Cleveland Plain Dealer: UAW-Backed Hackett Shifts Ride to Union-Friendly Pickup

By Mark Naymik

U.S. Senate candidate Paul Hackett recently won the endorsement of the United Auto Workers, but his driving record is less union-friendly than that of fellow Democrat and primary challenger Sherrod Brown.

Hackett surprised Democrats by stealing the endorsement from Brown, a pro-labor, seven-term congressman. But union members might be surprised to know that Hackett’s a fan of Honda, which builds cars in Ohio with nonunion workers.

Until recently, Hackett drove a special 2003 Honda Civic, a fuel-efficient hybrid. The image-savvy candidate now cruises in a Ford pickup truck, spokesman Karl Frisch said.

In union politics, a candidate’s car is more important than his party affiliation. (Ever see a politician show up at a union rally in a Toyota?) But Hackett can still ride in the Honda; he sold it to Frisch.

Brown, who lost the endorsement in part because of personal differences with a union official, drives a Ford Thunderbird built in Lorain. When he campaigns, Brown rolls in a Ford 500 sedan.

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Nothing Predictable in Brown, DeWine Votes

By Stephen Koff

So much for political labels.

A Republican from Ohio — one who’s rated poorly by environmental groups — helped block a bill Wednesday that would have permitted oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Yet a Democrat from Ohio — someone liked by environmentalists — had voted to open the refuge to drilling.

Not quite as extraordinary as that juxtaposition, both of these men — Republican U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine and Democratic U.S. House member Sherrod Brown — voted against budget cuts they say will harm the underprivileged. DeWine, the Republican, echoed those on the left when he said, “This bill, I think, hurts children.”

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Dayton Daily News: DeWine Bucks GOP on Bill

Arctic oil drilling was stumbling block in $453 billion Defense spending measure

By Jessica Wehrman

Sen. Mike DeWine on Wednesday helped stall a $453 billion defense spending bill because it included a provision that would allow oil drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, also known as ANWR.

DeWine, R-Ohio, voted against ending debate on the bill. The 56-44 vote fell short of the 60 votes necessary to cut off debate.

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Columbus Dispatch: DeWine to Oppose Arctic Drilling Plan

By Jonathan Riskind

Sen. Mike DeWine of Ohio will break ranks with Republican leaders and oppose oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska as part of a military spending bill.

The issue of whether the drilling provision should be inserted into the $453 billion defense bill is one of several key year-end Senate votes this week featuring DeWine in a major role.

DeWine also is expected to vote against a $40 billion budget-cutting bill sought by Republican leaders, who can’t afford to lose many votes among the 55 GOP senators.

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Ohio: Hackett, Fresh in Both Senses of the Word

National Journal: The Hotline

Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Auster writes that Hackett “is fresh in more than on sense,” in that he is both a “Fresh face” who portrays himself as a bold alternative to career politicians, “whom he dismisses as timid character terrified of doing anything without first consulting pollsters, handlers and hapless party leaders.” But his language towards Pres. Bush, whom he’s called a “son of a bitch,” makes people concerned about how it could go over in a long, statewide campaign.

Hackett, via interview in the 12/05 issue of GQ: “Bush is a fraud. He wants to be perceived as a macho guy, but he didn’t have the stones to serve in his generation’s war. He didn’t have the balls to do it. Because he wanted to drink alcohol and snort cocaine and party.” Hackett spokesperson Karl Frisch: “One of the reason people are drawn to Paul is because of the way he speaks, because he’s straightforward. To change Paul Hackett would be to change him into something that we have plenty of in Washington” (12/18).

Ohio: UAW Endorses Hackett In Democratic Primary Race

The Frontrunner

The AP (12/17) reported, “Ohio’s largest unaffiliated labor union endorsed political newcomer Paul Hackett yesterday in his Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate against recognized labor champion Rep. Sherrod Brown, a surprising and potentially damaging split in union support. The United Auto Workers told The Associated Press that its 17 area councils and 10 at-large representatives had voted 26-1 for Hackett, two days after the Cleveland AFL-CIO voted to continue its long-standing practice of backing Brown.

… ‘This is shocking news,’ said William Binning, a political science professor at Youngstown State University and the former head of the Youngstown-area Republican Party. ‘There’s a split in the labor ranks in Ohio, and that’s not good news for Democrats.’” UAW Ohio President Lloyd Mahaffey “said it’s possible the division could continue when the primary winner faces two-term GOP Sen. Mike DeWine in November’s general election. ‘It would still be a matter of choices [if Brown wins the primary],’ Mahaffey said. ‘It would seem Sherrod is the better choice over DeWine, but I don’t want to pre-empt our people.’” Mahaffey “says his union, which is affiliated with AFL-CIO nationally but not on the state level, wasn’t rejecting Brown, but feels Hackett has a better chance of gaining Republican and independent support to win against DeWine. … The UAW has endorsed Brown in every election since he first ran for secretary of state in 1982, Mahaffey said.”

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December 19, 2005 | Filed Under Hackett, News Mentions | Comment 

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Do We Have a Blue-Talker for a Red State?

By Elizabeth Auster

Politicians are like the rest of us. If you want to find their flaws, look for their strengths.

One of Paul Hackett’s greatest strengths in his long- shot bid to represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate is his freshness. But that could also prove to be one of his greatest flaws.

Hackett is fresh in more than one sense.

When it comes to politics, the Cincinnati-area lawyer and Iraq war veteran is certainly a fresh face - and that’s potentially a big asset in a year when political corruption seems rampant. His only political experience, before running for Congress last summer, was on a suburban city council.

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December 18, 2005 | Filed Under Hackett, News Mentions | Comment 

Cleveland Plain Dealer: UAW Supports Hackett Over Brown in U.S. Senate Race

By Stephen Koff

Paul Hackett, the U.S. Senate candidate drawing attention for his blunt talk and Iraq war record, has won an important early endorsement from labor.

The United Auto Workers Union voted Friday to endorse Hackett over Sherrod Brown, the U.S. House member whose long political service and early financial advantage had been seen as advantageous.

Hackett, a Cincinnati attorney and Marine Reserves major, and Brown, a seven-term congressman and former Ohio secretary of state, are vying in the May primary for the right to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Mike DeWine in November.

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December 17, 2005 | Filed Under Hackett, News Mentions | Comment 

Roll Call: Outsider Hackett Faces Insider Tactics

By Lauren W. Whittington

After running as the ultimate political outsider in a special House election in Ohio this August, attorney and Iraq war veteran Paul Hackett (D) is finding that the early stages of his Senate bid have largely been dominated by insider maneuvering.

Hackett is set to face off in a Democratic primary against Rep. Sherrod Brown and the contest is heating up behind the scenes, with both sides jockeying for early position and money.

Hackett was in Washington, D.C., last week for a fundraiser at the Hawk ‘n’ Dove on Capitol Hill. While he was there, he had lunch with famed Democratic strategist James Carville, a big fan and early supporter who campaigned for Hackett during his special House contest this summer.

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December 15, 2005 | Filed Under Hackett, News Mentions | Comment 

Cincinnati Enquirer: McEwen; No Decision Yet on House Run

By Malia Rulon
It was an unusual sight: former U.S. Rep. Bob McEwen, R-Ohio, striding across the House floor as if he’d never left.

McEwen, who represented southern Ohio in Congress in the 1980s and is now a registered lobbyist in Washington, was apparently trying to track down a congressman. Unlike other lobbyists, former congressmen like McEwen are allowed on the House floor.

When reporters finally caught up with him, he was running late for another appointment.

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December 12, 2005 | Filed Under Hackett, News Mentions | Comment 

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