Back in the days when I was an active farmer I had a dearly loved pet, a Labrador retriever. We called her Black Sally as Chuck had an English Retriever already named Sally, White Sally. My Black Sally accompanied me nigh everywhere I went.

In fact she appeared highly insulted whenever the pickup departed the farm without her and sulked until we returned. Irrigation season was Black Sally's favorite, riding in the pickup, walking the fields, wading in the running water, swimming in the ditch and the creek, it was dog heaven. No matter what direction I walked Black Sally had to always run out in front.

We didn't do the leash thing, it was free range. When I turned a corner if she had guessed wrong and headed the wrong direction, Black Sally would soon position herself to again be out front just as if she was leading the parade. 

When he was elected to the U.S. Senate I was happy to see Chuck Hagel act independently and make decisions for himself. Nebraska is fortunate to have two senators that think for themselves most of the time. It has always been hard for me, a forever Republican, to vote for Democrat Ben Nelson but I think he and Chuck have done a good job representing Nebraska values in the Senate.

Lately though I fear Sen. Chuck Hagel is sniffing the polls, positioning himself to be out in front of all the important issues, portraying himself as the leader, just like my Black Sally. In a dog it was expected, in a U.S. Senator it appears fickle. Almost daily the press quotes him espousing popular positions on social issues or any other hot topic of the day. Recently he testified and seemed poised to vote with the Democrats in urging our defeat in Iraq. The Senate lost its courage and postponed the vote when it evidently appeared unpopular in the polls.

Obviously Senator Hagel has decided the U.S. will eventually cut and run from Iraq so has jockeyed to put himself in the I told-you-so crowd. He can then admit when he runs for president, "Yes I was for the war but Bush messed it up totally when he didn't take my advice so now we have no choice but to just 'cut and run'."

Yes I know that Senator Hagel served in combat in Vietnam. I tip my hat to him because he was actually on the cutting edge of the spear. Actually, like any of us who served in that conflict, he saw only a small part of action, not the big picture.

He was also wounded in action and spent considerable time in the hospital but I don't think that medical experience qualifies him to give advice as a doctor any more that his short period of service makes him a military expert.

 

It is obvious to me that Senator Hagel is positioning himself to run for president of the United States.

It may well be a good move if he wants to continue in elected office.

I suspect the majority of Nebraskans do not approve of his recent voting record and his continuing anti-Bush pronouncements. At the moment I don't think he could get re-elected to the Senate from Nebraska.

That is the way I see it.