Here Ya Go: 'Democratic Leaders 'Betray' Hackett' - Consortium News

[WillyT]

<snip>

The ultimate goal in politics should be to do both what’s right and what’s smart, what’s honorable and what works with voters. In the American context, that could be telling a hard truth instead of pandering or standing for principle at a time of fear – and thus inspiring the public.

In recent years, however, what’s right and what’s smart have rarely made joint appearances on the stage of U.S. politics. The Republicans have built their national dominance – controlling the White House, Congress, the courts and much of the news media – by doing what’s politically smart but rarely what’s right for a healthy democracy. For instance, White House political adviser Karl Rove has exploited the Sept. 11 terror attacks to marginalize the Democrats as people unconcerned about the security of the American people. Those tactics may be terribly wrong – because they divide the nation – but they certainly work.

The Democrats are even more galling. They seem zeroed in on both doing what’s wrong and what’s stupid. The latest example is the party leadership’s “success” in driving Iraq War veteran Paul Hackett out of the Ohio Senate race apparently because he speaks his mind too much and takes the fight directly to the Republicans. Instead, Democratic Senate leaders, hoping to win in Ohio by default because of Republican disarray, opted for an establishment Democrat, Sherrod Brown, a seven-term congressman who has raised $2.37 million, tenfold more money than outsider Hackett.

But by settling on a business-as-usual strategy, Democratic leaders offended the idealism – and fighting spirit – of their base and may have ultimately hurt their chances for victory in November, a lose-lose strategy that has become all too familiar for Democrats.

<snip>

More: http://www.consortiumnews.com/2006/021406.html

That about sums it up.

:shrug:


And this is what folks on OUR side are saying, do a google news search with the words 'Hackett', 'Schumer', and 'Reid'... and see how the right is using this as proof Dems don't support military veterans.

Smooth move guys...

:wtf:

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. I just know that at this point I am very happy

I am now a declared independent. This just adds to why I did it... we are very good at shooting ourselves in the foot. Now if Paul decides to run... he'll get my support, but some of the old scions of the party... no thank you

[Selatius]

3. If you're an independent, why the hell are you posting here?

This is "Democratic" Underground after all.

I'm just saving several posters the time it takes to tell you to go to hell for leaving the party. :sarcasm:

In honesty, I don't much mind if you're an independent or not. You're still the same person as you were before.

[TankLV]

13. Don't pay attention to the bitchers here. Glad you are doing what your

conscience dictates.

One must always stand by his principles, or there is no reason to fight for anything, if it's not to fight for what you think is right.

Courage and good luck with your convictions.

We need more people like you.

[leftchick]

2. smooth indeed

I suspect there is a reason for them betreying the party so often.

[WillyT]

4. Helloooo... Kick !!!

:kick:

[WillyT]

5. Wow... We've Gotten Over This Just Like Other Factions We Could Name !!!

:wtf:

[WillyT]

6. Nah...

...

[MercutioATC]

7. It's amazing how many DUers think this is perfectly acceptable.

I liked Brown, but I liked Hackett better. Now, I have no respect for Brown whatsoever. I'll vote for him over DeWine, but I'll have to hold my nose while I do it.

I've also decided to give ZERO support to the party. I'll donate time and money to individual candidates, but the idiots making these sort of decisions for the party can't be trusted.

[FreedomAngel82]

12. So where's the proof Brown was involved??

[MercutioATC]

16. Brown committed to staying out and then changed his mind...

...three days after Hackett announced.

Hackett even checked with Brown personally before running. Brown confirmed that he wasn't running against DeWine.



And, after all that has happened, Brown has been silent about the controversy.



If Brown was a man of character, he'd at least address the situation.

[MrBenchley]

8. LOL! Hackett QUIT and lashed out at everyone else for his failure

"Sherrod Brown, a seven-term congressman who has raised $2.37 million, tenfold more money than outsider Hackett"
Gawrsh...you mean that ordinary Democrats were pouring money into Sherrod Brown's campaign and not Paul Hackett's?

"Democratic leaders offended the idealism – and fighting spirit – of their base"
Geeze, I'd wager much of their base really didn't give a crap. And most of the "fighting spirit" we see is mainly the far left pissing and moaning about how e-e-e-evil Democrats are.

[WillyT]

10. Damn... I Really Do Wish You Knew What You Were Talking About !!!

G'Night Honey...

:evilfrown:

[MrBenchley]

21. Hackett QUIT and blamed others for his failures

Sorry reality doesn't conform to your fantasies of persecution and martyrdom.

[WillyT]

27. Question: Did You Even Bother To READ The Article In The OP ???

You CAN Read Can't You??

:wtf:

[FreedomAngel82]

14. Yes, he should've either

told them "hell no" or just go for the House. If he was really into politics and helping in DC in any way and really playing with the party why not go for the House and than go for the Senate in the next midterms?

[upi402]

17. he had given his word to the house nominees not to run against them

[MrBenchley]

22. Instead he saw the writing on the wall

and decided to play drama queen instead of quietly admitting his failure.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MrBenchley]

20. Hacvkett QUIT and blamed others for his failures

It's an awful lot more than dishonest to call that "disinformation"....

And how much cash does each candidate have on hand, pray tell? The balance sheet works out to ten times more cash for Brown than for Hackett.



"Wanna refute?"
No, I'll just point out that Hackett's campaign was a failure, despite the grandiose delusions of internet cowboys.

[MercutioATC]

24. Remarkably predictable...you can't deal with facts, can you?

Your version of Hackett's finances differs quite a bit from reality. When presented with the facts, you change the subject. Why not just admit that your claims were untrue?

[MrBenchley]

25. How deep in denial does one have to be to pretend Hackett didn't quit?

Brown: $2.37 million
Hackett: $229,783

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=439636&mesg_id=439636

[Mandate My Ass]

9. Welcome to my world

Here in PA the "dem leadership" decided Santorum lite was the best we could do in the upcoming Senate race. Except he isn't.

With the press giving him the red-headed stepchild treatment, Pennacchio still garners more support than uber-funded "name recognition" candidate Bob Casey Jr.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/113-02042006-608233.html

Released last week, the online poll commissioned by the Web site http://www.opednews.com/ questioned 850 likely voters — 348 Democrats, 332 Republicans and 170 Independents — and asked who they would vote for if the election were held today.

Casey won more votes than Pennacchio or Sandals when their opponent was Santorum — before poll subjects were given any information on the candidates' positions.

Then the subjects learned the candidates' positions on abortion rights, stem cell research, political action committee contributions, the war in Iraq, raising the minimum wage and confirming Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court.

After learning the candidates' positions, Pennacchio won the hypothetical race, with 386 votes versus 369 for Santorum. In a Casey-Santorum matchup, Casey garnered 340 votes to Santorum's 329.


http://www.opednews.com/

Happy Valentine's Day. :hi:

[Catrina]

19. Chuck Schumer was behind pushing Casey also ~ read this:

Then we have DLC celebrity Senator Schumer from New York, deciding that he’s going to help us decide who will run as Democrats in the next congressional and senatorial election cycle of 2006. He thinks he’s delegated the Pennsylvania candidate to run against Rick Santorum, and he’s bragging that he and his people are taking the decision making process out of the hands of the people of Pennsylvania and, I guess, out of the hands of the people in other battleground states, where he thinks his opinion of who should run is more important than THE PEOPLE’s opinion.

In PA, Schumer picked a good old boy—Bob Casey, jr., son of a former democratic governor— a guy who opposes abortion, who would have voted for the Iraq war and who probably opposes stem cell research, contraception and sex education (though we don’t know, since he’s running a stealth campaign, probably because his handlers know that the more we in Pennsylvania see him, the less we’ll like him.

But I digress. My point is that Schumer picked a candidate for the biggest, most visible election of 2006, who basically sells out the right to abortion that women have fought so hard to get. Selling out abortion is like pulling out the ground from beneath the solid footing of the women’s movement. If Casey wins, the DLC will use the victory to argue that all Democratic candidates should sell out women and who knows what else. I can’t imagine the Democratic women of New York state supporting Schumer after he’s pulled such a treacherous, betraying move. His hubris should be his undoing and I hope he faces a strong challenger come his next election. (I hear he’s a very vindictive politician—another reason to get rid of him.)\

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_rob_kall_050821_real_democrats_must_.htm

And he's doing it in other states also ~ what is going on? Is this going to happen all over the country? Is the DNC behind this, or the DLC? I don't think Dean approves of it, he spoke out against what they did to Hackett ~

[insane_cratic_gal]

23. As a PA resident

Another reason I've argued the shitty way in which this was brought down. I liked Hackett and I'm angry that he resigned but I'm also pissed off over the arm twisting.

I wish I did vote in OH because you'll are gonna need every vote.

In the primaries I'm voting for Chuck .. if he doesn't make it.. and If I vote for Casey how do I tell any woman I know.. I'm sorry but my vote might of cost you your right to control your own ovaries and womb?


Its a shitty thing..

Last I read in a Zoby poll, Chuck Beats Santorm... Casey does not.

[FreedomAngel82]

11. So why are they supporting the Band of Brothers?

:eyes:

[Douglas Carpenter]

15. Sherrod Brown an establishment Dem????

Brown Tops DeWine in New Poll
An Opinion Consultants poll finds Ohio voters favor Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) for the U.S. Senate over incumbent Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH), 43% to 38%

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2006/01/26/brown_tops_dewine_in_new_poll.html

Sherrod Brown is endorsed by PDA (Progressive Democrats of America) and is an outspoken member of the Progressive Caucus.

Representative Brown is at least as liberal as Sen. Kennedy or Sen. Feingold

courtesy of vote smart - link:

http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=H3141103&type=category&category=Foreign%2BAid%2Band%2BPolicy%2BIssues&go.x=12&go.y=8


2006 In 2006 Citizens for Global Solutions gave Representative Brown a rating of A.

2005 In 2005 Citizens for Global Solutions gave Representative Brown a rating of A.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Council on American-Islamic Relations 100 percent in 2005.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (WRMEA) 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Peace Action 100 percent in 2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the American Civil Liberties Union 84 percent in 2003-2004.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 96 percent in 2005.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Arab American Institute 50 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the National Council of La Raza 100 percent in 2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Human Rights Campaign 77 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 90 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights 100 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the National Education Association 89 percent in 2003-2004.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Service Employees International Union 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the United Auto Workers 93 percent in 2005.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the American Postal Workers Union 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the AFL-CIO 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the United Auto Workers 93 percent in 2004.

2004 On the votes that the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers considered to be the most important in 2004, Representative Brown voted their preferred position 88 percent of the time.

2004 On the votes that the Service Employees International Union considered to be the most important in 2004, Representative Brown voted their preferred position 100 percent of the time.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Communications Workers of America 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers 100 percent in 2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees 100 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 On the votes that the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers considered to be the most important in 2003-2004, Representative Brown voted their preferred position 100 percent of the time.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Americans for Democratic Action 95 percent in 2004.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the American Wilderness Coalition 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund 100 percent in 2005.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the American Wilderness Coalition 100 percent in 2004.

2004 On the votes that the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance considered to be the most important in 2004, Representative Brown voted their preferred position 100 percent of the time.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund 100 percent in 2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the League of Conservation Voters 94 percent in 2003-2004.

2004 In 2004 National Organization for Women endorsed Representative Brown.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 100 percent in 2005.

[Hobarticus]

26. Hey hey HEY! No facts here! Only Dem-bashing outbursts!

The Democratic leadership is evil! Didn't you get the memo???

Thank you for doing your homework. If I could still give a heart, you'd get several.