NY Times: GOP senator to join Democrats on anti-surge resolution

[Poiuyt]

A GOP lawmaker at odds with the Bush administration over policy in Iraq will team with Democrats on upcoming legislation opposing the troop "surge," The New York Times will report tomorrow.

"Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, an outspoken Republican critic of the administration's Iraq policy, will join two leading Democrats in introducing a resolution opposing President Bush's buildup of troops in Iraq," write Carl Hulse and Jim Rutenberg for the Times, "putting a bipartisan stamp on the looming congressional showdown over the war."

The article reports that "Hagel had been consulting for the past few days" with the Democrats, Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) and Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), "to develop the wording of the resolution, which could be introduced as early as Wednesday."

more -

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/NY_Times_GOP_senator_to_join_0116.html

[mod mom]

1. Better hurry up! but great news.

[bleever]

2. The neocon neo-Nixonians think they've Goldwaterproofed themselves.

I'm not so sure.

[Faryn Balyncd]

15. ..

[illinoisprogressive]

3. Hagels's awright!

[EdwardM]

4. Is it too late to trade Chuck Hagel for Joe Lieberman?

[mmonk]

5. On foreign affairs, it's pretty much the case anyway.

[Tom Joad]

6. My thoughts exactly. Let Hagel chair a committee. Couldn't be any worse.

[BigBearJohn]

10. It's a deal! You can have Lieberman. I'll gladly take Hagel.

and WELCOME TO DU!!!!

[ConsAreLiars]

7. Hagel is an ardent right winger to the core. Don't get fooled.

http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=BC031069

[w4rma]

8. Hagel appears to have a very extreme voting record. (nt)

[cynatnite]

9. It's popular to be against the war now...

Hagel's looking at '08. As for his voting record he's as repuke as they come.

[Hippo_Tron]

11. Gee, it's certainly no coincidence that he's running for President is it?

Hagel is this year's McCain. It's not that hard to do something that 80% of the country agrees with you on.

[Faryn Balyncd]

12. Hagel has been opposing the war for several years......

Even in 2001, when he voted for the IWR, he stated told Bush he did so for the purpose of giving the president a "stick" to use to force a diplomatic solution. Hagel publicly lobbied the president against actually invading Iraq, even after he voted for the IWR. Since 2001, his actions have consistently suggested he realizes his mistake.

He is despised by the neocon/theocon/Limbaugh wing of the Republican Party, who are infuriated by his actions.

Even with overwhelming majorities of Americans opposed to escalation, the opinion of the GOP activists that dominate the precinct/county/state/national power structure and nominating process is precisely the opposite.

The right wing noise machine has been actively gunning for him to deprive him of re-nomination for the Senate in 2008. This movement to purge him from the GOP was going on even before his recent strongly worded public criticism of escalation.

The chances of Hagel receiving the GOP nomination, rounded to the closest .01%, perhaps approaches zero. His chances of GOP machine challenge to his Senate re-nomination is real.

Yet rather than moderate his rhetoric, Omaha television's Joe Jordan reports that Hagel insiders have leaked that Hagel will neither run for president nor re-election to the Senate in 2008, although Hagel has made no official announcement. http://leavenworthstreet.blogspot.com/2006/12/hagel-plans.html

Since the above leak, Hagel's criticism appears to be freed of any attempt to mollify the pro-war GOP activist base.

One might wonder if Hagel is laying the groundwork to break from the GOP, perhaps to become independent (an independent Senate candidacy might conceivably defeat a pro-war, party-blessed Republican in Nebraska), perhaps a third-party presidential candidacy, perhaps to endorse a Democrat against a pro-war Republican presidential candidate in 2008.

[in_cog_ni_to]

13. EXCELLENT NEWS!

Hagel is mad as hell and it's good to see he's showing it.

[Faryn Balyncd]

14. ROBERT SCHEER: "Hagel for PRESIDENT!" - - -WTF????

What is Robert Scheer up to?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3061261