Mary,
I wouldn't so far as to label Hagel an American hero. He has for the longest time supported every policy and Bill that Bush wanted, while pretending to take a different approach on cable TV. Sure, he has shown a limited amount of independence now and then and if he really is serious about opposing Bush's follies now that's a good sign. But I would not in any way consider him an American hero. The real heroes (from a political standpoint) are the group of progressive Democrats in the Senate and House who have stood up to Bush and the GOP all these years.
Posted by eriposte at January 7, 2007 02:00 PMNewsweek shows us that, as always, the real debate on policy is between Republicans. They are, after all, the only serious players on foreign policy.
Posted by James E. Powell at January 7, 2007 02:02 PMHagel, Specter & Buchannan all baffle me. They each have these profound moments where I shout by Gawd he's seen the light and then the next day they rollover and give the keys to the nation away, AGAIN.
Posted by mainsailset at January 7, 2007 02:11 PMeR - true. I'm always looking for any sane Republican that when I find one saying what Hagel's been saying, I get more optimistic than I should. Hagel has definitely disappointed me a few times before.
Posted by Mary at January 7, 2007 02:20 PMmainsailset, they are politicians. They speak what they see as truth, then have to backpedal for the people who pay their checks. Bush's New Way Backwards has now been fully vetted, days before the dumbskull can memorize and give the speech. It is DOA - Toast, another "stay the course" masked in different language. The public will have savaged it before he even gets on TV. An Editorial popped up in my Red State today finally saying Pull The Troops Out.
The tide has turned so far against Bush Policy that his address this week will be no more than fodder for comedians. Unfortunately, it will also cost more Americans their lives, courtesy spoiled brat George W. Bush.
Eriposte-I see your work is footnoted again in a great book, this time with Marcie Wheeler's "Anatomy of Deceit"
Posted by mainsailset at January 7, 2007 03:07 PMI don't really pay much attention to Ralph Kramden Republicans any more. Hagel, Specter, Collins, the whole bunch of them are always complaining about abut Bush like Ralph complained about Alice--"Bang, zoom, to the Moon, Alice! To the Moon!" But of course Ralph never did a thing to Alice; she knew he was a big fat pussycat of a bus driver. Just like Bush knows Specter, et. al. are pussycats. I suspect he doesn't pay much attention to them, either.
Posted by RAM at January 7, 2007 05:25 PMIf he were truly heroic, he would have left the treasonous GOP.
As it stands, he's just another fucking poser.
Why should anyone pay any attention to the GOP on any issue? They've proven themselves wholly unworthy.
Sorry Abe, your once great party is now a rotting zombie corpse.
Damn them all to hell.
Posted by God Of War at January 7, 2007 06:09 PMHagel, an American hero? Oh my!
Yes, Hagel has from time to time criticized Bush, but this is still the former CEO of ES&S, the company who manufactured voting machines that became the focus of fierce scrutiny since the 2000 Presidential election due to their susceptibility to election fraud.
Hagel refuses to even entertain his former employer made crooked e-voting boxes.
A great American? Hardly.
Posted by Christopher at January 7, 2007 07:16 PM
"Hagel, Specter & Buchannan all baffle me. They each have these profound moments where I shout by Gawd he's seen the light and then the next day they rollover and give the keys to the nation away, AGAIN."
I would add Gomer Graham to this list.
Posted by harrison at January 7, 2007 07:43 PM"Senator John McCain has been outspoken in his view that to "win" in Iraq, the US response must be escalation."
And the alternative to winning....is losing.
So, tell me Lefties, what does losing in Iraq -- a loss to political Islam -- mean to you?
I assume that all the Lefist ladies have been fitted for their burkas.
Posted by Bagley at January 7, 2007 09:08 PMDear Bagley, We already lost. There will be no "victory" in Iraq; the question on the table isn't whether we'll leave, it's when. Sending over x number of targets for the insurgents won't change the outcome. After Alaric sacked Rome the question wasn't when will we defeat these barbarians, it was how long can we hang on.
Posted by Brian Boru at January 7, 2007 09:45 PMSo, tell me Lefties, what does losing in Iraq -- a loss to political Islam -- mean to you?
So now it's policial Islam? I thought the problem was Islamic radicals...uh, Islamic Jihadists...uh, Islamic terrorists...uh, Islamo-fascists? I wish you people would figure out what the fuck you're talking about. You can't even decide on the problem, so how the hell do you expect to arrive at the solution?
that to "win" in Iraq, the US response must be escalation
And he goes on to say that "even escalation may not work." Nice job there, you "weepubwi-cons taut Ehwaq would be wike hunting wabbits."
I assume that all the Lefist ladies have been fitted for their burkas.
You bet. We got them from the same place you got your KKK robe and pointy face mask. Thank god you guys didn't offshore all of the clothing industry.
Posted by phidipides at January 7, 2007 10:23 PM