Chuck Hagel's Viet-Nam fixation revisited

Chuck Hagel in the quagmire

Nebraska's own Doug Patton, in an article titled "What Chuck Hagel Has Become" (RealityCheck), observes that:

"While serving in Vietnam, Hagel and his comrades in arms were continually undermined by thoughtless, narcissistic politicians who spoke without considering the propaganda value their words would give to the enemies of America. Now Hagel has become one of those politicians."

We have noted this sad irony before at the Feeder, and remain perplexed by Senator Hagel's continuing self destructive public diplay of his pathological fixation that all wars are Viet-Nams. It might seem that Senator Hagel is trying to set himself apart from President Bush like the rest of the hopefuls in the 2008 Republican bull pen. For example, see this Knight-Ridder story in the Columbia Trib:

Republican hopefuls - as many as a dozen men who already are jockeying for advantage - don’t want to be perceived as insiders and heirs to the Bush political establishment. On the contrary, most of them are trying to advertise their independence, to distance themselves from Bush on key issues, to appear as rebels fed up with the wicked ways of Washington.

But, unlike the other male Republican wannabees, Chuck can't seem to find any issue except the war in Iraq to differentiate himself from Bush. I think it is sad. Reminds me of another Nebraskan who wound up a self-caricature.

Update: If Senator Hagel really wants to set himself apart from the Republican pack, he might consider supporting President Bush's current policies, instead of making such unhelpful utterances as the President is "disconnected from reality." He could promise to improve upon the current administration's policies in the areas of immigration, border security and spending cuts.

Hagel would be wise to bet that, come November 2008, Americans will want more of the same resolve to defeat and unwillingness to appease our enemies as they have with Bush . The terrorists of the New Caliphate will not go away; the threat will only increase. The candidate that voters perceive to be strongest in the fight against Jihad will win.

Hagelisms - hat tip: From the Heartland