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July 26, 2005

Thank you, Mr. President

Iraq war veteran Paul Hackett is running in Ohio's staunchly Republican 2nd District against Jean Schmidt. From atrios:

Hackett's opponent, the awful Schmidt, thinks the way to support the troops is to "stand with the president." I always associated that kind of thinking with certain military dictatorships I won't name. Hackett tells her to buzz off:

Schmidt commends Hackett for his service, but believes Hackett should "stand with the president" by "supporting the Iraqi war effort and our troops that are over there," her campaign manager Joe Braun said. (Through Braun, Schmidt declined to speak with Salon.) When asked to answer that charge, Hackett is blunt: "The only way I know how to support the troops is by going over there." He doesn't hesitate to criticize Schmidt's support of the war: "All the chicken hawks back here who said, 'Oh, Iraq is talking bad about us. They're going to threaten us' -- look, if you really believe that, you leave your wife and three kids and go sign up for the Army or Marines and go over there and fight. Otherwise, shut your mouth."

Can't help feeling that John Kerry would be President today if he'd only had the balls to say that to the Swift Boat crowd last year. But that's the past. Paul Hackett is a better future.

Naturally, the Swift Boat tactics live on. Don't seem to be workin' this time, though!

More info here, including news that the conservative Cincy Post has endorsed Hackett.

Posted by Jeff at July 26, 2005 01:27 PM