General Discussion

KharmaTrain

(31,706 posts)

7. To Clean Up...

Fri Feb 1, 2013, 08:58 AM

Feb 2013

The focus on the military over the next four years will be to downsize it. Firstly by bringing troops home from Afghanistan and then cutting back on a very bloated defense budget (along with a lot of corporate welfare attached to it). Hagel's job will be to chose which cuts are made and when...reign in a military that's spending has skyrocketed since 9/11. Being a republican he offers the bipartisan card to the administration when it comes to the heavy lifting ahead; inoculating Democrats from being "weak on defense".

Despite his ruffing up, Hagel still has some rushpublican friends and I suspect he'll be confirmed with at least 65 votes. Don't let Gramps and teabagger showboating distract. While I can understand the "concern" over not picking a Democrat for this post, Hagel's views on the military have been very much aligned with this administration and many "mainstream" Democrats.

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What's the plus side of Hagel? I'm not seeing it. [View all] JVS Feb 2013 OP

McCain and Graham don't like him liberal N proud Feb 2013 #1

true dat. When did the two of them become in charge of the world? I missed that. Laura PourMeADrink Feb 2013 #14

Sorry, but no. Kelvin Mace Feb 2013 #52

They loved him in 2008. What has changed? Laelth Feb 2013 #80

Two points ... JoePhilly Feb 2013 #2

He'll do a good job is the plus side BeyondGeography Feb 2013 #3

He appears inept to me. There are lots of good Democrats for that job. The Link Feb 2013 #4

Who? Let's hear some names. War hero, battle hardened, national defense experience.... Honeycombe8 Feb 2013 #6

If he thinks waging war is only a last resort, how do you explain his YES on invading Iraq? Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #20

The same way you can explain why John Kerry voted YES on invading Iraq. BlueCaliDem Feb 2013 #34

You are wrong about that. 21 Democratic Senators voted NO in invading Iraq. 21. Not just Boxer. Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #42

I had forgot that Byrd voted no. didact Feb 2013 #92

Here is a link to the 126 Democratic House Members who voted NO. Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #44

Hagel was a Senator, not a U.S. House member. BlueCaliDem Feb 2013 #51

Yeah, that's why I posted the list of Democratic Senators who voted NO before I posted the House. Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #61

Me! maxsolomon Feb 2013 #69

LOL. TwilightGardener Feb 2013 #74

Wesley Clark, Tom Harkin, leftynyc Feb 2013 #85

Yea, give us some names. nt babylonsister Feb 2013 #12

Shall we hold our breath for an answer, babylonsister? eom BlueCaliDem Feb 2013 #35

Please don't! babylonsister Feb 2013 #38

He didn't give them the damaging headlines they pressed for, for eight hours. TwilightGardener Feb 2013 #47

No, Hagel wasn't selected because it would make Republicans happy. Honeycombe8 Feb 2013 #5

You don't even have to leave the category of former Nebraska Senators to find a more decorated man JVS Feb 2013 #18

Hagel and Kerrey are good friends. He campaigned for him in Nebraska, which TwilightGardener Feb 2013 #50

To Clean Up... KharmaTrain Feb 2013 #7

He's not likely to lead the charge into a war with Iran. Maybe, that's too big for you to see. leveymg Feb 2013 #8

Glad you mention Wes. He would have been a brilliant choice. It Laura PourMeADrink Feb 2013 #13

Who is John Kerry replacing? Sekhmets Daughter Feb 2013 #16

That decision would be for the president anyway. JVS Feb 2013 #15

I have to differ: 1) tensions with Iran are higher now than in 2009; 2) the SOD exercises a leveymg Feb 2013 #19

Hagel's voting record does not support those theories at all. He voted for the Iraq Invasion which Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #24

Hillary did too and that turned out ok. But, I agree, if he could find someone who Laura PourMeADrink Feb 2013 #30

'Hillary did it too' is disturbing because Obama so roundly Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #39

Like Kerry, he came out afterwards against the Iraq invasion and for restraint w/ Iran and a leveymg Feb 2013 #43

Got a quote where Hagel says he was duped? Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #46

Here's a quote: TwilightGardener Feb 2013 #54

Hey, you posted a Hagel quote I can support.... Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #65

David Corn reviewed Hagel's IWR statements as follows: leveymg Feb 2013 #55

So we know he can be fooled by the likes of GW Bush. Great. Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #60

This is about the best one could possibly expect from the people running U.S. foreign policy. leveymg Feb 2013 #62

Others were far more correct than Hagel, and Chuck admits it: Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #66

Contrast with your view on other IWR Yes voters: Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #64

The difference between Hillary and Hagel (and Kerry) on this one is she endorsed the IWR and leveymg Feb 2013 #67

Explain how one Yes vote is worse than another. Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #71

Hillary was a leading voice in the Senate for the IWR, didn't express doubts about WMD, and leveymg Feb 2013 #83

Both IWR votes proved wrong, but Hillary cheerled the war and influenced other Senators to vote yes leveymg Feb 2013 #84

Hillary and Kerry differ from Hagel in many ways. Here are a few of Hagel's bonus features. Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #73

Many dislike both RINOs and DINOs...I'm one of them.. pipoman Feb 2013 #9

I was watching Graham's questioning also.... a kennedy Feb 2013 #10

Graham looked like he has Parkinson Disease. Auntie Bush Feb 2013 #26

What's ironic is that he and McCain thought they looked tough...but in actuality they looked Laura PourMeADrink Feb 2013 #31

Graham looked like he had to take a dump. immoderate Feb 2013 #59

What a question, its because his views coincide with Obama's 1-Old-Man Feb 2013 #11

Why not Wesley Clark? SayitAintSo Feb 2013 #17

There are some issues with how he handled Kosovo Recursion Feb 2013 #29

Yeah, no drones and no troops killed on the ground, terrible record. 1-Old-Man Feb 2013 #70

My Senator Dick Blumenthal gives him strong support. CTyankee Feb 2013 #21

I don't have a very strong opinion on this but.. union_maid Feb 2013 #22

great point about the reward Enrique Feb 2013 #25

Then maybe you can leftynyc Feb 2013 #87

Sick of Republican appointees Generic Other Feb 2013 #23

He rubs the Iraq War fiasco in the Republicans' faces. They hate that. Skinner Feb 2013 #27

Successful history with nuclear nonproliferation, and Obama trusts him on a personal level Recursion Feb 2013 #28

Hey! I have to say this is the first, the only statement in his favor that I have read on DU that Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #32

Glad to help! Nonproliferation is one of my "things", so I've followed Hagel for a while Recursion Feb 2013 #36

I have been challenging his supporters for weeks now, yours is the first actual factual piece of Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #40

Oh he's popular inside the beltway simply for being a Republican; that's the gushing Recursion Feb 2013 #41

The fans say things like 'every Democrat expect Boxer voted for the Iraq War'. Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #49

When was the last time someone who never had been a Republican had the position? TheKentuckian Feb 2013 #33

He's a good model for a Republican who saw the light flamingdem Feb 2013 #37

His hearing was not a hearing (for the GOP). It was intended to trap and disqualify him. TwilightGardener Feb 2013 #45

He's a Republican. What's not to like? kenny blankenship Feb 2013 #48

The biggest plus for Hagel is he has been war as a grunt. That alone qualifies him. southernyankeebelle Feb 2013 #53

He is a republican, and therefore is willing to serve the needs of the 1% without question, so Zorra Feb 2013 #56

He's Obama's pick marshall Feb 2013 #57

You're such a good little solider. bigwillq Feb 2013 #63

Do you support EVERYTHING leftynyc Feb 2013 #88

He was one of the few who finally questioned why we spent so much man power and resources... dmosh42 Feb 2013 #58

He voted for the Iraq War, while 23 Senators voted No, 21 of them Democrats. Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #68

I only claim that he at least did question his vote, while many of our own still haven't backed down dmosh42 Feb 2013 #95

So we can rest assured Union Scribe Feb 2013 #76

Well, sure hope you didn't vote for Kerry. Sure hope you don't vote for Clinton TwilightGardener Feb 2013 #79

I vote for Democratic nominees, none of the IRW yes voters had any support from me in primary Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #82

Small comfort to the dead. Union Scribe Feb 2013 #96

Panetta could not cut the defense budget. kentuck Feb 2013 #72

I like him. Seems to make decisions based on data and not ideology. EastKYLiberal Feb 2013 #75

He voted Yes on the Iraq Invasion...later he claimed he was confused by the false data Bush Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #81

obama trusts hagel madrchsod Feb 2013 #77

There is no plus side. William769 Feb 2013 #78

I'm with you. Less bad is not good. And when is he going to "reach across the isle" Egalitarian Thug Feb 2013 #86

He's a Republican who wants to cut Defense spending. WilliamPitt Feb 2013 #89

You said what I said, only different.. fadedrose Feb 2013 #91

He shares Obama's view that war should be avoided if possible fadedrose Feb 2013 #90

I think his IWR Yes vote says the opposite of that. Bluenorthwest Feb 2013 #93

I think he has changed... fadedrose Feb 2013 #94