Another presidential waffler, plus Ron Paul

Last winter, Chuck Hagel said he'd decide on his political future in the next couple of months. For the Nebraska senator, time must have stood still.

On Sunday's "Meet the Press," Hagel was asked about his plans today. "Well," he told David Gregory, "I'll make that decision in the next couple of months." (For video, go here. For a transcript, go here.) "I've got to decide whether I want to ask the people of Nebraska to consider giving me a third term in the Senate. I also have said, and I said this when I first ran for the Senate, after I got elected in 1996, that 12 years, two terms, may be enough, and that's another option."

Hagel, an ardent critic of the Iraq war who's rumored to have discussed an independent White House run with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, added, "And then if there might be a place for me along the presidential road somewhere to try to have some influence and change the course of this country, then I'll look at that. But that decision needs to be made soon, and I'll make it soon."

Hagel seemed somewhat more certain about staying a Republican. "Well, I have no intention of changing parties, and that doesn't mean, by the way, that I don't think an independent does not have ...

... some renewed possibilities next year."

Pressed further, he said no one could predict what the world would look like in six or seven months but added, "Right now, I have no plans to change parties; I have no plans to seek the presidency as an independent candidate." Ah, the reporter in us wonders, but what about the vice presidency?

New York tabloids are entranced by the possibility of Hagel signing up as Bloomberg's running mate for one simple reason: They've already dubbed it the "Bagel" ticket.

Over on ABC's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos" there was an interesting exchange with Texas Rep. Ron Paul about the GOP contest. George asked Paul what success was to him:

"To win," replied Paul.

"That's not going to happen," the show's host replied.

"You want to bet your -- every cent in your pocket to that?"

"Yes," said George.

No political expert gives Paul any chance of winning right now. But he has his fervent followers. A sizable crowd of supporters gathered outside ABC in Washington during the interview Friday. And they tend to invest much time on the Internet praising their man or protesting criticism of him for his black-and-white isolationist ideas, like someone shooting out of several windows of a house to give the impression of greater strength. Let's see if they find the Comment section below.

Still, Paul was in a good mood. He has more money in the bank now than John McCain, whom those same political experts had as the obvious Republican frontrunner not so many months ago. "I think," Paul said, "some of the candidates are on the downslope; we're on the upslope. So can you imagine what it will be like if we do as well in the next quarter, and quadruple our income and our numbers?"

No, but can you imagine what the Paul web surfers will do with that?

-- Andrew Malcolm

Photo: Sen. Chuck Hagel; Credit: Anjum Naveed/AP

Comments

[RK]

Regarding Ron Paul's "black-and-white isolationist ideas" I hardly think it's fair to label someone who wants to trade with yet stay out of the affairs of other countries an isolationist. America has historically tried to remain out of the affairs of other countries...that is until WWII. Unfortunately that war opened the flood gates for the fear mongers who thought Communism would take over the world and got us into Korea and Vietnam. That mindset still persists today and I think people are tired of it.

[Jack Wagner]

What do you get when you combine an old hippy, a right-wing freedom fighter, a conservative farmer in the midwest, a left-leaning environmentalist, and a bunch of WWII and Vietnam War veterans?

Answer - Ron Paul supporters

You won't see it until it hits you in the face in Iowa, NH and other early primary states. Of course, how could you, unless you were out in the trenches with the rest of us and could see first hand the type of people who are drawn to Ron Paul meetup groups. Right now it's mostly activists but they come from all walks of life and political persuations. It's a very hot spark that has the potential to ignite the masses. Come join us - a sweet victory indeed for all Americans.

[Leighton Mayrhofen]

Grassroot support for candidates will continue to revolutionize the way that Americans participate in the election of public officials. Mainstream media fails to give each candidate equal air time, yet, Ron Paul actually won the first two Republican debates. When people get the chance to see Ron Paul speak out for change, they get excited about the potential of America to be the shining light again. Ron Paul supporters are more excited about him then oppossing candidate supporters such as the pompous Guliani. As was evident in the Fox debate, the people prefer the truth that Ron Paul speaks versus the rhetoric that Guliani spews. It is a very early in the race. Ron Paul is gaining momentum. Please keep up the negative light on him, it draws the curiousity of yearning Americans. Ron Paul is a constitutionalist, if that is not relevant in modern day America, then nothing is.