Summary: At a November 2008 forum at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) leveled harsh criticism at the GOP, the lack of intellectual curiosity among some Republican members of Congress, the Bush administration’s handling of nearly every aspect of governance, and the conservative radio voices that dictate the GOP agenda (“We’re educated by the great entertainers like Rush Limbaugh”). But Hagel offered praise for Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.