Wrapping Up

Well, my guest stint here is just about done. I'll be heading home to Left in the West, but I wanted to let you know a few things first.

For one, I do have an inquiry in with Paul Hackett's campaign regarding his comments at that San Francisco fundraiser and how he would have voted on Senator Levin's request for an exit strategy and timeline. If I get a response, I'll ask David to let me post it here so y'all can read up on that.

Second, though, is simply something to keep in mind. I don't think that my post questioning Hackett's most recent statements on Iraq was unfair. In comments, I pretty quickly get attacked for relying on hearsay and basically get accused of manufacturing accusations. Honestly, those accusations piss me off. If Hackett's campaign wants to respond, I'm more than happy to post their response prominently. In fact, I would love for it to happen.

But the fundamental problem here is that many of Paul Hackett's supporters dismiss any criticism of him as being unacceptable negative politics. And I really mean any criticism. Hell, I think Sherrod Brown screwed up by saying he was leaving the race and then jumping in again. I just don't think what he did is the equivalent of shooting a newborn puppy.

I think he screwed up again recently when he questioned Tim Ryan's sanity for endorsing Paul Hackett, but I think Hackett is screwing up right now by being extremely unclear and apparently all over the map in his position on Iraq.

In comments, repeatedly, I've been attacked for saying these things while doing work for campaigns and non-profit organizations. Whatever. At my own blog, people in comments regularly trash on my clients, friends, and some mentors of mine. Fine. Whatever. That's democracy.

I don't want this post to devolve into a cliched rereading of Voltaire because, frankly, this post isn't about my right to free speech or the rights of any of you commenters. Those rights are here regardless of what we do (although, I will note the irony of members of the party that opposes McCarthyism now resorting to threatening my clients when they disagree with me).

What I'm more interested in is our duty to speak up and to ask questions. And that's fair for Sherrod Brown and that's fair for Paul Hackett. It's fair for all of the organizations and people I work for. It's fair for the President. It's fair for most American citizens.

So fine, use the comments here to tell me precisely how wrong I am on this race. That's why the comments are here. But let's also do two things: let's stop pretending any of these men are angels and let's also remember that disagreement is a personally acceptable thing.

--Matt Singer

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