"Like McCain, he is trying to appear "moderate" to prepare for the 2008 Presidential primaries. "Moderate" = sellout."
McCain may be a moderate on domestic issues, but he is a hawk on foreign policy and would never agree with Hagel's "soft touch" approach on the Iranians. Make no mistake, whatever McCain's sins on domestic issues the man is no wimp when it comes to the use of military power. I really think McCain would be disgusted with his friend's remarks.
McMaverick isn't friends with McHagel. They are in direct competition.
Hagel has chosen to trash the war and the President while remaining subdued, but he says, in support of ending filibusters.
McCain chooses to trash the war but he does so through back channels and attacks on Rummy, but his real opposition is in Judicial and legislative conservative advancements.
They have both staked out different prominent conservative/Bush positions and opposed them to make a name. They will both be fighting for the Rockefellers, Dems and Indy's in the primaries. Fine by me, I wish them to their competition to flay each other's support to the bare minimum. Our job is to find a consensus conservative to sail easily to victory in the primaries while they destroy each other.