It's been more than a presidential term since I declared Chuck Hagel to be my favorite Republican. Now the Obama administration has floated his name for Secretary of Defense, his fellow Republicans are working overtime to sink him, and on the Eric the Blue Index his stock resumes its upward trek. So a half a generation ago he slurred a homosexual who had been nominated for an ambassadorship. He's apologized, and his is not the only mind that's changed--back then, you could choke your soul hating the haters, whereas nowadays their numbers are manageable. See Andrew Sullivan for more.
Hagel must hold some enlightened views or why would they hate him so? Regarding the Iraq war, he was right and they were wrong--that hurts. Plus, in the world according to them, he's more of a man than they, having two purple hearts to none. Ouch! He's anti-Israel, he's antisemitic--shorthand for "hasn't applied to be Benjamin Netanyahoo's man Friday."
Will Obama nominate Hagel or just float his name? The deal over the "fiscal cliff" is just the latest sign that our president doesn't relish the prospect of a bare-knuckled fight. It's depressing to contemplate the possibility that it's outside the pale for a Democratic president to nominate for his cabinet one of the last six reasonable Republicans on earth. Rejected by voters, the Neanderthals continue to dictate their terms. Someone should tell them to go to hell.
