Before anybody else suggests Chuck Hagel for the Dem ticket....

[RiverStone]

Other than his anti-Iraq war position, he is just another RW wacko. As an example, here are just some of his positions on key issues:

Chuck Hagel on Abortion :thumbsdown:


Voted YES on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions. (Oct 2007)
Voted NO on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Apr 2007)
Voted YES on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. (Jul 2006)
Voted NO on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives. (Mar 2005)
Voted YES on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime. (Mar 2004)
Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life. (Mar 2003)
Voted YES on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions. (Jun 2000)
Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions. (Oct 1999)
Voted YES on banning human cloning. (Feb 1998)
Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record. (Dec 2003)
Rated 100% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-life stance (190 members). (Dec 2006)


Chuck Hagel on Civil Rights:thumbsdown:


Voted YES on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration. (Jun 2006)
Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes. (Jun 2002)
Voted YES on loosening restrictions on cell phone wiretapping. (Oct 2001)
Voted NO on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation. (Jun 2000)
Voted NO on setting aside 10% of highway funds for minorities & women. (Mar 1998)
Voted YES on ending special funding for minority & women-owned business. (Oct 1997)
Supports anti-flag desecration amendment. (Mar 2001)
Rated 60% by the ACLU, indicating a mixed civil rights voting record. (Dec 2002)
Rated 0% by the HRC, indicating an anti-gay-rights stance. (Dec 2006)
Rated 11% by the NAACP, indicating an anti-affirmative-action stance. (Dec 2006)


Chuck Hagel on Energy & Oil :thumbsdown:


Voted NO on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. (Jun 2007)
Voted NO on making oil-producing and exporting cartels illegal. (Jun 2007)
Voted NO on factoring global warming into federal project planning. (May 2007)
Voted NO on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR. (Nov 2005)
Voted NO on $3.1B for emergency oil assistance for hurricane-hit areas. (Oct 2005)
Voted NO on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%). (Jun 2005)
Voted NO on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (Mar 2005)
Voted YES on Bush Administration Energy Policy. (Jul 2003)
Voted NO on targeting 100,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2010. (Jun 2003)
Voted NO on removing consideration of drilling ANWR from budget bill. (Mar 2003)
Voted YES on drilling ANWR on national security grounds. (Apr 2002)
Voted YES on terminating CAFE standards within 15 months. (Mar 2002)
Voted YES on preserving budget for ANWR oil drilling. (Apr 2000)
Voted NO on ending discussion of CAFE fuel efficiency standards. (Sep 1999)
Voted NO on defunding renewable and solar energy. (Jun 1999)
Voted YES on approving a nuclear waste repository. (Apr 1997)
Rated 17% by the CAF, indicating opposition to energy independence. (Dec 2006)


Chuck Hagel on Environment:thumbsdown:


Voted NO on prohibiting eminent domain for use as parks or grazing land. (Dec 2007)
Voted NO on including oil & gas smokestacks in mercury regulations. (Sep 2005)
Voted YES on confirming Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior. (Jan 2001)
Voted YES on more funding for forest roads and fish habitat. (Sep 1999)
Voted YES on transportation demo projects. (Mar 1998)
Voted NO on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests. (Sep 1997)
Rated 0% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes. (Dec 2003)


Chuck Hagel on Families & Children :thumbsdown:


Voted YES on killing restrictions on violent videos to minors. (May 1999)
Rated 100% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-family voting record. (Dec 2003)


Chuck Hagel on Government Reform:thumbsdown:


Voted NO on granting the District of Columbia a seat in Congress. (Sep 2007)
Voted YES on requiring photo ID to vote in federal elections. (Jul 2007)
Voted YES on allowing some lobbyist gifts to Congress. (Mar 2006)
Voted NO on establishing the Senate Office of Public Integrity. (Mar 2006)
Voted NO on banning "soft money" contributions and restricting issue ads. (Mar 2002)
Voted YES on require photo ID (not just signature) for voter registration. (Feb 2002)
Voted NO on banning campaign donations from unions & corporations. (Apr 2001)
Voted NO on funding for National Endowment for the Arts. (Aug 1999)
Voted NO on favoring 1997 McCain-Feingold overhaul of campaign finance. (Oct 1997)


Chuck Hagel on Health Care:thumbsdown:


Voted NO on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility. (Nov 2007)
Voted YES on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D. (Apr 2007)
Voted YES on limiting medical liability lawsuits to $250,000. (May 2006)
Voted NO on expanding enrollment period for Medicare Part D. (Feb 2006)
Voted NO on increasing Medicaid rebate for producing generics. (Nov 2005)
Voted NO on negotiating bulk purchases for Medicare prescription drug. (Mar 2005)
Voted YES on $40 billion per year for limited Medicare prescription drug benefit. (Jun 2003)
Voted NO on allowing reimportation of Rx drugs from Canada. (Jul 2002)
Voted NO on allowing patients to sue HMOs & collect punitive damages. (Jun 2001)
Voted YES on funding GOP version of Medicare prescription drug benefit. (Apr 2001)
Voted NO on including prescription drugs under Medicare. (Jun 2000)
Voted YES on limiting self-employment health deduction. (Jul 1999)
Voted NO on increasing tobacco restrictions. (Jun 1998)
Voted YES on Medicare means-testing. (Jun 1997)
Invest funds to alleviate the nursing shortage. (Apr 2001)
Rated 12% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record. (Dec 2003)


Chuck Hagel on War and Peace (mostly) :thumbsup:


Our current Iraq policy is not worthy of soldiers' sacrifice. (Jul 2007)
Engage with Iran & Syria; follow Baker-Hamilton. (Jul 2007)
Internationalize Iraq or we'll be seen as occupiers. (Jul 2007)
Open to withdrawal timelines, but look at other issues too. (Jul 2007)
Bush administration wanted to go to war with Saddam. (Jul 2007)
No Iraq military solution; focus on political accommodation. (Jul 2007)
Outcome in Iraq will be determined by the Iraqis. (Jul 2007)
Iraq was a war of choice, like Vietnam. (Jul 2007)
Congress should oppose Bush's actions, but not impeachable. (Jul 2007)
Soldiers in Iraq deserve a policy worthy of their sacrifice. (Mar 2007)
US in "deep trouble" in Iraq. (Sep 2004)
Iraq took our eye off the ball in Afghanistan. (Aug 2004)
Voted NO on redeploying non-essential US troops out of Iraq in 9 months. (Dec 2007)
Voted NO on designating Iran's Revolutionary Guards as terrorists. (Sep 2007)
Voted NO on redeploying US troops out of Iraq by March 2008. (Mar 2007)
Voted NO on redeploying troops out of Iraq by July 2007. (Jun 2006)
Voted NO on investigating contract awards in Iraq & Afghanistan. (Nov 2005)
Voted YES on requiring on-budget funding for Iraq, not emergency funding. (Apr 2005)
Voted YES on $86 billion for military operations in Iraq & Afghanistan. (Oct 2003)
Voted YES on authorizing use of military force against Iraq. (Oct 2002)
Voted NO on allowing all necessary force in Kosovo. (May 1999)
Voted YES on authorizing air strikes in Kosovo. (Mar 1999)
CIA mischaracterized Iraq WMD & abused intelligence position. (Jul 2004)
Iraq-al-Qaida contacts, but no complicity or assistance. (Jul 2004)
CIA knew State of the Union Iraq-Niger connection was false. (Jul 2004)
Iraq was not reconstituting its nuclear program. (Jul 2004)
Iraq was not developing its biological weapons program. (Jul 2004)
Iraq was not developing its chemical weapons program. (Jul 2004)

much more here:

http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Chuck_Hagel.htm

Still think he would be good on the Democratic ticket? :shrug:

NOT!

[MADem]

1. I don't think he'll be "good"--but I think he might be a possibility nonetheless.

Hell, he was talking to Bloomberg, too. Maybe Bloomie wants to be a Kingmaker?

[Forkboy]

2. And what does it say about our own party if we need a Repub to win?

This is like the handful of people saying McCain would have been good with Kerry. :crazy:

[RiverStone]

4. Hopefully we will never need to ask that question.

I can't fathom ever compromising the integrity of our party values to such a degree.

Of course, I never though I'd see the day when a former VP Dem candidate turned belly up and go rethug on us (aka Lieberman). But that was his choice, not ours.

I do appreciate Hagel's support of Obama on the war question, but beyond that - he is just another (nice guy) RW wacko.

[sandnsea]

3. I know, he's a nice guy

Who is wrong on everything except the war.

[MadBadger]

5. I wouldnt call him a wacko

He has shown the ability to buck his party and his president for what he believes is right. That takes a lot of guts and becuase of what he is going against the party for, I respect him for that. That said, he shouldnt be on the ticket, but could be a good foreign policy advisor to whoever the president is.

[GarbagemanLB]

6. He'd make a good ENDORSEMENT, not VICE PRESIDENT. I've always wondered how someone like him would

agree to a ticket knowing that non-conservative supreme court justices would be nominated by Obama...that is the biggest reason I doubt he'd every agree to a VP position. I admire him for standing up to his party on the Iraq issue, though.