Free Republic

CINCINNATI, July 22 - In the Second Congressional District of Ohio, which Republicans have controlled for the last two decades, the quickest route to political oblivion could be the one chosen by Paul L. Hackett: calling President Bush a "chicken hawk" for not serving in Vietnam and harshly criticizing the decision to invade Iraq. But Mr. Hackett, the Democratic candidate in the Aug. 2 special Congressional election, is not an ordinary politician. Until four months ago, he was serving in the Marines, commanding a civil affairs unit in Iraq. If Mr. Hackett is elected, he will become the first member...

The National Guardsman who put Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on the spot about having to scavenge metal to boost the armor on military vehicles says he has no regrets. In speaking out for the first time, Thomas Wilson declared: "If this is my 15 minutes of fame, I hope it saves a life." "Why do we soldiers have to dig through local landfills?" he asked Rumsfeld in a Q&A nearly two weeks ago. The secretary's response, that "You go to war with the Army you have," spawned a storm of criticism. "Personally, I didn't like that answer," Wilson told Time...