THE MYSTERY OF CHUCK HAGEL

Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NEB) on Late Edition is talking about being in Vietnam in '68 and observing the development of a culture that was very dangerous. He goes on to compare it to what is happening at Gitmo, Abu Ghraib, and elsewhere. He thinks it's a "drift" that will come back to haunt the U.S. He and Dianne Feinstein agree that it's ridiculous to pretend this sort of thing isn't happening. Hagel indicates that either there is a lack of leadership or the wrong kind of leadership that is leading to the development of this culture of outrages justified by the "war on terra." Neither of them understand why we didn't learn from Abu Ghraib.

Hagel often strikes me as a Republican of conscience. It's hard to reconcile with my well-based suspicions that he finagled his elections, and others'.