Senator Grounded Chuck steps in a quagmire of his own making.

A cutting edge genius from the Repansycans' emerging McPain faction sniffs the political winds and finds a path to becoming Grand Poobah.

A leading Republican senator (Ha! Wait...Sadly, that's true. - F.G.) and prospective presidential candidate said Sunday that the war in Iraq (search) has destabilized the Middle East and is looking more like the Vietnam conflict from a generation ago.

Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel (search), who received two Purple Hearts and other military honors for his service in Vietnam, reiterated his position that the United States needs to develop a strategy to leave Iraq.

Hell, Chuck. John Kerry got three Purple Hearts. You just weren't trying.

Hagel scoffed at the idea that U.S. troops could be in Iraq four years from now at levels above 100,000, a contingency for which the Pentagon is preparing.

"We should start figuring out how we get out of there," Hagel said on "This Week" on ABC. "But with this understanding, we cannot leave a vacuum that further destabilizes the Middle East. I think our involvement there has destabilized the Middle East. And the longer we stay there, I think the further destabilization will occur."

Hagel said "stay the course" is not a policy. "By any standard, when you analyze 2 1/2 years in Iraq ... we're not winning," he said. (Thanks to CNSNews and Fox News for the heads up.)

Another Vietnam veteran who thinks he knows what it was all about. Those who forget history are doomed...oh, just forget it.