Obama's defense, CIA picks face Senate confirmation fight
Source: Agencies |
January 9, 2013, Wednesday
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US President Barack Obama's choice to head the Defense Department faces a fight in the Senate as some Republicans quickly announced their opposition to a former colleague and several skeptical Democrats reserved judgment until the nominee explains his views on Israel and Iran.
The concerns about former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel complicate his path to Senate confirmation as the White House pushes for the first Vietnam War veteran to oversee a military emerging from two wars and facing deep budget cuts.
Obama also chose White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to head the CIA.Brennan is a 25-year veteran of the intelligence agency who is deeply involved with the drone program that is highly unpopular overseas.
He is expected to be hit with questions about harsh interrogation techniques used during the George W. Bush administration, as well as administration leaks of secret information.
Politically, however, it would be remarkable for the Democratic-controlled Senate to deny Obama his nominee and undercut the president at the start of his second term and in the midst of fierce budget negotiations with Republicans.
Moments after Obama announced his selection of Hagel and called him "the leader that our troops deserve," some Senate Republicans expressed opposition.
"Given Chuck Hagel's statements and actions on a nuclear Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah, I think his confirmation would send exactly the wrong message to our allies and enemies alike," Republican Senator David Vitter said in a statement. "Israel, our strongest ally in the region, is dealing with a lot of threat and uncertainty right now; Hagel would make that even worse."
Hagel has upset some Israel supporters with a comment about the "Jewish lobby," his votes against unilateral sanctions against Iran while backing international penalties on the Iranian government and his criticism of talk of a military strike by either the US or Israel against Iran.
He also upset gay rights groups over past comments, including his opposition in 1998 to President Bill Clinton's choice of James Hormel as ambassador to Luxembourg. He referred to Hormel as "openly, aggressively gay." Hagel recently apologized, saying his comments were "insensitive."
The Log Cabin Republicans, a gay rights group, took out a full-page ad in The Washington Post highlighting their opposition to Hagel.
In an interview with the Lincoln (Nebraska) Journal Star, Hagel said his statements have been distorted and there is "not one shred of evidence that I'm anti-Israeli, not one (Senate) vote that matters that hurt Israel."
In announcing the nominations, Obama urged the Senate to move quickly. "When it comes to national security, we don't like to leave a lot of gaps between the time that one set of leaders transitions out and another transitions in," he said.
The concerns about former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel complicate his path to Senate confirmation as the White House pushes for the first Vietnam War veteran to oversee a military emerging from two wars and facing deep budget cuts.
Obama also chose White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to head the CIA.Brennan is a 25-year veteran of the intelligence agency who is deeply involved with the drone program that is highly unpopular overseas.
He is expected to be hit with questions about harsh interrogation techniques used during the George W. Bush administration, as well as administration leaks of secret information.
Politically, however, it would be remarkable for the Democratic-controlled Senate to deny Obama his nominee and undercut the president at the start of his second term and in the midst of fierce budget negotiations with Republicans.
Moments after Obama announced his selection of Hagel and called him "the leader that our troops deserve," some Senate Republicans expressed opposition.
"Given Chuck Hagel's statements and actions on a nuclear Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah, I think his confirmation would send exactly the wrong message to our allies and enemies alike," Republican Senator David Vitter said in a statement. "Israel, our strongest ally in the region, is dealing with a lot of threat and uncertainty right now; Hagel would make that even worse."
Hagel has upset some Israel supporters with a comment about the "Jewish lobby," his votes against unilateral sanctions against Iran while backing international penalties on the Iranian government and his criticism of talk of a military strike by either the US or Israel against Iran.
He also upset gay rights groups over past comments, including his opposition in 1998 to President Bill Clinton's choice of James Hormel as ambassador to Luxembourg. He referred to Hormel as "openly, aggressively gay." Hagel recently apologized, saying his comments were "insensitive."
The Log Cabin Republicans, a gay rights group, took out a full-page ad in The Washington Post highlighting their opposition to Hagel.
In an interview with the Lincoln (Nebraska) Journal Star, Hagel said his statements have been distorted and there is "not one shred of evidence that I'm anti-Israeli, not one (Senate) vote that matters that hurt Israel."
In announcing the nominations, Obama urged the Senate to move quickly. "When it comes to national security, we don't like to leave a lot of gaps between the time that one set of leaders transitions out and another transitions in," he said.
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