More Hagel

Poor Dick Cheney can hardly restrain himself:

Viewed from afar, the stuff inside Hagel looks like the stuff that makes Republican presidential candidates. He is a third-generation party member who grew up idolizing Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower. He says he was the only student in his Roman Catholic high school to support Richard Nixon over John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election—and when he cast his first vote, an absentee ballot from Vietnam, it was for Nixon's winning ticket in 1968. His conservative credentials are impeccable: according to Congressional Quarterly, he voted with the White House more times in 2006 than any other senator. He is manly, Middle American—and when he talks about military matters, he exudes the cool confidence of a warrior-statesman who knows that war is hell.

But Hagel, who as of late last week was in the final stages of weighing a presidential run, is never mentioned in the top tier of Republican candidates for one, simple reason: since the initial buildup to the war in Iraq, he has assailed the Bush administration's policy—in sharp words, in constant refrain and, most unforgivably, in public. His outburst last week was the culmination of a four-year campaign to raise public outrage about a war he's always considered disastrous. His stance has earned him the enmity of the White House. Asked about Hagel last week in an interview with NEWSWEEK, Vice President Dick Cheney said: "I believe firmly in Ronald Reagan's 11th Commandment: THOU SHALT NOT SPEAK ILL OF A FELLOW REPUBLICAN. But it's very hard sometimes to adhere to that where Chuck Hagel is involved."

Incidentally, I've always wondered did even Ronald Reagan adhere to this principle? What was happening during the '76 primary? Isaac Chotiner raises the relevant point about Cheney: There doesn't seem to be anyone in the White House powerful enough to prevent him from mouthing off in weird ways.

Comments

"Incidentally, I've always wondered did even Ronald Reagan adhere to this principle? What was happening during the '76 primary?"

Surface geniality is a wonderful quality in a Presidential candidate.

You'd have to do a fair bit of searching to find any instances of Johnny Edwards speaking ill of a fellow Democrat during the '04 primary.

Posted by Petey | January 28, 2007 12:53 PM

Chuck Hagel reminds you of a time when it was possible to admire people you disagreed with. Back in the day, there were many of those people (although probably less than folks like David Broder recall through their bipartisan senillity).

That said, it is yet one more thing the Republican party of the late 1990s and GWB have destroyed.

Posted by IP Guy | January 28, 2007 12:53 PM

You'd have to do a fair bit of searching to find any instances of Johnny Edwards speaking ill of a fellow Democrat during the '04 primary.

Edwards wasn't challenging an incumbent president. He also lost. The tactic served him well until it got to be a one-on-one race, but you can't come from behind in that situation without attacking.

Posted by Matthew Yglesias | January 28, 2007 12:55 PM

A Hagel entry into the race would be interesting. Wouldn't he be the highest-profile antiwar Republican?

Posted by FMguru | January 28, 2007 1:03 PM

I'd think that, even among Republicans, an attack from VP Cheney is like an endorsement from anyone else.

Attacking a grossly wrong policy, even one's own party's, sounds like just the kind of moral fortitude one wishes for in a prospective president.

Posted by Craig Ewert | January 28, 2007 1:14 PM

There doesn't seem to be anyone in the White House powerful enough to prevent him from mouthing off in weird ways.

Probably not a good habit to get into: criticizing the rare moments of honesty coming out of the White House.

More mouthing off in weird ways, please.

Posted by SoCalJustice | January 28, 2007 1:17 PM

"[Edwards] also lost. The tactic served him well until it got to be a one-on-one race, but you can't come from behind in that situation without attacking."

Sure. Reagan lost in '76 too.

Being sunny is definitely a strategy that is most likely to succeed when you've got the pole position.

Posted by Petey | January 28, 2007 1:21 PM

speaking of voting for nixon in 68, if that matters at this late date I'd be a lot more interested to know how hagel voted in 72: did he learn anything?

Posted by supersaurus | January 28, 2007 1:29 PM

Reminds me of the quote from Molly Ivins: "Being attacked by Rush Limbaugh is like being gummed by a newt. It doesn't hurt but you get slime on your ankle."

I think more and more this is how Cheney is going to be regarded.

Posted by grumpy realist | January 28, 2007 1:37 PM

The texture of Hagel's voice is a plus too. A straightahead mix of tobacco, bourbon, and woodsman. Giluliani is Elmer Fudd, McCain's isn't bad but it's still a little squeaky. On the Dems side, except for maybe Obama- it's dweeb city. Hitler was easier on the ears than Edwards- that insipid Gomer pud.

Posted by Trevor | January 28, 2007 2:59 PM

Hagel is the last Senator on the right with any integrity intact.

The Cheney administration is basically just working under Frat pledge rules when it comes to Congress and their own staff.

Posted by Thunderlips | January 28, 2007 4:00 PM

speaking of voting for nixon in 68, if that matters at this late date I'd be a lot more interested to know how hagel voted in 72: did he learn anything?

I'm going to say with 98% confidence that he voted for Nixon. Would you really think otherwise? I mean, Mayor Daley and George Meany probably voted for Nixon in 72.

Posted by John | January 28, 2007 5:28 PM

my general recollection is that reagan did not spend a lot of time criticizing nixon in '68 (when he almost caught fire at the convention and won the nomination until nixon embraced the southern strategy and was, in turn, embraced by strom thurmond), ford in '76, or john anderson and whoever else might have been running (i can't summon up any other gop candidates from '80). in short, he pretty much adhered to the 11th commandment....

Posted by howard | January 28, 2007 7:02 PM

Reagan did take the 11th commandment stuff seriously. He finally convinced himself it was acceptable to override the principle and run against Ford when Ford snubbed Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, refusing to meet him at Kissinger's insistence.

Posted by wayne | January 28, 2007 7:41 PM

since the initial buildup to the war in Iraq, he has assailed the Bush administration's policy—in sharp words, in constant refrain and, most unforgivably, in public.

Fortunately for the White House, none of this assailing came in the form of meaningful votes against any of George W. Bush's policies, either in committee or on the floor of the Senate. Senator Hagel has talked tough since the initial buildup to the war in Iraq? Congratulations for his vote against the AUMF, then. Oh, wait... Senator Hagel also talked tough on violations of FISA, then rolled over and pronounced himself satisfied with continued executive flouting of the law. Senator Hagel had some tough words about John Bolton, before voting to release his nomination from committee. Senator Hagel was making ominous rumbling noises about the Military Commissions Act, which he then supported to the hilt, flushing habeas corpus and effective prohibitions of torture down the toilet. There's already one pretend maverick who is actually this administration's fuck toy in the Presidential race; I'd only encourage his presidential run if it substantially split the "cheerleaders for stinking hypocrites" vote.

Posted by mds | January 29, 2007 11:28 AM

The Eleventh Commandment was actually coined in 1966 by California state GOP chairman Gaylord Parkinson. It was supposed to encourage both conservative and liberal candidates from attacking each other savagely in the primaries - one of the candidates being Reagan, of course. Reagan merely popularized it.

Posted by James Kabala | January 29, 2007 12:56 PM