Posted on 04/29/2007 10:53:32 PM PDT by Kitten Festival
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Chuck Hagel returned from his fifth visit to Iraq to join Senate Democrats last Thursday as one of two Republicans voting to begin withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. It was not an easy vote for a conservative party regular and faithful supporter of President George W. Bush's non-Iraq policies. A few days earlier, Hagel sat down with me to paint a bleak picture of the war and U.S. policy.
Over a dozen years, I have had many such conversations with Hagel not for quotation. This time, I asked him to go on the record about his assessment of what the "surge" has accomplished. In language more blunt than his prepared speeches and articles, he described Iraq as "coming undone," with its regime "weaker by the day." He deplored the Bush administration's failure to craft a coherent Middle East policy, blaming the influence of Deputy National Security Adviser Elliott Abrams.
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
The Republican version of Joe “big mouth” Biden . When will this guy go away, or are we stuck with him forever ?
Hagel is doing everything he can to join my “McCain” club consisting of people who I wouldn’t vote for if both feet were on fire and it was the only way I could get a bottle of seltzer water.
LOL!!!! Man, that’s bad!
“These judgments come from someone credited with rebuilding Nebraska’s Republican Party who has a lifetime American Conservative Union record of 85.2 percent. Hagel represents millions of Republicans who are repelled by the Democratic personal assault on President Bush but deeply unhappy about his course in Iraq”
Novak and Hagel are so full of it. The problem with this is Hagel is now a media darling and he loves the limelight. So the more he bashes Bush, the more love he gets from the Drive Byes. And he’s hooked on it.
The Cornhusker GOP needs to get busy and get rid of him in the primary.
Typical Novak - trying to create “news” where there is none. Neither Novak nor Hagel supported Operation Iraqi Freedom from the beginning, he’s just giving his pal a forum, because nobody pays attention to Hagel anymore - conservatives shut him out, and he’s no longer of any use to Dems / media (except to claim “bipartisan” votes on Iraq issues).
Join the “jumping” Jeffords club. Pathetic.
This appears accurate. He's ragging on the Iraqi's, not coalition efforts. Even President Bush admits only the Iraqi's can "win" this war and, so far, even with the massive support of the US in brave soldiers and US taxpayers hard earned treasure, they seem incapable of doing so.
Maybe we should give THEM a deadline, then - either get your acts together or we break you idiots into three countries with a wall between each of you and who gets the oil we really don’t care. We need to get tough on them, they seem like a bunch of worthless, shiftless, ingrates. I hate the idea of our men dying for their sake.
I share your sentiments, however, if there's a wall to be built I want it built to secure the US border and my safety. Iraq can build there own.
Nothing but craven lickspittles.
Do you know of anyone who is actually in favor of WINNING?
Is that a joke ?
Hagel is presented like if he was just a disppointed Republican.
This jackass supported the Baker report.
He is a Democrat inside the Rerpublican party. Another surrender monkey.
They only had the government[s] less than 4 years, after decades of oppression by tyrannical minority of population... We can't get any of these laws through our "Parliament" either, and our last official Civil War was almost one and a half century ago; we are even now in a state of "unCivil War" waged by a tyrannical cultural minority - in part, because of people like Hagel... We destroy people not with IEDs, but by passing laws or in courts of law...
Our presence there is needed required to stop, kill, capture al-Qaeda and Iranian fighters-insurgents-operatives-jihadists and get vital HUMINT from them (the kind of intelligence we can't get anywhere else), and help form and train Iraqi Army and police to do the same.
What would Hagel do, if he were President? He doesn't even understand why we are in Iraq, he lets media make his mind for him, because without media he and many like him in government don't really "exist", because it's easier to follow the media's lead and have them like you, just like McCain did until he started "playing" Republican.
Like with many politicians, while what Hagel said may be accurate, it is meaningless to our real mission there.
To call Hagel a faithful supporter of President Bush is a stretch WAY WAY too far.
In fact, it’s an outright LIE.
Throw in Brownback as well... weak on the war and illegals.
If you keep throwing everyone out of the tent it is only a matter of time before the few who are left have little credibility and even less influence. everyone in the tent may be pure, but entirely impotent in terms of political leverage.
Are you aware that 80 to 90% of the horrific bombings are being carried out by AQ?
Vote Kucinich/Hagel in ‘08.
Oh I’m not pro-Hagel. I just wanted to see his side of the story. I understand some of what he says but he comes up wanting on solution. The only solution I will accept is victory and only victory. Bring back US Grant!
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