Obama to nominate Chuck Hagel for Defense Secretary

I completely agree with the following:
"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."

Why should supporting Israel be a prerequisite for any US official? If they support Israel, that is their choice as long as it does not harm the US. It seems so many government officials in the US would be willing to support policies that hurt the US but are beneficial to Israel.

 

The Israel outrage stuff has been out there for about 2 weeks now. If Obama didn't change his mind before nominating him, I don't think anything will cause him to do so. And I doubt the Senate will decline him - he has too many friends there.

 

wrong question

"Mr. Hagel, why is Israel not deserving of our support?"

 

You must mean:

"Mr. Hagel, why is Israel not deserving of our unconditional support?"

 

Israel should be supported like any other ally, US should not bend over backward to support Israel. Today it is often more important for politicians to state their support for Israel than it is for them to support US interests.

 

agree 100%.

 

that's obfuscation

"Mr Hagel, what specifically has Israel done that you don't support?"

 

lol!!

Intimidation. That's funny. I wonder what they're "intimidated" by? What exactly would the consequences be?

Also lol @ commodore as if support for Israel is more important than support for other US allies. Just goes to show.

There is an unhealthy obsession and the fact that Hagel is a red line is not so much a sign that it's changing, as much as it is certain people using Hagel to draw their obsessive red line on Israel.

 

Hagel: "Build settlements that the US doesn't approve of."

 

Brennan, Hagel, Kerry. Obama's got binders full of old white men.

 

I watched a little bit of Fox News Sunday yesterday, and Bill Kristol and Lindsay Graham were bashing Hagel unmercifully. If Hagel, a legitimate conservative, can make warmongers like those guys uneasy, I know that he's a good choice. Good job, Mr. President.

 

Obama is going to focus on Syria and Turkey.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...fc01c0-5839-11e2-88d0-c4cf65c3ad15_story.html

Not only that, but apparently Libya is being overrun by terrorist, not offensive youtube videos.

 

The man served in Nam. He'd be the first if he gets in. Beats Cheney who took 5 draft deferments and went to college for 6 years to dodge it. I think 6 was also the number of buckshots to his friends face.

Looking back on the past SoDs, we haven't had a non-CIA commissioned officer in 25 years (Frank Carlucci?). I don't think it's a huge requirement, except when it comes to war mongering and the multitude of wars we've had in that timespan.

 

WTF does this have to do with Hagel and his support of Israel? Oh, that's right, not a damm thing.

 

dont know much about him . .but i like his quote "I'm a United States senator. I'm not an Israeli senator."

 

never heard too much about him but I think I like this guy.

 

I've said this before, but there are few statements made by American politicians which piss me off more than "Israel is our greatest ally." They're not, and they never will be. It's completely and totally disrespectful to the British and the Canadians, countries which have more in common with America culturally and who have fought alongside us for nearly a century now.

 

Who said that?