Chuck Hagel refuses to rule out the vice presidential slot on the Democratic ticket:
"I don't expect to be on anyone's ticket this year. I don't expect to be in anyone's government next year," Hagel, who is retiring from the Senate this year, told John Roberts on CNN's American Morning. But would he consider joining a bipartisan unity ticket with Obama? "I'm going to try and find some honest work," he said, adding that "If [Obama] asks, I'll let you know."
My first thought was that it was silly to consider someone like Hagel -- a Republican, a Senator, and a windbag -- for the vice presidency. However, the Democrats on Hardball seem to love the idea:
MATTHEWS: Let‘s go to the other-last one, which is the idea of picking a Republican. Chuck Hagel, retiring from the U.S. Senate from Nebraska, Vietnam War vet, combat vet, opposed to the Iraq war, what do you say, Jenny? BACKUS: This is my dream candidate... Barack Obama has done an amazing thing this year. He‘s bringing people into the Democratic Party. And I think there are lots of disaffected Republicans and independents out there who really, really want to be come and be part of the Democratic ticket. Chuck Hagel has shown that he‘s got problems with the Republican orthodoxy. He‘s in the right place on the war. And he‘s a Vietnam War veteran that has a very interesting contrast to where John McCain is, especially on Iraq. He‘s a winner. I would look at him... STEVE MCMAHON: He‘s-I‘m from Nebraska, and I think Senator Hagel‘s remarkable. He‘s pro-life, which is a problem for Democrats. But it‘s about moving to the middle. I think, if he did it, it‘s an outside-the-box choice. It‘s a unity choice. I think it would be a great one, and I think it would be a very, very hard ticket to stop.
Hagel could be perceived as strong on national security -- certainly stronger than most of Obama's other options. He would help establish Obama's bipartisan bona fides. His record on key votes however, is a decided mixed bag. While he has pleased Democrats with his stance on Iraq, he voted no on federally-funded stem cell research, yes on confirmation of Alito and Roberts, yes on extension of President Bush's tax cuts (a vote that would dramatically undercut Democratic efforts to tar McCain with Bush's economic legacy), and yes on tort reform. A record like this one might be hard for Democrats to stomach -- especially when his selection would probably not move a single state to Obama's column.