Hackett's out

And a sad day it is. The Democratic leadership really mishandled this one. They wanted him to drop down to a House race like Bryan Lentz did, but they pressured the outspoken Hackett in a way that he didn't appreciate, and he's dropping out of 2006 altogether, which is terrible. He didn't want to run the House race again because he gave his word to the other candidates he wouldn't, and that apparently means a lot to him.

I hope he reconsiders, and I hope the other Democrats in the race step aside voluntarily and urge him to run. He is a real hero, unlike the wannabes on the GOP side of the aisle, like Tom DeLay, Dick Cheney, Dan Quayle, etc. It would be a shame to lose someone of his integrity.