WASHINGTON - Democrats are putting out the message that Iraq war vets can be all they want to be in the House.
Buoyed by the hot-button campaign of Marine Reserve Maj. Paul Hackett in Ohio, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is looking to recruit angry vets for runs at House seats next year, while Republicans are mostly taking a pass - for now.
Hackett, who drew national media attention by calling President Bush a "chicken hawk" and worse, lost by only 4,000 votes to Jean Schmidt on Aug. 2 in Ohio's heavily Republican 2nd District near Cincinnati.
The Democratic committee, still leery of seeming to exploit the Iraq issue, didn't send him any money until the final weekend of the campaign, but Hackett's appeal has forced a shift in tactics.
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Currently, three Iraq vets have filed to run as Democrats for House seats, and a fourth is a likely candidate.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/story/339172p-289680c.html- - -
Candidates referenced in the article:
Patrick Murphy (PA):
http://www.murphy06.com/Tim Walz (MN):
http://www.timwalzforuscongress.org/David Ashe (VA):
http://davidasheforcongress.com/