Was Anyone Impressed with Chuck Hagel's Performance?

[Goodoledays]

I'm very dubious about Chuck Hagel. He was possibly the most anti-Israel Senator during his tenure and that's pretty much the center of most of what he'll be dealing with over the next few years. That's not at all what I want from the highest ranking civilian official in the military.

Obama is giving a lot of ammo to his critics lately.

Not only to his critics...but to our enemies too.

 

[Goodoledays]

From what I saw he was pathetic, if he were nominated by a Republican, he'd have been destroyed long ago, but since he's an Obama nominee, liberals defend him blindly. Do they principals?

i was less impressed with mccain who used to say he thought hagel should be his sec'y of state.

but why would facts matter when we're trying to satisfy mccain's bitterness.

McCain was pretty surprising.

It was like Hagel was on trial. Man, McCain is one bitter old dude.

Guess the lefties just aren't up to getting questioned the right way. Too bad.

 

[Goodoledays]

McCain is a bitter dinosaur. He wasn't much to begin with...

HaHa. Neither was Chucky boy.

 

[Goodoledays]

Hagel is done. Even the liberals can't stand him.

and you predicted what on Romney/Ryan versus Obama/Biden?

and you predicted what on the constitutionality of Obamacare?

Well dude...Ubamacare is unconstitutional. It only passed because it was changed to a tax. Another lefty loser.

 

[Goodoledays]

From what I saw he was pathetic, if he were nominated by a Republican, he'd have been destroyed long ago, but since he's an Obama nominee, liberals defend him blindly. Do they principals?

I've only seen news clips from Fox and MSNBC, I like Hagel and I hope he gets approved for the position.

Good. Invite him over for dinner when he fails. Im sure he will appreciate it. That is if hes able to say thank-you.

 

[Goodoledays]

I'm very dubious about Chuck Hagel. He was possibly the most anti-Israel Senator during his tenure and that's pretty much the center of most of what he'll be dealing with over the next few years. That's not at all what I want from the highest ranking civilian official in the military.

Israel.....Israel......Israel.......

The guy has been nominated for Secretary of Defense of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA!!

Not the freaken state of freaken Israel!!!

What is the matter with putting America's first?!?!

Putting America first? Why don't you ask Ubambo that question and see how long he stands out.

 

[gwennie]

Jake thinks that he doesn't actually have to "prove" anything, he just makes shit up as he goes.

Yea, and the lefty loons go right along with him.

You guys whine when you have to give evidence. The affirmation is on you about Hagel. You have not proved it. I don't have to prove anything until you give evidee. That is the way it is, kid.

No neo-cons at Defense. Very good.

Um.....no. Libs are always the ones insisting that everyone provide "evidence" that is satisfactory to their cause, but when they are asked to do the same they scatter like rats from a sinking ship. You are the one making accusations....that means you are the one responsible for producing evidence that is satisfactory to MY standards. I'll give ya a hint little Jakey....it's not gonna happen. Wow....the libs HATE it when other people turn the tables on them. They siimply can't stand it when people don't give in to their whining and accusations and distractions and distortions. They all have the emotional maturity of a toddler, complete with temper tantrums and all.

 

[Goodoledays]

I respect him for not crawling into the sandbox with baby McCain and Graham. I hope he is confirmed. Hagel is not a warmonger.

Like obama, hagel hates America. I don't see how either one is helpful to our country in terms of foreign policy.

Well the foreigners who hate the U.S. love him. They know he will help them take us down. They just love Ubambo and Hagel both.

 

[Goodoledays]

I respect him for not crawling into the sandbox with baby McCain and Graham. I hope he is confirmed. Hagel is not a warmonger.

Like obama, hagel hates America. I don't see how either one is helpful to our country in terms of foreign policy.

Hagel was born in North Platte, Nebraska, the son of Betty (née Dunn) and Charles Dean Hagel. His father was of German heritage, while his mother was of Polish and Irish descent.[4][5] He graduated from St. Bonaventure High School (now Scotus Central Catholic High School) in Columbus, Nebraska, in 1964, the Brown Institute for Radio and Television in 1966, and he earned a BA degree in History from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1971.[3][6]

Hagel is a Vietnam War veteran, having served in the United States Army infantry from 1967 to 1968. Holding the rank of Sergeant (E-5), he served as an infantry squad leader in the 9th Infantry Division.[7] Hagel served in the same infantry squad as his younger brother Tom, and they are believed to be the only American siblings to have done so during the Vietnam War.[8] They also ended up saving each other's lives on separate occasions.[8] While serving during the war, he received the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, two Purple Hearts, Army Commendation Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.[9]

After returning from Vietnam, he worked as a radio newscaster and talk show host in Omaha from 1969 to 1971[10] while finishing college on VA assistance under the GI Bill.[11]

In 1971, Hagel was hired as a staffer for Congressman John Y. McCollister (R-NE), serving until 1977. For the next four years, he worked as a lobbyist for Firestone Tire and Rubber Company,[12] and, in 1980, he served as an organizer for the successful presidential campaign of former California Governor Ronald Reagan.[12]

After Reagan's inauguration as President, Hagel was named deputy administrator of the Veterans Administration. In 1982, however, he resigned his post over a disagreement with VA Administrator Robert P. Nimmo, who was intent on cutting funding for VA programs. Nimmo had referred to veterans groups as "greedy", and to Agent Orange as not much worse than a "little teenage acne."[13]

Senate voting record

According to David Boaz, during the Bush administration, Hagel maintained a "traditionally Republican" voting record, receiving "a lifetime rating of 84 percent from the American Conservative Union and consistent A and B grades from the National Taxpayers Union."[21] On the Issues describes Hagel as a "libertarian-leaning conservative."[22] According to Boaz, among his most notable votes, Hagel:

Voted for the Patriot Act[23]
Voted for the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts[24][25]
Voted against No Child Left Behind[26]
Voted against Bush’s Medicare prescription drug bill[27]
Voted against McCain-Feingold[28]

Source: Chuck Hagel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You far righties are great at being on the internet and calling Vietnam Era Veterans communists and making up all kinds of bullshit about them. You obviously don't consider it a sin to bear false witness against a person, you don't even know. The man's record shows he had to do something in his two years of service more than getting wounded twice to get promoted to Sergeant during that amount of time. You can't become a squad leader in the Vietnam War without proving yourself. The man's record shows, he cared more about veterans than his job at the VA.

I don't pretend to know that much about Chuck Hagel, but I don't see anything in his record to indicate he didn't serve America with a clear conscience. I do see evidence that you are talking out of your ass.

Well the way he was anwsering his questions shows he was talking out his ass even more.

 

[1Templar]

Hagel is an enlisted Vietnam Veteran. Hagel is not a neocon. This is the real reason for the vehement opposition to his confirmation.

Its not a matter of how poorly Hagel responded to the inquiries, for millions of Vietnam Vets, the real repercussions are what McCain did to a friend, and a Vietnam Vet brother.

McCain has ruined whatever good will he had with the Veterans. Many of us backed, and voted for McCain. I, for one, wish I that vote back.

There is a mantra, quietly held in the Vietnam Vets do's, and Don'ts... no more unnecessary insurgent wars. This is true among the vast majority of those who fought in VietNam.

Obviously... McCain is not one of those, and the writing of his own life, will reflect this. He turned his back on, not only the Powell Doctrine, but a close friend and brother at arms, as well.

Semper, Fi war hawk.


I

 

[Jroc]

Hagel is an enlisted Vietnam Veteran. Hagel is not a neocon. This is the real reason for the vehement opposition to his confirmation.

Its not a matter of how poorly Hagel responded to the inquiries, for millions of Vietnam Vets, the real repercussions are what McCain did to a friend, and a Vietnam Vet brother.

McCain has ruined whatever good will he had with the Veterans. Many of us backed, and voted for McCain. I, for one, wish I that vote back.

There is a mantra, quietly held in the Vietnam Vets do's, and Don'ts... no more unnecessary insurgent wars. This is true among the vast majority of those who fought in VietNam.

Obviously... McCain is not one of those, and the writing of his own life, will reflect this. He turned his back on, not only the Powell Doctrine, but a close friend and brother at arms, as well.

Semper, Fi war hawk.


I

Hagel supported Obama over McCain in 08. Being Vietnam vet is not a requirement to be defense secretary and neither is the rush to cut our military. Ok you’re a Vietnam vet, thank you for your service, but so was John Kerry. Weakening the United States leads to war it doesn't prevent it and Hagel is not competent to be Secretary of defense and that incompetence showed during the hearings.

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

Hagel has also been criticized by the American Jewish Committee for an incident in 1999 where he was the only senator not to sign an open letter to Russian President Boris Yeltsin threatening to cut aid to Russia if it did not take action against rising anti-Semitism in the country.

However, Hagel's refusal to sign the letter was consistent with his policy of never signing letters to foreign heads of state. Hagel, instead, wrote to Bill Clinton on this issue, saying "Anti-Semitism or any form of religious persecution should never be tolerated." -- (Hagel's actions and words together in a full context prove much)

Chuck Hagel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

---------------

Commentators at The American Conservative and Pat Buchanan endorsed Hagel. Hagel's nomination received support from the libertarian think tank Cato Institute; Justin Logan expressed the hope that Hagel's confirmation might "loosen the neoconservative stranglehold on the GOP."

Chuck Hagel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

some things need repeating...

 

[Sactowndog]

Poor Jake.
Poor Dante.
Poor whoever that last kid was.

All shown to be fakes.

By your standards maybe but then who cares what you think. You don't provide a single thoughtful comment just one-liner attacks. Typical stupid right wing attack dog that has driven the thoughtful and educated out of the Republican Party.

 

[Sactowndog]

I don't see a connection between the war in Iraq and Israel, so why don't you prove that?

It's a message board..... Like I would post classified documents even if I had access to them. It was well documented Saddam had missiles capable of reaching Israel and was funding Palastinians. The weapons of mass destruction have never been found because they were never there. The stories being used by the administration were being debunked in international newspapers while they were being told by the administration. You think our CIA is dumber than London newspaper reporters?

Israel, the Republican Party, and the neo-cons with their stupid Iraq democracy theory converged to start this war. Israel definately had a hand in this war.

The WMD was in Iraq and destroyed in Iraq, before the war. Those scud missiles couldn't hit the broad side of a barn and were not effective offensive weapons. There is plenty of desert between Iraq and Israel, the Iraqis lived in concentrated areas, the Iraqi nuclear program was blown up and all arabs had to oppose Israel. Iraq was not a threat to Israel and once had probably the largest Jewish city population in the world in Baghdad. I can't think of a city that had more, but all that changed throughout areas of the Middle East after the state of Israel started.

The Neo-cons had a hair up their ass about Iraq from the beginning. I think Iraq does have oil reserves that rival Saudi Arabia and that could be their motive. The Neo-cons also had the concept that it was good for America to dominate the world. I do not think their agenda was to serve Israel and it was only to serve themselves.

You can believe Israel had a connection with the Iraq War, but I don't see a connection. Saddam was clearly an asshole, but he had the power to keep Iraq under his control and even a stable shitty Iraq was better for Israel than an unstable one. I think Israel always considered Iran much more of a threat and don't forget southern Iraq has a majority Shiite population dominated by Saddam. Saddam kept the Shiites in Iran (about two-thirds of the population) in check, just by controlling his country. Saddam wasn't in a position to be friendly with Iran.

So Saddam once had WMD meaning biological and chemical weapons, but who the hell doesn't? Yes, Saddam used them against the Iranians to keep from being overrun, but that's what they were for. When Saddam used them against the Kurdish people, he was sending the message that he would kill everybody in ways they couldn't fight back against, because he was a totally ruthless SOB.

I've seen extremists on the left and right oppose Israel and blame them for all kinds of things, but I haven't seen evidence or logic to support such claims.

You left out that Saddam was the primary funder of Hamas. Israel had a hand in this action. I don't blame them from their standpoint I blame Bush for allowing them to push him into a stupid and useless war.

 

[Dubya]

Hagel is an enlisted Vietnam Veteran. Hagel is not a neocon. This is the real reason for the vehement opposition to his confirmation.

Its not a matter of how poorly Hagel responded to the inquiries, for millions of Vietnam Vets, the real repercussions are what McCain did to a friend, and a Vietnam Vet brother.

McCain has ruined whatever good will he had with the Veterans. Many of us backed, and voted for McCain. I, for one, wish I that vote back.

There is a mantra, quietly held in the Vietnam Vets do's, and Don'ts... no more unnecessary insurgent wars. This is true among the vast majority of those who fought in VietNam.

Obviously... McCain is not one of those, and the writing of his own life, will reflect this. He turned his back on, not only the Powell Doctrine, but a close friend and brother at arms, as well.

Semper, Fi war hawk.


I

Semper Fi, 1Templar!

 

[Dubya]

It's a message board..... Like I would post classified documents even if I had access to them. It was well documented Saddam had missiles capable of reaching Israel and was funding Palastinians. The weapons of mass destruction have never been found because they were never there. The stories being used by the administration were being debunked in international newspapers while they were being told by the administration. You think our CIA is dumber than London newspaper reporters?

Israel, the Republican Party, and the neo-cons with their stupid Iraq democracy theory converged to start this war. Israel definately had a hand in this war.

The WMD was in Iraq and destroyed in Iraq, before the war. Those scud missiles couldn't hit the broad side of a barn and were not effective offensive weapons. There is plenty of desert between Iraq and Israel, the Iraqis lived in concentrated areas, the Iraqi nuclear program was blown up and all arabs had to oppose Israel. Iraq was not a threat to Israel and once had probably the largest Jewish city population in the world in Baghdad. I can't think of a city that had more, but all that changed throughout areas of the Middle East after the state of Israel started.

The Neo-cons had a hair up their ass about Iraq from the beginning. I think Iraq does have oil reserves that rival Saudi Arabia and that could be their motive. The Neo-cons also had the concept that it was good for America to dominate the world. I do not think their agenda was to serve Israel and it was only to serve themselves.

You can believe Israel had a connection with the Iraq War, but I don't see a connection. Saddam was clearly an asshole, but he had the power to keep Iraq under his control and even a stable shitty Iraq was better for Israel than an unstable one. I think Israel always considered Iran much more of a threat and don't forget southern Iraq has a majority Shiite population dominated by Saddam. Saddam kept the Shiites in Iran (about two-thirds of the population) in check, just by controlling his country. Saddam wasn't in a position to be friendly with Iran.

So Saddam once had WMD meaning biological and chemical weapons, but who the hell doesn't? Yes, Saddam used them against the Iranians to keep from being overrun, but that's what they were for. When Saddam used them against the Kurdish people, he was sending the message that he would kill everybody in ways they couldn't fight back against, because he was a totally ruthless SOB.

I've seen extremists on the left and right oppose Israel and blame them for all kinds of things, but I haven't seen evidence or logic to support such claims.

You left out that Saddam was the primary funder of Hamas. Israel had a hand in this action. I don't blame them from their standpoint I blame Bush for allowing them to push him into a stupid and useless war.

Bush had the Neocon push and Israel didn't pull those strings. Do you see Israel or the US attacking Hamas in Syria? Hamas doesn't have much power in the Middle East and they will all be against Israel. Being against Israel doesn't prove anything.

 

[percysunshine]

Was Anyone Impressed with Chuck Hagel's Performance?

Anyone can perform with enough viagra.

Up, Chuck! Up!

 

[Jroc]

Was Anyone Impressed with Chuck Hagel's Performance?

Anyone can perform with enough viagra.

Up, Chuck! Up!

Unfortunately for him I don't think it increases blood flow to the brain

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

This may or may not prove instructive to others wondering where the main posters here are coming from...

Dante defends Hagel and Decency

Yesterday many of us viewed the circular firing squad known as the Democrat Party.

The following gives context to the spectacle....


"WHY DOES THE LEFT HATE ISRAEL?

...

Liberals are not leftists, although some liberal viewpoints lean left, and Democrats are not all leftists.

The progressive left probably hates Israel because they view her as a right wing government and because the Palestinian Victimhood cause fits a view of themselves as caring freethinkers with no agenda but peace, love and understanding.

Right winger neocons absolutely love Israel for many reasons...some because they were the leading creeps of the left who then flipped to the other extreme, some because they are Jews with or without dual citizenship.

Some love Israel because they pray for the destruction of the world through prophecy.

Many necons and right wingers love Israel as a reaction against the left. That is not the kind of support Israel needs...with friends like that who needs enemies?

Some good points....

...what blunts them is that our system doesn't allow for that level of nuance.

1) That means, if you vote for Obama, you place yourself in the same booth with the most Left-wing Progressives.....who do hate Israel.

2) You give Obama entrée to nominate a Hagel.


3) Did you notice that all three....Hagel, Kerry, Jack Lew....are to the Left of the folks they are replacing, none of whom was much of a centrist.

Of course...I be Dante

you are mistaken\

1) Dante didn't vote for Obama in 2008, but he did in 2012...even campaigned for him. I guess where your distorted view of the world comes through is thinking because some left wingers who dislike and even hate Israel, voted for Obama because they believe he shares their distorted views.

When Obama ran in 2o008 I used to laugh when he'd end most of his campaign appearances with something like "You may not always agree with me in everything..." - people hear what they want to hear.

Not being a one-issue voter, Dante did not vote for a candidate based on who was a stronger supporter of Israel.

Democracy and compromise and elections...politics, makes strange bedfellows. Israeli leaders would agree with me on this more than you would.

2) Wrong, Dante wanted a Hagel, Obama or no Obama. Hagel is perfect for the jib in this day and age

3) Whois and who is not a 'centrist' is so subjective here it is -able

Kerry is not to the left of Hillary. I've been to events with both of them in attendance on more than one occasion. Lew is not too the left of anyone...he is a close adviser and friend to the President...

Hagel is a man who speaks his mind (like McCain and Biden) and puts his foot into his mouth sometimes. High crime? Nah. Hagel will be o-n-e adviser to the President and he will be carrying out the President's defense policy, not his own, which leads to your thread...

It looks at first glance like an attempt to use the politics of personal destruction to derail an appointment a President should have and historically has had, much leeway in.

Billionaires - Super PACs - Policy - Cabinet Fights

Dante followed the Super PACs closely during the 2012 Presidential election, and like many of the political junkies wondered what permanent role the PACs would play in American politics.

A few major issues have Super PAC money behind them, but this Hagel fight is one the right wing billionaires have staked their model on.

There will be more of this to come, if the next President is a Republican you can be sure the right will be told to scream bloody murder about Democratic backed Super PACs using this right wing billionaire tactic. If the next President is a Democrat, the right will be told to scream bloody murder when Democrats cry bloody murder about right wing Super PACs doing Hagels on every appointee, proposed or considered and on every potential and real nomination.

Brave new world we have entered. This is the true legacy of Citizens United, which in some ways Dante has come to support for some pretty basic reasons not listed here.

Big money gets in on Cabinet nomination fights - latimes.com

 

[Dubya]

Like obama, hagel hates America. I don't see how either one is helpful to our country in terms of foreign policy.

Hagel was born in North Platte, Nebraska, the son of Betty (née Dunn) and Charles Dean Hagel. His father was of German heritage, while his mother was of Polish and Irish descent.[4][5] He graduated from St. Bonaventure High School (now Scotus Central Catholic High School) in Columbus, Nebraska, in 1964, the Brown Institute for Radio and Television in 1966, and he earned a BA degree in History from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1971.[3][6]

Hagel is a Vietnam War veteran, having served in the United States Army infantry from 1967 to 1968. Holding the rank of Sergeant (E-5), he served as an infantry squad leader in the 9th Infantry Division.[7] Hagel served in the same infantry squad as his younger brother Tom, and they are believed to be the only American siblings to have done so during the Vietnam War.[8] They also ended up saving each other's lives on separate occasions.[8] While serving during the war, he received the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, two Purple Hearts, Army Commendation Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.[9]

After returning from Vietnam, he worked as a radio newscaster and talk show host in Omaha from 1969 to 1971[10] while finishing college on VA assistance under the GI Bill.[11]

In 1971, Hagel was hired as a staffer for Congressman John Y. McCollister (R-NE), serving until 1977. For the next four years, he worked as a lobbyist for Firestone Tire and Rubber Company,[12] and, in 1980, he served as an organizer for the successful presidential campaign of former California Governor Ronald Reagan.[12]

After Reagan's inauguration as President, Hagel was named deputy administrator of the Veterans Administration. In 1982, however, he resigned his post over a disagreement with VA Administrator Robert P. Nimmo, who was intent on cutting funding for VA programs. Nimmo had referred to veterans groups as "greedy", and to Agent Orange as not much worse than a "little teenage acne."[13]

Senate voting record

According to David Boaz, during the Bush administration, Hagel maintained a "traditionally Republican" voting record, receiving "a lifetime rating of 84 percent from the American Conservative Union and consistent A and B grades from the National Taxpayers Union."[21] On the Issues describes Hagel as a "libertarian-leaning conservative."[22] According to Boaz, among his most notable votes, Hagel:

Voted for the Patriot Act[23]
Voted for the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts[24][25]
Voted against No Child Left Behind[26]
Voted against Bush’s Medicare prescription drug bill[27]
Voted against McCain-Feingold[28]

Source: Chuck Hagel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You far righties are great at being on the internet and calling Vietnam Era Veterans communists and making up all kinds of bullshit about them. You obviously don't consider it a sin to bear false witness against a person, you don't even know. The man's record shows he had to do something in his two years of service more than getting wounded twice to get promoted to Sergeant during that amount of time. You can't become a squad leader in the Vietnam War without proving yourself. The man's record shows, he cared more about veterans than his job at the VA.

I don't pretend to know that much about Chuck Hagel, but I don't see anything in his record to indicate he didn't serve America with a clear conscience. I do see evidence that you are talking out of your ass.

Well the way he was anwsering his questions shows he was talking out his ass even more.

There are at least two threads about Chuck Hagel and I haven't seen one specific thing he has ever done to support the people who oppose him. I've pointed out votes he made as a Senator that I didn't like, but when are you puppets going to post some specific things he has said or done?