Shocker: Chuck Hagel To Join Obama On Iraq Trip

July 11, 2008 · Filed Under Barack Obama, Politics

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that faux Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel from Nebraska will be joining Barack Obama on his Iraq trip.

I can’t imagine why anyone would be surprised by this development. Hagel is a perfect Iraq companion, because like Obama, Hagel is clueless about the success of the surge or what’s happening over there.

This has been a long time coming and is nothing more than an elaborate media ruse. Hagel’s trip to Iraq with Obama is the precursor to Hagel’s full throated endorsement of Obama when they get back. This will give Obama added credibility to say he “reaches out” and “brings people together” in a “bipartisan” fashion. A claim he’s made since the beginning of the campaign even though his record (what there is of it) shows no evidence of that whatsoever.

The problem with Obama using Chuck Hagel as his “bipartisan” straw man is that Hagel isn’t really a Republican. He’s always had an (R) next to his name, but it’s been a little (r) at best. He’s become a darling of the far-left for his outspoken and misguided criticism of the war. In fact I’m pretty sure the Republican party traded him last year for Joe Lieberman.

So look for Hagel to begin shilling for Obama as soon as they get back from Iraq. The liberal media is certain to gush over the development and blather on about what a “transformative” candidate Obama is, etc.

All this really does is tie the score between Democrats and Republicans. Republicans traded their faux Republican (Hagel) for a faux Democrat (Lieberman). But in an outright comparison I think the Republicans got a far more valuable player.

-Chris Jones

(hat tip to Andrew Sullivan)