CINCINNATI, Ohio (AP) -- Republican Jean Schmidt was first in line when the polls opened Tuesday as voters in a southwestern Ohio congressional seat chose between her and Democrat Paul Hackett, an Iraq veteran who is critical of the war. (CNN)

The national Democratic Party initially ignored the race. But Mr. Hackett has changed some minds, and the party has begun dispatching young staff members to the field, hoping to send a message that Mr. Bush is weak in one of his most loyal districts. Not to mention that a former Marine, and war veteran that supports the Democratic Party is a potential gold mind for the Left.

He commanded a civil affairs unit in Ramadi and Falluja. This means for the most part, his role was administrative, and not the combat leader that will be pushed out to everyone. However, this does give him a distinct prospective on foreign policy that most Democrats lack.

My biggest gripe with the Left is their stance on foreign policy and national security. This guy could be the real deal, and may be an answer to the prayers of some closet conservative Democrats.

I researched for about an hour on the Internet, and the closest to criticism I found were a couple of blogs that were hammering a statement he made immediately after the London attacks. When asked about National Security, he made a joke with “The biggest danger to America is the man living in the White House.” While the joke may have been in poor taste considering the circumstances, I do not find this alone to be a disqualifying item.

Your thoughts on this would be nice to hear, but remember, I was a Marine too, so don’t get silly bashing the guy.