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The Associated Press
December 23, 2012 Sunday 06:13 PM GMT
Senators: Hagel would face tough confirmation
WASHINGTON
Two senators predicted Sunday that former Sen. Chuck Hagel would face
a difficult confirmation if nominated by President Barack Obama to be
defense secretary.
Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent who's retiring and
wouldn't have a vote, cited Hagel's less-than-hawkish positions on
Iran. Lieberman told CNN's "State of the Union" that it would be "a
very tough confirmation process," and "there are reasonable questions
to ask and that Chuck Hagel will have to answer."
On NBC's "Meet the Press," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said it would
be "a challenging nomination."
"I don't think he's going to get many Republican votes," Graham said.
Hagel, 66, is considered the leading candidate to replace Leon Panetta
at the Pentagon, although a number of GOP senators have expressed
reservations about a nomination. Their concerns largely center on
Hagel's past comments about Israel and Iran. Outside groups have
suggested that based on Hagel's remarks, he isn't sufficiently
supportive of Israel, an important ally in the Middle East.
Opponents point to his votes against sanctions on Iran and letters
that Hagel signed, along with ones he declined to add his name to,
many of those favored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee,
the powerful pro-Israel lobby. In August 2006, Hagel refused to sign a
letter pressing the European Union to declare Hezbollah a terrorist
organization, one of 12 senators who balked. In 2007, he sent a letter
to Bush urging talks with Iran.
Hagel, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, has favored diplomacy over
military action with Iran, and criticized talk of a strike by either
the United States or Israel against Iran.
Lieberman said sanctions are the only way to change Tehran's behavior
"short of war." Lieberman said that Hagel had "some very outlying
votes" against economic penalties on Iran over its nuclear program.
Georgia Republican U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson said on ABC's "This Week"
that he'll "reserve any judgment until after the hearings we have on
confirmation if in fact he is nominated." Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.,
was non-committal about Hagel, saying she'll see "what happens with
these hearings."
Hagel once made reference to the "Jewish lobby" in the United States,
a comment that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called "inappropriate."
"There's no such thing as a Jewish lobby," McCain said. "There's an
Armenian lobby, there's not a Jewish lobby. There's an Israeli lobby.
It's called AIPAC, very influential."
At least two other candidates remain under serious consideration
former Pentagon policy chief Michele Flournoy and Deputy Defense
Secretary Ashton Carter.
December 23, 2012 Sunday 06:13 PM GMT
Senators: Hagel would face tough confirmation
WASHINGTON
Two senators predicted Sunday that former Sen. Chuck Hagel would face
a difficult confirmation if nominated by President Barack Obama to be
defense secretary.
Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent who's retiring and
wouldn't have a vote, cited Hagel's less-than-hawkish positions on
Iran. Lieberman told CNN's "State of the Union" that it would be "a
very tough confirmation process," and "there are reasonable questions
to ask and that Chuck Hagel will have to answer."
On NBC's "Meet the Press," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said it would
be "a challenging nomination."
"I don't think he's going to get many Republican votes," Graham said.
Hagel, 66, is considered the leading candidate to replace Leon Panetta
at the Pentagon, although a number of GOP senators have expressed
reservations about a nomination. Their concerns largely center on
Hagel's past comments about Israel and Iran. Outside groups have
suggested that based on Hagel's remarks, he isn't sufficiently
supportive of Israel, an important ally in the Middle East.
Opponents point to his votes against sanctions on Iran and letters
that Hagel signed, along with ones he declined to add his name to,
many of those favored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee,
the powerful pro-Israel lobby. In August 2006, Hagel refused to sign a
letter pressing the European Union to declare Hezbollah a terrorist
organization, one of 12 senators who balked. In 2007, he sent a letter
to Bush urging talks with Iran.
Hagel, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, has favored diplomacy over
military action with Iran, and criticized talk of a strike by either
the United States or Israel against Iran.
Lieberman said sanctions are the only way to change Tehran's behavior
"short of war." Lieberman said that Hagel had "some very outlying
votes" against economic penalties on Iran over its nuclear program.
Georgia Republican U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson said on ABC's "This Week"
that he'll "reserve any judgment until after the hearings we have on
confirmation if in fact he is nominated." Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.,
was non-committal about Hagel, saying she'll see "what happens with
these hearings."
Hagel once made reference to the "Jewish lobby" in the United States,
a comment that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called "inappropriate."
"There's no such thing as a Jewish lobby," McCain said. "There's an
Armenian lobby, there's not a Jewish lobby. There's an Israeli lobby.
It's called AIPAC, very influential."
At least two other candidates remain under serious consideration
former Pentagon policy chief Michele Flournoy and Deputy Defense
Secretary Ashton Carter.