He'll never get a job on Fox News now.The NY Times and Washington Post won't hire him either.And I can't imagine Sally Quinn inviting him to one of her "religious events"(aka dinner parties).

HAFEL IS MARVELOUS--and a voice from the GOP that dares to face truth--maybe we
still will see the day when an international court will arraign Geo Bush for war crimes
in the same way that Israel abducts people in other countries for trial without much
regard for another nation's laws.
Our treatment of prisoners in this war ought to merit a trial of Bush with just as much
foundation as any thing in WWII--that is, if acctual justice were te goal in any war trials.
In face, the "winners" always determine justice--and a real trial becomes a mockery leaving
us al wih no real insight into why a righteous cause turns monstrous---and humans repeat
the whole tragedy over and over. j gorman

I wonder how many of the so-called "moderate" Republicans who sold their souls to right wing Bible-thumpers in return for power wish Hagel never existed. Every time they look at him, they must be reminded that they could have chosen an honourable course of action, and they failed.

Too many people blame Bush and Cheney and the neo-cons. The fact of the matter is that they could have done nothing without the support, or at least the silence, of the moderates.

Chuck Hagel is to be commended, he was against going into Iraq from the get go and made his feelings known. One of the GOP few with a brain, and an understanding of what the outcome would be.
Too bad some of his coherts didn't step away from the kool aid long enough to let their brains take over instead of their glee in taking over an oil rich nation.

Poor Chuck got to the party late and we who hated the war from Day One drank all the booze and ate all the hors d' oeuvres.
Too little, too late my friend.

How about the people who were right about the war being wrong? Are we ever going to get a chance
to vote for them? Are we ever going to get a chance to hear them? Oh well guess I'll just go to Mall-Wart
and buy more stuff. It takes my mind off all this unpleasantness. War is so icky. Glad my kids aren't
over there.

I disagree that Hagel has had a magnaminous change of heart and has distanced himself from Bush "because of history". Pullease!! He only is thinking of himself and certainly not the country. He is now suddenly aware that just maybe he may charged with war crimes -- he certainly is aligned with all the votes that constitute war crimes -- and is laying the pathetic cowardly groundwork "just in case there is accountability " (read: Obama). Pathetic. I hope he pays for his crimes.

How about "high crimes and misdemeanors" and/or "criminal negligence" as the more accurate descriptions of what this administration has done to America, and to the world.

Chuck selling "Ear Candy".

Hey Chuck, how many votes against the war did you tally?
How many votes against party agenda did you tally?

Another Republican leaves The Church of Bush. I tend to like Hagel, as much as a lefty can like a Rethug. However, if he really wants to repent he should come over to the Democratic side. Otherwise, his newly found enlightenment is just a campaign tactic in an election year.

Unfortunately, I don't remember Sen. Hagel speaking ou tin public quite in the same manner he speaks now and in his book. If he had, maybe the train would have gotten derailed. However, I guess it was a case of Party first, Country second.

It's too bad because I thin Hagel has a pretty good view on most things except where his loyalties should be placed.

The father of Sgt keith Maupin, a soldier who was report MIA in 2004 was informed that his sons remains have been identified and his status had been changed to KIA (killin in action). So now we have 4008 that should have never have died for the lies from Bush and the Neocons who have betrayed this country.

Well - I guess arrogance and incompetence ARE the hallmarks of this administration. It might be funny if they meant well. But they don't. The Bush administration is an arrogant, incompetent gang of criminals. Point that out in your next book Senator.

I don't think people realize the power of this elite to punish free speech. Perhaps Hagel does not have children who can be blackballed secretly and persecuted by this homeland securitat. Perhaps he intends to have no social life. But they will punish him by some smear or covert op because no public figure can be allowed to seriously speak objectively about American Mideast policy or history.

This is not only Bush's war, it also belongs to all the Republicans,including Hagel and more than enough Democrats who went along with this folly every step of the way. Let's not leave out our corporate media too. It also belongs to all the people who voted for these jokers and didn't complain about anything they were doing. This occupation is going to do to us what Afghanistan did to the Soviet Union.

Hi,

As Hillary has said, the President was given the authority to attack Iraq and did not wait for the weapons inspectors to do their job.

I wonder why? If the inspectors reported that there were no weapons of mass destruction, there would not have been a reason to invade.

The President and his advisors would not listen to our military commanders concerning troop levels needed.

The Iraqi army which initially was supporting us in the invasion aftermath was disbanded without any debate about it!! We have seen the result of that move despite the administration's protestations to the contrary.

The question now, is what next?? Will the Presidential candidates (McCain, Obama and Clinton) even talk about what next much less in anything more than a 30 second soundbite??

What do U think???

I love that poster of Al-Sadr.

He's got an evil, "We're gonna beat a superpower at it's own game" stare that's unmatched. Dick Cheney's smirk comes in a distant second. I reckon it's going to go down in history like the posters of Che, and the Ayatollah. But he's a fat guy. He could become the first world famous fat-dude icon.

I reckon this is what happens when ONE SOLITARY person has faith, whether it's Ho Chi Minh, or whoever, that THEY ARE GONNA PREVAIL. That cosmic forces beyond guns and bombs are on their side. That the other side has lost the MORAL HIGH GROUND.

Tell me, does anyone THINK GWB has that look of faith? He's more like a four year old pitching a temper tantrum to me -- and getting his way from panty-waisted parents --- Congress! He wants to win, thinks war is "romantic" but not romantic enough to have served in Vietnam, or made any sacrifices from his own family. He's sold his soul to the devil, not for a cause that's just (like kicking an occupying country out of the USA) but for oil, for ego, for his friends in the defence biz.

It's the fat boy versus the frat boy.

I predict the posters of fat-boy Muqtada Al-Sadr are gonna be a painful reminder of America's little unprovoked Middle-Eastern misadventure 20 years from now.

You know I read these comments and all I could think of is what a bunch of hypocrites. If you were really so upset about the dead, the war then why aren't you doing something positive to end it?

You sit in the comfort of your homes spouting off criticism and worse at people who did they best they could with the information they had and who have worked their asses off in service to their country.

Its easy to sit around and condemn... Why aren't you out on the street protesting, demonstrating, practicing civil disobedience?
Why aren't you making real statements that may garner real attention, why aren't you serving your country if not by participating in government (which is you by the way) then by taking risks to push the point that the war is illegal, wrong, immoral, whatever.
Chain yourselves en masse to the fence around the White House, don't get pushed into free speech zones. Interrupt the senate, find a way to make the media pay attention, again... NO free speech zones. (that is ironic isn't it?)

DO SOMETHING!
I'm so sick of seeing the same middle aged and older faces doing the work they have been doing for decades while the rest sit around and point fingers. If you are busy working you can't be spending so much time in self righteous hatred.

yea, yea, yea,-----------------

With all due respect, Senator Hagel, what you have summarized is now all well known. Now explain why you and your colleagues have not hunted down every one of these buffoons that got us in this mess by lying to the American people and violating every moral and ethical mandate (not to mention all of the laws). It is like everyone has just accepted the illegality and incompetence, and are waiting for the next guy to take a shot. Almost like the errant child who has spilled grape juice on the carpet, we are waiting for the little boy to leave the room. These folks should be prosecuted to fullest extent of the law. They should not be writing books, appearing on Faux news or flying around the middle east with a full security detail on a travel junket in their C-17 at taxpayers expense. Stop selling books and going on news shows and telling us what we already know and kick y our colleagues in the ass and take these guys down.

Skindoggy

How many times did you vote to support Bush?

Are you now saying that you regretted your actions?

Any of them?

Which ones?

It is so refreshing to hear a politician who can think for himself, express different views than their party, and discuss a dire situation with such honesty. He will pay a price by being criticized ad nauseum by the neocons. He is worth more than any other senator in his party. He has the courage to stand against his party on this issue. You are an honorable man, Senator Hagel!