Hack Beats Hackett

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Yesterday, Democrat Paul Hackett came within about 4,000 votes of being the first Iraq War vet to be elected to Congress, and the race was far closer than most predicted. Today’s post-election run down from the Cincinnati Enquirer doesn’t contain much of interest, except for the revelation that Bush had the Republican candidate, Jean Schmidt, hand-deliver a condolence letter to a family in the district whose son was killed in Iraq.

I could understand that sort of action if the candidate were the district’s sitting representative, or if the president had sent Ohio’s Republican governor, or someone like that. But Schmidt was just an ex-state legislator who led Cincinnati’s Right to Life group. Her only qualification to deliver a presidential letter was that it might help her party get another seat in Congress. That might be smart politics, but it’s a pretty craven way to manipulate the war dead for political gain. Welcome to Congress, Representative Schmidt. You’ll fit right in.

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PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

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