Iran

Reporter’s Notebook: Mopping Up the Messy Chuck Hagel Vote

By John T. Bennett in Capitol Hill, DoD, Intercepts, International, Israel, Policy Tags: , , , , ,

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., takes a call outside the Senate chamber on Thursday outside a GOP caucus meeting. (Photo by John T. Bennett | Defense News)

The scene for about five hours Thursday afternoon on the Senate side of the Capitol was nothing shy of controlled chaos. Senators, staffers and journalists darted about from gaggle to gaggle, meeting to meeting like frenzied bees around a nest.

Check DefenseNews.com for our coverage from a memorable Thursday — there’s more to come in the next few days as we wrestle with what it all means. But it’s the nature of the journalism business that some things don’t make it into published coverage. After the jump are some leftover nuggets from your correspondent’s notebook and recorder as we mop up the messy first round of the Hagel nomination. More

Live Blog: Senate Committee Will Grill Chuck Hagel Over Israel, Iran, Defense Cuts

By John T. Bennett in Acquisition, Afghanistan, Air Force, Army, Budget, Capitol Hill, DoD, F-35, Industry, Intercepts, International, Israel, Marine Corps, Navy, Operations, Policy, Shipbuilding, Space Tags: , , , ,

Former U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., leaves the office of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., after the two Vietnam War veterans met Jan. 22. McCain and other senators will grill Hagel today about his defense secretary nomination. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Today is the day so many have been waiting for. No, it’s not Super Bowl Sunday. Yet. Rather, former Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee about his nomination to replace Leon Panetta as defense secretary.

Since Hagel’s name was floated for the post in early December, Hagel has been sharply criticized by his former fellow-GOP senators and pro-Israel groups for his past comments on the U.S.-Israel alliance, whether the Pentagon budget can and should be trimmed, how to confront Iran over its nuclear arms program, gay rights and the proper size of the U.S. nuclear arms fleet. Expect questions on all those topics. Another likely line of questioning could come from Republicans about allegations that Hagel is hard on staffers.

In answers to written policy questions provided to the panel this week, Hagel largely tried to align himself with the views of President Barack Obama. For instance, he took the same tone as Panetta, saying pending defense sequestration cuts would undermine U.S. military power. Defense News senior reporters John T. Bennett and Marcus Weisgerber will be here throughout the hearing — yes, including on a possible second day — live blogging the action. Please check back early and often for updates.

5:49 p.m. — Sen. Levin gavels this epic hearing to a close. Thanks for stopping by. ANALYSIS: Not a dominating performance by Hagel. He labored a bit, and seemed to contradict himself at times. Doubt he lost any Democratic support, however. — John T. Bennett

5:42 p.m. — Sen. Cruz calls Hagel “the most antagonistic” member in Senate (ever?) against Israel, and most unwilling (ever?) to confront Iran. Levin asks Cruz to submit any remaining questions for the record, but never looked directly at Cruz, instead icily gazing straight ahead. There’s tension there.  – John T. Bennett

More

Poll: Obama Should Focus on Global Economy, Stopping Iranian and North Korean Nuke Efforts

By John T. Bennett in Afghanistan, International, Policy Tags: , ,

Protesters gather at an anti-Iran rally outside United Nations headquarters in New York. A new poll found most Americans believe stopping Iran's nuclear arms program should be a top Obama second-term priority. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Most American voters believe during his second term President Obama’s top global priorities should be focusing on the sluggish global economy, keeping Iran and North Korea from developing nuclear arms and ending the Afghanistan war, according to a new poll.

Combating terrorism is less on voters’ minds than those issues, states the Better World Campaign poll of 900 registered U.S. voters, released Wednesday morning. More

‘Do-Nothing Senate’ Did Something: Agreed Containing Iran Is a Bad Idea

By John T. Bennett in Intercepts Tags: , , ,

Cooling towers at a nuclear power plant northeast of downtown Tehran. (Photo by Abrahm Lustgarten, Getty Images)

Intercepts’ man on Capitol Hill heard — before Congress left town for six weeks, that is — multiple House members of both parties refer to the upper chamber as the “do-nothing Senate.”

In true partisan fashion, the House Republicans blamed the Senate’s Democratic leadership for its, well, recent struggle to act on crucial legislation. House Democrats blamed a Senate Republican membership they see as “the party of no,” as several put it, which often uses complicated Senate rules to tie up debate on bills.

Yet, behind the smoke of Washington’s recent partisan nastiness, the Senate managed to pass a measure before adjourning late last month that should make all its members look good back home. More

Photo of the Day: Sept. 25, 2012

By Zachary Fryer-Biggs in International, Photo of the Day Tags: , , , ,

US President Barack Obama addresses world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on September 25, 2012 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

President Obama delivered remarks Sept. 25 to the U.N. General Assembly centered on recent violence in the middle east, as well as the ongoing effort to stem the development of a nuclear program in Iran.

More

↑ Back to top

Site Map  |  Back to Top 

Gannett

All content © 2013, Gannett Government Media Corporation