Hearing the "I" word mentioned in left-leaning circles is hardly uncommon these days, but from a red-state Republican it is a rare event. What makes it more odd is that the talk is from a Senator who just might be running for the GOP Presidential nomination next year. Chuck Hagel has been a vocal opponent of George Bush and his policy in Iraq for quite some time, but the upcoming edition of Esquire featuring the Senator from Nebraska takes the discourse to a whole new level.
From the Sioux City Journal:
In an interview appearing in April editions of Esquire magazine -- set to hit stands next week -- Hagel suggests that President Bush could be subject to calls for impeachment as the Iraq war drags on. "The president says, 'I don't care.' He's not accountable anymore," Hagel said in the article. "Before this is over, you might see calls for his impeachment. I don't know. It depends on how this goes." Hagel has long been an outspoken critic of the administration's foreign policy and its handling of Iraq, but for a conservative Republican from a firmly rooted red state to mention the "I" word in the same breath with a sitting party president is still shocking. "That's pretty strong," Bykerk said. "It's hard for me to judge whether that sets him up as the anti-war candidate or some kind of superconscience for the Bush supporters of the Republican Party. "He just tells you what he thinks."
What he thinks is highly out of the ordinary of most lock-step Republicans. The party's success is drawn from the effectiveness of the VRWC and how fast the message from on top is delivered to elected officials, right-wing pundits, talkradio hosts and bloggers like those of RedState and Little Green Footballs among others. Hagel has gotten his fame of late from opposing Bush on numerous fronts.
Running for President as a Republican requires the support of the religious right and fiscal conservatives. Although Hagel is definitely a conservative when it comes to his voting record, straying from the Republican meme could have serious implications. In fact a recent AP poll showed that only 37 percent of Nebraskans think he would make a good President. Of course his announcement tomorrow may just be about running for re-election and nothing about Presidential politics, so we will just have to wait and see.
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