Quick on-line poll

Hop over to Political Buzz if you have a moment and vote in their Chuck Hagel poll ("Will Chuck Hagel contend for the '08 GOP nomination?" - top right of the page).

A couple of articles to share

At one point in time I had to look to find something to post everyday. That is no longer a problem for me.

Talking Old School GOP at antiwar.com (thanks to Andy for sending me the article); here is an excerpt:

Hagel, more than any other viable candidate for president, is acutely aware of the dangers posed by our present policy of relentless, ever escalating war in the Middle East. At such times, if we are lucky, men of his caliber arise to save the nation from the folly of its leaders.

The nation sorely needs new leadership, and who can dispute that the GOP is dying for lack of it? The neocons have nearly destroyed the good name of conservatism in pursuit of a revolutionary "Jacobin" policy, both at home and abroad. The conventional wisdom has it that the GOP rank-and-file will never countenance Hagel's fierce criticism of the president and the war, but the reality is that he is giving voice to their fears of political extinction and their dawning realization that the war was a hoax and a fool's errand from the beginning.

Hagel – in your heart, you know he's right. Now there's a catchy campaign slogan if I ever heard one. Perhaps it will work a lot better the second time around.

The Old Right is back, and in Hagel it has, perhaps, found a formidable and eminently electable candidate. Which means that the smear brigade should be going into high gear pretty soon – I'd give them a week or so. Get ready for the unfounded allegations, the accusations of "racism" or some other forbidden "ism," and of course we'll have the obligatory effort to throw doubt on his war record.

And here is an (excerpt from an) editorial piece entitled "Queasy From Politics? Consider Chuck" (thanks to Chas for sending it my way):

There's only one potential candidate I've seen from my party's field that's willing to discuss terror and foreign policy as real issues rather than empty talking points-and he's a staunch fiscal conservative with a record to appease the family values crowd, despite not caring if states allow civil unions for gay people.

Sounds too good to be true, right? Wrong. Consider Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. He's been speaking out against the administration's conduct in the Iraq war since it rolled into Baghdad, and he should be our next president. For a long time, he was a black sheep in the Republican Party, despite the fact that he was the senator that most stringently toed the White House's line on issues like tax cuts in 2006. He was ostracized by Dick Cheney and largely ignored by the media.

Ignored until now, that is.

The Fix - The Case for Chuck Hagel

The Fix, a blog by Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post, today gives "The Case for Chuck Hagel." This is a MUST READ.

From the mailbox

I've gotten email from a number of people pointing out some interesting Chuck Hagel related items.

From "bk" via Nathan there is this:
A video called Echoes of War, which can be yours for about $10.

ECHOES OF WAR

It is impossible to completely understand what war is like unless you’ve been there. Nebraska U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel and his brother Tom understand because they fought together in America’s most controversial conflict, the war in Vietnam. The Hagels fought in the same platoon in the same battles. They fought together through rice paddies and rivers. And they were wounded together, twice, in ambushes. And they survived together. In August of 1999, the Hagel brothers returned to Vietnam. “Echoes of War” is the story of their journey, their experience during the war, and their reflections on the meaning and worth of the war in Vietnam.
Copyright 1999 Length 30 minutes

Ben sent me this article: "Chuck Hagel is hot - John McCain is not." Perhaps this will be yet another way that Hagel emerges from the shadow of McCain with regard to the electorate.

Thanks for the emails!

Good news from an Iowa poll

Strategic Vision conducted a three day poll that is certainly worth noting.

Below are the results of a three-day poll in the state of Iowa. Results are based on telephone interviews with 600 likely Republican cacus goers and 600 likely Democratic cacus goers, aged 18+, and conducted January 19-21, 2007. The margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points.

1. If the 2008 Republican presidential caucus were held today between, Sam Brownback, Jim Gilmore, Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, Chuck Hagel, Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter, John McCain, George Pataki, Mitt Romney, Tom Tancredo, and Tommy Thompson for whom would you vote? (Republicans Only; Names Rotated)
Rudy Giuliani 25%
John McCain 21%
Newt Gingrich 13%
Mitt Romney 8%
Chuck Hagel 7%
Tommy Thompson 2%
Tom Tancredo 2%
Sam Brownback 2%
Mike Huckabee 1%
George Pataki 1%
Jim Gilmore 1%
Duncan Hunter 1%
Undecided 16%

Chuck Hagel has been moving up in the polls in Iowa in the last month or two. That is good news for draft Hagel movement. A strong 5th place finish (and with no organization on the ground), just 1% behind Romney, and with a large gap ahead of the 6th place person is excellent at this stage.

Grassroots in Florida

There has been a new state by state focus to the Hagel grassroots movement with many new state groups created. For example, for supporters in Florida there is a new Yahoo group. There is also a new blog, Florida for Chuck Hagel. Stop by the blog and say hi.

CATO: "The Chuck Hagel Surge"

There's a post over at CATO @ Liberty, the official blog of the CATO Institute regarding Chuck Hagel and a 2008 run.

Nebraska senator Chuck Hagel burst onto the national scene this week as the leading critic of President Bush’s “surge” plan for Iraq. After his widely reported speech at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he’s become a hot topic in the blogosphere.

His possible presidential candidacy made the front page of the Washington Post today, and he got a love note from Peggy Noonan at opinionjournal.com (probably to be printed in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal). The Post says, “He is reviled by his party’s conservative base.”

Yes, right now the only thing conservatives know about him is his opposition to George W. Bush’s war plans, and conservatives are still inexplicably in thrall to the big-government Bush. But I’ll predict that over, say, the next 12 months leading up to the Iowa caucuses, Hagel is going to look increasingly wise and prescient to Republican voters. And as they come to discover that he’s a commonsense Midwestern conservative who opposed many of the Bush administration’s worst ideas, he’s going to look more attractive.

The author is quite right. Given time for Republicans to get to know more about Senator Hagel, they will come around as the Senator puts forth his message.

Join the draft Hagel movement!

There is much that we all can do now to help the draft Hagel movement.

First and foremost is to contact Senator Hagel and urge him to run for President. You can either email him or can fill out the contact form on his Senate website.

Second, join in the movement. Networking is critical. Fill out the form on the right side of the page so we can build a list of supporters. Also, join one (or more) of the many groups in the movement to talk to other supporters (Google Group, Yahoo Group, Myspace Group, or one of the Facebook groups). We also are making a push to build state by state networks, so please feel free to join the group for your state (CA, CO, FL, IL, MD, MO, NY, OH, SC, TN, TX, VA). If there isn't one for your state, request one and I'll make one.

Third: spread the word. Talk to people about Chuck Hagel and discuss why he will make a great President. Also, share your reasons for supporting Chuck Hagel here; we'd love to hear why you like Senator Hagel. You'd be amazed at how much impact just talking to people has.

Fourth: related to spreading the word, buy merchandise and get his name and the idea of him running for President into people's heads. At this point getting people to think about it is critical. Also, getting those people that are likely to volunteer on a campaign or donate money to think about Hagel for President is important, as they are more likely to be thinking about it earlier than your average voter.

A fifth way you can help Chuck Hagel on the road to the White House is to donate money. Two ways to do this are to donate to his PAC, and/or to his Senate campaign. Any money in his Senate campaign can be transferred to a Presidential campaign.

Sixth is to drive the Internet Buzz surrounding Chuck Hagel. There are numerous ways to do this. Everyone can vote for Chuck Hagel in online polls. Also, everyone can comment on blogs, expressing their support for Senator Hagel. If you have a website or blog, add a banner or a link to this site (http://hagel2008.blogspot.com) and others that support Chuck Hagel. If you have a blog, post about Chuck Hagel.

If anyone has other ideas, please share them.

Another blogger supporting Hagel

Another blogger has expressed a sentiment that I've heard quite a lot lately. People who have lost faith in the Republican party are being drawn back by Chuck Hagel.

I sure hope the good Senator will consider a run for the White House.
He is just about the only person who could convince me to reconsider the GOP and come back.
I left the Republican Party last year after 34 years because I don't recognize the party any longer and it is no longer "conservative".
If Chuck Hagel runs for President I'm going to get a TV that gets a signal and watch the evening news.......I'm not kidding.

Thanks for your post Granny Miller.

NEWSWEEK: "A Reluctant Rebel's Yell"

Newsweek has another good article about Senator Hagel on their website (that I believe will be in the Feb. 5th issue of the magazine) that is well worth a read. Here are a few of my favorite excerpts:

Viewed from afar, the stuff inside Hagel looks like the stuff that makes Republican presidential candidates. He is a third-generation party member who grew up idolizing Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower. He says he was the only student in his Roman Catholic high school to support Richard Nixon over John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election—and when he cast his first vote, an absentee ballot from Vietnam, it was for Nixon's winning ticket in 1968. His conservative credentials are impeccable: according to Congressional Quarterly, he voted with the White House more times in 2006 than any other senator. He is manly, Middle American—and when he talks about military matters, he exudes the cool confidence of a warrior-statesman who knows that war is hell.
...
Hagel may be the one Republican who can fully separate the party from the troubled legacy of George W. Bush as the GOP looks to 2008.
...
The tale of Hagel's reluctant rebellion is the story of a man haunted by wars then and now—and of a party at a crossroads, weighing Hagel's past transgressions of disloyalty against the simple necessities of survival. Chuck Hagel has a lifetime of lessons in loyalty and war.

The piece is excellent and sheds a nice light onto the personallity of Chuck Hagel and how his life has influenced his work in Washington.

On-line polls - go vote

One of the efforts of the Hagel grassroots movement has been to vote in on-line polls to drive the internet buzz surrounding Chuck Hagel for 2008. Here are a few polls in which you can go and vote Hagel:

Krusty Konservative
The Next Prez
WeThePeople
StrawPoll08
Is Anybody There? - poll is at the bottom

Vote Hagel!

Maryland for Hagel group

I've just been informed of the newest addition to the Draft Hagel Movement, a Maryland for Hagel Yahoo! Group. If you live in Maryland, get on board! (If you don't live in Maryland, check out the list of groups on the right side of the page to get involved in the grassroots movement in your area.)

Peggy Noonan in the WSJ: "He's Got Guts"

Take a look at Peggy Noonan's opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, "He's Got Guts: In Praise of Chuck Hagel." Here's an excerpt:

But Mr. Hagel said the most serious thing that has been said in Congress in a long time. This is what we're here for. This is why we're here, to decide, to think it through and take a stand, and if we can't do that, why don't we just leave and give someone else a chance?

Mr. Hagel has shown courage for a long time. He voted for the war resolution in 2002 but soon after began to question how it was being waged. This was before everyone did. He also stood against the war when that was a lonely place to be. Senate Democrats sat back and watched: If the war worked, they'd change the subject; and if it didn't, they'd hang it on President Bush. Republicans did their version of inaction; they supported the president until he was unpopular, and then peeled off. This is almost not to be criticized. It's what politicians do. But it's not what Mr. Hagel did. He had guts.

Washington Post: Hagel Ponders White House Run

Our grassroots movement got a mention in today's Washington Post! Check out the (front page) article, "Hagel Ponders White House Run As War Criticism Raises His Profile" on the Post's site. Chuck Hagel has been thinking about running for President for a few years now, but as their article indicates, he may have a greater shot at it given the events of the last couple of months. Here are some excerpts from the article:

Hagel said in a wide-ranging interview this week that he is discussing his options with his family and other confidants and will make a decision in the next six weeks.

He said one possibility is forming a presidential exploratory committee and -- despite his outcast position within his party -- seeking the Republican nomination. Or he may seek a third Senate term. Then again, he might take a more creative path.
...
An Internet "draft Hagel" movement has formed, and even die-hard liberals admit they find him appealing.
...
Earlier in their careers, McCain, 70, and Hagel, 60, were viewed as rising Republican stars, two plain-spoken outsiders with gritty military résumés. After losing to Bush in the 2000 GOP nomination battle, McCain greatly enhanced his stature inside the party by embracing Bush's Iraq policy. Meanwhile, Hagel, an early and persistent critic of the invasion, grew more estranged.

"He's held his view for a long time and I've held mine for a long time, so it's not as if we suddenly find ourselves on the opposite side of the issue," McCain said of Hagel. "I respect his views. I maintain my strong affection and respect for him."

Hagel warned against military action long before the Iraq invasion, but despite his trepidations, he supported a Senate resolution authorizing the war. He has since renounced his vote and has been trying to atone for it ever since.

Be sure to check out the full article. I also liked the part about his 8th grade son recently introducing him to YouTube.

The GOP field on-line

There is an interesting article at The Personal Democracy Forum on GOP candidates and the web. On the whole, the Republican candidates are waaay behind the Democrats in terms of on-line organization. While this blog is the centerpiece of one GOP effort to do just that, apparently we're a little behind. Take a look at the article and let's see what we can do to remedy that.

Yahoo! Answers

Anyone want to answer a question at Yahoo! Answers?

New additions to the grassroots movement

There are two new Yahoo!Groups in the Hagel grassroots movement: Illinois for Hagel and California for Hagel. If you live in either state, please feel free to join the respective group and meet fellow supporters.

Be sure to check out the full list of Chuck Hagel groups (at Google, Yahoo!, Myspace, and Facebook) in the links on the right side of the page.

Wow! Video of Chuck Hagel in the Senate

This is a stunning video of Senator Hagel today in the foreign relations committee.



This video is a must see.

"Hagel Statement on President Bush’s State of the Union Speech"

This is a statement from the Senator's office:

January 23rd, 2007 - U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) released this statement tonight following President Bush’s State of the Union address:

“I appreciate what the President said tonight about dramatically increasing renewable fuel standards, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, addressing the challenge of climate change, reforming our entitlement programs and fixing our broken immigration system. These are all issues of critical importance to Nebraska. I look forward to continuing to work with the President on these issues.”

USA Today Op-ed

Senators Chuck Hagel and Joseph Biden have an editorial in today's USA Today about Iraq.

A first step in Iraq

By Chuck Hagel and Joseph Biden

Today, Congress takes an important step in what we believe is our constitutional responsibility to actively engage and debate the war in Iraq. We agree with the president that our previous strategy in Iraq was failing. Equally, we are convinced that to succeed in Iraq, America's objective and strategy must enjoy the support of the American people and a bipartisan support in Congress.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will vote on a resolution we introduced with our colleagues Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine. The resolution says what we and many of our colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, believe: America should not deepen its military involvement in Iraq by sending more U.S. troops into the middle of a civil war. More troops in Baghdad will increase the likelihood of more American casualties and will not end the sectarian Iraqi massacres that are occurring every day.

Just as important, our resolution proposes an alternative. The primary objective of America's strategy should be to help Iraqis achieve a political settlement in Iraq, secure support for that settlement from Iraq's neighbors and refocus the mission of our remaining troops on achievable objectives. That is the only way to stop Shiites and Sunnis from killing each other and allow our troops to leave Iraq without leaving chaos behind.

Here are the main elements of our plan:

• Redeploy U.S. forces out of Iraq's cities with a more limited mission focused on defending Iraq's territorial integrity, counterterrorism, border control, and accelerated training of Iraqi forces;

• Transfer responsibility for internal security and halting sectarian violence to Iraqi forces under an appropriately expedited timeline;

• Continue to support Iraq's political process while making it clear that Iraqi leaders must make the political compromises necessary to help Iraq move forward;

• Engage Iraq's neighbors and the international community to build a regional framework to help support and sustain a political solution and national reconciliation.

Two weeks ago, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice presented the president's plan to the Foreign Relations Committee. The reaction from Democrats and Republicans alike ranged from profound skepticism to outright opposition.

A strong majority of the American people opposes sending more American troops into Iraq. So does a broad cross section of this country's leaders, military and civilian, as we have heard this month in hearings in Congress. In December, the Baker-Hamilton Commission issued a valuable report, suggesting a comprehensive strategy "to enable the United States to begin to move its combat forces out of Iraq responsibly" based on "new and enhanced diplomatic and political efforts in Iraq and the region."

Our fundamental objective is to build a bipartisan majority in Congress to support a U.S. policy on Iraq that stands the best chance of succeeding and bringing our men and women in uniform home.

We welcome debate of our resolution and proposed alternatives. The resolution by Sen. John Warner, R-Va., contributes to this debate. As we have made clear publicly and privately, we are prepared to adjust our resolution to help broaden bipartisan support. Ultimately, this debate will give every senator a chance to say where he or she stands.

We believe that the single most effective way for Congress to engage the president in developing a way forward in Iraq is to demonstrate the depth and breadth of bipartisan concern regarding his policy. The power of our resolution rests in its bipartisan foundation.

Iraq is not a partisan issue. It is a challenge that we must meet as Americans. No one in Congress and no one in America wants to see America defeated. We believe our nation is stronger when Congress fulfills its constitutional duty as a co-equal branch of government.

Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., is a member of the committee.

Chuck Hagel in GQ

Check out Wil Hylton's interview of Chuck Hagel in March's GQ Magazine. Here is his introduction to the interview:

Chuck Hagel came home from Vietnam in 1968 with shrapnel in his chest, scars on his face, and an unyielding certainty that the freedom of men is theirs alone to win. As an infantryman, he had not bombed from above or commanded from behind; he had stood knee-deep in the muck, face-to-face with the enemy, firing on men and watching them die. It’s a hard memory to leave behind. Even after four decades and a lifetime of change—a fortune earned in the investment-banking business; a decade as a senator from Nebraska; and a position as one of the GOP’s conservative torchbearers with a shot at the White House—Hagel has put everything on the line to oppose the war in Iraq, refusing to send a “surge” of new troops into battle, or to forget the lessons he brought home from the killing fields long ago.

The interview focuses on the war in Iraq, but touches on other issues, such as gay marriage, the war on drugs, flag burning, and civility in politics.

Hagel Candidate Buzz

Hotline On Call has a posting regarding a possible Hagel candidacy that notes a few interesting tidbits.

-- On WH '08: "As to my political future, that will be determined to almost the greatest extent, as it always is the case for any politician, by the people. If I decide to run for president, I will come before the American people, offer who I am, my record, my beliefs, my vision, my leadership, and it’ll be up to the American people to decide whether that fits or not; whether they want me around or not."

-- On an '08 timetable: "I will make a decision here in the next couple of weeks. I have to if I’m going to get in the presidential race."

There is also speculation as to whether or not Chuck Hagel would keep open the option of running as an independent if a Republican run is unsuccessful.

Catch Senator Hagel on Face the Nation tomorrow

Chuck Hagel will be on Face the Nation tomorrow morning on CBS. Check local listings for time and channel.

Update:
You can catch the video of the program on-line here.

"Hopefuls make calls to Hagel's colleagues"

Jake Thompson has an interesting article in The Omaha World-Herald about 2008 Republican candidates (mainly McCain and Romney) trying to lock up support from Nebraska elected officials.
Two things of particular interest to me, are that 1.) Chuck Hagel has the strong support of the Republican party in Nebraska and 2.) that the 2008 primary season is off to an EARLY start. If the candidates are already trying to line up support in states that are not early primary states, then that just goes to show just how front loaded this cycle will be.

New polling data from multiple states

There is new polling data out from a number of states, and much of it is quite encouraging with regard to Senator Hagel. The charts are from Race 4 2008.

Missouri
McCain 31%
Giuliani 18%
Gingrich 14%
Brownback 5%
Hagel 3%
Romney 2%
Thompson 2%
Huckabee 1%
Gilmore, Hunter, Pataki 0%
Undecided 24%

Florida
Giuliani 30%
Gingrich 16%
McCain 15%
Romney 2%
Hagel 2%
Brownback 1%
Huckabee 1%
Pataki 1%
Gilmore, Hunter, Thompson 0%
Undecided 32%

Pennsylvania
Giuliani 35%
McCain 25%
Hagel 4%
Brownback 2%
Romney 1%
Gilmore 1%
Huckabee 1%
Hunter, Pataki, Thompson 0%
Undecided 21%

Illinois
Giuliani 33%
McCain 24%
Romney 12%
Gingrich 8%
Brownback 4%
Thompson 4%
Hagel 3%
Hunter 1%
Gilmore, Huckabee, Pataki 0%
Undecided 11%

New Mexico
Giuliani 38%
McCain 20%
Gingrich 9%
Romney 7%
Hagel 6%
Brownback 4%
Pataki 1%
Gilmore, Huckabee, Hunter, Thompson 0%
Undecided 15%

California
Giuliani 33%
Gingrich 19%
McCain 18%
Hagel 5%
Romney 3%
Hunter 1%
Brownback, Gilmore, Huckabee, Pataki, Thompson 0%
Undecided 22%

North Carolina
Giuliani 34%
McCain 26%
Gingrich 11%
Huckabee 4%
Romney 2%
Hagel 2%
Gilmore 1%
Brownback, Hunter, Pataki, Thompson 0%
Undecided 19%

He pops up in 3rd or 4th in a couple states, and that's great news. It's also interesting to see how well he is doing in comparison to Romney who has been VERY active as of late.

"Hagel Co-Sponsors Bill to Increase Consumer Availability of Alternative Fuels"

Chuck Hagel's Senate Office put out the following press release yesterday, once again showing his concern for energy indepdence and for alternative fuels.

Hagel Co-Sponsors Bill to Increase Consumer Availability of Alternative Fuels

January 18th, 2007 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) joined a bi-partisan group of Senators today in re-introducing legislation that would authorize the Secretary of Energy to use Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) penalties to provide grants to eligible entities who install alternative fuel pumps for fuel types such as E-85 ethanol and natural gas. U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) was an original co-sponsor of this bill in the 109th Congress.

U.S. automakers are producing an increasing number of vehicles that run on alternative fuels, such as E-85 ethanol blend gasoline, but only one percent of all gas stations in the U.S. provide consumers with E-85 fuel. This legislation will provide grant funding for the construction or expansion of infrastructure necessary to increase the availability of alternative fuels to consumers. CAFE standards are the weighted average fuel economy for a manufactures fleet of automobiles. Penalties are incurred by manufactures who fail to meet the CAFE standards.

“Our nation needs alternative fuels to play an increased role in creating a broader and more diverse energy portfolio. We must begin to expand the availability of alternative fuels, such as E-85 ethanol, to American consumers. This is common sense legislation that will help reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign sources of energy while at the same time providing additional markets for Nebraska’s agriculture producers,” Hagel said.

Decision soon

CNN reports that Chuck Hagel realizes that if he wants to get in the 2008 race he needs to do so soon.

Hagel to decide on White House bid 'soon'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, an outspoken Republican critic of the war in Iraq, told CNN Wednesday he will decide on whether to wage a presidential run soon.

"I'll let you know, Wolf -- I've got to make a decision soon," Hagel told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "I will make that decision."

More Bloggers for Hagel

Two more blogs have officially announced their support for Chuck Hagel in 2008.

Edward Nashton at CopyWrite2007 had this to say:

Ewan Watt has it right again. Chuck Hagel in 2008 should be the most obvious choice for conservatives since the Gipper in 1980.

While Senator Hagel has certainly made waves in recent days by challenging the neoconservative foreign policy establishment, most Americans forget that the senior Senator from Nebraska is as solid on his domestic policy as his foreign policy. Just last year for example, the American Conservative Union rated Senator Hagel's voting record for 2005 96%--comparing favorably to a lifetime rating of 86%.

Given his solid credentials though, Senator Hagel will find the 2008 race an uphill climb as he faces off against two of the most recognized politicians in the U.S.--Rudy Guiliani and John McCain. We here at CopyWrite hope that Americans take note of Senator Hagel's recent efforts to salvage what's left of the war on terror and give him a chance to articulate his vision for the U.S. over the next two years.

Good luck Senator Hagel. Know that the CopyWrite Empire is firmly behind you.

Ewan Watt over at Ewan's Blog also came out in support of Senator Hagel for President and added a set of links to the grassroots movement here on the web (thanks for the link, by the way).

Bipartisan resolution and 2008 plans

Don Walton of the Lincoln Journal Star has a piece out today that discusses the bipartisan resoultion on Iraq and Chuck Hagel's thinking about 2008. Here is an excerpt:

Biden and Levin said Hagel approached them with the proposal for a bipartisan resolution. Most of the language came from Hagel, who has consistently expressed concern about the administration’s policy in Iraq, even before the war began.

Hagel said he’s not concerned about the possible impact of Wednesday’s action on his political future.

“I don’t worry about that (when) young men and women are being snuffed out in war. I do what I think is right for my country.

“Am I unmindful of the politics, unmindful I may announce soon that I’m going to run for president? No,” Hagel said.

But that decision has not been made, he said.

Issues like Iraq motivate him to lead and be engaged, he said, but seeking the presidency is “not the only way to do it.”

That decision has “got to fit with you, your family, your gut and with political reality,” he said, including the ability to swiftly raise $20 million to $25 million and build organizations in the first five or six primary and caucus states.

Hagel plans to decide soon whether to pursue the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, seek a third term in the Senate or leave elective office in early 2009.

It is clear that Senator Hagel is trying to do what he feels is best for our nation and our troops, as he has been there (in combat) himself.

Poll in four early primary states

The American Research Group has conducted polls in four early primary states on the 2008 Presidential primary race. It is encouraging to see Chuck Hagel polling so well in Iowa, clearly ahead of the third tier candidates. The results are as follows (copied from The Next Prez):

Republicans	IA	NH	SC	NV
McCain	26	29	35	25
Giuliani	28	25	28	31
Gingrich	18	14	15	22
Romney	6	9	5	4
Hagel	6	2	-	-
Huckabee	1	1	1	-
Pataki	-	2	-	-
Brownback	1	-	-	-
Gilmore	-	1	-	-
Hunter	-	-	-	-
Thompson	-	-	-	-
Undecided	14	17	16	18

Hagel for President in the News Again

Our grassroots efforts have made the news again, this time in the New York Sun.

Happy MLK Day

Hope everyone has a good Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Take a few minutes out of your day and read something (a speech or a sermon perhaps) by Dr. King today.

More On-line Polls

Here are a couple more on-line polls so everyone can vote Hagel !

Politics Central
The Next Prez

Question from a Reader

I got a question from a reader today that asked what they can do to help. Here is a post that anyone interested in helping out should read.

Video of Hagel on Meet the Press

Check out the footage from today's Meet the Press with Chuck Hagel as one of the guests.

Meet the Press tomorrow

Chuck Hagel will be on Meet the Press tomorrow; check local listings for times.

Chuck Hagel to speak at Bellevue University

From the Bellevue Leader:

U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel will visit Bellevue University's main campus Monday at 1:15 p.m.

Hagel will spend approximately one hour on campus, during which time he will speak and take questions from students and the public at the Hitchcock Humanities Center's Criss Auditorium, 1000 Galvin Road S.

The session will be an open format, with attendees free to ask questions on any topics they choose.

Yesterday on the Charlie Rose Show

You can see the video of yesterday's Charlie Rose Show featuring Senator Hagel here. Chuck Hagel is the second guest so you may want to skip ahead some.

"Hagel Statement on President Bush’s Plan to Increase U.S. Troops in Iraq"

Here is Chuck Hagel's statement regarding President Bush's speech last night:

“I am opposed to the escalation of American involvement in Iraq, including more U.S. troops. This is a dangerously wrong-headed strategy that will drive America deeper into an unwinnable swamp at a great cost. It is wrong to place American troops into the middle of Iraq’s civil war. It is not in America’s national interest to increase our troop presence in Iraq. The President’s strategy will cost more American lives; sink us deeper into the bog of Iraq making it more difficult to get out; cost billions of dollars more; further strain an American military that has already reached its breaking point; further diminish America’s standing in the Middle East; and continue to allow the Iraqis to walk away from their responsibilities. The fate of Iraq will be determined by the Iraqis—not the Americans. We have already given four years, thousands of lives, and hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars to Iraq.

“We cannot escape the reality that there will be no military solution in Iraq. The Iraqis are the only ones who can stop the sectarian and inter-sectarian violence that is now consuming their country. Iraqi leaders must understand the stark choice that they face between widening anarchy and violence and a concerted Iraqi effort toward political reconciliation. We cannot want success for Iraq more than they want it for themselves. More American troops, treasure and casualties will not change this reality. It will make it worse. General Abizaid testified to this point in November before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“Instead of increasing our troop presence in Iraq, we should be focused on helping the Iraqis find a political solution and creating a policy that allows us to leave Iraq honorably, has the sustained support of the American people and does not further destabilize the Middle East. This will require redefining our mission and our involvement in Iraq. A new American strategy for Iraq should include:

• moving our troops out of the cities to Iraq’s border areas, allowing us to help secure the territorial integrity of Iraq which will be seriously threatened and is critical for the future of Iraq;

• begin turning over internal security of Iraq to the Iraqis;

• engaging all nations in the Middle East to develop a regional internationally sponsored peace process;

• accelerating training of Iraqi troops.

“We are all trying to find a workable strategy and policy to address the disaster in Iraq. This should not be a partisan political issue. Congress will now begin the serious work of examining the President’s plan through oversight hearings and debate. Ultimately, the Congress will have to make tough decisions about the President’s plan. However, it is the Iraqis who must reach a political accommodation and find a political resolution. It may take years, but it is not the responsibility of the U.S.”

Chuck Hagel on the Charlie Rose Show today

Thanks to Lee for the heads up.

Sen. Hagel will be interviewed on the Charlie Rose
Show Thursday night, Jan. 11. He is likely to take
this opportunity to stake out his position on Bush's
Iraq plans. Check your local PBS listings for
broadcast time in your area.

The Charlie Rose Show on-line

Technorati tags: Chuck Hagel, Charlie Rose Show

Another blogger in support of Hagel

There is a new blog, Nebraska Republicans Rambling, that has put its two cents in on Chuck Hagel.

Many rumors have spread about Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel running for the republican party's presidential nomination for 2008. As stated, they're only rumors. BUT, there are many bloggers and groups and even grass-root movements to encourage Hagel to run for the presidential nomination.
Being from Nebraska, I can back the support of Hagel. He has done great things for our state and I fell that he can take his experience and improve the state of our Nation. He has been described as a Bush backer/supporter, but is also pushing for a subtle pull-out of Iraq and discourages the sending of more troops into Iraq.
I really hope that Hagel gives it a shot in 2008! Americans could not ask for a better man. Check him out, and help out the Hagel movements!

Please go and say hi.

Newsweek: "Hagel Could Have a Shot"

Newsweek has another article on Chuck Hagel that's worth a look. Here are some excerpts:

One Republican—we'll call him "Candidate A"—has among the highest support levels for President George W. Bush's conservative agenda in the Senate. He championed the president's 2001 tax cut, which many Republicans believe is the litmus test of today's GOP. After initially voting to give Bush the authority to go to war, he became an early and outspoken critic of the Iraq policy, a view now endorsed not just by the American public and Democrats but by Republicans as well.
...
You would think that Candidate A would be a strong favorite for the nomination and Candidate B destined for political oblivion. But no. Candidate A, Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, is seen as damaged goods, with little chance to be nominated. Candidate B, Arizona Sen. John McCain, is now the front runner.
...
In a GOP debate, McCain would not be able to use his military experience as a trump card on Hagel. But Hagel and the others would score heavily on McCain for opposing the tax cuts.
...
The most stunning thing about the Republican campaign so far is the vacuum on the right.
...
But governors, who normally make the strongest presidential candidates, seem a little irrelevant this time around. They aren't likely to sound as credible as senators on the nuances of Pakistani politics or the readiness of the Third Infantry Division.
...
Chuck Hagel might not run. But if he does, Candidate A would be formidable. It's the issues, stupid.

Read the article in full. Jonathan Alter makes a compelling case for a very viable Hagel candidacy for President due to the issues and the make up of the field.

Technorati tags: Chuck Hagel, 2008 Election, Republican Party

Newsweek article: McCain vs. Hagel

There is an excellent piece from Newsweek about the differing views on the war between two close friends in the Senate: John McCain and Chuck Hagel. These are two men who are both thinking about running for President in 2008 and are two of the few combat veterans in Congress. They have long been close friends, but are nearly polar opposites on Iraq.

Hagel is "obsessed" with the war in Iraq, says his brother Tom, who served with him in Vietnam. "You can't have a conversation with him without this coming up." During Christmas, Hagel looked "markedly older and grayer than when I saw him this summer down at the beach," says Tom. In an interview with NEWSWEEK last week, Hagel teared up when he began talking about a Purple Heart ceremony he had attended in August in Lincoln, Neb. "You're sitting there thinking, Was this a waste?" said Hagel, who voted for the original congressional resolution backing the war despite raising serious doubts about whether the invasion made sense. He added, somewhat uncomfortably, that at times he wonders whether he has done enough to try to stop the war.

Hagel is not pushing for "Out Now." But he is almost angrily dismissive of the idea of sending an additional 10,000 to 20,000 troops to Iraq. "Are we going to pacify Baghdad?" he asks. "Are we going to break the militia's stronghold? Are we going to use these troops to propel or force a settlement between the Shias and the Sunnis? What's the objective of it? I will guarantee that there's going to be a lot more American casualties. And there's going to be a lot more animosity by the Iraqis." The idea that the Iraqis will respond only to more troops, he says, is "complete folly, unless you're going to kill all the Iraqis."

Read the full article here.

Technorati tags: Chuck Hagel, Newsweek, John McCain

Hagel Bloggers Make the News Again

In addition to the Omaha World Herald story from Monday, the Draft Hagel movement and this blog have been featured more recently in the North Platte Bulletin. Check out the article.

Novak on Iraq

Robert Novak had a column in the Monday's Washington Post that's worth a read on Iraq. The following is an excerpt from it.

President Bush and McCain, the front-runner for the party's 2008 presidential nomination, will have trouble finding support from more than 12 of the 49 Republican senators when pressing for a surge of 30,000 troops. "It's Alice in Wonderland," Sen. Chuck Hagel, second-ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, told me in describing the proposal. "I'm absolutely opposed to sending any more troops to Iraq. It is folly."

What to do about Iraq poses not only a national policy crisis but profound political problems for the Republican Party. Disenchantment with George W. Bush within the GOP runs deep. Republican leaders around the country, anticipating that the 2006 election disaster would prompt an orderly disengagement from Iraq, are shocked that the president now appears ready to add troops.

Take a look at the full article.

A nice video

There is a great post and video over at DWSUWF that's worth a look. Be sure to check out the video.

Today's Omaha World Herald article

This blog was featured today in an article by Jake Thompson at the Omaha World Herald, "Bloggers Urge Hagel to Seek Presidency." If you haven't read the article, it is definitely worth a read.