Former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, arguably one of the most principled, decent Republican Senators of the past twenty years, along with Richard Lugar and Olympia Snowe, was finally confirmed as Secretary of Defense today, but failed to gain the support of his former colleagues, including John McCain, Lisa Murkowski, and Susan Collins, who went along with their more right wing colleagues in refusing to give support, without good reason other than a vendetta against an independent minded Republican.
Surprisingly, the four Republicans who supported the Hagel confirmation were Rand Paul of Kentucky (totally inexplicable), Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Richard Shelby of Alabama, and Mike Johanns of Nebraska, the man who replaced Hagel in the Senate in 2009.
It is a sad day when a man who had a decent record of public service is repudiated by “moderates” of his own party, who are afraid to challenge the right wing turn of their party, referring here to Murkowski and Collins, who should have supported their former colleague.
McCain is another story, an example of a man who should, if he had principle, do what the Pope did, and resign in disgrace as a total hypocrite! Here is a man who in 2000 raved about his colleague, and said he would want him in his administration, if he became President. Once Hagel expressed doubt about the George W. Bush “Surge” policy in Iraq in 2007, McCain was so furious, that he exhibited his ugly side, this despite the fact that Bush had trashed McCain’s reputation so often, and Hagel never did!
McCain is now clearly seen as a bitter old man, who should not have run in 2010 for another six year Senate term at age 74, and hopefully will not run at age 80 in 2016, as his time in the Senate is long overdue to end!
McCain is an excellent argument for term limits or, at the least, age limits, with age limits the more sensible concept, in this author’s mind!
Actually there is no need to have a Defense Secretary! According to Obama we cannot deploy the U.S.S. Harry Truman to the Persian Gulf, citing budget concerns relating to the looming cuts known as the sequester.!? As Bob Woodward said today, yes an actual reporter, that happens to be from the left, suddenly is starting to realize the situation, “Can you imagine Ronald Reagan sitting there and saying, ‘Oh, by the way, I can’t do this because of some budget document?'” Woodward said on MSNBC. “Or George W. Bush saying, ‘You know, I’m not going to invade Iraq because I can’t get the aircraft carriers I need?'” Or even Bill Clinton saying, ‘You know, I’m not going to attack Saddam Hussein’s intelligence headquarters,’ … because of some budget document?” “Under the Constitution, the President is commander-in-chief and employs the force. And so we now have the President going out because of this piece of paper and this agreement. ‘I can’t do what I need to do to protect the country,'” Woodward said.”That’s a kind of madness that I haven’t seen in a long time,” he said. Maybe the Obama administration will use Hagel to go after reporters! You know , use a couple of drones. I mean if a liberal reporter like Bob Woodward receives an email from a “very senior person” at the White House that warned him that he would “regret doing this,” the same day he has continued to attack President Barack Hussein Obama over the sequester you can expect anything!So now the White House is threatening reporters. Media are you listening! Hello!! Anybody there? Maybe a second leftist liberal “reporter” will wake up. Come on guys, Woodward is showing you how it is done! You know,reporting.
See: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/02/27/woodward_white_house_warned_me_youre_going_to_regret_this.html and http://www.businessinsider.com/bob-woodward-obama-sequester-republicans-2013-2
Well, this is not good news. I am not going to defend Obama on this! I would believe Bob Woodward, and I do not see him ruining his reputation by distorting the truth. Obama needs to stop making defense of our nation a political issue, as that could be very dangerous. So you win one, Juan, and I am sure you are reveling in this! 🙂 LOL
Ron: Actually I never imagined you would defend this threat on Woodward. I know that there are some limits that you realize should not be passed. We can all agree on this.
I just hope that by tomorrow the White House takes action on whoever sent this email and issues an apology. Also I will check tonight the rest of the media to see if there is a reaction to this but so far all I hear is crickets.
Well, that is unacceptable, to have silence from the media. It would make me furious at Obama if nothing is done, as it is the right thing to do to apologize!
Juan, there has been a reaction on this matter of a “threat” by Obama spokesmen, and it satisfies me, although I am not happy at such tactics. But on MORNING JOE this morning, it was made clear that “threats” are nothing new, as each White House hates any criticism or leaks, and some staff act in an inappropriate manner. So it is clear that Obama is upset at criticism and attacks by Woodward or anyone else, but so was Bush, Clinton, Reagan, etc., so nothing really new. I consider the issue closed as a thing to dwell on!