About a week ago, Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), a co-chairman of John McCain’s 2000 presidential campaign, raised a few eyebrows when he said he hadn’t endorsed McCain this year, and didn’t have any plans to do so. “When I endorse someone, or when I work for someone, or commit to someone, I want to be behind that person in every way I can,” Hagel said on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos. “I’ve obviously got some differences with John on the Iraq war. That’s no secret. I want to understand a little more about foreign policy, where he’d want to go.”
While conceding different visions of foreign policy, though, Hagel added that his discomfort with McCain “certainly doesn’t put me in Obama or Clinton’s camp.”
That seemed like a pretty clear indication of Hagel’s state of mind. He’s a conservative Republican who agrees with McCain in general, but rejects McCain’s entire foreign policy worldview. That hardly makes him sympathetic to the campaigns of two left-leaning Dems.
But, oddly enough, Hagel wouldn’t rule anything out this morning.
[O]n Tuesday morning Mr. Hagel did not rule out the possibility that he might endorse the candidacy of one of Mr. McCain’s Democratic opponents, Senator Barack Obama. It began when, speaking on “Morning Joe” on MSNBC, Mr. Hagel noted that he had yet to endorse anyone in the presidential race.
“John McCain is a very good friend,” Mr. Hagel said on the program. “But he and I obviously have some very significant differences on Iraq, on some other things. I may not endorse anyone.”
When he was asked if it was possible that he might endorse Mr. Obama, he said: “It’s possible, but I don’t see that happening.”
It’s that “it’s possible” phrase that stands out.
I’d just add that Hagel was responding to a question from Joe Scarborough, who pointed to “rumors” that Hagel was considering an Obama endorsement. I can’t say I’ve heard these rumors much, but Hagel was surprisingly complimentary towards the Illinois senator on the Charlie Rose Show last week.
Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) said last night that, among the 3 remaining candidates, he thought Barack Obama had the best chance of bringing the country together. While he did not dismiss McCain (he’s done that in the Senate) or Clinton (she’s had some success in the Senate, not as much as McCain), he said that he believed that Barack Obama, for generational reasons, could best bring the country together.
Hagel also stated that he believes the inventory of problems the next President will face is unprecedented and that that is why it is so important that the country be brought together so that it could really solve problems. Although Hagel did not endorse Obama, he did not rule out the possibility.
The rumors that I have heard point to a possible interest on Hagel’s part in an Obama cabinet slot (Hagel emphasized again this morning the need for bi-partisan cabinets in the next administration). If that’s the case, the surest way to make that happen is with a carefully-timed surprise endorsement.
Stay tuned.