Brown campaign responds to Hackett rumors

[OzarkDem]

Nothing of substance in the Hackett rumor about Brown's campaign

UPDATE: Sherrod's Brown campaign responded directly for the first time Monday evening to a suggestion that an aide to Brown, Dan Lucas, might have played a role in undermining Paul Hackett's reputation.

Lucas' name came up when The Plain Dealer, at Hackett's suggestion, asked Clermont County Chairman David Lane last week if he knew the source of a whisper campaign about Hackett's service in Iraq. Lane, a supporter of Hackett, said he had no proof that a Democrat was behind the rumors. But he said he had told Hackett last fall about a comment Lucas made to him shortly after Brown entered the Senate race.

Lane said that Lucas told him: "There are things out there about Paul that I don't think he (Hackett) really wants to be made public.'' Lucas offered no specifics, Lane said.

Joanna Kuebler, a spokeswoman for Brown, issued the following statement Monday evening: "The campaign has been assured by Mr. Lucas that he was not part of any supposed effort to spread rumors.''

http://www.cleveland.com/weblogs/openers/index.ssf?/mtlogs/cleve_openers/archives/2006_02.html#114489

[OzarkDem]

1. .

[emulatorloo]

2. Repug Pot Stirring - It is what they do

My guess is that Repugs started a whisper campaign about Hackett "swiftboating"

Then started a whisper campaign that Brown was behind it.

Goal: get Hackett out, Smear Brown, divide Democrats

[FreedomAngel82]

12. Could be a possibility

[MoonRiver]

22. Yep, classic Rove.

I really wanted Hackett to run, because I thought he could win big, but I'm upset that he seems to be falling for this. Maybe being a relative newbie in politics explains it.

Also, last week, I heard him say point blank on Randi Rhodes, that he absolutely wouldn't do anything to sabotage Brown's campaign. He said he's a team player and vastly approves of Brown over the Puke. Even said he would work for Brown's campaign. What happened between then and now??
:shrug:

[napi21]

3. Is this the same as Shrub saying he had nothing to do with the

Swiftboaters?????

[OzarkDem]

5. Care to elaborate?

I'm sorry, for a minute there I thought you were trashing one of the best, most upstanding progressive Dems in Congress who has served with distinction for seven terms and has never run a negative campaign in his life.

Surely, I'm wrong in assuming you would take the word of a guy who was a republican and only became a Dem about a year ago and ran a poor campaign, choosing to blame it on the Democratic party.

[napi21]

8. I don't know either candidate, so I'm not trashing anyone, yet.

I can only tell you what I've read here on DU and what I heard Hackett say on Hardball tonight. I don't trust ANY politician. I believe ANY of them would do almost anything if they thought it would give them the edge in an election.

I used the comparrison of the swiftboat incident because, if you recall, everybody plead innocent in that one!

[OzarkDem]

10. Do yourself a favor

and do a little research. Brown's record is stellar and unblemished. He's an expert campaigner who has never wanted or needed to resort to negative campaigning.

Hackett, OTOH was quick to jump on the negative, mudslinging bandwagon as soon as he could.

Do you have some proof? Otherwise, watch your remarks about untrustworthy politicians. You're knocking the wrong guy when you talk of Brown.

[FreedomAngel82]

13. Right

Don't forget Hackett had the plan to attack Brown on voting against the "Patriot Act" (wtf?!) and intelligence in the 90's and other Rovian points. It's all so weird.

[sendero]

17. But since he promised not to run..

... and then "changed his mind", he has no character, he is untrustworthy, and he will lose anyway.

[OzarkDem]

18. He saved the race

Hackett was stumbling badly, was over a month late in even announcing a campaign that he needed to raise about $10 million for. No one running for a senate seat sits on their ass for a month after Labor Day without announcing, no one.

Thank goodness Brown stepped in, someone had to run in the race.

Face it, Hackett got plenty of help from Dems. All he did was sit on his ass and expect everyone to do everything for him. His own campaign staff couldn't get him to raise money or go out on the campaign trail. They had to even prompt him to announce he was running. Jeez, what an incompetent.

Then when his campaign fails, he blames it on others. Nice going. We don't need any more of his type.

[sendero]

19. Bullshit.,.

... his campaign was sabotaged. Hackett had a much better chance of taking OH than Brown does, and no amount of bleating from you or the other delusional liberals on this board will change that.

Brown promised not to run. That doesn't mean "I won't run as long as I don't change my mind".

Some people still think a person's word means something, if it doesn't, you might as well be a Republican.

[OzarkDem]

23. Sabotaged by his own laziness

and inexperience. Face it, this guy was an unknown quantity. He was damn lucky anyone decided to support him to begin with given he'd been a Republican right before this.

Sorry, but I'm a Democrat first and I support the candidates I know, who have a record and experience.

[sendero]

28. Sorry I place ethics above all else..

... and I will never support Brown or anyone who cavalierly goes back on their word with major impact on the lives of others.

[Douglas Carpenter]

21. I know I've posted this before an I apologize if it is annoying anyone

but people need to see the facts that Sherrod Brown is one of the most progressive members of the U.S. Congress and a true grassroots democrat and Democrat.

Sherrod Brown bucked the Administration of his own party to fight furiously against NAFTA.

Sherrod Brown defied the tide and courageously fought and voted against the so-called Patriot Act.

Representative Brown fought and voted against the Iraq War Resolution

Sherrod Brown almost personally led the fight against CAFTA and the Bankruptcy Bill

Brown Tops DeWine in New Poll
An Opinion Consultants poll finds Ohio voters favor Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) for the U.S. Senate over incumbent Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH), 43% to 38%

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2006/01/26/brown_tops_dewine_in_new_poll.html

Sherrod Brown is endorsed by PDA (Progressive Democrats of America) and is an outspoken member of the Progressive Caucus.

courtesy of vote smart - link:

http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=H3141103&type=category&category=Foreign%2BAid%2Band%2BPolicy%2BIssues&go.x=12&go.y=8

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (WRMEA) 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Peace Action 100 percent in 2004.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Council on American-Islamic Relations 100 percent in 2005.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the American Civil Liberties Union 84 percent in 2003-2004.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 96 percent in 2005..

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the National Council of La Raza 100 percent in 2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Human Rights Campaign 77 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 90 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights 100 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the National Education Association 89 percent in 2003-2004.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Service Employees International Union 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the United Auto Workers 93 percent in 2005.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the American Postal Workers Union 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the AFL-CIO 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the United Auto Workers 93 percent in 2004.

2004 On the votes that the Service Employees International Union considered to be the most important in 2004, Representative Brown voted their preferred position 100 percent of the time.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Communications Workers of America 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers 100 percent in 2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees 100 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 On the votes that the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers considered to be the most important in 2003-2004, Representative Brown voted their preferred position 100 percent of the time.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Americans for Democratic Action 95 percent in 2004.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the American Wilderness Coalition 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund 100 percent in 2005.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the American Wilderness Coalition 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund 100 percent in 2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the League of Conservation Voters 94 percent in 2003-2004.

2004 In 2004 National Organization for Women endorsed Representative Brown.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 100 percent in 2005.

[OzarkDem]

24. Keep posting it

also add that he helped pass the bill in Congress to provide Medicaid coverage to uninsured women diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer patients.

IIRC, his words were "its a cruel hoax to give a woman a free mammogram or pap test, then not help her when she's diagnosed with cancer."

He also led the way to provide affordable prescription drug coverage, greater access to generic drugs and is now fighting Medicare Part D.

He also led the effort to stop Bush and the GOP from gutting Social Security.

He's a giant on health care issues, one of the most influential Dems in Congress.

[RazzleDazzle]

4. And everyone else???

That's ONE staffer. How 'bout the others, ALL the others?

[OzarkDem]

6. Denials all around

Hackett repeatedly said he was told Brown's campaign was the source of the rumors. "I do believe it came from his campaign,'' said Hackett.

Told of Hackett's allegations, Brown campaign spokeswoman Joanna Kuebler this evening said: "Of course it's not true.''

http://www.cleveland.com/weblogs/openers/index.ssf?/mtlogs/cleve_openers/archives/2006_02.html#114489

As info, Dan was the campaign staffer that Hackett and the Hacketteers insisted was the one behind the "whispering campaign".

If you are a loyal Dem, I'd suggest you think twice about trashing one of the most aggressive progressives in Congress. You'll end up being proven wrong very quickly.

[radio4progressives]

11. Oh Well, That Settles It Then...

It couldn't possibly be true, and now here's the proof.

So, let's move along now folks.. nothing more to report..

let's get on and mind our own business, let these honorable politicians do their business on the american people, and nothing can be done about any of this anyway, so shall we just drop the subject?

[OzarkDem]

15. Actually, that's it

Hackett has nothing more than his own rumormongering. Unless he comes up with some proof, he's got nothing.

This was the whispering campaign that wasn't. No one heard any whispers until after Hackett pulled out of his race and started talking about it.

[Adelante]

20. Nonsense

Hackett heard about it the day he announced, October 3 2005. He was told by Clermont County Democratic chairman David Lane, who had heard it from Dan Lucas. That doesn't make Lucas the source of the rumor, it may mean he repeated something he'd heard to David Lane. Brian Rothenberger of the Ohio Democratic Party already knew of it in the summer of 2005. According to what has been published. Just because you didn't hear about it does not mean nobody else did. I'm not saying the Brown campaign did the whisper campaign, but it's obvious to me a whisper campaign happened.

[OzarkDem]

25. But no one else outside of his campaign heard it

amazing how it was kept secret for all these months.

[Adelante]

26. Were those two ODP officials in his campaign? Lane and Rosenberger

Not that it makes them liars.

I do think it was a mistake to keep it secret. Swiftboating can never wait. All it does is fester and grow.

[OzarkDem]

27. No one in Brown's campaign

was involved.

Lane, IIRC, was a county or precinct chair and a Hackett supporter.

[FreedomAngel82]

14. And who just told Hackett?

[emulatorloo]

7. Read above the snip

<snip>

Hackett repeatedly said he was told Brown's campaign was the source of the rumors. "I do believe it came from his campaign,'' said Hackett.

Told of Hackett's allegations, Brown campaign spokeswoman Joanna Kuebler this evening said: "Of course it's not true.''

<snip>

[FreedomAngel82]

9. It sounds like more BS

If they didn't go into any type of specifics it sounds like more BS to stir things up. Oy.

[OzarkDem]

16. .