Hagel Confirmation Hearing: The Mother of All Bombs

[Draggingtree]

PJ Media:

Hagel Confirmation Hearing: The Mother of All Bombs

 

The would-be Defense secretary fumbled and bumbled his way through questions about budget, administration policy, and his rhetorical minefields. ALSO: CIA nominee didn't review CIA report

by

Bridget Johnson

When Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stepped before two congressional committees on Benghazi this month, she was ready for every question fielded at her and, save for the infamous “what does it matter” moment, didn’t crumple under the pressure.

Today, President Obama was likely wishing some of that preparedness would have rubbed off on his Defense secretary nominee.

Chuck Hagel’s confirmation hearing before his former Senate colleagues was, in a nutshell, a minefield despite the simple, predictable questions lobbed his way. In short, he appeared exceptionally uncomfortable and unsure for a man who would command the most powerful military on Earth.

The ranking member on the committee, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), let it be known quickly he doesn’t believe Hagel is that person.

“As I told Senator Hagel in my office some time ago, two weeks — over two weeks ago, I guess it was, that after a long and careful review of his record and the things that he has said and the things that I have personally experienced with him, that we’re too philosophically opposed on the pressing issues facing our country, and for me to support his nomination,” Inhofe said in his opening statement. “…Too often, it seems, he’s willing to subscribe to a world-wide view that is predicated on appeasing our adversaries while shunning our friends.”

[Draggingtree]

Ted Cruz’s not “bogus attack” on Hagel

 

Posted by William A. Jacobson Friday, February 1, 2013 at 9:42am

Chuck Hagel was an embarrassment yesterday at this confirmation hearing. John Podhoretz has it right:

Well, as a result of this confirmation hearing — the most disastrous of its kind since another veteran senator, John Tower, blew himself up in his pursuit of the same post back in 1989 —Hagel has probably lost many, many votes to confirm him as secretary of defense.

Though he was being asked about things he had said over the course of the past 15 years, it was what Hagel saidyesterday — and how he said what he said — that had his defenders reeling in shock and even his critics aghast at how poorly he handled himself.

Hagel said many, many things yesterday — incoherent things, confused things, wrong things, untrue things, and things that seemed to contradict other things he had said previously. Some were about Israel, some about Iran, some about American policy.

Hagel should not be confirmed

http://legalinsurrection.com/2013/02/ted-cruzs-not-bogus-attack-on-hagel/

[pollyannaish]

Just saw a moment or two of this... But wow! That was something.