Comments on: The real reason Obama wants Hagel

By: Chris08

Chris08 — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 06:43:43 +0000

Hagel would threaten to cut through a lot of the enshrined nonsense in Washington and thus the enshrined nonsense fears him. He might not bow down low enough to Israel to please the Lobby. They want one to get his nose in the dirt for them. He might point out the lack of need to pursue an imperial foreign policy of occupation of Muslim nations and making war against them. He might not want to pay for all the toys the Air Force and Army and Navy want; he might tell them to play with the toys they already have and that those are more than enough. In short he would be a terrible threat to sacred interests that have seldom if ever been challenged in many decades.

By: Bob9999

Bob9999 — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 22:41:16 +0000

“… Hagel has already attracted venomous opposition from his old colleagues ….”

That’s what it is about, at the core. Obama has himself endured 4 years of bitter animosity from Capitol Hill Republicans, plus an extremely bitter re-election campaign. Now, he’s looking forward to 4 more years that will be just as bitter, if not more so. At this point, he is apparently signaling “No more Mr. Nice Guy.” It’s not about Chuck Hagel, and it’s not about the issues that Hagel is criticized on. It’s about the fact that Hagel draws this kind of reaction from Capitol Hill Republicans. Do you doubt it? Look at the Jack Lew nomination. If we had not had that pre-emptive attack on Susan Rice as Secretary of State, we probably wouldn’t be seeing either the Hagel or the Lew nominations today. Now, the Capitol Hill Republicans have to decide how much political capital they can direct against Hagel and Lew while at the same time reserving enough for what they want to do with regard to the debt ceiling, the budget, and gun control. The problem the Capitol Hill Republicans have is that, on one hand, they hate Obama but, collectively, they have not been able to do one smart thing since Obama took office.

By: KeryVane

KeryVane — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 21:31:27 +0000

I support Mr. Hagel’s endeavors to trim down Defence expenditures that are out of control. Republicans are ready to strip the Public of their promised security cushion, whether SS, Medicare, Medicade, anything at all, but not what really is draining our budget. They themselves have it good, why to care for others.
Working for a Defense Contractor, I discovered that corruption is rampant under the disguise of National Security. Inflated Resumes, never checked for accuracy, is the norm. Defense Program Managers know it; keep it hush hush under the table and do not care to bring it up and talk about it. I wish there are many like Mr. Hagel, Chuck, a man of pricipals and fairness. I salute you and our President’s choice as well. Did the Republican Party learn anything from their mistakes after the latest election? I donot think so. Otherwise, they will change their stance and support our President and their colleague: A true American Veteran.

By: flashrooster

flashrooster — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:49:43 +0000

Chuck Hagel is a breath of fresh air. The difference between him and Sen. McCain is that both proved their allegiance to the US in the service, but Hagel never stop proving his love of country. McCain is more interested in McCain.

Hagel is a free-thinking pragmatist, exactly what we need more of in our government, and exactly why the Republicans are so opposed to him. They despise free thinking.

By: GA_Chris

GA_Chris — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 23:47:00 +0000

It seems everyone, except Senators (GOP and many Dems too) think this guy is a great pick… Is it because he actually knows what he is doing and will impact their gravy train of bribes?

By: Decatur

Decatur — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 23:35:57 +0000

Hagel would bring most of the experience that led Eisenhower to say, as President, something like “God help if someone sits here who doesn’t know as much as I do about how the military works”.

Biographers said Ike would go through funding requests line by line paring down or editing huge funding requests, at a time when our nuclear arsenal was growing at an exponential rate, with big programs for bombers and land and sub-based missiles too.

Ike’s many comments comparing the costs of infrastructure like roads, schools and hospitals to pieces of modern military hardware are still relevant to economic recovery.

Another parallel might be most troubling: I think Ike’s foreign policy reputation had his successes diluted by too much faith or latitude given to an ambitious CIA. “Just a few more overflights before we stop”, contrary to White House cautions, led to the U-2 incident. The Mossadegh coup gave us 25 years of cheap oil under the Shah (maybe not so cheap with aid for the Shah) followed by 30+ years of conflict. As drone wars expand and we re-evaluate global strategies and defense priorities, some historical reflection back to the 1950′s by Defense, State and Intelligence leaders seems prudent.

By: lateralgs

lateralgs — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 22:52:14 +0000

The U.S. spends roughly the same $$$, annually, as the next 16 or so highest-defense spending countries in the world…combined. We have troops and aircraft and ships and submarines all over the world. We’re paying for weapons systems in some cases the Pentagon doesn’t even want, because the parts are sourced from so many Congressional districts around the country for each system that no Congressman wants to vote against them for fear of fallout from a few lost jobs in his District. This isn’t the 80′s when we are trying to spend the U.S.S.R. into oblivion by forcing them to go bankrupt trying to keep up. We need to be leaner, meaner, and smarter, all the while continuing research and development. We need to provide adequately for our veterans after they have served. But we can cut the defense budget significantly without materially impacting our own security…not overnight, but it can be done, and it must start somewhere. Here’s hoping like hell Chuck Hagel gets the confirmation he deserves. He’s the right guy at the right time.

By: anarcurt

anarcurt — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:38:27 +0000

I really hope he can do it. The military/industrial complex has had a 70+ year run without anyone making a serious attempt at reigning them in.

By: americanguy

americanguy — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:32:12 +0000

The Israeli lapdog Republicans and wealthy Jewish bankers who control Republicans, can object all they want to, but Hagle WILL be Secretary of Defense.
Thank you Mr. President for caring about our country and not the demands of Israel or other special interest groups who want to control the US.
That is why the majority of Americans voted for you.
Next step, throw the Republicans out of Congress, and it is coming.

By: blah77

blah77 — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:55:27 +0000

A lot of people (especially the modern neo-con GOP) have lost sight of the really important issue here. Elected officials in DC should work for Americans, not a particularly party or ideology. Shenanigans such as the no-tax or right-to-life pledges have only served to prove that many Republicans have voluntarily abandoned reality in exchange for willful ignorance. They continue to shout slogans like free market capitalism or worse, Biblical values, while failing to realize that those are just on-paper theories. The reality is not going resemble those naive and unrealistic ideals, not unless we actually want a crony and theocratic state.

With that said, the *indepedent streaks* that Hagel has exhibited in the past is not a bad thing. This isn’t the Nazi party or Baath party where all members are required to pledge their royalty to a set of rigid and obtuse ideologies. There is little question that our defense spending needs to be reigned in. How can it not be a part of the budget cut equation when it accounts for one-fourth of our federal budget, including the Iraq/Afghan wars which are funded through additional spending bills outside the budget. We no longer need a massive and bloated military that out-class every other nation in the world by at least two decades. The threat of a global, multiple theatres, conventional war is significantly diminished since the Cold War. As such, we shouldn’t give blank checks to defense contractors who have given us the $400 billion F-35 program (50% cost overrun) and the cancelled RAH-66 Comanche program ($7 billion already spent). Frankly, anyone who argues otherwise is deluding themselves.