WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican senators hammered former GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel at his confirmation hearing Thursday on issues ranging from Israel and Iran to his support for a group that advocates the elimination of nuclear weapons. But with most Democrats in his corner, an unflustered Hagel seemed headed for approval as defense secretary.
Hagel, a former two-term senator from Nebraska, described his views as mainstream and closely aligned with those of President Barack Obama, the Democrat who nominated him. But several GOP members of the Armed Services Committee sought to portray him as radical and unsteady. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., called his ideas ‘‘extreme’’ and ‘‘far to the left’’ of Obama.
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His political views aside, Hagel just isn't an intelligent person. Surely, Obama can find someone more knowledgable and articulate to serve as Sec.of State.
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Hagel is a great choice, an actual veteran and speaks his mind and is often right
I don't know why any nation would want these terrible weapons of mass destuction, which, if used, would only invite nuclear retaliation and contaminate the same air the warring nations breath with deadly radiation. The idea of cleansing Mother Earth of this nuclear cancer is the only sensible plan for all the nations of the world.
Here's another plan for military safety: Let's say a gang in the ghettos agreed to get rid of their weapons for their mutal safety with the right of each gang to oversee and confirm the reduction. The nations of the world could do the same thing. Then there would be no need for bloated miitary budgets, that corral the national treasure in the interest of death and destruction. With all that money saved we would then have no hunger and homelessness in the richest country in the world and elsewhere.
I forgot to add: Do you seriously think that Iran wants to develop a nuke to use against Israel's arsenal of nukes, capable on its own to turn Iran into glass?
Senator McCain still can't get over his loss in 2008 to President Obama. Senator McCain has never said he was wrong in his, and only his, selection of Governor Palin for his vice-presidential choice. He's giving Senator Hagel more scrutiny in one short afternoon than he did to Sarah Palin in the months he had to make a VP choice. America got it right in 2008. And in 2012, but that's another story for another time.
To quantify that segment of Republican Hagel bashers who do so as a reflexive reaction to strike at the man who nominated him is not hard. It is a repitition of the Republican health care boycott of the recent past. While a far from perfect Democratic party struggles to conduct the nations business, the Republicans will not lift a finger to do anthing but impede these efforts. The nation must be punished for its elective choices. The judgement of history will be merciless on the hubris and squalid obstructionism of these fools.
Republicans are against Hagel because he was nominated by Obama. John McCain is a bitter, cranky loser. Can someone just send him back to the POW camp.
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