Hagel is not my hero. Never will be.

Prohibit Partial Birth Abortion -- Y
Partial Birth Abortion Ban of 1999 -- Y
Roe v. Wade Amendment -- N
Fetal Tissue Research Amendment -- Y
Flag Desecration Constitutional Amendment -- Y
Investigating Contracts in Iraq Amendment -- N
Financial Relief for Katrina Victims Amendment -- N
Congressional Commission on Hurricane Katrina -- N
Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq -- N
Hate Crimes Amendment -- N
Judicial Review of Detainees Amendment -- N
National Commission on Detainees Amendment -- N
To Increase the Maximum Federal Pell Grant Amendment -- N
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment -- N
Robert Gates -- Y
Samuel Alito -- Y
John Bolton -- Y
Patricia Owen -- Y
Negroponte, Gonzales, Rice -- Y, Y, Y
Federal Marriage Amendment -- Y
Hurricane Health Care for Survivors Amendment -- N
Medical Assistance and Prescription Drug Amendment -- N
Patients Bill of Rights -- N
Secure Fence Act of 2006 -- Y
Stem Cell Research Bill -- N

Planned Parenthood rating = 0
Right to Life rating = 100
ACLU rating = 36
NAACP rating = 5
Human Rights Campaign rating = 0
Christian Coalition rating = 100 (2004)
National PTA = 7
Children's Defense Fund = 11
Family Research Council = 83
NOW = 0
American Public Health Association = 10

Source: http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=BC031069

So he knows how to read an opinion poll. Big frickin' deal.

he's looking to upgrade his position.

Hagel is from Nebraska...even with *'s horrid approval rating, Hagel's seat doesn't need protection. In fact, being as vocal as he has been against Iraq lately is actually a liability in Nebraska.

No, he's looking to go national.

This treatment of anybody who mouths criticism of bushco as some sort of demi-god is just plain naive!

He is one of them, not one of us. Always has been. Probably always will be. He is lipstick someone is trying to spiff the pig up with, nothing more than window dressing for them to try and stay in power.

No matter how they try to dress themselves up on the "popular" issues, they are still repugs. And the core of a repug is antithetical to what is good for the people. Repugs know one thing and one thing only - protecting their corporate and religious bases.