Liberals pretty excited about this Hagel pick
“The Hagel confirmation battle will show whether the AIPAC crowd has cried wolf too many times and the system is now becoming numb,” said Steve Clemons, a central figure in what he calls “progressive realist” foreign policy and Washington editor at large for The Atlantic. The fight “will also out the fact that the real issue here is not US-Israel relations but rather how fearful defense contractors which suck up a huge amount of defense spending are pulling a lot of these levers,” he said…
Beinart also defended a controversial Hagel jab at the “Jewish lobby,” arguing that it’s a sentiment that many in Washington hold but few say aloud and that Hagel displayed “uncommon honesty.”
“I’ve also heard many government officials, some of them Jewish, say things similar to what Hagel is now being flayed for having [said],” Beinart wrote. “The difference is that those other officials first confirmed that they were speaking off the record. One even lowered his voice and closed the door.”
Their hope — and their foes’ fear — is that Hagel’s confirmation could mean that views outside what is considered the mainstream on Israel and Iran begin to replace the more hawkish Washington consensus.









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FIFY
Who wants odds on Hagel lasting a week?
BigGator5 on January 7, 2013 at 1:04 PM
Really, how many gay Jews are there? Enough to stop the nomination?
right2bright on January 7, 2013 at 1:08 PM
I’m sure he worries about the same from the green energy lobby, the abortion lobby, the banking lobby, the auto unions, the community organizers, etc. All of whom I suspect have more access to those or similar levers than do the defense contractors.
besser tot als rot on January 7, 2013 at 1:12 PM
Why?
1. He hates the Pentagon/Defense.
2. He hates Israel.
3. Obama likes him for 1 & 2.
4. Schadenfreude pure – Obama and Hagel stick it to the gays and Jews who voted for Obama.
Wake up fools of all stripes, even the ‘erudite’ ones.
Schadenfreude on January 7, 2013 at 1:14 PM
Love those un-named sources! lol
Blake on January 7, 2013 at 1:17 PM
There’s one group of people who generally do not like the two aformentioned groups, hmmmmmm who could they be?
thebrokenrattle on January 7, 2013 at 1:18 PM
Two or three years ago, Glenn Beck said that soon Congress would no longer matter. It will be interesting to see whether Obama’s pick prevails.
Al in St. Lou on January 7, 2013 at 1:24 PM
Why Obama Wants an Anti-Gay Defense Secretary
Resist We Much on January 7, 2013 at 1:24 PM
Meanwhile, a BuzzFeed staffer is actively promoting Hagel on Twitter.
Karl on January 7, 2013 at 1:40 PM
Do they even realize Hagel has a lifetime ‘A’ rating from the NRA?
JammieWearingFool on January 7, 2013 at 1:42 PM
Hot Air readers?
cam2 on January 7, 2013 at 1:48 PM
“Progressive realist”?
“Jewish lobby”, “the Jews”. Amazing isn’t it?
Liberals can find secret racist code words and dog whistles in their oatmeal but if someone they like uses “the Jews” they suddenly fall silent.
SteveMG on January 7, 2013 at 1:48 PM
Yep. The words “apartment” and “Chicago” are code for “black,” but “The Jews” is just fine….and, so must be “Teh Gheys” from this pick.
Resist We Much on January 7, 2013 at 1:53 PM
Life before Hagel…
So, what difference will it make?
Shy Guy on January 7, 2013 at 2:02 PM
The left, as Steve Clemons argues, thinks the US supports Israel because of AIPAC.
No, the US supports Israel because the American people – most of them not Jewish – believe we should support a liberal democracy that is surrounded by brutal regimes filled with people who want to destroy it and us.
Remember during the Cold War when “progressives” criticized the US for supporting dictators? So much for “realist” thinking.
Now, when it comes to Israel, they’re “realists”.
SteveMG on January 7, 2013 at 2:04 PM