Hagel: Iraq growing more like Vietnam (Bush should meet with Cindy)

[sabra]

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/08/18/hagel.iraq/

Hagel: Iraq growing more like Vietnam
Republican Senator says Bush should meet with protesting mom

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska on Thursday said the United States is "getting more and more bogged down" in Iraq and stood by his comments that the White House is disconnected from reality and losing the war.

The longer U.S. forces remain in Iraq, he said, the more it begins to resemble the Vietnam war.

Hagel mocked Vice President Dick Cheney's assertion in June that the insurgency in Iraq was in its "last throes," saying the U.S. death toll has risen amid insurgent attacks.

"Maybe the vice president can explain the increase in casualties we're taking," the Nebraskan told CNN.
"If that's winning, then he's got a different definition of winning than I do."

[LittleClarkie]

1. Of course he does. His definition of winning is

Cha-ching!!

[saigon68]

7. It always was Iraq-Nam in the minds of many of us here

We told this to everyone AD NAUSEUM 2 and 1/2 years ago.

MORANS

[BrotherBuzz]

2. Hmmmm, posturing for a presidential run?

[Benhurst]

3. If so, at least he's posturing by coming out on the right side of

the issue, unlike some of our senators who shall not be named.

typo :spank: corrected

[BrotherBuzz]

4. Or he has a good political barometer and clearly sees...

the writing on the wall. Interesting that things have to get this bad before we see the solid right starts to fracture. I expect to see more people peeling away, and distancing themselves from the Bush* administration as the midterms approach. Bush* has become an albatross hanging on the rebublicans' neck.

[kostya]

5. Hmmmm, looks like mid-terms posturing all-right, and then

after the elections, they'll close ranks around BushCo again. - K

[sniffa]

13. but he's not up for re-eLection in 06

unLess i'm mistaken?

[bejammin075]

15. Owning Vote Machines makes him brave

When you've got the backdoor to the voting machines, it's easy to stand up to Bush, but Hagel is fake. I don't know this, but that's my instinct. Hagel is posturing to try to look sane next to Bush, but he's just the same.

[sniffa]

16. weLL, thanks for cLearing that up

hageL is/isn't up for reeLection.

[bejammin075]

18. I don't think he's up in 2006

I think he's on the 1998/2004 or 1996/2002 schedule. He's probably positioning himself for 2008.

[AlCzervik]

17. i'm waiting for the rightwing to start smearing him, so far i've heard

nothing, oh thats right he's a (r) next his name so he'll be left unscathed.

[tabasco]

26. That's how I size it up.

There's going to be a lot of rats that don't want to go down with Bush's sinking ship.

[kurtyboy]

9. Yup

nt

[VegasWolf]

6. Hummm, it is starting to look like people aren't scared of the "dick"

anymore!

[JI7]

8. whatever his motives

i'm glad he is saying this.

[goodhue]

10. Good for Hagel

Sadly he has more backbone then a good number of democratic leaders.

[hadrons]

19. not really, when it comes to voting in the Senate,Hagel is greased up ...

to take it in the can for Dumbya

[The_Casual_Observer]

11. He can say what he wants. The US is there permanently

enduring bases springing up all over the place. They have squelched any talk of quitting, it would be a blow to the memory of those who have died!

[DeepModem Mom]

12. kick

[steve2470]

14. kick nt

[reprobate]

24. Thanks for the picture of "The Penguin Wake Up Service" I needed a laugh.

[LeftyElvis]

20. I don't trust

any repuke. He's sees which way the wind is blowing. If Iraq was a success, he would be saying just the opposite.

[leesa]

21. Jeepers. Aren't Chuck's voting machines working anymore?

He's almost rational.

[huskerlaw]

22. Don't get too excited

He's my Senator and while occasionally he makes sense, I don't trust him in the slightest. He's running for President in 2008, all this means is that he can read poll numbers.

That said, he's not a freaky fundie and he'd be a vast improvement over Bush (which franky isn't saying much). I still wouldn't vote for him or get too happy about that interview, though. :shrug:

[progressoid]

23. Hagel has been pretty vocal about the mismanagement of *'s war

for quite a while. He's not liked in the Whitehouse.

[speedingbullet]

25. Hagel

I have been suspicious of Hagel's motives but he has been critical of the Iraq mess for quite some time. I think he (or his advisor's) saw that the direction this was going to take and wanted to distance himself from the mess. Should have been a clue for the Whitehouse: Cluster-fuck coming, run for cover.

[FlashHarry]

27. Hagel's been opposed to the BushCo™ hostile takeover for a long time.

I don't agree with a lot of his politics (he is, after all, a Repuke), but he did say that he thought that Perle, Wolfowitz, et al. "should be in the first wave into Baghdad."

Yes, he's probably running for president in '08, but this isn't a blowing-with-the-wind thing. He was questioning the war while most others (including many Dems) were cheering it, or at least silent.

[arewenotdemo]

28. Wow...I never saw that Perle, Wolfowitz quote before

I posted a poll in General Discussion (Clinton/Hagel/or 3rd party in 2008) that got locked after some know-it-all complained. I wasn't trying to promote Hagel...I've never voted Repuke in a presidential election and I intend to campaign for Clark...but Hagel could be a real force in 2008.

Especially if he were to run against Clinton with the U.S. still at war in Iraq (or Iran). I tried to show that with the poll (in a squeaker, "3rd party" edged Hagel who actually outpolled Clinton). My point is: there is a need for Demos (especially Clark) to not repeat the mistake Kerry made in continuing to talk about "succeeding in Iraq" when the country is itself already turning a psychological corner on the war.

Hagel will hand them their heads if they're not careful.

[LandOLincoln]

29. Agree. At the moment, I think Hagel is the only R who could give Wes

a run for his money--always provided, of course, that the Dems are smart enough to nominate Wes in the first place (and the Rs are smart enough to nominate Hagel...)

Man, what a horse race that would be!

[VegasWolf]

30. Dickie and George's Excellent Iraq Oil Adventure continues!! nt