Okay, putting aside my severe disagreement with Chuck Hagel over his stance on the war in Iraq, I have to comment on his press conference today. I say
I am putting aside the disagreement for now because it doesn't even color my opinion. His stance on Iraq has little (if anything at all) to do with the
fact that this so-called announcement was the biggest waste of logistics and time I've seen in a long while. I wouldn't blame the press, UNO alumni (University
of Nebraska at Omaha), and numerous others for being a bit miffed at Mr. Hagel for wasting their time.
Wouldn't an e-mail or press release have sufficed? I know it's spring break, but couldn't the space used on the UNO campus have been used for something
more productive than a gathering in which Mr. Hagel basically says "I'm here to announce that the real announcement will come some time next year."
It wasn't even the whole "non-announcement" aspect of this event that has me asking this. For the most part, Mr. Hagel had the charisma of Gerald Ford
covered in a huge wet blanket. I began to wonder if he wouldn't go stumbling away from the microphone.
Even if he runs for president and wins, I couldn't imagine watching him deliver a state of the union address without falling asleep. I'd have to watch
it with two triple shot espresso mochas from Starbucks.
I'm sorry to have to say it, Mr. Hagel, but you're not presidential material. Again, not because of your stance on the war, but because having to watch
any press briefing, speech, or whatever given by you would inevitably put me to sleep. I'm just glad, regarding today's press conference/non-announcement,
that you weren't the Apostle Paul and that there was no one napping in a window.
