Hackett for Ohio

Given the razor-thin margin in November 2004, not to mention a state GOP that is imploding from scandal and hubris, Ohio is one of those red states that makes the Red-Blue state dichotomy look like the stupid, misleading mind meme that it is.

That's what makes an upcoming by-election for a US Congressional seat in Ohio so important. Draft Zinni has the dirty low-down:

While my meager attempts to draft a retired Marine to run for a national political seat are still little more then a fantasy, another retired Marine is running as a Democrat right now. Retired Marine Corps Major, and Iraq War Veteran, Paul Hackett is running for Congress in the special election for Ohio's 2nd Congressional District.

The Associated Press gushes:

A few months ago, Paul Hackett was flushing out insurgents and avoiding ambushes in Fallujah, Ramadi and other hotspots in the Iraq. Today, the Marine is trying to round up votes in small southern Ohio towns like this one.

Hackett, a Democrat, is running in a special election Aug. 2 in a bid to become the first Iraq war veteran elected to Congress.

So at dawn on a recent day, he was having eggs and toast at the Cruiser Diner, recounting his war experiences to a young soldier facing Iraq duty later this year.

It doesn't get much better than that, folks.

For the sake of its own vitality, the Democratic party needs military veterans like Hackett. It injects the experience and perspective into a party needing to craft good national security policy. Unfortunately, this race has been way too far off the radar screen up til now, given it will be held on August 2. We need to spread the word and help push Hackett over the top in Ohio CD-2.

Addendum: It's easy to send a few bucks too.

Comments

[Dave]

Great post. He has raised over $50k since I sent in a contribution on Monday. I hope others will help him out.

[Jerry Griffith]

After seeing a political opportunist like Mr. Hackett wrap himself in our flag and then turn around and call the Commander-in-Chief and SOB, I was most gratified to see the scumbag loose. As long as you nitwits use such terminolgy regarding your political opponents your continued loss at the polls is assured. So keep it up. America's future depends on your continued loosing at the polls.