Bloomberg: Hagel Has No Plans to Back McCain (would consider being Obama's Sec. of Defense)

[highplainsdem]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aQ0hfm1KRlp4&refer=home

June 27 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Chuck Hagel declined to endorse his party's likely presidential nominee, John McCain, and said he would consider serving as secretary of defense in a Barack Obama administration.

Hagel, who last year considered a White House run as an independent, said he would remain a registered Republican: ``I don't know forever, but right now I'm not considering changing my registration.''

``I don't have any plans to endorse any candidate,'' Hagel, 61, said in an interview on Bloomberg Television's ``Political Capital with Al Hunt,'' to be broadcast today.

-snip-

Because Hagel has been a critic of the Bush administration, his name often surfaces as a high-level appointee for both parties. Hagel said he would have a duty to consider a request to serve from any president including as secretary of defense in an Obama administration.

[book_worm]

1. He should endorse Obama.

[ronnykmarshall]

3. and maybe speak at the Democratic convention.

[TheDonkey]

5. that would be a coup but maybe too radical for him to ever do

but it would be great if the Obama camps gives him a call anyway.

[wyldwolf]

2. THAT is a definitive statement on the state of the GOP and Bush's legacy

[Coexist]

4. will he now follow Obama around on the campaign trail to help him when he misspeaks

and pant and beg to speak at the Democratic convention?

[styersc]

6. Pres. Clinton chose a Republican as Sec of Defense and Hagel

is a good man.

Obama could use a few progressives for balance.