Jenna Bush and Henry Hager: We Wish Them Well: Here's Why

As everyone should know, First Daughter Jenna Bush is to wed Mr. Henry Hager, a frequent and long-term subject of this blog, later today in a private family ceremony at the Bush Ranch near Crawford, Texas. We approve of Miss Bush's and her family's decision to hold a family wedding in Texas because it shows respect to the American people when our nation is at war.

Although we have called upon Mr. Henry Hager at least to consider volunteering for military service [assuming he is eligible, which we do], it is clear that we have not been successful in this effort, which we now conclude. He has made his decision, and we must respect it.

On the other hand, Mr. Hager is about to graduate [or already has] from business school and plans to reside with his new bride in the Baltimore area, working in private business. It is therefore also clear that Mr. Hager does not aspire to national leadership. This decision by Mr. Hager also shows respect to the American people and their needs and desires in this area.

All over America, local communities, regions and states depend on solid citizens who care about the future. Although Mr. Hager has rightly decided to forego a role in national leadership, we hope that he and his new bride will be involved in their new community.

We wish them well as they begin their life together.

Virginians Choose New Leadership; We Know Why.

It should not surprise any longtime reader of this blog that the Republican Party of Virginia, under the 'leadership' of John Hager, the father of Jenna Bush's fiance Henry Hager, lost control of the Virginia State Senate in the November 6 General Election.

In our opinion, Henry Hager's desire for Noblesse - recognition as a future leader of his community, State and Nation - without the Oblige - setting a good example for the rest of us - certainly contributed to his Party's defeat.

Frankly, Operation Yellow Elephant is disappointed in Henry Hager and his contemporaries in President Bush's Party. Had they chosen to fulfill their responsibilities, or explain their other choices, the people of Virginia might have recognized good qualities in them.

Just look at the Republican Party of Virginia's website. It's tired; you'd never know that Virginians just elected their State Legislature again. Scroll over to the right to see Our Magic Word. [Seriously.]

Dialogue with Robert Hamer

We appreciate Robert Hamer's interest in our topic. Here are some answers to his questions in the comments on the Nov. 6 post:

Fair enough, OYE, but if you don't feel it necessary to "ask the question" to Mrs. Malkin, why do you often "ask the question" of the Bush twins, specifically Jenna? Is it because they're the President's daughters, or they're younger, or some other reason?

OYE Comment:

Rarely have we specifically Asked The Question of Ms. Jenna Bush, though we have reported on real Americans' doing so, and her Answer. [Karl wrote a polite letter to Ms. Bush c/o The White House and received a standard, non-substantive acknowledgement.] We have not Asked The Question of the other Bush twin, Ms. Barbara Bush.

Let's face it: Ms. Jenna Bush is extremely well known among young Americans, to the point that many military recruiters told Prof. Charles Moskos of Northwestern University, one of our nation's leading military sociologists and author of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, that enlisting Ms. Jenna Bush in our military would be the single greatest way of supporting military recruitment for the Global War on Terror. Prof. Moskos has therefore endorsed military service by both Ms. Jenna Bush and Ms. Chelsea Clinton (on whom we are preparing a posting).

Our First Couple has twin daughters and no sons; the American people, and therefore this blog, have focused on Jenna Bush as the person closest to Our President who appears eligible and could consider volunteering for military service.

For well over a year, we have focused even more on her beau, now fiance, Mr. Henry Hager. Frankly, when Henry Hager asked President Bush for Jenna's hand in marriage, President Bush should have told him to Be A Man! Enlist! and then come back and see him. In other words, the Oblige should come before the Noblesse. We will continue to Ask The Question of Mr. Henry Hager until he answers it or decides to Man Up!

I also find it a little unfair to call on ALL all healthy heterosexuals 41 and younger. While it is true that nothing should stop Mitt Romney's sons from signing up, I've also seen plenty of war supporters who are obviously not cut out for something like fighting a war. The military is an environment that very few people can adjust to, and if someone simply can not handle it, I won't harbor any ill feelings toward them.

OYE Comment:

We agree.

Technically, we ask all real Americans eligible to serve [healthy heterosexuals 41-or-under], who support the war, to consider volunteering for military service in the Global War on Terror, even if they plan other careers later in life. We also ask them to share the results of their deliberations, or explain why they won't even consider volunteering, in the same manner as their public support of the war.

We recognize that military service is not for everyone, for a wide variety of reasons. But it takes some form of courage at least to consider the military when our country is supposedly at war, and also to be honest with yourself. You can see on this blog, e.g., here and here, where we have thanked people at least for thinking about it. Obviously, some who think about it will find the courage within themselves to Be A Man! Enlist!

I'm not trying to be dick or anything, I'm just trying to figure out what exactly qualifies someone as a "Yellow Elephant."

OYE Comment:

A Yellow Elephant is someone eligible to serve [healthy heterosexual 41-or-under] who supports the war only if "other people" actually fight it. In other words, a Yellow Elephant refuses even to consider volunteering for military service in the war he 'supports.'

Steve Gilliard's An Honest Conversation says it best.

In our opinion, those not personally eligible to serve, who support the war, have an obligation to encourage their eligible relatives and friends, their circles of influence, to volunteer. Of course, the decision remains with each individual. But, if Mitt Romney cannot even ask his five sons to consider military service, well, what kind of a national 'leader' would he be?

There are also some political Yellow Elephants who continue to support the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy without personally encouraging real American heterosexuals to Be A Man! Enlist! In other words, hypocrisy. Given ongoing recruiting challenges, welcoming the voluntary service of non-heterosexuals is, frankly, a no-brainer.

Also, you call on all healthy heterosexuals 41 and younger to "Be A Man! Enlist!" Let's say they decided to "Be A Man! Get Commissioned!" instead? Does that still count?

Yes.

A 'Decoration' for Henry Hager

From Two-Fisted Tees:

Decorated Paintball Veteran

Perfect gift for those yellow elephants who support the war in Iraq, but can't conceive of actually fighting in it.

And a very warm welcome to Operation Yellow Elephant to Two-Fisted Tees!

Henry Hager: Are You Ready to Be A Man!?

Even this American patriot has Answered The Question.

Jenna and The Question: Asked and Answered

From Time Magazine: 10 Questions for Jenna Bush:

Question: If the war in Iraq is so noble, why aren't you and your sister serving our country there? —Donald Pence, San Francisco

Answer: I understand that point, but there are many ways to serve our country, and I think my skills are better suited for teaching and representing the U.S. in Latin America through UNICEF. I respect the men and women of our country who are over there fighting. It is an unbelievably selfless thing to do. But if people really thought about it, they would know it's not even a practical question.

OYE's follow-up:

-- And what about Henry Hager?

-- Don't you want to marry a Man in Uniform?

-- At least a guy with enough balls to Answer The Question, as you have?

-- Rather than depending on his friend Media Lizzy to defend him?

Hat tip to Huffington Post.

Henry Hager in High Society

Here's the Washington Post on the Hager family:

The nation's first family tree is about to gain a new branch. The future in-laws, it turns out, are not unlike the Bushes.

Henry Hager, 29, who was engaged to Jenna Bush, 25, in August, hails from a world of good breeding and foregone conclusions. His parents, who live in the West End of Richmond, are staples of their society. Like the Bushes, with their prominent forebears and their best schools, the Hagers are a Good Family, in the old sense of the phrase.

So much about the Hager family reminds you of how things used to be.

Like many old cities, Richmond has changed -- and it hasn't. Many of the trappings of the Hagers' lives pay homage to the way Richmond once was. Henry's parents, John and Maggie [above], are regulars on the cocktail party circuit and members of the Country Club of Virginia near their house. Margaret Chase Hager, 66, the product of prep schools and Richmond's debutante culture, was raised by an almost mythic woman who -- as one of Henry Hager's first cousins remembers it -- rode sidesaddle on a white horse she called Lady Godiva, and never wore a pair of pants in her life.

(Somehow, Good Families always have good legends.)

John, 71, formerly Virginia's lieutenant governor, has for decades been part of a small group of Republican-leaning business leaders in Richmond who recruit and fund local and state politicians. Statewide, he is the ubiquitous John Hager, known for attending the smallest of gatherings on the chicken dinner circuit (and always writing thank-yous).

Recently he was elected chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, a position in which his networking and fundraising talents will no doubt come in handy.

OYE Comment:

Even the Washington Post social page chose to skip John Hager's service in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves, which is mentioned in his official biography, to avoid calling attention to his son Henry's conspicuous failure even to consider doing so.

But Real Americans aren't fooled. Look at the Comments.

Media Lizzy on Henry Hager

Here's what Lizzy Blackney of Media Lizzy says about Henry Hager (above, left), whom she knows personally:

"The first time I met Henry Hager in the summer of 2000, he was escorting his father John, then the Lt. Governor of Virginia. John Hager, formerly an Assistant Secretary of Education - and current Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, was - and remains - confined to a wheelchair. I was assisting them in navigating the convention venues, from parking to just getting in and out of buildings through the proper security keyhole, during the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia. Henry's youth was an asset, his strength of mind, body, and spirit was an asset. I was pretty horrified that no one had thought to make proper arrangements for Lt. Gov. Hager and his family but Henry assured me we could handle anything that came. He was a very young man at the time but was a consummate professional, and loving son. I helped fix things for them but it was Henry, whose poise after a life of making things work for the family, who I admire from Philly. The entire Hager family was and remains an inspiration to me. Forget politics, they are just good people - who take care of each other. So when the folks at Operation Yellow Elephant challenge him to be a man, I'll tell you what: Henry Hager already is, has been for a long time. Jenna Bush is one very lucky young lady." -Lizzy Blackney.

OYE Comment:

Operation Yellow Elephant agrees with Media Lizzy that Henry Hager is a fine person, etc., and certainly wishes him and his fiancee Jenna Bush (above, right) a wonderful and happy life together.

However, we continue to believe that as a young man eligible to serve, and a future national leader, whose support of President Bush can be presumed, Henry Hager has a responsibility to set a good example for the rest of us at least by considering volunteering for military service.

We've Asked The Question of Mr. Hager on multiple occasions, including via Media Lizzy, and have yet to receive any response.

If Henry Hager really is a Man, couldn't he at least explain to the American people whether he has considered volunteering for military service, which his future father-in-law has described as an "honorable calling," and to share with America the results of his deliberations?

New Americans Join Operation Yellow Elephant!

Here's an awful story from New York.

After his unit was extended in Iraq, U.S. Army CPL Juan Alcantara was denied permission to travel home to New York City for the birth of his child. CPL Alcantara was killed in action weeks later without ever seeing his daughter Jaylani (above, right).

Money quote from CPL Alcantara's mother:

Alcantara's mother, Maria Alcantara, and [his fiancee, Sayonara] Lopez both scolded President Bush and the Army for refusing to allow the young soldier to return home for the birth of his child.

"I hate Bush and I hate this war because if it wasn't for him [the extension] he'd be here with me," Lopez said. "People are losing families for no reason."

Maria Alcantara shared Lopez's disgust.

"The war is never going to end and it can't be won," the mom said in Spanish. "They should enlist Bush's family."

CPL Alcantara and his family immigrated to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic.

Here's more from The Indypendent:

[ . . . ] Nothing would end this war, and the funerals that accompany it, faster than a special draft for all the children and grandchildren of the political leaders who started the war and keep it going. And once in the military, they should be assigned to a special unit that carries out only the hardest and most dangerous assignments — call it the “Baghdad Brigade”.

Start with the hard-partying Bush twins Barbara and Jenna — who can ship off with her new fiancé Henry Hager, the son of a prominent Virginia Republican — and make sure Chelsea Clinton is at their side, along with Alexandra Pelosi. And don’t forget Mitt Romney’s five able-bodied sons or Rudy Giuliani’s two college-age children and all the other adult-age spawn of presidential contenders who offer one reason or another why the war must go on. (With the U.S. Army having upped the enlistment age to a seasoned 42 [OYE Comment: 41-or-under] to stem declining recruitment rates, we can also draft some of the politicians themselves.) Since we are told this is going to be a “long war,” don’t forget to scoop up the children of the Congress members who authorized the invasion of Iraq at the height of the 2002 election season and who continue to fund the war at the rate of more than $100 billion per year.

And if still more boots are needed on the ground, this special draft could be extended to the children of Republican Party political operatives, corporate war profiteers and the armchair generals in such right-wing think tanks as the American Enterprise Institute who continue to clamor for the war.

Let all these children of privilege fight the “terrorists” in places like Sadr City, Ramadi, Baquba, Tel Afar and Salman Pak while their relatives hang on to the words of every email or phone call knowing they might be the last. And when this special Baghdad Brigade is on the verge of leaving Iraq (as Juan Alcántara was), let their tour of duty be extended another three months.

Of course, the war would probably be over by then.

Henry Hager: Be A Man! Enlist!

Thus far, he's certainly no Prince Harry.

He guarded Jenna's chastity; now let him guard Route Irish

Henry Hager
Office of the Secretary
U.S. Department of Commerce

Dear Mr. Hager,

From what I've read, you're a fine young man, the kind of young man that our nation's children should look to as a role model. Your life hasn't been easy. With all the road blocks erected by political correctness and affirmative action programs, it's become very difficult for a white, upper class, conservative Christian man like yourself to make your mark on the world. A look at all of the trials through which you've suffered is proof of that, yet you've prevailed.

I can't imagine how humiliating it must have been for you, a tobacco heir and the son of a lieutenant governor, to, upon graduation from college, be forced to first work as a White House intern before being given the job of representing the Secretary of Commerce at important inter-agency meetings. It's almost like class doesn't matter anymore.

Still, you took it all in stride and performed your lowly White House duties with dignity. Now you're in a position to do even greater things, and I'm not only referring to your vigilant guardianship of the first daughter's virginity. I believe that there is something even more important that you can do for your country--you can serve it as a military officer in Iraq.

Certainly, as a true, patriotic conservative and a man whose loyalty to Our Leader is without question--after all He trusts you with His greatest treasure, Jenna's chastity--you understand the importance of our struggle in Iraq. You may also be aware that our military is suffering from a recruitment crisis. They need bright, educated men like yourself.

Your country is calling you. Hear its pleas and volunteer for military duty in Iraq.

Heterosexually yours,

Gen. JC Christian, patriot