This Politico article on Chuck Hagel’s nomination is unmitigated crap. If you keep repeating the premise that Susan Rice was the president’s first choice for Secretary of State when that is not the case, then you are hack reporters. What else would you expect from Politico? In any case, the new idea is that Hagel will be confirmed but that he will be weak, politically isolated, and will leave the Pentagon exposed and vulnerable.
What do you think? To what degree does a Secretary of Defense need friends on Capitol Hill in order to be effective? Is there any real threat that the Republicans in control of our military spending will suddenly stop funding the Pentagon because they don’t like Hagel? Will Hagel be useless for running interference for the White House whenever the next hiccup occurs in our foreign adventures?
“Leave Pentagon exposed and vulnerable…”
Let me guess, the Politico hypothesis is that this would be a bad thing?
The idea that the Pentagon would EVER be somehow exposed (whatever that means) and politically “vulnerable” in our Prussia of the 21st Century is high comedy.
Wake me when any New Prussian politician decides to start arguing that we should “stop funding” the Empir….oops, Pentagon…
Assuming Hagel is confirmed as Secretary of Defense, one important part of his job will be defending cuts in defense spending. It seems pretty doubtful that he’ll persuade any of his former colleagues to be reasonable…but then, nobody else would either.
Where he can help politically is as Bill Cohen did for Clinton—here’s a Republican senator (from the heartland!) who vouches for what the president is doing. That could help some with the citizenry.
>the premise that Susan Rice was the president’s first choice for Secretary of State when that is not the case
she was my first choice
I think Hagel is less of a wuss than Obama – something that will be good or bad on a case by case basis. He seems to be on the desirable side of the three issues I care most about – reining in the Israeli apartheidists, not starting more wars for the sake of the war profiteers, and cutting military kickbacks to corporations.
I would guess that much of the actual power of the Sec. of Def. is independent of congress – is that correct? And within the Pentagon, how powerful would a determined, pissed-off Sec. of Def. backed by the Pres. be? Or is the corruption too deeply dug-in to be purged? And how far is Hagel in bed with the corporations? After all, he was in the Senate – that alone is good for 2 strikes.
Unless he knows where the bodies are buried in the Pentagon and the civilian bureaus (perhaps he does) he will not get very far.
“friends on Capitol Hill”
As I said the other day, “With friends like these, who needs enemies?”
No, really. Fuck ’em.
The entire Democratic Party, General Dempsey (Head, joint chiefs of staff), and leading veterans organizations support Hagel. Hagel doesn’t need those troglodytes.
http://news.yahoo.com/vets-groups-praise-hagel-adds-pressure-gop-201314155–politics.html
http://news.yahoo.com/vets-groups-praise-hagel-adds-pressure-gop-201314155–politics.html
They must have misspelled Bongiorno in the article; Biongorno doesn’t look like a real word.
that aside, I never understood the dynamics of the Susan Rice kerfuffle, her name was never put forward, it was “floated” for some reason I don’t understand.
The only entity looking weak after the Hagel process is the GOP.
“But others pointed to the cost after weeks of absorbing criticism about his previous statements on Israel, his personal finances and unanswered questions
about Obama’s personal response to the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks in Benghazi, Libya.”
Shameful proces in the Senate Armed Services Committee by the Republicans. From your link to Politico, the order of priorities: Israel – above and beyond info personal finances – Obama’s response during Benghazi attacks. The Republicans are pre-empting any change on foreign policy by Obama’s new trinity: Brennan-Hagel-Kerry. I am certain the status quo of inherited neocon base will be under attack the coming four years. Hoping for irreparable damage to the military-industrial complex and important savings on Congressional war spending.
In addition, as McCain has stated he didn’t like Hagel’s attacks on the decision by Bush on his Iraq war of “Shock and Awe” with torture, unjust detention, rendition and Gitmo. Hagel also opposed McCain’s fancy for the surge in Iraq and further American soldier’s deaths. This war mentality and resorting to violence in America must change. Obama is spreading his attack and I trust he will be relentless.
Hagel will need friends in Congress to the extent that Obama’s agenda needs the passage of legislation and to the extent that the upper officer corps in the Pentagon don’t use their Congressional buddies to make trouble.
Because the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell has already occurred, there is not controversial legislation for DoD that must pass Congress. After this confirmation, Hagel will have friends on the Democratic side of the Senate (like Levin) and the Blue Dogs on the House Armed Services Committee, most of whom depend on military jobs in their districts for support. And he might have a few mavericky Republicans who owe him favors.
So Hagel will be using the political capital in internal politics of the Pentagon that President Obama has generated over the last four years. Getting Osama bin Laden and the work with military spouses that Michelle Obama and Jill Biden have done will pay off.
Hagel will likely be more out-of-public-view than Panetta has been. It will be Obama’s Department of Defense and Hagel’s best way of running interference for the White House is to keep the military from doing something absolutely stupid.
Right now, it seems that there is internal jockeying among the services for prime roles in the new “no boots on the ground” interventionist military. Expect “seabasing” to be a new buzzword for expeditionary “hitting the beaches”. Also watch for the glorious rebirth of airborne (France did a drop in Mali). And of course the Air Force will assert their premier stand-off ability.
Cyberwarfare will be the new shiny object, and NSA which has been tapping your communications, will expand its ability to spread malware and spyware.
In that case he will be a useful fall guy. Presidents, in general, use a lot of those up.
This is an exceedingly silly question. A SOD is as strong and effectual as the CIC. He has little significant power regarding the most important military issues like entering wars, military “advisors”, and even procuring of military weapons. He’s probably, by default, the weakest, least autonomous member of the cabinet. His only strength lies in his ability to persuade the president and Congress to back his views. He has no means to “leave the Pentagon exposed and vulnerable” even if he wanted to.
The Reps know this. Aside from some fear that he might not pander sufficiently to Likud (which would be being strong and effective, to my mind), they’re just out to obstruct and divide as usual. So yeah, Politico’s piece is just their usual attempt to make a bit of gossip into a national controversy.
Hagel from time to time could have been con
sidered a member of the inner circle of good old boys. And then he bucked the power. That’s not the sign of a weak fella.
What the Rep Senators may have just done is solidify Hagel’s exit from his Party; undoubtedly he’s pissed at this point so I’m thinking the door of opportunity works both ways once he’s SOD.
Cruz’s insinuation that Hagel’s speaking fee of $200,000 could have come from N Korea isn’t going to give the TParty creds, but it will earn him a place on Rove’s scorecard.