Dean Speaks Out on Hackett

Governor Dean posted on the DNC blog a few minutes ago about Paul Hackett's decision to leave the Senate race in Ohio. Here's an excerpt:

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. ...

Full post from Dean over at the DNC blog.

It's worth mentioning here that Governor Dean and the DNC were on the ground and online during Hackett's race in OH-2, and the work on that race forged new relationships among the volunteers on the ground and folks from across the country who came to help.

It was in the weeks of campaigning online and ultimately on the ground in Ohio during OH-2 that Tim Tagaris and I started talking about a new kind of model for cooperation between local grassroots activists on the ground, everyone online, and the national party.

We're building and refining that model every day at the DNC, with a lot of help from people on this site, and it's one of the things we can thank Paul Hackett for today.

•  Thanks Paul!

  Sad to see you go...

  by millertwin2 on Tue Feb 14, 2006 at 09:30:34 AM PDT

  •  Agreed

    I am in agreement.

    by dsolzman on Tue Feb 14, 2006 at 10:03:39 AM PDT

•  He always knows what is important

  to say.  

  by TeresaInPa on Tue Feb 14, 2006 at 09:38:07 AM PDT

  •  Yes

    I was just thinking that--he's in touch enough to know that we needed to hear from him about this.

    On a brighter note, I've got a new post up at Howard-Empowered about Ted Strickland. We got to meet him today at an event in Columbus.

    by Renee in Ohio on Tue Feb 14, 2006 at 10:01:44 AM PDT

•  Paul Ain't Goin NOWHERE

  I hope the whiney Dems will get their crying jags out of their system.  The Dems are not your enemy, it is the WARMONGER, FACSIST, ECONOMY DESTROYING, REPUKE PARTY.

  So get behind Sherrod Brown and take back the Country already.

  I like Hackett and I like Brown.  Let's take two seats instead of one.

  Make sense to anyone with a braincell.  Get off Emanuals ass and work to take back the House and Senate.

  Hackett ain't goin nowhere, he will continue to fight.

  by skeeters on Tue Feb 14, 2006 at 09:40:32 AM PDT

  •  GET ON EMANUEL's ass.

    Get off Emanuals ass and work to take back the House and Senate.

    Is that a command, your honor?

    Exactly who put Emanuel in his job? Was there an election? How come a freshman conrgessman was put in that vital position. WTF were the machinations behind it?

    He's been house variant of the Democratic party.
    

    by NeuvoLiberal on Tue Feb 14, 2006 at 09:46:50 AM PDT

    •  .. house variant of Lieberman ..

      by NeuvoLiberal on Tue Feb 14, 2006 at 09:47:33 AM PDT

•  Thanks, Joe

  It's very important that people hear from Howard. I've been concerned about comments like this on the blogosphere:

  I was all set to donate money to the democrats today because of Dean's one-year anniversary, but now this! Looks like I'll be spending my $50 elsewhere.

  Some bloggers were faulting Howard, the DNC, Democrats, or the Democratic Party, not understanding that the DNC didn't have a role to play in this.

  I'm very unhappy about the DCCC and DSCC running roughshod over this race.  It's "We the People" not "Chuck, Harry & Rahm."

  by mini mum on Tue Feb 14, 2006 at 09:55:41 AM PDT

  •  This developing schism between the

    DSCC/DCCC and the DNC is very interesting, and very dangerous for the party.

    At one level, the organizations with the nearest upcoming election can be expected to consolidate around and promote more centrist candidates.  But in this case, contrary to conventional thinking, I think the DNC has its ear closest to the ground in terms of the party's ideas, devotion and energy.  (This is due in no small part to Dean's common touch and truth-telling.)

    The imminent wins for Democratic candidates in November will be spun by center-right and corporatist Democrats as dispositive of their approach and ideology.  But the heart, energy -- and most importantly, needs -- of practicing and would-be Democrats lie in the progressive wing, where Dean, Feingold and others of principle abide.

    This is no time for progressives to go wobbly.  Our wisdom has momentum, but entrenched interests   attaching themselves to our party gain more succor from our permanent minority status than by their displacement.

    by Mogolori on Tue Feb 14, 2006 at 10:49:12 AM PDT

•  Well said, Howard.

  I really like Paul Hackett, and I'm sorry he's out of the race.

  Still, the point is to take back the country.  That means I'm now supporting Brown and I'll support a lot of other Democrats.

  I'm sorry to see the "take my ball and go home" thing from Paul.  I hope he gets over that quick and we see him doing something positive soon.

  by Tod on Tue Feb 14, 2006 at 10:35:45 AM PDT

•  Just received a Howard Dean funding appeal

   Here is my reply:

  I contributed TWICE to a candidate that I thought could represent a major breakthrough in strategy and spirit for the Democratic party:  Paul Hackett.  Now, what does the Demoratic "leadership" with a horrible record of accomplishment do?....well, you KNOW what they did to Hackett.  Where were you, Howard?  Are you in control, or not??  I heard you criticized this, well, why didn't you stop it?  How about the DNC keep HANDS OFF of "democratic" primaries and let them truly be "democratic?"

  by hcc in VA on Wed Feb 15, 2006 at 11:35:11 AM PDT