WATCH THIS CAREFULLY - AT 10:59 A.M. ET:  Is there anyone lower in the Republican Party than Chuck Hagel?  This Republican-in-name-only served as senator from Nebraska, but went so far left that he declined to run again last year, realizing he would probably lose his party's nomination.  He then all but endorsed Barack Obama.  His wife endorsed Obama outright.  He was a militant opponent of President Bush.

There's been recent speculation that Obama will name Hagel to replace Robert Gates, when Gates steps down as secretary of defense, possibly at the end of this year.  That would be a disgraceful appointment, an obvious payoff, and another sign of the Bush-hatred that is still rampant in this administration.  Hagel's basic qualification is that he was a sergeant or something in Vietnam.

Now Hagel suddenly surfaces again.  Why?  Well, he's endorsing health-care reform.   From The Politico:

Former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), who was an ally of the president's in the campaign, released a statement Saturday through the White House calling on Congress "to put aside their narrow partisan differences" on health care reform.

"We will fail our country if we do not succeed," Hagel said.

Hagel doesn't mention anything about the tough unresolved issues of negotiations. But he highlighted how health care legislation could mark the beginning of entitlement reform -- a concern raised often by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

His positive words are not surprising. Hagel spoke favorably of Obama's foreign policy views during the campaign, and appeared with him in Jordan during an overseas trip in July 2008. Hagel's wife endorsed Obama, but the former senator never did.

COMMENT:  You don't think that Hagel is angling for the defense job by making a statement like this, do you?  Nah.  An honorable man would never do a thing like that.

I wrote "an honorable man."

Enough said.

Yuch.

October 11, 2009