Chuck Hagel: Shoe Salesman
by Kyle Michaelis"I think, all 100 senators ought to be on the line on this. What do you believe? What are you willing to support? What do you think? Why were you elected? If you wanted a safe job, go sell shoes.“As promised by his party leaders and predicted this morning by the New Nebraska Network, Sen. Chuck Hagel today voted AGAINST the cloture that would have allowed floor debate on the Warner-Levin Resolution. A bipartisan expression of the Senate and the American public's "disappoval" of President Bush's plan to escalate the war in Iraq with anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 additional troops and personnel, Republican efforts to forestall this black eye to Bush's failed stay-the-course policy have succeeded....temporarily.-Sen. Chuck Hagel
Both Hagel and Sen. Warner (VA), who introduced the resolution, voted with their party not to move it to floor debate. Republicans needed 40 votes to filibuster and - with Hagel and Warner's voters - they had 46. The actual roll call lists 47 votes because Democratic majority leader Harry Reid changed votes for procedural reasons. And, in a pinch, the Republicans' efforts to censor the American people could probably claim 48 supporters - including Senators John McCain (AZ) and Mel Martinez (FL), who abstained from the vote.
Still, it's worth noting that the Republican leadership was not able to deliver on its guarantees of 100% party unity, with Senators Susan Collins (ME) and Norm Coleman (MN) both voting for cloture. No surprise, both are up for re-election in 2008. Their votes put Hagel's hypocrisy in full view, and it's my hope that the Democratic leadership will continue bringing this cloture vote to the floor, forcing the likes of Hagel and Warner to go on record as the puppets that they are each and every time.
Eventually, this debate is going to happen. Eventually, Hagel, Warner, and all those Republican Senators who hope to be re-elected in 2008 will have to break and allow the American people to be heard on the Senate floor.
They have no choice. The truth will have its day. And, when it does, there are going to be lots of Republicans seeking new lines of work. Forget running for President. With this vote, Hagel's spoken loud and clear as to his chosen profession.Finally, a job he's cut out for, where a man who's full of BS might finally be appreciated.
***This post's title is written with compliments to an anonymous comment below and to the UNO College Democrats, who beat me to the punch.
Labels: Hagel, Iraq, Mock Maverick, Nelson
posted at 6:43 PM
4 Comments:
I sold shoes in High School, so I can say,
"Chuck Hagel, you are no shoe salesman, it takes honesty to sell shoes."
I remain amazed at how many people keep getting fooled by Hagel talking like a lion on t. v. then voting like a lamb on the senate floor.
In a few days, he will go on t. v., and self righteously declare how he opposes Bush and lots of folks will once again be his dupes.
Prediction:
The Omaha World-Hagel will give the Senator a way out - let him explain away his vote and conveniently forget the same comments Kyle has included in his thoughtful post. The same comments they used to deify Hagel last week. Then, the editorial page will declare Hagel a hero who "voted for the first time while standing on a tank in the Mekong Delta" and could show his fellow senators that they are truly shoe salesmen.
The greatest insult in this whole mess is that Hagel promised away his vote to his Party on Friday and STILL ran around all weekend declaring himself the "non-anti-war" candidate and pontificating how important this resolution was on a Sunday show. What a windbag!
Sorry Vince. If I'd known your resume, I wouldn't have been quite so harsh towards shoe salesmen. I've seen how protective you can be of your profession and certainly meant no offense.
Disclaimer: Any suggestion that shoe salesmen are full of crap or that they are cowardly was made purely for satirical purposes. The New Nebraska Network offers its sincerest apologies for repeating Sen. Hagel's unfair maligning of those who've chosen so honorable a career.
There - that should cover it.
I sold ladies shoes in college so I feel I should have cover in my post. A few weeks ago, when Hagel raised his voice in the Senate Foreign Relations Hearing and voted against GOP, I was actually proud to tell my roommate that he was the Senator of my homestate.
It was some of the nicest praise I have EVER gave a GOPer and this is the reward for me putting aside my partisan blinders? Cheap Crap. Talk all this tough talk against and then vote against your so called "convictions"? Party Loyalty excuse will not get the troops home but neither will BS GOP filibusters or BS nonbinding resolution.
I have never been this upset at politics since my former boss, a Dem Senator, voted for the war in 2002. Do any leaders have any balls anymore? Is it all about political positioning, ALL the time? Where are the real leaders? I disagreed with every view of Ronald Reagan but at least he was a leader.
These Pols have no backbone and what is even more astonishing is that 70% percent of the country wants out of Iraq and only 11% favored more troops. Still, No action against Bush Admin.
When do the Pols wake up and get real work done? Paul Wellstone just rolled over in his grave last nite.
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