As one who's watched Hagel closely for many years - Today was just TOO weird.

[blm]

I've been watching the reruns on the various cable shows, and the Hagel I see looks like he's been taken through the wringer. Very unusual, since Hagel ALWAYS appears confident, STEADY, fresh and telegenic EVERY TIME I have seen him on tv for at least ten years now.

Even when I disagree with the guy 100%, I still had to acknowledge that he comes off GREAT on camera.

Hagel almost never relies on notes when he's in front of cameras.

This Hagel I see on these clips looks like he's had a lost weekend.

Something had to have happened.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

THE Feebees and NSA have been spying on their perceived

domestic enemas for years now. Hagel qualified the instant he went off the reservation. Wanna bet they have dirt on him that even he didn't know?

[DeepBlueC]

23. that's exactly what I thought nt

[Javaman]

34. Dirt-less dirt...

They may have dirt but given the history of the last 6 years, they (the repukes) don't even need dirt to destroy a persons career.

They just send out the talking points full of bullshit and supposition and let the MSM talking heads run with it.

we can count the many many ways they have done this in the past.

no dirt required. just simple minds to believe their lies.

[H2O Man]

1. I agree.

It was too strange.

[babylonsister]

2. Good observation; I heard someone on MSNBC dissing his

messy hair. And you're right; he's usually so put together.

[leftchick]

3. NSA wiretaps?

or any number of unlawful eavesdropping the administration uses against their enemies.

[tk2kewl]

4. death threat from bushCo?

:shrug:

[bluedog]

9. thats what I thought.against him or his family

he looked worried.....and he did mention "family" were going to think about it.....

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. Just watched a fascinating interview with his brother on Hardball,

with David Gregory thankfully subbing for tweety (he must be refilling his truckload of mood-altering meds). What I got most of it is that Tom is a Democrat, would not vote for a Republican even if it was his brother, that Chuck took years but finally came around and now realizes Vietnam was a mistake....and that he would get chewed up by the repug campaign leadership because Chuck is a straight talker and speaks the truth (his version, anyway).

Very illuminating - yet just another of the zillion pieces of evidence that support our position on the many issues here on the left. The right may be called the right, but they are wrong!

[brendan120678]

8. Tom Hagel was one of my

law professors at the University of Dayton.

[DemReadingDU]

15. I received my degree at U.D.

and still live in the general area. Don't know much about Tom Hagel though.

[MoonRiver]

14. It was a very interesting interview.

Tom seems like a great guy! Wish he were running instead of Chuck. He did say that, in his opinion, Chuck would probably run.

That moment when David tried to get him to talk about when Chuck saved his life in VN was very intense. Clearly something profound happened. He couldn't bring himself to talk about it.

[Beetwasher]

6. He's Been Shown The Contents Of His NSA File

He knows they know "everything" are going to use it unless he does what they say.

[Connie_Corleone]

7. Something happened this weekend.

You don't hype up an announcement all weekend, just to say you'll make a decision later in the year. Someone got to him.

[LSparkle]

11. If he went public about being "gotten to" people would believe him

The Libby trial is still fresh in our minds -- come on, Chuck, tell us the truth!!! If they got to you, LET US KNOW!!! (More ammunition against the cabal.)

[blm]

26. I agree completely. 2yrs ago no one but us would believe it. Today MOST people would believe it

that BushInc threatens anyone opposing them.

[rocktivity]

10. Another example of great minds thinking alike!

Earlier today, I asked, "Why turn this into a media event...if all he was going to say is that he was postponing his decision?...(Did) he plan...to announce and was somehow FORCED to change his mind?" I guess we shouldn't be surprised, then, when he finally announces that he's not running...

I don't know Chuck "personally," but these photos bear the OP out:

Then


Now


He DOES look a little "defeated"--why?

:shrug:
rocknation

[trashcanistanista]

12. I noticed it too

Don't care much for him but I noticed during his speech today he was faltering not saying much of any significance and it was strange. I don't anticipate he will announce, and yes, they probably got something on him and he was put on notice over the weekend.

[Graybeard]

13. Hagel looked like he had been water-boarded...

...blood-shot eyes, disheveled. And then he read that statement, word for word, like someone in a hostage tape. This guy was got to.

[Robeson]

16. They made him an offer, he couldn't refuse....

...strange, indeed.

[GreenPartyVoter]

17. Well they did it to McCain, why not to Hagel too?

[TwilightGardener]

18. Nope, didn't see what you saw--I thought he looked fine

and did well. I think we're all too paranoid, although I have half-joked before that he'd better watch his back. I think he just decided to focus on the Senate for now--now is not the time to jump in, but I predict he will. We are reading too much into it. All he did was hold a press conference to say what his political future was going to be for now, in his home state--I don't think that's too unheard-of, he's been talking about having to make a decision for months, and he's just not there yet. It's just not what people were expecting, especially in the media.

[blm]

29. I disagree completely with you - Hagel looked like CRAP. As someone who always noticed

Hagel's appearance almost every time he's made one the last ten years, I think I am qualified to notice the very first time he appears sloppy and dependent on his notes - two unusual characteristics right off the bat.

[TwilightGardener]

30. Well, I've seen him use notes in his Senate floor speeches, so

it's not unprecedented. I usually catch him on the Sunday shows when he's on, and his demeanor didn't seem different to me. I didn't think he looked sloppy or out of sorts, so I guess we'll have to agree to disagree--it's all subjective anyway, like a Rohrshach test :). I said on another thread, though, that I think the Fred Thompson sudden buzz thing was a Repug attempt to steal his thunder--he is a bigger threat to the powers-that-be in the GOP than Democrats are.

[blm]

31. Senate floor is one thing - tv appearances is another. When there is a camera in

front of Hagel, he NEVER shifts around or fails to connect with the camera.

[TwilightGardener]

32. LOL! I'll concede you a point there--NOBODY loves a camera

more than Chuckie (and usually, it loves him back!).

[AshevilleGuy]

19. I've said it all afternoon: the WH will NOT tolerate him as nominee!

Sure, he was "gotten to". How many other scenarios make any sense?

And this is indeed scary; this guy is no shrinking violet.

[David Zephyr]

20. I saw it the same way.

There must have been a background story. Blackmailed by the Bush family? Remember, Ross Perot still says Bush operatives threatened his daughter.

In any event, it wasn't the Chuck Hagel of confidence speaking today with his head down reading his speech line by line.

[Awsi Dooger]

21. He looked like me when I know I need a visor

I wake up late, too late to shower before the breakfast buffet ends. My hair is unruly in every direction. So the only remedy is to throw on a visor and splah water on my face. It still looks like hell and that was Hagel today.

[Fridays Child]

22. Hmm...just got home from work, so I missed it.

I wonder if there's a clip out there, somewhere. Think I'll take a look around.

[JI7]

24. why would they make a big thing out of the announcement just to say

the announcement of future plans would be delayed. i haven't seen it for myself yet, but read it on the news on my cell phone while i was away.

i agree with you about Hagel's previous appearances and how he always comes off well. it's hard to imagine him not coming off well.

i wonder what happened.

[Alcibiades]

25. They may have given him cancer

It's happened before....

[Dinger]

27. I Thought So Too

Very strange.

[Evergreen Emerald]

28. I think he feels personally responsible for the troops and is frustrated that he cannot help them

He talked recently about how much anguish he feels about the troops as targets in Iraq.

I think everyone in this admnistration--and frankly the senate and house--should be looking like they had been waterboarded. They owe the troops more than they have given them.

[TheBaldyMan]

33. has he been to a Russian run sushi bar lately? n/t

[LibDemAlways]

35. Would you put anything past the BFEE?

I'd be willing to be Sen. Hagel had a very unpleasant weekend, and his focus is now on what he needs to do to assure his own personal safety and the safety and well being of his family.

[TwilightGardener]

36. What does BFEE stand for? I've seen it before on DU, but can't figure it out.

[LibDemAlways]

37. Bush Family Evil Empire....encompassing

Bush, Cheney and all their appointees, underlings, and hangers on.....

[blm]

39. You wouldn't have to be on DU a month to know that I wouldn't put ANYTHING past the BFEE

heheh...my formula is pretty well set.
Goes like this:


If a Bush is involved, assume the worst possible, because 95% of the time history will soon prove you are right.

[LibDemAlways]

40. Yep...It isn't really a question of if they got to Hagel

but how....Roughing up courtesy of their goons? Envelope containing compromising photos or other embarrassing information? Threats to family members?

These guys don't fool around. Hagel is gaining firsthand knowledge of what it means to be an enemy of a crime family.

[DemReadingDU]

42. This is really off the wall, but what if Cheney resigns

maybe Hagel is being tapped to become the next VP? Yeh, it's weird, but there are a lot of weird things going on this week.

[blm]

43. I doubt Hagel would look so haggard over that.

His appearance was remarkable in how unusual it was for him.

[Norquist Nemesis]

38. Had the same reaction

I watched the re-air late last night. He seemed off-kilter and waivering, as if what he was saying had been re-written in the 11th hour.

Pure speculation, but I wonder if they (via Mitch McConnell or another Con in the leadership) made him some sort of deal to hold off "six months" (they like that time period); if it doesn't go well, go full steam ahead. If it does go well, maybe you'ld like a VP spot or we can push for some pet legislation for you?

The Cons have this ability to hold him in check and stick with them by playing the political game and appealing to his Republican loyalty.

[TwilightGardener]

41. Oh Jesus, reading all your comments I'm starting to pick up a paranoid

feeling too, now. I've said before that he's the biggest threat to the neocon GOP, because he's the "enemy within", and fairly prominent as GOP Senators go. They DID get control of McCain, but I figured that was just his whoring, ambitious self. I laughed about Ross Perot, thought he was nutty and was looking for a way to strike back at the Bushies. But now, hmmm. Could he really be in danger? Maybe there is more than meets the eye. But I still think he will run. A couple of surprisingly positive articles today in the WaPo (not the Dana Milbank one) suggest he's making the case to do so as an Indie. Maybe there's some negotiating going on behind the scenes with the GOP.