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Hagel To GOP: If You Don't Govern Seriously, You Become Irrelevant
Hagel spoke to David Corn yesterday, describing Rush Limbaugh as "the center of gravity" for the current GOP. "We need a new center of gravity," Hagel made clear.
Hagel was also sharply critical of Michael Steele's public discussion about potential primary challenges to Arlen Specter, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe for backing the stimulus bill. "People expect serious people to deal with serious issues and to govern seriously," said Hagel. "And when you don't do that, you become irrelevant."
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Josh
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Matt
Eric
Limbaugh is the "center of gravity"?? Hmmmm...well, he's a lot like Jupiter - mostly gas but still pretty massive - and Jupiter has a lot of gravity, so I guess this fits.
March 18, 2009 11:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Jupiter? Yeah, you make a good point. Though most folks would probably say he resembles Uranas. In, y'know, a big way.
March 18, 2009 12:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Uranus with a pimple, I think....
March 18, 2009 12:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've always said that the light passing by Rush looks a little red.
March 18, 2009 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Center of Gravity" is outdated terminology.
He meant to refer to Limbaugh as the GOP's:
"Center of Ass."
March 18, 2009 4:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
So is he going to have to apologize to the base for implying he believes in Newtonian physics?
March 18, 2009 4:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Of course, Hagel can say these things without having to apologize to Rush for it, because he's not a sitting politician anymore. It's like when the only generals who criticized the Iraq war were the ones who were retired.
March 18, 2009 12:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, he would have said it before. He always pretty much spoke his mind and didn't give a sh*t about lush.
I actually like hagel. He seems really honest and straight forward. I don't like his policies by and large, but I like him.
March 18, 2009 12:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hegel reminds me that I don't dislike all Republicans, I hate their wingnuts.
There is a difference even if it the blathering, screeching and lying from the WNs makes it hard to make out sometimes.
March 18, 2009 12:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think it's important that we have a multiparty system (2 is okay, whatever). The Republicans are destroying the 2-party system from within one of them!
March 18, 2009 12:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ditto. You can put lugar, collins and snowe in the likeable republican group. I also liked warner. I liked the 2000 mccain and I like graham for a bit when he was challenging the king on the commission bs. I don't know what happened to those two though. I think that they fell on their heads or something.
It is the wingers and the liars that are a problem.
March 18, 2009 12:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Democrats like Republicans who buck their party just like Republicans like Democrats who buck their party. You should have seen the wing nutters drooling all over Mark Begich when he came out for drilling in ANWR.
John McCain was never an honorable maverick; he was just pissed that Bush beat him and spent the next four years poking his finger in Bush's eye. (Just like he's doing to Obama.) But Democrats loved this self-important poser. I still can't get over how many people (including Kerry) wanted this right-winger on the ticket with Kerry.
There are a lot of Democrats who like Hagel, simply because he stood up to Bush. I appreciated his stance on the war but Chuck Hagel is a *very* conservative man, particularly on taxes and social issues.
If he was still in the senate and became a Democrat, he would be hated by the base because he would probably vote with the republicans 50-60% of the time. We're just like republicans: we love rebellion but only when it's against the other party.
March 18, 2009 1:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
All true. The only thing with at least hagel, warner and lugar and even snowe and collins is that I don't recall them doing the spin and blatant lying about things that the bulk of the republican rank and file do. I disagree with the bulk of their positions, but you know what they are and can respectfully disagree. Now, bonehead and turkeyman and I haven't come up with one for cantor that isn't really offensive are despicable. They lie and distort and foment bullsh*t. Same with lush and the rest of the winger pundits. It's beyond unbelievable. At least be honest about things.
March 18, 2009 1:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
I like (or liked) all those people solely and simply because they talk like sane people. Even when I'm disagreeing with them, which is usually, at least they're speaking coherently and some kind of logic is discernable behind their ideas.
I'm old enough to remember when a majority of the Republicans in Congress talked like sane people. Nowadays, listening to Republicans is like listening to some wild-eyed mook in the park screaming "Petunia socialist can opener in the bathroom! Squirt turnip rubble under every socket wrench! Tax cuts! TAX CUTS!" from his spittle flecked mouth.
March 18, 2009 4:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
"some wild-eyed mook in the park screaming "Petunia socialist can opener in the bathroom! Squirt turnip rubble under every socket wrench! Tax cuts! TAX CUTS!" from his spittle flecked mouth"
NC Steve, you win the make me spit out my food award for the best description of some of those republicans to date.
Thanks for the huge laugh.
March 18, 2009 9:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
So is Hagel angling for a place in the RNC? If he ends up in there, will he keep making sense or just become another drone to the GOP speak n say? Just curious.
March 18, 2009 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nah, he would never take that position. He has a modicum of integrity. You have to be steele like, but be able to control your mouth, for that position.
March 18, 2009 12:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hagel is a *TRIP!* Ha-ha!
March 18, 2009 12:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe, just maybe, reality is setting in for some repubs. An awareness that if they fail in their fiduciary responsibility to the public, they will never regain the public's trust. And it begins with facing the wrongs that they have done. Facing them and being willing to state that out loud, instead of compounding lies upon lies.
Let the honest republicans step forward!
March 18, 2009 12:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
The problem is that there are only a handful that are honest and their voices get drowned out by the lunatics running the asylum.
March 18, 2009 12:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hagel had a good interview with Rachel Maddow yesterday, too. Covered some of the same points, and got into our relationship with Russia, as well.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/29745806#29745806
March 18, 2009 1:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Choices, choices
I think I'll take what's behind Door B Chuck....risk becoming irrelevant
March 18, 2009 1:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Center of Gravity" is an outdated term.
I think he meant to refer to Limbaugh as the GOP's:
"Center of Ass."
March 18, 2009 4:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
So, does this mean Chuck's thinking of running for office again? Didn't he write in his book about the need for a third party?
March 18, 2009 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rush as the GOP center of gravity?
Heavy!
March 19, 2009 12:42 AM | Reply | Permalink