A REPORT FROM THE BATTLEFIELD: Dallas County Democratic Precinct Chair John Tackaberry was one of several people from around the country who were on the scene to help Paul Hackett's race for Congress in Ohio in recent weeks. As I predicted, the Republicans have been engaging in extremely silly spin as they whistle in the dark after Hackett came very close to winning in that very Republican district. Responding to some ridiculousness in our local "newspaper", John has sent them this letter, which I reprint here since we never can tell if they will:

Re your barb directed this morning at Marine Major Paul Hackett (recent candidate in the Ohio special election to fill the vacant 2nd District Congressional seat) and his comments about the current (laughably named) "Commander-in-Chief," you are waaaay off the mark!

As probably the only Texan who traveled to Ohio during the closing weeks of the campaign, let me assure you and your readers that Paul's comments were well-chosen, appropriate, and accurate! The current "C-in-C" (our former Governor who currently holds some other office in our nation's capital) has disgraced said office by sending dedicated Marines (and thousands of other military personnel) into a war based upon lies, falsified information, and political chicanery of the lowest order.

Major Hackett's sentiments are not only shared by Marines. I know a recently-separated Army platoon leader whose words to me indicated similar sentiments in that branch, too. So, perhaps Paul Hackett is on to something, articulating sentiments which loyal, patriotic Americans recognize need to be stated.

And surely you have to admit that on the anniversary of the date 4 yours ago when our vacationing former Governor was just down the road at his Crawford ranchette -- a date when said former Governor blithely ignored a warning of an impending attack upon our country by Osama and company--your criticism of an Iraqi veteran (who answered the call to serve his country without a trip to an Alabama senatorial campaign instead of the Alabama National Guard many years ago) is the height of arrogance!

Mark my words ... your comments about Paul and his honesty and frankness will pale into insignificance once he takes a US Senate seat in the near future!

Further, I had thought that the Morning News had lost such partisan churlishness upon the retirement of Rena Pederson!... If I didn't know better, I would swear she had returned ... or, has The DMN recently been purchased by The Cincinnati Enquirer!