Chuck Hagel: Is He Another RINO?

by Stuart Shapiro

One of my hobbies as a blogger is pointing out conservatives who have disavowed or criticized the direction of the Republican Party.  I enjoy this for two reasons: It’s fun to see (so-called) conservatives froth at the mouth, calling the latest offender a RINO.  And second, I think the country works better when there are (at least) two legitimate and reasonable parties and I hope that one day there will be a opposition party that has ideas more complicated than “Taxes bad, government bad.” Former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel is the latest. Here’s the juicy quote:

“Disgusted” with the debt ceiling negotiations, Hagel called it “an astounding lack of responsible leadership by many in the Republican party, and I say that as a Republican.” “Does anyone not believe what’s happened here the last couple weeks in the market was not a complete, direct result of the lack of confidence that came out of that folly, that embarrassment?” he asked.

Hopefully, Senator Hagel will put his money where his mouth is and endorse the President in 2012.

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.