No Significant Dem Opposition as Hagel Heads into Nomination Hearing
At least seven Republicans have openly declared their opposition to Hagel and a handful of others have stepped up to the line, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who indicated he is considering waging a filibuster against the nomination unless Panetta appears before Armed Services to testify about the recent incident in Benghazi, Libya, that led to the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others.
If all 53 Democrats plus two Independents who caucus with the Democrats wind up supporting Hagel, they will need to pick up five GOP votes to break any potential filibuster.
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), another leading voice opposed to the nomination, noted that Panetta won a unanimous confirmation vote in the upper chamber and insisted that Obama “would be wise to nominate someone else for this critical position.”
“Sen. Hagel’s record of opposing Iran sanctions is troubling,” Wicker said. “His views and positions on the Middle East and Israel are contrary to the administration’s own stated policies and there are concerns from members of both parties about this nomination.”
Hagel, who has been busy meeting members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, actually has won over Democrats who initially reacted tepidly to the nomination, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, of New York, who was concerned about Hagel’s views on Israel and his reference at one time to “the Jewish lobby.”
Schumer said he received assurances from Hagel that allowed him to support the nomination.
“Sen. Hagel clarified a number of his past statements and positions and elaborated on several others,” Schumer said, adding that Hagel “realizes the situation in the Middle East has changed, with Israel in a dramatically more endangered position than it was even five years ago. His views are genuine, and reflect this new reality.”
A key player may prove to be Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and onetime Hagel ally and friend. The two were so close that Hagel served as national co-chairman of McCain’s unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2000.
The two have since had a falling out, reportedly over the war in Iraq – Hagel became a critic while McCain remained a strong proponent and urged a surge in U.S. troop strength.
McCain initially said he had “serious concerns about positions Sen. Hagel has taken on a range of critical national security issues in recent years,” but he has yet to declare his intentions. The two met privately last week resulting in what McCain described on ABC’s This Week last Sunday as “a very good conversation.” But he also said he was not completely satisfied with Hagel’s presentation.
“We had a very good conversation,” McCain said. “We’ve been friends for many years, so we’ll see what happens in the hearing.”
There is no doubt that Mr. Hagel is saying all the right things and just as Morsi from Egypt claims all his comments were taken out of context, likewise Mr Hagel will say the same with regards to sanctions on Iran, the “Jewish Lobby”,his desire to distance the US from Israel. At a time when Egypt is falling apart at the seems, Syria is in the middle of a Civil War with 60,000 dead, and Iran on the verge of making an atomic bomb, it is inconceivable that he will get approval no matter what he says.
Hmm, what you really mean is saying all the right things that obama wants to hear.
“What difference does it make at this point?”
Only a deranged Democrat would ask that question.
I’m sorry, but I wouldn’t give Hilary (whom he was quoting) that much credit. The Clintons are comos mentis, and fully responsible for their evil.
Compos
Just shows you what hypocrites the Democrats are. They hated Hagel while he was in the Senate, even though Hagel supported most of the more extreme liberal views when it came to foreign policy (as in dealing with Iran). Now, to the Democrats, there is nothing wrong with Hagel. Give me a break. I’d like to see him fillibustered in the Senate, forcing Obama to make one of his famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it) recess appointments. Oh wait, didn’t a court recently just rule against that? Go figure.
Yes, the court ruled against those appointments, but what difference, at this point, does it make? (couldn’t resist)
Just as it took Red-baiter Richard Nixon to engage Communist China, so too will it require a proponent of soft engagement like Chuck Hagel to get touch with Iran. All American Jews should support the Hagel nomination to avoid accusations of dual loyalty. The liberation of Egypt from the Mubarak dictatorship represents a major foreign-policy triumph for Pres. Obama and Sec. Clinton. The MB is akin to the many volunteer Brotherhood and Sisterhood organizations of American churches and synogogues. Elvis is directing crop circles from a fleet of UFOs.
Perhaps because God comes before country.
…and the sun sets in the east. All facts that can be clearly proven in the internet.
You do all realize he is sarcastic?
The term dual-loyalty sounds like dis-loyalty. I have three loyalties,I am comfortable with all three and seldom find a dissonance: US, Israel, Spain. Unfortunately, because of that, my otherwise qualified son is automatically, I understand, rejected for employment by CIA: everyone’s loss.
Given that Dems control the Senate and the president is generally given his way on cabinet picks, it seems more likely than not that Hagel will be confirmed. Unless bipartisan opposition emerges, forcing Hagel to step aside or Obama to withdraw Hagel’s nomination, it’s not likely Democrats will go against him. Even if Hagel gets no Republican votes, GOP isn’t likely to filibuster a cabinet pick. The last time a nominee (John Tower) was rejected, the Senate and the WH were controlled by different parties.
I trust some person can tell me what the hell the Chief Executive of the Defense Department has to do directly with the Israel politics and with our relations with Iran. That si why we hire the Chief Objective of the State Department
Say what? What the heck is the chief objective of the state department?
And will someone please explain how we managed to hire this objective?
The chief objective of the State Department? Whatever Saudi Arabia wants.
Not when our relations with Iran should include bombing it. And while Israel does NOT want military help, it could use military and intelligence co-operation, not to mention resupply in case of war.
Also, here is something called the cabinet, where everyone gives their side. More to the point, there is something called the National Security Council, on which both State and Defense sit. There is a reason for this.
Otherwise, why have a civilain in charge of it?
The American Empire, RIP By Justin Raimondo Global Research, January 31, 2013
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-american-empire-rip/5321211
I was listening to the hearing while working. Joe Manchin needs to get a room, he was gushing over Hagel, what a gross display. WV has a high number of Veterans, somehow, I don’t think this will play well back home. Manchin may not care because he just won re-election but our troops will take note when biofuel takes priority over troop needs.