Chuck Hagel is the senior Senator from Nebraska. A critic of the Bush Administration's handling of the Iraq War, Hagel had at one time been a rumored candidate for president in 2008, but instead announced that he would simply retire from the Senate when his term is up in 2009. According to media reports, Hagel might be tapped by President Barack Obama for a role in his new Cabinet.MLive.com: Secretary of State post looms large (November 6, 2008)
Military and Political Background
Hagel was a Sergeant in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1968, and served in Vietnam where he received, among other medals, the Purple Heart. After working in Washington DC for a time as a congressional staffer, lobbyist and organizer, he was named Deputy Administrator of Veteran Affairs by President Ronald Reagan.
Career in Business
Hagel became a millionaire after founding the mobile phone company Vanguard Cellular. He also served as president of the investment banking firm The McCarthy Group and as chairman and CEO of voting machine manufacturer American Information Systems, Inc.
Senate
Hagel defeated former Nebraska Governor Ben Nelson to win his Senate seat in 1996. He promised during the campaign to retire in 2008, after serving two terms.
Since 2005, Hagel has been a vocal critic of George W. Bush and his Iraq War policies. He has argued for a timetable for withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, and says he would vote with the Democrats should such a bill be proposed. Along with Senators Joe Biden and Carl Levin, he voted to declare Bush's "surge" proposal as "not in the national interest."
