NE Sen Chuck Hagel tearing up bush on Iraq...

[rasputin1952]

says, "arrogance and incompetence" of bush admin got us stuck there after many insiders and other nations told them this was a poor idea.

Go Chuck!

Where the hell were you 5 years ago?


on edit: just heard this on local NPR news a 0702 CDT

[Wetzelbill]

1. he was fairly critical then, but not like he is now

for about three years Chuck's been more anti-war sounding then Dems.

I wish he'd have been more vocal during the rush to war, for sure though. It's interesting how a guy like Hagel, who has actual combat experience on the ground in Vietnam, is a vehement critic of the war, while the biggest sissies in his party are a bunch of pure warmongers.

[cynatnite]

3. Yeah, the last three or four years he's really let them all have it....

He's stopped short of defunding the war.

[Wetzelbill]

6. that's the problem

You only have a few who are willing to do that.

[Homer Wells]

7. Makes sense, actually

A veteran of a senseless war like Viet Nam would have a much more realistic view of what the consequence of such activity entails, than would a John Wayne watching arm-chair-warrior type who "lead" our country today!!

[cynatnite]

2. Hagel's been a critic of bush's war from almost the beginning...

He's really hit his fellow senators hard on it. Makes me wanna cheer him despite the fact he's as conservative as they come.

[rasputin1952]

9. I've met him...he's not a neo-con by any means, and he leans

Right on many issues, but he's more of an Eisenhower age R...fiscal responsibility, infrastructure and other national priorities are more his venue. The Radical Right gets him roiling, he's really not that bad a guy.

I think he could have done more 5 years ago....but that is a heavy dose of hindsight by me.

[cynatnite]

10. Probably a nice guy in person, but he's still a RW nutjob to the extreme...

He opposes abortion, opposes gay rights, supports school prayer, supports privatizing social security, supports the death penalty and so on.



I love how he speaks out, but let's not be under the illusion that he's a friend to the left.

http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Chuck_Hagel.htm

[anniebelle]

4. Thank gawd for book deals.

We get a glimpse of some truths, I guess, when these ex-bush-butt-kissers have a book deal to refill their coffers. Whatever price they put on their soul is fine with me as long as it gets some facts out about what went on with this imperial presidency in this occupation of Iraq. The problem is, they get their line out about "shoot the messenger" real quick.

[Jazzgirl]

5. Wolfie was interviewing Hagel yesterday.

Wolf asked Hagel about saying the Bush administration was arrogant and incompetent. Why did he ask....Hagel began going into detail about the administrations arrogance and then he started on the incompetence. CNN cut him off! I couldn't believe it! They just cut the whole transmission off. Must not have liked what they heard.

[Wetzelbill]

8. wow, I'll have to see if there is a video to that anywhere

[Inuca]

12. Here

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Hagel_Bush_Iraq_speech_like_Alice_0327.html

[TwilightGardener]

11. Might it have been a pre-taped interview? Sometimes they

rerun those later and end them abruptly.

[DFW]

14. The CNN editors were probably terrified at some fairness and balance...

Can't have any of that on our airwaves, now, can we?

[TwilightGardener]

13. I appreciate the fact that after all the "surge is a success" BS that they're

shoving down our throats, he refuses to buy into it--he's a "big-picture" guy, says we just don't have a cohesive strategy for the region or for political reconciliation, so our military tactics are sort of in vain. NPR had a long interview with him earlier this week (Rehm), it was pretty good. He's on Charlie Rose tonight--gotta book to sell.