The GOP has released a statement purporting to want to "bury" Paul Hackett, the Democratic Iraq War veteran and Congressional candidate.
In the race tomorrow for a Congressional seat in Ohio's conservative 2nd district, tough-talking Democrat Paul Hackett is not backing down from his harsh rhetoric toward George Bush regarding the Iraq war. Now the GOP has released a statement purporting to want to "bury" the Democratic Iraq War veteran. Certainly this must be making Republicans cringe behind the scenes.…
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— go to most recent comments26 - mikey mic
Hey Lance, I'd like to know what you called Clinton during his run! To think that you are proud of our president makes me scratch my head.
Please name one thing he has done that you are proud of. I'll await your answer.
m
27 - mikey mic
Any of you red voters? Does anyone have one program, policy or even a speach that you are proud of? Just give me one example of Bush acting Presidential. I'll make it even easier just give me an example of something he has done during his presidency that he didn't screw up.
28 - mikey mic
Now let's list the crimes he has committed! Let's list the numerous lies and horrible choices he's made. Let's look at his traitorous acts and administration. We don't have to call him names...let's impeach him. To think Clinton was impeached over a bj...hmmm. Where do we start?
29 - billy
now you have opened a can of worms. you have mentioned clinton's bj. now the right wingers will come out en masse to explain how cilnton's bj was 1) a high crime under the constitution, 2) more important than killing bin laden 10 years ago BEFORE 9-11.
and how
3) Bush's lie about iraq, which killed 2000 troops is relatively not important.
30 - Dave Nalle
>>Any of you red voters? Does anyone have one program, policy or even a speach that you are proud of?<<
Sure. I'm quite happy with the tax cut and the impact it has had on saving the nation's economy from the brink of a disastrous recession.
I think there's a lot more good Bush could have done, but 9/11 and the Iraq business have sidetracked his administration terribly.
>>Now let's list the crimes he has committed! Let's list the numerous lies and horrible choices he's made. Let's look at his traitorous acts and administration. We don't have to call him names...let's impeach him. To think Clinton was impeached over a bj...hmmm. Where do we start?<<
By ignoring the ignorant, ill-informed and ideologically motivated people who don't have any idea what the administration has or hasn't done, and just attack based on partisan hate. BTW, that means you.
Dave
31 - mikey mic
You're right...I've got to get my priorities straight! It's unbelievable! To think that during a dem presidency we had less abortion every year...year after year. It's amazing how education is the answer...not prohibition! To think that Bush ran on the "regular guy" platform and now the regular guy is getting f'd up the ass...hmmm. It's amazing how upset I am with the whole state of affairs. Something's got to change. When will the red voters get it? When will they take off their rush limbaugh head phones and read a newspaper? To think that you have to pretend to be a Canadian to travel now thanks to Bush is unbelievable. We are NOT safer now that he's made us safer. How did we let the repubs bully us into letting the voters believe that he's the security guy? 911 happened on his watch...how is he the safety guy? How do Rice & Rummy get promotions? How do Ollie North, Elliot Abrams & Ad Poindexter get to hero level and the dems are the bad guys? I've never imagined a scarier bunch of criminals with power and they still blame us for everything that is wrong in this world? How????
32 - billy
"repubs bully us into letting the voters believe that he's the security guy?"
because bush plays a tough guy on tv and people buy it, despite him being a chickenhawk coward who would never risk his life on behalf of this country.
33 - mikey mic
Sure. I'm quite happy with the tax cut and the impact it has had on saving the nation's economy from the brink of a disastrous recession.
huh??
9/11 is his legacy, not a sidetracking. he has used 9/11 to bully this world and especially this country's voters into voting for him...and guess what! it was his fault!
Anymore great bush plans? puhlease
34 - mikey mic
I just re-read the tax cut comment...we have never been in such bad shape. Have you looked at the price of a new car lately? Now try filling that $50K SUV with a $50 tank of gas on $4.50/hour. Great economy.
35 - mikey mic
Just look at what caused the disastorous recession...it happened while Bush was appointed President! You might even blame the recession on him...if the shoe was on the other foot the repubs would blame Clinton or Gore! Take a look at the stock market...it might shock you back to reality...the market dove while we waited to find out who was our president. Don't forget this president was appointed, not elected. He was a thief and a criminal from the get go.
36 - Dave Nalle
LOL, I'm about to buy a new car. The price for this particular model is $200 higher than it was 2 years ago when I first considered buying it. That's substantially lower than the general rate of inflation.
>>Now try filling that $50K SUV with a $50 tank of gas on $4.50/hour<<
Are you really this ignorant? The national minimum wage set by the government is $5.15 an hour. The real minimum wage - what most entry level jobs actually pay - is closer to $7 an hour. Plus minimum wage workers shouldn't be driving cars, they should be using public transportation.
>>Just look at what caused the disastorous recession...it happened while Bush was appointed President! <<
Never mind, you really ARE that ignorant. Economic trends lag as much as 3 years behind the political policies of the government. So the recession that Bush had to deal with started during the Clinton administration, just as the boom that Clinton enjoyed began in the Bush Sr. administration. That's the way the economy works.
And don't try to tell me the economy isn't in a strong recovery. Just look at the latest figures.
Dave
37 - mikey mic
dave dave dave...u still haven't produced one good thing that bush has done. attack me instead of produce evidence...that's the republican way.
the stock market fell as a direct result of that election's outcome. 9/11 gave you guys an excuse to blame the recession on outside forces.
and you know the american dream is to dress for success...a big car & a big house represent that. I live in the south and see minimum wage workers driving gas guzzlers everyday and running up their personal debt.
Still, rather than run a smear campaign on such an ignorant person why don't you school me on how great our president is?!?! Smearing me must make you feel big...I'm still trying to find something to be proud of in OUR president.
38 - mikey mic
were you a stock holder during the great crash? I had just moved my personal stock funds into an investment in my mortgage. My father did the opposite and had to come out of his comfy retirement that he had built up after years of investing as an IBM employee. That turn of events really did impact our economy in a real way to talk trends is to use Rush speak to pump you up on voting for his guy...who he was an advisor to. Don't you get it Dave? I'm not going to call you names...I'm just asking for one good thing that OUR president has done. Easy request...
39 - Lance
Mikey
He cut my taxes and I love it. The economy is booming and my business is booming with it. I have made more in the last 3 years than in the previous decade. Hey if you are wearing a paper hat and making $4.50 and asking "would you like fries with that?", that is not my problem. He took down the Taliban, outsted Saddam Hussein. His nastiness pushed Libya to abandone its WMD programs and send most of it to Tennessee for storage. He scares the hell out of the Korth Koreans, Syria is the hell out of Lebanon ( not a coincidence). Israel is turning over some of the occupied territory to the Palestinians. The French look more like pantsies than before and Republicans are running every branch of government with a strong majority. So in my opionion the question isnt what has George done. Its what have the Democrats done. Nada, not a thing and the American people are noticing. Hackett is a hack and will disappear tommorrow after his concession speech. One good thing Hell Mikey I can go on all night.
40 - mikey mic
Israel, bush had nothing to do with. Lebanon and N. Korea have yet to be resolved, but I see what's happening in those places and I am not excited over the future. Time will tell. And you could be right that attacking countries at random could work to scare the hell out of people...it could also have the opposite effect in scaring countries it could cause countries to band against us and take action. Did you see that the russians are telling us it's time to leave? Time will tell, but I don't think attacking countries like Iraq is the answer. Ousted Bin Laden...hmmm. I think Bin Laden can take his time and attack at will...it's a David and Goliath scenario. I don't think any of these problems have had good resolutions. We'll see.
41 - mikey mic
As far as tax cuts go yes the rich are getting richer...the national debt is getting bigger than ever. So we went from having a surplus to the largest debt ever...instead of funding the social security system with our surplus we are freakin out that we're all going to starve when we're old.
If you benefitted from the tax cut you're doing alright and it's not surprising that you're doing better!
42 - mikey mic
And THE FRENCH??? You have to get out more! They are our allies...we need allies. Do you remember when we had allies? Boy the world is a much better place with friends! Have you been to Paris? You ought to travel more...just remember to sew Canadian Flags on your baggage and on your clothing...wouldn't want to see someone beat you sensless because of Bush' actions! We still love you even tho you're off by a little.
43 - billy
early returns -
R-55%
D-45%
44 - mikey mic
Interesting...i'm hearing hackett 51% and.....schmidt 48%
45 - gonzo marx
keep posting those returns...
this is a very fascinating possible indicator...being close would be remarkable..if Hackett could actually win...it would definately make the Repubocrat strategists pee themselves...
fun stuff
Excelsior!
46 - mikey mic
US HOUSE Ohio 2nd Dist
580 precincts of 753 reporting
JEAN SCHMIDT 45,134 52%
PAUL HACKETT 42,342 48%
47 - mikey mic
I would say nearly impossible...I heard Bush won the same district by 60 - 40. Of course, if the fix is in they're not going to let it be that much of a blowout again...too obvious!
48 - mikey mic
US HOUSE Ohio 2nd Dist
662 precincts of 753 reporting
JEAN SCHMIDT 49,681 50%
PAUL HACKETT 48,811 50%
49 - mikey mic
it's getting good now!
50 - mikey mic
In the meantime we have our lame (duck) president making recess appointments like crazy. His appointments are so bad that he has to cheat. This is the worst president of all time...at least in my lifetime. He makes Nixon and Raygun look good!
51 - Dave Nalle
>>dave dave dave...u still haven't produced one good thing that bush has done. attack me instead of produce evidence...that's the republican way.<<
I wouldn't know. All I see is that you're spreading untruths and bizarre conspiracy theories and I find it unappealing.
>>the stock market fell as a direct result of that election's outcome. 9/11 gave you guys an excuse to blame the recession on outside forces.<<
Wrong. The market was already declining months before the election even took place. You can check the numbers or check any of the many articles written by competent economists of both political persuasions that agree.
>>Still, rather than run a smear campaign on such an ignorant person why don't you school me on how great our president is?!?! Smearing me must make you feel big...I'm still trying to find something to be proud of in OUR president.<<
Whatever bad image you acquire is entirely the result of your own misrepresentations. For one thing I never said Bush was all that great. You just asked for an example of something he did that was a success and I gave it. And you haven't refuted it, btw. Bush has failed in far more areas. I see him as a well meaning but unsuccessful leader unless he manages to do an awful lot in the next couple of years and actually live up to some of his promises.
>>were you a stock holder during the great crash? <<
No, I wasn't born yet in 1929. But if you are referring to the recent recession, I did own stocks prior to that time, and I still own them. 3 companies in my portfolio went bankrupt and I lost 40% of my portfolio value, yet today the overall porftolio is still worth more than double what it was prior to the 'crash'.
>>.I'm just asking for one good thing that OUR president has done. Easy request...<<
Already done. Is the economy in better shape now than it was when Bush took office? Is our GDP higher? Is the individual tax burden lower, resulting in higher take-home pay? And remember, all of this was while dealing with a recession and fighting a war. I call that brilliant success.
Dave
52 - richard
It's funny how the right trashes people who serve their country so honorably like Hackett. Many of these same people run around with the red, white and blue magnets on their cars purporting to support our troops. But they don't really. They support the Bush administration's waging war on the cheap and cutting benefits to our veterans. Like Bush, the right just sees soldiers as the "hired help." Many of the right are too chickenshit to go into the military or get special favors through their daddies like little Georgie Bush did in the Texas National Guard.
53 - gonzo marx
surplus and deficit numbers form 99 and 05?
red ink, black ink...do all the Enron styloe accounting you want...but until you honestly add up all the red and black, you can't get a true picture
one could easily call this a supply side economy...a fufillment of what Bush 1 called "voodoo economics"...
time will tell, i guess...i just know we have the largest mortgage ever recorded on our Nation( not even counting the war costs) and the interest on the Debt alone is staggering...
but not one single supply sider, not GOP type will ever admit to the "starve the beast" strategy that the neocons live for
too serious, too heavy...must....lighten...up...
Bob Novak = Mr Potter's illegitimate love child.....true story
Excelsior!
54 - Balletshooz
Wow this election was really close. Only a few precincts are left. Its real close but it looks like the Republican will win barely.
http://www.hamilton-co.org/boe/inputdata/Electionsresults/Realtime/RealTime.pdf
55 - mikey mic
your link isn't working for me balle
56 - mikey mic
click
here's where I'm getting results
57 - Dave Nalle
Wow, that's ridiculously close. You'd think with a whole campaign one of them could have figured out a way to pull ahead by some significant amount.
Dave
58 - mikey mic
Their saying that due to voting irregularities they are now hand counting all remaining votes...go figure! That's, in theory, why we're stuck at 88% votes in.
59 - mikey mic
see dave, i'm not just ignorant I can't spell for shiite either
60 - Dave Nalle
Of course they are. The retards in Ohio still can't figure out how to count. Good thing MIT and CalTech came in and did it for them in 04 or we'd still be listening to Conyers claiming Bush stole the election.
Dave
61 - mikey mic
rush was right again...because the repubs are going to cheat the dems will yell and whine about the cheating! Go figure!
62 - Dave Nalle
The Dems will yell and whine, that's true enough. As for the cheating, both sides generally do about the same amount, and as definitively proven in 2004 they more or less cancel each other out.
Dave
63 - Jonathan
The race was so close Paul only lost by 3,573 votes! Take that you dumbass republicans that thought you could "bury" this candidate. If he runs for Ohio Govener he'll be make it for sure. Ken Blackwell won't have anything on him.
"...Democracy won tonight!" - Paul Hackett
64 - Dave Nalle
You know, I sort of wanted Hackett to win, because he sounded like a common-sense moderate who might help McCain and the other moderates steer a sensible course. Sadly at the same time I feared the possibility, because at this point I've been lied to so many times by Democrats pretending to be moderate and then turning out to be extremists that I just can't put any faith in them anymore, especially if they have no proven record.
Kind of depressing, since in an ideal world I'd like the best candidate to win and for people to actually know who the best candidate is.
Dave
65 - Cyndavie
Well, Dave, being a calm, happy, rational Bush Republican, I'm sure you're aware that history is cyclic. When our turn comes around again, we with compassion for the poor, the elderly, the ill - basically all disadvantaged peoples - will happily redistribute your probably not very hard-earned gains and leave our youth alive and better educated as icing on the cake. Please try to keep those rational happy Bush thoughts in mind when a larger portion of the population than you and your ilk can benefit from what this country has to offer.
66 - Scott
I think this election sends a message to the entire democratic party and establishment...you can win anywhere, even in very conservative districts where you think you have no chance. Basically, nothing is off the map.
Maybe Hackett can step up and challenge DeWine next year in the Senate race. We shall see...
67 - Dave Nalle
>>Well, Dave, being a calm, happy, rational Bush Republican, I'm sure you're aware that history is cyclic. When our turn comes around again, we with compassion for the poor, the elderly, the ill - basically all disadvantaged peoples - will happily redistribute your probably not very hard-earned gains and leave our youth alive and better educated as icing on the cake. <<
Sorry, what party did you say you were with again? Can't be the democrats since they want to exploit the elderly and keep the poor in poverty and dependent on the state and have created government schools which make our kids dumber year by year.
>>Please try to keep those rational happy Bush thoughts in mind when a larger portion of the population than you and your ilk can benefit from what this country has to offer.<<
What have you ever done to help out your fellow citizens besides vote to have the government steal others hard earned money under threat of force and give waste it on pork barrel projects?
Dave
68 - Dave Nalle
>>I think this election sends a message to the entire democratic party and establishment...you can win anywhere, even in very conservative districts where you think you have no chance. Basically, nothing is off the map.<<
Um Scott, they ran a republican in democrats clothing and still lost.
Dave
69 - gonzo marx
Mr Nalle sez...
*Can't be the democrats since they want to exploit the elderly and keep the poor in poverty and dependent on the state and have created government schools which make our kids dumber year by year.*
nah...no broad brush exaggerating here...just paint a good portion of the population with this unfounded propagadist rhetoric...and here i had thought your brain cloud has subsided, Mr Nalle...
Mr Nalle sez...
*What have you ever done to help out your fellow citizens besides vote to have the government steal others hard earned money under threat of force and give waste it on pork barrel projects?*
more broad brush histrionics here...but i am guessing you mean in opposition to the current totalitarian regime of environment killing, medicaid cutting, Veteran's benefits cutting, record deficit spending, can't balance the checkbook cuz they are wasting record amounts on pork barrell, fundamentalist GOP neocons we have in charge now?
thanks for the laugh
Excelsior!
70 - Ann
You don't honestly believe the economy is in better shape, do you? You can't possibly. Do the math for god's sake. It's a house of cards.
While private contracting companies in Iraq take home billions of dollars in profit, we are in DEBT billions and billions and billions of dollars.
It's our taxes that have to pay for this war and the one in Afghansistan. And it's our taxes that will have to pay for catastrosphic injuries U.S. soldiers have suffered in the war, and benefits to survivors, it's our taxes that have been promised to Iraq for reconstruction. Where is this money coming from? Certainly not from any of the corporations who are making BILLIONS of dollars in profits. They they don't have to put out a single dollar to pay for the war or the soldiers or anything, they just get to take home profits. How does this make sense?
And minimum wage jobs cause a tax burden. Minimum wages earners do not make enough money to afford basic health care. So, states and federal agencies, which are run with our taxes have to offer relief. Have you ever tried to live on $7.00 dollars an hour? And BTW, don't bother working for Wal-mart if that's your aim, coz they don't even pay $7.00 ph.
What you actually mean is that YOU are doing better, and that's fine with you because you're a Republican. That's all you care about. You and your pocket book. Social contract? What social contract?
It's fine for you to measure your success by how much better you are doing than the poor, and wow, that's a fabulous accomplishment, but a nation's success is measured by how well the poor are treated. And this administration is doing it's best to make poor people poorer, the lower class poorer, and the middle class poorer, and to eliminate all recourse and relief. While making the rich obscenely rich.
How can you possibly think this is a good thing?
Seriously, how can you?? I don't understand Republicans. I really don't. No one should profit from war. It's repugnant.
71 - Dave Nalle
>>You don't honestly believe the economy is in better shape, do you? You can't possibly. Do the math for god's sake. It's a house of cards. <<
I've done the math. There's no possible debate at this point that the economy is booming. The figures are all on the BEA website. Go take a look sometime.
>>Where is this money coming from? Certainly not from any of the corporations who are making BILLIONS of dollars in profits. They they don't have to put out a single dollar to pay for the war or the soldiers or anything, they just get to take home profits. How does this make sense? <<
Actually, you're wrong on a number of counts here. Corporations are doing a great deal of the reconstruction and providing their own security and doing it for business reasons. In addition, much of the government expense will be covered by the growth of tax revenue from a healthier, growing economy. I don't like the size of the deficit either, but it's still manageable.
>>And minimum wage jobs cause a tax burden. Minimum wages earners do not make enough money to afford basic health care. <<
We've been over this extensively on BC before. Minimum wage earners basically don't exist as such. Starting jobs in most of the country pay substantially higher than minimum wage, and health insurance is more affordable than you realize. By sharing housing and transportation - ever heard of roomates - you can live decently on $7 an hour. I've lived on less.
>>So, states and federal agencies, which are run with our taxes have to offer relief. Have you ever tried to live on $7.00 dollars an hour? And BTW, don't bother working for Wal-mart if that's your aim, coz they don't even pay $7.00 ph. <<
Actually, starting salary at Walmart in this area where the cost of living is fairly low is around $7.15. Again, look at the stats at the BLS. And yes, I lived for several years on $10 an hour with a half time job, so that was the equivalent of $5 an hour, and I'm still here to talk about it. I put up with the hardship because I was preparing myself to move on to better jobs in the future.
>>What you actually mean is that YOU are doing better, and that's fine with you because you're a Republican. That's all you care about. You and your pocket book. Social contract? What social contract?<<
The social contract has nothing to do with welfare. You should read some Rousseau.
>>It's fine for you to measure your success by how much better you are doing than the poor, and wow, that's a fabulous accomplishment, but a nation's success is measured by how well the poor are treated.<<
It's not how well I'm doing - everyone is doing better. Wages are higher, unemployment is lower. These are facts. Don't take my word for it. Go look them up.
>> And this administration is doing it's best to make poor people poorer, the lower class poorer, and the middle class poorer, and to eliminate all recourse and relief. While making the rich obscenely rich. <<
Ridiculous. They cut taxes equally for everyone - actually with the rebate and changes to the earned income credit the poor got a bit more than anyone else.
>>How can you possibly think this is a good thing?<<
Because I investigate and find things out for myself rather than just believing whatever I'm told by my political leaders.
>>Seriously, how can you?? I don't understand Republicans. I really don't.<<
Before you can understand Republicans you need to understand the idea that a society which encourages freedom and individual initiative benefits everyone regardless of their wealth or status.
Dave
72 - Matthew T. Sussman
Further proof Dave's not doing so well in the economy?
He has enough time on his hands for all these blog comments.
(Not a shot at ya. Not really a compliment either. Just a silly baseball writer's poke.)
73 - Dave Nalle
A good point, Matthew. But it could be that I've done so well that I'm already retired at 46 and have nothing but time on my hands.
The truth, of course, is less glamorous. I work all the time, but of course there's a computer where I work/live, so I blog between bouts of actual labor.
Dave
74 - Steve
Dave - "Before you can understand Republicans you need to understand the idea that a society which encourages freedom and individual initiative benefits everyone regardless of their wealth or status."
I understand that.
Republicans don't. Their modern brand of Crony Capitalism completely violates everything this nation stands for. You don't win on individual initiative in the Republican world... you win by knowing the right people and buying their houses for $1mil over it's market rate... or getting a nice handful of cash out of the state pension fund to invest in funny money.
I'm a former Republican. I didn't leave the party, the party abandoned me.
Hackett did well, he was able to convince 20% of the Republicans in OH-2 that the Democratic message is more in tune with American values. That's good news. Too bad he didn't get another 3% or so, but that'll come given time, especially since Republicans don't appear willing to flush the filth out of their barn.
75 - Eric Berlin
It's looking more and more like the GOP is falling into the same trap the Dems found themselves in in '94.
Let's hope the Dems can take advantage of it in '06.