Saturday December 22, 2012

I've Been Thinking:

Chuck Hagel, the former Republican senator from Nebraska, has not been formerly nominated by the president - but he is the leading candidate for Secretary of Defense.

I am against the appointment - but not for the standard reasons. I will admit that Hagel has positioned himself against Israeli and, at times, against classical Western diplomatic policies especially when suggesting a sit down with Iran or when refusing to sign on to a letter condemning Hezbollah.

On these issues he is simply wrong. And there is place for disagreement. Hagel is not a friend of Israel but neither is he an enemy. Just because you are not a friend it does not necessarily follow that you are an enemy.

So why am I opposed to Hagel becoming the next United States Secretary of Defense? Hagel is a poor choice because of his personality. Hagel enjoys making people angry, he enjoys throwing out controversial comments and ideas. He loves to get a rise out of people. He gets a perverse thrill out of it.

That is not the kind of character that should be heading the DOD.

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