Timing is Everything

Oops.

Mayor's wrong statement about Senate candidate fuels speculation

Associated Press

Washington - An incorrect news release fed speculation Monday about Iraq war veteran Paul Hackett's political future.

Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory sent a statement to news media praising Hackett, a fellow Democrat, for leaving his campaign for U.S. Senate to instead take a second shot at a Cincinnati-area House seat that he nearly won last summer.

Mallory meant to send a release encouraging Hackett to take on GOP Rep. Jean Schmidt, his spokesman Dan Phenicie said.

"We apparently got some misinformation," he said.

National Democrats on Sunday openly asked Hackett to run in the House race instead of facing Rep. Sherrod Brown for a chance to take on GOP Sen. Mike DeWine.

Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who is backing Hackett in the Senate primary but would prefer that he switch to the House race, said he received a call from Mallory, who was upset his spokesman put out the wrong statement.

I bet he was upset. I imagine Hackett is as well.

Timing is everything.

Prediciton: Hackett does indeed drop out.