Good article from Jim Pinkerton about how little evidence there is that Chuck Hagel, despite his criticisms of the Bush administration, would dissent from what Pinkerton calls the “hegemonist consensus” shared by elites of both parties. Only “fringe” candidates like Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich seem willing to question this consensus.

That said, Hagel certainly looks better to my eyes than any of the current GOP candidates, but it’s not even clear he’s going to run (and even less clear that he’d have a shot at the nomination). Given that, I’m inclined to root for the Dem candidate who stands the best chance of at least ameliorating the situation in Iraq and exercising some degree of executive restraint in the future, both at home and abroad.