March 12, 2007

Hagel To Announce White House Plans

Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, an outspoken Republican critic of the Iraq war and the Bush administration, will say whether he will run for president in 2008 at 11 a.m. EDT today. Former Sen. David Karnes, R-Neb., who "has known Hagel for years," told Omaha's KETV that he thinks Hagel will join the GOP field.

Hagel's entrée would surely shake up the Republican slate, which so far has been all about winning over GOP base voters more than the general populace. In 2004, John McCain was thought to be the crossover-appeal candidate -- so much so that Democratic nominee John Kerry asked the Republican to tag-team against Bush-Cheney in the general election. McCain declined, and may now regret doing so -- he is slipping in most polls (subscription) of Republican and mixed voters; with the former for not being conservative enough, and with the latter for being too closely allied with President Bush.

All of that has created an opening for Hagel, himself a Vietnam war hero, who could position himself as this cycle's "maverick Republican" who can appeal to independent and conservative-leaning Democrats. He seems to be gunning for the job, if this de rigueur pre-announcement interview with Esquire is any indication.

Posted at 9:43 AM
Posted to: Chuck Hagel, Republicans, WH 2008
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