Obama to nominate former Sen. Chuck Hagel for defense secretary

[DonViejo]

Source: WaPo



President Obama will nominate former Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican and Vietnam veteran, to be secretary of defense early this week, according to a person close to the process.

Hagel would add a well-known Republican to the president’s second-term Cabinet at a time when Obama is looking to better bridge the partisan divide.




Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-to-nominate-chuck-hagel-for-defense-secretary-source-says/2013/01/06/359b165e-5824-11e2-9fa9-5fbdc9530eb9_story.html

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Read something somewhere that said the nomination would occur tomorrow

[graham4anything]

1. As people told me President Obama knew what he was doing with Kerry, same must apply here

so those for Kerry should be for Hagel, it goes to say.

And we don't lose any senate seat here, and as nobody is perfect. this should mean both candidates sail through.

As I am not really interested in foreign stuff now anyhow, so much more important stuff
the sooner this is out of the headlines, the better.

so this is a neutral situation and should enable us to move forward to more important social issue stuff and immigration reform.

[Fearless]

10. I haven't heard

Nearly as many people saying "he knows what he's doing" as I've heard Kerry is right for the job and Hagel is not.

[graham4anything]

13. the three McCain/Kerry/Hagel are longtime Vietnam friends

and we already know McCain and kerry are BFFs

sounds like Hagel and Kerry will make a good team

[YvonneCa]

28. Not interested in foreign...

...stuff? Really.

[TwilightGardener]

2. Obama is taking on something big here. He didn't wimp out, as I had feared.

I loves me some Obama, and I'm sorry I doubted him.

[Purveyor]

4. +1 eom

[dsc]

3. If Hagel hated Muslims, blacks, Jews, Hispanics, women, or anyone else

the way he hates gays he would be a non starter. It tells us just how far gays have to go that Hagel is being named by a Democrat to the one and only cabinet position where he will be writing rules about how gays are treated within his department.

[handmade34]

26. James Hormel's statement...

"Senator Hagel’s apology is significant–I can’t remember a time when a potential presidential nominee apologized for anything. While the timing appears self-serving, the words themselves are unequivocal–they are a clear apology. Since 1998, fourteen years have passed, and public attitudes have shifted–perhaps Senator Hagel has progressed with the times, too. His action affords new stature to the LGBT constituency, whose members still are treated as second class citizens in innumerable ways. Senator Hagel stated in his remarks that he was willing to support open military service and LGBT military families. If that is a commitment to treat LGBT service members and their families like everybody else, I would support his nomination..."

[JackBoik]

5. IF true, that sound you'll hear is Scott Brown's balloon popping :). nt

[karynnj]

7. Why? Obama already nominated Kerry for Secretary of State, the position Kerry wanted

[xxxsdesdexxx]

6. Good. I support the President's nomination of Hagel.

[amandabeech]

8. Chuck Hagel will not help the President bridge the partisan divide.

Hagel, even with his faults, is very much to the left of the current Republicans on the use of force.

What's more, the pukes view him as a complete traitor to their cause.

Republicans are no longer the party of people like Jacob Javits, or in my home state, the senior Romney and his successor, William Milliken who, in 2004, asked his former supporters to vote for Kerry. (None of these guys were perfect, but they were capable of reasonable compromise when it really counted.)

Mr. President, don's waste much of your time, energy and political capital trying to bridge the partisan gap with the current Republicans.

[TwilightGardener]

11. That's not why Obama wants him. It has nothing to do with bridging divides.

It has to do with allowing a Republican to be a lightning rod for defense cuts and Afghanistan withdrawal. Look up the Steve Clemons interview on Rachel Maddow's show.

[amandabeech]

12. I was refering to the article.

But as to your post, I don't think that Hagel is accepted by current day Republicans as one of their own, despite the fact that he held office as a Republican. If the Rs no longer accept him, he will not serve as a "lightning rod."

The partisan scene has changed so radically since Hagel held office that I think that the President might as well appoint a Democrat as an old-fashioned R like Hagel.

[TwilightGardener]

14. According to Clemons, it's because a Democrat who goes in

to make the DoD smaller and advocate diplomatic solutions (especially with Iran) is going to make the administration, and future Dems, vulnerable to the old "weak on defense" charge. Hagel is a "sacrificial" combat-vet Republican, sent in to do some very dirty work, with a lot of hatred and opposition by entrenched interests. He also happens to have a very strong background in foreign policy, defense policy, intelligence, and business/banking. And Obama appears to trust him.

[amandabeech]

16. That argument I can appreciate more.

Still, my point about Hagel not being a credible R at this time holds.

The change in the R party has been so extreme that the President, IMHO, will not get the bang for the buck with Hagel that he might have if the R party of 15 or 20 years ago existed today.

[TwilightGardener]

17. I agree with that--but a more "credible" Repub, meaning one that

is currently well-received by the GOP and also agrees with Obama's foreign and defense policies, does not exist, except maybe in the form of the over-80 Dick Lugar. And he was teabagged out of office.

[amandabeech]

18. It seems to be that the GOP is in the process of disowning Hagel.

I don't see that much evidence of a good reception from them for the former senator.

We'll have to agree to disagree here, although I do think that Hagel will do a good job, and I do wish the President the best of luck

[grantcart]

9. This is the clearest sign that the President wants to significantly reduce the Defense Budget.

This maybe the greatest legacy of his Presidency.

With 35 cents of every dollar going to defense and intelligence and 31 cents of every dollar going to pay the interest of debt largely accrued by military expenditures and war its a wonder that our government can function at all.

Reducing the military budget and paying down the debt will free huge resources in the future to expand health, education and wealth transfer.

The next Secretary of Defense should be viewed on only a single criteria: the ability to significantly reduce the budget. Hagel, as a former Republican Senator, is better situated than anyone to tackle exotic munition programs, inflated overhead, surplus bases, and structural waste.

[naaman fletcher]

15. meh

It's been 4 years. I don't believe for a second that when the "cuts" are done that defense spending will be below it was when Obama took office.

[Cha]

20. Forturnately, it doesn't matter whether you "believe it" or not..

only that it happens. And, as grant pointed out..this is a good sign. It's only smart to cut wasteful spending and President Obama has shown he likes to clear out the deadwood.

[naaman fletcher]

21. Ok whatever

What wasteful spending was cut in the first 4 years?

[Cha]

23. Yeah, you'll have to actually investigate that since you don't

seem to have been paying attention while the history was being made.

[naaman fletcher]

24. Apparently not...

I have seen no cuts in wasteful spending... Certainly, none of the promises related to the military or foreign wars has been upheld.

[Cha]

30. Right... so much easier to throw cheap shots at the President on the internet

then actually know what you're talking about.

[naaman fletcher]

31. Well

Over the course of this convo it would have taken you two minute to explain the wasteful spending cuts that have been made but you instead have chosen to spend this time bitching about my not knowing them.

Makes me wonder if you actually can list them.

[YvonneCa]

29. Sequestration...

...across the board.

[grantcart]

22. Three things

1) Obama hasn't avoided big ticket changes but had to take them in order. Health Care, banking reform act and immigration. Following that will be defense.

2) Obama doesn't have to do anything. The sequestering takes effect in 2 months and if the Republicans don't move then take the cuts on parity with the defense department. In fact many Republicans are secretly hoping that this happens.

3) I am guessing that you are not familiar with Hagel's previous statements on the Defense Department budget. He has been brutal adn the Republicans know that he is on a mission and that is why they will fight like hell on it.

[LadyBirdJohnson]

19. Great move Mr. President

I love Chuck Hagel and I'm interested in hearing his feelings on Israel, now. He will and must make sure he has a great understanding of the special relationship.

[Douglas Carpenter]

25. good.. a wise and prudent decision

[handmade34]

27. I respect Chuck Hagel

I believe him to be an honorable man who has made a few mistakes... wise choice for Secretary of Defense

[Turbineguy]

32. It will be a struggle.

The GOP automatically rejects anything from Obama. Actually he should have campaigned for them. They would have all gone out and told voters "Don't vote for me, you'll only do what Obama wants!"