U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel says he will decide later this year about his political future. He was expected to outline those plans at a news conference at UNO this morning. He did not.

Long-rumored as a potential candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, Hagel was expected to clarify his intentions today.

In comments to a small gathering at UNO, Hagel said, "America stands at an historic crossroads in its history. It is against this backdrop that I find myself at my own crossroads on my political future."

But what direction Hagel will choose is unclear.

"I am here today to announce that my family and I will make a decision on my political future later this year," he said.

America stands at an historic crossroads in its history. It is against this backdrop that I find myself at my own crossroads on my political future. Burdened by two wars, faced with dangerous new threats and global uncertainty, beset by serious long-term domestic problems and divided by raw political partisanship—America now reaches for a national consensus of purpose. America’s response to the challenges and opportunities that confront us today will define our future. Finding solutions to these challenges and capitalizing on these opportunities will not wait until the next election. I have worked hard over the last ten years on foreign policy and national security issues, climate change and energy, education, entitlement reform, especially Social Security reform, health care, veterans benefits, GSE reform, and immigration reform. This year will be an important year for these critical issues– and I intend to offer new initiatives on each of them. I want to give these and other subjects my full attention over the next few months. I believe it is in the interests of my Nebraska constituents and this country that I continue to work full time on these challenges. America is facing its most divisive and difficult issue since Vietnam—the war in Iraq, an issue that I have been deeply involved in. I want to keep my focus on helping find a responsible way out of this tragedy, and not divert my energy, efforts and judgment with competing political considerations. I am here today to announce that my family and I will make a decision on my political future later this year. In making this announcement, I believe there will still be political options open to me at a later date. But that will depend on the people of Nebraska and this country. I cannot control that and I do not worry about it. I will continue to participate in events across this country, raising money for my Political Action Committee to assist Republican candidates, and raising funds for a Senate re-election campaign. In conclusion, I would first like to commend my colleagues who are currently seeking their Party’s presidential nomination. I admire each of them for their willingness to put themselves on the line and pursue their strong beliefs and ideals. I believe the political currents in America are more unpredictable today than at any time in modern history. We are experiencing a political re-orientation, a redefining and moving toward a new political center of gravity. This movement is bigger than both parties. The need to solve problems and meet challenges is overtaking the ideological debates of the last three decades—as it should. America is demanding honest, competent and accountable governance. A global political readjustment is also in play today...and will respond to America’s leadership. What is at stake for the future of America is larger than just American politics. Politics is simply the mechanism democracies use to affect responsible change. The world is not static, it is dynamic. At the beginning of my remarks I said that America is reaching for a national consensus of purpose. We will find it because Americans expect it and will demand it. I do not believe America’s greatness is lost to the 20th Century. There are chapters of America’s greatness yet to be written. I intend to continue being part of America’s story.

Timetable Uncertain


The senator said that his timetable for deciding his future plans is his own. When pressed for an idea of when he would make an announcement Hagel quipped, "Before Saint Patrick's Day of next year."

Hagel says he wants to focus his attention now on the important issues facing the country, like the Iraq war. The Senator said that he wants to keep his focus on finding, "a responsible way out of this tragedy."

GOP Support


Hagel's split with the Bush administration over the war in Iraq has divided fellow Republicans but state GOP leaders were standing behind the senator on Monday.

Attorney General Jon Bruning says, "For every person that might disagree with him on the war there's going to be somebody that admires his courage."

Pete Ricketts, a political newcomer who ran a high-profile but unsuccessful campaign against Nebraska Democratic Senator Ben Nelson last year says, "I don't agree with Senator Hagel on Iraq but I can tell you that after getting to know him, he's one of the most intelligent, thoughtful people in Washington, D.C."

Former Congressman Hal Daub says Hagel's announcement to delay his decision on seeking the 2008 Republican presidential nomination is “a smart move.”

Daub issued a statement saying, “This is the highest political office in our nation, and as we have clearly seen in recent weeks, decisions of this magnitude should not be rushed into

Democratic Chair: "Nebraskans are tired of waiting"


Nebraska Democrats were quick to respond. State Chair Steve Achelpohl released a statement saying, “I think it is extremely disappointing that Senator Hagel would bring the entire state of Nebraska to a screeching halt by holding an elaborate ceremony to announce absolutely nothing.

“Nebraskans are tired of waiting for Chuck Hagel to make up his mind. He has been toying with the idea of running for President for several years. Nebraska deserves no less than two full-time representatives in the U.S. Senate. It is time for Chuck Hagel to come to a conclusion – does he want to represent the people of Nebraska – or run for President?”

The Senator's Background


Born in North Platte, Chuck Hagel attended high school in Columbus and college in Omaha.

The first time he left the state was 1968 at the age of 21.

In 1996 he said, "My life has been about serving my country, starting in Vietnam."

The Senator won two Purple Hearts in Vietnam where he served in the infantry next to his brother Tom.

Chuck Hagel spent most of his adult years in the Washington, D.C. area in business and government. He served eight-years as an aide to Nebraska Congressman John Y. McCollister.

When he decided to enter politics for the first time as a candidate, it wasn't for city council or mayor or the state legislature but the U.S. Senate. It was 1996 and Nebraska hadn't elected a Republican to the position in 24 years.

Hagel won the seat by 15 percentage points even though he was going against the governor of Nebraska at the time -- Ben Nelson.

At the time he said, "It's an advantage for someone like me who has come out of nowhere. You can still sell retail politics in a state like this. You can go one-on-one. You can shake hands and people can look you in the eye and say, I like this guy or I don't. I trust him or I don't trust him."