he's probably the only real competition to McCain for the nomination. And he's definitely out-maneuvered the Senator from Arizona in the past month.

He actually began speaking the truth about Iraq BEFORE the November 2006 elections!

Hegel in Nov 2005:

Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) strongly criticized yesterday the White House's new line of attack against critics of its Iraq policy, saying that "the Bush administration must understand that each American has a right to question our policies in Iraq and should not be demonized for disagreeing with them."

...Hagel, a Vietnam War veteran and a potential presidential candidate in 2008, countered in a speech to the Council of Foreign Relations that the Vietnam War "was a national tragedy partly because members of Congress failed their country, remained silent and lacked the courage to challenge the administrations in power until it was too late."

"To question your government is not unpatriotic -- to not question your government is unpatriotic," Hagel said, arguing that 58,000 troops died in Vietnam because of silence by political leaders. "America owes its men and women in uniform a policy worthy of their sacrifices."

Hagel in July 2006:

Hagel also blasted the Pentagon’s plan to send 5,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq, saying the move was opposed by several four-star generals:

   [Hagel] said that in the previous 48 hours, he had received three telephone calls from four-star generals who were "beside themselves" over the Pentagon’s reversal of plans to bring tens of thousands of soldiers home this fall.

   Instead, top Pentagon officials are suspending military rotations and adding troops in Iraq. The Pentagon has estimated that the buildup will increase the number of U.S. troops from about 130,000 to 135,000.

   "That isn’t going to do any good. It’s going to have a worse effect," Hagel said. "They’re destroying the United States Army."

Hagel — unlike Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) — understands that "staying the course" in Iraq isn’t an option.

Hegel in Aug 06:

Appearing today on CBS Face the Nation, Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) described Iraq as "a hopeless, winless situation." He harshly criticized the Bush administration’s recent decision to increase troop levels calling it "very wrong" and "irresponsible."

Hagel said Iraq was "headed" toward a civil war. He was adamant that "we cannot put American troops, and ask them to do the things that we’re asking them to do in the middle of a civil war." Hagel added, "I hope this administration has got a way out of this."

   HAGEL: There’s no good options here, no good options. I–I would move toward a higher ground toward right back to what you talked about, Bob, the regionalization. I would–I would get the first President Bush, President Clinton involved and try to impanel a–a regional security conference, a regional diplomatic conference. The UN can be part of that. Unless you come at it that way, we’re going to be leaving Iraq, and it is not going to be the way we intended to leave Iraq. Because that–that is the direction of where this is going. It is very wrong, Bob, to put American troops in a hopeless, winless situation, just keep feeding them in to–to what’s going on. That’s irresponsible and that is wrong.

   SCHIEFFER: But if, if the United States leaves, won’t you somehow have a confederation of Iran and the government there with the Shiites that are in–in–in southern Iraq?

   Sen. HAGEL: Bob, like I said, there...there–Bob, Bob, there are no good options here. That–that may well happen, I don’t know. But let me ask you the question, and I hope the president and his people are starting to ask themselves this question, that what is–what is the alternative? Are we going to put our troops in the middle of a civil war? Who are they going to fight? This will be slaughter of immense proportions. The American people will not put up with it, the leadership in Congress will not put up with it. I hope this administration has got a way out of this, because yes that’s a tough question, Bob, but the fact is that may well be the way it turns out. But we cannot put American troops, and ask them to do the things that we’re asking them to do in the middle of a civil war, and that’s where it’s headed.