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.
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