Hagel Considering An Independent Run?

[julialnyc]

http://www.mydd.com/

Hagel Considering An Independent Run?
by Scott Shields

According to right-wing blogger H-Bomb at AnkleBitingPundits.com, Chuck Hagel's recent outspoken criticism of the Bush administration's Iraq policy is actually all about testing the waters for an independent bid for the White House in 2008.

"Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel is privately meeting with his top advisors and political contributors to discuss the prospects of an independent bid for the White House in 2008, a high level GOP source told me this morning.
According to the source, Hagel has already begun to posture himself as an independent, believing that by doing so he can tap into the perceived growing frustration voters feel toward both major political parties. Recent polls show widespread voter dissatisfaction with leaders of both the Republican and Democrat parties in Washington."

It's an interesting theory, but I don't buy it. First of all, no offense to H-Bomb, but if Hagel was really so serious about mounting a third-party challenge in 2008, I doubt we'd first be hearing about it this way. It would be much more effective for Hagel loyalists to float such an idea to prominent centrists, let them suggest it publicly, and then gauge the response. And secondly, seeing something like this leaked to a blog with a snarling dog for a mascot smacks of GOP activists trying to discredit any criticism Hagel might level at GOP hawks as petty electioneering.

If nothing else, this tells us just how hard the GOP establishment is going to come after any candidate who advocates any significant change in Iraq policy, even one of their own.

General 2008 :: Wed Aug 24th, 2005 at 01:07:48 PM EDT :: Comment