Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) Says Iraq Differences May Preventing Him From Endorsing Fellow Senator John McCain

[simple_male 1]

Hagel Says Iraq Differences May Prevent McCain Endorsement Molly Peterson

Sun Mar 23, 3:15 PM ET

March 23 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska said long-held disagreements with the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq War may prevent him from endorsing fellow Republican Senator John McCain's presidential bid.

``When I endorse someone, or when I work for someone, or commit to someone, I want to be behind that person in every way I can,'' Hagel, who supports a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, said today on ABC's ``This Week.'' ``John and I have some pretty fundamental disagreements over the future of foreign policy.''

The U.S. needs a ``clear plan'' for ending the war, said Hagel, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee and plans to retire from the Senate when his second term ends in January.

``We're going to have to start working our way out of this,'' he said. ``I think we're in a quagmire.''

McCain said last week that pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq would have ``disastrous consequences.'' President George W. Bush's decision last year to send 30,000 more troops to Iraq has proven successful, McCain said March 20 in London after meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Hagel disagreed, saying that strategy, known as the surge, would make it more difficult to withdraw from the region.

``If all of this is working so well, then why is the Bush administration now talking about keeping brigades in there at 140,000, larger than what we had in there when the surge started?'' Hagel said.

Separately, Senator Charles Schumer said on the same program that Democrats would resume their push for housing legislation when lawmakers return from Easter recess the week of March 31.

The measure, which Senate Republicans blocked last month, aims to prevent foreclosures, said Schumer, a New York Democrat who heads the Joint Economic Committee. The legislation includes $200 million for mortgage counseling and would let state agencies issue more tax-exempt bonds to refinance subprime loans.