Chuck Hagel Loses the War With Himself

Can’t we debate the most critical issue of our time, out front, in front of the American people?

-Sen. Chuck Hagel's opening statement to the Foreign Relations Committee, calling for debate of President Bush's policy in Iraq (01/24/2007)

Nay!

-Sen. Chuck Hagel's vote against cloture on the Warner-Levin Resolution, preventing debate of President Bush's policy in Iraq (02/05/2007)

You are welcome to give Hagel the benefit of the doubt and to believe whatever nonsense justification he makes for his vote in today's Omaha World-Herald. But, after four years of pulling this crap on vote after vote after vote, I'm through trying to sort out Hagel's inconsistencies on Iraq.

The vote speaks for itself. Though not a show boat or a glory hound, it is nice to have one Senator, Ben Nelson, who has maintained some semblance of clarity and credibility on this issue.

Having played a vital role in crafting the Warner-Levin Resolution and yesterday voting for it receiving a full debate on the floor of the U.S. Senate, Nelson's was the lone voice of reason in our Congressional delegation:

It seems that even when it comes to the lives of our troops, partisanship prevails.

Here we are after weeks of negotiations, after weeks of public proclamations, after weeks of consideration, we're about to witness the minority choose politics over progress....

The time has come. If not now, when? If not now, do we wait for [more] troops to die before we oppose the president's plan? If not now, do we wait for more violence, more unrest, more danger for our troops before we act?

Politics over progress - that's precisely the choice Hagel has made. When is enough enough?

To be honest, so far as Hagel is concerned, I'm not sure I even care about his answer because what he says doesn't seem to mean a damn thing.

Talk is cheap. It appears Chuck Hagel's integrity is even cheaper.