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Post by Jaga on Nov 1, 2008 22:17:34 GMT -7
We will have a report about it soon. Did you know that he has a Polish blood after his grandmother? He was there promoting his book. From what I have heard he sounded very smart and he is thinking about establishing a thir party. Here are some pictures from the visit:  Sen. Hagel addressing his remarks to the attentive audience.
Seated at right is Ambassador Robert Kupiecki. Sen. Hagel answering questions posed by moderator Cultural Counselor
Mariusz Brymora. |
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Post by Jaga on Nov 1, 2008 22:18:41 GMT -7
more from the visit:
The presentation, interview and discussion took place here at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland on September 17, 2008. The event was hosted by Ambassador Robert Kupiecki in cooperation with the Jan Karski Institute. A large audience was in attendance, which included many distinguished quests.
Sen. Hagel’s book honestly deals with confronting and solving many pressing problematic domestic issues affecting all of us. Leading the list is health care, immigration, Social Security, Medicaid, economic health of the country, the national debt, and our national security.
He also considers equally critical to us such global matters as the responsible conduct of our foreign policy, eradicating pervasive third world poverty, defeating terrorism, the Iraq War that has divided our country, stopping/controlling nuclear proliferation, maintaining mutually beneficial international organizations and military alliances, reaching out to the world’s youth, and the specter of global climate change.
During the extensive interview moderator Mariusz Brymora adroitly steered Sen. Hagel in direction of Poland. In response, Sen. Hagel emphatically made the point (noted in his book) that Poland was able to defend against communism because the communist were never able to strip the soul out of the Poles. Poland was the one nation that stubbornly clung to its religious faith and culture, which eventually defeated the communist.
During the ensuing Q&A session Sen. Hagel replied to a question about the recently concluded U.S. - Poland Missile Defense Agreement by saying that it troubled him…it seemed to be slapped together quickly before the present administration leaves office. He questioned if the risk/reward factor was completely thought out…if it was good for the Poles and the Czechs (also a party to the Agreement). Hagel said he was not 100% convinced that it’s a wise thing to do.
Upon attending the Embassy on October 2, 2007 Sen. Hagel, a friend and supporter of Poland and Polonia, was decorated with the Commander’s Cross - With Star, Of the Order of Merit, Of the Republic of Poland, by Ambassador Janusz Reiter. And now he has returned to present his seminal and profound tome dealing with many crucial matters affecting both the United States and the world.
No doubt that family matriarch - “Grandma Konkelewska” - who emigrated from greater-Poznan, Poland to Nebraska, would be justifiably proud of her accomplished great-grandson – Chuck Hagel – on both notable accounts.
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Post by Jaga on Nov 7, 2008 15:55:03 GMT -7
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Post by Jaga on Nov 21, 2008 18:44:08 GMT -7
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