BREAKING

Obama To Nominate Hagel for Defense Secretary

Virtually ensures a contentious confirmation fight

Jan 6, 2013 by David Mark

Editor-in-Chief t

Image: AP.

After the wrenching fiscal cliff fight President Barack Obama isn't shying away from more confrontation with Congress. He's going ahead with the nomination of Chuck Hagel for defense secretary, Politico reports.

The former NE senator, a Republican, has drawn criticism from pro-Israel groups, gay rights organizations and several Democratic interest groups. And prominent Republicans have voiced strong opposition since Hagel's vetting for the job was reported five weeks ago.

Upon winning an open NE Senate seat in 1996 in his first bid for political office, Hagel voted a conservative line. But he veered left as he approached his second term. Though Hagel backed the 2002 Iraq war resolution he quickly became a leading critic of GOP President George W. Bush's policies there. National Review even dubbed the Hagel "Sen. Skeptic (R., France)".

Advocates for Israel have a variety of policy disagreements with Hagel, but one of their biggest concerns may be his frank and unflattering public assessments of their work and role in Washington.

"The political reality is ... that the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here," Hagel told former Mideast peace negotiator Aaron David Miller in a 2006 interview. "I have always argued against some of the dumb things they do because I don't think it's in the interest of Israel. I just don't think it's smart for Israel."

That quote hasn't been forgotten.

Susan Turnbull, a former Maryland Democratic Party chair and as deputy chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, who currently chairs Jewish Women International, wrote on Facebook, "Calling a group 'the Jewish lobby' is the equivalent of anti-semitism 2.0. His knee jerk views are often worrisome. Just my humble opinion.....sorry Mr. President - isn't there anyone else?"

Via Politico.

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Comments (view in Forum)

Jan '13

DARSB

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The objections to Senator Hagel's nomination would make more sense if he was up for Secretary of State. I think he'd make a fine SecDef.
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Jan '13

PNWest

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The President has reached across the aisle to nominate a republican for Secretary of Defense. Will the GOP members of the Senate even accept this? Who knows. He should be confirmed. 20 years ago this would have been a no brainer.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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What would the new year be without a contentious nomination fight?
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Jan '13

PoliticalSpice

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That's the spirit! If we get nothing else from government at least give us an entertaing drama to watch!
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@PoliticalSpice

CSPAN, the original reality TV drama!
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Jan '13

DARSB

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@woodtick57 CSPAN limits itself to DC politics, not hardly "reality" if you know what I mean.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@DARSB

From what I've seen of 'reality TV drama', that is hardly reality either. i think we have changed the definition of reality...

Kind of like the word 'literally'....
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Jan '13

kirbstomp1

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Someone who will tell Israel what is up. Hopefully Hagel sends over a few planes to blow up Israel and Palestine.
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Jan '13

PoliticalSpice

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I like that. A bi-partisan approach to mid-East problems.
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Jan '13

kirbstomp1

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@PoliticalSpice - im not a fan of having a huge military but damn of we got one why don't we make use of it to get rid of pest. Such as these 2 nations.
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Jan '13

PoliticalSpice

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@kirbstomp1 it goes against my position of having the u.s. mind its business, i prefer to let the fanatics on both sides kill each other. Use the spy satallites to provide weekly pay per veiw. Use the money to retire the national debt. Americans love to watch violence.
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Jan '13

Mogal

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@PoliticalSpice -Not to mention fancying themselves armchair warriors...
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@kirbstomp1

israel is a key player, and a perfect example of the Military/Industrial/Congressio nal Comples Ike wanted to warn us of.

(check the history of it, his original for his farewell speech had that wording, he was 'advised' to take out the 'Congressional' part, but the first two do not function without the funding from the latter...)

Congress authorizes billion$ of aid for Israel. much of it goes to buy defense contractors arms via the Us military. those huge lobbying groups donate to the relection campaigns of the congresspersons who voted for the aid, they vote for more Israeli aid...lather, rinse, repeat...

Ain't the Us grand?
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Jan '13

Ted_Rall

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Why should a Democratic president pick a Republican defense secretary? There are plenty of qualified liberals, like Dennis Kucinich. I don't remember any Republican presidents appointing Democrats to high cabinet posts.
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Jan '13

DARSB

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Cross-party appointments seem to be much more common than I'd have thought. http://goo.gl/Aw4GX
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Jan '13

FollowTheMoney

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Political capital isn't free, the debt is being repaid.
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Feb '13

mattfiller

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In response to the Hagel appointment FIlibuster, the President should appoint Dennis Kucinich as interim Defense Secretary. Bet that gets the Republicans back to Washington in a hurry to approve Hagel!

Whoever it is, a response of appointing an interim Secretary less acceptable to the minority whenever the Senate Filibusters a cabinet appointment would be an excellent precedent.
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Feb '13

ASISEEIT2

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"Why should a Democratic president pick a Republican defense secretary,...'you asked,"Whats in a name" A "Rino" in republican clothes,smells the same....
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Jan '13

kathyparsell

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Even if I don' necessarily agree with him; I admire him for having the cojones to act like the Republicans of old and stand up for what he believes in whether it is in line with his party or not. This man may actually do well as DS if his party will back him but I doubt they will.
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Jan '13

Fishbone345

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Anyone is better than the a55clown Rumsfeld. An actual monkey would do better. At least the shit flinging would be within character.
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Jan '13

Dan_Tien

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"Susan Turnbull, a former Maryland Democratic Party chair and as deputy chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, who currently chairs Jewish Women International, wrote on Facebook, "Calling a group 'the Jewish lobby' is the equivalent of anti-semitism 2.0" said the person of undefinable gender who holds indeterminate religious and political views who just happens to chair Jewish Women International.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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Funny! Some people can't see how religion distorts their views unless it is pointed out to them...
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Jan '13

Polusalo

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@woodtick57

Trust me, pointing it out to them rarely undistorts their views. They just start holding their breath, stomping their feet, saying they're right and you're wrong.
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Jan '13

FollowTheMoney

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More political posturing. I doubt the president expects conformation.
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Jan '13

thejimbo

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That hen keeps sitting over her eggs, when will they hatch?
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Jan '13

FollowTheMoney

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@jamesmitchell When it gives the most advantage to the party. The nation be damned. The president and his party owe a lot of political debt.
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Jan '13

PoliticalSpice

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I don't know enough to guess if confirmation will or won't happen, but I assume you are correct because of the nature of the dispute (e.g. Israel, a third rail of fireign policy), but does ut occur to you it could br more then posturing. Maybe a way of sending a message to the various parties in the midEast, a way to light a fire under their asses and make them stop Fing around?
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Jan '13

FollowTheMoney

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@PoliticalSpice Good point, "sending a message", I hadn't considered that angle.
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Jan '13

Romney_Rube

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Hagel is just another worthless RINO who is all about himself. With phony leaders like this, Nebraska continuously vies for super-commode status.
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Jan '13

thejimbo

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With one stick Obama pokes Benny Netanyahu and the GOP hawks in the eye. Cleverly done, Mr President!
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Jan '13

MadAmerican

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It sounds like he speaks his mind rather than his parties affiliation. This appears to be a decent nomination.
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Jan '13

TSS1970

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I am undecided about Chuck Hagel. Is he really anti-Israel? I need to learn more about him before I form an opinion about him.
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Jan '13

Food4thoughts

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Let the right tell it... *spoiler alert*...he has a swaztika tattoo on his chest
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Jan '13

DARSB

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There are those who interpret any criticism of Israel as "anti", either Israel, Semitic, or both. Senator Hagel is not part of the Support-Israel-No-Matter-What faction.
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Jan '13

TSS1970

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@DARSB You are right. It is possible to criticize Israel without being anti-Israel. So is Chuck Hagel anti-Israel, or is he just critical of some of their policies like I am?
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Jan '13

TSS1970

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@Food4thoughts I want to hear what Chuck Hagel has to say before I form an opinion about him. I'm not going to take the word of neoconservatives like John McCain and Lindsey Graham.
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Jan '13

DARSB

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@TSS1970 who cares? As the Secretary of Defense his job is to implement military policy, not negotiate treaties.

Here's the other consideration: the defense budget will be cut, the economics just don't support any other policy. I'd rather trust a decorated infantryman to keep those cuts from harming our troops in the field.
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Jan '13

OhWiseOne

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If you don't support the Israeli lobby, then you are an anti-Semite. If you are critical of them, then you are an anti-Semite. If you don't like the influence they have on this country, especially our foreign policy, then you are an anti-Semite. Blah, blah, blah. We need more people like him in our government. Ooops. I'll be called an anti-Semite now. Sticks and stones. Sticks and stones.
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Jan '13

Speedieg

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I'm not a fan of Hagel for some of his past statements, but he is qualified for the job. Having an opinion shouldn't disqualify you from a job as long as you follow the law or policy so I voted Yes.
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Jan '13

Ashstop

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He is anti-Israel , weak America, a natural for Obama's agenda but hopefully our republicans will represent the ones that elicited them
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Feb '13

ASISEEIT2

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I Agree with you
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Feb '13

ASISEEIT2

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Good response "Rino" Hagle is a perfect pick to stick it to the Jewish people, and to think the the Jewish people vote for the democrat party 90 percent of the time every election.... way to go!
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Jan '13

HankHemp

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It would be a more balanced cabinet. Of course the O wants him so the conservatives won't even vote for one of their own, so very sad. Shows what's wrong with our country.
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Politix

Should Chuck Hagel be confirmed as secretary of Defense?

Should Chuck Hagel be confirmed as secretary of Defense?