Hagel says Bush too dismissive of Congress on Iraq. (This coming from 1 of 2 to vote against the

[Flabbergasted]

bill "to repeal a USA Patriot Act provision used by the Bush administration to appoint U.S. attorneys without Senate confirmation."

I don't trust Hagel in the least anymore.

WASHINGTON, March 25 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush should stop being dismissive of opposition in Congress to the Iraq war and it is time that lawmakers set boundaries for U.S. involvement, a Republican senator said on Sunday.

"I think Congress is going to play a role now like we've not played before," said Sen. Chuck Hagel, a critic of Bush's Iraq policy from his own Republican Party.

Bush's weekend radio address in which he threatened to veto emergency spending legislation for the Iraq war if it included a timetable for withdrawing troops was "astounding to me -- saying to the Congress, in effect, you don't belong in this, I'm in charge of Iraq," Hagel of Nebraska said.

The House of Representatives on Friday voted to impose a Sept. 1, 2008, deadline for withdrawing all U.S. combat troops as part of legislation providing more than $124 billion in emergency spending mostly for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N25262999.htm

[opihimoimoi]

1. Cleaning his ACT???? It ain't gonna work....too little too late syndrome...

[merh]

2. whether or not you trust him

the important thing about his change or his public position is that he has taken a position against the admin and the war. He was on ABC's sunday morning press show with George S this morning. He was against the war and very critical of the admin and Bush's failure to recognize that Congress is equal to the executive branch under the constitution. He said that bush and his staff need to go back and read the constitution as it is obvious they are acting outside of it.

You may not trust him, but his public criticism will help in taking down the admin. There are repubs that do trust him and we need repubs to join us in investigating this admin and stripping them of the power they have assumed. As he said, this is not a monarchy. He mentioned impeachment as a possible step to reestablish this nation as the nation it once was.

[TwilightGardener]

3. Agreed--well said. Sometimes rhetoric is more important than

vote--Hagel has been helping tremendously in turning the tide of public opinion against Iraq and in calling on more accountability from this admin. We Dems don't need him for his votes--he's a Republican, he will vote Republican 99% of the time. We need him because just maybe, if he and others speak out, more GOPers will feel it's acceptable to follow.

[Flabbergasted]

4. I realized he said that but it was politicially manipulating position taking into account his

position on expansion of presidential powers.

[TwilightGardener]

6. I didn't understand his vote on that--he didn't explain it, and I wanted him to.

But he repeatedly takes big risks politically by his words, if not his votes, and for that I respect him--Nebraska is the reddest of red states, and I can tell you they ain't none too happy with him out here!

[rodeodance]

11. He needs to put his vote where his mouth is.

[The Magistrate]

5. Indeed, Ma'am: It Is Helpful He Is Moving His Mouth In This Manner

But his feet will not follow: the man is an unregenerate and irredeemable weasel, on a par with Spector....

"Don't watch the mouth; watch the hands."

[merh]

7. But you cannot deny that his willingness to speak is not

helpful. The more that speak out against the admin, the more likely it is that the political will of the people (and the repub party) will be to discount the admin and bring about change.

[The Magistrate]

8. Glad To Hear Him Talking Like This, Ma'am

Looking forward to his eviction from the Senate in '08 by a Democrat.

"The difficulty in employing double agents is to know where the balance of treachery will come to rest."

[merh]

9. LOL, I will enjoy his eviction as well

until then, I appreciate that he has joined the chorus of "this is not a monarchy" and "impeachment is an option".

Would I vote for him? Never.

Am I willing to take advantage of his public opposition to this admin? You betcha, willing to quote him every chance I can get.

:hi:

[TwilightGardener]

10. Unfortunately, I'm not convinced there would be another Democrat

replacing him--may very well be a GOPer given our current political climate out here, and a neocon nutjob at that. Look at our Bushbot congressmen.