Associated Press
No matter how tempting it may be, evaluating a cabinet nominee based on his or her detractors is generally not a good idea. That said, it's hard not to notice the kind of folks lining up to say unpleasant things about Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel.
Take Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), for example.
"Chuck Hagel served our nation with honor in Vietnam and I congratulate him on this nomination. I have serious concerns about positions Senator Hagel has taken on a range of critical national security issues in recent years, which we will fully consider in the course of his confirmation process before the Senate Armed Services Committee."
Let's put aside, at least for now, McCain's skills when it comes to evaluating officials for high public office (ahem), and instead consider why Hagel's "positions on a range of critical national security issues" were fine in 2008, when McCain wanted Hagel in his own cabinet, but raise "serious concerns" now. How does McCain explain this? As best as I can tell, he doesn't.
Similarly, Bill Kristol wanted Hagel for national office on a Republican ticket, but is now helping lead the charge against Hagel's nomination. Why anyone would take Kristol's perspective seriously on such matters is itself a bit of a mystery.
But what's especially interesting is the argument from the right about instigating a larger conflict. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) blamed President Obama for starting "yet another political fight." Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-Ohio) believes Hagel is an "in-your-face nomination by the president."
For the record, Dennis Kucinich would be an "in-your-face nomination." Chuck Hagel is a red-state conservative who regrets that his party has abandoned its realist and pragmatic wings, especially on matters related to national security and foreign policy. There's a difference.
It's almost comical, but for Graham, Portman, and others, the toxicity in Washington is once again all Obama's fault: a Democrat picked a Republican for his cabinet that other Republicans consider insufficiently Republican. Ergo, the president isn't being deferential enough to what his critics find acceptable.
For what it's worth, while most Republicans are gearing up to fight Hagel -- Ted Cruz of Texas already opposes his nomination, and Marco Rubio of Florida is threatening a hold -- former Secretary of State Colin Powell and former Defense Secretary Robert Gates both threw their support to Hagel this afternoon.
If you're thinking Hagel's nomination is once again going to split the Republican Party along ideological lines, with neocons leading the charge against him and more mainstream GOP figures supporting him, you're not the only one.
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Quote of the day from a comment at Salon :
Why are Republicans such A$$holes but the bigger question is why hasn't the general populace that vote Republican have not yet catch onto to the fact Republicans are A$$holes
Is it because they're A$$holes too?
If you don't have your A$$hole Club membership card and your medical certification that you have had a prefrontal lobotomy, you can't qualify for membership in the Republican Party at any level.
McCon - STFU - You wouldn't even be walking this earth had-not the enemy found out that your father was an Admiral ~ you Weasle !
you gotta wonder. my guess.... advanced apathy
I'm absolutely certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that President Barack Obama was thinking "in your face bitchez" when he dreamed up Chuck Hagel for Defense Secretary. Somebody please call a Wham-bulance!
(; - )
its all about people power and the uss liberty with chuck.
Ms. Lindsey should avoid using the expression "in your face". It's too easily misconstrued in her case.
That petulant, whiney, irritating southern drawl belongs to Mr. Lindsay Graham.
I understand the confusion. He reminds me of Aunt Pittipatt in Gone With The Wind. He's always getting the "vapors" over things Obama does. He needs to be equipped with smelling salts in his hankie pocket.
The histrionics are getting a bit tiresome, Sen. Graham.
This.
Yes, but hell hath no fury like a GOPer scorned. If Kucinich *had* been nominated, they could have screamed bloody murder with none surprised. With Hagel, they have to explain how their love had gone sour and why...
Hypocrisy is no longer anything to be ashamed about in right wing circles. It's as if once Obama got elected, all video tape ceased to exist. Romney tried to ride that wave, and it resonated with around 47% of the population...
This just shows with all this gun violence how really stupid Jebbie Bush is with his big promotion of carrying guns on the streets. Actually, good old Jebbie probably is dumber than his brother little Bush junior who murdered about 3000 people on 911 for his senseless wars. And the Republicans think Jebbie Bush would be a great President. Well what can be said Republicans do provide a good example of walking morons. Republicans love craving power, corruption, arrogance, greed, being hypocrites, and deceiving.
right. the repubes want to keep their bs going by declaring ordinary people as worthless and expendable. they dont like hagel. he's a people guy. the cowardly repubes will be discredited for the useless frauds they are - especially since they wimped out on allowing 34 americans killed on the uss liberty 8 june 1967.
what the thieving repubes do is spend our money. then give a lot of it to israel. then bill us. then get refi'd by israel to keep their position and run the scam all over again. as long as the repuber hoes keep running this scam on america so they can get paid, america will hurt. these repubes are traitors to america and really, subhuman insects.
I see Joseph you want the truth as much as I do, especially with 911. They let Bush, and Chenney testify about 911 in a closed door session and without swearing in to tell the truth and the total lack of a proper investigation about 911. Way too many people have died already from the 911 murders as a direct result of Bush, Chenney and their cronies. They can use the news media all they want to cover up these lies, but God, Jesus, and the light knew who these people were before they even carried out their murderous plans and they are power cravers, corrupt, arrogant, greedy, hypocrites, and deceivers just as it was told. These people definitely got their one way tickets to hell.
Aside from the obvious parallels in McCAIN changing his positions when expediently needed, this fight on Hagel is just per usual for the GOP. They don't want a REPUBLICAN that will cut the defense budget. They don't give a sweet sh@t about his 'positions' on Israel or his remarks on 'the gay'...they care that the President nominated a REPUBLICAN that doesn't agree with their take no prisoners road to politics. They KNOW Hagel will make them look like the petty despots they are.
no. its about israel. and the cowardly repubes - except Rand Paul - are afraid to say it. they want this issue to appear partisan but the reality is they want to keep their money laundering scam going and privide more cover for the swell of protest for justice for israeli attack on the uss liberty.
Perhaps the U.S. should pull out of Chicago...
Body count: Chicago recorded its 436th homicide Oct. 27
303 YTD killed in Afghanistan AND Chicago has one of the strictest gun laws in the entire US.
President Barack H. Obama, former Illinois State Senator, and Illinois U.S. Senator (2 years)
Senator: Dick Durbin (D)
House Representative: Jesse Jackson Jr. (D)
Governor: Pat Quinn (D)
House leader: Mike Madigan (D)
Attorney General: Lisa Madigan (D) (daughter of Mike Madigan))
Mayor: Rahm Emanuel (D)
The leadership in Illinois - all Democrats.
Thank you for the combat zone in Chicago. Of course, they are all blaming each other. They cannot blame Republicans; there aren't any!
Chicago school system rated one of the worst in the country - teachers highest paid.
State pension fund $78 Billion in debt, worst in country.
Cook County (Chicago) sales tax 10.25% highest in country. (Look 'em up if you want).
This is the political culture that Obama comes from in Illinois .
You obviously don't live in Chicago or Illinois for that matter. Cook County taxes are lower than 10.25% and have been for some time. In fact that just dropped another .25% on Jan 1. Look it Up!
Another factoid you didn't include - Illinois is a Donor State. You can look that up too!
Do us all a favor, moron, and go back to whatever rock it is you live under there in WackoWorld, and get back to fornicating your sheep. It's clear that's the only thing you're really any good at, you worthless piece of something I scrape off my shoe.
you sound like a moron. all the facts on the planet dont add up to a hill of beans unless you can properly apply them with meaning about the power of relationships. speaking of power and relationships, maybe you can deliver the facts about the uss liberty.
Obama: "Today, the sun will set in the west." Repubs: "Everyone knows the sun sets in the east. The president will not work with us on this issue and refuses to negotiate."
PSLV,
That's about it. LOL
We have always been at war with Eastasia.
Always Will Be !
There are Democrats opposed to Hagel's selection. Chuck Todd reported this morning on the Today Show that as many as 10 Democratic Senators oppose his nomination. I'm not saying yea or nea, just that oppositioin exists on both sides.
Typical breathless look-at-me reportage by Todd. There might be as many as ten senators who are at least starting out as no votes. No names mentioned.
I expect the ten democrats against Hagel are because of AIPAC.
yea for Chuck Nagel - a real person. One of the people - unlike the hi-minded delerious dictatorial cowardly useless hostage holding criminal minded pimped out repuber whores for israel.
So, this entire time McBrainless was silent... and once the press conference has concluded he finally has a statement.
The President trusts his choices... That is good enough for me. As far as Bitchy Graham and the crew of "Hating Hagel"... I can think of something more important to do... WORK ON THE UPCOMING FISCAL DEALS THAT YOU ALL CREATED! Morons.
Jango, #11
There's an idea whose time has come. Can you believe the waste of time they are getting paid for. The GOP House opened with a really amazing bill from that brainiac, Michele Bachmann: Repeal Obamacare! It was the 34th time they voted on that, but they have no time to vote on anything to help the country and the people of America. Worse, thanks to this fellow, Gerry Mander, we are stuck with them and they could care less about public opinion! We can't even shame them into doing their job.
What a disgusting bunch they are. And we PAY them, and their kids do not even have to pay back student loans! Why is that and who set that loophole up? I had to pay back my student loans, so did my kids.
ditto! and justice for America on israeli attack on the uss liberty, 8 june 1967.
Maybe all of the GOTP need to shut up seriously! If they don't fall into the "I haven't a clue about squat" camp, then they belong to the "I'm a shameless, small minded, know nothing hypocrite"! And they're all liars!
their is another class for them... pimped out cowards for israel. and yet another class... criminal minded extortionists. and if you think about it, repubes are not interested in doing whats good for "society", they prefer gangster style warfare and act more like animals than humans.
Excellent pick for secretary of state Mr.president...
Republicans are screaming "Bloody Murder" only because they WANT to go to WAR with IRAN !.. They and that major A**HOLE in Israel called Benjamin Nentanyahu, and lets not forget the MILITARY COMPLEX, are all eager to BOMB Iran into the stone age !...
It has been the game plan since the second term of George W. Bush !...
Neocons like "Dick" Cheney are salivating at the thought of the United States joining Israel on a bombing campaign against Iran...
I can just see the saliva spewing out of the corner of "Dick" Cheney's lips...
Lets just start another WAR !..
Never mind we still have soldiers fighting and dying in Afghanistan !..
Republican Neocons and the Military Complex are just hating the thought of a guy like Chuck Hagel running the department of Defense !...
Did I forget to mention the Israeli lobby is also against this nomination ?..
I wonder why ?...
Israel is as diverse in their opinions as America. Not all of Israel likes their own answer to George Bush, BeBe Netanyahu. Simon Perez is very popular as well.
These jerks, like Graham, that start with this, "He'll be bad for Israel" business are so uninformed and ignorant; they treat Israel as if it were 32AD. That's the influence of their Bible thumping, right wing extremist, T-Party whackos.
It's a geographical area, fellows. It is also very capable of taking care of itself. It is a good ally and we should support it, but let's not fall into the trap of thinking it is more loved by God than, say, England or New Zealand, or India.
Israel has an amazing history and I certainly respect that, but let's not allow magical thinking to enter into politics. We need Israel as a middle east ally. We must always have her back. Period.
Yeah, but I hate to tell you this India, but the most popular political party in Israel, which has a good chance of winning their coming election, is so far to the right that they make Nitwityahoo look like a liberal. And they're the party of choice for the majority of Israelis under 30. All those "good Israelis" you mention are pretty much long gone or consigned to irrelevancy. The discussion there now is whether to just annex the parts of the West Bank they already have, or annext the whole thing and then expel all the "sub-humans" (Arabs, including those with Israeli citizenship) out of the country.
Israeli politics today prove that Jews can indeed goose-step and shout "Sieg Heil". They have forgotten what's in that part of the Torah written by the prophets, about how every disaster Israel brought down on itself was self-inflicted, and are now close to doing it a third time.
With an "ally" like Israel (attacking and killing American sailors on the USS Liberty in June 1967, stealing nuclear information from us to create all their 200 bombs, getting the Jonathan Pollards to spy on us - including the spies we haven't caught yet who value their religion over their oath of citizenship), we don't need any enemies. What we need to do is cut these wannabee Nazis loose. Let them ask someone else for their welfare check.
I meant to say Secretary of Defense.. my mistake..
TC #13.2
I can see why you feel that way, but IMO, we do need at least one ally in the middle east and they, by default, are it!
So far..
There's no love lost between Be Be and Obama. BeBe likes his doppelganger, GWbush! He's great friends with Romney, too. Basically, that tells you all you need to know, doesn't it.
yes you did forget to mention that. israel actually sent a bozo to florida to campaign for that pimped out whore "mitt romney" who has a 'secret' cayman island llc deal for land development in jerusalem for condos, timeshares, rec park, casinos, golf course, and hotels. it's quite the deal and he wanted to attack iran as a front to land u.s. troops in israel to help israel steal more land and kill palestinians. meanwhile americans die in his war and then @!$%#ty mitty would hand beaten americans the bill for his zionistic profits. quite the player @!$%#ty mitty was - liking to fire people and all no matter the cost. quite the schemer he was and probably still is trashing out america like the traitor he and his pimped out repubers are. prbly a few dems in their too.
good to hear that rand paul came out today and demonstrated his willingness to cut aid to israel. they steal and kill for a living anyway and hate americans... uss liberty.
Ummmm, Lindsay Graham is from South Carolina, not Ohio. Portman is bad enough, please don't stick with the Graham as well....
Portman and Huckleberry's "in your face" talking point won't pass the laugh-out-loud test among anyone but the brain-damaged 27 percenters. As for Kristol, the only proper response to him for decades has been to point and laugh.
he certainly does look like he lives with his head up a dogs a$$.
I guess Chuck Hagel is finding out what Bess Truman said is true. "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog"
Maria, #16,
Hence, BO, Obama's dog.
McCain is just jealous......grumpy old man.
A sore looser. He needs to go back to his cave.
worse than that... his mutant brain is willing to betray america and americans for his selfish greedy thoughtless conceit.
Hagel isn't far enough to the right? Repukes please! So therefor the O-man can't make any uncontested appointments? I guess if I were Obama I'd let the repukes tear their guy up, then I would set him aside, nominate another repuke (that I didn't like), let the repukes tear him/her up, and repeat. Maybe thru this nominating process Obama can get the repukes to eat/disenfranchise a bunch of their own and really put a hurt on their party?
Why do I get the impression that Republicans would be against a nominee for any cabinet department just because that nominee was a day late for returning a library book 50 years ago...especially if the guy doing the nomination had skin that was a bit darker than previous presidents.
FP,
The Republican Party is stumbling toward driving out its northern and mid-western moderate wing. Instead of having a major party with 40 percent of the vote as its core and a second major party with 35 percent as its core, we are on our way to one major party at 40 percent and two regional parties at about 15 percent each.
There are no GOP members of the House from New England, and those in the Mid-Atlantic states are dwindling in number and furious with the national GOP over Sandy relief. Since states cannot be gerrymandered, similar trends in the Senate are placing the GOP in permanent minority status.
Naming Mr. Hagel as Sec. of Defense gives the GOP another chance to attack another widely respected moderate Republican. Mr. Hagel will either be confirmed or denied, but either way the GOP will continue becoming a smaller place.
I wish the effing media would ask McAinus et al who he would vote for. Seriously, get these d-bags on record saying they won't vote for anyone Obama picks.
The president is always seeking division, when and wherever possible.The soaring campaign rhetoric from 2008 indicated that he was going to"bring everyone together" and "business as usual" in Washington was going to end.Truth is Obama is a politician's politician.The Hagel pick was a poke, a poke in the eye to the GOP. The enemy of my enemy may be a friend approach.Sour grapes by Chucky just may be "Child's Play" That's the way the game is played in the beltway.
This fellow is about as popular as harriet miers with both sides....that said he's unquestionably qualified for the position and a war hero.
TC in LA.....you have DEFINITELY earned your A@@Hoje club card, many times over. Congratulations!! You appear to be the black, Jewish-hating Queen of Los Angeles. Only your mother is more disgusted than me.
I just realized why McCain is so obviously front-and-center -- he is one of the few angry white men left and he is howling loudly and indiscriminately about it.
Did we do this to him? Or did he and his ilk do it to themselves?
Honestly I am tired of being told, by the talking heads, how easily
manipulated we are on the left. When Ms Maddow talks about the left supporting Hagel
just because of some knee jerk reaction to the right are against him, that is
an insult. Interesting that you never brought up Israel and the issue they have
with him not supporting the bombing of Iran. I am always suspect of shows that
leave the eight hundred pound gorilla, Israel, out of the discussion, God forbid
we have an honest discussion about how they have an vastly disproportionate
influence over our government and those who we fight. Get real, and start to
respect that those of us on the left might support Hagel, because he, unlike
YOU, stand up and tell Israel to butt out of our affairs. Try being a bit more respectful
of your audience and what drives our discussions.