Chuck Hagel: Quit Talking About The Surge, Focus On War's Future

OMAHA, Neb. — Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel, fresh from an Iraq trip with Democrat Barack Obama, said the presidential candidates should focus on the war's future and stop arguing over the success of last year's troop surge.

Hagel mentioned both candidates, but his comments seemed directed at Republican John McCain. McCain, while Obama traveled the Middle East, attacked Obama for opposing the military escalation last year that increased security in Iraq.

"Quit talking about, 'Did the surge work or not work,' or, 'Did you vote for this or support this,'" Hagel said Thursday on a conference call with reporters.

"Get out of that. We're done with that. How are we going to project forward?" the Nebraska senator said. "What are we going to do for the next four years to protect the interest of America and our allies and restructure a new order in the world. ... That's what America needs to hear from these two candidates. And that's where I am."

Hagel, too, opposed the troop increase strategy, though he acknowledged Thursday it brought about positive changes. "When you flood the zone with superior American military firepower, and you put 30,000 of the world's best troops in a country, there's going to be a result there," Hagel said.

Whether the surge worked, though, can't be measured, Hagel said, arguing the small gains came at a high price. He said President Bush's decision last year to dispatch an additional 30,000 troops to Iraq has cost more than 1,000 American lives and billions of dollars.

Though Hagel is a Republican, his name has been floated as a potential vice presidential running mate for Obama. Like McCain, he is a Vietnam war veteran, but Hagel is a fierce critic of the war in Iraq. He has said he would consider running with Obama on the Democratic ticket but that he doesn't expect to be asked. He is not running for reelection.

Hagel joined Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island in traveling with Obama to the Middle East. Reed said the trip was productive. "It wasn't just a photo op and social chit chat," Reed said in a telephone interview.

Reed said the group pressed Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to have the Iraqi government do more.

"Unless the government of Iraq can start delivering _ delivering jobs, delivering funds, performing _ then the gains that have been made will be quickly erased," Reed said. "I think that is a point that we all stressed, particularly Senator Obama, with the prime minister."

___

Associated Press Writer Andrew Miga in Washington contributed to this report.

(This version CORRECTS that Hagel has said in the past, not Thursday, he would run.)

Comments

[jdcccc]

Can we please move away from the tired and worn out discussion about the surge.

The focus now is how to stop people in Boston from driving their cars.

He has spoken, we should listen.

[CtJean]

Agreed

My daughter lives outside of Boston. She sold her car and rides her bicycle to work, 4 miles each way. Use public trans when needed. Her boyfriend rides his bicycle to work, 20 miles each day. He owns a Hondra Hybrid and uses it only when necessary. (48 miles to the gallon)

Oh, and voting for O b a m a

[SCG]

Agreed, Since Mc C ain has accused Obama of playing politics on Iraq, perhaps we should examine the many positions of Mc Same just during this campaign?

[occult777]

Not only are they stuck on spinning the truth when it comes to the surge, they denied Obama access to our troops. Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC's Morning Joe today;

"The background on the military flap is that they [Obama campaign] had clearly planned a trip to Ramstein [AFB]. They were planning to visit the injured troops. And then the Pentagon explained that they couldn't go as part of a political trip. The Obama campaign thought that they could go, leave the press corps on the tarmac, and then take off with military escort and make this one last visit. As he did in Iraq, by the way. He visited a casualty unit in the Green Zone, without photographers, as part of the congressional delegation. But the military said that the rules are that he could only go as part of a previously-arranged congressional delegation, to Ramstein.

Clearly, people in the campaign are really angry. They had wanted this to be the final stop on the trip here in Germany, and to do it without the press corps, just to do it on his own. But the objections of the military are that he is now being staffed by campaign aides, not by his Senate staff, who are the people of course with him when he went with Hagel and Jack Reed in Iraq. So, you know, the anger here in the campaign is pretty intense at the Pentagon."

[Jaibones]

Fun to hear Hagel and Obambi downplaying the surge that they didn't support. Also fun to see Hazel traveling with the Obamessiah.

Since he can't be reelected in a state that has voters with functioning brains, it would seem that he is sort of desperate to be appointed by a Democrat to something cushy, preferably something that will not require interaction with other veterans, who mostly seem to hold him in disregard.

[SweetSydney]

True dat!

He advises to stop talking about the surge while simultaneously dismissing the importance of the surge that he opposed. I wonder if he also thinks that Barry should stop talking about his opposition to the war in the first place which is even further back in the timeline?

[jdcccc]

When is Hagel going to realize he is being used as a tool. When the Democratics are done with him I bet he doesn’t even get free movie and museum passes.

[TLV]

Are you saying a brave, intelligent Republican cannot think for himself?

[oscartucker]

What do you think is going to happen to Joe Lieberman??? He is so stupid to think that he is going to be greated with open arms (He will be "greated as a liberator"!)!

[CtJean]

I'll take that bet and raise you one jonymac not nominated at the convention

[lady49]

When are you people going to WAKE UP?! All this negative jib-jabbing is only driving more support to Senator Obama.

Your scurilous remarks only reveal your lack of intellect. Senator Hagel and Senator Obama go way back, long BEFORE, his decision to run for president.
And I suppose that you, Jaibones, have the where with-all to conduct a scientific poll- so that you would actually KNOW what you're spouting off.
I believe, that there are 4,200 troops who were killed needlessly, in Iraq who disagree with you.

If America is the greatest country on earth, with a superior military force, second to NONE- then we should act like it!

[DRPike]

you mean the surge that cost 1000 troops and a billion dollars to stem a violence we unleashed? That surge? The one that was supposed to provide cover for the Iraqi government to get functioning, something it shows no material signs of doing? That surge?

[Kim445588]

By worked you mean we are spending and borrowing 12 billion a month from China to get the violence back to where it was in the first place, right? This will always be one of the biggest debacles in recent history.

[williamg]

Do you have it in your to write something without looking so juvenile? This hurts whatever silly point you were trying to get across. That's the problem with you Republicans: you act like children. We have seen how Republicans have governed - like children. Republicans have left this country in a huge mess, and it will obviously take a Democrat to clean it up. This has been the worst Presidency - by almost every metric - in 100 years. No wonder Hagel wants out. You should to.

[rollingdivision]

The surge has worked and made the current gains possible.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/07/our-view-on-ira.html

[speakeasy]

Whether you are dem or repub, it sucks that Hagel has had to wait until almost near retirement to be confident enough to go against his own party. The pressure brought to bear against dissenters in ones party can be career ending unless you vote their way. And when I say career ending I mean that they withhold a bill or money that would benefit the politicians state, which basically gets them voted out of office. The entire political structure is based upon mind numbing loyalty to party over anything.

The sad thing is that Hagel has a liberal brother who advises him on occassion, but the brother knows that Chuck has had to vote for things he vehemently disagreed with to keep his state from being penalized.

This won't get any better under any political leadership. We know that McCain will continue Bush's stances so he is basically swimming upstream. Obama, on the other hand, is advocating serious change so all we can really hope for is that change will positively affect us and that the actual party line voting will be for the betterment of the country. My fingers are crossed...­.

[robodweeb]

The dittohead word of the day: "Arrogant"

Watch for it.

[frappe]

The apparent obsession with the "surge" by republicants is due to the fact that it appears to them to be their only accomplishment over these past seven years. They have little else in their pathetic portfolio to talk about given the dire state of our current affairs, both domestic and abroad. It also doesn't help that the msm often carries the water for them, highlighting those talking points that the RNC wishes to keep front and center.

Their legislative record is abysmal as they specialize in various forms of obstruction politics. And their party has presided over an accelerating devaluation of the American economy where deficits have reached far beyond earth's atmosphere. And they have embroiled us in a war of choice in Iraq that continues to bleed America dry while Congress sticks their collective finger in the dike in an attempt to stop one financial crisis after another from overwhelming the American economy.

I'm just waiting for O to hit them hard on the economy. Much of his post primary candidacy thus far seems to be focused on foreign affairs. We also need him to focus like a laser beam on exposing the republicants for their abysmal failure on the economic front while he simultaneously lays out his solution for getting us out of this republicant inspired mess. He also needs to assure us that these multi-billion dollar bailouts won't negatively impact our ability to enact universal health care.

[dana342]

I totally agree. All John McCain has is the surge. Nothing he says makes sense. The economy is falling apart, but I was for the surge. People are losing there homes because of your former (wink,wink) economic advisor, but yhe surge worked. Is that all he has?

[GHO]

Fair is fair - how about if McCain stops talking about who did or did not support the surge and Obama stop talking about who did or did not support going to war? "We're done with that." Right Congressman?

[angeranddespair]

Was it the "surge " or the buy off ? How much money was spent buying Shia and Sunni cooperation??
Thats the question not the extra 30,000 troops put in harms way for LIES also when we look at accountability the occupation (the number of boots on the ground) is a moot point. We Never Should Have Invaded Iraq and that is the core issue. Nothing justifies what we have done to that nation. Nothing.
If Iraq wants us out we better get the heck out it is not our country it is not our call.
Haven't enough been Murdered by George Bush his Lying administration and the cowards in Congress?

[schicklett3]

It's about time someone is finally speaking out about all this surge talk - McCain and his surge predominates the news and talk shows.
Katic Couric, Brian Williams, and John Gibson, all interviewed Senator Obama while overseas. Obama met with world leaders, gave an incredible speech, etc., yet all those interviewers could come up with is trying to get Senator Obama to admit he was "wrong" about the surge. Those reporters are laughable.
Someone ask John McCain this: knowing what you know now, that Iraq didn't have weapons of mass destruction, that thousands of lives would be lost and that billions of dollars spent, would you STILL vote to go to Iraq. Ask him.
Yesterday on CNN that question was asked to Republican senator from Kansas and he said YES! He would still vote to go to Iraq. And I bet every republican will answer the same way.

[rudiy]

It is interesting the right and its surrogates’ like Scarborough want Obama to genuflect over a surge that was 5 years late. However they do not ask Bush or McCain to do the same over getting us in this war and then continuing without adequate personnel, lack of equipment and benefits until pressed by Dems.

[Researchguy66]

What future? I thought we're outta there. I just bought stock in a company that manufactures white flags and running shoes. WhooHoo...­surrender gonna make me rich!

[williamg]

Why does Dubya want to surrender?

[DRPike]

What is it you are so anxious to fight for in Iraq and why aren't you there?

[TruepatriotinRI]

Is it true that happiness in life comes from finding an age you really like and sticking with it? Too bad, if you had picked an age about 4 years older, say maybe 16, you would have discovered the opposite sex and that possibly could have made you happier!

[serialcoma]

It's obvious that you've already surrendered any capability for critical and reasoned thinking you may have had... typical republican tool.

[Grunty1]

"flags and running shoes. WhooHoo...­surrender gonna make me rich!"

You mean the Olympics?

[YOHY]

As I've matured these past 61 years, I've concluded the following re: the American electorate:
Many, possibly most, if not basically stupid, are woefully uninformed. Of course, that doesn't prevent them from vomiting their opinions on a variety of subjects, especially anything relating to politics.
So here's my idea:
When we go to the polls, before we can vote on our electronic voting machines, a 5 question quiz pops up...not overly difficult.­..it could even be multiple choice. Questions like: Name the Secretary of State? How many Justices on the Supreme Court? What year did the Civil War end? [Okay, maybe that one's too difficult.­] Who won the Civil War? [Better?]
If you fail the test you can't vote. SORRY, but a modicum of intelligence should be required when the world's survival could depend on who is elected...­"Don't cha think?"
BTW...For those of you who might be offended by this comment, it probably applies to you.

[MarciaJ720]

I think you would knock out a lot of Rural Republicans with that idea.

[HBeachbum]

And just about all Democrats

[philinmedford]

I think you'd lose more inner city Dems.

[SurrealPumpkin]

been done, been stopped. Amendment 15 in fact.

[Bagger]

NO, the test should be about the candidates and their positions. They should know who they are voting for and why.

[PSRinNJ2]

Even though we're probably on opposite sides of the political spectrum, I actually like this idea! I can't see how any person with a modicum of intelligence wouldn't support truly conservati­ve/liberta­rian candidates. And I don't mean these gutless, centrist pseudo-Republicans who run the GOP today. I mean true conservative libertarians: lower taxes, less government, less unecessary government regulation, balanced budgets, term limits, free markets, etc. These are the ideas that win for Republicans and you need to be intelligent to understand why these ideas are important. These ideas are what won Congress in 1994. Since McCain has abandoned these principles, he has abadoned his base. Obama will win. Guaranteed.

[speakeasy]

Thats actually not to bad an idea, but I get the willies when I think about that you tube video where an Australian asks Americans radomly on the streets questions similiar to yours. The answers given were so bad i thought the video was staged. The number of clueless people is scary from both sides...

[DRPike]

You are describing knowledge not intelligence, your point is self defeating.

Why is this knowledge important in picking the person a citizen fells is best qualified to lead? Before you pick a doctor do you study medicine?

[TruepatriotinRI]

Of course the surge worked! Just as the neo-cons planned. Billions of dollars surged from the US taxpayers into the hands of Cheney's über alles corporate war profiteers.

[southernfried]

amen., tell em sirrr