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Subscribe to RSSMultiple sources on Capitol Hill and in key special-interest groups involved in national security issues say they have been told to be prepared for a Chuck Hagel nomination for Defense Secretary, either as early as Monday or perhaps more likely Tuesday of next week.
Related: Former Sen. Chuck Hagel apologizes for gay comment
While it's still possible for the president to have a change of heart, all signs are pointing to a Hagel nomination.
When President Barack Obama returns to Washington this weekend, he will still have two big cabinet posts to fill and the current favorite for Secretary of Defense – Chuck Hagel – is taking heat on a range of issues. Obama 2012 traveling press secretary Jen Pskai and former RNC Chairman Michael Steele discuss.
That said, a White House spokesperson tells NBC News pretty emphatically that the president has not made a final decision and does not expect the president to make a final decision until he gets back from Hawaii.
The White House spokesperson adds, the "chatter" about Hagel-as-the-pick in the national-security and Capitol Hill communities is "premature." That said this spokesperson acknowledged Hagel is a "leading contender."
For what it's worth, the reason a lot of outside sources are being given a heads up on Hagel is that the White House knows if Hagel is indeed the president's choice, it's going to be a real fight.
President Obama responds to criticism of Chuck Hagel as a potential replacement for Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
Hagel's 2008 statement that "the Jewish lobby" intimidates many lawmakers has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle, and some have painted him as weak on defense issues. Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York, a top-ranking Jewish senator, passed on the opportunity to offer an endorsement for Hagel during an appearance on Meet the Press, while Republican Sen. John Cornyn called his positions on Iran and nuclear weapons "unacceptable."
Hagel also recently apologized for his 1998 opposition to an ambassadorial nominee whom he described as "openly, aggressively gay."
There are as many as 10 Democratic senators who could vote no, Capitol Hill sources say. But Hagel has some big backers besides the president who would become the key point people in getting Hagel over the finish line – Vice President Joe Biden and Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, both of whom are huge proponents of Hagel.
Asked on MSNBC’s Morning Joe about the opposition to Hagel, Obama political adviser David Axelrod defended the former Republican Nebraska senator.
“It speaks to the larger problem that we’re talking about, which is, we have to get the point, where, first of all, independence is admired and not discouraged, and we can disagree on some things and still work together on others,” Axelrod said. “And the notion that we demonize people because of a position that they’ve taken and disqualify them on that basis is what’s destroying the ability to get things done in this town.”
Dave Kaup / Reuters
Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) leaves a news conference in Omaha, Nebraska in this March 12, 2007, file photo.
Bottom line: It appears to be Hagel, but the White House says no final decision has been made.
News of the expected nomination was first reported by Foreign Policy magazine's The Cable blog.
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Israel practices the same Lebensraum policy the Nazi did.
Wow, that's a stretch.
While I disagree on certain social issues with Chuck Hagel, as a fellow Vietnam veteran I applaud his nomination for Secretary of Defense. He has always put the serviceman or woman first. That probably doesn't sit too well with the military-industrial complex. He is the opposite of Dick Cheney. Cheney could care less about the service men and women. His only thought was is it good for Halliburton. And let's face it. Dick Cheney started the Iraq War and basically ran it. He was a shadow Secretary of Defense. Chuck Hagel opposed the Iraq War.
He needs to demonstrate his support for Israel. The same way he renounced his comments on gays made two decades ago he needs to do the same for the comments made about Israel the same time.
Baloney!!!!! The well financed Neo-Con Israeli propaganda machine is just that and brings more damage, cost, and more, into our own Countries needs!!!
@thirdlife. Bull, his statement" I am a US Senator, not an Israel Senator" showes he cares more for us American taxpayers than lying Joe Liberman or Eric Cantor. Get it through you head, will you, we have problems here at home, Israel has their problems, let them slove theirs, we will solve ours.
And how or where is the money going to come from when we have to help Israel out of a war they started? Slime like you complain about the budget right now. Well thirdlife, care to answer where that money would come from? Didn't think so...
SallyAnnTypicalProgressiveMisinformedLoudmouth! Keep swilling that tea SallyAnn.
From Jan C. Scruggs: "Chuck Hagel was a prime target for the opposition. He was the talented second-in-command at the Veterans Administration, a decorated Vietnam War veteran and a highly respected appointee in the Reagan Administration. He was told that he should join the team opposing Lin’s design. If he did not join the opposition, he would be out of work. Friends at the White House would see to it that he would be fired. Most people would have caved. Hagel did not.
There are a few examples of stunning courage in Washington. Most are unheralded, this was one. Hagel said, “I serve at the pleasure of the President. If he fires me for supporting a design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, so be it."
With Sen. Kerry at State they both bring a non political ideology and understanding of wars especially of choice, like Gen. Shinseki brought to the VA finally while the Country still refuses to Sacrifice and the Obama Cabinet extend helping hands to the way under funded VA, while the (T)bags continue to berate as they seek to privatize that agency, when they can that will continue, to these two extremely important leadership rolls with common sense and extreme critical thought as to what this Country should be and once was thought of by most of the rest of the planet, perfect no, nobody is, but respected and highly experienced!
Myself: USN All Shore '67-'71 GMG3 Vietnam In Country '70-'71 who remembers well the well financed and political fight over 'The Wall' design and especially the language and more used by our brother 'Nam vets, much like today's especially coming from the heavily financed Neo-Con Israeli propaganda machines against Hagel, who were front and center for the politics of opposition, then like much they do took credit after it was built and became the most popular Memorial of Honor on the Mall and is to this day!
no wonder JimS supports Hagel- a liberal Republican anti-semite and hostile to America defending itself- the perfect lib candidate
Boy, Sanity must be the life of the party! Talk about a hoot!
Why should Israel have veto power over American defense?
Has a rethug ever nominated a dem , for a cab post?
3 things here : White, Male and a Bonus a Repukecan_John McCain and Lindsey Graham must be in heaven about this nomination.
Hagel? Why not?
One more poor choice by this President can hardly matter, and he may as well remain consistent. Hagel will do at least as well as Les Aspin did.
Why is it a bad choice,Ditto Head? Obama could nominate Halliburton Cheney and you and your fellow Heads would bitch..
He's a bad choice because of the following
1. Liberal -anti-national defense ideology
2. Anti- Semite who supports the destruction of Israel
3. Liberals like yourself approve of him
Larry Robinson, sure glad you are showing how low informed you are. Keep up the good work letting everyone know that the pukebags base are friggin idiots. 3 cheers for Larry...
Good job Larry! Hagel does, however, figure into the current administrations policy of reducing the US to a mediocre World power and the destruction of the only real democracy in the middle east.
SallyAnn- You are really offensive but typical for your stripe. Thanks for your tainted opinions.
There's a lot of comments on this subject by people that wouldn't know the difference between a uniform and a fence post.
And da forefathers doing flip flops in their graves. Whadda country.
Excellent choice for a person to trust and show whether the repub world has gone over the far right edge of their flat earth.
He's a bad choice because of the following
1. Liberal -anti-national defense ideology
2. Anti- Semite who supports the destruction of Israel
3. Liberals like yourself approve of him
Larry is over the edge, will he pull the rest over? By the way, most anti-Jewish are repubs and more so with their Southern strategy...I have known many repubs and very few want to say nice things about Jews. They felt pretty much the same way about Catholics and Mormons at one time too, my what a convuluted history of republican religion attitudes.
that's a lie- the largest support for Israel comes from conservative Evangelicals- Even liberal publications run articles on this fact.
And almost two-thirds of evangelical Christians say they support Israeli actions towards ''Palestinian terrorism'', compared with 54 percent of the general population, according to the survey, which was released by Stand For Israel, a six-month-old spin-off of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ).
''The single strongest group for Israel in the United States, apart from Jews, is conservative Christians,'' declared Ralph Reed, co-chairman of Stand for Israel and former executive director of the Christian Coalition. He also noted that 80 percent of self-identified Republicans also favor military action against Baghdad.
The survey, which included 1,200 respondents contacted last week, tends to confirm the findings of similar polls over the last several years that have shown strong support for Israel on the part of evangelical Christians, who together make up about one third of the U.S. adult population.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/1010-02.htm
Over the past two-plus decades Christian right organizations in the United States have become the most diehard of supporters of Israel.
http://gaytoday.com/garchive/people/070102pe.htm
More than 3,400 evangelical Christians have arrived in Washington to lobby lawmakers as part of the first annual summit of Christians United for Israel.
Delegates have come from all 50 states and have 280 meetings on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Pastor John Hagee said.
Pastor Hagee, the main organiser, said the event was the first of its kind.
"For the first time in the history of Christianity in America, Christians will go to the Hill to support Israel as Christians," he said.
Research by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life last year found that evangelical Christians were more likely to support Israel than any other religious group in America besides Jews. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5193092.stm
Larry,
liberals are good at making things up based on the few people they know.
Larry and GCCal, it isn't making anything up when people point out how low informed and stupid the GOP base is. You people just keep proving it. Kind of like the bunny of the battery comericals, "just keeps on giving." Fits you people to a T.
Sally - anytime you want to compare education and career achievement I am happy to engage
There you go again, Sally.........making things up. More proof that liberals and maybe a liberal porporting to be a independent make things up to prove their rendition of the facts.
Larry, republicans lost any trust in their polls a couple months ago on election day. You guys can spin what you want and Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck (all college dropouts, too much morals and ethics for them to handle) will love you all the more for it. Liberals are objective, you guys are just manipulated and racist, including your WASP hate for Jews which many of you hide. You shouldn't use people so much buddy, I know that is a tough characteristic for cons to shake. Con saying "use a person a day and it will keep the doctor away."
I'm not a Republican, I'm a libertarian- Republicans are in general Socialists while the Democrats are in general, communists.
As to the Jews, I love the Jewish people and the State of Israel. So much so that in 1989 I was offered an officers commission in the IDF through Mossad. After much deliberation and with regret, I turned down that offer because of my children and their age at the time.
Nor am I a racist, being married to a wonderful woman who is hispanic/black mix.
What an idiotic remark from a man who thinks so much of himself but has such little support.
The media, so biased for libs, makes this a big issue when it is quite the opposite. Boehner was completely correct in halting the blind passage of a 60 BILLION dollar piece of legislation. I know most of you have no comprehension of money but that is a LOT of OUR money. Unlike libs, and dems in general, that passed Obamacare and Dodd/Frank without the slightest idea of what was in them, Boehner wants the legislators to be knowledgeable about what they are spending money on....OH! that's what they are supposed to do! Thanks Boehner.
On the other hand, we may want to investigate how and where this "disaster" money is appropriated instead of, again, blindly passing money out the door because it sounds good. Just came back to TX from the East coast; did you know FEMA employees travel and stay in 40+ ft. long LUXURY motorcoaches? With the FEMA logo emblazoned on the sides no less. Wouldn't it be nice if the fed government gave us those kinds of perks? All that to say that we need far more oversight and discussion on where our money goes and for what.
Your right dansu.....liberals loath knowledgeable information.
Here's to all the dumb Jews and gays who supported Obama. How do you like the payback?
Hagel voted against designating both Hezbollah–which murdered hundreds of Americans–and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as terrorist groups, and he opposed sanctions against Iran. Priceless.
After Obama goes after our guns he will go for immigration reform, but not until the mid-term elections. He'll propose a wide open policy and an easy path to citizenship to rally the Hispanics (whom he manipulates like gays, Jews, and women) to try to make gains in Congress.
Here's his agenda:
I have never seen anything in Sen. Hagel that tells me he has any capacity to be Sec. of Defense. In my view, he's just plain unqualified.
Unfotunately, I guess qualifications don't matter. If they did, Obama would never have made even a Community Organizer.
By the way, this just in:
A study group recently released its findings as to the best president of the
United States of America.
Obama has been rated as the 4th best president ever:
10 tied for first, 15 presidents tied for second, 18 tied
for third, and Obama came in fourth.
GCCal, That there is funnY! I don't care who you are. Hey, SallyAnn, you gotta see this bucketmouth.
The White House really trains their people to speak with a silver double tongue, just like their leader.
@GCCal, yep, they got that way after listening to Bush and Cheney for 8 years. But you didn't complain then, did you? Just saying...
C'mon Sally get with the times......those were different times with different people. The people in the White House are a new set of stooges. Did I complain..............many times, but then you seem to think you know exactly how other people think and react.
The only stooges around are the people who forget recent history and how we got into this mess!
Crooks will always be crooks.....
.
President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign has been fined $375,000 by the Federal Election Commission for reporting violations related to a set of donations received during the final days of the campaign.
The fines are among the largest ever levied on a presidential campaign by the FEC and stem from a series of missing filings for nearly 1,200 contributions totaling nearly $1.9 million. Campaigns are required to file the reports during the final weeks of the campaign.
Obama campaign spokeswoman Katie Hogan said the 2008 campaign had more than 3 million donors and "the very few outstanding questions have now all been resolved."
© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Let's see how quick this jerk switches positions on gays. He'll be giving big hugs by the end of the week.
How about that retired admiral that was a PA democrat senator or ret General Wesley Clark or Colin Powell? The repubs probaby want the ret General that had his Rolling Stone interview uninententionally end his career, so they can try a military coup. They probably would take Dick Cheney too or some other retired contractor CEOs. Hey bet Allen West would like that job and be approved by the repubs in a nanosecond.
Reading this blog is a real downer. I'm convinced that this country will never recover from the hate and division that exists today. I thank Obama for his class warfare that set classes and races against each other. People want a government that will support them and they have no thoughts about how it will be financed. I can see the riots now when we fail like Greece and the government announces that they can no longer pay.
Still think Jane Fonda, a true American patriot with sophisticated defense knowledge to protect the USA, should be nominated for SOD.
Still think Jane Fonda, a true American patriot with sophisticated defense knowledge to protect the USA, should be nominated for SOD.
Let's see... hates gays. Hates Jews.
Defends Hamas. Defends Hezbollah. Defends Iran.
I can see why Hagel would be Obama's choice...
...
Here's a question for all my liberal friends;
Since when do you support Jew-hating homophobe, Neanderthal bigots for positions in the president's cabinet? Is this the new 'cool' over there in New York and San Francisco?
I'm not talking to the guys posting here who work for Hagel, just normal liberals who actually have real opinions about these things. So do you support a Jew-hating homophobe Neanderthal for the position of Secretary of Defense?
Who's Obama going to nominate for secretary of the treasury, Reverend Jeremiah Wright?
...
Oh, yeah, and he also voted against abortions! Chuck Hagel voted against a measure in the Senate expressing support for Roe vs Wade, and a bunch of other bills on abortion as well.
He disagreed with the nomination of one aggressively gay man 20 (twenty) years or so ago. Unless you are a revision historian, being gay at that time, especially in a higher level Federal government appointment was frown upon, to say it kindly. So try as you probably will, that doesn't make him a gay hater.
President Bush's inner circle also tried to ruin him for opposing their policies just like they did Kerry and McCain. He would have made a better GOP candidate in 2012 than the heard of oddballs they ran.
About the only republican you can trust to do this job honestly.