What if Chuck Hagel ran as an Independent?

Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska said he would consider entering the 2008 presidential campaign as an independent.

An independent bid "is possible," Hagel, 60, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television's "Political Capital with Al Hunt". "I don't ever foreclose any options." He will decide in the next few months whether to run for a third Senate term, pursue the presidency or leave politics altogether, he said.

I can count the number of Republicans I like on one hand. Chuck Hagel is one those Republicans.

I'd like to see the Democrats in 2008 not only keep their majority in Congress but also significantly increase that majority.

I like Barack Obama, John Edwards and Bill Richardson.

The 10 men that are running for the Republican nomination for 2008 are quite frankly, in a word, pathetic. Fred Thompson, the half actor, half politician and full-time hillbilly from Tennessee, is a joke.

Chuck Hagel entering the race as an independent would be an interesting twist on the election in 2008. Where would he siphon the most votes from? It's not a given that he would draw more votes away from the Republican. In fact, I think the opposite would be the case.

Those who call themselves 'Republican' are down to 30%. Those numbers have been plummeting since 2002. After the next 18 months of George W. Bush it will be lower than that.

People calling themselves 'Democrat' is around 37%. 'Independents' are at around 33%. A significant majority of those 33% of independents are not going to be voting for another Republican for quite some time after eight years of George Bush.

That would obviously mean that a third party candidate will draw votes away from the Democratic candidate.

I could stomach a President Hagel. He's definitely a unique type of Republican. He has integrity. He's one of a very few Republicans who admits he was wrong on invading Iraq.

I like Barack - Even if he doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting elected.

Of course, all this is off if Russ Feingold can be persuaded to run. I want to vote for the only Senator out of the entire 100 who had the courage, and the integrity, to vote against the Patriot Act. And of course, Feingold vehemently opposed our needless invasion of Iraq.

After eights years of the most miserable administration in our country's history, we deserve someone with some honor and integrity.

There could be a lot worse than Chuck Hagel. Especially with a Democratic supermajority in Congress.

But Hagel ain't Feingold either.