11 & Out

A former Marine, Paul Hackett, was the darling of the Democrat Party while he maligned President Bush last year. This unorthodox Democrat was a new model for the left; a liberal with unassailable security credentials. Mr. Hackett was preparing a senatorial run, but it was cut short by... the Democrats. "I made this decision reluctantly, only after repeated requests by party leaders, as well as behind the scenes machinations that were intended to hurt my campaign," said Mr. Hackett while withdrawing. After eleven months in the limelight, Mr. Hackett has announced his intention to retire from politics. One can hardly blame him. Talk about bowelless party politics.