Paul HackettThe New York Times reports today that, less than a year after Democratic leaders recruited him to run for the U.S. Senate in Ohio as a Democrat, Iraqi war vet Paul Hackett has been unceremoniously dumped by Senate Democratic leaders in favor of an incumbent Democratic Congressman Sherrod Brown.

The Democratic nominee will face incumbent Republican Mike DeWine in November.

Hackett ran a very strong race for Congress in a special election last year in what was thought to be a solid Republican district and was recruited by Democrats to run for the U.S. Senate this year.

In bowing out of the U.S. Senate race yesterday, Hackett had this to say: "This is an extremely disappointing decision that I feel has been forced on me." Hackett fingered Sen. Charles Schumer of New York and Sen. Harry Reid as being behind the effort to force him out of the race, according to the Times.

The Iraqi war vet indicated that the Democratic leaders wanted him to run again for Congress instead. But, Hackett said that he had already given his word to other Democratic candidates in that race that he wouldn’t run against them. Hackett was quoted as saying in the Times: "The Party keeps saying for me not to worry about those promises because in politics they are broken all the time. I don’t work that way. My word is my bond."

The Democrats have made a major effort to recruit Iraqi and Vietnam vets to run on the Democratic thicket this year with Hackett and Vietnam Veteran Jim Webb (recruited to run for the U.S. Senate in Virginia) being the most notable examples. Given the treatment Hackett has received, other vets may have second thoughts about running as Democrats going forward. To read the complete New York Times story, link here (registration required.)

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