Why Hagel?

[Peaceful Protester]

60. Defense Budget Accountability

1) Barack Obama won in 2008 partly because of the Iraq War and Hagel was helpful.
2) NEOCONS and Hawks (ie: Graham, McCain and McConnell) haven't forgiven Hagel.
3) Foreign policy centrists (ie Hagel) challenge the influence of NEOCONS and Hawks.

NEOCONS and Hawks used 'the War on Terror' to gain power, spend wildly, grow Gov. and divert attention from the Bush administration's failure to act on proactive information that could have prevented 9/11.

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What if, instead of ignoring the August 6, 2001 presidential daily briefing titled:
'[font color="red"]Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States[/font]'

which had contained very important proactive information provided by the FBI:
"[font color="red"]...parallel activities tracked by the FBI consistent with preparations for hijacking...[/font]"


What if...someone had suggested the president take one very simple step: get on TV and make the case for increased airport security screening?

Instead, NEOCONS and Hawks have created a network of expanded presidential powers and agencies consistent with Imperial Militarism: growing the Military-Industrial Complex, the Pentagon, and the CIA. They have created: the Patriot Act, the National Defense Authorization Act, the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Naval Station Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba, indefinite detention wo/trial, torturing, spying, preemptive war, invasion, occupation, drone strikes, etc...

As Washington continually finds it easier to re-authorize this network of expanded presidential powers, we will face unchecked actions, expenditures and blowback. The debate over the debt will be one-sided, controlled by Hawks and framed around 'European-style Socialist Programs' (a Republican term for the Social Safety Net).
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