Salon.com News | Reporting for duty: "Iraq war vet Paul Hackett is aiming for a Senate seat -- and a progressive revival of the Democratic Party."

Marine Reservist Maj. Paul Hackett might be the one to put some real fight back into the Democratic Party. In a head-turning first run for office, Hackett, the first Iraq war veteran to enter the national political arena, narrowly lost a congressional bid against Republican Jean Schmidt in a special election held last summer in Ohio's most conservative district. Despite a serious financial handicap, little political experience and a blunt political demeanor -- he called George W. Bush 'chicken hawk' and 'son of a bitch' with regard to the war -- Hackett's strong showing fired up Democrats nationwide."

(Via Salon.)