reality-based educator

Unlike the media darling, John McCain, Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska) really is willing to thumb his nose at his own party and speak truth on the morning talk shows (as opposed to the truthiness we usually get from the talking heads and guests.)

This morning on This Week, Hagel was asked about Karl Rove's speech last week in which he said Democrats have a pre-9/11 mindset while Republicans have a post-9/11 mindset that is better equipped to keep the nation safe from terrorists.

Hagel's response (video link via Crooks and Liars):

The fact is, national security should never be held hostage to a political party or a political issue or to an election. The American people expect more, they deserve better...I didn't like what Mr. Rove said because it frames terrorism and the issue of terrorism and everything that goes with it, whether it's renewal of the Patriot Act or the NSA wiretapping in a political context. And if we are going to come together in this country to try to resolve the issues that must be resolved...Senator Obama talked about some of them and I hope the president will talk about the same issues, energy and health care and deficit spending, then you can't take an issue like national security and make it a political issue because that just fractures who we are as a nation...national security is more important than the Republican Party or the Democratic Party and to use it to try and get someone elected will ultimately end up in defeat and disaster for that political party.

Hagel went on to say he didn't think the preznit had the right to unilaterally decide to violate the 1978 FISA law in order to engage in warrantless, domestic spying. Hagel said the preznit should have come to the Congress, explained why the FISA law needed to be amended and weork with the Congress to change the law in order to keep the nation safe from terrorists.

Hagel also noted the executive branch and the legislative branch are co-equal branches of government and the legislative branch has as much responsibility in the area of national security as the executive branch does.

Gee, what a novel thing to see and hear on the morning talk shows - an honest conservative who puts nation above party.

Are you listening, Senator "Now that I need Rove's help in 2008, I've stopped causing trouble for 'em" McCain?