Paul Hackett anounces IAVA endorsed candidates.

From today's e-mail:

Dear IAVA PAC Supporter,

Today, along with Board of Advisor member Paul Hackett, I announced IAVA PAC's endorsed candidates for the 2006 election cycle - all of whom served in Iraq or Afghanistan. All of these candidates will go to Washington and use their credibility to challenge the President on how our military is used, and how we treat Veterans when they come home.

If you want to see the President change course in Iraq, then stand with us and help us help these candidates.

Donate to IAVA PAC now.

If you want to see all Service Members receive full health care in return for their service, stand with us. If you want to see this Administration held accountable for failing to provide proper personal and vehicle armor to Troops in harm's way, stand with us.

Stand with us as we support these patriots running for Congress, who have all chosen to continue their service to their communities and put America on a better path by seeking election to public office.

Below is the list of our endorsed candidates, as well as a political overview of their districts to show that all of them can win, if you send your support.

Thank you for all you have done for IAVA PAC. Now let us support the Troops, by sending them to Congress!

Best,

Jon Soltz
Iraq War Veteran and
Executive Director,
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America PAC



MEET IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA
POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE'S "A TEAM."


Andrew Duck (Maryland-6)
http://www.duckforcongress.com/
Andrew Duck served as a Military Intelligence Officer with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Iraq and served in Bosnia prior to that. With his extensive military service and early start, he represents the most viable opposition the Republican incumbent has faced from the Democrats since he won the seat in 1992 from a conservative Democratic incumbent.

Tammy Duckworth (Ilinois-6)
http://www.duckworthforcongress.com/
Before Duckworth's service in Iraq as a Blackhawk pilot (where she lost both of her legs), she studied International Relations and worked for Rotary International. She was pursuing a PhD in Political Science before her deployment to Iraq. She is charismatic and has the policy credibility to match her service record and make her a truly viable candidate in a race that Stuart Rothenberg named as one of his "Dangerous Dozen" Open House Seats. Rep. Henry Hyde, who is retiring, won just 56% of the vote in 2004 but had to outspend his opponent 3-to-1. In the 2004 Presidential, President Bush held the district with only 53% of the vote.

Tim Dunn (North Carolina-8)
http://www.dunnforcongress.com/
Tim Dunn attained the rank of Lt. Colonel serving with the Marines in Kosovo, Desert Storm, Desert Shield and the Iraq War. His district, North Carolina's 8th, ranks 5th out of 13 Congressional Districts in NC in terms of Democratic registration, with over half of registered voters identified as Democrats. Though in the past, the district tended to elect Republicans to national office, it has repeatedly sent Democrats to state office, signaling that party label isn't as important as issues. The incumbent has had relatively tight races in prior cycles. He won with 56% of the vote in 2004, but only by outspending his opponent by a factor of 7-to-1.

David Harris (Texas-6)
http://www.followmetodc.com/
David Harris is currently a professor of Military Science at UT-Arlington and served in Iraq for 14 month as a logistics officer. Harris has the potential to capitalize on current criticism of the administration and speak with credibility on defense issues and the Iraq War. His capability as a messenger will help his campaign deliver the first serious challenge to the incumbent in over two decades. The incumbent has not faced a serious challenge from Democrats in the district since 1986. The Democratic opponent in 2004 spent $100k to the incumbent's $1.8 million. Delivering funds and resources to Harris will make this a district to watch in 2006.

Andrew Horne (Kentucky-3)
http://www.horneforcongress.com/
Andrew Horne served in both Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, rising from the rank of private to Lt. Colonel during his 27 yr. career in the Marines. He is in the Reserves and has a private law practice. Horne will challenge the Republican incumbent Congresswoman in the general election. In the 2004 Presidential, Senator John Kerry won the district with 51% of the vote, as Vice President Gore had in 2000 with 50%.

Patrick Murphy (Pennsylvania-8)
http://www.murphyforcongress.com/
Patrick Murphy is one of the most exciting veterans running in this cycle. He is a former West Point professor, and served in the Iraq War as a JAG with the 82nd Airborne Division. He was also deployed to Bosnia in 2002. The 8th District of Pennsylvania has been trending Democratic in statewide and national contests since 1992. The district went for Democratic Governor Ed Rendell in 2002 and gave Senator John Kerry and Vice President Gore 51% of the vote in 2000 and 2004.

Joe Sestak (Pennsylvania-7)
http://www.sestakforcongress.com/
Joe Sestak has a resume that offers the perfect challenge to the incumbent. Sestak holds a PhD in Political Economy from Harvard and rose to the grade of Vice Admiral and served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Requirements and Programs (N6/N7) and represented the Navy to the White House, Congress and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He also served as Battle Group Commander for a fleet of 30 allied ships and 15,000 troops engaged in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The 7th District went for Senator John Kerry by 53% in 2004 and for Vice President Gore with 51% in 2000. The incumbent has seen his percentage slip from 66% in 2002 to 59% in 2004. In 2004 he outspent his opponent $678k to $23k. The incumbent is weak on fundraising, having only $266k on hand, the least of any incumbent IAVA PAC's endorsed candidates are facing.

Did the IAVA endorse any Repukes? I know there were some here who were berating Hackett for joining the IAVA Pac, as it would be endorsing Repukes.

However I also see Duckworth listed. That'll cause some consternation, I'm sure.

And I hope that folks won't see her as one apple spoiling the bunch....just because they support her primary opponent.

She is a Democrat after all....according to herself, Obama, Durbin, Kerry, some Unions and Emily's list.....

I wonder if she'll be walking to New Orleans in the Veteran's march that this group is participating in? That would be an Ironic statement.....Losing both legs and yet participating in a march!

the Cegelis supporters.

It seems a little ironic to me that Hackett, after accusing the insider Dems of pushing him out of the Senate race, would side with "the party insiders" against "the grassroots" in this case.

That's only an observation though. I don't have a strong opinion on Duckworth vs. Cegelis; I'm only sorry that we have a strong candidate (one of those two) who will ultimately be defeated in a primary, when it would have been nice if they could have run somewhere else where the party could have gotten the benefits of both, and both would have had a good shot at a worhwhile office. Oh well.