"Right Hook" and Respect Rankings

There's a nice article, "Right Hook: Conservatives Rebel Against War Party" that's worth a read.

What is interesting, however, is that the Republican base is beginning to crack. A majority believe the President has made a lot of mistakes when it comes to the war: Hagel, who has said that the White House is "completely disconnected from reality" on the question of foreign policy, senses the shifting mood of conservative voters, and is moving to position himself as the only realist in the GOP pack. It is going to be a winning position, as the war in Iraq goes from bad to worse and the prospect of war with Iran darkens the political horizon. The American people are war-weary, and not without reason: they see that the occupation of Iraq is winning us nothing but more enemies, and isn't making us any safer here at home.
...
God bless Senator Hagel, and let us hope he has the courage to take his campaign for realism in foreign policy to the American people. They are certainly ready for it: I know I am.

Be sure to check it out.

Also, there is an interesting meme out there, the Respect Rankings. Not surprisingly, Chuck Hagel has popped up on people's lists.

Wisconsin for Hagel 2008

Yesterday, the Wisconsin for Hagel 2008 blog went on-line. The post is decent in length, so I won't share all of it, but here is the opening of it:

This website is dedicated to the election of the only true conservative who may run for President in 2008 -- Senator Chuck Hagel from Nebraska.

The first post on the blog is a good one, so be sure to check out Wisconsin for Hagel 2008.

A blogger's take on 2008: "Reminiscing About the Future: Chuck Hagel vs. Hillary Clinton"

This has been popping up on a few blogs and it was interesting enough to share.

In 2008 the strongest Republican candidate will likely be the one with the most rhetorical daylight from the Bush Administration's national security policies. That is not John McCain who has actively courted Bush's supporters.

Hagel has carved a niche as a traditional Republican realist on foreign policy. Other candidates may attempt to break with the Administration in 2008 but will appear opportunistic in doing so. Chris Shays for example is vulnerable to ridicule because he conveniently flip-flopped on Iraq three months prior to facing the wrath of disgruntled Connecticut voters. It's an obvious deathbed conversion with no credibility.

Hagel is different because he rhetorically challenged the rationale of Bush's policies in Iraq even more than some Democrats in recent years. Furthermore, Hagel has rhetorically challenged Bush for portraying dissent as unpatriotic...Nonetheless, it's perception that counts and the press appears eager to anoint the former Vietnam veteran as a sensible and tough centrist who is up to the job.

It's not hard to see Hagel prevailing in the 2008 Iowa caucuses. Even conservative Iowans are far less enthusiastic about Bush's foreign policy. Disenchantment with the Iraq war will only increase nationwide the next two years and probably more so in Iowa...For good measure he might also be able to say, "I'm the only candidate who can appeal to Democrats and independents in a general election."

...

So two years from now the headlines may read, "Republican nominee Chuck Hagel declared he's the one to get America out of Iraq." There will be the necessary platitudes about prudence, coordination with allies, and a methodical withdrawal that preserves our strategic interests. But the message that will stick is only the sensible conservative and military veteran Chuck Hagel can get us out of Iraq. That is powerful.

You can check out the rest of the post here. I can't say I agree with all of it, but it raises some interesting points.

Ohio for Hagel 2008

There is another blog in the Hagel grassroots movement; today the Ohio for Hagel 2008 blog was born. Here is the first post from that blog:

Welcome to the Ohio for Chuck Hagel presidential movement. We are a grassroots network working in and around the great State of Ohio, promoting what we hope will be a Chuck Hagel run for the White House in 2008. It is our belief that America needs a strong leader who can unite this great Country and build a strong foreign policy with our allies around the world. We believe America needs less Government, less spending and better border security. We see only one American who can handle this awesome task, we see Chuck Hagel as this person. We deserve a stronger America, we deserve Chuck Hagel as our next Commander and Chief. If you want to become involved in this great movement please leave your Name and Email address we will be in touch.

Be sure to pop over and support the new Ohio for Hagel blog.

One reader's review of Chuck Hagel: Moving Forward

One of our readers has written a brief review of Charlyne Berens's book, Chuck Hagel: Moving Forward. You can buy the book off of Amazon.com at the right side of this page. Citizen McLain writes:

Overall, the book is a good primer on Chuck Hagel. There is repitition of various issues and it started off a bit weak, but when it got into the substance of his political philosophy, his role in the Senate, in the GOP, the impact of the Vietnam War on his foreign policy, it was more intriguing.

Thanks for the review!

Chuck Hagel - Fiscal Conservative

Chuck Hagel is a committed fiscal conservative and is dedicated to balancing the budget. Collected here are a few examples of his fiscal conservative credentials and votes.

Some of Hagel's comments on the deficit are available here. Chuck Hagel was given an A by the National Taxpayer's Union. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce gives Senator Hagel high marks on this voting record. The American Land Rights Association gave Senator Hagel a 100% rating for 2000-2003. One of Senator Hagel's priorities is entitlement reform, chich you can read about here.




Chuck Hagel was rated as an anti-pork hero by Pork Busters.







You can read about another vote where Senator Hagel showed fiscal responsibility from this year. Here is an excerpt from the press release about that vote:

“At some point, we’ve got to come forward with some courage and discipline to stop this massive hemorrhaging of federal spending. The President is right to say he will veto this bill , which spends over $14 billion more than he requested. I support him and will support his veto. Many of these projects are worthwhile but they should be funded through the normal appropriations process where there is accountability, not stuffed into an emergency bill. The American people deserve better than a U.S. Senate out of control with no fiscal discipline – further eroding the economic strength of this country, and continuing to pile up more and more debt for future generations,” Hagel said.

Technorati tags: Sen. Chuck Hagel, Fiscal Conservative, Voting Record

New GOP Bloggers Straw Poll

GOP Bloggers has a new 2008 straw poll, so go and vote Hagel.

The Washington Post on Chuck Hagel: Moving Forward

The Washington Post had an article yesterday about the recent biography, Chuck Hagel: Moving Forward (you can buy it from the amazon link at the right side of the page). The article, "For Hagel, Standing Up Brought a Fall From Favor," by Eric Pianin blends a review of the book with a look at Hagel's current position in politics, including an element of the popular notion that has emerged in the last week that Hagel is the new McCain.

Berens offers a wide range of opinions and speculation on the subject from political scholars and operatives, but by the conclusion of the book, the questions of whether Hagel will run or could mount an effective campaign are left hanging.

The article and the book touch on the theme of this week, that Chuck Hagel is clearly in the right place within the Republican party.

For all the frustration Hagel expresses about the Republican Party, he is philosophically in tune with many of its traditional stances. He is an ardent free-trader, favors as little government as possible (wishful thinking in an era of exploding government growth) and supports limits to government intrusion in the private lives of Americans, while Bush has authorized warrantless wiretaps of telephones and e-mails.

The book puts Hagel's comments on Iraq into perspective given his life and the article mentions that briefly.

In the fall of 2004, Harold W. Andersen, the retired publisher of the Omaha World-Herald, wrote a column for the paper declaring that Nebraska Republicans were tired of Hagel's criticism of Bush's handling of the war in Iraq. Hagel responded that it was his responsibility as a senator to ask the hard questions that "were not asked when we sent young men and women into Vietnam."

"Where were our elected officials then?" he asked, with the same straight-from-the-shoulder forthrightness that has gotten him into hot water with his party.

Check out the article if you want the full review of the book. I have read Charlyne Berens' biography of Senator Hagel and I highly recommend it.

Technorati tags: Chuck Hagel Moving Forward, Washington Post, Charlyne Berens

"Chuck Hagel: Thinking"

There is an excellent post, "Chuck Hagel: Thinking," by Scott Harrop at 'Just World News' that is worth a read.

I have long been interested in Senator Chuck Hagel, a self-styled “Eisenhower Republican” from Nebraska. Still mulling a run for the Presidency in 2008, Hagel’s latest bout of independent “free thinking” deserves greater attention and scrutiny.

It is a decently long post, otherwise I would share it in its entirety here, as it is an excellent piece. Be sure to check it out.

Technorati tags: Sen. Chuck Hagel, Just World News

Chuck Hagel - Republican

Lots of people have called Senator Hagel a RINO (Republican in name only) or a liberal and that baffles me. Chuck Hagel has drawn the ire of many due to his (largely accurate) criticisms of President Bush on Iraq, but that does not make him a RINO or a liberal.

Chuck Hagel is clearly a Republican as his politics and his voting indicate. His political action committee has been raising and spending money to help out Republicans across the nation for the 2006 election. As of August 14, 2006, Sandhills PAC had given $314,500 to Republican candidates. Check out the list of candidates if you're curious. Also, Senator Hagel has been very active in helping his state's Republican party lately as well. Read more about it here.

As for his voting record, here are some bits that may help to clear up any confusion. While Senator Hagel does voice his disapproval, that is a minority of the time, as you can see from his voting record.

	Year	Hagel's Support of President Bush's Priorities in the Senate
	2005	89%
	2004	94%
	2003	98%
	2002	98%
	2001	96%
Source: Congressional Quarterly, January 2006

Interest group ratings (based on voting records) are another way that we can get a sense of where the senator stands. For instance:

Club for Growth 2005 Congressional Scorecare for the Senate:
Chuck Hagel scored a 99%, ranking him #4 in the Senate on their issues

Also, military groups, such as the Non Commisioned Officer's Association, the Military Officer's Association, and the Vietnam Veterans of American have all rated the Senator very high on their issues, which are typically something that corresponds to the Republican point of view. Check out those scores here.

This week we will explore Senator Hagel's voting record on fiscal and social conservative issues.

Technorati tags: Sen. Chuck Hagel, Republican, Voting Record

Chuck Hagel the Conservative (first in a series)

Chuck Hagel is a conservative with cross-over appeal who has the leadership and vision to guide the United States in the 21st century. He has been attacked due to his opposition to the way the war in Iraq has been carried out, and called many names and his issues positions distorted.

Over the next few days we will run a series of posts about Chuck Hagel, refuting the myths that he is anything but a conservative Republican that is willing to work across the isle and be civil.
To frame the discussion, we give you this quote from a post at GOPProgress.com.

In sum, the labels conservative, moderate and libertarian do mean something. But don't buy it when conservatives slam you as a closet liberal because you think that allowing warrantless, unsupervised wiretapping poses a problem for civil liberties, or because you think drilling in ANWR is an inadequate solution to our energy problems, or because you want to see real entitlement reform, and you don't see protecting two little words as being of equal importance.

It's a good piece and you may want to read the whole thing. The timing of this series turned out to be excellent as Senator Hagel addressed this issue on Fox News Sunday yesterday morning.

I don't base my analysis and judgment and votes on war, national security, on a party position. I don't think that's the right thing to do. I don't think Americans really want us to do that.

Now, if you look at my record, my voting record — I've been in the Senate 10 years. Do you have any idea what my voting record is in support of the Bush administration position the last six years, the Republican Party? It's about 95 percent over 10 years. My record is about as conservative as any conservative Republican in the United States Senate. It is constantly — the American Conservative Union constantly rates me as one of the highest.

So I don't apologize, Chris, to you or anyone else for my position. My conservative credentials are pretty clear.

We'll explore Senator Hagel's conservative credentials over the next few days.

A nice article

There a nice article, "Republican policies, spending contradict traditional GOP values," that's worth a read.

This morning's Fox News Sunday

Be sure to check out the video of Chuck Hagel on Fox News Sunday this morning. You can see it over at Think Progress or read a summary about it here.

What are Chuck Hagel's chances?

There are a number of blogs out there following the 2008 race. One of them is Race 4 2008. That blog had a post recently about Chuck Hagel's chances in 2008 that I wanted to discuss. I find his reasoning very flawed.

His assertion is that Chuck Hagel has a slim chance of winning. While I concede that Senator Hagel has an uphill battle to the White House, I disagree with many of the author's reasons. He argues that Senator Hagel is too liberal to win the nomination, but we have discussed here in the past that Chuck Hagel is not a liberal at all, but indeed a fiscal (here) and social (here and here) conservative.

The author argues that Hagel is a one issue horse (Iraq being the issue). While I agree that Hagel's stance on Iraq is important, it is simply a piece of a larger view of foreign policy that is one that our nation needs today. In the era of globalization that we live in today, we need a far sighted foreign policy that takes our security, energy concerns, and economic concerns into account, and that is what Chuck Hagel provides. Senator Hagel also has a strong record on domestic policy issues, but that has not been as highly visible in the media so far.

While some may depend on the outcome of the November elections, Senator Hagel has the right message at the right time: a shift in course for the Republican party.

Chuck Hagel on Fox News Sunday tomorrow morning

Be sure to catch Chuck Hagel on Fox News Sunday tomorrow morning.

Then, we'll bring in a senior foreign policy voice from Congress and possible 2008 presidential contender, Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), to analyze the latest developments at home and abroad in the war on terror and Iraq. A federal judge Thursday struck down the president’s National Security Agency domestic surveillance program as unconstitutional. Where does that ruling leave U.S. capabilities in fighting the war on terrorism in the aftermath of the latest plot?

You can see more about it here.

Technorati tags: Senator Chuck Hagel, Fox News Sunday

"Hagel awaits nation's mood"

The Lincoln Journal Star has a great article today by Don Walton: "Hagel awaits nation's mood." It is a excellent story and I highly recommend reading the whole thing. Here are some excerpts:

The reality is this: If his party does poorly in congressional elections this autumn, that’s a call for change and an opening for him in the Republican presidential derby.

Hagel wants to reshape — he might say restore — the Republican Party, take it back to international engagement and fiscal discipline. Back to what he describes as its moorings.

Back to Eisenhower and Reagan and the first George Bush.

Even back to Abraham Lincoln, whose presidency demonstrated the GOP was “once the party of tolerance and mutual respect.”

Today, Hagel argues for comprehensive immigration reform that welcomes newcomers and provides a pathway to earned legal status for millions now settled here illegally.

But the two-term senator has been most outspoken in parting from the Republican White House over Iraq.

Hagel also has criticized U.S. disengagement from working toward a two-state settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute and warned about the isolating impact of the Bush administration’s unilateral instincts.

“If America is looking for change, my record is pretty clear about that,” Hagel says.
...
Twelve weeks before this year’s congressional elections, Hagel is in no hurry to decide.

As presidential hopefuls pour into Iowa and New Hampshire, he’s sticking to his own timetable.

He remains stuck far down the lists of most GOP presidential oddsmakers, largely because of the perception his buddy, Arizona Sen. John McCain, crowds him out as the more celebrated independent voice.

However, that perception ignores one big difference: McCain is a strong supporter of the war in Iraq.

“A lot of this is out of my control,” Hagel says. “I’ll focus on what I can control, the kind of senator I can be.

“Whatever’s going to happen will happen. It’ll all work out.”

Be sure to read the whole article. It's worth a couple of minutes.

The Huffington Post: "Has Chuck Hagel Hijacked the Straight Talk Express?"

There's a great post by Arianna Huffington over at The Huffington Post looking at Chuck Hagel and his straight-forwardness. The following is excerpted from it.

In the same way that the race for the Democratic nomination in 2008 is shaping up to be Hillary vs the non-Hillary, centering on differences over the war in Iraq, the race on the Republican side looks like it could turn out to be McCain vs the non-McCain, also centering on differences over the war.

And the man looking more and more like the non-McCain is Chuck Hagel.

The two decorated war heroes are longtime friends. But their political paths seem to be diverging. Whereas McCain, longtime wearer of the mantle of party maverick, is aggressively staking out the sweet spot of the GOP base -- supporting President Bush on Iraq and tax cuts (yes, the ones he originally voted against), and making nice with Jerry Falwell -- Hagel is courageously and passionately speaking out against the White House's disastrous foreign policies.

...

It's almost as if McCain has abandoned the Straight Talk Express on the side of the road and Hagel has hopped into the driver's seat.

Will his party, looking for a way out of the Iraq quagmire, climb on board?

Let's hope that Republicans and the American people see the light and jump on board.

Six Month Anniversary

Today is the six month anniversary of the Chuck Hagel for President in 2008 blog.

So far we've been sharing information and news about Chuck Hagel, collecting contact information from supporters (fill out the form on the right side of the page!), and spreading the compelling arguments for why Chuck Hagel should be elected President of the United States in 2008.

During our 182 days up and running so far we have had:

195 Posts
91 comments
4,329 Visitors
5,282 Hits

Not a bad start, but there are obviously many, many more people that need to be reached. Given the number of posts so far, though, if you're looking for something you may want to search this blog as we may well have posted on it already.

Discussion of Hagel Biography

The Omaha World-Herald has an article from yesterday about Chuck Hagel's possible presidential ambitions and the new biography about him.

Certainly a critical consideration for Senator Hagel's decision on whether or not to run for President is the impact on his family.

While the article isn't a review of the book, it does give some information about it. Personally, I recommend the book.

Chuck Hagel has said he is considering running for president in 2008, but he won't make a decision until after the November elections.

He has said one of the biggest factors in weighing a run for the White House is the impact such a move would have on his family.

"He may not want to sacrifice his home life for what has become one of America's most exhausting rituals, in which candidates and their reputations are routinely battered by their opponents and the media, and the winners are expected to enjoy living in a fishbowl," writes Berens, a professor of journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Read the full article here.

New York in October

Chuck Hagel will be speaking at the Oxonian Society in Manhattan on October 26, 2006 from 8 to 9 A.M.

Senator Chuck Hagel, is a leading senator and political maverick. He is considered to be one of the top contenders for the Republican Party’s nomination for the President of the United States for the 2008 election.

For more details, click here.

Call for Photos

If you have any photos of Senator Hagel, or (even better) you with Senator Hagel, please share them with us. We'd like to be able to share more photos of Senator Hagel on this site.

Hagel asks for support for Pete Ricketts

Chuck Hagel has asked that people contribute to help the Republican candidate for Senate in Nebraska, Pete Ricketts. Senator Hagel has been working hard to ensure that the Republicans retain their majority in the Congress in the 2006 election and the Nebraska race is a key one for the Senate. Chuck Hagel writes in a letter to his supporters:

"I would appreciate you considering making a financial contribution to Pete's Senate campaign. It would mean a great deal to me if you would help Pete."

If you are so moved, then you can contribute here.

You can also check out a previous post on this subject.

Technorati tags: Senator Chuck Hagel, Pete Ricketts, 2006 Election

On-line polls - a new one and a recap

One way to support Chuck Hagel is to vote in on-line polls about the 2008 election and drive the internet buzz around him. Here are some of the polls out there. Go and vote Hagel!

New poll:
GOPProgress

Other polls:
The Moderate Movement at Myspace
2008 Political Perspective
The Krusty Konservative
http://www.misterpoll.com/962795375.html
http://www.misterpoll.com/3970564767.html
Oval Office 2008 Button Poll

Hagel and Energy Policy from GOPProgress

Liz Mair wrote a nice piece about energy policy over at GOPProgress and the excellent piece has some nice insight into Senator Hagel and energy policy. Here is an excerpt from it:

But for as much as the media focus on this liberal/conservative energy-babble, leading us to believe that we're stuck with the status quo, fortunately that isn't true. While leading Democrats chatter on about their loony left proposals, and the far right recite "ANWR" over and over like nuns saying Hail Marys, moderate and libertarian Republicans are actually doing something about the energy crisis, and our environment.

Back in February 2005, Sen. Chuck Hagel introduced legislation designed to boost substantially the development of clean-energy technologies. One bill focused on promoting technology to reduce greenhouse gas intensity in developing countries, while also promoting those countries' economic development. A second focused on authorizing corporate loans to aid domestic development of clean technologies. A third focused on authorizing tax credits to spur development and use of clean technologies, a prime example being hybrid cars. Ultimately, the three bills were dropped in favor of a single amendment covering the same ground, and attached to HR 6, which became law as the 2005 Energy Policy Act (EPA).

Although the EPA is certainly not perfect, the Hagel provisions have already had a very significant and positive effect. We have seen substantial growth in the hybrid industry (thanks to the amendment's inclusion of tax incentives for hybrid purchasers). We have also seen a major injection of capital into the solar panel industry, which is already getting more solar panels on the market and into consumers' homes, and creating thousands of new jobs and a more dynamic energy sector. In sum, Hagel's carrot-based initiatives (as opposed to the heavy stick initiatives advocated by many liberals) are already helping move us towards greater energy efficiency, increased use of renewable energy, reduced reliance on oil, a more diverse and innovative energy sector and new high-tech jobs. All of this will aid our future economic growth and prosperity.

Take a look at some of the articles over at GOPProgress, it's a great new site.

Technorati tags: Sen. Chuck Hagel, Energy Policy

Chuck Hagel Merchandise

There is a wide assortment of Chuck Hagel 2008 merchandise out there from various places on the web. Buy and display proudly to support Chuck Hagel!

Chuck Hagel 2008 Merch -Hats, shirts, buttons, etc.
Chuck Hagel shirts, bags, stickers, and buttons
An amazing assortment of Chuck Hagel for President items
Vote for Chuck T-Shirt
Bumper Sticker
Chuck Button, 10 pack, 100 pack
Hagel Button, 10 pack, 100 pack
Six different bumper sticker styles, scroll down to find them
Six different mug styles, scroll down to find them
Twelve different t-shirt styles, scroll down to find them

Note: None of these are sold through this site, these links all take you to external sites.

Also don't forget about Chuck Hagel: Moving Forward, the biography about Senator Hagel. There is a link to it at Amazon.com on the right side of this page.

Technorati tags: Chuck Hagel, Election 2008, Merchandise

Your reasons for a Hagel Presidency (Part 4)

Thank you to those people who responded to my question, "Why do you want Chuck Hagel to be our next President?" Please continue to email in your responses to this question. This is another of the answers I received.

Chip states his reason very succinctly:

He’s not crazy.

Thanks Chip!

Question from a Reader

I got a question from a reader yesterday and I wanted to share the answer, as it is useful information. The reader asked how to contribute directly to Chuck Hagel's campaign chest.

Here's the answer:
Make a contribution (a check presumably) out to Hagel for Senate and send it to:
Hagel for Senate
1310 G Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20005.

This is important, as one advantage that Senators have is that they can transfer any money in their Senate campaign accounts into an account for a run for President. So please donate to Hagel for Senate.

One Blogger's Take on Chuck Hagel

There is a post by Matthew Yglesias and discussion on it over at The TPM Cafe that had a couple of interesting things to say about Chuck Hagel. Matthew writes:

Chuck Hagel has really become a curious and frustrating figure on the American political scene. This speech he gave last week at Brookings on "U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East" is one of the very best I've heard from any American elected officials -- free of the sort of defensiveness and weasel words that characterize things the Democrats say.

The discussion continues in the coments on the post. One reader remarked in the context of the 2008 election:

Hagel has character, the courage of his conviction and real clear reasoning.

Watch out McCain and watch out Hiliary.

Your reasons for a Hagel Presidency (Part 3)

In our continuing series on "Why do you want Chuck Hagel to be our next President?" , we look today at the theme of leadership. Many people have said that his excellent leadership is one of the reasons that they support Chuck Hagel.

The Chuck Hagel Myspace Group has as its tagline:

"A leader we can be proud of."

Ed from Virginia wrote:

"We need Hagel's kind of leadership."

Linda from Connecticut writes:

"A lot of people are looking now for someone to lead us out of this mideast catastrophe. Your words about the origins of the problem are dead on and give me hope that you are that leader . Please run for president."

Please continue to email in your responses to the question.

Your reasons for a Hagel Presidency (Part 2)

Thank you to those people who responded to my question, "Why do you want Chuck Hagel to be our next President?" Please continue to email in your responses to this question. This is another of the answers I received.

Mark writes:

Our foreign policy is taking us into a horrific war against Islam and the East, a war our actions provoked. Hagel has the most perceptive world view and knows the lessons of VietNam and Iraq. He can prevent the coming military draft and expand our influence peacefully instead of shrinking our influence, and population, with a WMD laced VietNam.

So I don't have to move to Costa Rica, I'm voting for Chuck Hagel.

Thanks Mark!

Your reasons for a Hagel Presidency (Part 1)

Thank you to those people who responded to last week's question, "Why do you want Chuck Hagel to be our next President?" Please continue to email in your responses to this question. This is the first of the answers I received.

Edward writes:

It took courage for Sen. Hagel to speak out against the "sickening slaughter" in the Middle East. May he continue to demonstrate such clarity of understanding even against great odds and the insidious idiocy that seems to rule the day. Hagel for President!!

Thanks Ed!

My reasons for a Hagel Presidency

Last week the question was posed: Why do you want Chuck Hagel to be our next President? This week we will be sharing people's opinions as to why they would like to see Chuck Hagel as the next U.S. President. First up are the five primary reasons why I want to see Chuck Hagel in the White House.

1.) Foreign Policy - Chuck Hagel's foreign policy views are well thought out and guided by a long term view of what is best for America. He has proven to be right many times and the Republican party and the country need a new direction for foreign policy. Hagel can restore the standing of the United States on the international stage.
2.) Social Conservative - Senator Hagel has a consistent voting record as a social conservative.
3.) Deficit Hawk - One of the greatest issues facing our nation today is the national debt and the increasing bugdet deficits. Chuck Hagel has long been focused on balancing the budget.
4.) Civility - One thing that I don't like about politics today is the divisive and harsh tone that it has taken. Chuck Hagel, while conservative, can still work with those that he disagrees with and disagrees with people in a respectful tone.
5.) Electable - His personal story is dynamic and he is a conservative with a cross-over appeal that would make him dynamite in an election. He is truly "a leader we can be proud of."

If you haven't responded already, why do you want Chuck Hagel to be our next President? If you have a couple of minutes write out why you think Chuck Hagel should be elected in 2008 and email it to me and it may be posted shortly.

Technorati tags: Senator Chuck Hagel, President, 2008 Election

Chuck Hagel on Face the Nation

Chuck Hagel was on Face the Nation this morning and the video and transcript of it can be found at CBS's website.

Chuck Hagel Groups at Myspace, Yahoo, and Google

I recently stumbled across a Myspace group supporting Chuck Hagel for President. For those that are on Myspace, hop on and join the group. Another way to network and get the word out is always worth checking out.

Myspace.com is an excellent way to network and get a message out. It has been revolutionary for the music industry, and it certainly provides an opportunity to political applications as well. Myspace may well be an excellent tool to get younger voters involved in a campaign.

There is also a new Chuck Hagel group over at Google Groups as well.
As reminder, there are three Yahoo! Groups (Hagel for President, Missouri for Hagel, South Carolina for Hagel) that have been around for a while now.

We encourage everyone to join one or more of these groups in order to facilitate the communication among those grassroots supporters of Chuck Hagel in 2008. The ability to network is critical to success.

Note:
This was originally posted a little over a week ago, but Myspace was having problems that day, so it has been reposted today.

Technorati tags: Senator Chuck Hagel, Myspace, Google Groups

"Hagel Introduces Bill to Stop Counterfeiting of U.S. Trademarks"

Yesterday's press release from Senator Hagel's office:

August 4th, 2006 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) yesterday introduced the “Stop Assistance to Counterfeiters Act” (S. 3800). The legislation requires that all non-government recipients of U.S. foreign assistance certify that they do not knowingly traffic in counterfeit trademarks and that they will respect U.S. intellectual property rights law. Representative Lee Terry (NE-02) has introduced similar legislation in the House of Representatives. Counterfeiting remains a serious problem affecting U.S. companies. One Nebraska-based company, Gallup USA, has had their trademark continually counterfeited by organizations that have received U.S. foreign assistance.

“The United States government must be committed to spending U.S. taxpayer dollars in a manner that respects and protects intellectual property. It is outrageous that U.S. foreign assistance are being provided to individuals or organizations that engage in counterfeiting practices. This common sense bill will help U.S. companies, like Gallup, compete fairly to provide goods and services abroad,” Hagel said.

Under this legislation all non-government recipients of U.S. foreign assistance must certify that: they will not intentionally counterfeit protected trademarks; they will respect all legal intellectual property rulings; and they respect U.S. law regarding intellectual property. The bill requires the President of the United States to suspend U.S. foreign assistance if it is found that an entity violates a certification.

"Let's ramp up the intelligence of politics"

Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, has a new effort to change the discussion of politics in America. His mission statement is fascinating and definately worth a read. This is his openning to it:

For more than 50 years now, we have been living in the era of television politics. In the 1950s television first began to have a major impact on politics, and the results were overwhelming.

Broadcast media brought us broadcast politics. And let's be simple and bluntly honest about it, left or right, conservative or liberal, broadcast politics are dumb, dumb, dumb.

Campaigns have been more about getting the television messaging right, the image, the soundbite, than about engaging ordinary people in understanding and caring how political issues really affect their lives.

Blog and wiki authors are now inventing a new era of media, and it is my belief that this new media is going to invent a new era of politics. If broadcast media brought us broadcast politics, then participatory media will bring us participatory politics.

"Senate Passes Legislation to Expand Domestic Energy Supply"

Senator Hagel's office put out the following press release yesterday. Yet another way that Chuck Hagel has been attempting to pursue a comprehensive and intelligent energy policy.

August 1st, 2006 - WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Senate today passed The Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (S.3711) by a vote of 71 to 25. This legislation opens a portion of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Mexico for exploration and production of oil and gas. It is estimated that this area contains 1.26 billion barrels of oil and 5.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) was a cosponsor of the bill.

“This is common sense legislation that is long overdue. For decades our country has drifted without a national energy policy. This has left us dependent on other nations in the most unstable parts of the world for our energy supply. This bill is a responsible step towards expanding our domestic energy production. Nebraska’s agricultural producers have been hit hard by dramatic increases in gasoline, diesel, fertilizer, irrigation and heating costs. The OCS has significant oil and natural gas resources that can be developed in an environmentally responsible way,” Hagel said.

This legislation provides for the opening of more than 8.3 million acres on the OCS for oil and gas leasing. Approximately 2.5 million acres will be opened within one year of the passage of this bill. It calls for leasing an additional 5.8 million acres “as soon as practicable.” It would also place a moratorium on an area 125 miles from the West Coast of Florida until 2022. The moratorium would not only protect the coastlines of Florida, but also preserve a strategic military training area in the Gulf of Mexico.

This legislation establishes a revenue sharing program with the Gulf Coast states affected by the drilling. The revenue will be used to strengthen and protect coastal wetlands that are necessary to minimize damage from hurricanes and also enrich the Land and Water Conservation Fund that is distributed to all 50 states.

Technorati tags: Senator Chuck Hagel, Energy Policy

"Hagel offers sound advice on Mideast"

The Lincoln Journal Star has a nice editorial today about Senator Hagel's comments.

The Bush administration takes an inordinate amount of pride in paying no attention to its critics. Even fellow Republicans such as Sen. Chuck Hagel are ignored as the administration plows ahead on its own path.

That’s too bad. Over the past few years, the course of events has shown that Hagel’s advice on foreign policy, ranging from Iraq to the rest of the Middle East, could have steered the administration toward greater success in making the world a safer place.

The administration’s weaknesses were on display again this weekend as the White House continued to rebuff suggestions that it apply pressure on Israel to step down its military attacks on Lebanon.

The editorial is worth a read; take a look at the full article.