Word: hagel
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...presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama started his second day in Afghanistan in a thoroughly American manner: a breakfast of bacon and eggs. He dined with American troops on a military base in the capital, Kabul, with his congressional traveling companions, Senators Chuck Hagel and Jack Reed. As they ate they were joined by soldiers from their respective states - Illinois, Nebraska and Rhode Island - for convivial conversations about what was going on in Afghanistan, life back at home, and the presidential campaign. "The food was good, but the companionship and friendship was even better," says Lt. Col. David Johnson...
...surprise that Obama reached out to Reed again last month, as he was beginning to plan a return trip to Iraq - this time as the presumptive Democratic nominee, running on a promise to get the troops out. Reed and another Army veteran - Republican Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, who received two Purple Hearts in Vietnam - will accompany Obama, not only to Iraq, but also to Afghanistan, where Obama has pledged to intensify the miliary effort...
...While the details of their trip have been kept secret (indeed, the Obama campaign has refused to even publicly confirm that he is going), Obama's choice of traveling companions is telling. Both Hagel and Reed have been vocal advocates for troop withdrawal, though they split over the initial vote to authorize President Bush to use military force to oust Saddam Hussein, with Reed opposing the invasion and Hagel supporting it. Both carry enormous influence on military issues on Capitol Hill and have strong ties to the Pentagon. Obama's invitation of Hagel is also meant to send a signal...
...Obama aides also say there is good chemistry in this group. Hagel and Obama serve together on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, have worked in tandem on nonproliferation issues and once even came across each other by happenstance traveling on congressional business in Russia. Reed and Obama have not only consulted on Iraq, but collaborated on legislation involving West Africa - a significant number of Reed's Rhode Island constituents have roots in Liberia - and enhancing middle school education in this country...
...Bank. Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be a sprint across Europe, with stops planned for Berlin, Paris and London. And somewhere in all this, Obama plans to make a much-anticipated visit to Iraq and Afghanistan with two Senate colleagues, Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Republican Chuck Hagel of Nebraska...