Updated 8:28 a.m. Tuesday with Senator Blunt reaction
President Barack Obama Monday formally announced his nomination of former U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska) to be the next Secretary of Defense.
Hagel would succeed Leon Panetta.
In televised remarks carried by cable news outlets, Hagel spoke of the "opportunity to strengthen our country and strengthen our country's alliances and advance global freedom, decency and humanity as we help build a better world for all mankind."
The Hagel nomination had been floated for several weeks and has not been received well by some prominent members of the Senate, which will need to approve the nomination.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican, told CNN the Hagel selection is "an in-your-face pick," citing Hagel's positions on Israel.
Politico has reported on Hagel's 2006 comments referring to "the Jewish lobby" which has offended some in the Jewish community. A spokesman for U.S Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) told FreeBeacon.com that Hagel's past opposition to the U.S trade embargo with Cuba could lead to questions about his nomination.
The Hagel nomination will now proceed to the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, where Missouri's Claire McCaskill sits. Monday morning, her office released the following statement from McCaskill:
“Senator Hagel is a war hero and independent leader who’s served our country admirably for decades, and so I look forward to giving him a fair hearing in the Armed Services Committee. I especially look forward to hearing his ideas on how we can build on our recent successes combatting waste and fraud in wartime contracting, and prevent taxpayer dollars from going to overseas projects that can’t be sustained.”
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-Missouri), newly-named to the Armed Services Committee, made a brief statement, according to The St. Louis Beacon. “I plan to meet with Sen. Hagel and I look forward to the nomination hearings,” the paper reported.
Of the fireworks which could come in the process, CNN's Candy Crowley, who grew up in Creve Coeur, said "set your TiVo for the hearings."
But in 2013, the Road to Damascus is too perilous to accept pretend conversions. If pressed by Senators on any issue he will very likely switch his views completely. Of course, Senators will vote no on this terrible choice in any case. But I hope Senators will have the political courage to do the right thing and filabuster this huge threat to American security.
Schumer's alleged love for Israel and the Jewish People, is just that. ALLEGED. Schumer and others like him are the garbage of the world. Schumer is a DISGRACE.