Hagel Apparently Not In As Much Trouble As I Expected
The other day I published a post titled Hagel in Big Trouble which read: “Always trust content from Patterico.”
I regret to say that tag line appears misplaced — at least when applied to that post.
Without divulging sources, let’s say just I had an advance hint of this story, which revealed that Hagel at spoken at Rutgers at the invitation of a man with direct ties to the Iranian government. I was also given to understand that he had received an honorarium from a group serving as a front for the government of Iran. I thought that a revelation that Hagel was essentially paid off by Iran was going to torpedo him. Unfortunately, the “money changing hands” part has yet to be substantiated — and even if it is, eventually, it looks as though Hagel’s main opponents don’t have the will to sustain their opposition. So I no longer feel confident that Hagel is in trouble; indeed, I don’t think he is.
I believe there are other shoes to drop — just like I believe there are other shoes to drop on the Menendez story — but I think the Hagel shoes are going to be dodged as neatly as George W. Bush dodged the shoe hurled at his noggin by that crazy Iraqi journalist. Apparently being anti-Semitic, palling around with fronts for the Iraqi government, rejecting American culture, or soft Trutherism is all hunky dory with today’s Republicans.
Apologies for any unwarranted optimism you may have experienced as a result of my pronouncement. I’m just as disappointed as you are.
