Senator Says Bush Given Too Much Leeway

[Spazito]

OMAHA, Neb. - Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel is strongly criticizing Congress, saying it gave President Bush (news - web sites) too much latitude in conducting foreign policy following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.



Hagel, of Nebraska, voiced his disapproval Monday in a speech at the Gallup Organization World Conference in Omaha.


"When the security of this nation is threatened, Congress and the American people give the president great latitude," he said. "We probably have given this president more flexibility, more latitude, more range, unquestioned, than any president since Franklin Roosevelt — probably too much. The Congress, in my opinion, really abrogated much of its responsibility."

<snip>

"The one great mistake that America made in those 58 years (since World War II) ... was we tried to do something alone. That was Vietnam," Hagel said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031021/ap_on_go_co/hagel_bush

[Skittles]

1. ya THINK, Chuck ????

are you just NOW figuring this out??????????????????????????

[wryter2000]

2. So, it's Congress' fault?

At least, Hagel's taking personal responsibility.

[samsingh]

3. try not to lose that thought Chuck

many of us have been screaming about this for a year and a half only to be called names by supporters of your party.

[Guaranteed]

4. Uh huh.

Where's my million dollars, Chuck? A bet's a bet!

[annxburns]

5. Some credit ....

Look give the guy some credit. He is a republican fer chrissake. And he is one of the few in his party to take on, however gently, the current administration. He has also been critical of Bush on other issues (tax cuts for example).

[Loyal]

19. whatever

:puke: ---> annxburns

[0007]

6. You been so wrong for so long

....but your so right tonight, Mr. Hagel.

[CBHagman]

7. I hope this shakes things up a bit.

Many people need a wake-up call, and perhaps this will help.

[Rainbowreflect]

8. I like & respect Hagel more than Nelson, the dem from Nebraska.

Hagel does speak out against bush & he responds to my emails & letters. Nelson is a sorry excuse for a dem who rolls over for bush every chance he gets.

[boxster]

12. I have to agree. I was quite well prepared to dislike

Hagel immensely when he was elected, but he's managed to surprise me quite a few times. For a relative newcomer in Congress, he has no problem questioning the administration quite publicly.

And, I 100% agree on Nelson. He's certainly a DINO, though out here smack dab in the middle of Red State Land, it's probably the only way he can get re-elected.

[cosmicdot]

9. with Hagel's good ol'boys counting the votes ...

I wouldn't put too much into what Chuck says ...

Chuck, just think ... when you add the fast-track powers to the other powers handed over, i.e. Homeland Security, etc. ... we have a 'big picture' problem, dude



Nebraska Republican Senator Chuck Hagel once ran and is still a major stockholder in the company that owns the company that counted 85 percent of the votes cast in his very own 2002 and 1996 election races is a potential doozy. His 1996 victory, some will recall, was considered one of the biggest upsets of that election; he was the first Republican in 24 years to win a Nebraska senatorial campaign.
http://www.hillnews.com/news/012903/hagel.aspx

[shanti]

14. thank you!!

bbv anyone?

[SayitAintSo]

10. Chuckie is planning a run.... mark my words.

He is just distinguishing himself with his positions, straddling the repuke line, sticking his toe in. Remember he was a MCCainiac -he must have seen how close it came. He's a player.

[DemoVet]

11. Hagel is also a Vietnam veteran, I believe,

and has no love for any of the chickenhawks (including the chickenhawk-in-chief) who presently roost in the WH and congress. I'm starting to see some of the real conservatives beginning to realize that Bush et al (which includes some right wing luminaries such as Rush and Ann) are not really conservatives. It's also occurring to them that the ride may be almost over for them, especially for those who jumped on the Neocon wagon (maybe hummer would be a better term?) when it was flying up the political mountain toward that promised land of one-party hegemony. With the neocons showing no inclination to deviate from their course it may already be too late to jump before it goes over the cliff, especially if an articulate opponent can aggressively tie republican candidates to their support of the Bush administration's failed domestic and foreign policies back in those heady days between the 2002 campaigns and the collapse of Iraq, when it was to their advantage to do so.

I'm glad to hear real conservatives beginning to question this administration and its adherents. I would never go so far as to say that it's not possible for a conservative to care about our country as much as a liberal, just that we disagree sometimes as to how to care for it best. Our mutual enemy are those who only care about themselves, and I think it becomes plainer day after day just who those people are.

[AndyTiedye]

15. Could this mean no machinez voting for Bush* next year?

[peterh]

13. Gee, what took so long for the light bulb to come on….

Me thinks that some influential constituents in Nebraska might be getting pissed. If memory serves me, I don’t believe conservatives were ever that fond of spending money in third world countries. It’s one thing to spend money on military endeavors and going after bogymen, but when it starts to be perceived as maybe humanitarian, especially for a non-christian country….well the enthusiasm fades rather quickly….imho…

16. constituents

That's what I'm thinking also. From that Novak article posted earlier

Sen. Sam Brownback, a conservative Bush loyalist from Kansas, also affirms the president is in control. But at town hall meetings during the recess, he felt the public's alarm over casualties in Iraq. Like Graham, he defied Bush as the Senate voted 51-47 (with Lugar and Biden both backing Bush in this instance).

& wasn't there a poll recently that said Bush's support is slipping among senior citizens?

When the farm belters and the folk who remember the Korean War start deserting you, you're in trouble.

[grasswire]

17. peel them off

We want a Republican challenger to Bush for the nomination.

Go Hagel! Run!

[T Bone]

18. Talk is CHEAP. How does Hagel actually vote when they vote ?

We get this same kind of thread about Richard Lugar and Evan Bayh from Indiana all the time. Lugar's ADA rating is a 5. Bayh's is a 70.

Just how liberal does Hagel vote when he gets a chance to vote about something he blows s**t on ?

What is his ADA rating compared to the Democratic Senator from Nebraska ? I just checked and Hagel gets a 10, and Nelson gets a 50.
So Hagel is twice as liberal as Richard Lugar, but that ain't saying a lot. Nelson is 5 times more liberal than Hagel according to the ADA ratings.


source:
http://adaction.org/SenateVR2002.htm