Hagel's only problem is that he isn't Pro-Likud. This crap "issue" is due to media acceptance of this bizarre equivalency that a politician is not pro-Israel if they advocate policies not favored by Israel's Right wing parties.

If any US politician dared to speak words coming out of politicians from the Israeli Labor party, their political careers would be over. The ILP can advocate dismantling of the settlements or negotiation with the Palestinians, but not US politicians.

That whole "Jewish Lobby" flap was stupid in the first place. Israel's lick-spittles might not like it to be acknowledged in public, but they've certainly worked hard to paint themselves as *the* "Jewish Lobby". They want everyone to think that they speak for all American Jews, even though they don't, and if someone refuses to follow their script, they will viciously slander that person with border-line antisemitism. It's a really disgusting racket these unamerican tools have going.

I still think that Obama should have chosen a Democrat for the job.

Stop using the word Kabuki that way, please: http://www.onthemedia.org/2010/apr/16/dont-call-it-kabuki/transcript/

Defense Related Remember:

What exactly is the long term strategy for defense since as portrayed in media outlets to have nothing to do with say Energy Policy as it relates to Defense and as say Economic Policy relates to Defense. 'We' always seem to end the discussion with 'Palestine' this and 'Israel' that. This seems to keep up the decades old facade of 'conflict' as central to 'Defense', rather than the real issues of Energy Supply vs. Economic Growth.

As someone who looks beyond what I am given to see, I see past the dangerous and ill thought out neocon antics, as being the remelted reforged material left from policies too old be used for vibrant future. The deadly idea of 'Pax Americana', forged in the late 19th century and having been tried six times before is on its very last trial. Protecting Saudi Arabia, and Oil Counties from its enemies is central, but secondary is the opposite tactic is to keep in enabling those enemies. Hence we elevate Iran, but the counter that with enabling Iraq. Then we enable Afghans against Russians to contain Syria. Then we allow the Kuwait invasion to scare Saudi Arabia. Then we play stupid and enable 9/11. Then counter that with Iraq and Afghanistan to box in Iran. Then to keep Pakistan in line, we attack with drones, ladle them with unrest religious and secular, and threaten them via India. While Iran appears boxed in, Iran would well arm themselves with Pakistan nuclear weapons in a week. The superficially against neocon sentiments we attempt to negotiate with Iran, while stirring up @!$%#e Vs. Sunny animosity, and other offensive cultural differences. Of course this is complicated, but that is deliberate, if something is that imperative then any means to achieve it appears justified. It is almost enough to review the Cold War via the Arab Israeli Conflict but that is not needed all that is needed is connect the end points and ignore the middle (reminding one of the math proof technique called the 'law of excluded middle', but I digress).

What is needed is that until and unless the US + World ends it dependence on Middle Oil, the US will always defend that Oil. The cost however is determinedly too much, to maintain this status. Ranked in important rather than cost is the idea of making alternate energy happen, it is a timing issue, I can be done, needs to be done, and needs to be establish as the only way to do energy period. This is the easy cost, easy path and most doable, to the point of being a question of why not sooner than later. At the opposite end of the 'cost to us' is the cost to the wide swath of impoverishment from Nigeria to India and all the places unnamed in between. There are two billion people there who because of the neocon war mongering delay cannot benefit from their own Oil's abundance. In part because the highway infrastructure is no comparison, not the least because of the dryness of the whole region, and doubly ironically they could benefit for the replacement alternate energy because of their climate and because of the very absence of development that consume excessive amounts of energy. Essentially they could benefit most because of this form of 'poverty', an odd saving grace.

It not too difficult to predict the US has already and will continue to choose the wrong path. But be not dismayed dear other world, a country such as China in the process of becoming an old world type industrial giant in a few scant decades, many have achieved enough progress to foresee that those two billion people left out of progress could be valued customers beyond their own billion plus. China need only produce alternate energy equipment for those countries in exchange for its lowering the cost of its own dependence on Oil. The US following is dysfunctional political system will no doubt pursue its own demise its defense policies as it chooses to arm and murder its own children, its unity and its prosperity. Thus rendered o self to the heap of past dead civilizations that have found the means to their own destruction without so much as trying to travel a different course. This will be first because the US will actually lean this before the lights go out.