Hagel in the hot seat

Jan 31

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Hagel in the hot seat

Defense nominee gets grilled, in US Senate and online.

Former Sen. Chuck Hagel testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee to be Defense Secretary, on Capitol Hill in Washington, January 31, 2013. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

US President Obama's nominee for Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel, faced questions from his former Senate colleagues at a highly publicised confirmation hearing.

Since his nomination, Hagel has faced intense scrutiny over his views on foreign policy. Many in Washington have accused him of appeasing Iran and insufficient support for the state of Israel.

Hagel's nomination has prompted contentious debate online. The Senate Armed Services committee questioned Hagel on a variety of issues, and netizens in the US followed closely. #Hagel trended in the United States:

View the story "Hagel in the hot seat" on StorifyHagel in the hot seatDefense nominee gets grilled, in US Senate and online. Storified by The Stream· Thu, Jan 31 2013 12:35:45GoogleusercontentA website NoToChuck.com has been set up to organise opposition to Hagel's nomination. It includes a petition that users can send to their senators, asking them to vote against Hagel as Secretary of Defense.I am asking you---not only as your constituent but a concerned citizen---to vote "No" on the confirmation of Senator Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense. Chuck Hagel's confirmation would send a dangerous signal to Iran and other radical Islamic elements which would make our country and our allies less secure.notochuck.comThe high-stakes nature of the confirmation hearing drew a large media presence:Check out this AP photo from #Hagel hearing. How would you like all these cameras in your face? http://pic.twitter.com/lmZt81tvBrent M. EastwoodThe hearing began as a lighthearted affair, with many predicting that Hagel would simply need to moderate his positions on several contentious issues in order to be nominated:Everyone here chuckled when #Hagel said: "I've had more attention paid to my words in the last eight weeks than I ever thought possible."Mary MorganSen. Levin helping #Hagel check the boxes. 1) War w/ #Iran on the table: Check 2) #sanctions are great: check 3) Cutting defense bad: checkBahman KalbasiSenator John McCain's questions on the Iraq troop surge resulted in the most heated exchange of the hearing. McCain demanded a simple yes-or-no answer to whether Hagel still believes the surge was a foreign policy blunder. This is Chuck Hagel looking at John McCain. This is John McCain looking at Chuck Hagel. http://pic.twitter.com/qqqS7nBuMike HayesJohn McCain's new nickname: The Surge Protector.Ryan Teague Beckwithmccain: "does your name rhyme with bagel? yes or no? YES OR NO?!" #hagelbrooks bayneMy $0.02 on #Hagel: If the man looks this uncomfortable in front of his former peers in US - how will he fare w/world tyrants & dictators?Mike CohenHagel's facial expressions during the hearing reignited a popular "Sad Chuck Hagel" meme: Sad Chuck Hagel: still sad http://pic.twitter.com/l6WQxjIWDan AmiraChuck Hagel has a clownface sad during McCain's harangue http://twitpic.com/bzu2d7Zack BeauchampHagel's past comments on Israel have been the source of the most vocal opposition to his nomination. In an interview with Aaron David Miller in 2006, Hagel argued that pro-Israel forces "intimidate" US lawmakers. His use of the phrase "Jewish Lobby" in this interview has led to charges of anti-Semitism. Chuck Hagel: "I'm a United States Senator, not an Israeli Senator"irmepHagel's responses to these allegations were the among the most anticipated of the hearing:Google, You Auto-Complete Me: Top 10 Search Suggestions for Chuck #Hagel (plus a secret message!) http://via.me/-9at4o2cJohn PowersViame-cdnTwitter users remarked on how the subject of Israel dominated the proceedings:I have a feeling #Hagel is being nominated as Secretary of Defense of Israel :) I heard 'Israel' 100+ times throughout the hearing...Gayane Chichakyan# of Senators left to question him x 1.5 RT @SaraMurray how many more times #Hagel will affirm his support for Israel before this ends?Laura RozenHagel: My favorite foods include kugel, latkes and whitefish salad.Jeffrey Goldberg"Senator #Hagel please describe in meticulous detail how pleased you are everytime a new settlement is created"Zaid JilaniOthers accused him of playing word-games with his views on the influence of pro-Israel groups:#Hagel says didn't mean "Jewish" lobby "intimidates" US into "dumb" moves; but that "pro-Israel" lobby "influences" US into debatable ones.Howard FinemanUsing a thesaurus Mr. #Hagel, please go back through your past statements and re-word them for this committee. #ughKittens&PoliticsHagel also stumbled over some of his statements on Iran. When he mentioned "containment" of a nuclear Iran, he was slipped a note and corrected his stance that containment is not an option. He also referred to Iran's government as "elected and legitimate", which ignited criticism from conservatives advocating a hard line on Iran:Iran's government is elected and legitimate--good to know.Michael GoldfarbPopular among those who call Israel "anti-democratic" RT @JeffreyGoldberg Did Hagel just call Iran's government "elected and legitimate"?William D. AdlerI just got passed a note. I meant to say we've always been at war with Eastasia. #HagelBrandtCritics on the left expressed disappointment that Hagel walked back some of his more controversial positions and accused him of pandering:It's hard to be forceful, articulate and coherent when your whole tactic is to run away from your beliefs in exchange for power #HagelGlenn GreenwaldWatching Senators nudge, bully cajole Hagel away from any heterodoxy and towards bankrupt bipartisan consensus is a depressing spectacle.Christopher HayesOthers mentioned the narrow focus of the hearing on hot-button foreign policy issues:Or Pakistan, Yemen, size of Navy, Asia pivot (LOL), etc RT @wjrue: Not mentioned thus far: DoD epidemics of sexual assault and suicide.attackermanDisgusting. We have troops in combat in Afghanistan and U.S. senators are more concerned with #Hagel's views on Israel.Brandon Friedman