Hagel to Elope with Bloomie?

So Chuck Hagel is hinting at a third-party run. And NRO's Jim Geraghty wonders if the Nebraska Senator is sending coded messages to another favorite of the middle-of-the-road warriors, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg:

Chuck Hagel, fanning the flames of third-party bid talk:

"We didn't make any deals, but I think Mayor Bloomberg is the kind of individual who should seriously think about this," Hagel said. "He is the mayor of one of the greatest cities on earth. He makes that city work. That's what America wants." He said, "It's a great country to think about - a New York boy and a Nebraska boy to be teamed up leading this nation."

Hm. He lists the "New York boy" first. Is this a way of pitching himself to Mayor Bloomberg as a running mate?

I can't exactly explain why, but the prospect of a Bloomberg-Hagel third-party ticket just depresses me right out of my skin.

Incidently, Hagel's "I Didn't Leave My Party, My Party Left Me" timeline seems a little screwy:

"I am not happy with the Republican Party today," Mr. Hagel said on "Face the Nation" on CBS. "It has drifted from the party of Eisenhower, of Goldwater, of Reagan, the party that I joined. It isn’t the same party."

Poor Hagel hasn't been getting the memos in quite a while: isn't the whole idea that party of Reagan is not supposed to be the party of Eisenhower?

Labels: 2008, Chuck Hagel, Michael Bloomberg, Presidential election, the middle

  ¶ Posted by Paul Curtis 9:57 AM