WurfWhile

Jim Dean, Chair of Democracy For America (DFA), sent out an email today asking DFA-ers to support Democrat Paul Hacket in a special election being held August 2nd for Congressman Rob Portman’s vacated seat in Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District (President George Bush recently appointed Portman to serve as United States Trade Representative). Hacket, a lawyer and small businessman who recently served with the Marines in Iraq, would be the first Iraq War veteran of either party in congress.

Saying he wants to “redirect the tax break and financial incentives going to big corporations to our small businesses” as part of an American economic prosperity package, Paul Hacket takes a progressive stance on issues from healthcare (advocating a fiscally responsible “system that provides affordable healthcare coverage to all Americans”) to Social Security (“instead of capping Social Security taxes at $90,000 of income, let’s kick that number up to $150,000…[t]his simple step would eliminate much of the Social Security shortfall”). About gas prices and energy use Paul has this to say:

“You don’t have to be a tree-hugger to conserve energy. American ingenuity has put men on the moon. There’s no doubt we can develop cost-effective alternatives that will reduce or eliminate our dependence on foreign oil. It’s the right thing to do. We just need the will to do it.

A few months back, when the gas topped out at $2.40 or $2.50, I didn’t pay that price. I was in Iraq. I saw how high the price really was.”

He sounds like a candidate that deserves your support – and with the election happening in a couple weeks – Paul needs your support now.