The New Yorker's fawning piece on kinda', sorta' Republican Chuck Hagel does get at least one thing right in its piece: He is an awfully "odd fellow."The politician whose lackluster career is most noted for his bad temper, his love for headlines and cameras, and an intellect that's frequently gone AWOL, is so desperate for attention that he's taken to deriding those who have tried hard to be his friends, knowing that the networks and liberal organs like the New Yorker are always eager to hear him dish the dirt.
For instance, about his pal John McCain for whom Hagel served as co-chair of his 2000 presidential campaign, , the New Yorker describes how Hagel not only refused to endorse him this time around but has very publicly flirted with being part of an Obama cabinet. (Hagel's wife has already endorsed and is actively supporting Obama. Indeed, Lilibet Hagel was Michelle Obama’s guest at the final Presidential debate.)
Despite its friendly embrace of Hagel, the New Yorker article does let slip a few less attractive elements of Hagel's personality. Among them is his petulance over not getting personal letters from President Bush or a private meeting he wanted with Don Rumsfeld. And then there's that weird and widely heralded press conference in which Senator Hagel told us...he had nothing to say.
Such things seem pretty schoolyard for someone who wants to emphasize his rugged independence.
And then there's Hagel again letting pro-life advocates know that, despite what he says at the church fish fry's back home, he really considers their championing the sanctity of life to be a comparatively petty thing.
“There was a political party in this country called the Know-Nothings. And we’re getting on the fringe of that, with these one-issue voters—pro-choice or pro-life. Important issue, I know that. But, my goodness. The world is blowing up everywhere, and I just don’t think that is a responsible way to see the world, on that one issue. And, interestingly enough, that is one issue that stopped John McCain from picking one of the people he really wanted [pro-abortion] Joe Lieberman or Tom Ridge.”
These are prime RHINO credentials -- just perfect for someone who wants the love of the MSM...or a post in a Democrat cabinet.
