GOP Sen. Hagel MovesOn

NRO: Republican Is Left-Wing Group's Poster Boy, Though He Objects

(National Review Online) 
In the statement addressed to MoveOn, Hagel demands that the ad be pulled down.

Needless to say, MoveOn and the MoveOn PAC aren't taking orders from the senator. When I called their offices asking for a response to Hagel's statement, a spokesman was at first confused, blurting into the phone, "But you guys hate us!" MoveOn PAC eventually forwarded their official statement to Hagel's response:

Unfortunately, he is mistaken when he says our TV ad calls for "immediate withdrawal." We have never held this position. What we want is a date to begin a responsible, phased exit of our troops from Iraq. We support a new and growing bi-partisan effort to set such a date led by Representatives Walter Jones and Neil Abercrombie in the US House of Representatives.

We make this call for a responsible exit strategy because we understand that it is the American military occupation of Iraq that is fueling the insurgency there. As long as we fail to announce a timely withdrawal plan, the number of insurgents and the intensity of their attacks will grow. The President's failed policy betrays our troops, prolongs the agony of the Iraqi people, motivates terrorists worldwide and does little to enhance our national security. We stand by our ad.

So, who is at fault? On one hand, MoveOn has created another offensive advertisement that insults U.S. soldiers fighting the insurgency and assisting in Iraq's reconstruction. It's another slap in the face from a group that got its start defending former President Clinton's infidelity and who called for "restraint" after the attacks of 9/11.

On the other hand, MoveOn does not put words in Hagel's mouth. The words they cite are in fact his. Hagel's rhetoric has been so strong, that even his self-described "good friend" John McCain was critical when asked to respond to Hagel's comments while appearing on CNN's "Larry King Live". McCain told guest host Bob Costas: “I completely disagree. There are signs of progress. Yes, it's tough, and it's hard, and we've made mistakes and we paid a heavy price for those mistakes. Unfortunately, in wars, serious mistakes are made … And there is a legitimacy to the Iraqi government that, frankly, the government of South Vietnam never had.”

MoveOn is not going to take orders from a Republican senator, even if it's Chuck Hagel. And while their new ad is not likely to make new converts against the war on terror, it's never helpful to have a Republican senator criticizing a Republican president's foreign policy in areas where Republican candidates are fighting for reelection. As he ponders a 2008 presidential campaign, Hagel should be aware that '08 watchers are paying attention. Hagel would better serve his own interests and those of his party by keeping his criticisms fair and reiterating the support he claims to have for U.S. forces and the push for democracy in Iraq.


Eric Pfeiffer writes the daily political "Buzz" column on NRO.