"Wearing dark suit and tired eyes," Hagel in "biggest letdown since 'Joey' spun off from 'Friends'"

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: When No News Is Strange News
By Dana Milbank
Tuesday, March 13, 2007; Page A02

....The Republican senator from Nebraska, flirting with a 2008 presidential run, scheduled "an announcement on my political future" for yesterday morning in Omaha. Media types flew in from across the country. The state's governor and attorney general, along with 15 television cameras, crowded the room. Cable networks carried the event live while pundits went wild: Would Hagel jump into the race? Run for reelection? Become an independent? Quit politics entirely?

"I'm here today to announce that my family and I will make a decision on my political future later this year," Hagel declared in front of a presidential-blue curtain.

That was the announcement? The cable networks quickly broke away. The reporters in Omaha were feeling had.

"Senator, at least one Republican political analyst called your announcement today bizarre just now," NBC's Michelle Kosinski pointed out in the question-and-answer session that followed. "Tell us why you felt this was important to announce right now."

Hagel cited the promise he had made to announce a decision after Jan. 1. "It is after the first of the year, before St. Patrick's Day, and that's the first responsibility I have," the philosopher reasoned.

The writers at the Hotline political Web site judged the announcement "the biggest letdown since 'Joey' spun off from 'Friends.'...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/12/AR2007031201222.html

[POAS]

1. Maybe he got a knock on the door

in the middle of the night.

[soothsayer]

2. wake up with a horsehead, ya' have a change of heart

[POAS]

4. Yep, thought about that scene as I typed

[havocmom]

3. 'We're from the NSA & we have some tapes we want you to listen to...'

Wire taps are NOT for terrorist suspects. They are the new way to control public figures.

[POAS]

5. Wiretaps? Hell they probably had video!

[speedoo]

6. Seriously. He looked like a dead man walking.

Could not believe that presser.

[ms liberty]

7. There is a story here, somewhere in a very dark corner. n/t

[TwilightGardener]

8. Jeez, people are taking this way too seriously--

read the EJ Dionne story from the same edition of WaPo. He is just biding his time--I don't think it's too "bizarre" to call a press conference to say that he is open to a run in the future, but will concentrate on Senate work for now and won't be starting a campaign just yet. Which, by the way, maybe ALL of the Senators should be doing, LOL! Let's not run amok with conspiracy theories. And he ALWAYS looks sad/tired to me.

[TwilightGardener]

9. Meant to add, though, while I brought up conspiracy theories...

Something was a little strange about the timing of the Fred Thompson thing--a Repug strategy to derail Hagel's day?

[DeepModem Mom]

10. I'll bet you're right! nt

[POAS]

11. But he led EVERYONE

to conclude that this was going to be his "throw my hat in the ring" moment. It was an expectation that Hagel himself started and perpetuated until he actually appeared and spoke to the press.

Now I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next person but still it was way beyond bizarre the way this played out and that alone is bound to bring out the "tinfoil hat" crowd.