Senator Hagel Retiring…
September 9, 2007 by Sumo
The Senator from Nebraska plans to retire and will not be a Republican contender for the 2008 presidential nomination next year. He has been a stalwart critic of the Iraq War. He’s 60…and a Vietnam Veteran. He had been considering a bid for the White House…but has decided not to go after a third term in the Senate in 2008. This leaves open another Republican Senate seat without an incumbent.
Just last week, Senator John Warner (R-Virginia) said he also would not run for re-election. Seems the lemmings are on the run from George…and I am not insulting the Senators by any means. I think people are jumping the party on the ship because it is the Titanic…and they realize they’d better take what integrity they may have left…and float somewhere else. Sad…to see decent men have to give it up. They were the voices of reason at times…they did try to stem the tide of BS when they could.
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Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska plans to announce his retirement from the Senate on Monday. Senator John Warner of Virginia said on August 31 that he would resign his post. It is a great shame to see good and honorable legislators like these two leave the Senate.
Although I think it is a good thing to support the Democrats when the Republicans have been, as a whole, profligate in their control of the executive and legislative branches, I don’t think we should be rigid in our thinking. We should follow good people and good policy. Anything else leads to corruption as the entrenched party consolidates its power. Why blindly follow any party?
Both Hagel and Warner were independent voices crying out in the wilderness of the GOP’s machine. While others walked in lockstep with the president, Hagel and Warner criticized the Iraq war and proposed solutions to the quagmire. Both senators were veterans and had credibility on defense issues.
“I am not happy with the Republican Party today.” Chuck Hagel (R-NE), May 13, 2007. Who could disagree with that!
Earl…it is indeed a shame that decent people for the most are leaving like this. I think they don’t want to be associated with it anymore. Warner is older of course…but probably needs some genuine family and vacation time. You can only fight the machine so much after all. Hagel on the other hand is substantially younger…and my feeling is he just doesn’t want this grind anymore…assuming he isn’t ill. He certainly has said and done some good things as has Senator Warner on the behalf of Americans and our soldiers. You just can’t fight city hall all the time…it does take a toll. I agree that just because it opens for 2 Democrats…doesn’t mean they will fulfill the job appropriately. Hence Fleaberman! There may be good Republicans out there…but they do tend to band together on things…rather than what is right for people. I do believe Dems do have a better track record for the most part that way…but I’ve been known to be wrong.
Big fucking deal..and we should care why?
Hagel is a Republican..he is against most of the things progressives hold dear..that anyone would shed a tear over this fuckwit retiring simply because he was ‘against’ a war he voted for doesnt’ mean shit in my book.
Who gives a shit what YOU think about it?! It was a conversation between Earl and me. And it is a big deal that some Republicans are leaving more than likely because they can’t take “it” anymore. Which was my intention of what I was saying. Nobody shed a tear here…sometimes people like to make observations…calmly and nicely. If you didn’t care for that observation…you could have kept it to yourself…like I do…without making swearing slurs and drawing gossipy attention from others that visit here. Who made you god of opinion and the word police? You just had to go and be unnecessarily nasty about it…you’ve done it before…I wouldn’t do it on one of your posts…so consider this my last Sirens missive. Being ridiculed and derided on my blog that I own half of is enough for me to see…that I am just some joker who happens to write here. Well…not anymore…toodles. Ladies who write here…it’s been a pleasure being with you…and anyone who visited my posts and was kind enough to comment and be part of the blog process…thank you. Blog on!
Dusty, I wouldn’t go so far as to tear-up over Hegel retiring, but I see different degrees of Republicans with most, far worst, than a few like Hegel and Warner.
I’m also fond of an earlier day in American life, where the members of both parties were more collegial, with cooperation across the isle, and even bitter political battles where fought by friendly combatants that often returned favors by offering to come to the friend’s state and campaign FOR or AGAINST them, whichever would do them the most good.
I don’t like the “politics of destruction”, and feel the GOP conseratives are mostly responsible for it’s current use.
First off..its a post..its up for ANYONE to comment Sumo..so considering that..I still say who should give a shit and why?
Any Rethug retiring is a good thing..ANY OF THEM. Not one of them is worth a tinkers damn when it comes to our economy or how the less fortunate are cared for in these here United States.
Do you even have a fucking clue how this guy voted on bills that mattered besides the war?
Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record.
# Voted YES on loosening restrictions on cell phone wiretapping. (Oct 2001)
# Voted NO on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation.
ACLU gives him an overly generous 60% rating
# Voted NO on repealing tax subsidy for companies which move US jobs offshore. (Mar 2005)
# Voted YES on reforming bankruptcy to include means-testing & restrictions. (Mar 2005)
# Voted YES on restricting rules on personal bankruptcy. (Jul 2001)
# Rated 87% by the US COC, indicating a pro-business voting record.
Rated 36% by the NEA, indicating a mixed record on public education.
# Voted NO on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. (Jun 2007)
# Voted NO on making oil-producing and exporting cartels illegal. (Jun 2007)
# Voted NO on factoring global warming into federal project planning. (May 2007)
# Voted NO on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska’s ANWR. (Nov 2005)
# Voted NO on $3.1B for emergency oil assistance for hurricane-hit areas. (Oct 2005)
# Voted NO on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%). (Jun 2005)
# Voted NO on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (Mar 2005)
# Voted YES on Bush Administration Energy Policy. (Jul 2003)
# Voted NO on including oil & gas smokestacks in mercury regulations. (Sep 2005)
# Voted YES on confirming Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior. (Jan 2001)
# Voted YES on more funding for forest roads and fish habitat. (Sep 1999)
# Voted YES on transportation demo projects. (Mar 1998)
# Voted NO on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests. (Sep 1997)
# Rated 0% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes.
And you should REALLY love this rating SUMO
Rated 100% by the Christian Coalition
So, once again..tell me why ANYONE should give a shit that this man is retiring?
I can add my two cents to this blog when I damn well feel like it..especially when its regarding a bag of shit like Chuck Hagel.
If you can’t take a little voting record reality with your blogging then your very thinned skinned Sumo, and I won’t stand by and let you wax poetic about Hagel without speaking up. Hagel is so far from ‘decent’ its ridiculous. Decent was your word, not mine btw.
Frankly I couldn’t believe you considered this guy a decent man with integrity. Your entitled to your pov, I just pointed out what you fail to see when you call Hagel a “decent” man.
He didn’t even get vocal about the war until over half of America had come out against it. Its great, simply fabulous that he came out against the war,but its the ONLY thing decent this man has done in his entire political career.
He has done far greater damage to our country with his pro-business, anti-environmental, anti-choice voting record than his best day of standing up to BushCo against the war.
So take your keyboard and go home if thats what you choose to do..because I wont be silent and simply go along with you and your pov about a Rethug named Hagel who has harmed more American’s than BushCo’s war in Iraq.
I find it interesting as well, that Republicans are running away from Bush just as fast as they can. THAT’LL get Bush’s attention faster than any progressive doing the same thing!
He may be a big bag of shit as far as you’re concerned, Dusty, & good riddance to bad crap, but, unfortunately, there isn’t much of a progressive voice in Congress, & most Democrats have been hijacked & pulled to the far right,& are way too afraid to stand up lest they be tarred & feathered. Someone like Chuck Hagel having the guts to say what he did IS big news, because it will influence those who are inclined to agree with him much more than any of us pointing out what a big bag of shit he is.
I welcome the coverage on Sirens. It’s pertinent to restoring some sanity in Congress.
Demon…Yes, it was great that Hagel stood up to BushCo against the war..but going so far as to state he has guts to say what he said.. when I pointed out his extremely conservative voting record on other highly important issues to all americans is…well, a bit disingenuous to me.
If all we judge politicians by is the war and their stand on it..its a very short yard stick, isn’t it?
As we have seen, the Dem’s who campaigned on a platform of ending the war, and then basically gave Bush everything he wanted FOR the war..I don’t see speaking out against Bush on this topic as a real big deal at this point. ..and as always..its just my dumbass and highly vocal opinion on the matter.
I see your point, Dusty. By most measures, he IS a big bag of shit, but unlike the cowering Democrats, his departure will hopefully influeunce the remaining war-mongers to think twice. The Dems know they’d be pretty big fools to blow the upcoming presidential election, but they still fear being painted as “terrorist coddlers” by the Repubs–that’s why they caved so abjectly on the latest Patriot Act revision (everlasting shame on their cowardly hides!). So, I see Hagel’s actions sending some powerful cues to the party currently in charge of the war. I can dream, can’t I?