Chuck Hagel: GOP “Irresponsible” In Health Care Debate
Speaking at the University of Michigan, former Senator Chuck Hagel said Republicans are wrongfully trying to “destroy the other party” rather than engage in meaningful dialogue. (via Think Progress).
“If your attitude is wrong, if your intention is to use healthcare to destroy the other party, or to destroy the presidency of Barack Obama, then it’s very unlikely you’re going to find much consensus from people who want to use healthcare,” Hagel said…
“As some Republican senators have said publicly — that if we kill Obama on this, and we destroy this, and we defeat his, that will drive a stake through his political heart on this administration,” the former senator, who retired at the end of his term in January, added. “I just find that about as irresponsible of a thing as I can think of.”
Hagel does not fit in to today’s Republican party and did not endorse Senator John McCain for president.
Hats off to Hagel for calling it like it is, irresponsible.
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:54 pm
I wrote an email to the Senator a couple of years ago. I urged him to run for President and save both his party and possibly the nation from the crazy people.
Not being from Nebraska and realizing that politicians don’t often respond anyway, I assumed the email would get sorted out by the SkyNet machines and discarded. Instead, I got a personal reply from one of his staffers thanking me for my interest/support and bringing up a local college football rivalry.
I thought that was pretty cool.
Senator Hagel’s politics lean further right than what they at first appear but he’s a stand-up guy. If the Republicans were to attempt a return to their Eisenhower roots, Hagel would get them moving in that direction.
Lib Patriot Reply:
October 25th, 2009 at 12:41 am
Which, sadly, is why the Republicans will never nominate him.
October 23rd, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Speaking of saving various political parties and the nation, since Mr. O is beginning to look more like a Republican with each passing day, maybe Elizabeth Warren will consider 2012 as her calling to save the Democrats and the nation …
http://trueslant.com/matttaibbi/2009/10/22/elizabeth-warren-for-president/
… and, she’s kind of “hot” in a schoolmarmish kind of way.
If the economy doesn’t pick up pretty quick like, the Republicans won’t have to keep “trying to kill the other party”, the Dems will have done themselves in.
Crow about Wall Street’s recovery all you like, but Main Street isn’t participating. Any eventual jobless economic recovery that ever comes along will be even harder on the Democrats.
October 23rd, 2009 at 4:54 pm
A good comparison would be the republican party and the titanic, unregulated capitalism (trust me capitalism) would be the iceberg.
Any republican with any independence from the strangle hold of corporate dominance in US policy decisions would be stupid to go so against the grain with the will of the people, he’s not jumping ship but he’s sure got his life preserver on. Trust me capitalism (just like trust me governing) turned out horribly. Because they DID trust you and you took advantage of that trust, you got one tough row to hoe. One day republicsns are gonna get tired of beating a dead horse and come up with solutions to problems, not trying to keep staus quo.
October 23rd, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Alan: “Hagel does not fit in to today’s Republican party…”
Lol, NOBODY who’s SANE does, anymore!
October 24th, 2009 at 12:02 am
Think Progress. Think Progress. That is Alan’s liberal go to site. What makes them credible?
Daddio Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 9:32 am
I prefer the Heritage Foundation.
EricG Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Some of the most right-wing slanted and completely biased places to go for anything information of any sort.
Think Progress and the Heritage Foundation are on the same page for me.
Biased foundations, biased websites, biased definitions, biased people, biased format, biased viewpoints, etc.
Grow up. All of you live in a dreamworld on the right because you never cross platforms.
You just squat at Heritage and believe everything they say instead of contrast and compare; like everyone intelligent is doing.
Then you get upset when anyone doesn’t repeat the Heritage Foundation BS on the matter, because you hate the truth.
John Galt Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Huffington is okay though, right?
Daddio Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
You got all that from my comment that I prefer The Heritage Foundation? You are great oh guru Eric.
karthiks030977 Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 9:54 am
This is the modern Republican style…just question their credibility without any evidence to suggest lack of credibility…way to go Willy.
John Galt Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Well, the Left got global warming wrong, the Kyoto actually encourages us to cut down forests and burn the wood for fuel. Dogs are more harmful to the environment than an SUV.
I’m just saying that asking for some credibility isn’t that much to ask at this point.
EricG Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
That’s not accurate, John.
You should read the articles you post once in awhile.
The legislation has a “problem” that makes forests worth more dead than alive for purely fiscal reasons.
The Kyoto Accord was a scientific finding, not legislation.
Get your facts straight or just shut the hell up.
Seriously.
You mock all Americans when you come forth with this nonsense and bad facts.
–
Well, the Right got everything from war to the economy wrong.
I think we all know who is never allowed to lead this country ever again: The Republicans.
John Galt Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
The Kyoto Accord was a scientific finding, not legislation.
Not sure what you are referring too. I am speaking about the agreement in Kyoto that calls on nations to reduce greenhouse gases. IN that agreement that
I’m not sure what Kyoto thing you are talking about, but the Kyoto agreement most certainly is an “agreement” and not a “finding”.
karthiks030977 Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
“Well, the Left got global warming wrong,”
Sigh, there goes John Chanting his beliefs over and over again.
John Galt Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Sigh, there goes John Chanting his beliefs over and over again.
This is from the darling of the Left; NPR.
Will you agree that in order for there to be Global Warming the world should have a warmer temperature than it did before?
Or, that if there was polar ice melting that there should be less ice today than this time last year?
Or no? Just having it be sad is enough?
karthiks030977 Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
“be Global Warming the world should have a warmer temperature than it did before”
You’re being idiotic. Do some study on Global Warming,and understand what it says.
Global Warming says the EXTREMES of temperatures you observe will be WIDER. Summers will be HOTTER, Winters will be COLDER. If you measure the AVERAGe temperature its the measure an illiterate would use to measure GW.
You are capable of better, JG.
John Galt Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Global Warming says the EXTREMES of temperatures you observe will be WIDER. Summers will be HOTTER, Winters will be COLDER. If you measure the AVERAGe temperature its the measure an illiterate would use to measure GW.
You must have been reading about the extreme hurricane season we had, right? Did you hear about the ferocious storms we had this year? No? Hmm…me either. I wonder why?
Oh, I know. Because there were none.
karthiks030977 Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
You must have been reading about the extreme hurricane season we had, right? Did you hear about the ferocious storms we had this year? No? Hmm…me either. I wonder why?
Because You’re being pigheaded.
I said ” EXTREMES of temperatures you observe will be WIDER”
NOT
THere will be Extreme weather phenomena MORE often.
Listen dude: You are Hell bent on interpreting GW to suit your religious beliefs. Dont waste your time with your chanting :Noone but yourself will believe your chanting as true.
John Galt Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Listen dude: You are Hell bent on interpreting GW to suit your religious beliefs. Dont waste your time with your chanting :Noone but yourself will believe your chanting as true.
I don’t understand your tone. You seem to be getting frustrated. More and more scientific data that was shown to back global warming is turning out to be smoke and mirrors. Don’t get mad at me because your precious “hockey stick” was built with, what, 14 hand picked trees.
Or that Kyoto has it so wrong in their documents that they actually count corn used for fuel as having no impact.
The earth is cooling. The ice is growing. The storms are easing. There is no enlarging extreme on either end.
Breath. It’s okay. The planet is going to be just fine.
Daddio Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Hey John, they see their global warming myth crumbling under their feet and they don’t know what to do. That is one reason they changed the termanology to climate change.
The libs are freaking out.
John Galt Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
The libs are freaking out.
I know.
That is one of my biggest problems with the left. Their whole basis for action is in a “belief” of what is, was or should be.
Minimum wage for example. They think that everyone should earn enough money to live. So they legislate it. Not earn it; legislate it.
And so it is with global warming.
They want to believe it. Therefore it simply must be. And if you try to argue on science they get all emotional.
It has always been thus. Sigh.
karthiks030977 Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
“The earth is cooling. The ice is growing. The storms are easing. There is no enlarging extreme on either end.”
Chant away. Meanwhile, Global warming IS continuing. The planet IS continuing to experience more extreme temperatures.
Daddio Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Well they usually legislate based on emotions. They never think through legislation they try to ram through Congress. You know, all the unintended consequences and such. They are from the radical ’60s idea that if it feels good, do it. Damn the consequences.
karthiks030977 Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
“So they legislate it. Not earn it; legislate it.”
And how do conservatives solve problems?
By Chanting them away.
Global warming is not true.
We have the best healthcare in the world.
Lets keep chanting, maybe the problems will go away.
Daddio Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Sigh, Karthiks, your liberal talking points is getting very stale.
John Galt Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
By Chanting them away.
Global warming is not true.
We have the best healthcare in the world.
Lets keep chanting, maybe the problems will go away.
See Daddio?
karthiks030977 Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
No Problem Willy. You can believe there’s no problem, its your right to believe whatever you wanna believe. I am quite certain the problems discussed(Global Warming, Health Care crisis) are real. And I am doing what I can to help address the problem.
karthiks030977 Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
“See Daddio?”
Well, you have been chanting. What do you want me to do, accept your chanting as truth? I see evidence for GW all around me, even here in USA. And its worse in other parts of the world.
Your belief that GW isnt true defies the laws of science, especially the 2nd law of Thermodynamics.
But who needs science, when chanting can solve problems?
Daddio Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
I just ask about their credibility K since you liberals blast every conservative site and org. as biased, hate filled, racist, and liars.
What makes Think Progress any more credible?
karthiks030977 Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
What has Think Progress done to argue lack of credibility? You claimed “they are Left Wing”. Is that how you argue lack of credibility?
karthiks030977 Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
To put the same question differently:
People have given many many anecdotes of Fox News misrepresenting facts, even lying. THAT, I would argue makes an organization lack credibility.
Now, tell me what Think Progress put out, that you can PROVE as not true. Using the same standards of proof as used by those attacking Fox News’s credibility.
Daddio Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
I was just asking what makes TP more credible. I am not talking about FOX News. I never said TP was not credible. I am just wondering what makes all the liberal sites and organizations credible while all the conservatives sites and org. are not…in your view.
karthiks030977 Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
“Think Progress. Think Progress. That is Alan’s liberal go to site. What makes them credible?”
Your Alter Ego said that Willy?
karthiks030977 Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
“while all the conservatives sites and org. are not…in your view.”
Because some of them lie. The ones who lie lack credibility. Is something fairly straightforward.
Fox News lies on a daily basis.
The others, individually, am not sure about frequency. I have no idea about HF. I do know Glenn Beck, Hannity, Rush all lie quite brazenly. They have been caught out lying.
I dont know about HF, so I have no observation there.
EricG Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
What makes the NY Post or Fox News credible?
Their slanted coverage or their acceptance of racism?
October 24th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Hooray for Hagel!
Honesty is a rare thing these days.
October 24th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Chuck Hagel= RINO.
Always has been.
anonymouse Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Chuck Hagel used to have a PAC. It was called “Sandhills PAC” but I think it’s now defunct.
I remember looking down through the list of where their money was going to. The list was a “who’s who” of wingnut politics. As I recall, the Santorum nut was at the top of the grant list.
Hagel is a good guy, as Republicans go. But he’s no RINO. He’s somewhere to the right of Eisenhower but far left of the Neocons.
October 24th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Ever heard Laura Ink-A-Gram talk about Hagel?
The frown lines deepen, the rage comes to the surface and the fangs really come out…
October 24th, 2009 at 11:33 pm