I think it's interesting how it's 'outsiders' who seem to be successful speaking their mind in our current political system. But once they need to build a warchest to actually get elected, the intelligent people seem to have to prostitute themselves and their ideas/ideals to raise enough $$$ to survive the election cycle. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Paul Hackett, and hope he can afford to continue to speak so plainly.

Consider Newt Gingrich and Al Gore. Once they left the Machiavellian cesspool which is United States partisan politics, they seemed to reengage a portion of themselves that could not be loosed while they were in political office - In Newt's case, he has some interesting ideas about health care, which he can state without hyperbole now that his job isn't flogging the Republican party line, regardless of the intelligence of the content. Gore found his voice (and his balls) speaking about both the environment AND the state of American politics once he was no longer inside 'the system' and could speak his own mind.

Wouldn't it be great if our politicians could actually use their brains, speak their minds! while they're IN OFFICE?

Paul Hackett said:

I don't need Washington, D.C., or the government in my private life. Period. I don't need them to dictate to my wife the decisions she can make with a doctor. I don't need a Washington politician to tell my neighbors what they can do in the privacy of their bedroom. And I don't need Washington politicians to tell me what guns to keep in my gun safe.

To which I say:

HALLELUJAH!!! TESTIFY BROTHER!!!

I'm a proud liberal and gun owner. I've never understood my fellow liberals who support private choice on so many other issues, like issues related to sex, drugs and abortion, but want me to give up my guns even though I've never done any harm to anyone else with them.

Paul Hackett said what I've been telling people for years.

Reading this interview, I can also tell that Hackett has the type of fighting spirit that is so lacking among most of my fellow progressives. But this type of spirit is what will win us elections.

I hope his plain-spokeness doesn't scare off the elitists who gave us wussies like John Kerry, Walter Mondale or Michael Dukakis, or we'll continue to lose elections.

Too bad I don't live in Ohio so I can vote for Hackett. But if Hackett runs for the Democratic nomination in 2008 or 2012, he's got my vote.

I've been a fan of Sharrod Brown, the Democratic congressman who will be running in the Democratic primary against Hackett. Before reading this interview I thought that perhaps Hackett should bow out in favor of the more experienced Brown, who is also a populist Democrat.

But after reading this interview, I was blown away by Hackett. We live in an age when politician mince their words and build their sound bites. Hackett is something else entirely. The man stood up and said that the religious fanatics in the US have more in common with Osama Bin Laden than they do with American values. Yes! When was the last time we heard anyone running for office speak like this?

Sadly, part of the answer to this question is that the last time we heard someone stand up and tell the truth was when Howard Dean ran. The press crucified him. Perhaps this will happen with Hackett to. But for this Democrat, Hackett's words are music to my ears. Of course it's probably also worth observing that I'm the bluest of blue Democrats from the bluest part of the West Coast (the Bay Area Sprawl). Unfortunately I'm not an Ohio voter. I'll tell you this, even in this Democratic bastion all is not well: I'd sure rather have Paul Hackett to vote for than Diane Feinstein.