Former Senator Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama’s nominee to be secretary of defense, faced aggressive questioning during his confirmation hearings on Thursday by some of the Senate’s most pro-war members.
Senator John McCain, trying to save the legacy of the illegal and discredited Iraq War, pressed Hagel on statements that the Bush administration military surge in Iraq was “the most dangerous foreign policy blunder since Vietnam.”
“Were you correct in your assessment” that the surge was wrong and ineffective? McCain asked.
Hagel tried to explain that the “blunder” part of the quote was in reference to the overall “war of choice” that was the Iraq War. But McCain refused to hear any answer that wasn’t a yes or no.
“I want to know if you were right or wrong. That’s a direct question I expect a direct answer.”
Hagel declined to echo his earlier strongly-worded critiques of the surge, said, “I’m not going to give you a yes or no answer…I’ll defer that judgment to history.”
Later, Sen. Lindsey Graham, possibly the most hawkish member of Congress, challenged Hagel’s 2008 claim that the “Jewish lobby,” or Israel lobby, “intimidates” people on Capitol Hill.
“Name one person here who’s been intimidated by the Jewish lobby,” Graham demanded. “Name one dumb thing we’ve been goaded into doing due to pressure by the Israeli or Jewish lobby.”
“I don’t know,” Hagel replied. “I didn’t have in mind a specific person.”
“Name one dumb thing we’ve been goaded into doing due to pressure by the Israeli or Jewish lobby.”
“I have already stated that I regret the terminology,” Hagel said.
“So give me an example of where we’ve been intimidated by the Israeli Jewish lobby to do something dumb,” Graham insisted.
“Well, I can’t give you an example,” Hagel admitted.
“Do you agree with me you shouldn’t have said that?”
“Yes,” Hagel admitted. “I’ve already said that.”
Indeed, Hagel refused to support his eminently supportable claim that the Israel lobby has intimidated Congress and has helped to lobby for US policies that are blindly accepting and even supportive of Israel’s worst crimes.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz soon followed by quoting an interview Hagel did on al Jazeera in 2009, in which Hagel responded to a question suggesting Israel had committed war crimes.
“Do you think the nation of Israel has committed war crimes?” Cruz asked Hagel.
“No I do not, senator. I’d want to look at the full context of the interview, but to answer your question, no,” Hagel said.
Many commentators are predicting Hagel will ultimately be confirmed, but there remains strong opposition to his nomination from the more conservative corners of the Senate.
The Lobby's strategy becomes clear. Even if they don't confirm him they've forced him to back down on the issues that they have established as accepted truth, never to be challenged. The Iraq War was a great victory; there is no Israel lobby; and Israel is a shining example of perfect moral purity. These are the core myths that are necessary for the continuation of American public support for Israel.
Knocking Hagel back on each one of these, using the enormous power of the lobby to force him to back down, puts the issue back in the bottle for another decade or so.
Having Hagel cravenly cave on every point is almost as good as outright blocking his nomination.
Well thought out and well said
At least all the senators have taken the high road today.
Hagel will be confirmed and all of this farce is much ado about nothing.__It is quite embarrassing to watch Hagel back track on previous statements and positions, during this appeasement process, in an effort to convince his detractors of his fealty with regard to Israel and also his willingness to go after Iran…__The idea that this man (Hagel) will act in his capacity as Sec. of Defense, an Obama appointed position, in some rogue or Independent fashion, in terms of thoughts or actions, I find terribly amusing. He will do exactly as he is told. Hagel is not a renegade, he is tripping over himself in these hearings to prove just that. He's Obama's boy.__Further, he's showing, quite clearly, he will kiss Israel's ass all the way to Iran.__And as for the possibility of bringing attention to the Israel Lobby or raising the bar on such discussion or debate, watch the hearings and you can see for yourself just how delusional the idea of that possibility is.__Beyond that, his overall 'performance' seems to illustrate his incompetence and inability to deal effectively or forcefully with his adversaries on any level. __CSPAN will be rerunning the hearings this evening at 8:00. (It is a must see for devotees…)___
Yup … He didn't do well at all in the hearing . I was disappointed that he back tracked on everything … but again I am not surprised . Another political prostitute that just caved into the pressure ( much like most U.S. Presidents that don't do jack in their elected time but become vocal supporter after they leave white house )
The rotten stench of Israel-first filled that UNITED STATES Senate hearing room. I have never seen anything more disgusting.
The hearings really should have been called "Who can Kiss up to AIPAC Harder"
Makes me wonder why we think getting this guy confirmed is soooo important.
I think you are right, and I'm afraid some people here have expected much too much. Even me, who is not very experienced in political discussions would have had some much better responses than Hagel. I really wonder how he transforms from being a hammer to being just a nail.
This is a job interview. The goal is to get the job, not to be a martyr for your beliefs. Once you are hired, there will be plenty of opportunities to be your own man again. What's the harm in putting up with a little humiliation right now so that you can stay on to fight another day?
The simple fact of the matter is that given the current power structure, no kissup to the Lobby, no job! Some of you are being way too hard on Hagel. If the Neocons don't believe in his sincerity when he gave those answers, why are you so certain that he would do their bidding if confirmed?
The days when the "tail wagged the dog" are over whether McCain, Graham, the neocons or the people who carry two passports like it or not.
Its time that the foreign policies of a nation of some 310 million people represent the 310 million rather a few.
Compared to the Neocons, hornets are warm, and…fuzzy.