Sen. Hagel May Enter '08 Race Soon

Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., plans to make his long-awaited announcement about his political future at his alma mater Monday.

Hagel will hold a news conference at 10 a.m. at the University of Nebraska at Omaha's alumni center.

There has been speculation in political circles for more than a year that the outspoken critic of the war in Iraq might seek the Republican nomination for president in 2008. Hagel has said for weeks that he would make an announcement about his future "soon" but hasn't indicated whether that announcement would reveal his presidential aspirations, if any, or whether he would seek re-election to the Senate in 2008.

If Nebraska Republican insiders knew what Hagel planned to say, they weren't telling.

"Everybody is abuzz about what he might say, and nobody seems to have the slightest idea what he'll say," said Pat McPherson, Republican chairman for the 2nd Congressional District.

Gov. Dave Heineman's spokeswoman, Jen Rae Hein, said the Republican governor does not know what Hagel will announce.

Tiffiny Carlton, executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party, said Hagel would be a viable presidential candidate.

"I think most Nebraskans would be proud to have their favorite son as one of the candidates," Carlton said.

Hagel, 60, is scheduled to appear with nine declared presidential hopefuls at the International Association of Fire Fighters' annual meeting next Wednesday. Each participant in the bipartisan forum will have 30 minutes to discuss why he or she should be the next president.

"We were clear about exactly what it was and he said he wants to participate," association spokesman Jeff Zack said Wednesday. "So you can read into that however you want."

Hagel has been the most outspoken Republican critic of Bush's policy.

"We can't change the outcome of Iraq by putting American troops in the middle of a civil war," Hagel said last month.

If Hagel decides to run for president, he'll be joining an already crowded field of Republican candidates which includes: U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas.

McPherson said Hagel may have tipped his hand when word came out that he would be part of next week's Washington forum.

"You've got to regard Chuck seriously as a potential presidential nominee," McPherson said. "It doesn't surprise me he would be there (at the forum). He has a very strong appeal to a great number of people when it comes to looking at an alternative presidential candidate.

"He votes solidly, for the most part, with the Republican party and with the president. At the same time, there's 65 percent of the population that feels the same as him on Iraq."

Former Nebraska congressman and Omaha mayor Hal Daub said Hagel would be well-qualified to be president.

"Senator Chuck Hagel has a demonstrated capacity to deal intelligently and forthrightly with the great issues of our time," said Daub, who is a Republican Party national committeeman. "He is a conservative with a big-picture understanding and views and truly possesses the highest quality of leadership capability."

Lee Denker, president of the UNO Alumni Association, said he found out Wednesday that Hagel would make the announcement at the alumni center.

Hagel earned a bachelor's degree in general studies at UNO in 1971.

Hagel, a native of North Platte, entered politics in 1996 after serving as president of McCarthy & Co., an investment banking firm based in Omaha, and chairman of the board of American Information Systems.

He firmly defeated Nebraska Attorney General Don Stenberg in the Senate primary, earning 62 percent of the vote. He went on to defeat Democratic Gov. Ben Nelson, who later was elected to the Senate in 2000. Nelson is now Nebraska's junior senator.

Hagel was re-elected in 2002, winning 83 percent of the vote against Democrat Charlie Matulka, an unemployed construction worker.

The last time Nebraska had presidential contender came 15 years ago when Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., ran for the Democratic nomination in 1992. Kerrey failed to win much support in any primary except South Dakota and eventually withdrew.