The American Spectator : Hagel in the Headlights

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Hagel in the Headlights

By Jed Babbin on 2.4.13 @ 6:10AM

What he admittedly doesn’t know will hurt us all.

Even for controversial nominees, Senate confirmation hearings are usually a time to shine in the center of the media spotlight. In his confirmation hearing last week, Chuck Hagel didn’t look like a star under a spotlight: Hagel looked like a deer in the headlights.

Former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel went through a whole day of questioning in his quest to be the next Secretary of Defense by delivering fumbling, nearly incoherent remarks, flip-flopping on his long record of opposition to Israel and toughness against terrorists (including Iran) faster than a freshly-caught fish.

Hagel was so bad at responding to Senate Armed Services Committee members that, at times, Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mi) had to correct him. Questioned about Iran’s nuclear weapons program — and Obama’s policy — Hagel said, “I support the president’s strong position on containment.” But Obama has declared containment was not our policy. Obama’s policy has only succeeded in alienating Israel and encouraging Iran’s bellicosity. For those who may not remember, Obama’s 2008 campaign promised unconditional negotiations with Iran, which Iran rejected forcefully. Since then, Obama has mouthed decisiveness but has done nothing more than increasing economic sanctions which haven’t slowed, far less stopped, Iran’s march to the bomb.

Then Hagel was handed a note, which caused him to say that “we don’t have a position on containment,” at which point Levin threw him a life preserver saying, “Just to make sure your correction is clear, we do have a position on containment: which is that we do not favor containment.” It was so bad that an Obama aide told the New York Times that Hagel’s Iran wanderings were “somewhere between baffling and incomprehensible.”

His performance — on Israel, the Iraq surge, on the future strength of our military — was comprehensively awful. Having said that the “Jewish lobby” has intimidated many members of Congress, Hagel couldn’t name a single one who he believed had been intimidated. Having previously said that the Iraq surge was our biggest foreign policy mistake since Vietnam, Hagel refused to answer Sen. McCain’s question on whether the surge was a mistake or not. He abandoned his long-held beliefs so often many senators such as Texas’ Ted Cruz simply didn’t believe what he said.

No cabinet nominee in living memory has performed so badly in a confirmation hearing. Hagel, who has said that the Pentagon budget was “bloated” and needed to be cut, didn’t show much — really any — knowledge about how the budget was structured or how it stands after the $500 billion in cuts that have already been made or what the future effects will be of the sequestration of funds — which will happen next month — that will add another $600 billion in cuts over the next decade.

Hagel served in combat as a sergeant in Vietnam. But promoting Sergeant Hagel to Secretary of Defense will be the same as promoting a power-wrench wielding worker from the production line to CEO of Ford. He’s out of his depth and will serve as a tool of his president in dismantling the military.

Despite his awful performance, Hagel will be confirmed to succeed Leon Panetta as defense secretary. A sufficient number of Republicans have said that they won’t filibuster the nomination because they believe Hagel — a former member of their club — deserves a vote.

We can expect that Hagel will be an ideal Pentagon chief for Obama, not for what the nation needs. The nation needs a defense chief who will capture the best intelligence information and analyze it to determine what threats the Pentagon will have to deter or defeat in the next ten years. We need a defense secretary who would then, with the president, devise a strategy to accomplish that goal and then, from the strategy, derive a Pentagon budget in detail to answer those threats.

We need a defense chief like Caspar Weinberger or Donald Rumsfeld who is expert in defense analysis and budgeting, someone who could go to the president and tell him that we don’t have the means to accomplish the “Pacific shift” the president’s strategy requires or to provide the sea-based missile defense Obama promised Poland when he reneged on Bush’s promise of a land- based defense. Hagel isn’t that man. He’ll be Obama’s yes man at the Pentagon, a useful tool and nothing more.

Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey have fought long and hard against the sequestration cuts because they will result in a force so small and weak that our military will have to abandon some of the missions it is now expected to perform. Hagel won’t fight the cuts, he’ll embrace them. And he will embrace Obama’s politics for the Pentagon.

Hagel will push Obama’s “women in combat” policy and whatever expansion there can be of the policy that embraces the homosexual agenda. And Hagel will be at the forefront with the political waste Obama’s team has imposed on defense spending.

The next time Navy Secretary Ray Mabus wants to spend $427 per gallon on “green” fuel instead of buying diesel at $3.20 per gallon — as Mabus did with the Solazyme company — Hagel will encourage the waste. He will do what Obama wants him to do, reducing the force — and our nuclear capability — as much as his president wants.

In the hearing, Hagel said, “There are a lot of things I don’t know about. If confirmed, I intend to know a lot more than I do.” So who will be his tutors? President Obama, who will continue his efforts to reduce America from a superpower to an also-ran. Secretary of State Vichy John Kerry, who wants to focus on global warming and negotiations with Iran, and John Brennan, who has encouraged Obama to play whack-a-mole against terrorists in Libya, Uganda, and across Africa.

With tutors like those, Hagel won’t learn anything useful to defending America and its allies and interests abroad.

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About the Author

Jed Babbin served as a Deputy Undersecretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush. He is the author of several bestselling books including Inside the Asylum and In the Words of Our Enemies. You can follow him on Twitter @jedbabbin.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (85) | Leave a comment Leave a comment

nathan| 2.4.13 @ 7:36AM

Rumsfeld? Really? Exactly what did HE do? Someone sing his praises here, please? I mean he sat by and let his boss drag us into two wars that we didn't win and probably couldn't win. And he stood by and agreed to interrogation policies that ignored 100 years of established precedents including Nuremburg and Tokyo and international agreements that we signed and or we were on record as agreeing to. There's a book by an army interrogator who served in Iraq both at Abu Ghraib and at the FOB's who makes it abundantly clear that what we did in Iraq was both torture and was widespread. (Does beatings and burns to the legs and elsewhere meet everyone's definition of torture here folks? And what I describe here was the mild stuff. Much worse was done, and mostly to detainees who were clearly innocent of any wrong doing. American justice, American "values" on display at their very best folks. ) Rumsfeld knew this was going on and did nothing to stop it.

Hagel really can't be any worse than he was. Almost anyone will be an improvement over him. I mean really.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 2.4.13 @ 7:52AM

Nathan, the article was not about Rumsfeld; it is about how poorly prepared Hagel has shown he is for the assignment that he looks like he will begin shortly. It also dwells briefly on how experienced veterans will be necessary to overcome the damage done by his incompetence. Rumsfeld’s name appears but once in the article, but you seized upon it to turn the discussion onto your favorite issue, about which the article mentions nothing.

Congratulations, you not only posted in the spot once dominated by Jack in Wi, you have succeeded in composing posts that resemble his style, as well.

Jack in Wi| 2.4.13 @ 8:12AM

The whole hearing was pushed to be about Israel and how to worship it. Hagel actually got very few questions about a real american defense policy. That said. Anyone who wants to work for Obama and kisses the rear end of Shumer can't be any good for America. For all his grovelling Hagel still didn't pull it off.

Maxwell| 2.4.13 @ 9:13AM

What did the Rev. J. Jackson say, it is Hymie Town. Then there was the Rev. Al, burn the Jews out of our section of New York. David Duke was the first to use the term Jew first-ers. Then we have the head of Egypt, the Jews are dogs & pigs.

I'm sure if I look hard enough I can find a Jew to blame because I don't have a new Harley, Ducati, more guns, a new Ford truck & the wife needs a new Jeep too.

If it ain't the Jews fault then it must be Bush's fault.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 2.4.13 @ 9:29AM

Yes, Jack in Wi got to bring up his favorite subject, as predicted. To give him credit that Nathan isn't due, though, at least Babbin's article mentioned Hagel's remarks on Israel, and the subject matter also touched on working with allies, etc., so at least his remarks (predictable as they are) are not a non-sequitur.

Jack in Wi| 2.4.13 @ 11:29AM

The whole hearing was about Israel and who is a better ass kisser of the Israeli Lobby. I am on point. If you fifth columnists don't like it tough. Hagel disgaced himself by first taking the appointment and then grovelling to get confirmation.

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 1:16PM

Perhaps, Jack, it was about His Commitment to our ONLY ALLY in the Region?

And, what does our Bible say about God's Commitment to Israel?

"Woe be it to any Nation who would stand against MY PEOPLE, in Israel."

Jack in Wi| 2.4.13 @ 3:13PM

Our so-called allies in the region are Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Yeman, Qatar, Bahrein, Iraq, Pakistan, Dubai, etc. They are all a bunch of criminals and kleptocrats. They have cost us trillions in blood and treasure.

Jack in Wi| 2.4.13 @ 3:20PM

TLP: " There are on more Jews or gentiles, we are all one in Jesus Christ. " So said St Paul, a great rabbi. I believe we are all God's children, Jew, Muslim, Christian, and everyone else. God in the Book of Leviticus tells Jews. " Love your neighbors as yourselves. " Jesus [ God ] tells the rest of us to do the same. It is time to get with God's program

Albert Constantine Jr.| 2.4.13 @ 1:24PM

You forgot to call me (or anyone else) a Neocon, Jack.

Maxwell| 2.4.13 @ 1:42PM

Ok, Albert, you be a neo con...happy now? (Sorry, could not resist....)

Drunken Sailor| 2.4.13 @ 2:58PM

Hey Jack, I hear your hero tweeted "Live by the sword, die by the sword" in reference to the death of Navy Seal sniper Chris Kyle.

What a great president he would have made.
http://dailycaller.com/2013/02.....the-sword/

Occam's Tool| 2.5.13 @ 1:22PM

Paul is a scum sucking bag of porcine fecal matter. Chris Kyle's bowel movements were better Americans than Paul.

May the great Seal RIP, and my condolences to his fantastic family. Paul should burn in Hell for his treason.

nathan| 2.4.13 @ 10:39AM

Sir: Here is what Jed said in the first page of his column:

We need a defense chief like Caspar Weinberger or Donald Rumsfeld who is expert in defense analysis and budgeting

I was commenting on that. And obviously disagreeing. Jed made the initial reference to Rumsfeld NOT me, and once Jed raised the issue, that made it fair game. Let me explain this to you as simply as I can. Jed seems to think Rumsfeld was a good secretary of defense based on the quote I took from his column and that we need more like him and that Hagel is not in his league, not fit as we might say to kiss the ground he walks on.

I responded by saying that based on his actions, support for policies that were illegal, reprehensible that he had full knowledge of, that the comparison doesn't work. That based on Torture and Impunity by Alfred McCoy (read it sometime and we can discuss it) or the book by the army interrogator, Rumsfeld knew about the abusive behavior, knew how widespread it was, and agreed fully with it. Since Jed mentioned Rumsfeld first, that made him fair game since I don't think we should be advocating for a re-run of those years.

And the problem is we really haven't come to terms with those years. Sean's replacement Friday had on John Yoo, the lawyer who formulated those policies in direct contradiction of 100 years of established precedent. For a "conservative" to have him on is outrageous. So yes, I'm probably going to continue to do this for awhile.

That help sir?

Albert Constantine Jr.| 2.4.13 @ 11:25AM

From my post: "Rumsfeld’s name appears but once in the article".

You've just cited the one mention in the article in your latest post, which was about budget and analysis, and suggesting that Hagel's experience will make him less able in that regard.

You like to go on and on about what you consider torture, which is, of course, your right to do so, just as it my my right to call you on trying to change the subject (again) to what you consider important.

While opinions may of course vary, I think that even John Yoo might concede that continued exposure to your thoughts on the matter could be construed as torture.

WRTolkas| 2.4.13 @ 12:15PM

My comment is to congratulate the civility and intelligence shown by the commentators. Agree, disagree - we still have civil discourse with excellent arguments. Thanks for not bringing this site into the toilet.

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 1:17PM

SCREW YOU!

( just kidding)

Occam's Tool| 2.5.13 @ 1:24PM

Actually, Hagel CAN be worse than Rummy was, Nathan. Might I suggest that you VERY carefully review Louis Johnson's tenure at defense, and the consequences of his actions.

Mike W| 2.4.13 @ 8:24AM

Babbin graduated high school in 1966. Why was he not drafted? Why did he not go to Vietnam. Babbin and Hagel are approximately the same age.

So, you have the chicken Babbin in the 1960s, who is now a hawk.

This continues to be a problem with so many conservatives of this age group. When it was their turn to go, they had other priorities, such as Dick "Five Draft Deferment " Cheney.

Kristol, Bush 2, Babbin, Cheney, etc. didn't make the sacrifice then. Why do they have any credibility now?

Albert Constantine Jr.| 2.4.13 @ 8:52AM

"I remember what my dad told me and my roommate on the day we were commissioned as second lieutenants in the Air Force."

The above sentence is a somewhat autobiographical statement from the article by Babbin which might address your question.

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 9:35AM

Don't you love these guys, Albert?

They only see, what they wanna see. They only hear, what they wanna hear.

And, they only accept The Truth, when it's impossible to do otherwise, which usually means that it's Too Late to do them any good.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 2.4.13 @ 9:52AM

I've often found, when commenting on an article, that it helps to read the article (except with Ben Stein, where I now skip the article, and just read the comments, which are usually much better).

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 10:58AM

To tell you the truth...............

I don't think I've read any of these all the way through. I can pretty much get the gist of it after 3 or 4 Paragraphs.

Besides........Why do I wanna spend a lotta time reading their Crap, when I could be writing my own Crap?

Who Knows?| 2.4.13 @ 1:17PM

Oh, crap.

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 1:19PM

Exactly.

Stephie| 2.4.13 @ 10:00AM

Ahh, where was the treasonous trailer park trash, Bill Clinton, Mike? Haven't seen any shots of him in uniform either.

Stormy| 2.4.13 @ 10:37AM

And, then, you have Private Barry Soetero who fought in the Battle of South Chicago. There he learned how to hold and shoot his weapon.

loulou| 2.4.13 @ 12:26PM

Dear Leader did not serve. Is that a problem? Did Leon Panetta serve? Did the slob Ted Kennedy serve? Did the perv Clinton serve?

You idiot.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 2.4.13 @ 12:42PM

While you are on point, loulou, in the interest of historical accuracy, Ted Kennedy did join the Army when he got kicked out of Harvard for cheating. I believe his father intervened, and he served in the Military Police (ironic, but I guess that was where he first learned of traffic accident investigation) in Paris during the 1950s.

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 1:21PM

You may be on to something, Albert.

Does anyone know if it's Legal in France, to drown one's Mistress when she becomes a liability?

Albert Constantine Jr.| 2.4.13 @ 1:42PM

I believe in France, it may be done, but a bath tub should be used, in order not to pollute the public water ways.

I'm not sure what the penalty is in the People's Republic of Massachusetts, but given the level of pollution reported in Boston Harbor and the lack of any sanction being applied to the late Senator Kennedy for clogging Bay State waterways with his motor vehicles and asphyxiated female companions, I can't think that any statutes which might criminalize such behavior are enforced.

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 3:18PM

Agreed.

Quartermaster| 2.4.13 @ 8:26AM

Hagel is a tool, beyond doubt. However, the damage to the military began in Bush I's misrule and has continued since. Dubya did nothing to correct any of the problems intriduced by his father and worsened by slick Willie. Hagel is just the icing on the cake of destruction.

loulou| 2.4.13 @ 12:27PM

Affirmative action types were elevated beyond their capabilities. Colin Powell. The current generals see their role as social workers not warriors. Thanks, Bushes.

Al Adab| 2.4.13 @ 8:28AM

What The Left refuses to admit is that there is an enemy in the world. America has faced this enemy before whether is was Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, Soviet Empire or, as today, Islamic extrem-
ism the enemy remains the same - it is tyranny.

How this or any nation chooses to deal with that enemy is the question for Hagel and for the administration. Do we ignore the threat until it appears and attacks our interests? Do we confront the enemy in an attempt to divert the threat it poses? What is the strategy? That is what we need to know and that is exactly what this administration will not answer.

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 9:56AM

And, not only that, Al Adab.

Everytime we went into the Next Fight, the Next Battle, the Next War...........we were woefully Unprepared, and had to send our People out without the tools they needed to FIGHT, as those Tools had been allowed to Atrophy in the name of the great Peace Dividend that always follows the Last Victory, and always leads to the Next War.

I'm sure that the Great Historian: nathan, already knows that it was Rumsfeld who coined the Phrase, when discussing the Idiocy of such things: "Weakness is a Provocation, unto itself".

I'm thinking that Alexander, Tsun Zu, Julius Caesar, Sherman, Patton, and Schwarzkopf, would agree.

Carter, Clinton, Obama, Panetta, and this POS, would not.

nathan| 2.4.13 @ 10:51AM

Sir: I'll ask you directly: Jed seems to think Rumsfeld was a model secretary. So tell the class what great things he did. I'm listening. I told you what I think he did wrong. So you sir now tell us what great things he did write. Why we should look for others like him. I'm open minded here but I can't think of much. If you can, the floor is yours.

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 11:13AM

What did he do great?

He wasn't Leon Panetta, he wasn't Les Aspin, he wasn't Bill Cohen, he wasn't Jim Schlesinger or Harold Brown, and he wasn't John McNamara.

He wasn't just some Desk Clerk, yes man, who thought that we could fight Wars from the Georgetown Faculty Lounge.

He had to Go to War with the Army that we had.

The Army that The Rapist left him with.

The Army that you probably never bothered to join.

nathan| 2.4.13 @ 12:31PM

Sir I had LOTS of company didn't I? I mean Cheney that gung ho Vietnam was good never saw a neocon war he didn't like, well he didn't go either and what pray tell stopped HIM from walking in to HIS local recruiter and in the words of Tom Cruise in Top Gun saying "Just wanna serve my country SIR!" You don't think six years was just a tad long to get his degree?

Or Romney? I mean while Hagel was getting two purple hearts, he was really doing HIS part to defending the country by roughing it in of places Paris? Like I said, OH THE HUMANITY. I figure if it was good enough for the vice president that Sean keeps having on his show, the one who defends the policies of torture all the time, then certainly not going should be good enough for me.

Especially again, and let's be as clear as possible, Vietnam was just plain wrong. We should never have been there. Ho in Saigon impacted the safety and security of the people in Columbus OH not in the slightest. 50K plus Americans died sadly for absolutely nothing. And decades later people like Cheney and Rumsfeld having learned nothing went ahead and oversaw the death of over 4K Americans in Iraq for again absolutely nothing. And saw our image and reputation as the "good guys" get totally destroyed. Certainly no one outside this country believes that. After Abu Ghraib, Gitmo, Bagram, "Ghost Plane" and so much else, we aren't the good guys anymore.

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 1:28PM

Vietnam?

That was Kennedy and LBJ.

It was never "Nixon's War". It was Nixon who ENDED the War, and the Democrats who pulled the Rug out from under the South Vietnam People, by Cutting Off the Weaponry that WE PROMISED THEM, so they could fight the Vietcong by themselves.

Or, are you really that Stupid?

Cause, I'm thinking that you are.

In fact, I KNOW you are.

nathan| 2.5.13 @ 8:52AM

After WWII Ho who helped US airmen evade the Japanese, approached Truman who didn't respond. Truman like Ike and others had a borg like view of the communists. But just because Ho and Mao were communists didn't mean they were part of a conspiracy to overthrow the west. The two groups hated each other going back centuries and they could mostly care less about us. And the French had no business to be there in the first place. And while Ho's human rights record sucked, Diem, our guy was ghastly too. Tiger cages ring a bell? We should have stayed out.

But there like in Iraq, atrocities were rampant. Mai Lai wasn't an anomaly. Interviews with Calley's men tell us that leading up to the incident that they were raping and murdering young girls out of anger over the irregular warfare they were encountering and had no idea how to deal with. And their superiors Calley and Medina both did nothing to reign them in And we are reasonably confident a lot of other units were behaving just as bad. In the end a lot of south Vietnamese people didn't see us as all that much different than the bad guys. Why should they? In the post war period we simply never discovered how to fight irregular wars. And we still don't.

nathan| 2.5.13 @ 9:00AM

But also we didn't learn anything, people like Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, and Rush, Sean, Levin and most of what we consider mainstream "conservatives" including most of the people here never learned from anything from that period. Just as Truman, Ike, and others, Buckely included had a borg like image of the communists, most all the people I just mentioned see islam that way today. We are islam, you will be assimilated, resistance is futile. The problem with that is there's the sunnis, shias, and so many other groups and they hate each other as much as they hate us. Look at what is happening in the middle east where islamic shrines are being destroyed by muslims, not the west. But no, most of you see all these people as one group. And because you all do, we're going to make many of the same mistakes we made decades ago, and we going to build more walls on the mall for absolutely nothing people will guy, good Americans will die, have died already in wars that contribute nothing to our security and actually damage it because of the way we fight these wars in ways that damage our image as "good" guys. Again, you cannot demand others abide by the conventions and then go out and abuse detainees yourself no matter how noble your intentions. No one buys it.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 2.4.13 @ 1:29PM

Nathan, at which point did you go from supporting Goldwater in 1964, to deciding the Viet Nam War was wrong? As this is the same journey that Hillary Clinton claims to have made, I am curious about what else you have in common.

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 3:20PM

I'm thinking: Pant Suits, and Man Boobs.

CJW| 2.4.13 @ 9:56PM

" After Abu Ghraib, Gitmo, Bagram, "Ghost Plane" and so much else, we aren't the good guys anymore."

That in a nutshell is the view of nathan. The USA is bad. We cannot defend ourselves. The terrorists must be given free attorneys, constitutional rights, warm coffee, fresh donuts, a Koran on acid free paper, and all the porn they want.
If we do it, it is bad.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 2.4.13 @ 10:10PM

"...we aren't the good guys anymore."

Yes, I can't recall ever reading anything by Nathan when he thought the US was the good guys.

nathan| 2.5.13 @ 8:42AM

Excuse me sir: Have you read Ghost Plane which documents the illegal renditions to countries like Syria where people like the Canadian were tortured for real? How about "Torture and Impunity" by Alfred McCoy which documents how widespread the abuse was and how totally ineffective it was. Let me give you another book, "Fear Up Harsh" by Tony Lagourans, an army interrogator who spent a year in Iraq both at AG and the FOB's. All these books and more make it clear that the abuse was widespread, it was torture (ask the Canadian, not guilty of anything the Canadian government told us after he was horribly mistreated that "oops, wrong guy") if what he suffered was torture, and that most certainly in excess of 70 maybe as high as 90% was done to innocent people. If you and others here want to support that, be my guest but quote me one comment from the Founders that supports that position. Washington demanded hands off treatment of detainees even knowing that the British were abusing detainees in Philly. The Founders are on my side on this. Are they on yours? If so, prove it.

As McCoy documents so well, and as we saw at the British center, the Luftwaffe interrogation center, the abuse produces almost nothinng of value. A reporter who went to Israel asked them to name one attack that was stopped by torture. They couldn't name any. And yet when we continually go before international forums and demand others do what we clearly are not we look hyocritical and foolish.

nathan| 2.5.13 @ 8:44AM

I wasn't even a teenager then and since I was reading National Review, I was buying into the whole neocon communists as borg nonsense. I know far more now than I did as a young child.

Jack in Wi| 2.4.13 @ 11:33AM

Nate: You are right. Rumpot was a disaster for this country. Sadly Hagel may be as bad. But if he stops another idotic war on Iran I will apologise.

Tom Kyba| 2.4.13 @ 11:37AM

First Mr. Styrofoam, you should be directing your question to Babbin, not asking posters to read his mind. Second, who said he did great things? That's your straw man, not anyone else's. Third, your constant re-asking of the question proves what everyone here knows. You are an elitist snob who thinks he found another "gotcha moment". Same old same old. Rumsfeld acted illegally. You sure about that? From attitudes like yours, it seems that Republicans don't do anything unless it's illegal. You can pat yourself on the back for your "above the fray" anti-war egoism, but at least some people have to live in the real world.

A. C. Santore| 2.4.13 @ 11:00AM

The Left doesn't "refuse to admit" that the enemy is tyranny because tyranny is exactly what they seek to introduce - in a more gentile and intellectual form, of course.

Al Adab| 2.4.13 @ 11:59AM

Good observation. The desire for power blinds them to the threat to Liberty which their ideas represent. Liberty is not their first priority, control is.

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 1:30PM

Liberty isn't even in their Vocabulary.

Let alone, in their Hearts.

SIEG HEIL!

loulou| 2.4.13 @ 12:29PM

To Obama Muslims are not the enemy. He stated that he would come down on the side of Muslims every time. Why do people pretend he never said that?
Jihadis are simply misunderstood and we need to grovel and appease more in order for them to like us, really like us.

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 1:31PM

It's in his Book.

RJ| 2.4.13 @ 8:38AM

Hagel was shockingly inept during his confirmation hearings. If confirmed by the Senate, I am sure that he will work to implement Octobama's policies. This is what happens when elections are decided by part of the electorate who don't pay much attention to governmental issues. Hagel seems to be part of that uniformed electorate.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 2.4.13 @ 8:48AM

"Hagel seems to be part of that uniformed electorate."

I imagine you meant uninformed instead of uniformed. Nonetheless, I wouldn't be surprised if the current POTUS wanted us all to wear MAO jackets, particularly if he has campaign contributors importing them from China.

RJ| 2.4.13 @ 11:55AM

Oops. Thanks for the correction.

Al Adab| 2.4.13 @ 11:56AM

See the editorial by Rabinowitz in todays' WSJ.

loulou| 2.4.13 @ 12:30PM

I wonder how much money Hagel gets from Iran, etc. for consulting.

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 1:32PM

That is a very good question.

Purp| 2.4.13 @ 8:56AM

"Under Leon Panetta, the military has had a rough four years. Under Hagel, it will only get worse." - Ha!

If you're gonna complain about somebody not getting facts straight - first you should check yourself. Panetta was NOT Defense Sec for 4 years.
For the first 2 years, Bush's Secretary of Defense was the Secretary ...
How many other of your "facts" are wrong. No credibility pal.
Moreover, few nominees are subjected to the Inquisition by the Republicans who dislike Hagel. A few slips of the tongue or misstatements are to be expected.
Usually a nomination hearing for one of their own is a Love Fest ... but not this Tea Party infected bunch.
Nevertheless, it is the PRESIDENT who sets Defense Policy, not the Secretary. So it isn't Hagel who will set any direction or policy. But they can't get at the President ... so they pick at Hagel.
He will be confirmed regardless of Bitter Old John McCain and Crew.

Anthony| 2.4.13 @ 9:45AM

"A few slips of the tongue are to be expected" You would say something that stupid, Purp.
Sorry Purp, Hagel wasn't with Obozo at the Swanky Gents Bath House, where such slips are expected, this was a senate hearing.
And speaking of slips of the tongue and Inquisitions, you remember ole Teddy Kennedy and Bork's America, or Joe Biteme's high tech lynching of Justice Thomas don't ya troll?

Tom Kyba| 2.4.13 @ 11:38AM

Who let the dorks out?

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 1:33PM

Ooh, ooh, ooh ooh.

Gr0w1er601| 2.4.13 @ 9:00AM

More RINO buffoonery on display. This guy's a disgrace- a perfect addition to POTUS's merry band of miscreants.

N8tivTxn| 2.4.13 @ 9:18AM

How fun for the commieCRATS to force Republicans into bashing one of their very own ignorants, but then Obama is all about the mocking ridicule. Hagel, a perfect example of the low-info voter who elected THE Current Occupant in the first place.

Do they really deserve our outrage? Hell, if for no other reason, they should confirm him, just to shut him up.

Ahhh, if only Rummy were 30 years younger, and ready to rumble. He would dissect the damage done to our fighting force, by this regime like a frog in HS biology class. The rebuild will be expensive. Carter squared to infinity!

Anthony| 2.4.13 @ 9:38AM

C'mon, Hagel did just fine. It was those damn Republicans with their pestering questions that were the problem.
According to spokes idiot Jay Carney, Hagel performed as well as Hillary did at the Bengahzi hearing.
So I don't know what the hell I'm talking about;
"what difference does it make"?
Sums up the entire Obozo Administration quite nicely.

Stephie| 2.4.13 @ 10:05AM

How can he be confirmed with the glaring reality that he is frighteningly not fit for the position?! Why would the Republicans give him a thumbs up? Really! This is scary stuff, folks.

Kwan| 2.4.13 @ 10:23AM

Once again HeilObama picks an unqualified, incompetent, left-leaning Bozo to fill a post in his clown-circus administration. Where does he find these guys Clowns-R-Us Employment Agency?

Hardcard| 2.4.13 @ 10:25AM

hagel + bagel = a big zero (O)

KennesawJack| 2.4.13 @ 10:42AM

HC, You do realize that by using the term "bagel" you have just wound Jack in WI tighter than a drum.

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 11:16AM

Did you notice that you weren't at The Contest, this weekend?

Was it something Albert said?

Blink one for Yes.

Bob Grant| 2.4.13 @ 1:01PM

If you showered more often...

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 1:35PM

That wasn't very nice.

I'm guessing that Arnie's Abortion didn't go very well for you.

A. C. Santore| 2.4.13 @ 11:05AM

Think of it. "The horror, the horror."

Barack "Gun-Totin'" Obama as President, Chuckles Hagel as Secretary of Defense, and John Terry-Heinz as Secretary of State.

How the Founding Fathers must be in despair!

Who Knows?| 2.4.13 @ 1:32PM

Hagel schmegel.

There’s one scene from Saving Private Ryan that epitomizes all things being brought about by the election and reelection of Obama:

A German gets on top of a GI, overpowers him, and slowly pushes his bayonet into the heart, saying, “Sehr einfach”. Which means, “very simple”.

There you have it!

When the American voters, and in too many cases, non-voters (to wit stuffed ballots via the liberals), chose the simpleton Obama, they demonstrated, indeed and IN DEED that they are “very simple”---minded.

I remember when Clinton slicked his way into the White House, and Wall Street Week had one of his economic advisers on. The young dude was “simply” a joke, and could be seen by all viewers to be way out of his league.

Hagel is “simply” the point of the Obama spear, and any person the least bit hip has to expect even WORSE people to be in the future, chosen by Bozo Obama, or Chairman Ma-Obama.

America is doing the limbo---how low can she go?

TLP| 2.4.13 @ 1:36PM

You really need to join us at The Contest.

I'm just sayin.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 2.4.13 @ 2:32PM

Actually, if you think about the rest of that scene (Opham, seated outside frozen in fear representing all of those on the right who sat out the last election; the last stand nature of the attack, etc.), it would be a likely prize winning entry.

Sehr einfach? Nein. Ausgezeichnet!

Marc Jeric| 2.4.13 @ 3:19PM

• Hagel was the only senator out of 100 who refused to sign the American Jewish Committee's 1999 statement against anti-Semitism in Russia.
• Hagel was one of only a handful of Senators who refused to sign a bipartisan letter to the European Union to add Hezbollah to its list of terrorist organizations.
• Hagel strongly opposed the enhanced interrogation of suspected al-Qaeda terrorists after 9/11 that helped prevent more terrorist attacks on our homeland.
• Hagel currently serves as Chairman of the Atlantic Council, a foreign policy blog. On December 11, 2012 the Atlantic Council published a front page article titled "Israel's Apartheid Policy," appropriating a term, "apartheid," which Israel's bitterest enemies use to justify calls for its annihilation.
• Hagel referred to the "Jewish lobby" in comments he made in 2006, conjuring up the image of rich, powerful Jews pulling the strings of Washington which is a staple of the hate speech of jihadists and neo-Nazis.
• Habel is life-long proponent of unilateral US disarmament.
• Hagel also expressed doubts as to the veracity of Turkish genocide of 1,500,000 Armenians back in 1915.
• During an appearance on Al Jazeera in 2009, a caller asked Hagel about “the perception and the reality” that America is “the world’s bully” — and Hagel told viewers that he agreed.

Occam's Tool| 2.5.13 @ 1:28PM

Across the Bay from Galveston, TX is Texas City, TX. Never having been there, unlike me, Jack and nathan have no clue how vulnerable we are to attack there, or the consequences of such an attack.

Hagel will be a disaster for our country. I'm just filling my gun cabinet with Gold and Silver.

Occam's Tool| 2.5.13 @ 1:29PM

Marc: I simply admire you, sir.

Al Adab| 2.4.13 @ 4:43PM

Marc:
From your notes it would seem Hagel fits this administration policy quite well as does the unindicted traitor and now Sec of State John F'ing Kerry.

CJW| 2.4.13 @ 6:02PM

Al Adab
I agree. Why is anyone surprised about O's picks given his association with Rev Wright and Billy Ayers/Dohrn?