Hackett gets jitters at school presentation

The Senate candidate is campaigning in the Mahoning Valley.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
NILES -- Paul Hackett, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, was a bit nervous as he walked toward the Niles McKinley High School auditorium to speak to a group of about 30 students.
Hackett's received national publicity for nearly pulling off a huge upset last summer in the state's most Republican congressional district and for his Senate bid this year, as well as for his outspoken criticism of President Bush, the Republican Party and even fellow Democrats.
But the few butterflies in his stomach were because this was Hackett's first political speech in front of high school students.
It didn't get off to a good start when only one student raised her hand when the group was asked how many were registered voters.
More relaxed
But as time went on, the students felt more at ease asking questions of Hackett. The 43-year-old Senate candidate, who also relaxed with time, pointed out that politics plays a major role in their lives, including rising costs of college tuition and health care.
During the event, Hackett told the story of his brief political career that has garnered national attention.
Hackett served three years of active duty in the Marine Corps after getting a law degree. He was honorably discharged from the reserves in 1999.
During the summer of 2004, Hackett received a call from a friend asking if he would voluntarily rejoin the Corps, and serve in Iraq. Even though he opposed the war, Hackett agreed to serve.
Hackett, an attorney who served three years as a councilman in a small village, returned from Iraq in March 2005. Another friend suggested Hackett run for the vacant 2nd Congressional District seat in southwest Ohio, the most Republican congressional district in the state.
Close loss
Hackett lost the August special election, but received more than 48 percent of the vote. State and national Democrats hailed the close loss as a strong sign that voters are dissatisfied with Republican leadership in Ohio and on the federal level.
After seven months in Iraq and three months running for the U.S. House seat, Hackett was ready to return to his family and law practice. That is until friends, and state and national Democratic leaders urged him to run for the U.S. Senate.
Several Democrats -- including U.S. Reps. Ted Strickland, Tim Ryan and Sherrod Brown -- had previously opted not to challenge U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, the two-term Republican incumbent.
Hackett discussed the challenge with his wife, Suzi, and chose to run. Shortly thereafter, Brown of Avon, D-13th, announced he would also run for the job setting up a May primary showdown between the two Democrats.
"I'm new to politics, but I've got this notion that some of the problems in the United States can be corrected by regular citizens," he said. "Those who are experienced politicians haven't been minding the store too well."
The experienced politicians, Hackett said, have let down the middle class by not fighting for their jobs and to do something to stop the escalating cost of health care and higher education.
Hackett criticized his fellow Democrats who didn't speak against Bush for taking military action in Iraq, and said it is the president who should be largely blamed for that war.
Hackett said many members of the military in Iraq share his concern about the war.
"This war is a classic example of how to not use the military," he said. "It was misused and unfortunately it's a terrible blunder, not just in money, but in the degradation of our reputation throughout the world."
First-hand experience
As a veteran of the Iraq war, Hackett said it allows him to speak about it from first-hand experience.
"Other politicians don't want to talk about it because if you criticize this administration about how they handled the war, you run the risk of quickly being labeled 'unpatriotic,' " he said. Having served "allows me to deflect that criticism, but I don't know how long that will last. It's a dangerous thing to say a person is unpatriotic if they speak against the handling of the war."
Hackett's talk at the high school is part of a two-day visit to the Mahoning Valley, one of the most Democratic areas of the state, to drum up support for his campaign. Brown used to represent the western portion of Trumbull County in the U.S. House, and polls show he is one of the best known Democrats in the state.
Among Hackett's most prominent supporters is Ryan of Niles, D-17th. Ryan urged Hackett to get into the race when no other Democrat stepped forward. Even after Brown changed his mind, Ryan stuck with Hackett, earning some scorn from Brown.
Ryan met privately with Hackett on Thursday, and plans to be with Hackett at public events in the Valley in the near future.
skolnick@vindy.com