In an interview with CNN Thursday, Chuck Hagel has become even more critical of Bush (and hence McCain) on Iraq, and come very close to supporting Obama.
Hagel said, contrary to a recent speech by President Bush, that the deteriorating situation in Iraq leaves much to be desired. As cited in a PressTV article,
"I think this is another episode of Alice in Wonderland. What's up is down, and what's down is up. What do you mean, 'stability and security?' Baghdad has been over the last year essentially ethnically divided,"
.
But he went on...
as Paul Abrams comments over at Huffington Post:
Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) said last night that, among the 3 remaining candidates, he thought Barack Obama had the best chance of bringing the country together. While he did not dismiss McCain (he's done that in the Senate) or Clinton (she's had some success in the Senate, not as much as McCain), he said that he believed that Barack Obama, for generational reasons, could best bring the country together.
Hagel also stated that he believes the inventory of problems the next President will face is unprecedented and that that is why it is so important that the country be brought together so that it could really solve problems. Although Hagel did not endorse Obama, he did not rule out the possibility.
I take this to be a very important set of comments. While Hagel has been more or less rejected by the Republicans, he has been nonetheless a very high ranking and visible Republican Senator. Indeed, there was speculation last year that he might run for President in the Republican race.
Thus this openness on his part is important. To me it suggests that the independent and more liberal Republicans are really in play, and especially that they might find Obama attractive.
I hope that the Obama camp will move quickly to build on this statement and try to persuade Hagel to openly endorse Obama.
Let's all write to Hagel today, and urge him to support Obama. It might work!!
I have included a link to his contact form here