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Subscribe to RSSPublished 12:23 p.m. ET -- Although stung by attacks from his former Republican colleagues in the Senate, Chuck Hagel is bracing to fight back against his critics and has no intention of withdrawing as the nominee to be Defense Secretary, according to the former senator's brother.
"He's not going to walk away from this," said Tom Hagel, who spoke to his older brother about the looming confirmation battle on Sunday night. "The way he's responding to this, he's just going to fight harder."
Tom Hagel's comments to NBC News came Monday just moments before Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee, announced the panel will vote Tuesday on Hagel's nomination.
White House spokesman Jay Carney responds to questions regarding Sen. Lindsay Graham's intention to fight the nomination of Chuck Hagel as defense secretary.
They also came amid mounting signs that some Republican senators are gearing up to try and fight it with a filibuster. On Sunday, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a member of the committee, vowed to put a hold on the nomination -- as well as that of John Brennan to be CIA director -- if the administration does not provide more information about the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe, the ranking Republican on the Armed Services panel, said he was weighing a filibuster.
But other Republicans senators, including Arizona Sen. John McCain, Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Susan Collins (R-ME) -- have said they would not support a filibuster. It's not clear Graham would have the votes to go through with one.
There was also speculation the former Nebraska senator might pull his name as a result. Widely respected defense analyst Tom Ricks wrote Friday he believed there was a 50-50 chance Hagel would withdraw.
Tom Hagel, who served with his older brother in the Army during Vietnam and sat behind him during his rocky Jan. 31st confirmation hearing, described Chuck Hagel as "committed" and "optimistic" that he will be confirmed as Defense Secretary.
"I don't think there is any possibility" he will withdraw-unless he's asked to do so by President Obama, Tom Hagel said.
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Former Senator Chuck Hagel testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing to become the next secretary of defense on Capitol Hill January 31, 2013 in Washington, DC.
The White House appeared to shoot down any hint of that Monday.
"We are absolutely committed to the Hagel nomination," said Tommy Vietor, a White House spokesman.
Tom Hagel said his brother was "shocked" by the level of personal animosity to his nomination from his former GOP colleagues in the Senate.
He also indicated that both he and his brother were upset about the blizzard of TV ads from anonymously funded advocacy groups attacking his nomination, calling the ads "absolutely gutless." He added, "If these people have integrity and believe in what they are doing, why don't they put their names to it?"
But while his brother was "tired" by the ordeal and it has taken a "personal toll," Tom Hagel said his brother was "ready to deal with it" and prepared "to respond to whatever attacks come out."
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...Hagel should be confirmed....he's a perfect representative of the current administration's stupidity and incompetence.....why change now?.....
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There is no more qualified person than Chuck Hagel.
He will keep America safe without making enemies like Bush did.
.
Biden in 2016.
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Hagel is as much of an American hero as the Kenyan in the White House.
I think he is more than qualified. But I don't think Obama has made too many friends and reminds me of Bush in a lot of ways.
And please Biden? Can't we find some leadership in a younger - not from Washington - actually had a job outside of politics or lawyer in the last 25 years? I am sick of both parties.
Spoken like a true Sicko...
Saying sh!t like that is why people call these idiots a bunch of nut jobs..
Yes jason he could of said @!$%#
I'm fairly certain Hagel's nomination will be confirmed ~ also that the the CIA director and the one for ATF director. These games are played with every nomination. The Kerry confirmation was less contested because the GOP thought there might be opportunity to gain his Senate seat. That didn't materialize and probably won't in a special election or in the 2014 general election. Seems that the more GOP legislators push issues, the more they fall into the realm of irrelevance. Cases in point ~ Grassly/Issa: "Fast and Furious" and soon to be McCain, Graham, and Ayotte, et ux: Benghazi. But what the Hell ~ it keeps them occupied and away from really important business that they would probably screw up.
Yeah, hard to believe that under Bush unemployment ranged from 4% to 6% and under Obama 7.9% to 9%, but to a Progressive failure is a blessing so they think Obama is great. Translate Obama's economic success to defense and we can all learn to speak a foreign language.
Awwww yes, the typical right wing spin on unemployment numbers. They do an AVERAGE..
Okay right winger, explain this, why did unemployment rise from 5% to 7.5 in 2008 and we lost 3 million jobs in 1yr when bush was president. Why did you not list that statistical FACT. Ummmm...
The reason you didnt list that info is because, you are a Obama Hater which at this point is irrelevant..
Hey, Skibum ~ when Bush took office unemployment was 4.8%. When he left, it was 7.8%. WTF happened?
Hey Jim, Skinbum won't reply because he has no answer. Just all RANT and no substance. That stupid fool said in a post earlier "the Kenyan in the White House."
Only a Whacko would make a statement like that.
skibum's a right wing whacko whose only noise source is faux entertainment and ruse limpdick.
I will enlighten you that seem to NOT know what happened. The DEMS had control of botht the house and senate. They passed stupid policies that did NOT get vetoed for some reason. I guess they pressured Bush to not veto them I have NO clue why they were NOT. That is a different story though.
Dodd & Frank screwed up the housing & financial sectors, then tried to fix it in 2010, Obama sued Citibank to give a mortgage to a couple from IL. that could NOT afford it. Now you know why the housing crisis & financial crisis took place. Bush tried to get Frank to rein in Fannie & Freddie. Barney said Fannie & Freddie were sound and they would NEVER need any assitance from the government. 180 BILLION dollars later we find they were WRONG. Time to get the LIFER polititions on both sides out of Washington DC. Till then both sides will FU CK us over. Unless you are one of those that love your WELFARE & Unemployment.
I assume the Republicans must realize that if they reject this conservative, they are just going to end up with somebody less conservative.
Hagel is as Conservative as Obama is white.
skin,
you only saying that because Obama selected him. Hater!!
So he's 50% conservative skibum
Then that would make him a spot-on 'centrist.' Can't get much closer than 50-50. Whatever he may turn out to be, he will be head and shoulders ahead of Rumsfeld. Donnie was the textbook example of 'clown.'
He changed his spots a few years back. He is a RINO. he is NOT a true republican. He has softened up being in Washington to long. Like the rest of these IDIOTS that will steal as much as they can get there hands on. BOTH SIDES ARE CROOKS> Not just the dems the reps are thieves also. They all steal from us working people.
I am not sure Republicans have any issue with Hagel's conservative/liberal status.
It is jew factor.. Republicans (Even some democrats) love to kiss jew butt to get election money and other favors from jew
hobbylobby..See, Kerry slipped through with no sweat at all... Ever wonder why?
Liberals cry foul because Conservatives want answers about Benghazi .. but if it were Republicans in office the rolls would be exactly opposite.
No....because all the conservatives screaming have yet to admit they lied about Iraq and got thousands killed. There were more people murdered in the USA last nite than Libya
We had limited Intel about Benghazi but it was sufficient for every Intel service and several in the State Dept's foreign service office to warn Chris Stevens NOT to travel to Benghazi on or around the 9/11 anniversary. He ignored it ~ and conservatives want answers. Conversely, we had at least five months of raging concerns and warnings about an imminent attack on the US and BushCo ignored it. In Benghazi, four died on 9/11/12. In the US, some 3-thousand died on 9/11/01 but conservatives were busier than a cat covering up sh*t trying to protect their boy who turned a deaf ear to consistent and increasing warnings. "Answers" weren't all that sought after then. My, my ~ how times change.
To quote the great American philosopher, William Murray..."It just doesn't matter, it just doesn't matter, it just doesn't matter...". Chuck Hagel is a "place holder" appointee, his job will be to implement the President's decisions as oppose to advise the President and then implement the President's decision. Unfortunately, Chuck Hagel isn't capable (according to his own testimony) of advising the President.
Chuck Hagel isn't particularly bright and when we consider the issues facing the Defense Department (i.e. "sequestration", Iran, North Korea, China, Syria, North Africa, etc.) he is not a good choice. The President is not capable of handling every aspect of the government, he has to rely on the best advice he can get. Chuck Hagel isn't the best choice.
The President can't lead clowns to a circus, Hagel is qualified and just get it done - how much worse could this administration be. Obama is never going to say out loud that he tried to cover Benghazi over and tuck it in to put it to bed before the election. Obama thinks we are all blind to what he is really all about.
But if Chucky were to sing ~ "Bomb, bomb, bomb ~ ~ bomb, bomb Iran" ~ McCain would champion his nomination in the Senate and Sweet Baby Lindsay would second it. Its all a matter of semantics ~ and ass-kissing.
I think they should have an age limit for Congress - like 72, after that your too old to decide anything other than your size of depends.
Except for the few like Ron Paul and Chuck Hagel most republicans are gutless cowards, and traitors.
Oh come now, the dems have as many gutless cowards as the repubs doo.
Hessy,
republicons might take it as a compliment!
Chuck Hagel, the sad sack of buffoons. Why don't we consider Gomer Pyle for Secretary of Defense? Even he is probably better than this sad sack of a cartoon character. This guy is a shallow thinker. But I guess that is why Obama chose him. Obama does not like thinkers around him who can articulate without a teleprompter. So he picks second rate losers to be in his cabinet and then never meets with them for fear of being upstaged.
Or........we elect a VP who refused to serve in the military 5 times when he was asked, then lets let him run a war based on a lie. And to more icing on the cake. Why dont we let him tell all the Generals that they dont need all those troops, and after that fails lets put the troop levels where the Generals said they needed to start with, put this VP on a media tour so he can tell everyone how his coward a$$ is so wise
Wow Paul, I didn't realize you hated Biden that much.
Oh, but wait, I'm wrong.....It was Obama that to THIS DAY refused to give the Generals the troops at the levels that they said they needed and actually PULLED THEM OUT while the Generals were asking to keep them there.
Meanwhile, neither Obama nor Biden have EVER served in the military. And don't know how to run a war based on anything. As a matter of fact, they're such SIMPLETONS that they say a 9/11 terrorist attack is because of a "video", and call a terrorist attack in Texas "workplace violence".
Seems like Chery is a lost to the facts. Biden didnt refuse to serve ....not 1 time. But really you know its Cheney because everyone knows including his children. And its all facts that cannot be changed. Unless you have one of those special DeLoreans
No, Biden just chose to NEVER serve, and has spent his entire adult life living off the government teat.
Pretty well what Obama has done HIS entire adult life. The only one that actually held a real JOB in the Obama family is Michelle, when she worked for a law firm. And she got her salary DOUBLED when Barack made sure that her company got that wonderful government pork from him.
Paul, defenders of the Fourth Reich all have Etch-A-Sketch. The demand has become so great that it overwhelmed the manufacturer, leading to the recent death of its inventor who simply could not keep up with production. When the facts stack up against the prepared and approved responses, just shake it and start all over. Nice work, if you can get it ~ and you can get it for about $19.95 at WallyWorld.
Good point. Do we get to count the Republicans that have done the same thing, or would that be unfair?
"men ages 19 through 25 would be drafted during 1968, Joseph Biden had run out of college deferments, and he would not be safe until November 20, 1968, his twenty-sixth birthday."
"As a result of a physical exam on April 5, 1968, Joe Biden was classified 1-Y and disqualified from service because of asthma as a teenager," said David Wade, a campaign spokesman.
"In "Promises to Keep," a memoir that was published last year and became an instant best-seller after he was tapped as Obama's running mate, Biden never mentions his asthma, recounting an active childhood, work as a lifeguard and football exploits in high school."
Born Politician - Born liar.
Let them filibuster! But make them do it! Two or three weeks of Republican non-stop chatter will doom their party to oblivion.
And why can't they do it EXACTLY like Harry Reid and Democrats did it when Republicans controlled the Senate?
Oh wait, because it was Republicans in control, that's why.
Now that Democrats control the Senate, why hell, let Harry Reid do whatever he wants to, just like he's done for over FOUR YEARS now.
No budget for four years? Who cares. No budget or even bills from the House even VOTED ON in two years? Who cares?
Just so long as the Democrats get what they want, and can denigrate and demonize the House Republicans and Republicans in general, who gives a dam about anything else?
The right wing nut jobs bash Hagel yet defend BUSH and CHENEY for their role in a war that killed thousands. What's that all about? Yeah I said it BUSH and CHENEY and so won't history!
You might want to check your history and the FACTS.
Bush/Cheney did not go to war until it was AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS. And if you check the FACTS, you'll find such "right wing nut jobs" like Hillary Clinton and John Kerry calling FOR the overthrow of Saddam on the Senate floor. As a matter of FACT, you'll find that 82 House Democrats and 29 Senate Democrats voted FOR the invasion.
Also as a matter of FACT, it was Congress that actually authorized for the financing of the invasion of Iraq.
It's also a matter of FACT that in the first MONTH of the invasion, Democrats suddenly started screaming "quagmire" and "another Vietnam", without even giving our military a chance to finish the job. As a matter of FACT, Harry Reid said "the war in Iraq is lost".
But don't mention any of that. Instead let's go back TEN YEARS in history and do the stupidity thing instead of looking at TODAY and what's going on with lies about terrorist attacks, giving the Muslim Brotherhood billions of dollars, tanks, and military aircraft in Egypt, and doing the usual tap dance about Iran.
FACT it was a war based on LIES and they sold it to congress and the American PEOPLE!!!!!
FACT - we voted for those folks in Congress that apparently could not think for themselves.
FACT binfl....Even the UNITED NATIONS inspectors, without ANY input from Bush, Cheney, or ANY of our intelligence agencies, said that there WERE WMDs in Iraq. I guess the United Nations, and nearly EVERY intelligence agency on earth was lying too, right?
Oh, and if you check the FACTS, Hillary nor Kerry talked about WMDs. They talked about Saddam violating the 1991 ceasefire, interfereing with U.N. weapons inspectors, the "brutal suppression" of the people of Iraq, the FACT that the governments of Turkey, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia wanting Saddam removed, and the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998, a policy approved by Congress that called for the REMOVAL of Saddam.
Get ALL the FACTS in before you do the moronic "blame Bush" and "Bush lied" garbage that the left has lived on for a dam decade.
I notice you don't say a thing about the LIES from Obama about a "video" being the cause of ANOTHER 9/11 terrorist attack on our nation. Or the LIES from Obama about how Fort Hood was "workplace violence". Or the LIES about closing Gitmo in the first year of his presidency, or ANY other LIES that Obama has spewed for years now.
Speaking of 'fact checking,' take time to review yours, Cheryl. Congress never "authorized" war in Iraq and Bush never requested it. Congress authorized Bush to use "pre-emptive strikes" as he saw fit. There were no limitations placed on the authorization other than he was to submit his plans "prior" to taking such action. Bush simply resubmitted what he had earlier given congress and forged ahead, knowing that if he moved quickly, "unstarting" a war is damned near impossible. He was right and when the first shot was fired and the first boot stepped on Iraqi soil, we were in an irreversible situation from which congress could not retreat. This is not some made up bull@!$%# ~ its all contained in the permanent Congressional Record which is an accurate reflection of congressional activity in both chambers. CONGRESS NEVER AUTHORIZED WAR WITH IRAQ, NEVER DECLARED SUCH A WAR, AND WAS NOT REQUESTED TO BY BUSHCO! The neocons had other plans and they played congress like a well-tuned Steinway. It was a re-enactment of the H.R. Haldeman (Nixon chief-of-staff) theory that "when you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds are sure to follow."
LIKE I said earlier congress went to war based on LIES. It was not because they could not think for themselves.
Why don't you "geniuses" check your FACTS?
It's called the "Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 1991".
Why don't you go look up for YOURSELVES what kind of speeches were given by Clinton and Kerry?
Oh wait, I forgot, you don't go on FACTS, you go on what some moron at MSDNC like Keith Olbermann, Ed Schulz, Rachel Maddow, or Chris Matthews told you. Or maybe DailyKos or even the New Obama Times.
Heaven forbid you actually looked up for yourself what the TRUTH is.
But according to the Senate roll call at the time, Biden voted for the Sept. 14, 2001 resolution authorizing “the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States.”
"And on Oct. 11, 2002, Biden voted for a resolution authorizing unilateral military action in Iraq," the Free Beacon reported, citing the Washington Post.
Do you really believe thousands of lives lost was worth the outcome of that war? That war went on for ten years until Obama ended it. Right wing nut jobs kept saying it was a mistake and we need to stay until the end. In the middle east their is no end and that's the part these right wing war mongers don't get!!!
Obama did NOT "end it". There was ALREADY a treaty in place signed by Bush and the Iraqi government to pull out of Iraq. All Obama did was ensure that the U.S. was thrown out of Iraq COMPLETELY without even a treaty in place with them.
Since both my husband and son served there, and had hundreds of of Iraqis thank them PERSONALLY for saving them from tyranny of Saddam and allowing them FREEDOM, and were PROUD of their service over there, as are a vast majority of the military, then yes it was worth it.
We stayed until the end, just in case you hadn't noticed. It was ONLY when that moron Biden couldn't get a Status of Forces Agreement with them that we were THROWN OUT. And if you check your FACTS, you'll find that Biden said the if he couldn't get a SOFA agreement with Iraq, then he didn't DESERVE to be VP...like he ever did in the first place.
Why is it that people like Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, and even Clinton can get us into wars and the libs support it, but when a Republican is President all of a sudden it's "right wing war mongers" that are the problem?
Obama is ending both wars on the Bush timetable - and he wants to leave troops in Afghanistan till 2024. I voted for him in 2008 - but he did nothing for 4 years but blame Bush. These wars needed to end! Troops will be in these wars for 8 years under Obama, Only 7 under Bush.
The Republicans are clueless. They could care less about Hagel. The real target is the White House. The only thing that unites Republicans (and the rest of the right) is pure hatred for Obama. From January of 2009 they have insisted that history records a failed Obama presidency and are are willing to do or say whatever is necessary to make it seem so - even at the expense of the rest of the country. If I thought this was due to ideological differences alone it might make sense. But I've watched and listened closely over the last 5 years and ideology alone cannot account for the vitriol they feel for him (yes its racism pure and simple). Watch their faces when they talk about him. They don't say his name - they spit it - like venomous snakes.
The sad part is they actually think simply making a man of color (at least the lightest shade of color they can tolerate) like Marco Rubio, the spokespuppet for the Republican Party and the Right will convince others of similar color to vote for their candidates. That's the best they can come up with! Its laughable and that effort will fail. Truth is, some of the ideas of Republicans, Conservatives and others on the Right make sense, but they need to ditch the hatred because they are losing even common sense Americans like myself.
To get back to base, Chuck Hagel is a patriot, a veteran (has shed blood for this country), is tough and smart and should be confirmed. Their hatred for Obama has caused Graham and McCain to lose their sense of honor, and besmirch the reputation of a man who has served his country well.
And somebody needs to remind John McCain about why the damn "Surge" was needed in the first place!
Thank you Harry Reid, now see what your gentleman's agreement with McConnell has produced. So now their faux filibuster instead of what?
Cheney-"second rate" Obama team. Cheney we are still looking for WMD's? Hopefully, Fox News will revoke his speaking privileges as they did Palin and Morris.
The whole damn thing has nothing to do with Chuck Hagel, it's screwing with President Obama and the drip from South Carolina-Lindsay Graham Kracker is behind it all. It's balk at anything Obama wants and the Bengazhi event is just a convienent event to get at Obama and his nomination Hagel. I hope they vote that bastard out-Graham-Kracker.
We are getting tired of graham and company. They needed to be voted out. dumb graham and company want Hagel out because Hagel previously said he was a US Senator and not an israeli senator. In other words he works for us and enough with the israeli lobby running the senate and the house. Obviously graham does not believe in working for us Americans....
"The American People deserve to know the truth" about...........everything. Problem is many times the very person saying that is not telling the truth or could spot the truth if it kicked them in the face.......
Keep arguing over nothing. Confirmation hearing teaches us politics is selfish. It is about getting publicity for your party or yourself. It is about getting power over others. Politicians when they were children always wanted to lead. They were raised by their parents to think of themselves as special. It has been this way from the beginning. People never change. In truth no one is special that is why we do not like politicians who think they are. Why don't humble people run for office. They do but in truth they are just acting humble.
The party of NO is up to their political games while the country slowly goes down the wrong path because of it. Hagel has served his country well and if Obama wants him as Sec Defense, he should get him. In one sense, Id LOVE to see the GOP oppose this and other nominations, further damaging it's status before the nation. So, Sen Graham threatens a filibuster or a block on the nomination! This is the same Graham that threatened the destruction of the country's solvency a few weeks ago!
Lindsay Graham: I Will Destroy America’s Solvency Unless The Social Security Retirement Age Is Raised -- http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/12/30/1379681/lindsay-graham-i-will-destroy-americas-solvency-unless-the-social-security-retirement-age-is-raised/
This is just more evidence that the GOP will continue down the same path they've been going these past years, not letting ANYTHING state in their way in achieving their goals.Extremism personified. Will no one rid us of this meddlesome Party?? We are where we are BECAUSE of the GOP! The only solution is to get rid of them.
Tom says his bro was shocked by the animosity of his own republican party colleagues namely McCain Graham and the cabal ...... but should he be shocked .... no not at all , thats how Zionist and Israeli Lobbyist AIPAC controls our country ,,,,, that a hero wounded seriously in combat and then saving lives of our other soldiers in NAM is less important than what statements he made that MAY be misconstrued as not as supportive of terrorist state of Israel ???
HUH??
Of course he wont withdraw. Would bring down Obama's plan to have Hagel a clueless Obamabot to run the Pentagon, Brennan a Muslim convert to run the CIA and all of Obama's nice fresh new Obamabot Generals he has in place after FIRING all the other ones. He cant ruin Obama's plan to send our nation into civil war and financial ruin without these ISLAMISTS and ISLAMIST sympathizers in place now could he?
By the way, watch this video from an X FBI agent who knows many who witnessed Brennan convert to ISLAM!
youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nlni3UpYaUc
This nation is just about FINISHED!