Obama to pick Chuck Hagel as Pentagon chief

[wrkactjob]

Good choice? Some label him anti Israel?

"The Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here," Mr Hagel was quoted as saying. "I'm a United States senator. I'm not an Israeli senator."

[mrkramer]

I don't know if he is anti-Israel or not, but it is time to get someone in there who realizes it's the US department of defence and not the Israeli one. Unfortunately usually when someone in the US government is labeled as Anti-Israel it usually turns out that they are pro Israel, but just not quite as extreme as some would like.

[Prototypical]

Originally Posted by mrkramer

I don't know if he is anti-Israel or not, but it is time to get someone in there who realizes it's the US department of defence and not the Israeli one. Unfortunately usually when someone in the US government is labeled as Anti-Israel it usually turns out that they are pro Israel, but just not quite as extreme as some would like.

Bingo. Just because he doesn't have his head buried up the Israeli lobby's collective arse, doesn't mean he's "anti-Israel." I think he's going to take a fair, realistic approach to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict which is exactly what is needed. Israel is just as much an instigator as the Palestinians are.

I also like that he's a retired Army sergeant. While I fully respect and admire officers (my father is a retired AF officer), I think it's awesome to have someone who has spent time "in the trenches" with the guys doing the bulk of the fighting. He knows what war means from a real-life perspective and doesn't seem to favor conflict if it isn't absolutely necessary. He's the first enlisted official to ever hold the position. He also seems to take a more practical, pragmatic approach to defense spending. Building a more efficient military is exactly what I want to see from the SoD.

I also respect that he's willing to acknowledge his missteps regarding LBGT appointed officials (14 years ago) and adjust his views. I just hope the LBGT community doesn't try to hang that around his neck as a scarlet letter. People and their views can change over 14 years... mine certainly have.

Besides - Nebraskans are good people in my book.

[rdowns]

Originally Posted by wrkactjob

Good choice? Some label him anti Israel?

"The Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here," Mr Hagel was quoted as saying. "I'm a United States senator. I'm not an Israeli senator."

He is being nominated for Secretary of Defense for the US, not Israel. He is highly qualified and should breeze through confirmation.

As for the Republicans, on a jihad against him, that should tell you how highly qualified he is. They're only interested in someone who will put Israel's interests over that of the US and is willing to go to war with Iran.

We need some major change in the DoD. Our DoD budget has risen at ridiculous levels since 2001. Add a few trillion more in homeland security (much of it wasteful) and one can easily see why we're where we're at. Of course we need to fix Medicare and Medicaid but the real money is in defense.

[leekohler]

I don't see any major problems here.

[mcrain]

An infantry veteran wounded in Vietnam, Hagel was nominated by president Ronald Reagan in 1981 to serve as Deputy Administrator of the Veterans Administration.
...
Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell praised Hagel as a solid conservative and patriot who served his constituents and his country well.

"Chuck Hagel is one of the few genuine foreign policy experts in the Senate and an independent, serious voice on many of the most challenging issues we face," McConnell said. "He will be missed." AFP

It will be interesting to watch the sharks eat one of their own.

[skunk]

Originally Posted by rdowns

and is willing to go to war with Iraq

Again? Are you sure?

[rdowns]

I thought this was an excellent primer of where ae are with regard to the DoD. I urge you to go read the whole article.

On Monday afternoon, President Obama will nominate former Nebraska senator Chuck Hagel (R) as secretary of defense. The confirmation hearings are likely to focus on Hagel’s views on Israel and Iran. Yet the biggest headache likely to face the next defense secretary will almost certainly be the U.S. military budget.

The United States spends far more than any other country on defense and security. Since 2001, the base defense budget has soared from $287 billion to $530 billion — and that’s before accounting for the primary costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Below, we’ve provided an overview of the U.S. defense budget — to get a better sense for what we spend on, and where Hagel might have to cut:

1) The United States spent 20 percent of its budget on defense in 2011.



All told, the United States spent about $718 billion on defense and international security assistance in 2011 — more than it spent on Medicare. That includes all of the Pentagon’s underlying costs as well as the price tag for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which came to $159 billion in 2011. (It does not, however, include benefits for veterans.)

U.S. defense spending is expected to rise in 2012, to about $729 billion, and then fall in 2013 to $716 billion, as spending caps start kicking in. (More on that below.)

Oops. I can't even claim the n key is near the q key.

Originally Posted by skunk

Again? Are you sure?

[Squadleader]

Originally Posted by leekohler

I don't see any major problems here.

You will give it a day or two....

[leekohler]

Originally Posted by Squadleader

You will give it a day or two....

Nah, looked into him a little bit ago when this first started hitting the news.

[rdowns]

Originally Posted by Squadleader

You will give it a day or two....

What have you got? From what I've read, his remarks on the gay ambassador were asinine, not to mention his past support of DOMA, but a SoD doesn't implement his own policy, he implements the President's policy. His apology was lame but I don't think this disqualifies him for SoD.

As for his supposed Jewish problem, I read an outstanding piece, defending him on that at, of all places, The Weekly Standard.

[bradl]

Originally Posted by Prototypical

Besides - Nebraskans are good people in my book.

As one born/raised in Omaha, he gets the nod just on this alone.

BL.

[Ugg]

This is good news. Hagel represents the US, not Israel.

[Eraserhead]

The group who seem to be the most anti Israel in the world are the Israeli government - who seem to spend their whole time burning bridges with everyone else.

3 votes against the Palestinian state at the UN is a very small number in support of Israel.

[Ugg]

Originally Posted by wrkactjob

Good choice? Some label him anti Israel?

"The Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here," Mr Hagel was quoted as saying. "I'm a United States senator. I'm not an Israeli senator."

Do you have anything of substance to add to this thread? Or are you just here to wave the Israeli flag?

[thewitt]

There won't be any issues with his confirmation. It was a safe pick.

[leekohler]

Originally Posted by thewitt

There won't be any issues with his confirmation. It was a safe pick.

OMG- we actually agree on something.

[skunk]

Originally Posted by leekohler

OMG- we actually agree on something.

Be afraid.

[Happybunny]

Originally Posted by thewitt

There won't be any issues with his confirmation. It was a safe pick.

Originally Posted by leekohler

OMG- we actually agree on something.

Originally Posted by skunk

Be afraid.

I think that counts as one of the portents of the apocalypse.

Back to thread.

Everything that I read about this man, makes him a fantastic choice for heading the Department of Defence.