Senator Hagel on The Daily Show

I just quickly wanted to show the video of Senator Hagel discussing Iraq, his book, and the 2008 elections on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart:



It's a great video, enjoy!

Monday's Announcement

Alright, I know I haven't been posting that often, but here's something worth posting about:

Monday at 10:00 A.M., Senator Hagel will announce his Official Plans for 2008! Let's all hope and pray for the best!

Meet Chuck Hagel, the 2008 GOP Presidential Nominee

Meet Chuck Hagel, the 2008 GOP Presidential Nominee

I know it’s a bit early to call the GOP presidential primaries, especially in favor of someone who hasn’t officially announced, but Chuck Hagel’s the guy.

Here’s why: Hagel is the only candidate with both impeccable social reactionary credentials and a credible basis for supporting a withdrawal from Iraq by the time the actual presidential campaign begins. Although he supports the occupation, he’s been a harsh critic of the administration’s conduct of it; the other leading contenders have been falling all over themselves to support it and, for the moment, the president. He can win the primaries because he hasn’t done anything to alienate the base and because he’ll be seen as electable by Republican party heavyweights who recognize that as things now stand, Iraq will dominate the campaign. Take Iraq off the table, which a Hagel candidacy might do, and suddenly Democrats are confronted with a whole new landscape.

Read the rest at... http://www.btcnews.com/btcnews/1645.

Hagel Says Independent Bid For Prez Is Possible

Hagel Says Independent Bid For Prez Is Possible
May 04, 2007

The Leavenworth Street political blog took note today of a story by Bloomberg News, reporting that Senator Chuck Hagel declined to rule out a bid for president as an Independent candidate, and even said such a bid ?is possible.?

Interesting story.

Hagel didn?t say he would make such a bid, just that (like almost everything else) he would not rule it out.

Here is the story, as reported by Leavenworth Street.

According to a Bloomberg News article, Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel said he would consider running for President as an Independent:

An independent bid "is possible," Hagel, 60, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television's Political Capital with Al Hunt. "I don't ever foreclose any options."

This is contrary to what Hagel said at his non-announcement announcement in March:


?I am a Republican. I believe I will continue to be a Republican.?

Regarding the issue of his footsy-ish dinner at The Palm in Washington, D.C. with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the article said,

?they talked about their families, politics and Iraq, and there was no discussion about teaming up for a presidential campaign. "We have a lot of common interests," he said. "But no, there was no talk of any ticket."

Having a major fund-raiser for his re-election campaign.
Meeting for a high-profile dinner with another proposed Presidential candidate.
Changing his position on whether he?d run as an Independent.

Well, we guess he?s leaving his options open?

Meanwhile, Republican hopeful Jon Bruning says he ain't afraid of Hagel's abilty to raise campaign funds. The attorney general has all but declared that he will challenge Hagel for the GOP senatorial nomination - if Hagel seek a third term.

Presidential Primary Debates

At this point in the 2008 race, as early as it is, should a candidate have to have declared to be invited to participate in a debate?

Editorial: Hagel Will Sell Well In the Heartland

Editorial: Hagel Will Sell Well In the Heartland

In every presidential primary, Republican or Democrat, each party's dominant wing (right for Republicans, left for Democrats) are courted heavily.

Take the Republicans. Even if the vast majority of Republican voters are not strongly conservative in the Republican primaries, those conservatives are highly prized because they always vote and are passionate enough to get others to vote.

So every Republican who wants to have a chance of victory is talking conservatives' language on social issues and foreign policy in anticipation of next year's primary contests. Even former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is trying to convince wary conservatives that his liberal advocacy on issues ranging from abortion to gun control to gay rights is behind him now.

What a relief for supporters of U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska) that their man doesn't have to try so hard to convince conservatives that he is one of them. On abortion issues, Hagel has a sterling pro-life record in the U.S. Senate. The same is true on issues involving family values like marriage to a defense of the Second Amendment.

Moreover, Hagel is a strong anti-tax Republican who wants a balanced budget. And as for his stand against some of the strategy leading up to the Iraq war and the blunders caused in it, Hagel always comes in the name of the soldiers themselves--and a more sensible, effective foreign policy to fight terrorism worldwide.

This is the kind of common-sense conservatism that appeals to both the social conservatives and the traditional, anti-tax conservatives in the Republican Party. More importantly for the GOP as it looks for a winner nationally in what will be a very close election in 2008, Hagel's common sense will resonate with the general voting public in both parties.

Rural states similar to Nebraska, like West Virginia, are as much traditional as they are conservative. Their voters want someone who understands rural issues. Given West Virginia's rise to prominence in the electoral college tally in 2000, putting George W. Bush over the top, look for candidates like Hagel to put in some time in states like West Virginia where they have natural common ground.

Hagel can do well nationally, both in the primaries and the general election, in rural states like West Virginia. Hagel's straight-talking yet always-respectful style will be appreciated here.

The American people may be ready for a "Steady Eddie," a fresh face with a solid record of achievement in the U.S. Senate, and a seasoned leader with an intimate understanding of our nation's military, foreign policy, and what makes the private sector hum. If so, the Republicans would be wise to put forward a midwestern statesman this time around for President: U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel.

Why not Hagel, GOP needs something new

Why not Hagel or Thompson, GOP needs something new
By E.J. Dionne Jr

WHY NOT Chuck Hagel? For that matter, why not Fred Thompson? For Republicans, 2008 promises to be a disconcerting if exciting year because for the first time since the 1964 Goldwater insurgency, the party is struggling over its philosophical direction.

The old conservatism is in crisis, Bush Republicanism (of the son's variety but not the father's) is a tainted brand, and no candidate has emerged as the Next New Thing that the party wants or needs.

That's why Hagel, the Nebraska senator and Iraq war critic, suggested Monday that he might seek the presidency.

Read the rest at... http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/states/california/16908022.htm

Is Hagel The Credible Conservative Candidate?

Here is a GREAT article from the Cyclone Conservatives:
Is Hagel The Credible Conservative Candidate?

There seems to be a lot of media discussion lately claiming that the GOP has not yet found a top tier conservative candidate to rally around yet. Personally, I think that discussion would fold away if Newt Gingrich got into the race, but that is either unlikely to happen until this fall or not at all ever.

The candidate that everyone thought would have that mantle was George Allen from Virginia. But the now former Senator nearly completely killed his political career by making one major gaffe last summer.

Now, we've got Mayor Rudy Giuliani who seems to have a tough hawkish stance on foreign policy which many red blooded conservatives really like but he's got a plethora of social issue problems which red blooded conservatives really don't like.

John McCain actually has a pretty conservative record on social and fiscal issues, but it is his tendency towards being a maverick and his 'moderate' media created tag that has scared off many. Joining with Ted Kennedy on immigration, Russ Feingold on campaign finance reform, and leading judicially comprimising 'Gang of 14' has a lot of conservatives uneasy. However, he's also probably the toughest hawk on terrorism in the race and that is where he is gaining a lot of traction.

Mitt Romney could be the guy and then again many conservatives still don't know who he is and if the Mitt from the debate footage from 1994 and 2002 is still the Mitt of 2007. He claims that he was wrong then, but that hasn't settled a lot of fears and for right now, his campaign hasn't been picking up as much momentum as it could be as a result. Additionally, the Mormonism is likely to still be dogging him.

Mike Huckabee of Arkansas and Sam Brownback of Kansas are still relatively unknown to a lot of people nationwide and therefore they just have not been getting the kind of media coverage that the others have been. Brownback tends to be one of the more conservative members of the United States Senate, though he has now become a lot more of a dove on foreign policy and that is causing him problems. Huckabee could by dynamic but he's got some immigration problems and there are plenty of questions about whether or not he'll be able to raise the kind of money it takes to win.

Tommy Thompson is perhaps as thorough of a campaigner as anybody but he just hasn't gotten that 'buzz' yet. There's no doubt that Thompson could be the most all around conservative candidate in the race but he, like Brownback and Huckabee, has not yet captured the national attention. I am convinced that Thompson is going to do well in Iowa because he's very folksy, looks like a common Iowan, and is extraordinarily intelligent. Thompson is still just 2nd tier for right now though he is moving up the ranks faster than anyone.

Tom Tancredo is definitely conservative but he has yet to fully introduce himself to Iowans and there are many who wonder if he is just getting into the race in order to force a more aggressive debate about our immigration policies.

Duncan Hunter and Ron Paul are both well respected members of Congress but are they just don't have the buzz nor have they been to Iowa much. For now, they are back in the pack a little bit.

John Cox and Jim Gilmore are definitely very conservative guys but they are constantly surrounded by question marks as to whether they have the name recognition to win.

So, there is definitely no ideal candidate out there...YET.

And so that brings into the equation Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. If conservatives can be calmed about his dovish tendencies toward Iraq, then Hagel might be the most well-known conservative in the race.

Recently, the National Journal released their 2006 liberal/conservative scores for Senators and Congressmen. After taking into account votes based on economic, social, and foreign policy; a formula is created and the votes are plugged in.

The Result? Of the 2008 Presidential aspirants already in the race or names that are floated, Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska is the most conservative U.S. Senator. He just outflanks Brownback by a little bit.

Sure, Hagel bucks the President on foreign policy; but on most other issues, he totes the party line better than any of the other Senators in the race.

I, for one, would like to see Hagel get into the race. I've met Senator Hagel and heard him lecture at Iowa State in 2005. He's a very intelligent man who would bring a lot to the foreign policy debate and future of the party.

Back in December, I wrote about the Nebraska Senate Race should Hagel retire or run for President and I am confident that seat would be very safe for the GOP no matter who is running on the Republican ticket so that is not a worry for the Republicans.

I hope Hagel makes a decision soon because he quite possibly could be the credible credentialed conservative candidate to watch.
Publisher's Note: Check out those lists and see where members of the Iowa Delegation fall.

Hagel’s the only real right stuff
By Brett Arends
Boston Herald Business Columnist

Conservatives should stop complaining about their choices for president. They already have a serious candidate who is to the right of Ronald Reagan - and who could actually win a general election.

If they don’t want to nominate him, that’s their problem.

Read more...http://news.bostonherald.com/editorial/view.bg?articleid=185687

---

Long-Shot Hagel May Be Republicans' Best Bet: Margaret Carlson

I don't have a quote for this one, because this editorial has to be read as a whole. Please check it out at: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_carlson&sid=aWwSN1OtsBh8

Will Hagel Run as an Independent?

The Real Clear Politics Blog has posted the following quote from Senator Hagel:

Q: Would you give any consideration to running as an Independent?
HAGEL:
Well, if I seek the Presidency, I would seek it as a Republican. Where all this
is going to go and how it ends up next year, whether that's possible for an
Independent to be elected President, maybe. Maybe it would be. But, right now,
I'd be focused on seeking the Republican nomination.

Hagel Talks Up Third-Party '08 Bid

Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska is keeping his options open as he considers a run for the presidency.

As a Republican, he would be primarily interested in the GOP nomination. But if that isn't a realistic possibility, he'd be open to running on a hybrid ticket with a Democrat.

"If I decide to get into this, I would run not just to make a statement," Hagel, 60, said in a recent interview, according to USA Today.

The third-party option is known as Unity08, in which bipartisan political operatives use the Internet to craft a Republican-Democratic presidential ticket.

"I think it's a very intriguing enterprise," Hagel told USA Today, adding that he thinks most Americans are unhappy with the GOP and Democrats.

Hagel has become a critic of President Bush's foreign policy, although he voted in October 2002 for the authorization to go to war in Iraq.

Hagel says a troop surge in Iraq will result in "a vat of chaos." He also says America is letting its chance of winning over a "pro-American generation" of young Iranians slip away.

Such outspokenness has angered the administration. Vice President Dick Cheney told Newsweek magazine: "I believe firmly in Ronald Reagan's '11th Commandment': Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican. But it's very hard sometimes to adhere to that where Chuck Hagel is involved."


© NewsMax 2007. All rights reserved.

USA Today: Hagel has to step it up

The following is a USA Today article showing that Hagel really has to step it up in Michigan:

Romney, Brownback makes pitches to Michigan Republicans

By Adam Bird, AP
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney holds a press conference before speaking to Republicans during the Michigan GOP Convention in Grand Rapids, Mich. Saturday.

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan (AP) — Republicans Mitt Romney, son of a Michigan governor, and Sam Brownback promoted their presidential campaigns Saturday before nearly 3,000 party activists at their state convention.

Romney reminded the crowd that he grew up sharing the Automotive News each morning with his father, George, who headed American Motors Corp. before becoming Michigan's governor from 1963-69.

The younger Romney, himself a former Massachusetts governor, said his father brought many of the lessons he learned from business to the governorship.

"He got Michigan moving again," Romney said, before running through his stands opposing abortion, favoring the restriction of marriage to a man and a woman and backing controls on illegal immigration. "It's time for Republican principles to come back to Michigan again."

Brownback, the Kansas senator who is running as the conservative heart of the party, earned a warm reception with his pledges to protect life and the traditional family.

He also called for wiping out cancer in 10 years and for putting more resources into alternative energy.

"Michigan is going to be a key state in getting that done," he said, noting its efforts to encourage the production of ethanol and biodiesel.

The Miami Herald: Meet the new John McCain -- and the new Bob Dole

The following is from the Miami Herald:

Meet the new John McCain -- and the new Bob Dole
BY JAMES P. PINKERTON
www.newsday.com
It's official: Chuck Hagel is the new John McCain, getting the glowing treatment from glam publications such as GQ. And John McCain is the new Bob Dole -- and we know what kind of press Dole got. Perhaps I should explain.

Once upon a time -- say, five years ago -- the liberal media were infatuated with McCain. Yes, the Republican senator from Arizona was a hard-line conservative on most matters, but he was sufficiently unorthodox on a few issues (campaign finance, global warming, tax cuts) to be newsworthy. In addition, McCain was enough of a George W. Bush basher to keep reporters interested in what he might say next.

But the Mainstream Media's affection for the senator has come to an end, for two reasons: First, McCain, now seeking to inherit the Bush political legacy -- at least until he nails down the 2008 Republican presidential nomination -- is now posing as Bush's best buddy, and the media aren't going to buddy up to that. Second, the Iraq War. The media, and most of the country, have reached a negative judgment on the war, and so the McCain campaign plank ''If you like Bush's foreign policy, you'll love my foreign policy'' is understandably playing poorly in Manhattan and Los Angeles.

So say goodbye to the media's portrayal of ''St. John'' McCain, the flinty, brave maverick. And say hello, instead, to a new ''Bob Dole-ized'' McCain. Like the Kansas Republican, who, as a 70-something, was portrayed during the 1996 presidential campaign mostly as a cranky and ranting old man, the 70-year-old Arizonan is being portrayed that way now.

Republicans eager to hold the White House in 2008 might factor that media reality into their nomination calculations. McCain might have ''earned'' the GOP nod in `08 through deference to the incumbent president, but the electorate as a whole might see such loyalty in a hostile light.
But of course, just as the media take away, the media also give. And the recipient of media blessings these days is Chuck Hagel, senator from Nebraska. As a Republican critical of the Bush policy in Iraq, Hagel is infinitely more valuable to the anti-war cause than a mere Democrat. After all, nobody is surprised anymore when a Democrat opposes the war, but it's notable when a Republican breaks ranks with his own party's president -- especially when he uses such punchy language, referring to the Iraq surge as the ``most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam.''

Such hot talk has earned Hagel a place of honor in the pages of GQ magazine's January issue, under the headline ''The Angry One.'' And the object of much of Hagel's anger, of course -- to the media's obvious delight -- is Bush and his neoconservative coterie.

So the liberal-media beat goes on, especially in the wake of Hagel's vote -- played prominently on all the broadcast news channels last week -- alongside the Democrats on an anti-surge resolution.

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann declared last Friday night that Hagel's position on the war was ''breathtaking,'' then heaped more praise on the Cornhusker: ''He sounds like me on civil liberties,'' Olbermann pronounced admiringly.

That's the media sweet spot that McCain once occupied -- till the pressies soured on him.
So what does it mean for the future of national politics if Hagel is the new McCain? Two conclusions:

• First, the Nebraskan is now viewed with deep suspicion among many rank-and-file Republicans -- the folks who control the GOP nomination process.

• Second, as his stock goes down among Republicans, it goes up among independents. Even liberals might conclude that it will take a certified war hero -- Hagel won two Purple Hearts in Vietnam -- to make a credible exit from Iraq.

All of which means there's a chance for Hagel to follow in the footsteps of Teddy Roosevelt in 1912: He could bolt the GOP and run a credible independent bid for the White House. He might even win.

©2007 Newsday

Columbia Spectator: "Queasy From Politics? Consider Chuck"

The following is Columbia Spectator's opinion article Queasy From Politics? Consider Chuck:

People say politics make them sick. Last December, I found myself bent double in a Schapiro bathroom, cursing the irony of that figure of speech-I was probably the first in a long line of political junkies following this marathon 2008 presidential race to actually start throwing up. I'd just been an unpaid guest at a fundraiser for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's possible run, and a simple thought process began floating through my head: 1. I hope Giuliani's as sick off of his hors d'oeuvres as I am. 2. He's the "frontrunner" of my party? God help us. 3. I should've at least taken advantage of that free alcohol and gotten really sick. 4. Is there no alternative?

Well, according to polls in various early primary states, Giuliani is indeed in the lead for the Republican Party's nomination. Why's that a bad thing? Long story short-Giuliani is a firm supporter of the war in Iraq because, in his own words, "We didn't start this war." Those words came from that December fundraiser, but he's elaborated on them before, saying, "Bush stood amid the fallen towers of the World Trade Center and said... 'They will hear from us.' They have heard from us! [...] They heard from us in Iraq, and we ended Saddam Hussein's reign of terror."

I watched the attendees of the crowded fundraiser shoot each other concerned looks. Oblivious, the former mayor waxed poetic about the "pillars of the global terrorism movement." Even the well-groomed Armani-clad Princeton grads in front of me looked uncharacteristically skittish. News flash, Rudy, they seemed to say-this is not a James Bond movie. There's no mysterious organization behind every single violent group, led by a cat-stroking Bin Laden that mysteriously pulls strings in the "Axis Of Evil," causing "Islamo-fascists" to magically pop up and hate us for our freedom. And there is positively no link-none, zilch-between Saddam Hussein and Sept. 11.

We Republicans lost the Senate and House in 2006 by trying to sell that moronic reductionist snake oil to a public that wanted actual solutions. Even more embarrassingly, we lost out to small-government Democrats like Jon Tester in places like Montana. The lesson seems clear-if we try running that stupid party line in 2008 when the death toll's even higher, we'll not only usher in the biggest Democratic sweep since Nixon's ouster, but we'll also cause more failures and chaos abroad in the name of hollow "victories" and more coffins at home. In the upcoming presidential election, we need to run a realist conservative who's willing to listen to reason, not another windbag who lacks any desire to talk about the realities of war.

Frontrunner Rudy isn't the only one barking up the wrong tree. John McCain, for example, has staked his fortune on this "troop surge" policy, even as he quietly seethed to The Today Show on Jan. 4 that it probably should be higher than 20,000, based on how peachy things are going at present. There's only one potential candidate I've seen from my party's field that's willing to discuss terror and foreign policy as real issues rather than empty talking points-and he's a staunch fiscal conservative with a record to appease the family values crowd, despite not caring if states allow civil unions for gay people.

Sounds too good to be true, right? Wrong. Consider Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. He's been speaking out against the administration's conduct in the Iraq war since it rolled into Baghdad, and he should be our next president. For a long time, he was a black sheep in the Republican Party, despite the fact that he was the senator that most stringently toed the White House's line on issues like tax cuts in 2006. He was ostracized by Dick Cheney and largely ignored by the media.

Ignored until now, that is. He's put his foot down on this half-hearted and ill-planned "troop surge," going so far as to say, "I don't think we've ever had a coherent strategy [in Iraq.]" For those cowardly rhetoricians who'd rather cling to talking points on either side of the aisle than develop a cohesive solution, he has a pretty simple message: "Why are you elected? If you wanted a safe job, go sell shoes." He's looking for actual debate on alternatives, instead of bleating on about "victory or defeat," like Joe Lieberman or Rudy Giuliani.

Chuck Hagel is not the "perfect" candidate for everyone. But he's willing to talk with others even as this supposedly proactive Democratic Congress drags its feet and holds empty oversight meetings. It's only fitting to close with a quote from John F. Kennedy, across the political aisle: "Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer." Chuck Hagel's seeking that answer, and we, regardless of political affiliation, need to work to put him in the White House. These brain-dead blowhards in nice suits talking about "pillars of global terrorism" make me sick-figuratively, in this case. Real problems call for real solutions, and Chuck Hagel can finally provide those when we need them most.

The Case for Chuck Hagel

The following is Chris Cillizza's blog post, The Case for Chuck Hagel, from his blog The Fix

The Case for Chuck Hagel
No senator has drawn more attention over the past few weeks than Chuck Hagel, the Republican from Nebraska. Hagel has emerged as one of the most strident critics of the Bush administration's Iraq policy, a stance that has won him kudos from across the aisle (Hagel has replaced Sen. John McCain as the Republican Democrats love to love) but gained him few friends within his own party.

Is Hagel the John McCain of 2008? (Bloomberg Photo)

Hagel makes no secret that he is considering a run for president, but he has said little about when he will make a decision. As Hagel ponders, so will we. Today, The Fix makes the case for a bid by the Nebraska senator. (Check back tomorrow for the case against.)
Neither of these posts should be read as the definitive take on whether Hagel should run or not. Rather, they are meant to spark conversation, so feel free to agree, disagree, condemn or compliment in the comments section below.

The Time Is Right For Hagel
If the situation in Iraq fails to improve soon, the war will be the central issue in the nomination fights for both parties. For Democratic candidates, a winning message is quite simple: We need to get our troops out of the country as soon as possible without allowing the situation to descend into chaos.

For Republicans, however, it is not entirely clear what a winning primary message on Iraq would be.

The most conservative of Republicans -- those who traditionally dominate presidential primaries -- remain largely supportive of the Bush administration's policies in Iraq or at least believe that the alternative promises sure defeat. The three Republican frontrunners -- McCain, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- have largely backed the president on Iraq, including his latest proposal to send another 21,500 troops to the country.

But if public opinion polling is to be trusted, there is a large bloc even within the Republican Party that believes that a fundamental policy change is needed if we can hope to salvage Iraq.

Enter Hagel, who has spoken out forcefully on the need for a reassessment of America's approach to the war. And, because of his life story, which includes a decorated tour of duty in Vietnam, it's difficult to impugn his credentials or right to speak out on the issue. For Republican primary voters looking for a change of direction in Iraq, Hagel is the obvious choice.

Hagel's renegade stance on Iraq is part of a larger, maverick persona that could also serve to distinguish him from the rest of the field in 2008. In 2000, McCain rode the image of an outsider committed to reform almost all the way to the Republican nomination, a blueprint Hagel is sure to gain some inspiration from should he decide to run.

It was long assumed that McCain's candidacy in 2008 precluded a serious bid by Hagel, who was one of McCain's strongest Senate supporters in 2000. The early thinking pondered why would people need two reformers in the GOP race? But McCain's decision to move more toward the establishment wing of the party over the past few years has left Hagel an opening to run as the anti-establishment candidate in the field.

It's not an unfamiliar role. When Hagel ran for the Senate in 1996, he was given little chance against then Gov. Ben Nelson (D). But in a year when President Clinton was cruising to reelection nationally, Hagel won by a surprisingly large margin (14 points), emphasizing his business background and refusing urgings from the national party to attack Nelson harshly in the final weeks of the race.

Winning a Senate contest in Nebraska does not equate to a becoming the Republican Party's presidential nominee, but Hagel clearly relishes the underdog role and knows something about running against conventional wisdom.

Iowa will be the proving ground for Hagel. Hawkeye state voters share many of the same values and concerns as their neighbors in Nebraska. For example, Hagel has been a leading advocate for the increased use of ethanol in gasoline -- a significant boon to his chances in ethanol-producing Iowa. And, although Hagel would clearly be the anti-Bush candidate in the race, he is solid on issue like abortion that social conservatives, who tend to be the most powerful bloc of voters in the Iowa caucuses, care most about.

Viewed in that way, Hagel's candidacy is an intriguing one. He offers voters change when it comes to Iraq but in a package (military veteran, successful businessman, red-state senator, conservative) that is reassuring and somewhat familiar. If GOP voters in Iowa -- and beyond -- are looking to make a break with the last eight years without throwing out their core principles on social issues, Hagel could be well-positioned to surprise.

Newsweek: McCain vs. Hagel

There is an excellent piece from Newsweek about the differing views on the war between two close friends in the Senate: John McCain and Chuck Hagel. These are two men who are both thinking about running for President in 2008 and are two of the few combat veterans in Congress. They have long been close friends, but are nearly polar opposites on Iraq.
Hagel is "obsessed" with the war in Iraq, says his brother Tom, who served with him in Vietnam. "You can't have a conversation with him without this coming up." During Christmas, Hagel looked "markedly older and grayer than when I saw him this summer down at the beach," says Tom. In an interview with NEWSWEEK last week, Hagel teared up when he began talking about a Purple Heart ceremony he had attended in August in Lincoln, Neb. "You're sitting there thinking, Was this a waste?" said Hagel, who voted for the original congressional resolution backing the war despite raising serious doubts about whether the invasion made sense. He added, somewhat uncomfortably, that at times he wonders whether he has done enough to try to stop the war.
Hagel is not pushing for "Out Now." But he is almost angrily dismissive of the idea of sending an additional 10,000 to 20,000 troops to Iraq. "Are we going to pacify Baghdad?" he asks. "Are we going to break the militia's stronghold? Are we going to use these troops to propel or force a settlement between the Shias and the Sunnis? What's the objective of it? I will guarantee that there's going to be a lot more American casualties. And there's going to be a lot more animosity by the Iraqis." The idea that the Iraqis will respond only to more troops, he says, is "complete folly, unless you're going to kill all the Iraqis."
Read the full article here.

Why Senator Hagel Can Do Well in Michigan in the Primary

Compared with Senators McCain and Giuliani and Governor Romney, Hagel is a close centrist, but he has the advantage based on 2 main issues:
1) Abortion - Michigan has the biggest Right to Life PAC in America.
2) Sexual orientation - Michigan banned gay marriage by a decent margin in 2000.

Compared with Senator Brownback, he is nearly identical on most political issues; however, Senator Hagel has a stronger stance on absolute gun control, and with hunting/gun rights a big issue in Michigan (especially after the highly debated 2006 Proposal 3), gun control could play a major roll in deciding who Michigan nominates.

Comming Next: Why Hagel Can Win the Presidency...