Chuck Hagel Taking Names
Wow!
On comedian Rush Limbaugh:
“We are educated by the great entertainers like Rush Limbaugh,” said Hagel, sarcastically referencing the talk radio host who once called him “Senator Betrayus.” “You know, I wish Rush Limbaugh and others like that would run for office. They have so much to contribute and so much leadership and they have an answer for everything. And they would be elected overwhelmingly,” he offered. “[The truth is] they try to rip everyone down and make fools of everybody but they don’t have any answers.”
He spent an hour discussing how Congress works and how this government need to work with the rest of the international community:
“Eighty-seven percent of the American people said America is going in the wrong direction,” said Hagel. “You don’t need to know another number about anything, and so the election was pretty predictable: the American people don’t like what is going on… they want us to start doing what leaders are expected to do, address the problems, find some consensus to governing. Get along. There will be disagreements, sure… but in the end we can’t hold ourselves captives to this raw, partisan, political paralysis.”
And on the people who found their panties in a bunch over the French or Muslims:
“There is always going to be a certain know-nothing element to democracy,” said Hagel. “That is their choice. But in a world that is so vitally interconnected, it does help if you try to understand the other side… Ask them: ‘What is it that scares you about the French so much?'”
Great stuff — and he does have some good things to say about a few people in that article, but keep in mind that Hagel is a pretty doctrinaire conservative — he just always had issues with the incredibly petty way BushCo wanted the US to be in the world.
Tags: National Republicans
That is a good question – why do Republicans hate the French so much? Are they still angry that we needed them to get independence? Are they jealous that the Statue of Liberty was made by the French?
No one will miss Sen. Hagel.
I agree with Mike for once. Moderate Republicans give me hives. They talk tough but vote with Bush anyway.
I would have expected nothing less than your comment Mike,however it really applies to you loser. By the way Mike how does your service record compare to that of the Senator,s.
Hagel wasn’t that moderate and he pretty proudly voted with Bush except for some foreign policy stuff. He was in the non-belligerent wing of the conservatives or, put another way, he could manage to be a conservative and a grownup at the same time, which is a thing to respect. If only because it is so rare.
“… why do Republicans hate the French so much? Are they still angry that we needed them to get independence? Are they jealous that the Statue of Liberty was made by the French?”
Once again you have invalidated the old adage that there’s no such thing as a stupid question.
As summarized, Hagel made 3 main points:
1. Rush Limbaugh and his ilk are infatuated with power, but couldn’t govern.
2. Currently, the drive to stay in power is overwhelming the desire to govern.
3. There’s always a supply of idiots who can’t discriminate between the desire to govern and the drive to be in power.
Whatever the party or the context, this is wisdom.
“No one will miss Sen. Hagel.”….Mike Protack
“No one will miss Mike Protack.” …. Everyone else on Earth.
Repubs of the War Party sect got themselves in a lather re: the French when the same French would not be bullied into the Iraq War UN votes or the Coalition of the Willing. While said repubs were Getting Their War On, they were also busily renaming French Fries to Freedom fries and other such 8th grader behavior as if demonizing the French would somehow prove that the Iraq business had some moral authority.
The ending of this tale, you know.
No one will miss Sen. Hagel which is why he made the comments above- an attempt to be recognized when no one cares about him.
Service record, glad you asked. 10 Years 4 months and 6 days Commissioned Officer USMC. Exactly, 10 years 4 months and 6 days more than Obama’s record.
Sen Hagel is like so many in Washington, all talk and lousy votes and policies.
I am not a Limbaugh listener but he has survived for 20 years in a very competitive industry through D and R administrations.
Anonymous bloggers- cowards who can’t stand behind their thoughts or actions.
Oh, you’d be surprised, jarhead.