Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs has temporarily made available to non-subscribers a 2004 essay from Hagel. Here's a synopsis by the editors that lays out Hagel's worldview and priorites:

Leadership in the Global Economy: "The rule of law, property rights, advances in science and technology, and large increases in worker productivity all have contributed to the United States' leading edge in global markets."

Do Not Ignore Global Energy Security: "Discussions of U.S. energy policy are often detached from economic and foreign policy. The United States has an interest in assuring stable and secure supplies of oil and natural gas."

Security Interests are Connected to Alliances, Coalitions, and International Institutions : "A Republican foreign policy must view alliances and international institutions as extensions of our influence, not as constraints on our power."

Support Democratic and Economic Reform, Especially in the Greater Middle East: "We cannot lose the war of ideas. In many developing countries and throughout the Muslim world, we are witnessing an intracivilizational struggle, driven in part by the generational challenges of demography and development."

Focus on the Western Hemisphere: "The process of economic integration that began with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) must evolve into a comprehensive program for the entire western hemisphere. Energy, trade, transportation, and immigration, as well as terrorism and illegal narcotics, are all critical to our national security interests."

Work with Allies to Combat Poverty and the Spread of Disease Worldwide: "This is one of the core challenges of governance in the developing world. Avian flu, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other possible pandemics can begin as acute crises in Africa and Asia but quickly acquire global reach and implications."

Strong and Imaginative Public Diplomacy: "The coin of the realm for leadership is trust and confidence, and popular discontent and questioning of U.S. foreign policy intentions will undercut our efforts in the war on terrorism and initiatives in the greater Middle East."

This agenda, frankly, would not have been the least bit controversial had it been offered in the summer of 2000. Indeed, it echoes very strongly Condoleezza Rice's own essay from 2000 that became the first coherent expression of George W. Bush's foreign policy agenda. But as Bush's policy evolved to become more aggressive, such a memo four years later would've been seen as a critique of Bush and his party's foreign policy leadership.

In some ways, Obama's Hagel nomination is a reminder of President Dwight Eisenhower, the great Republican president who exemplifies the leadership style that made the GOP the most trusted party on foreign policy for decades. Indeed, writes David Ignatius, Hagel is a great admirer of Eisenhower: "a war hero whose skepticism toward the military is a model for Hagel's own."