Chuck Hagel is scary

[mucifer]

I know his position on the war in Iraq is great and I saw his interview on "The Daily Show" where all they did was discuss war. So I looked around the web to find more info on his voting record thinking he might be a good VP. Oy vey he's scary:

Rated 11% by the NAACP, indicating an anti-affirmative-action stance. (Dec 2006)

Rated 87% by the US COC, indicating a pro-business voting record. (Dec 2003)

Rated 36% by the NEA, indicating a mixed record on public education. (Dec 2003)

Rated 0% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes. (Dec 2003)

Rated 92% by CATO, indicating a pro-free trade voting record. (Dec 2002)

# Rated 12% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record. (Dec 2003)

# Rated 8% by the AFL-CIO, indicating an anti-union voting record. (Dec 2003)

Rated 0% by the CTJ, indicating opposition to progressive taxation. (Dec 2006)

Rated 22% by the ARA, indicating an anti-senior voting record. (Dec 2003)



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

[BeyondGeography]

1. Merits a long look for SecDef...that's it

[mucifer]

3. well the environment is a global issue and he got 0% so I'm thinking

sec of state might not be good either.

[lonestarnot]

2. He all of a sudden is sucking for bipartisanship. Whiner!

[Strelnikov_]

4. He is positioning for 2012 n/t

[Sal Minella]

5. Also, Hagel was elected on voting machines manufactured by a company he had been CEO of, which he

conveniently forgot to mention in his CV until someone brought the fact to his attention. Oh well he's human just like all of us. Except not all of us have been CEOs of voting machine companies and not all of us come out of nowhere to win an election.

[TwilightGardener]

6. I guess it's all a matter of perspective. He's just a Repub from Nebraska

to me--he's got a certain constituency to represent (and the GOPers here are upset with him--they think he's far too liberal, believe it or not). Even Ben Nelson is pro-life/socially conservative--that's how you get re-elected in a red state that still thinks George W. is an awesome Preznit. Now, I personally find McCain and the rest of the GOP/RW much scarier, myself.

[ConsAreLiars]

7. He is just Pat Buchanan with better hair.

But not as completely stupid, which is a point in his favor.

[TwilightGardener]

9. Well, not quite--Hagel's not racist, isolationist or protectionist . Pat is

in an obnoxious-asshole league of his own.

[ConsAreLiars]

10. You claim he is not a racist and yet he gets an 11% rating from NAACP?

He votes like a racist.

Buchanan is indeed an asshole in a league of his own, but Hagel gets a 100% from the Chamber of Commerce and NAM types and 0-10% from "consumer" (that's what they call workers) groups. And he is as bad on other issues as any you can imagine, Dobson and other crazies. Don't be fooled. Look at his record and his loyalties: http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=231

[TwilightGardener]

11. This "ranking" shit by various outside groups can be very misleading--

I take it with a grain of salt--I don't know what sort of criteria they're using. Hagel is not known by anyone to be a racist, at least that I've heard. I'm baffled that anyone spends time bashing a guy who sides with the Dems and goes against his party on some important issues, like foreign policy, war and torture--why not bash the majority of GOPers who have no conscience or principles, demonize Dems, question our patriotism, and are wrong on absolutely everything?

[ConsAreLiars]

12. Uh, the "ranking shit" is just based on his votes.

Pick any other issue you care about, assuming you are not a fascist type, and look up his score. The John Birch Society, a fascist org, gives him 90%. If you agree with them on their goals, then Hagel is your kind of guy.

[TwilightGardener]

16. No--just because an interest group ranks him a certain way

does not mean he's racist. It's extemely simple-minded to draw that conclusion. The only thing those rankings show is who's generally liberal, who's generally conservative, who's generally centrist. They're a guide, not a definitive indictment of someone's character. But, you can believe whatever you want about whomever. I just find it odd that you're threatened by a guy who's retiring from the Senate. He's not running for anything.

[ConsAreLiars]

19. So you like the fascist types and I don't.

That is your preference and not mine and so be it. You like guys who get a 10% rating from the NAACP and 100% from Dobson's FRC monsters. Not surprised. He (like you?) gets a rating from various conservation groups of 0%. Find one other issue in which you and he agree, and thus establish forever your loyalty to the righies.

[elleng]

18. wiener,

i'm with you.

[huskerlaw]

8. Yes, he is

As a former Nebraskan, I can say that with certainty.

Being right on one issue after 70+% of the country agrees with you is nothing to be congratulated for.

[texasleo]

13. He's ok.

[ConsAreLiars]

14. here's his record.

Find one, other than Iraq, in which he is OK.
http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=231

He is anything but OK.

[Rex]

15. A very powerful Repuke that wants to be POTUS.

If ya can buy an election in a state, ya can do it in a nation. Just ask Chuck. If Hagel scares you, you've been paying attention.

[elleng]

17. Is Romney better?

or Huckleberry?

As v.p., he's 'representing' everyone, so no concerns about local issues. But I doubt the Reps would allow him; he's been on the outs.

[Inuca]

20. On the other hand

Hagel is unusual in his party in
other ways. He is liberal on many
social issues that most Republicans
refuse to countenance, such as gay
marriage. Hagel says he regards
marriage as between a man and a
woman, but is relaxed about homosexual
or lesbian marriages. And on
an issue that is too hot even for most
Democrats, burning the Stars and
Stripes, he voted for legislation making
it a crime but said that he could
still see why people might want to do
it as a form of protest.

From the Guardian (UK) last year http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/Chuck%20Hagel%20Salon%20--%20Ewen%20MacAskill.pdf

He is a conservative, but definitely not a scary one. Votes do matter, but they can also be easily be misconstrued. Nothing and nobody is black and white as far as I am concerned, and in spite of his conservatism on many issues, Hagel is a very acceptable shade of gray in my book.