Things Failed To Go as Badly as We Hoped

Hagel is calling it quits

I attribute this outcome to learned helplessness--Hagel's experience at the height of Westmoreland and McNamara's political bungling of Vietnam seems to have blinded him to the success of the Abrams approach, or the possibility that counterinsurgency wars can be won.

The national media would like to think that former senator Bob Kerrey would be a competitive Democratic challenger, but this is merely wishful thinking. Kerrey was on record favouring the overthrow of Hussein, so he's not going to be able to run as as some sort of antiwar candidate.

The winner of the Republican primary--probably Bruning--will be the overwhelming favourite.