E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSFormer Nebraska lawmaker, Chuck Hagel, is reportedly in line to be nominated for U.S. secretary of defense. NBC's Peter Alexander reports.
Senators on Sunday indicated a tough confirmation fight for former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama's reported pick to be the next Secretary of Defense.
On NBC's "Meet the Press," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that Republicans in the upper chamber would treat Hagel "fairly" but that his past statements on Israel and Iran will be subject to tough scrutiny.
"I think he'll be subjected to the same kind of oversight hearings that any nominee for such an important position would expect," McConnell said. "And his views with regard to Israel, for example, and Iran and all the other positions that he's taken over the years will be very much a matter of discussion in the confirmation process."
Sen. Angus King, who sits on the Armed Services Committee, previews the upcoming nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel to become secretary of state.
"I think there will be a lot of tough questions for Sen. Hagel, but he will be treated fairly by Republicans in the Senate," he added.
That statement fell short of McConnell's past praise for his fellow Republican, a Vietnam War veteran and Purple Heart recipient who served in the Senate for three terms. When Hagel left the Senate, McConnell called him "a clear voice on foreign policy and national security."
During a pre-taped appearance on ABC's "This Week," McConnell appeared to back off that view, saying only that Hagel has been "outspoken" on foreign policy issues. "The question we will be answering if he's the nominee is 'do his views make sense for that particular job?'" he said.
Hagel has earned foes on both sides of the aisle for past statements about Israel -- notably his comment about how the "Jewish lobby" tries to influence lawmakers in D.C. -- as well as for his calls for direct negotiations with Palestinian group Hamas. He has also voted against some Iran sanctions and was heavily critical of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell discusses the goals his party is aiming toward in the upcoming Congress.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called the reported pick an "in your face nomination" by the president, while new Sen. Ted Cruz blasted Obama for ignoring bipartisan criticism of his reported pick for the Pentagon job.
"This is a president who has drunk the tea," Cruz said on Fox News Sunday "He's high on re-election right now."
Cruz said that he is "concerned" about Hagel's past statements.
Newly-elected independent Sen. Angus King of Maine said on "Meet the Press" that he would "reserve judgement" until the confirmation process begins, saying he believes generally that the president should be given considerable leeway to fill his cabinet as he sees fit.
"But I'm going to want to ask some serious questions and hear from Senator Hagel about the issues," he added. "He's a guy with a distinguished record and I'm going to listen to the answers."
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, a freshman Democrat from North Dakota, said that the looming fight over the expected nomination merely highlights the Washington gridlock disliked by the American public.
"Chuck Hagel is a tremendous patriot and statesman," she said on ABC. "He hasn't had a chance to speak for himself, so why all the prejudging? I don't know."
Leave a Comment:
The Republican establishment is so dysfunctional that they will block the nomination of one of their own.
They will fight the president on any and everything.
They will never accept the fact that a n e g r o got reelected.
The Prez should find more moderate repubs and independents and repubs turned to independents or democrats like Arlen Specter was to fill as many cabinet posts as he can, such as the recent Florida Gov, think his name is Charlie Crist? Doing this will put the wedge between the moderate, more sane repubs and the ones that went over the far right cliff wanting to take this country down if they don't get their way. I think China is waiting for the Far Right to help them take over the world if and when the Far Right causes economic collapse in the USA.
My reading on Chuck Hagel is that his experience was framed from the Vietnam War, and he basically has great suspicion of any private (non military) person deciding when to go to war.
The obstructionist in chief, you treasonous bastard YOU will sink the ship [US!] to drown the Captain. You and ur idealogues will be purged by 2016 RUN ASHLEY JUDD RUN GIRL!!! No Mitch, you gotta come up with about 8Billion more in revenue. You candy ass rich bastard they craft laws that serve themselves. ENOUGH!!
It's about time somebody got tough on isreal,not a mispell, they are the ones that keep the middleast in turmoil!
Once again, the Israeli lobby is going to determine what we do, who runs our government, and what is acceptable foreign policy. When are we going to learn to stand up for ourselves and tell them to go stick it?
Maybe Hegel will get the nomination but we will probably have to double the tribute we now pay to Israel for being our only ally in the middle-east.....(just the intel they provided on Saddam's WMDs proves that).
Hagel backed Obama in the last election, and Nebraska Democratic Senate candidate Bob Kerry. It was forseeable that he would get a cabinet nomination in return.
I truly believe it wouldn't matter who Pres. Obama wants. If Pres. Obama wants the person in office, then the GOP INSIST that person is unqualified or unacceptable.
If Pres. Obama recommended Jesus Christ for head of the dept. of health and human services, the GOP would complain He healed people on Sunday....
Don't forget the part where the conservative church elders hated his liberal blasphemy. Damn socialist!
All i here is talk time to stop talking and go to work
The GOP should let the far left do the work on this one.
What this article also shows is something that all Americans, Conservative AND Liberal, should REALLY be upset about. And that is the specific reference to the "influence of the Jewish Lobby". You could easily substitute the Energy Lobby, the Financial Lobby, the Christian Right Lobby, the Environmental Lobby, the Gay Lobby, the Farm Lobby, the Military Industrial Complex Library, The Education Lobby and the list goes on and on and on.
Lobbying and the financial/voting influence they represent in Congress is (my opinion here) the NUMBER ONE reason America is in the mess we have today. Who cares what your constitutients think when it is much more important to get reelected by collecting as much money from lobbyists as possible, which in turn influences your vote in Congress? And that goes for the same corporate influence in our so called neutral Supreme Court which since Roberts was nominated and confirmed has consistently voted in favor of corporations over the rights of everyday Americans who have neither the money or political influence to fight their decisions.
Nicely put. Now if more Americans could take their heads from their backsides & see that reality
Good call. We need to end our system of lobbyists running this country. Also do away with citizens united while we are at it.
We need a new amendment that identifies a citizen as ONLY 1 HUMAN with a birth certificate. Incorporation or simply paying taxes doesn't entitle that non living entity to unlimited "free speech" by virtue of its vast resources. Hopefully, that will begin to restrain some of the corporate control over our government. A 28th Amendment to the Constitution is the only way.
Thank you your agreement on this subject. And I hope for those of you who read the original comment, you notice I make it very clear that BOTH conservatives and liberals should be outraged at the taking over of America by special interests, in particular mega corporations, the Military Industrial Complex, Wall Street and healthcare companies.
Have you ever written to a congressman, a senator, spoken to a city councilman for or against any action or activity? You are a lobbyist. Are you a member of AARP, NRA, ADA, ACLU, Sierra Club, a union, any organization to which you give money or pay dues? You are part of a special interest group and paying someone to advocate for you, a lobbyist. One of the most significant rights you have as an American citizen is the right to petition in person or through a spokesman your position or wishes on any issue. Are you advocating giving up that right? I think you and many more get some piece of propaganda stuck in your head and regurgitate it like so many parrots with no thought to what you are actually saying. Should their be some limit placed on the amount of moneys a person or organization can contribute to a person or cause? Perhaps but to surrender the right of petition or advocacy is to surrender our freedom. In short, how freakin' stupid can you get?
Face it - the President could choose the Pope, and the Republicans would complain/fight it. He is even picking a Republican and they are already fighting it.....they unfortunately/sadly have just become grumpy old people who are never pleased about anything (even their own people).
I can see we are all in for at least another 2 years of bull crap flowing from the right side of the aisle. Our president is providing us with tremendous entertainment though. First there was the fiscal cliff hat dance he got the GOP to do for us. Now we get to see them hold a public crucifixion of one of there own. Peanuts, get your peanuts!
So republicans are willing to throw one of their own under the bus simply because he was tapped by Obama?! When will the party of "NO" get it trough their thick skulls that main street America is finished with their partisan games!
They still don't get it. They don't understand why they lost the election. Thick-headed old white guys.
Why put up a fight on cabinet? Let Obama choose. Get on to more important things you morons.
F em all
I'm a conservative, and I think Hagel is a great choice. If you haven't noticed, this is The United States, not Israel.
Every Neo-Con on Capitol Hill knows that they have to call AIPAC to get their approval before they vote on any issue that AIPAC might have an interest in, whether it's Defense Spending, foreign aid, or direct military intervention. Had AIPAC opposed "shock & awe" we would not be in the middle-east at all. But they did not, in part because their spies in Under Secretary Paul Wolfowitz's office at the Pentagon were telling them "what's bad for the US is good for us."
If AIPAC says vote against Hagel, what's "left" (pun intended) of the neo-cons in Congress will vote against him. They have no choice if they hope to get reelected.
I wonder how Mr. Reed, Trump, Beck, and other so called true U.S. American Christian patriots will deal will with this quoted Biblical verse.
"And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. "(Acts 2:44-45)
Kind of kills the old "what's mine is mine" saying!
More fighting....yeah, let's show the world how democracy works. Hey, Washington how about working together and getting some problems solved! You are not only an embarrassment to the citizen of the USA but the world. You're leadership skill are about as good as a 5th grader.
Republicans lately have placed everything ahead of allowing America to move forward and succeed. Power, pride, ideology, and now Israel before America.
The question before the Senate will be "Is he qualified to be Sec'y of Defense for the USA", not, "Will he support Israel no matter what stupid thing they might do".
I'd rather Obama quit the Democratic party's efforts to show bipartisan approaches by having a Republican Defense secretary, but Hegel will probably do a good job.
It will be a tough fight because starting pointless and self-defeating fights is what the GOP does best. They don't learn. They fought the financial cliff bill, and in the end got less than the Democratic opening offer. They fought the debt limit extension in 2011, and in the end got less that the Democratic opening offer, and the lead-up to the financial cliff debacle. They huffed and puffed about Elizabeth Warren's nomination to head the Consumer Protection Agency, and got an even tougher person in Cordray, the former AG from Ohio. And now they have to contend with Warren in the Senate.
They don't learn. Which is why I left the Republican party in 2011. You can't cure stupid.
Well if you jumped over to the communist lib dem side all you managed to do was jump outta the frying pan and into the fire buddy.
@ Midnight - If your comment is an example of critical thinking among conservatives, I rest my case.
Independent, thinker and voter. Vote out ALL the self serving do nothing incumbent worthlessness!
He looks too much like that scum of the earth POS that heads up JP Morgan.
Anyone objecting to the racist apartheid oppression committed by the Eastern European occupiers of Palestine can't be all bad. Anyone pointing out the obvious attempts of a foreign power to influence the US government can't be all bad. Anyone pointing out the treason committed by those who put religion above national loyalty can't be all bad.
"Anyone pointing out the obvious attempts of a foreign power to influence the US government can't be all bad."
We don't need to be worried about that as much as we do all of the influence coming from the global elitists and their worshippers right here in our own country and government. We are in the process of being destroyed from within.
Wow. it's true. The really WILL eat their own to keep Obama from gaining any traction. I watched Ol' Mitch on Meet The Press this morning talking about "When the president finally proposes this" and When Biden Proposes that" then he'll look at the propose legislation and think about it. it left rather curious, he DOES know he's already a member of Congress, right? Maybe he doesn't understand *he*can introduce legislation. Has anyone shown him that song from Schoolhouse Rock where it explains how a bill gets introduced? it's shor and simplet, maybe they can keep his attention long enough to sit through it. then he'll understand that he can do something without the President doing his job for him.