From The Washington Post:

But with McCain appearing increasingly isolated on the issue as public opinion has turned overwhelmingly against the war, Hagel is acting like a politician who believes his stock is climbing. In other words, he is considering a White House run.

Hagel said in a wide-ranging interview this week that he is discussing his options with his family and other confidants and will make a decision in the next six weeks.

He said one possibility is forming a presidential exploratory committee and — despite his outcast position within his party — seeking the Republican nomination. Or he may seek a third Senate term. Then again, he might take a more creative path.

This is not the first time that the Post has written a glowing profile of Hagel, and it probably won’t be the last. But it’s quite amazing how much things can change in a month. With rumors last month suggesting that Hagel was going to retire from politics, it now seems a near certainty that he is running for President.

Hagel has never been more relevant on the national scene as he is today. Since the President announced his policy two weeks ago, Hagel has been on the national news nearly every night - denouncing the war in language even more forceful than most leading Democrats.

Hagel is a fascinating study. He is one of the most partisan Republicans in the Senate, yet he is reviled by his own party. He is, in many ways, as this article suggests, the antithesis of Joe Lieberman. And though in many other areas I find I cannot stand the man, in matters of foreign policy, I rarely find myself in disagreement.

If nothing else, his run will expose the Republican Party on Iraq. He’s a dangerous candidate, and we’d be foolish not to take him seriously, but the true believers in the Republican Party seem to regard him with the same amount of disdain that most Democrats give Lieberman.