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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."
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congressional republicans are contrary for the sake of being contrary...they are becoming less relevant with each passing day...none can hold a candle to Hagel...such a nasty, useless crowd.
The ultimate in Republican contrariness must be McConnell opposing his own bill! Second would be the Republican opposition to a concept endorsed years ago by the conservative Heritage Foundation - Obamacare!
"This is a president who has drunk the tea," Cruz said on Fox News Sunday "He's high on re-election right now." Ha....
Oh ya, Cruz. Your at least a little wobbly being a Senator just a few days and already running off your mouth.
Must have been another Fl. hurricane that allowed you to Cruz into the senate....
Wonder if Cruz will support Federal aid when the next hurricane devastates Florida?
The wonderful partisanship of the GOP. Here we go again. BTW, the Jewish lobby is powerful and the US reviled because of unflinching, unerring support that is now unique in the world. Israel cannot be right 100% of the time on 100% of the issues while still building settlements where they should not. Get minds you right wing nutcases. It is well past time for balance.
doghunt, we need a true Christian to run our Defense Department - one who truly believes in "Thou shalt not kill".
Repubs always have to work the word "tough" into whatever it is they're playing at. Yeah... okay Repubs, you're all "tough". Alright? Tough guys. Tough gals. Yeah - tough. You can count on Repubs for very few helpful ideas and actions, but boy, they're "tough" alright! Not much else!... but boy, are they "tough"! I'm SO impressed!
Please Mike357988, refer to them by their real name. Rethuglicans....
Are there any Republican military veterans left? When the going gets really tough, Republicans always let someone else do the real fighting.
puppy,
Thank you, Allen West.
"Disabled'? Do you mean fragged?
doghunt, those who actually have served in combat do not use that experience to validate their views. Ask me how I know.
Has anyone noticed that this nomination has the Republicans competing against themselves? Is the GOP going to lead the nation as the party of the clueless?
Republicans are getting more dumb by the minute.
The defense and Israel budget is so wasteful.I dare the prez want anyone to control this waste.The
gop is a friend of the foriegn corps that rule their party.Hagel would be a great sec of def,thats why
the gop doesn't want him.
Of course, Hagel is neither an anti-Semite nor a surrender monkey. The reason that forces are railing against him on the right is that Obama is about to pick him for a cabinet position. He had the misfortune to use the word "Jewish" instead of "Israeli" fifteen years ago, a gaffe quickly picked up by Obama's opposition, and he has the gall to question the wisdom of a military strike by Israel and/or the US against Iran's nuclear facilities -- a strike that the military itself says will delay Iran's progress by about four months.
Hagel believes that war should be an absolute last choice, after negotiations are exhausted. It's hard to think of still another sanction that can be imposed on Iran or those countries that trade with Iran. Lindsay Graham has already interpreted this as being "antagonistic towards Israel."
The controversy has nothing to do with Jews or Israelis or military strikes. It's a continuation of the TP-driven GOP stance of opposing everything Obama does. They're still blocking minor diplomatic appointments, and the ATF has been without a leader for more than a year, so we can only imagine the uproar that will take place when a cabinet member is nominated. In every threat it voices and every action it takes, it seems the Republican party, especially in the House, seems to have learned nothing about governing since the last election. They get along with a single axiom. They can't make Obama a one-term president anymore but they can continue to define him as "evil."
puppy,
Were you speaking of Native Americans? Africans during the slave trade?
Please, be more specific about our transgressions.
Hypocrite.
Lets call a spade a spade, it's the Jews lobby...
Hey! Repubs! Look and learn. If you can and do, you may figure out how to flummoxx the next demo nominee instead of letting the incompetent just slide into office a la Sotomayer et. al.
Hey low IQ tea pubs
Four more years
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahha
Blow me loses
Run, Ashley, run!
You'll have the vote of every virile Kentucky male, which is to say, the few remaining Democrats.
It will be the Kentucky women who put you over the top.
Bye, bye Mitch!
First question is ? Does he get his own jet to fly him home every weekend and miscellaneous weekend getaways ? The Panetta deal ? LMFAO
Like to Crawford, Texas?
Probably to Chicago where he can learn some great lessons from his new Boss' associates!
Key & Peele. Season 2, Ep.6. Sketch is called either "Obama flips the script on republicans" or "Obama's meeting with republicans". Pretty much captures the essence of today's political climate.
will be no fight, just tell the weak azz repubs that on the next big spending bill you can all you want for your state =yea-all nay=0
No surprise; Republicans would vote 'no' if the VP said 'good morning'. They need to understand that fighting everything does not help them achieve any of their objectives; it only makes them not relevant.
The whole point of a two party system is to have negotiations that drive us towards the center, avoiding swinging to far in either direction. It is their job to get this done in a timely manner, not wait until the last second, introducing uncertainty in our markets. Republicans have taken themselves out of that process, and are actively destroying our form of government with nor regard to the damage they do to this country.
Republicans need to put aside their socially regressive polices and get some focus on the economy.
The lying Neo-cons will oppose Hagel's nomination because they pledge allegiance to Israel and not America. These are the same people who demanded unconditional support for Israel and those policies that led the United States down a perilous path in the Middle East that culminated with 9/11.
Perhaps their pledge is to the military-industrial complex rather than to Israel. Is there a better nation to support if you want reckless growth in the defense industry?
You know, the same lobby which Eisenhower, the ONLY Republican president in generations to have scruples, warned us about.
Once again the GOP eats it's own.
Question: How would Jews show their appreciation to all Bible Belt voters so adamantly in support of the murderous takeover of Palestine in the name of Christ in his second coming? A: crucify him!
get over it i do not have to work under this president and his administration and I'm not giving up my free obama phone F U
Haven't these republicans dug their grave deep enough yet?
It could be that any hesitance over Hagel is because of the fact that he was an enlisted man (Sgt.) rather that a commissioned officer as both Mr. Panetta and Mr. Gates were. That should be a prerequisite for SECDEF, that he/she be a former commissioned officer.
The next requirement you will probably be supporting is that the officer be a naval officer. Sheeesh. When was the last time you ever heard of an officer in the Navy sleeping on anything but clean sheets. Wusses, all of them. <grin>
Bruce-848280 -- your comment makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Commissioned officers (in ANY branch) have more military education and experience in their background.
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:
GET A LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You still have time to leave.
It's about time to stop Republicans with all this non-sense, America elected a President, they should start doing their job and stop the bickery in Washington, let the president elect his Secretary of Defense. If Israel wanst to go to war with Iran, they are free to do it, but not with the blood of our soldiers.
With all due respect to those who have posted remarks, I really don't want to dignify the Senator by sinking to his level and posting a comment.