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Sen. Hagel Says GOP Has Lost Its Way
AP ^ | 8/20/6 | WILL LESTER

Posted on 08/20/2006 9:02:08 AM PDT by SmithL

Republicans have lost their way when it comes to many core GOP principles and may be in jeopardy heading into the fall elections, Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. says.

Hagel, a possible presidential candidate in 2008, said Sunday that the GOP today is very different party from the one when he first voted Republican.

"First time I voted was in 1968 on top of a tank in the Mekong Delta," said Hagel, a Vietnam veteran. "I voted a straight Republican ticket. The reason I did is because I believe in the Republican philosophy of governance. It's not what it used to be. I don't think it's the same today."

Hagel asked: "Where is the fiscal responsibility of the party I joined in '68? Where is the international engagement of the party I joined — fair, free trade, individual responsibility, not building a bigger government, but building a smaller government?"

His frustration does not lead him to think Democrats offer a better alternative. But Hagel wants to see the GOP return to its basic beliefs.

"I think we've lost our way," Hagel said. "And I think the Republicans are going to be in some jeopardy for that and will be held accountable."

Hagel has not decided whether he will run for president in 2008. But he respects his wife's reservations about being first lady — cited in a book about Hagel.

"I think it just shows the immense good judgment of my wife and how sane she is. I don't know of any spouse who would wish the job of president on their husband or wife," Hagel said on Fox News Sunday. "It's a big job. It's a tough job."

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Nebraska
KEYWORDS: 109th; election2006; hagel
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To: Carling

BINGO!


41 posted on 08/20/2006 9:30:05 AM PDT by butternut_squash_bisque (The recipe's at my FR HomePage. Try it!)
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To: SmithL

"First time I voted was in 1968 on top of a tank in the Mekong Delta," said Hagel, a Vietnam veteran. "I voted a straight Republican ticket. The reason I did is because I believe in the Republican philosophy of governance."

In Hagel we have a RINO John Kerry wannabe for President.


42 posted on 08/20/2006 9:30:35 AM PDT by conservative blonde (Conservative Blonde)
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To: Alex1977
Sad to note that a conservative State as Nebraska is unable to send two real conservatives to US Senate.

Even sadder is that the Democrat is more consevative than the Republican.

43 posted on 08/20/2006 9:30:44 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist (404 Page Error Found)
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To: SmithL
GOP says Hagel has lost his way.

"Apparently Sen. Hagel thinks that being a Republican means being all things to all people," said IronJack, a Nebraska Republican who's tired of Hagel's RINO posturing. "If Mr. Hagel is so disgusted with the principles his party represents that he prefers the company of loons, then he's old enough to understand how a door works. With any luck, he won't be around after 2008 anyway, at least not as an elected official from the State of Nebraska."

44 posted on 08/20/2006 9:30:47 AM PDT by IronJack (ALL)
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To: MNJohnnie
Think you people are clever the way you ping each other to come back up each others propagandizing?

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean someone isn't following you." Think about this, screamer. Assume Hagel at least wants to keep his job in the Senate. Where does he get that support, Minnesota? Of course not. When you call people morons and idiots and refer to them as stupid, you're calling the citizens of Nebraska those names. Try growing up.

45 posted on 08/20/2006 9:31:27 AM PDT by leadpenny
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To: Captain Kirk; Doohickey
As opposed to being one of the rabidly politically ignorant Whine All the Timers on the Freeper Fringes who will continually invent hysteric nonsense day in and day out to whine about and NEVER defend the Conservatives on anything.

So since their actions put them firmly IN the Leftists camp as knowing propaganda allies, they should expect Conservatives to treat them like Leftists. Actions speak WAY louder the fraudulent claims of "Conservative" beliefs. Freepers who act like a leftist, posts like a leftist, probably are Leftists simply lying about their real political agenda.

So are the Always Whining simply so naive that they do NOT see that their actions are actively helping the Democrats or are you simply lying about your real allegiance and INTENDING to help them?

On the issue of Judges alone Bush is WAY more Conservative then any of the Freeper Fringers with their Always Crying EVER have, or will be.

46 posted on 08/20/2006 9:32:24 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (History shows us that if you are not willing to fight, you better be prepared to die)
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To: conservative blonde
"In Hagel we have a RINO John Kerry wannabe for President."

Excellent analogy. Different shoe fron the same pair.
47 posted on 08/20/2006 9:32:36 AM PDT by jrooney ( Hold your cards close.)
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To: Sen Jack S. Fogbound
My friend was wondering if she should hold her nose while voting for him in the next election if no other challenger shows up!

No. Vote for a Democrat before you vote for Chuck Hagel. Stay home. Knit a doily. Write in Hillary Clinton. Do anything but send that preening jellyfish back to the Capitol.

48 posted on 08/20/2006 9:33:35 AM PDT by IronJack (ALL)
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To: jrooney; conservative blonde

Right down to the same continual references to serving in Vietnam. Hagel=Kerry


49 posted on 08/20/2006 9:34:07 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (History shows us that if you are not willing to fight, you better be prepared to die)
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To: MNJohnnie
If you read my post carefully instead of going off on your knee jerk "whiner" post to me, you would have read that Bush has done good on Judges. I am glad to know that you are Big Government Republican aka RINO and that approve of the excess spending and new government programs that Bush has proposed and signed into law. You will need Bush's new Rx plan to help you with drugs to alleviate your touret's syndrom. You excessively like to use the word WHINER in almost every post. You aren't much different than the lefties. You can't tolerate when someone points out the obvious if it points out a deficiency in a politician you love. The sad thing is that you've been hoodwinked and you can't even see it.
50 posted on 08/20/2006 9:34:35 AM PDT by MAD-AS-HELL (Put a mirror to the face of the republican party and all you'll see is a Donkey.)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
So Hagel, how long were you in the Senate? Approaching 12 years, right? What have you done to cut the size of government?

He's done far better than most: he has a taxpayer friendly voting record (according to the NTU) and dared to to criticize the record of the most pro-big government prez since LBJ. What have you done?

51 posted on 08/20/2006 9:35:22 AM PDT by Captain Kirk
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To: MNJohnnie

There is a difference between whining and thoughtful criticism. You apparently are in a third category: blind and total loyalty to the prez.


52 posted on 08/20/2006 9:36:52 AM PDT by Captain Kirk
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To: leadpenny

I used Chicken Little because that character was always portraying things worse than they were. I consider Hagel a hand wringer. Leaders who engaged in public hand wringing do not instill confidence. I do not like a lot about McCain or Hagel but their service records unlike Kerry's are unassailable.


53 posted on 08/20/2006 9:38:25 AM PDT by Biblebelter
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To: MNJohnnie

It is truly amazing, how people forget it is GW that gave them tax cuts and a lower unemployment rate average than the 70's, 80's and nineties. The only president since the inception of radical islam to face those madmen head-on. Oh, I forgot, Bush can't do anything right.


54 posted on 08/20/2006 9:39:07 AM PDT by jrooney ( Hold your cards close.)
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To: Captain Kirk
Perhaps the pro-Bush folks who are attacking Hagel are the true RINOs e.g. the voted for a man who has become the most pro-big government prez since LBJ.

Bush is the first President to openly take on Social Security. His Medicare Rx plan will save the program billions in the long-run. Yes, he has not vetoed a single spending bill and signed that stupid campaign-finance "reform" bill which is very discouraging. But had 9/11 not occurred, Bush did have a laundry-list of proposals that would have overhauled the very structure of the federal government itself. A lot of departments and agencies would have been abolished or consolidated, saving taxpayers billions.

55 posted on 08/20/2006 9:39:49 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist (404 Page Error Found)
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To: SmithL

---First time I voted was in 1968 on top of a tank in the Mekong Delta," said Hagel, a Vietnam veteran. ---

They always seem to start out this way, when they're pulling the serious wool over your eyes.


56 posted on 08/20/2006 9:40:34 AM PDT by claudiustg (Iran delenda est.)
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To: Doohickey

Spend some time going through his voting record, and see where and when he threw America under the bus, as I did. You'll know when you find them.

http://www.vote-smart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=BC031069


57 posted on 08/20/2006 9:40:52 AM PDT by butternut_squash_bisque (The recipe's at my FR HomePage. Try it!)
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To: MNJohnnie

I know a few heroes, like my dad whom served in the pacific during WW11 for TWO YEARS unlike Kerry's unimpressive 4 months, and heroes do not brag about their service.


58 posted on 08/20/2006 9:41:23 AM PDT by jrooney ( Hold your cards close.)
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To: Sen Jack S. Fogbound
My friend was wondering if she should hold her nose while voting for him in the next election if no other challenger shows up!

Now why wouldn't a challenger stand up? Because this corrupt "Two-Party Cartel" which is owned by the elites who have NO desire for a true conservative agenda to flourish, will snuff out any opposition to their well-greased puppets. Only when you all start voting outside of the cartel will you ever take the country back. that or an all out civil war.

59 posted on 08/20/2006 9:41:45 AM PDT by Digger
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To: MNJohnnie

Now who's being hysterical? I asked a simple question. I don't disagree that Cryin' Chuck is a RINO, but only the "FReeper FRingers" as you call them seem to be willing to discuss the content of THIS article. Why aren't you? Hagel for sure isn't as conservative as I'd like, but neither is George W. Bush.

If we're to undertake a war on terror, which I wholeheartly agree with, then some domestic belt tightening is in order. Instead what we get is the largest expansion of goverment in my lifetime.

So this time Hagel is right. Where he's wrong is that all he's doing is talking about it instead of actually doing something about it.


60 posted on 08/20/2006 9:42:28 AM PDT by Doohickey (I am not unappeasable. YOU are just too easily appeased.)
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