Sources: Obama will nominate Hagel as defense secretary

US Senator Chuck Hagel waits for Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso at the premier's official residence on October 16, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan. / Junko Kimura/Getty Images

Democratic sources in the defense community and in Congress tell CBS News that President Obama will nominate former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., to be the next secretary of defense.

The sources tell CBS they were alerted of the nomination by Obama administration officials. Two sources said the announcement could come as early as Monday.

White House officials insist President Obama has not decided on a new defense secretary or offered anyone a job.

Even so, White House officials conceded the ask-and-answer part of that dynamic is formulaic and carries with it zero suspense.

The White House has made clear it considers the attacks on Hagel -- regarding his previous comments that could be considered anti-Israel or anti-gay-rights -- as marginally important politically and something Mr. Obama can and will surmount.

• Hagel apologizes for 1998 gay slur
• Hagel comes under fire for views on Israel

Mr. Obama is also under public pressure not to buckle under to outside criticism of nominees under serious consideration but not yet picked.

The president accepted U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice's withdrawal from consideration as secretary of state when criticism over her description of the motivations for the terrorist raid on the U.S. consular office in Benghazi, Libya proved insurmountable.

Hagel has tattered relations with Senate Republicans and Mr. Obama's selection is unlikely to curry favor with the GOP.

[RollotheNorman]

About time, an enlisted grunt that was actually in a combat zone for Defense Secretary. Weirdly out of sync with the party of chickenhawks. Maybe that's why Lindsey "Chickenhawk" Graham is green with envy over Hagel's service record. Here from Graham's own website is a description of his heroic military service: "Prior to his service in the House, Graham compiled a distinguished record in the United States Air Force as he logged six-and-a-half years of service on active duty as an Air Force lawyer From 1984-1988, he was assigned overseas and served at Rhein-Main Air Force Base in Germany. ."

An Air Force Lawyer, never saw a combat zone, never fired upon, whata warrior!

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

Republican lawmakers voiced staunch opposition Sunday to their former colleague Chuck Hagel...(they) have struck upon comments in a 2007 interview that some perceive as anti-Jewish, when Hagel said the "Jewish lobby intimidated lawmakers."
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/
AIPAC's power is common knowledge. repubs acting like it's a lie will look absolutely foolish. Well ok, most of them do already - make that even MORE foolish.

[lsjogren]

It's funny how when Democrats look for a Republican to foster "bipartisanship" their candidate search process is aking to dumpster diving.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

What's really funny is whenever a moderate repub gets recognition, he's called trash by the extremists from his own party....

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

IAM4-
Too funny.
Can you just imagine?
Sheesh.

[lsjogren]

Hagel: He may be liberal sometimes and conservative other times. But he's wrong ALL the time.

[knsn_for_cmn_sense]

hasbara

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

Now, if Obama were to nominate Huntsman for Treasury Secretary that would REALLY put the repubs in a tough spot.
Imagine: 2 repubs nominated by a dem for his cabinet and the GOP doing all it could to sabotage them both.
Priceless.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

Foxnews.com is not even reporting on the apparent selection......

[Aceduece]

Faux News still hasn't gotten over the election results.
They are completely out of control these days.

[RollotheNorman]

iam4honesty replies:
"Really not surprising. They are waiting for their talking points to be delivered."

They may be waiting a long time, Rupert and Roger have both toddled off to bed and their servants aren't allowed to wake them before 9:00 AM, and then only in an emergency. They are old, after all.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

iam4honesty replies: The Jews have convinced the mindless, so-called 'christians' in America that they are the god's 'chosen people'.
---
Once you convince someone that invisible beings live in invisible places, you can convince them of anything.

[RollotheNorman]

LOL, that has always been the chief controversy between Christians and Jews. Jesus told the Jews God was giving them a divorce. That's what Christians believed until J. N. Darby met with Dwight Moody and convinced him otherwise. The rest is, as they say, history. Men's traditions, however, don't make 1948 Israel God's elect, Darby's Dispensational Pre-Millianism or not.

[tvwatcher5345]

if hagel gets the job, actually just if the president even nominates hagel for the position it will send shockwaves thru the pro-israeli neocon community. krauthammer, kristol, feith, lieberman, kagan (aka kaganovich), judy miller, michael gordon, the wurmser couple, safire, etc, etc....the times they are a changing, what are these chicken soup hawks going to do?

[waldopal]

It would be good to have a secretary that would support US interests and base his actions on these interests. Israel, and the world, would be safer making peace with the Palestinians instead of continuing to expand and subjugate the Arab peoples. A current survey found that this year West Bank Palestinians are 20% more favorable to conflict with Israel and more supportative of Hammas. The poll found that 50.9% of the Palestinians favored conflict with Israel. The Palestinian Authority has been willing to make peace but politicians in Israel are calling for abandoning PA President Abbas. The "Arab Spring" may spread to Palestine. The US should encourage Israel, by witholding support, to make peace while the PA still represents the Palestinians.

[eroteme2]

I wonder if there might be something under the surface. Obama's plan is to decimate the Defense Dept and he selects a Republican to be Defense Secretary.

[knsn_for_cmn_sense]

we could "decimate" the defense department and still spend 5x country #2