Yep. He's clearly a Democrat.

I just think that he would have given some people a good opportunity to be represented who really don't have any representation yet. It's a shame this happened.

[Mythsaje]

76. I'm a moderate populist, one of the "radical middle,"

not necessarily a "lefty," whatever that is. I have yet to hear Hackett say something that didn't ring right.

[derby378]

74. ...and Sherrod Brown is anti-gun

Observe:

February 12, 2004

Dear Mr. Schneider:

Thank you for expressing your support for a renewal of the 1994 assault weapons ban.

In 1994 Congress enacted a ban on semi-automatic assault weapons. Every major police organization--local, state, and national--supported the assault weapons ban. They made clear that assault weapons are the guns of choice for drug dealers and the most violent criminals in America. All too often, criminals illegally obtain weapons and threaten public safety and law enforcement officials. These men and women, who put their lives on the line every day, fear that they are being outgunned by criminals who use these weapons.

It makes sense to update the ban to reflect emerging public safety threats. When Congress considers legislation reauthorizing the 1994 ban, please be assured I will keep your views in mind.

Thank you again for contacting me.
Sincerely,

SHERROD BROWN
Member of Congress
2332 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
[e-mail]

I would think a real progressive has nothing to fear from semi-automatic rifles no matter what they look like.

[benEzra]

143. Assault weapons:

Ruger mini-14 Ranch Rifle, banned by name by S.645 ("assault weapons ban")



Benelli turkey-hunting shotgun, banned by S.645 due to the protruding handgrip.

[incapsulated]

82. Damn Straight

This Lefter than Thou shit makes me sick. Hackett is left enough for most of us here on DU and that is pretty fucking far left.

In addition, being the leftiest isn't exactly the most winning strategy in... OHIO. Hello? Paul's appeal came from the fact that he was an UNAPOLOGETIC Democrat who nearly took the reddest of red districts.

When someone like that comes along, you support him and make him the star. Or you would THINK. But no, they treat him like second hand crap and push him out of a race he was led to believe by Brown himself, was his to take.

[Mythsaje]

100. Exactly why I'm pissed off...exactly! n/t

[melissaf]

78. a little something from dkos:

"To be further clear, Brown announced his candidacy before Hackett did. Yes, Reid and Schumer were urging Hackett to run, but he wouldn't commit to running. Labor Day, the traditional announcement day for most candidates, came and went with Hackett refusing to say what his plans were. So after waiting and waiting and waiting, Brown essentially said "fuck it" and got in. It was only after news of Brown's impending announcement were leaked that Hackett decided to commit to the race.

Bottom line? Hackett didn't stand a chance, he wasn't backstabbed by his party since Brown's candidacy was announced before his was (if he'd only committed sooner, Brown might've stayed out), and the party wasn't out to screw him, they were out to get him to run in the House."

[FrenchieCat]

83. Do you have a repudable link on Brown announcing first......

Cause I remember it the other way round! :hi:

[incapsulated]

89. So do I, and not only that...

I remember Brown wishing Hackett luck. Am I fucking hallucinating all this?

[melissaf]

90. Check dkos

The post is an update on their front page:

http://www.dailykos.com

[incapsulated]

95. I'm supposed to take Kos' word? He was for Brown all along.

Where is the evidence for this version of history that is totally different from what I remember reading?

I guess I will have to google it myself.

[TacticalPeek]

123. That smoke from Kos looks like a lot of baloney to me.

If you read down through the thread, there is nothing that supports that lame attempt to revise history like a good Orwellian.

Hackett being pushed out is a tremendous disappoint to me, but it is no worse than seeing so many like Kos and others, even here, trying to pull the wool over people's eyes about how progressive Brown is, or how all Emmanuel was doing was trying to get Hackett in the House race, not out of the Senate race, blahblahblah.

Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining.




And, welcome to DU!
:toast:

[noamnety]

142. The kos statement doesn't pass the logic test

First claim:
Brown announced his candidacy. Then Hackett announced his candidacy.

Second claim:
There were leaks that Brown would be announcing his candidacy. Prior to Brown's announcement - during the rumor phase - Hackett commits to running. That sounds like Hackett announced first, no?

Note: Blame is placed on Hackett for refusing to commit by Labor Day, Brown is portrayed as waiting and waiting. Couldn't this as easily be turned around, as Brown refused to commit, Labor Day came and went, and after waiting and waiting, Hackett said "fuck it" and got in? The fact is, neither one of them committed by Labor Day, they both waited and waited to make a decision. I'm sorry, but the spin on that is worthy of Rove.

[berni_mccoy]

84. I don't think it's worth losing one's mind over, but...

I do think there is reason for concern here.

The Dem Leadership asked and supported his run.

Then they subverted it.

Then they asked Hackett to break his own personal word to other Democrats.

WTF?

I'm not losing my mind, just very VERY concerned. Ohio (I'm from there) is not a LEFT LEANING STATE. They need people like Hackett who ARE HONORABLE who KEEP and HONOR THEIR WORD. Ohioans have been lied to time and time again by politicians. Hackett is SOMEONE THEY CAN TRUST.

Read my post here about this: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=410825&mesg_id=410825

[budkin]

86. CONTACT HACKETT HERE

Tell him not to leave the party and that we support him!

http://www.hackettforohio.com/page/s/contact

[mcscajun]

141. Done!

:)

[Rex]

91. Business as usual.

Good to keep him out, a young Senator who served in the military could run for POTUS one day. I understand there is another man, worthy of running. Hackett should be supported fully for another House run, with huge amounts of money to back a sure fire campaign. Otherwise he might as well shoot for the big seat.

[Mythsaje]

99. I kinda suggested something like that here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=410306&mesg_id=410306

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

93. I think the biggest worry, is losing this guy to politics, or the party,

entirely, due to disillusionment over getting jacked around.

I think that fear is pretty legit.

[FrenchieCat]

103. And all of the time, I thought it was the other party

Who looked like "The Gang who couldn't shoot straight".

Dem leaders looking real bad righ bout now!

[FrenchieCat]

105. Obviously not a realistic concept.....according to the Gang

that couldn't shoot straight...and I don't mean Cheney and them!

[usregimechange]

101. Brown is great but the Dem leaders should be held accountable

for this. It may have only been a couple of senators but still. That wasn't right and I would believe Hackett over them anyday.

[SnoopDog]

102. Silly me, I would think it would be up to the CITIZENS of OHIO...

to choose their candidate...

Not PDA or Reid or Shummer... What a concept.

[melissaf]

108. Are you a citizen of Ohio?

Because if you're not, you should take your own advice.

If you are, write a million complaint emails to the DNC and Schumer and Reid and all the rest of the evil bunch.

[SnoopDog]

113. Being a citizen of Ohio has nothing to do with my my post...

So what is my own advice I am suppose to take?

As an American and as a Democrat and as a Member of DU I can post my thoughts on this subject. A Democracy is up to its CITIZENS - I was simply pointing out the obvious - and to point out that maybe members of our own party are part of the problem.

[melissaf]

118. Well, if you're not a citizen of Ohio

then you shouldn't be choosing the best candidates for _them_.

Of course, you have a right to your own opinion. We all do. All I'm suggesting is that instead of going for the jugular of our own party, maybe we should step back and look at all sides of the issue.

To me, the fact that Hackett is throwing a temper tantrum over this means that he doesn't understand how the system works. I don't know how precisely how the system works, either. But I'm also not suggesting that we tear down the Democratic party and burn it on the alter of Hackett's former campaign.

[SnoopDog]

120. Who says I was choosing the best candidate?

Actually, I was saying that the CITIZENS of OHIO should choose.

What is there to misunderstand about that?

Funny, it seems that you do not want the citizens to choose the Dem candidate... Why is that?

[melissaf]

122. Funny

you don't know jack shit about me, so stop trying to make me out as a troll. Or would you rather not let me have _my_ own opinion?

[SnoopDog]

124. Similarly,

can I not have my own opinion as well?

[melissaf]

126. Actually

if you'll read my previous post, you'll see that I said "Of course you're entitled to your own opinion."

But in reading DU tonight, it looks like I'm in the minority. So I'm going to bed. Cheers.

[Lexingtonian]

106. I don't get the frenzy about this, in a way

If you were looking for the best possible office to put Paul Hackett into, U.S. Senator- whose job boils down to vetoing bad initiatives by the House and bad appointees by the President and looking at stuff gone wrong- is simply not it.

I can see Hackett doing some great stuff in the House of Representatives, were he part of the majority Party there. I can see him doing a lot in Ohio, were he in some substantial position of power in the state government.

[Ksec]

111. Brown IS a good candidate.

I looked over his platform and bio.

I hate that Hackett was sacrificed for Brown though. You would think these kinds of things would be figured out beforehand. That shows a real problem in our leaders.

[melissaf]

112. It sounds to me like they _weren't_ trying to sacrifice

Hackett. They were trying to get him to run for the House. Why is that such a bad thing???

[Ksec]

117. It wouldnt be a bad thing if they had figured this out before now

I mean cmon. Wouldnt this kinda thing be glaring to everyone, especially the leaders? Do these things in a backroom somewhere before someone gets into a race.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

114. This is a shill response, ru- Will

[bonito]

115. Will, your deep into it tonight

But I don't mind saying I enjoy your posting.
Thanks for being here. Peace

[WilliamPitt]

130. Thanks

I've decided to let this flame out on its own. My opinion is just that: mine. I'm not going to ram it down anyone's throat.

[Nothing Without Hope]

116. Not only what they did but the way they did it was despicable.

Hackett tells of learning they were calling his supporters behind his back. He is out of politics and may stay out because of digust over this brush with powr politics business as usual. That is a loss.

Ah yes, that effective, fiery Dem leadership:

[Beelzebud]

119. Please everyone. Read dailykos.com front page right now.

Kos actually makes a damn fine point about this situation. The more I think about it, the more I'm starting to wonder just why the hell Hackett is saying he's getting out of politics entirely.

[melissaf]

121. I posted part of dkos's

response about 50 posts up the thread. But apparently, we can't trust what dkos says, either, according to the consensus on this thread. The national Dems are bad--if you disagree, you're a shill...

[xultar]

150. It's the victim complex. People use it to manipulate. My mom is a champ

@ it and so is my grandmom.

[Dr Fate]

125. And now for the democratic (small "d") response:

Fuck that.

Keep Harry Reid and his "strategy" away from my would-be candidates and let the primary voters decide who their man will be.

[DemonGoddess]

127. I happen to think that STRATEGICALLY

it's far better to run them BOTH for the different houses of government. Both are showing as strong candidates, so why NOT run in two races, and thus gain a seat in each body? What's wrong with that?

[jonas_stradlater]

128. I admit that I'm not an expert on the political scene in Ohio

but am I the only one who doesn't understand this story. First of all, warning flag popped up when I saw it was the NY fucking Times on this. Once I hear Hackett and others involved explain it, then I'll form a real opinion. But I'll believe the story for now, until anything contradicts or clarifies it. But Hackett quitting politics over this? Sounds very odd to me.

If he quits altogether on this, I question his ability to be a Senator. I mean, I've been following politics for about six years now and even I know it'd be naive to trust your own party, especially the Democratic party. You can't expect the spineless DLC-led Dems to back you when you say bold things (his statements on Iraq, for instance). By the looks of it, some of DU thinks of Hackett as a fucking messiah. I agree with a lot of what he says but Brown seems like an excellent Democrat that aligns with my political beliefs and I presume with many on DU. Hackett has to think of the Democratic party as a whole and would have been more influential, successful, and helpful if he ran for the House.

Yeah I love a lot of what Hackett has said and I cheered him on last year but there is only two reasons why I can imagine him dropping out of the race and out of politics:
1)Ego
or
2)Some personal problem or scandal and he is trying to save face

I think I'm with you on this one Mr. Pitt.

[Pachamama]

131. I think Republicans in OH would have voted for Hackett, but not Brown.....

...that, Will, is why Sherrod Brown will not win against Mike Dewine....pure and simple....this is a big, big mistake by the "Dem Leadership".

[NuttyFluffers]

133. that's nice dear. still don't think brown has a chance to win.

i call it like i see it. hopefully, for you, for me, for the country, i'm wrong. but i doubt i will be. so, you can say your pretty words, but the kingmakers can't take back a bad move, and this game is for keeps. unless your pretty words can change the dynamics of ohio wholesale... :shrug: :7 and that's a task i'm pretty sure is beyond your silver tongue, dear.
:hi:

[Greyhound]

135. Whether Brown is a good choice or not is beside the point. When

we do these things it only makes is weaker. Tossing out a young new populist face like Hackett for a Washington insider is a mistake on so many levels. It is reprehensible on its face, why defend it?

[ScreamingMeemie]

138. Too late...

:7

[Vinca]

144. Whether or not I prefer Brown over Hackett is beside the point.

No one from the Democratic Party should strong arm a candidate into dropping out. If Brown's the better choice, let the voters choose him when they cast their vote. Giving Hackett the bum's rush - if it happened as reported - sounds like an "M.O." more likely to occur with the Republicans. We're better than that.

[mod mom]

146. Sorry Will, but PRIMARIES are to let the voters choose, that is why this

is wrong. This was a very stupid thing for the Dems to do. As a registered Ohio Dem it should be up to voters in Ohio to decide who they want to represent them. PERIOD.

[MrBenchley]

147. Too late...

But then some of those screaming about "e-e-evil Democrats" again neve rhad much mind to lose....

[IronLionZion]

148. But blind ignorant rage against Democrats is more fun

and more likely to help the Republicans.

I support Hackett for any office even though Brown is well to left of him. There are plenty of other races where the maverick primary challengers haven't bowed to pressure from the establishment. My man Dean actually became DNC chairman. If Hackett can't stand the Dem politics, then how in the hell is he going to handle the asinine shit the Republicans attack him with? In fact, I thought he was special because he doesn't buckle under pressure.

Paul should run for office, even if it's a primary, even if it's a rematch against mean Jean. It's good to have Paul Hackett in our party. He says stuff the others won't. And it shows that Dems come in all stripes.

Most of the ranting on DU is emotional, rather than based on the facts, or even based on Ohio. It's a knee-jerk reaction to say Sherrod Brown is DLC even though he's really the polar opposite.

[UrbScotty]

149. Thanks for the conssolation. (nt)