Democratic candidates tout Iraq war experience (USATODAY.com via Yahoo! News)

Paul Hackett likes to say he's "not your standard Democrat."

But if Democrats could design a dream candidate to capitalize on national distress about the war in
Iraq, he would look a lot like the tall, telegenic Marine Reserve major who finished a seven-month tour of Iraq in March.

Should Hackett, the Democratic nominee in a special election Aug. 2 in Ohio's 2nd District, win, he would be the first Iraq combat veteran elected to Congress. At least two other Iraq combat veterans - both Democrats - plan to run for House seats next year. All three are touting their Iraq experience and knocking the White House and Congress for not having a realistic sense of the war on the ground.

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