Decision ‘08

Paul To Announce, Hagel Plays It Coy

We have big 2008 news, if you define ‘big’ to mean news involving candidates that have a slightly worse chance than a snowball in Hell of being elected. First up, Ron Paul:

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, a fierce critic of the Iraq war, formally will declare his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination Monday when he appears as a guest on a C-SPAN call-in program.

Paul, R-Lake Jackson, created a presidential exploratory committee in January, allowing him to begin collecting money on behalf of his bid.

Kent Snyder, the chairman of that committee, said Saturday that Paul is scheduled to be a guest on Washington Journal on Monday morning and will make his announcement then.

This will be Paul’s second try for the White House. He was the Libertarian nominee for president in 1988.

Paul, a nine-term congressman whose district includes Galveston and stretches along the Gulf Coast, describes himself as a lifelong Libertarian running as a Republican.

He has spent most of his career outside the GOP’s circles and sometimes casts votes that appear at odds with his constituents and the party.

Next, a statement by Chuck Hagel:

America stands at an historic crossroads in its history. It is against this backdrop that I find myself at my own crossroads on my political future. Burdened by two wars, faced with dangerous new threats and global uncertainty, beset by serious long-term domestic problems and divided by raw political partisanship — America now reaches for a national consensus of purpose. America’s response to the challenges and opportunities that confront us today will define our future. Finding solutions to these challenges and capitalizing on these opportunities will not wait until the next election.

I have worked hard over the last ten years on foreign policy and national security issues, climate change and energy, education, entitlement reform, especially Social Security reform, health care, veterans benefits, GSE reform, and immigration reform. This year will be an important year for these critical issues — and I intend to offer new initiatives on each of them. I want to give these and other subjects my full attention over the next few months. I believe it is in the interests of my Nebraska constituents and this country that I continue to work full time on these challenges.

America is facing its most divisive and difficult issue since Vietnam — the war in Iraq, an issue that I have been deeply involved in. I want to keep my focus on helping find a responsible way out of this tragedy, and not divert my energy, efforts and judgment with competing political considerations.

I am here today to announce that my family and I will make a decision on my political future later this year.

Wow - can you feel the electricity? Holy cow, that’s exciting.

“We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”

“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”.

And now - “I am here today to announce that my family and I will make a decision on my political future later this year.”

Truly, this is the age of miracles and wonders…

7 Responses to “Paul To Announce, Hagel Plays It Coy”

1 Gunga Says:
March 12th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Indecision is kind of…well, it’s sort of…you could say…never mind.
2 Gwedd Says:
March 12th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Comrades,

Breathless… I feel all giddy and excited… all a twiddle and duckbumps…

Gotta cut back on that black coffee, I reckon…..

Wonderful… a guy with two first names and another whose name sounds like a WWF wrestling move. Wonder what they plan on bringing to the table?

Respects,
3 too many steves Says:
March 12th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Why do you hate libertarians so?
4 Sandy Says:
March 12th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
We don’t hate libertarians at all. Most of us go to the libery quite often and enjoy all the wonderful books about politics.
5 Dennis Says:
March 12th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Coincidentally, I am formally announcing my plan to decide on what I’m going to have for dinner tonight around 6 p.m.

Beyond that jewel, Hagel’s speech includes this line, of which far too many pols are guilty:

America stands at an historic crossroads in its history.

I promise to vote for the first politician who declares, “America hums along on its straight-arrow path as ever, with nothing historically significant happening now. Vote for me!”
6 Fargus Says:
March 12th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
I just don’t like the dual use of “history.” Rather like he’d said, “Americans are a brave people full of bravery.”
7 too many steves Says:
March 12th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Like Fargus, I am opposed to and will fight to eliminate unnecessary redundancy. I also vow to eschew pomposity.