Letters to the Editor
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This is a must see
Hackett seems to be exactly what is needed right now, someone to take charge and sound like they have a plan and a passion to see it through. I can't be the only one out here who is completely disgusted with party leadership that still insists on pursuing this "Republican light" brand of fence sitting. Boring! Pointless! A losing strategy.
The groundswell is here. It's now. It's ready. It's been here since 2000 when the Democrats had the majority of voters behind them and on their side! But the Democrats not only refuse to ride that groundswell, they knock down anyone else who is ready to ride it.
Funniest line from the segment: "I believe we need to protect the environment. That's why I'm standing here in front of a river."
Hackett, forget the Senate run. Run for President.
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Neutered Donkey? Give It A Rest.
This little piece is simply ridiculous. I could take up my beef with the folks at the Daily Show, but that wouldn't get me anywhere. So I'll do it here.
First off, when you discuss "scaredy-cat" Democrats, you seem to imply here that the guy still in the race in Ohio is one of those dread Dems. He's not. But we'll get to that in a minute. Let's start with Paul Hackett.
Hackett gets tons of props because he fought in Iraq, he's outspoken, and he ran a tough, but losing race for Congress in a heavily Republican district. That much is true.
But what is also true -- and what you fail to mention -- is that Hackett simply didn't cut it as a Senate candidate. He wasn't raising money, he was making some fairly outlandish statements, and he was attacking his primary opponent, Rep. Sherrod Brown, as being too liberal. Well, that dopey attack against Brown happens to be true.
Sherrod Brown is one of the more progressive Democrats in Congress. He voted against the Iraq resolution, he's been a leading fighter against free trade agreements, he's refused the congressional health care plan until his constituents get the same coverage, and he's fought the Bush administration on numerous fronts.
But anyone reading your little piece would get the idea that Brown, the candidate who took Hackett's place, is one of those "scaredy-cat" Dems people keep whining about. He’s anything but that. And even Hackett showed it by attacking Brown as too liberal a candidate.
In fact, Hackett, so desperate to make inroads against Brown, attacked him for voting for the Iraq Liberation Act in 1998 saying, "Sherrod Brown voted for regime change; he voted for military intervention in Iraq."
Aside from the fact that people like Dennis Kucinich, Paul Wellstone and Ted Kennedy also voted for the ILA, Hackett was simply lying when he said Brown voted for military intervention. The ILA specifically stated that, "Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize or otherwise speak to the use of United States Armed Forces." And Hackett knows that Brown voted against the Iraq resolution and has been outspoken in his opposition to the war. So his attack was truly baseless.
But hey, why let facts get in the way.
And the truth is, that in your haste to take a swipe at the Democrats, you've done the same thing and succeeded in embarrassing yourselves. The Democratic candidate running for Senate in Ohio is no “neutered donkey.” Not by a long shot. In fact, one could argue that the Senate race in Ohio shoots down your own argument.
The Democratic Party has rallied around a smart, tough and truly progressive Democrat. A guy who works hard and does the right thing. So please, explain to us, your readers, how that translates into your "neutered donkey" theory.
And please, tell us how by endorsing this Daily Show piece you make the case for progressive candidates. Because Hackett’s lame appearance on the Daily Show and, by extension, here, only serves to undercut the progressive candidacy of Sherrod Brown.
And finally, just so you know, I don't work for Sherrod Brown and I haven't donated money to Sherrod Brown. But what I did do was take more than five seconds to do some actual research on this race. And you know what I found? Some truthiness.
I just wish you had actually displayed some of that same truthiness when discussing anything about this race.
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The fact is....
"I don't work for Sherrod Brown and I haven't donated money to Sherrod Brown....."
But I will gladly plant one on his derriere.
Get a sense of humor! It was hilarious!
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Simply Brilliant.
...and that's all that needs to be said....