DEWINE MAY FACE HACKETT.(Editorial)

Byline: Michael Collins

WASHINGTON -- Democrats have yet to find a candidate to challenge Republican Sen. Mike DeWine next year. But one name that has been coming up a lot lately is Paul Hackett.

The tough talkin' Iraq war veteran who came close to pulling off an upset in southwest Ohio's special congressional election earlier this month has been discussing the Senate race with party leaders and is seriously considering jumping in, a Washington insider says.

So far, the talks have amounted to nothing more than a few phone conversations. But Democrats may try to bring Hackett to D.C. after Congress returns from its August recess to talk about the race some more, the source said.

The list of prospective challengers for DeWine got a little smaller when U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown of Lorain announced this week that he's not interested. Another possible contender, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Youngstown, told the Youngstown Vindicator that he's leaning against making the race.

With Brown out and Ryan on the fence, Hackett is starting to look like the heir apparent to some Democrats. Given his strong showing in the congressional race and DeWine's perceived vulnerabilities, Democrats are convinced Hackett could unseat Ohio's senior senator.

"He's a take-it-like-it-is kind of guy,'' Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Phil Singer said of Hackett. "He ran a strong race, and he'd be a strong candidate. And given the fact that both Republicans and Democrats are now saying they want Mike DeWine out of the Senate underscores the degree to which people are unhappy with the job DeWine is doing in Washington.''

Hackett didn't return a phone call seeking comment for this column. But Tim Burke, chairman of the Hamilton County Democratic Party, said he discussed the Senate race and other options with Hackett on Monday.

"The Senate is, I think, an option that he ought to be considering,'' Burke said. "I'm not necessarily saying he's going to run for something next year. But I think he is interested in exploring options. And, just like you are hearing, a number of people have talked to him about the U.S. Senate race.''

Running in a seven-county congressional district during an off-year special election and running for a statewide office like the U.S. Senate are two vastly different beasts. But Burke said Hackett would have several things in his favor if he does run for Senate.

For one, coming off of a congressional race that got national attention has given him significant name recognition across the state. Two, he raised over a half-million dollars for the House race over the Internet, so he already has a national fund-raising base that he could tap into for the Senate campaign.

Three, volunteers from across the state flooded southwest Ohio during the congressional race to campaign on Hackett's behalf, and the buzz about that campaign hasn't died out yet.

"He caught lightning in the bottle in that congressional race and has continued even since then to draw some national attention,'' Burke said.

Just as important, the U.S. Senate seems like a natural fit for someone who already has spent the past few months talking about issues like the war in Iraq, the economy and Social Security.

If Hackett is going to run, he needs to jump into the race soon. DeWine spent part of the August recess taking a bus tour across the state, and any challenger will need to start traipsing around Ohio as well.

"He can't wait too terribly long (to decide), but I do believe the guy is entitled to a little breather after the spring he has been through,'' Burke said.

Meanwhile, DeWine has his own problems to overcome. A Survey USA poll this week that looked at the popularity of all 100 senators put DeWine near the bottom of the heap. The Cedarville Republican was fourth from the bottom, with an approval rating of 42 percent and a disapproval rating of 43 percent.

Gov. Bob Taft's conviction on state ethics violations certainly won't help DeWine, or any other Republican for that matter. And, in another ominous sign from within DeWine's own party, John Hritz, former president of AK Steel Corp. in Middletown, disclosed this week that he may challenge the senator in next year's Republican primary.

Michael Collins is The Post's Washington bureau chief. His e-mail address is collinsm@shns.com.