Posted: January 14, 2013 at 7:06 am

GOP Will Regret Hagel Offensive

It turns out the GOP is even less politically astute than we thought, if that’s possible.

Today the Washington press corps is reporting that Republican Senators are going to mount an all-out assault on Chuck Hagel, Obama’s Defense Secretary nominee, because he was opposed to the Iraq War.

Apparently the GOP is under the impression that it’s good politics in America to defend a war that cost a trillion dollars, took the lives of 5,000 young adults, permanently disabled tens of thousands soldiers, was initiated under false pretenses and deception by our leaders, and produced no tangible military result except to delay the ultimate capture and killing of Osama Bin Laden because of the diversion of resources. Americans know that we should never have allowed this giant, wasteful frolic by a foolish President. But for some  reason the GOP doesn’t realize this or doesn’t care about it. Perhaps these Senators taking aim at Hagel are using the same pollster to gage public opinion that Mitt Romney used.

The GOP is irate that Hagel, a Republican Senator, has been tapped by Obama. And in general, few things enrage Republicans more than a defector to the other side. It hurts even worse, I suppose, that in this case Obama is the beneficiary.

Another bee in the GOP’s bonnet is that Hagel, if confirmed, would be the first Defense Secretary since the early 1970s to have experienced military combat. He had a horrific experience in a firefight in Vietnam, in which he and his brother were badly wounded and burned by a grenade. He has, for that reason, always looked askance at anyone banging the drums for war. In vain, he tried to persuade his caucus and President Bush that an invasion of Iraq would be ill advised. Recall, too, that virtually nobody on George Bush’s inner team had ever experienced combat. They had experienced little more than the ivory towers of government, academia, think tanks and corporations. The charge was often leveled that the Iraq War was the brainchild of people who didn’t know war, and this accusation always got under the GOP’s skin. Now it’s going to really itch.

Building on the disastrous 2012 election, the GOP is self-flaggelating, seeming to find pleasure in inflicting lasting damage upon itself.

28 comments

  1. Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers

    Problem for the ReePubes is that Hagel won’t suck the Big Bibi like THEY all do! This bizarre fascination with the zionist nazis is just now coming to light, and the zionist thugs in AIPAC are losing their clout. izail is now seen for the fascist, nazi state it is. And really, when you think about it, just HOW can you have a fascist state based upon religion? Don’t work too well.

    Hagel understands that it’s time for the zionist nazis to be held accountable. No more wars for nazis! It’s destroying our country.

  2. Craig Moore

    It appears that doubts about Hagel are bi-partisan. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57563734/questions-remain-about-hagel-for-democrats-republicans/

    Two Democratic and two Republican members of the committee that will hold the hearing to confirm – or deny – former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., as President Obama’s pick to succeed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that “questions” remain to be answered about the rogue Republican before they will commit to voting for him.

  3. Dave Skinner

    Gee, Larry, I just wonder if all those Jewish Democrats know how a Montana Dem stalwart like you feels about Israel. Maybe they’ll convert?

    • Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers

      At least you didn’t call me an anti-semite. Thank you. izrail was a HUGE mistake from the gitgo. We should never allowed the creation of a religeeofascistracist state in the middle east. Look, I have nothing against the Jewish religion. It’s as f*cking goofy as the rest of them. But this buncho nazi fasicist zionist thugs need to STAY THE HELL outta my country, the US of A!

  8. Question?

    Hagel has been a combat soldier. He’s fought. He has literally walked in their boots. He is, in my opinion qualified to be Secretary of Defense. The criticisim of this individual is absurd, and (again my opinion) based on the paronoias of the republican party. Mr. Hagel can withstand the pressures that the likes of John McCain (a sore looser, and a bitter old man) will put on him.

    When did party politics become so un-patriotic?

  9. James Conner

    Hagel was not my first choice. I preferred Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter, and still do. Carter is younger, smarter, more vigorous, and more experienced in defense than Hagel. But Carter’s being a better choice does not mean that Hagel is unqualified, or that he would perform poorly.

    I think Obama chose Hagel because the former Republican senator from Nebraska is a combat veteran who came to see the war in Iraq as a mistake, and because Obama is personally more comfortable with Hagel than with Carter.

    I also think that even if Obama had chosen the father, the son, or the holy ghost, the Republicans in the senate would have objected. Whatever Obama wants, they oppose.

    • Lynn

      Opposing the President is 80% but there are some that just don’t want an enlisted man in the ultimate officers club

  10. Publius II

    “Only the dead have seen the end of war.” Plato

    America has been loyal to Israel for over half a century but there are times when we must raise serious questions on behalf of our ally to insist on being a better neighbor in the Middle East.

  11. Publius II

    Another superb soldier, General (Ret) Colin Powell, will – and has already – become the new target of the toxic, teabagged venom machines who are in complete DENIAL about the GOP losing its grip, especially the line – and TRUTH – about the dark vein of INTOLERANCE and birtherism, which we soon all too frequently in our state, which I had hoped would have been far more mature instead of buying into Obama outhouse, gold standards and spear bills.

  12. Drifter

    I am not anti-Semetic, but I am anti-Zionist. The West’s troubles in the Middle East were intensified when France and Britain lied to the Arabs before and after World War I. I have never understood why this country has always backed Israel to our own detriment. What hold does Israel have over our Congress? Last Fall, when Bibi insulted the President in the White House, I thought that the Prez should have literally kicked his ass out of there.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Liberty_incident

    • Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers

      izrail has used UP the entire supply of Holocaust capital at once! It’s gone. Over. Fini.

      They must now behave as a real country, a real fascist, nazi, thug country that has been a HUGE detriment to our country and the world.

      Time to tell Bibi to bite me!

      • Izrail

        Larry-we’ve seen your kind before. you can say you “have nothing against jews,” but that’s not really true, now, is it. it’s like people who call obama “lazy” or “militant”. We all know what it means.

        • Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers

          BULLshit! izrail has been instrumental in putting and keeping in power the criminal fascists controllin MY country. The suffering they have caused has been enormous! Ever heard of arms for hostages? Well, THAT was all izrail!

          So yeah, they can rot in HELL for all I care, if they believe in hell which they don’t. I’m done with’em!

          • Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers

            p.s. For the record, the jewish religion is as fucking goofy as ALL the rest! Hell, Moses was an old time joey smith! That’s all.

            You see, drifty, I happen to think that MY people are actually the chosen ones. And I could make a good case for that. The Croations should rule the world!

            Shakespeare knew.