If I happened to be a member of the United States Senate (try and wrap your head around that!), my voting record would be far, far different than that of Nebraska Senator Chuck Hegel.
Now do not take this as any sort of a ringing political endorsement of Hegel but he is one of the very few D.C. Republicans who is trustworthy. He displays his honesty and independence once again in the following comments about Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. If that isn’t saying much, name one other GOP Senator who has spoken out?
And where is John McCain in this matter, still doing the tango with Jerry Falwell?
Like McCain, Hegel was wounded, although not taken prisoner, in Vietnam. Like McCain, Hegel is eyeing a run for the presidency.
Unlike McCain, Hegel won’t toss aside his virtue to better his chances of becoming Commander-In-Chief.
As someone named Willie Shakes wrote: “To be or not to be: that is the question, whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune…”
Hagel: I’ve lost confidence in Rumsfeld
DON WALTON / Lincoln Journal Star
April 17, 2006
Sen. Chuck Hagel said Monday he shares the lack of confidence in Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld separately voiced by six retired generals.
“The concern I’ve had is, at a very dangerous time, (the) secretary of defense does not command the respect and confidence of our men and women in uniform,” Hagel said.
“There is a real question about his capacity to lead at this critical time,” he said.
“I have had many conversations with military leaders about their concern about what’s happening at the Pentagon and with our force structure.”
Hagel first expressed lack of confidence in Rumsfeld a year ago….
To be fair, I came across a McCain article today in which the Rumsfeld question was broached. But compare Hagel’s statement to McCain’s ‘qualified’ pronouncement:
“…I do understand it (supporting the Iraq war) could be a political liability,” the 69-year-old Arizona senator said in an interview. While he said he is “a bit resentful” of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld “for the way the war has been poorly handled,” McCain added, “I still think we’ve got to win the war…”
