Goodbye Paul, I wish things worked out...

The Democrat establishment ushered Paul Hackett out the door. No doubt they saw he had a fire in his belly and got worried. I'll remember him most from his appearance on "Real time with Bill Maher". I don't want to go catcher in the rye, but he seemed like less of a phoney bastard than your usual political type. Wouldn't surprise me if Republicans picked him up.

It would make my day if he ran for senate anyway as an independent. Of course that would push odds in favor of Mike DeWine. That's how you play hardball though. If he feels shafted by the Democratic establishment, it's well within his power to shaft them back.

If I were Paul I'd do it in a heartbeat. Between the coin scandal and all the other crap in Ohio, the voters have got to be looking for something fresh and new. An Independent might be more appealing than a Democrat or Republican. He might not have the power to win, but he could deep-six the Democrats who definitely need that Senate seat. They would be hot and heavy to work something out (they want him in the highly Republican district he almost won last year...like that's a reward) because the reality is he has a play to make. He should tell the Democrats what it will cost them for that play to go in their favor. And they aren't in any position to bargain.