TheOak

Amid stubborn resistance from Senate Republicans, former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., launched a strong defense of both his values and his record during his defense secretary confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee today, arguing that despite some controversial former positions on Israel, Iran, and gay rights, "no one individual vote, no one individual quote, no one individual statement defines me, my beliefs, or my record."




Read the Rest: Hagel on defense during confirmation hearing grilling - CBS News

TheOak

'"no one individual vote, no one individual quote, no one individual statement defines me, my beliefs, or my record."

Interesting Chuck....

Democrats, meanwhile, have had their own, added gripes with the pick: In addition to being a Republican, Hagel was targeted for making anti-gay comments about an ambassadorial nominee in 1998, whose nomination he opposed for being "openly, aggressively gay."

Aggressively gay?

"I'm not going to give you a yes or no answer," Hagel said, when pressed over whether he still believes the surge was, as McCain quoted him having once said, "the greatest foreign policy blunder since the Vietnam War."

Secretary of Defense ... indecisive and unable to take a stance?


"I am fully committed to the president's goal of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and - as I've said in the past - all options must be on the table to achieve that goal," he said. "My policy is one of prevention, and not one of containment - and the President has made clear that is the policy of our government. As Secretary of Defense, I will make sure the Department is prepared for any contingency."


Containment... prevention.... Do something hat isn't reactive when you get some free time Chuck.