Obama considering Chuck Hagel as Defense Secretary, possible VP

[Herman Munster]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3466823.ece

Senior advisers confirmed that Hagel, a highly decorated Vietnam war veteran and one of McCain’s closest friends in the Senate, was considered an ideal candidate for defence secretary. Some regard the outspoken Republican as a possible vice-presidential nominee although that might be regarded as a “stretch”.

Asked about his choice of cabinet last week, Obama told The Sunday Times: “Chuck Hagel is a great friend of mine and I respect him very much,” although he was wary of appearing as though he was already choosing the White House curtains. But after winning 11 primary contests in a row after Super Tuesday, he is ready to elbow Clinton off the stage.

[TwilightGardener]

1. O Noz! How skeery!

[TwilightGardener]

6. I should add, Hagel is a good choice.

[Hepburn]

21. Agree, n/t

[liberalnurse]

30. Ah...he is republican.

:scared: :eyes:

You do know that could become President in case Obama was Impeacher or Resigned or something.

[BringBigDogBack]

33. like your sig....

lol... :thumbsup:

Viva Obama.

[BringBigDogBack]

34. BTW,

I plan on borrowing that after the nomination is set.

Giving you a heads-up. ;)

[bigtree]

39. demonizer!!

[LiberalAndProud]

37. His Iraq war stance has been valiant.

He has been on the wrong side of almost every issue when it comes to his vote record, up to and including his IWR vote. He committed political suicide in Nebraska for taking a rhetorical anti-war stance. He won't carry our state and he knows it. He is not running for re-election.

"We must exercise caution," he said. And boots were already on the ground on the borders of Iraq. Who could not have known what the outcome of that vote would be?

I admire Senator Hagel immensely, and far prefer him to Senator-elect Johanns, but I think we can do better from within our own party.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

2. I just had a flashback to Kerry/McCain. Shudder. (n/t)

[Johnny__Motown]

3. More crap from that timesonline site? Got a reputable site that covers this?

[anonymous171]

4. No gerund. He CONSIDERED it during an interview.

Nice try though.

[MonkeyFunk]

42. It's not a gerund

it's a present participle.


"Considering Hegel is dumb." That's a gerund.

[Recursion]

45. Thank you

Screw the whales, save the gerund

--Tom Stoppard

[madrchsod]

5. the times has been cranking out the shit

for the last few weeks...i wonder why?

[Alexander]

7. You guys are really desperate, with the misleading headlines.

[AtomicKitten]

8. I heard he was grooming George Clooney for VP.

[lapfog_1]

23. Clooney needs to be "groomed"

I don't think so!

[WCGreen]

9. First of all....

Hagel can't be a VP because he is a member of the other party...

There is precident for this...

Clinton had William Cohen, a former GOP senator as his third SOD...

[casus belli]

10. The author, Sarah Baxter, is a Bush supporter

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=%7B35E8F7F8-3A55-49BF-ABE1-6F605642A203%7D

But hey, who am I to question her motives?

[anamandujano]

11. Does Hagel still have some ownership of the Diebold machines?

Sounds like a sure way to win.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

12. LOL Well, in that case...

Obama/Hagel!

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

16. not quite, but similar - ES&S, then McCarthy Group

He also served as a Chairman and was CEO of American Information Systems Inc. (AIS), a voting machine manufacturer, until its name-change to Election Systems & Software (ES&S) in 1997. He had ownership interest in ES&S through it's parent company The McCarthy Group as of January 29, 2003, when The Hill reported that, due to his ownership interest, “Hagel’s ethics filings pose disclosure issue”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Hagel

But ES&S has not brought any great big old Republican victories, at least not in NC.

[dsc]

13. I could live with him as defense secretary

but as VP I couldn't. Not now, not ever.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

14. to neutralise McCain

March 2, 2008

Barnstorming Obama plans to pick Republicans for cabinet

As he jets across two key states whipping up the support that could finish off Hillary Clinton this week, the Democratic frontrunner is already mapping out a government of all the talents. Our writer joins him aboard Obama One

AS Barack Obama enters the final stages of the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination, he is preparing to detach the core voters of John McCain, the likely Republican nominee, with the same ruthless determination with which he has peeled off Hillary Clinton’s supporters

...Obama believes he will be able to neutralise McCain by drawing on the expertise of independent Republicans such as Hagel and Lugar, who is regarded by Obama as a potential secretary of state.

Larry Korb, a defence official under President Ronald Reagan who is backing Obama, said: “By putting a Republican in the Pentagon and the State Department you send a signal to Congress and the American people that issues of national security are above politics.”

Korb recalled that President John F Kennedy appointed Robert McNamara, a Republican, as defence secretary in 1961. “Hagel is not only a Republican but a military veteran who would reassure the troops that there was somebody in the Pentagon who understood their hopes, concerns and fears,” he said...

more at the link

[stahbrett]

15. Not uncommon - Bush, Clinton, JFK, etc. have all done the same (nt)

[WinkyDink]

29. Which Bush, and which Democrat did he appoint?

[stahbrett]

54. Current Bush, appointed Norman Mineta Transportation Secretary (nt)

[grantcart]

17. There is nothing in the article that suggests Sen Obama has considered

Hagel for Vice President. and typically you forgot the more interesting part of the article

Bill may tell Hillary to quit on Tuesday

IT is the burning question of the moment: who will have the courage to tell Hillary Clinton it is time to quit? Friends of the couple say the chances are that it will be her husband, and that he will tell her if she loses Texas or Ohio on Tuesday. He has already made it clear she cannot soldier on without a double victory.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

18. Chuck Hagel and Dennis Kucinich

In 2007 Senator Hagel attended a meeting organized by the American Iranian Council which brought together numerous national and international policy makers in an attempt to improve their understanding of Iran's role in Iraq and its nuclear enrichment intentions/capabilities.

Others in attendance at this meeting were Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Ambassador Javad Zarif from Iran 's UN Mission, Ambassador Anders Lidén from Sweden , Mr. Nicholas Kristof from the New York Times, and a host of other distinguished academics, businessmen, nonprofit representatives and private citizens.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Hagel#Business_career

[RaleighNCDUer]

19. Stop the silliness.

No Democatic president is going to have a republican VP.

It might fly 150 years ago (though to my knowledge it didn't) but today it just won't happen.

No matter how much ANY candidate talks nice about someone of the other party, they WON'T DO IT.

[Forkboy]

20. Your subject line might be regarded as a stretch too.

But you knew that.

[Drunken Irishman]

22. DO NOT TRUST TIMES ONLINE. They're England's version of the NY Post.

[grantcart]

24. Even when they say this: from the article

Bill may tell Hillary to quit on Tuesday

IT is the burning question of the moment: who will have the courage to tell Hillary Clinton it is time to quit? Friends of the couple say the chances are that it will be her husband, and that he will tell her if she loses Texas or Ohio on Tuesday. He has already made it clear she cannot soldier on without a double victory.

If, however, she wins narrowly in both states but lags significantly behind in the number of delegates needed to clinch the nomination, then who will tell Bill Clinton to tell Hillary the game is up?

It could be Vernon Jordan, the African-American power broker who is so loyal to the Clintons that he arranged a job for the former intern Monica Lewinsky when she was no longer welcome at the White House.

The Clintons believe they could still fight on if Hillary wins the popular vote in Texas but ends up with fewer delegates under the state’s peculiar system, which combines a primary election with caucuses. Hillary’s camp is threatening to sue the local Democratic party if this happens but it could leave her with the reputation of a petulant, sore loser.

Leon Panetta, Bill Clinton’s former White House chief of staff, said: “There comes a point where you can drag this thing on in a way that doesn’t really give you the votes you need and it leaves a bad taste in the mouth.”

BTW Hagel would make a good Ambassador to the UN

[book_worm]

25. Heck, in '04 didn't Kerry consider McCain for VP?

[NastyRiffraff]

26. Not a good source...it seems to be all speculation

I'm not against Hagel as SecDef...just keep him FAR away from any domestic policy. It's not unusual for a president to have a member of another party in the Cabinet. Personally, I wouldn't want any more than one, though.

And a Republican VP would be a terrible idea. I hope nobody goes there, whoever wins the nomination. (Can't see Hillary doing that; Obama? Possible; I hope unlikely)

[Horse with no Name]

27. Hagel is right on the war.

But make NO mistake...he IS a RIGHT WINGER in every other area.
So all of you out there that think that obama WILL pull the SCOTUS back from the hard far right---I wouldn't fucking hold your breath.
obama WILL be a high risk assassination target. You put a winger as his running mate--you can guarantee that that winger WILL finish the term.

And look at what you get with Hagel:
Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record.
Voted YES on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions.
Voted NO on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines.
Voted YES on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions.
Voted NO on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives.
Voted YES on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime.
Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life.
Voted YES on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions.


We will be totally fucked.

[cali]

28. Rupert Murdoch

and the article doesn't say that Obama is considering Hagel- or anyone else. How dishonest.

[JTFrog]

35. Typical Herman hit and run O.P. n/t

[spinbaby]

31. I really like Chuck Hagel

I've met him and regard him as a very smart, sensible man--one of the very few Republicans I can say that about. Obama could do far worse.

[cooolandrew]

32. I think defence secretay could work if he keeps Susan Rice on board.

I doubt he would make this huge a mis-stepwhen he has done everything else liek clock work. I imagine he just wantsto let him down gently.

[bigtree]

36. and, that's a good thing?

Last night it was Magic Rat endorsing Powell, now you with this republican. Amazing.

[Recursion]

38. It's the war, stupid

(Not calling you stupid, just a figure of speech.)

It's the war. Period. It really is. To a lot of us everything else comes second.

[davidpdx]

40. Why would Obama be naming a Secretary of Defense,

when he hasn't even won the nomination? That doesn't even make sense. Why do people spread such false information?

I too have to question how legitimate the info is.

[Recursion]

41. He's not

He said in an interview that he would consider Hagel.

Cabinet choices are a perfectly valid thing to look at in primary season, incidentally.

[davidpdx]

43. Ok, I understand

But people twigging out because he may or may not pick a Republican in this cabinet is a little ridiculous.

[Recursion]

44. Even * picked a Democrat for Dept. of Transportation

It's a tradition that goes back IIRC to Nixon: pick a DINO/RINO from the other party for the cabinet.

I think it's a good idea, honestly.

[davidpdx]

47. Yeah I have no problem with it

I think some people are using the information to make Obama look bad.

[terrya]

56. He...and Hillary....should be doing this.

They both should be doing this: selecting for Cabinet appoinments. Quietly vetting them. You don't have all that much time for the transition.

And McCain is doing the same thing.

[mmonk]

46. Hagel would be fine as Secretary of Defense.

I would like Samatha Power as Secretary of State.

[From The Left]

48. B.U.L.L.S.H.I.T.

I happen to personally know several of Obama's advisers and while Hagel is a friend, Obama's veep shortlist doesn't include Chuck Hagel. His short list includes Sen. Jim Webb and Gen. Anthony Zinni.

[mmonk]

49. Yes, the Hagel as VP is a ridiculous part of the piece.

The rest of the article is ok. The two you mention for VP are names I've heard bantered about and would be fine.

[carlotta]

50. Do you even know who Chuck Hagel is?

* Voted YES on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions. (Oct 2007)
* Voted NO on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Apr 2007)
* Voted YES on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. (Jul 2006)
* Voted NO on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives. (Mar 2005)
* Voted YES on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime. (Mar 2004)
* Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life. (Mar 2003)
* Voted YES on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions. (Jun 2000)
* Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions. (Oct 1999)
* Voted YES on banning human cloning. (Feb 1998)
* Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record. (Dec 2003)
* Rated 100% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-life stance (190 members). (Dec 2006)

* Voted YES on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration. (Jun 2006)
* Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes. (Jun 2002)
* Voted YES on loosening restrictions on cell phone wiretapping. (Oct 2001)
* Voted NO on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation. (Jun 2000)
* Voted NO on setting aside 10% of highway funds for minorities & women. (Mar 1998)
* Voted YES on ending special funding for minority & women-owned business. (Oct 1997)
* Supports anti-flag desecration amendment. (Mar 2001)
* Rated 60% by the ACLU, indicating a mixed civil rights voting record. (Dec 2002)
* Rated 0% by the HRC, indicating an anti-gay-rights stance. (Dec 2006)
* Rated 11% by the NAACP, indicating an anti-affirmative-action stance. (Dec 2006)


My God, people, this guy is extremely conservative. Yes, he finally opposed the war, but look at the rest of his record!

http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Chuck_Hagel.htm

[shaniqua6392]

51. Any Dem who thinks Hagel would be a good choice for Obama

is an idiot. Obama trying to be bipartisan and reaching across the isle is one thing, but putting Republicans in these positions in the White House is dangerous. I thought we were trying to shut out the Repukes this fall. Now we are giving them positions of power. Did we forget what they have done with their power for all these years?? There are actually Obama fans who think this is a good idea??

[monomach]

52. Obama never, ever said he'd consider Hagel as a VP

He said he'd consider him as a Secretary of defense. I don't care how Republican the guy is, he's right on everything defense-related.

[From The Left]

57. I know for a fact Obama will never ask Hagel to be his veep

[polichick]

53. I agree...

Inviting Republicans to join the coalition to put Barack in the WH is one thing, putting them in positions of power is something else entirely ~ that would be a deal breaker for me.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

58. Rated 100% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-family voting record. (Dec 2003)

For many, it seems as if the past 8 years never happened...

[Arkana]

55. I think Hagel in the cabinet would be good but certainly not as VP.

Obama needs to pick from his own party for the #2 slot.