What is it with so many posts bashing Hagel?

[mtnsnake]

I don't remember too many people complaining about him BEFORE he blasted Bush.

Here we've got a Republican going against the grain of his own party and standing up for his belief that Bush is all wrong when it comes to the Iraq War, yet numerous people here are getting bent out of shape if Hagel gets praised...all because he's a Republican who doesn't share the same views as Democrats do on some other domestic issues.

So because he's not our perfect ideologist when it comes to all the other issues, we're not supposed to heap any praise upon him for doing what we wish more Democrats had the guts to do, which is to publicly blast Bush for his Iraq War policies?? Gimme a break.

Whatever domestic issues Hagel voted for in the past is one thing. Right now, though, he speaks for a lot of us who are opposed to this ludicrous war. Stop living in the past, and appreciate the present for what it is.

Some of you are never happy. It's like you'd rather have Hagel being pro-war or something.

[havocmom]

1. Been pointing out he used to run DIEBOLD for years now

You must've missed all the posts about that the past 6 years ;)

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. ES&S, actually.

Republican Senator Chuck Hagel disclosed in public documents that he was the Chairman of American Information Systems and claimed between a $1 to 5 million investment in the McCarthy Group. In 1997, American Information Systems purchased Business Records Corp. (BRC), formerly Texas-based election company Cronus Industries, to become ES&S. One of the BRC owners was Carolyn Hunt of the right-wing Hunt oil family, which supplied much of the original money for the Council on National Policy.

In 1996, Hagel became the first elected Republican Nebraska senator in 24 years when he did surprisingly well in an election where the votes were verified by the company he served as chairman and maintained a financial investment. In both the 1996 and 2002 elections, Hagel’s ES&S counted an estimated 80% of his winning votes.

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0225-05.htm

Kudos for his stand on the war, but we can't forget where he came from.

[SaveElmer]

2. I think it is more a reaction...

To the posts suggesting he switch parties, or that we trade him for Lieberman...or other such nonsense...

With the exception of the war issue, he is a hard right winger...though I do think he is a thoughtful person, so the more rancorous comments are not warranted

[atreides1]

3. Maybe when it's more then just this one issue

Yes it's good to have him on the Democrats side concerning Iraq, but remember that he was also one of the Republicans who voted against cloture for the minimum wage increase, allowing it to be inundated with amendments that have little or nothing to do with the original bill.

Besides, his past voting record hasn't been all that stellar, and let's not forget his own ties to a company that provides voting machines.

This one issue doesn't absolve him of his Republican loyalties, it just means that he sees this for what it is, now if he could only open his eyes just a little wider.

[mtnsnake]

7. "Yes it's good to have him on the Democrats side concerning Iraq"

Exactly.

Maybe he doesn't share our views on all the issues, but on this very important one, shouldn't we just be happy that someone on the other side sounds just like the way we wish all our Democrats would sound when it comes to blasting Bush? I don't care if he can be trusted or not. That's more their problem than ours. I'm just glad someone on Bush's own side is giving him absolute fits about the war.

Whenever Hagel speaks out so vigorously against Bush's Iraq War policies, it makes me kind of jealous that a Republican is so passionate about it and too many of our high-profile Democrats are relatively passe.

[fishwax]

4. well, there have been posts floating him as a potential VP nominee for the dems, so

a "let's get a grip" backlash of sorts should probably be expected.

I've not been a vociferous reader of the Hagel threads, but most of the sour notes I've seen have been of the "I'm glad he's opposing the president, but let's keep perspective about who and what he is."

As for whether or not anyone said anything bad about him before, I think that he's come under quite a bit of skepticism and abuse in years past as a result of his role in electronic voting.

[catgirl]

5. It's All About Timing

and his is self-serving. More and more repugs are starting
to see the light with the so-called war, and he wants their
vote in 2008. I think it's pretty obvious.

Hagel is more conservative than McCain. Ouch. He was
outspoken in support for the ban on horse slaughter and
I gave him credit for that, but the timing here is suspect.

[wtmusic]

6. Most see him as the only real threat to a Democratic victory in '08

and that he is, if we can't put forth a candidate with as much fortitude.

[silverlib]

8. I agree!

Support every representative when they are representing the will of the majority and equally bash them when they cave to corporate interests and don't represent the will of the people.

There is nothing wrong with pointing out where Hagel stands on other issues, but I will continue to support him when I feel he is supporting an important issue. I'll let him know when I disagree, as well. But not in the same sentence.

[TwilightZone]

9. Well, perhaps because he's an ultraconservative?

One stance does not a liberal make. He deserves credit for his anti-Iraq-war stance, but that's about it.

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

[mtnsnake]

13. So if an ultraconservative blasts Bush, we need to temper our happiness about it

because he isn't a liberal? I wish more liberals in our Party had the audacity to stand up and get in Bush's face in front of Congress like Hagel does.

[4bucksagallon]

10. The only good thing about him is he is a vet and understands our military..................

Other than that would not trust him.

[cboy4]

11. The posts I've seen are those asking whether we should trade Lie-berman

for Hagel.

And then people point out that Hagel is ultra conservative about everything other than the war.

[mtnsnake]

15. All I'm saying is maybe we should take him at face value for his Iraq War stance

....just like we take him at face value for any of his other stances. I think that some people just don't like it that an "ultraconservative", as someone called him, is beating many of our own Democrats to the punch when it comes to standing in front of Congress and REALLY getting on Bush's case about the war like Hagel does.

[treestar]

14. Sometimes you go by the issues

I can praise him for his stance on the war and bash him for his stance on something else - it's really the issues and the positions on the issues I'd be attacking, not him personally. It's like, why do you hate Bush? I don't - I just disagree with him on nearly everything.

[jumpoffdaplanet]

16. We don't want a repeat of McCain crap

All that energy that went into praising McCain was just wasted and could have been put to better use.

Hagel is just McCain 08 and it's not going to be take lightly this time.

[mtnsnake]

17. When did McCain publicly reprimand Bush for his Iraq War surge proposal?

I'm not going to stop praising Hagel for denouncing the war just because I'm worried we might get upset with him about something else in the future. As long as Hagel keeps speaking out against the war, I'm happy. I'm not gonna worry about shit until it happens.

[Zorra]

18. Glad he's blasting the war. I still don't trust him as far as I can spit. nt

[LeftishBrit]

19. I think it's great that he's criticizing Bush and the war!

The only way that Bush is going to be squelched and the war hopefully stopped, is if there are Republicans as well as Democrats criticizing him. It was getting too close to a dictatorship, with Cheney describing Bush as a great leader, who deserved a Congress who would 'work with him and not against him'. I am glad that he's getting rebellion from his own party as well as the opposition.

Hagel is not a politician that I know a lot about, so I don't bash him or support him. I would be surprised if people here aren't welcoming his support for stopping the war and preventing escalation. I haven't read every thread, but perhaps some people had been suggesting that Hagel should become a Democrat or that he would be preferable as president in 2008 to some of the Democratic possibilities? I could see how this would invite disagreement, unless he's a very liberal Republican on most other issues - which he probably isn't, or it would have come up earlier. But it's great that some Republicans are now helping to block King George's mad plans, especially as the Democratic majority in the Senate is very narrow.

[hatrack]

20. I'd say that we've just got a lot of gun-shy people re. Pukes . . .

Doesn't matter how impressive their rhetoric or "independent" stances, whether real or contrived.

We've been shit on so many times by "mavericks" like McCain or Arlen Specter that those who occasionally speak out are viewed with the same extreme suspicion and distrust as the James Inhofes and Orrin Hatches.

[zulchzulu]

21. Hagel is great for the GOP circular firing squad on Iraq...

...but if you know his record on the issues, he's about 10,000 miles to the right of Lieberman.

[Norquist Nemesis]

22. I'm not a "support candidate over one-issue" type voter

Politically, I see a genuine risk in going whole-heartedly throwing support to Hagel for his speaking out. Doing so raises his standing as a strong Presidential contender.

Am I thrilled he's getting the soundbytes? Absolutely! But, I'm not about to get behind him for President on that one issue. Take the Iraq adventure out of the equation and there is not way I'd even consider him for President.

His voice serves to strengthen a different candidate that has many positions I agree with and his from the Democratic Party. Why would I throw all of my support to Hagel when I can have someone else someone else who brings better value?

[specimenfred1984]

23. Hagel's trying to stay out of prison

The lying repukes have had 4 years to stop supporting war crimes and only now do it to SAVE THEIR OWN ASS.

[AX10]

24. Chuck Hagel is correct on the war, ONLY!

On everything else, he is wrong! He is a right wing conservative. Hagel voted to end the minimum wage. He is anti-choice. He is against worker protections (such as those that prevent limbs from being severed in meat packing factories). He wants to privatize Social Security. He has a favorable voting record with various right wing special interest groups.

Also, why didn't Hagel come out against the war before? Oh, yes, that's right, there is an ELECTION IN 2008, AN ELECTION IN WHICH HE HAS TO RUN IN!