Chuck Hagel - Smart Guy

Now this is a Republican I agree with, at least on the Iraq/Iran situation. Thank God W's popularity is bringing some of the reasonable Republicans (who I believe are a majority in that party when not painted into a corner by their President) out of the woodwork. Maybe this country isn't doomed after all!

"You need to move toward something and what are we moving toward here? I don't see where we're moving toward anything. In fact, I think we're eroding a base of strength that we still have here. We have got to get inside this thing, because this is a very dangerous problem," Hagel said. "I think we're actually losing altitude, I think we're actually making it more dangerous."

On Bush's threating comments toward Iran:

"Quite frankly, what is the military option, what are we talking about here? We lose credibility in the face of the world when we say things like, 'Well just don't forget what happened to Iraq could happen to you Iran. We could invade you, we could bomb you.'

"Oh come on now. First of all, where are we going to get the troops? Who's going to go with us? Where are our partners going to be with Iran?"

The rest of the story here.