Hagel as SecDef

[SoonerProphet]

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/hagel-and-reforming-republican-foreign-policy/

[diverdog]

Wow that will pizz of the Jews and neocons. Pretty risky nomination.

[KantoSooner]

neocons are a spent force, so no one need fear them ever again. Ignore them if you wish. Pizz on them from a great height if you wish. They can't do anything about.
American Jewry, on the other hand is a different deal altogether. Still, they will be circumspect with Hagel because it could be much, much worse, first. And, second, they really don't want a financially squeezed USA to start a serious reevaluation of our relationshiip with Israel.

Especially when that relationship essentially translates as:

1. Israel is the only sane country in the MidEast. That's good.

2. Israel takes us to the hoop each year for massive $$$ for which we see bupkis. That's not so popular.

3. Israel acts solely on the basis of Israel's interests. That's understandable.

4. Israel clearly manipulates the US to act on Israel's behalf and at serious cost to US interests on a virtually daily basis. This is not what Israel would want the US public to focus on.

In short, I don't think the the US Jewish lobby want to pick a fight right now.

[okie52]

Jewish Democrats divided on supporting Hagel for Defense secretary

http://thehill.com/blogs/defcon-hill/policy-and-strategy/273605-jewish-democrats-divided-on-hagel-as-pentagon-pick




If I were the pubs I'd say **** Hagel.

[KantoSooner]

Be very careful what you wish for. Who would Obama pick instead of Hagel? You might not like that person more.

The only reason to try and force a dem into the job is that whoever gets the chair will likely have to preside over massive budget cuts and won't end up very popular with the military and/or military supporting portion of the public. I think that's part of why Obama wants a republican in the job.

[okie52]

Be very careful what you wish for. Who would Obama pick instead of Hagel? You might not like that person more.

The only reason to try and force a dem into the job is that whoever gets the chair will likely have to preside over massive budget cuts and won't end up very popular with the military and/or military supporting portion of the public. I think that's part of why Obama wants a republican in the job.

I want a dem as secretary of Defense for the very reasons you suggest. Hopefully the pubs will see that too and tell Hagel to take a hike...they certainly owe him nothing. If the pubs hold firm it won't take many dems to tip the scale against Hagel.

[KantoSooner]

Fair enough.
Feinstein is about the only one on the dem side who's done the background reading. She'd actually be a pretty fair administrator.

[rock on sooner]

Hagel is the only name I've seen floated.....I'd personally like to
see Obama bring Powell back into the Cabinet as SecDef. Give him
a chance to "fix" some of the problems that Dubya, Cheney and
Rumsfeld created with their viewpoint of the military.

[okie52]

Fair enough.
Feinstein is about the only one on the dem side who's done the background reading. She'd actually be a pretty fair administrator.

Feinstein is usually a lot more pragmatic than her Cali counterpart...I'll give you that. But this position is political as well as requiring some expertise regarding the military.

As a pub senator I would never vote for him for this spot even though I do appreciate Hagel demonstrations of independent thinking...even though I often disagreed with him.

[SoonerProphet]

What is the reasoning behind blocking him?

[okie52]

What is the reasoning behind blocking him?


In July 2007, Hagel was one of three Republican Senators who supported Democratic-proposed legislation requiring a troop withdrawal from Iraq to begin within 120 days.


In January 2007, Hagel openly criticized President Bush's plan to send an additional 20,000 troops to Iraq. He called it "the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam, if it's carried out."[29] Together with Democrats Joseph Biden and Carl Levin he proposed a non-binding resolution to the Democratic-controlled Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which rejected Bush's policy as "not in the national interest" in a 12-9 vote.[30] After an April 2007 visit to Iraq with U.S. Congressman Joe Sestak (D-PA), Hagel stated his belief that the occupation of Iraq should not continue indefinitely and expressed his intention to cooperate with Senate Democrats in voting for a bill that would set a timeline to get out of Iraq.[31]
In November 2007, he rated the Bush administration "the lowest in capacity, in capability, in policy, in consensus—almost every area" of any presidency in the last forty years.[32]


In 2010, Hagel endorsed Democratic Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Sestak in his run for the United States Senate. In 2012 he endorsed Democrat Bob Kerrey in the race for an open U.S. Senate seat in Nebraska

Hagel's positions on Israel don't sit well with the party line either (even though I kind of agree with him in this area).

[KantoSooner]

Nebraska's always been weird. I do love the fact that their state capitol is incomplete. They didn't have money to finish it and refused to borrow any. I like that.