Chuck Hagel [3], "the retiring Nebraskan senator - a prominent Iraq War [4] critic - is the Republican expected to join the Democratic Party [5]’s presidential nominee (Barack Obama [6]) on what is sure to be a closely watched visit to the region. ... Republicans have sought to make an issue of Obama’s scarcity of visits to Iraq a campaign issue ... . Hagel’s potential bipartisan alliance with Obama would be an interesting contrast to the relationship shared by McCain [7] and 2004 Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Sen. Joe Lieberman [8] of Connecticut, an Independent who caucuses with Democrats. Lieberman is supporting McCain in the White House campaign because of their mutual support of the ongoing war and like-mindedness on foreign policy and national security matters."