For Hagel, a rocky but probable path to defense secretary

Former U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel walks down the hallway of the Russell Senate Office Building with CIA Spokesperson Marie Harf (L) and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs Elizabeth King before meeting with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on Capitol Hill January 22, 2013 in Washington, DC. / Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Panel agrees Hagel will be confirmed

Topping off a week rife with White House entrances and exits, former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., heads to the Senate Armed Services Committee this morning for his confirmation hearing to become President Obama's new defense secretary. But the former Republican senator is not expected to get the kind of friendly reception his former colleague, soon-to-be Secretary of State John Kerry, received earlier this week; Hagel, though widely expected to squeak through the confirmation process, may have to put up a fight.

His nomination, which Mr. Obama announced earlier this month, has been controversial from the get-go: Even before the decision was official, a handful of Republicans were threatening to pitch a fight over it, denouncing the former senator's positions on Israel and Iran and in some cases pledging immediately to vote against him. Outside advocacy groups were also swift to get involved, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on television ads aimed at torpedoing Hagel's chances.

"I will not support Chuck Hagel's nomination," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tex., a member of the Armed Services Committee, in a statement released prior to the official announcement. "His record and past statements, particularly with respect to rogue nations like Iran, are extremely concerning to me."

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Of particular concern to Republicans and some Democrats was Hagel's past opposition of some sanctions for Iran; for his having taken stances on Hezbollah and Hamas that critics have decried as overly lenient; and for criticism of what he called "the Jewish lobby," which invoked the ire of pro-Israel advocates. Additionally, Hagel came out as a vocal critic of former President George W. Bush's policies in Iraq.

Democrats had their own, added gripes with the pick: In addition to being a Republican, Hagel was targeted for making anti-gay comments about an ambassadorial nominee in 1998, whose nomination he opposed for being "openly, aggressively gay." He also voted on multiple occasions to limit abortion access for American servicewomen abroad.

In the days since his nomination, Hagel has rushed to assuage Democrats' concerns, meeting one-on-one with various senators in pursuit of their support, and signaling his commitment to fall in line with Mr. Obama's ideologies.

"I think from the personal conversations that senators have had with him, they expect that his testimony will show he will be committed to fully executing and implementing the administration's policies," said one Senate Democratic aide familiar with some of these conversations. "He's been well-prepared in his one-on-one meetings with the senators. I think he's been able to address the concerns that they've had, and he has given his very direct commitment on several issues."

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who had expressed concerns with Hagel's positions on Israel and Iran, as well as gay rights and abortion, was considered the most potent bastion of Democratic resistance to the nomination; his eventual support for Hagel was considered a signal that Democrats were ready to accept the choice. Since then, none have expressed plans to vote no on Mr. Obama's pick for defense secretary.

Hagel's efforts to win support from his own party's members, however, have been met with less success: Despite meetings with Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, as well as Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., neither candidate has promised to support him. Inhofe stands firm in his opposition, and McCain said recently he still needs to "see what happens in the hearing" before making up his mind.

Today, a handful of Republicans on the Armed Services Committee sent Hagel a letter demanding answers on a number of questions related to his finances, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., threatened to put a hold on Hagel's nomination until Democrats agreed to hold a hearing with outgoing CIA Director Leon Panetta to discuss the U.S. response to the September attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Democrats subsequently agreed to hold this hearing, and Graham has withdrawn that threat, though he has not signaled that he will vote for Hagel.

At the moment, it's unclear how many Republicans, if any, will vote for Hagel: Donelle Harder, a spokeswoman for Inhofe, said today's hearings will probably be "the decision-maker" for a number of those who have yet to weigh in.

"There are a lot of unanswered questions," she told CBSNews.com. "I don't expect it to get bloody, but I do expect that you'll see some very smart, direct questions."

Still, Hagel only needs 14 out of 26 votes to clear the Armed Services Committee, which means that if all Democrats vote in his favor, he can squeak by without a single Republican vote.

Inhofe, at least, says he's ready to work with his fellow Republicans if, as many expect, he makes it through the process.

"When Hagel came to meet with the senator in person in his office, he let him know personally that he was going to be opposing him," Harder said. "But should Hagel get confirmed, he's prepared to have a working relationship with him."

[bolesnm]

I sincerely hope the honorable Republican Senate nominate Mr Hagel as Secretary of Defense. Mr Hagel was right about the Iraq war stood alone resisting the war hawks and deserves the nations respect. I hold The current republican leadership in contempt for blocking Hagel nomination and hope they will be honest with the Nation and let his nomination proceed.

[mrleet60]

He is having problems due to statements he made on major issues in the past that bring in to question how he might react to certain defense related issues. I beleive the questioning to be valid, but think that he is well prepared to deal with those issues. Any politician worth his/her salt is well aware that ANY statement they make or any vote on a major issue will come back to haunt them if nominated for a major post.

This would not be any different were it a Republican administration and a Republican nominee, the shoe would simply be on the other foot. The Democrats would question anything they did not like about the nominee.

[Aceduece]

Since when has the Republican party cared about someone making negative remarks about a gay person.....Normally that would be a plus for them. If he had been nominated by a Republican President they would have backed him on that issue.....such hypocrites!!!

[Ambivalent11]

thechooch1 says:
Wouldn't it be great if we had someone who actually wore the uniform in combat heading the Defense Department?




Better as Commander in Chief.

[Rafterman11]

Military men usually make terrible Presidents. A military man, especially a general, is used to running things by ordering people around and is not used to having their authority questioned. A president, dealing with Congress, must work with a lot of different people and must get used to usually not getting their own way.

[signseeker1717]

The ONLY recent Secretary of Defense who DID not serve in the military was chicken hawk Dick Cheney, who received multiple deferments.

[hlmelsaidtwitter]

Debated nominate.

[Ambivalent11]

knsn_for_cmn_sense says:
The only reason he is having any trouble AT ALL is because he doesnt march in lockstep with the liberal Republicans and the Israeli masters.


The only connection Israelis have with lock stepping people is from the last century, it was called a goose step then. Of course the Russians/Soviets do theur version. Which to you prefer?

[Yimmybob]

THE END OF EMPIRES
When the Roman Senate and Caesar lied to the people, Rome Fell.
When the Soviet Dumah and the Communists lied to the people, the Soviet Union Fell.
When the German Bundestag, Bundesrat and the Nazis under Hitler lied to the people, the Thousand Year Reich Fell.
When the United States Congress and Obama's White House lied to the people, the United States of America Fell.

[signseeker1717]

Gross oversimplification by word repetition ("lied" and "fell"), which is not logic, reasoning or proof.

NONE of those "empires" fell because of "lies" to "the people" - there were many OTHER factors, explored in stacks of academic studies for each. And the US is not an "empire" by definition nor has it "fallen"".

[baileycccc]

The worst senator in Congress Cornyn from Texas is voting against Hagel as he was one of 3 senators that voted against John Kerry. Texas has chosen poorly and must removed this obstructionist from office. Cornyn goes out of office in 2016 when Texas becomes a blue state and Hillary becomes President.

[RetiredArmy_Nurse]

The main thing I have against Hagel is that he is a repuglican. However, he must be moderate & fair handed enough that his fellow repugs have a problem with him. So, he is likely an acceptable choice. It's also about time that we had someone in this office that actually wore a uniform. As a combat vet he will have a far clearer perspective than a draft dodging chicken hawks like Dick Cheny.

[Ambivalent11]

Good thing you retired. You relieved the arm of your tired and hackneyed pap. Too bad you brought them here . . .to lefty heaven.

[signseeker1717]

It's not "about time" we had a Secretary of Defense who served - ALL Secretaries over the last two decades have served - EXCEPT the Chicken Hawk.

[omnibus66]

Bottom line is that he might take a closer look at some of the unnecessary weapons systems that waste billions of taxpayer dollars. This would mean that some of the big defense contracting corporations might make a billion or two less in the coming years. That might result in smaller contributions to their paid-for Republican Congressmen and Senators.