Editorial: Hackett hacked
hillnews.com
It pays off to have friends in Washington.
The Democratic establishment in the nation’s capital forced Iraq war veteran Paul Hackett out of the Senate Democratic primary in Ohio earlier this week. Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who is serving his seventh term, will now have an unimpeded path to take on Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) in November.
In some ways, the politics of this move is clear. Democrats believe that DeWine is politically vulnerable, and they understandably wanted to avoid a costly and perhaps nasty primary.
Earlier this month, Democratic operatives told The Hill that they were worried that Hackett and other veteran candidates may not be ready for prime time. Democratic leaders such as Sens. Harry Reid (Nev.) and Charles Schumer (N.Y.) must have had their doubts as well. At first, Brown said he would not run for the upper chamber but then he changed his mind.
Nevertheless, the tactics of pushing Hackett aside, as reported by The New York Times yesterday, could backfire because many Democrats outside the Beltway are not pleased.
Jon Soltz, a 28-year-old combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and executive director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Political Action Committee, said, “It is an outrage that the Democratic Party has forced Paul Hackett out of the race for U.S. Senate. Hackett brought credibility on the No. 1 issue facing the nation — the war in Iraq. The Democratic Party loses credibility on that issue because he is no longer running and because they had a hand in his decision.”
Maybe clearing the way for Brown was the right move, but Democrats now must work to get Hackett to endorse Brown. Otherwise, Hackett could be a thorn in their side in the campaign against DeWine.
A gleeful National Republican Senatorial Committee put out a release yesterday that noted comments made by Hackett in October: “You’re not gonna throw out a sitting senator in a Republican state with a liberal Democratic long-standing congressman.”
Brown, however, should not be underestimated. He is a well-spoken candidate who knows the issues inside and out, especially healthcare.
In announcing his withdrawal from the race, Hackett said, “I made this decision reluctantly, only after repeated requests by party leaders, as well as behind-the-scenes machinations that were intended to hurt my campaign.”
Hackett has ruled out another run in the 2nd Congressional District of Ohio and suggested that he is done with politics.
Democrats in Washington played rough with Hackett and got what they wanted. Between now and the fall, they must reconcile with him. If they don’t, and insist that there is no elephant in the room, the elephant will defeat the donkey in November. |
