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.
We'll explore Senator Hagel's conservative credentials over the next few days.So I don't apologize, Chris, to you or anyone else for my position. My conservative credentials are pretty clear.
2 comments:
I'm a progressive but I like and respect Chuck Hagel because a) he acts like an adult in a time when so many politicans act like petualnt little brats (see Joe Lieberman as a case study) b) he's honest and upfront about his conservative record (no Rovian machinations/Luntz-like word play out of this guy) c) he stands for a responsible, moral foreign policy
Seriously, I would have to think twice if the race was between Hagel and Hillary Clinton. I probably would have to vote HRC only because I don't think I want to see John Paul Stevens and Ruth Bader Ginsburg replaced w/ conservative justices. But I'll tell you, I wouldn't be happy voting against Hagel and pulling the lever for HRC.
Good luck helping get Hagel going in '08. Unfortunately I think all the reasons why I like Hagel - he doesn't pander, he doesn't go negative, he acts like a mature adult - will undercut him in a process that crowned George W. Bush - who does pander, who does go negative, who acts like a petulant schmuck.
I am a conservative and the defining position and litmus test will be the "Illegal Alien" issue and border security. On the basis of these, Hagel fails along with 22 other senators from the "right" side of the aisle. He spends too much quality "comity" time with his Democrat brethren. S2611 is the crowning, defining legislation.
We have reports of non-Mexican illegals learning Spanish and then coming in with OTMs as Mexicans.
We need a "law and order" candidate. The US Senate is usefull only as a septic tank.
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