Sen. Chuck Hagel will consider presidential race in 2008

[Rose Siding]

After months of national media speculation and cautious words from Hagel, he said it squarely Friday during an airplane interview above western Nebraska: "I will consider a race for the presidency."

Significantly, Hagel expects to make appearances at caucus meetings of the Iowa and New Hampshire delegations during the Republican National Convention in New York later this month.
...
But, he said, he believes the race between Bush and Kerry will open up after a couple of debates and "one of them will win decisively" in the end.

Fielding questions, Hagel assured Aurora School Superintendent Larry Ramaekers he will seek changes in Bush's No Child Left Behind education reform bill because it "pushes aside all the innovative, creative work" of educators and policymakers at the local level.
...
Before thanking veterans for their service to the country, Hagel told local television interviewers that concerns expressed to him during the day about Iraq policy were legitimate.

"I don't think we planned well. I don't think we prepared well. I don't think we understood what we were getting into."

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2004/08/15/top_story/10053731.txt

[Hawkeye-X]

1. Oh, sure, and his ES&S stake

will help him rig it.

Hagel is a goner.

[havocmom]

4. Need a song parody for "I Write the Songs"

Something that starts out:
I count the votes
that make me win the race...

We could arrange to have acapella accompanyment for Hagel when ever he is out on the campaign stump.

[Andy_Stephenson]

11. Hmmmmm

I count the votes
that help me win the race...

My win is guranteed by E S and S

[PROGRESSIVE1]

23. hahahahahahahahahaha!!!

[tom_paine]

2. Well, well, lookit Little Chuck, pretending that Amerika is Free

Sure...Lil' Chuck the Empire of Bush is going to just sit back and allow you to take the nation they worked so hard for so long to parasitize and seize.

You make me laugh, Lil' Chuck.

Go ahead and play, Lil' Chuck. Play until your Imperial Masters tell you it's time for dinner and bring your effing toys in NOW!!

[AndyTiedye]

9. Hegel Thinks Bush* Will Lose!

He knows that Jeb is the heir-apparent if * wins/steals another term.

Perhaps ES&S won't be helping America vote for Bush* after all.

[lanparty]

28. Chuck will have to fight McCain and Jeb for it ...

... but a little help from his vote stealing machines wouldn't hurt.

BTW, any Republican who would LIKE to be president has a vested interested in de-throning GW Bush. If GW Bush wins this time around, Jeb will have all the money by the time the 2008 primaries begin. It will be like 2000 all over again.

[Caution]

3. Don't care about any of his crap other than

the fact that he is breaking with Bush on Iraq and this quote:

"I don't think we planned well. I don't think we prepared well. I don't think we understood what we were getting into."

If he is breaking with Bush and talking about running in '08 that means that the pubs are starting to lose faith in Bush's coattails.

[soothsayer]

7. yeah, shouldn't he wait until AFTER the election to bail on the boy loser?

Seems premature.

[Scooter24]

5. Isn't Hagel one of the sponsors of the Draft bill?

That issue alone will hurt his chances...

[no_hypocrisy]

6. Likely challengers: * or Jeb, Giuliani, Pataki. Knock yourself out Chuck

[StClone]

10. I agree but

Just like us Dems somebody has to consider running. We started with nine, three of which were DOA at the gate. Let him run it shows they are worried and maybe fracturing.

[PurityOfEssence]

14. If Junior loses, I doubt he'll ever be back

That would take character.

[lanparty]

29. If GW Bush loses ...

... the Dems will FORCE him to stay out of politics. Don't forget that President Kerry would be able to open up all those Reagan and Bush administration records (along with the Clinton records as CLINTON has requested).

They will also have the attorney general and could PROBABLY put Dick Cheney in jail easy. GW Bush has WAY too much blood on his hands to expect a comeback. The Dems will be waiting for him with all the documents.

If Bush loses in 2004, McCain will be the GOP frontrunner in 2008. If Dubaya wins, it will be Jeb since Dubaya can effectively force his chronies to give money to Jeb in return for their continued grafting.

[Demeter]

8. With What Party, Chuck?

By the time GWB is finished with it, there won't be anyhting left of the GOP, it will be reduced to P.

[Barret]

12. Oops read it wrong

nt

[Kolesar]

13. He needs a running mate named "Marx" ... eom

[milkyway]

15. The Senator from the great state of ES&S might run for President? nt

[grasswire]

16. the dark horse emerges?

On the day after the day when David Broder says that Bush will lose because of his own mistakes, a dark horse raises its head.

Vedddddy interesting.

Will Bush be dumped at the convention?

[AlCzervik]

17. Well ok then

in 2008 running for the repug nom will be Hagel, Romney,and Bill cats Frist, am i missing anybody?

[yellowcanine]

18. Tom DeLay? It's ok to fantasize, right?

.

[AlCzervik]

19. Now that would be fun to watch

can you imagine Delay having to try to pretend he's a not a massive rightwing criminal whore? Alan Keyes will be the acid test for the loons.

[yellowcanine]

21. Seriously, some in Maryland think Guv "Goodhair" Erlich might have

his eye on a 2008 run for president assuming he wins reelection in 2006.

[calimary]

24. You can take care of tom delay THIS MINUTE, you know...

Here's a link to a GD thread about it:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2203237

Sorry about the delay (PARDON THE PUN!!!)

[Davis_X_Machina]

20. His ooching away from Bush on some issues...

...now has a clearer explanation.

[geek tragedy]

22. In all sincerity, I wish him well

in his efforts to expel the Bush fascists from his party. He certainly has his work cut out for him.

[calimary]

26. Frankly, I kind of do, myself.

He's not quite the absolute extremist knuckledragger to which most of the rest of his party has devolved.

And if somebody like him is poking his head up out of the trenches (a dreaded "moderate"), it means he's hearing plenty from other moderates who feel completely betrayed by what the republi-CON party has become. It's a symbol of the deep-down dirty little secret in the enemy camp - that they're starting to splinter. And that's a good thing. A VERY good thing.

Either way, it'd mean something beneficial. Either an asshole party that shatters into many angry, marginalized, extremist factions that CAN'T ever get a majority and is thus forever hobbled, OR a Republican party that moves AWAY from the radical fundies and other whackos, more toward a more reasonable belief system and willingness to promote true dialogue and discourse. I can have an intelligent conversation with SOME Republicans, who are reasonable, moderate, and respectful and understanding of any of my views that they don't share. I can't even begin to get into the same room with the thugs and neocons and religious nutcases and anti-choicers.

Besides, Hagel's staff people are really nice and reasonable and courteous and respectful and very congenial to talk to when you call in. And from what I've experienced, having called his office a number of times, they're all sympathizers, pretty much.

[JI7]

25. "if" Kerry wins i bet you he WONT run in 2008

[Pallas180]

27. Is that Hagel of the Fixed Voting Machines? Oh my , yes it is

I thought he'd been getting a lot of air time, ever since his
secret ownership of the funky voting machines was discovered.