So The DNC pushed Hackett out of the Ohio race,

[Perky]

A triumph for good ole boy politcs for sure or was it the DNC snuffing out an intenet-fueled insurgency?

Anybody know if Howard Dean put the screws to Hackett as well?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

1. What makes you think the DNC did this? n/t

[Pab Sungenis]

2. Sounds to me more like the DSCC than the DNC.

Chuck Schumer runs the DSCC.

[rooboy]

3. Dean has already come out and criticized this, so I doubt it was DNC. n/t

[liberalnurse]

8. I agree.....Dean was 100% for Hackett

to run. He was not in on this dirty little street fight.

[tritsofme]

4. Please discriminate between the DNC and DCCC & DSCC

They are not one entity.

[wtbymark]

5. your info is wrong - Dean criticizes

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x425714

[seabeyond]

6. dean stood up for hackett. here is a link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x425714

[blue in ohio]

7. and with all due respect Hackett is not a senator.

He needs to get his feet wet and figure out this all a game. I don't like it anymore than anyone else. I live in Ohio and I supported Hackett's run against Schmidt, but I thought it a little naive of him to think that such an important senate seat would go to someone that the national dems know so little about.

[MercutioATC]

21. He was lobbied by Schumer and Reid and told he'd have support.

It's not like Hackett woke up one morning and thought to himself "Hey, I think I'll run for Senate". Brown had repeatedly said that he wouldn't run against DeWine. Hackett was approached by Reid and Schumer and asked to run (and told that he'd have generous party support). Hackett even confirmed with Brown that Brown was not running.

It was THEN that Hackett announced.

(of course, three days later Brown "changed his mind" and the Dems completely abandoned Hackett...perhaps to the point of actively sabotaging Hackett's campaign)

[bklyncowgirl]

9. I think we'll let Dean speak for himself here.

From the DNC blog.

About Paul Hackett

As you know, Iraq veteran Paul Hackett left the race for U.S. Senate in Ohio today. In his campaigns, Paul had the courage to stand up and speak out for what he believes in. That is how Democrats will win elections and take this country back for the people who built it. Our country and our party are better off when people like Paul step up and run for office, up and down the ballot, in every election. I also want you to know that it is the policy of the Democratic National Committee not to intervene in contested primaries. We need more people running for office at every level, gaining experience and bringing new voices into our party. I want to thank Paul Hackett for inspiring so many people to be part of the political process, including many of the "Fighting Dems" running for office across the country. Keep up the fight, Howard.

His brother Jim also posted this at DFA:

Our Thanks to Paul

Jim Dean is the Chair of Democracy for America.

As they say in life: "You gotta take the good with the bad." Yesterday, we had a blast rolling out our Vermont endorsements of Peter Welch for Congress and Bernie Sanders for Senate—two fabulous candidates who understand that the highest political office in our great country is that of the citizen; and who can bring independence and integrity back to Washington.

Today we are deeply saddened by the announcement that Paul Hackett is withdrawing from the race for U.S. Senate in Ohio.

We and many of you supported Paul in the Ohio-2 special congressional election last year. While we had not taken a position in his senate race (in deference to DFA members in Ohio who support Sherrod Brown), we nonetheless were thrilled that Paul had stepped up to run for higher office. The integrity and activism that his campaign embodied were—and remain—critical to a Democratic victory over the Republican incumbent.

Paul has been, and always will be a man of integrity, guts, authenticity, and courage—characteristics that too often don't seem to matter to our Party's congressional leaders in Washington. Whether you agree with Paul's positions or not, his campaign has represented the resurgence of the authentic candidate. One who speaks honestly and openly about his or her values and political positions because it is the right way to communicate with voters, and the ONLY way to gain their respect.

Anyone who has looked at poll results knows that the Democrats have been losing for over 15 years because voters don't trust Democrats on the issues. Paul's campaign gave all of us hope that the Democratic Party can again have candidates who are honest and open about their positions; thereby regaining the interest of the voters.

More importantly, Paul's campaign gave us hope that the Democratic Party has the discipline and drive to innovate by embracing the entrepreneurial competition of ideas and candidates which are so critical to honing our message and preparing candidates to battle the right-wing spin machine.

Our community understands the importance of this, and regrets that we must continue to baby-sit the congressional leadership until they have the maturity, confidence, and discipline to embrace and encourage the kind of innovative campaigns that Paul brought to the Party.

Today that baby-sitting job got a lot tougher. Even after 15 years of losing, too much of our leadership continues to waste valuable time and donors' hard earned money trying to maintain a party machine in second place. They do this by trying to bring new and exciting ideas to heal for the sake of their own second place status, because to them second place in DC is better than fighting for our country, our values and our party.

Thanks to Paul, the drive to take our country back for those who built it continues at full speed.

Paul, thank you for everything you have done. Take some well-deserved time off, but please, please, come back to the fight as soon as you can. You are the future of our democracy. You are the future of the Democratic Party—or the next Party—depending on whether the Democratic leadership in Congress can ever get beyond its remarkably oversized sense of entitlement.

Today they lost, but you kept your word and didn't compromise your values. We thank you for this, hope to see you soon, and wish you and your great family all the best.

—Jim Dean

If I read this right the Dean boys are not happy about this.

[LaurenG]

10. The way I saw it

was that Hackett was a good candidate and they didn't want to see either Hackett or Brown lose to each other. I thought they wanted to get Hackett back over to the 2nd district and cream mean Jean in that race. I backed Hackett and felt very sad when he said he was pulling out altogether. I wish things were not so hard right now. Our country is falling apart and those who could help put it back together are not going to be in positions to do it.

[DoYouEverWonder]

11. That's why we need our own sub-party

Just like the rich repug lites have the DLC, we need our own org for democratic internet insurgents or whatever they are calling us this week.

[Gman]

12. No, the DNC did NOT push Hackett out of the race

The DNC is not involved in primary elections in a way that favors one candidate over another. Get it straight, please.

[liberal N proud]

13. Here we are fighting over Hackett again and not concentrating

on the big problems in the country

REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP!

Hackett has never been elected to office, he was behind 20 point in polls, the primary is in May.
He was running on his Iraq Veteran popularity... A feel good guy!
Brown is a well seasoned true Progressive Democrat with a long record of voting on Democrat issues.

While the Democrats fight among themselves, the Republican candidate, Mike Dewine sits on his war chest just waiting to pounce on what ever is left after a possibly bloody and costly primary fight.

This is about regaining control of Congress, and I really doubt that a neophyte could beat a seasoned politician in the fall, one with a machine already backing him.

[MoJoWorkin]

15. It is the "seasoned" politicians here that are shooting US in the foot

It is the Shumers, etc. who have shot down an Iraq War vet and that can't look good for the Dems no matter how you slice it. THEY, the "seasoned ones" are screwing us----not the neophytes!

[liberal N proud]

18. OK - but everyone is focused on this and not winning in November

Hackett could not beat Dewine.

Brown is the best Democrat for the job, how it happened is immaterial at this point. We need to start working to get the Browns elected in November.
I agree that the Democratic Leadership is in bad shape. But don't we need to kick out the worst type of criminal first?
Brown is not one of those, I worked with him on the 04 campaign and have been quite impressed with his activism on thing like Social Security.

Find another way and maybe another time to go after the leadership. Maybe after November would be the best time?

[MoJoWorkin]

19. I live in the most conservative area of MO, and I tell you that

ONLY a candidate like Hackett could win in MO. I imagine Ohio is similar in that it will be the so called "swing" vote that decides it (if not the black box.)
A "Progressive" like Brown would not have snowball's chance.

My main point is that the "seasoned" politicos, that you are so crazy for, have screwed us in winning in November by doing these STUPID things.

[cali]

14. Let's see: Post something blatantly false

and then run from the thread. It's easy enough to debunk or verify rumors before posting them as if they were fact. Why not try it?

[txindy]

16. Um, no. Even I know the DNC didn't do this.

Dean heads the DNC and doesn't agree with the decision. How does that, in any way, indicate active involvement in this? Reid, Schumer, et al went behind Dean's back and submarined Hackett.

[MrBenchley]

17. Please....Hackett QUIT because his campaign was a flop

and blamed it on at everyone else.

[MercutioATC]

22. ....and New Jersey weighs in on an OHIO race.

Hackett's campaign a "flop"??

:eyes:

[MrBenchley]

23. Which is being used to bash national Democrats

by supporters disappointed that their fairhaired boy QUIT.

[liberal N proud]

24. Now your catching on!

A lot of people are upset because what they thought was a wonder boy genius turned out not to be.

[MrBenchley]

25. Exactly so....

[MercutioATC]

28. So you support Schumer and Reid's actions?

You support Dem "leadership" lobbying a candidate, promising him support, and then abandoning him when another candidate who said he wasn't running changes his mind?

Interesting.

[MrBenchley]

29. Damn skippy.

But then I'm actually looking at facts, not fantasies.

[MercutioATC]

30. Then we have a fundamental ethical difference of opinion.

Winning isn't worth sacrificing my integrity.

[MrBenchley]

31. My integrity doesn't lead me to try to spin away failure

with silly conspiracy theories and self-pity.

[MercutioATC]

32. Yet it leads you to support dishonesty and betrayal?

I'm not a fan of conspiracy theories. Nor am I a fan of self-pity.

I DO feel that behavior lacking integrity should be exposed, especially if it's in our house.

[MrBenchley]

33. No, I consider the source of those charges....

[MercutioATC]

34. You don't believe that Schumer and Reid switched allegiance from

Hackett to Brown?

:wtf:

[MrBenchley]

35. No

[MercutioATC]

36. I guess we live on different planets, then.

It's not an opinion that they switched allegiances, it's documented fact...

[MrBenchley]

37. I'm here on earth....

where Hackett QUIT and blamed everyone else....

[MercutioATC]

38. That wasn't the question...

I asked if you believed that Schumer and Reid switched allegiances from Hackett to Brown.

You said "No".

With the record being what it is, how do you resolve that statement?

[MrBenchley]

39. Like I said, I consider the source....

and you were the one who brought up "planets." Don't cry to me because I answrered it as it deserved.

[MercutioATC]

40. Feel like being a little less cryptic? The "source" is Schumer and Reid.

Or are you claiming that they never asked Hackett to run in the first place (contrary to all reports)?

[MrBenchley]

41. No, I'm quite happy to stick with what I said.

[MercutioATC]

42. That's what I expected.

When one has no rationalization for their position, one's options are limited, aren't they?

[MrBenchley]

43. Then you sure were silly to keep whining about it....

And when one can rely on actual fact, one doesn't need silly rationalization, or idiotic conspiracy theories.

[MercutioATC]

44. Thank you for an enlightening dialogue...

...I understand your position and motivation much better now.

[MrBenchley]

45. Wish I could say the same

[Coexist]

20. No - that is absolutely wrong.

[Norquist Nemesis]

26. They did? From what I heard Hackett say it was Reid and Schumer

This was a huge mistake and it has rocked me to the core in my support for this party. It's shameful. They handed DeWine's seat right back to him with this crap.

Mind you, I'm not complaining about Brown as a candidate in any way. The voters of Ohio should have made the decision who would be the candidate against DeWine.

The SMART thing would have been to let the voters decide then back the candidate with dollars. The SMART thing would have been to promote BOTH candidates as strong and a clear choice for change from what DeWine is. The SMART thing would be to put DeWine up as a hard-line rubber-stamp Republican with no ideas of his own and a clear record of voting for policies that hurt Ohioans.

But, nooooo! They had clusterfuck another election.

[mattclearing]

27. The DNC doesn't take sides in primaries.

You should register for Democratic Party 101.

[rucky]

46. Make it clear: The DSCC & DCCC did this.

Check Dean's comments on various breaking threads floating around - he sees it like we do.

[WI_DEM]

47. Who said, I heard it was the Democratic Senate Committee

which wants to unite behind one candidate and the House Committee wants Hacket to run against Schmidt. In the end it is Hackett's decision.

Who are your sources? Looks like you just posted and ran.

[WilliamPitt]

48. Freemasons run the country