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Home Front: Politix
White House Wavers On Hagel
2012-12-25
A wise rethink, given the across-the-spectrum revulsion.
Posted by:trailing wife

#7  Nothing wrong with Hagel

Oh, he's an equal opportunity sonuvabitch, I'll grant you that.

It's quite an accomplishment to be able to p*ss-off everyone in the Senate except for the janitor.
Posted by: Pappy   2012-12-25 23:32  

#6  Let's look on the bright side, at least Hagel probably doesn't believe in Nation-Building in the Middle East.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2012-12-25 12:28  

#5  Besoeker (#4)???????????
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2012-12-25 11:40  

#4  Take a look at the economic profile of Hagel's native Nebraska. Kindly note the absence of demographic data.

Posted by: Besoeker   2012-12-25 10:22  

#3  Keep fighting boys---while Michele Flournoy becomes SecDef to preside over "transforming" your millitary.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2012-12-25 06:16  

#2  Nothing wrong with Hagel. He served honorably in Vietnam and was awarded two PH's and the CIB. The 9th Infantry Division was no bunch of FOB queens, and Hagel was right in the middle of the shi* as an enlisted man. He went on to do a lot for military veterans. Quite frankly, I think we wore out the racist, homophobe, uncle Tom, and anti-Semitic labeling long ago. I'm staunchly pro-Israel, but anyone who says anything even moderately negative about the Jewish community is immediately labeled anti-Semitic.
Posted by: Besoeker   2012-12-25 04:28  

#1  A senior administration official told National Journal on Sunday that it was “fair” to say Obama is considering candidates other than Hagel for Defense secretary, in particular Michele Flournoy, who was under secretary of Defense for policy in Obama's first term, and Ashton Carter, the current deputy Defense secretary.

Selecting Hagel was one of two things:

A move right out of the liberal playbook: Show you're willing to 'reach across the aisle', but make sure the candidate was a maverick (I suspect they briefly considered asking McCain, but the White House burned that bridge years ago)

Or -

The two alternates are who the administration actually wants. Probably Flournoy more than Carter. The White House wants to tighten its control over the Pentagon. Flournoy is more the ideological soulmate.
Posted by: Pappy   2012-12-25 00:53  

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