SEN. Chuck Hagel, the Senate's toughest Republican critic of President Bush's war policy, has not ruled out a campaign for the GOP presidential nomination and will use the August recess of Congress to make up his mind.Hagel faces a strong primary challenge in Nebraska, rates at 0% or 1% in any polls, and is widely despised by the base of the party.
A major reason for the unexpectedly strong professions of support for Rep. Ron Paul's libertarian-conservative candidacy is that he is the only announced Republican presidential candidate opposed to the invasion of Iraq. Hagel as an anti-war candidate might attract a broader base of support than Paul. He has received many offers of financial support should he run.
Hagel must decide what to do in 2008: to run for president, to run for Senate re-election or to get out of politics. The betting in the Senate Republican cloakroom is that he will retire, but Hagel has given no signal of his intentions and tells friends that he has yet to make a decision.
The only reason to declare a candidacy, which he said he would do back in March, is to get some more camera time on the Sunday talking head shows.
He should retire and retain any remaing dignity.
Being beaten by a nutcase like Ron Paul won't exactly help your shattered reputation.
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