Senate aide: "Send us Hagel and we will make sure everyone knows he is an antisemite"

[shaayecanaan]

In response to reports that Barack Obama is likely to choose Chuck Hagel to be the next secretary of defense, a top Republican Senate aide emails, "Send us Hagel and we will make sure every American knows he is an anti-Semite."

When asked to elaborate, the aide writes, "Hagel has made clear he believes in the existence of a nefarious Jewish lobby that secretly controls U.S. foreign policy. This is the worst kind of anti-Semitism there is."

The top aide Republican Senate aide passes along this quotation from Hagel: “The political reality is that … the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here.”

The quotation attributed to Hagel appeared in Aaron David Miller's 2008 book The Too Much Promised Land.

The Washington Examiner, however, reports that Hagel (and John Kerry, if he's nominated to be secretary of state) will breeze through the nominating process:

The growing possibility of President Obama naming Democratic Sen. John Kerry as secretary of State and former GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel to run the Pentagon is being embraced by Senate Republicans who predict confirmation.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/senate-aide-send-us-hagel-and-we-will-make-sure-every-american-knows-he-anti-semite_666460.html

[Jefferson23]

1. Thanks for posting.

And from the same publications:

snip*So even if one left aside Chuck Hagel's dangerous views on Iran and his unpleasant distaste for Israel and Jews, a dispassionate analyst would have to conclude that the case for Hagel is extraordinarily weak.

snip* So why Hagel? Well, if you read the oeuvre of Hagel's defenders, you'll see that Hagel must be appointed in order to spite many of his critics, whom they deeply dislike. Hagel’s defenders are welcome to their dislikes. But dislike of hawks, neocons, or friends of Israel isn't really a good reason to select Chuck Hagel. And there's something comical about many of the defenses of Hagel. His defenders rise up in high dudgeon to condemn Hagel's critics as smear merchants for criticizing Hagel as anti-Israel and soft on Iran—and then, if they're among the honest Hagel defenders, they praise Hagel for being anti-Israel and soft on Iran.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/special-editorial-there-s-no-case-hagel_693692.html


You have to laugh b/c they're serious when they write this shit.

[Scootaloo]

2. I love that "soft on Iran" shit

Yes. The idea of talking to the Iranians is indeed "soft" - if the other option is bringing their nation to complete and utter ruin. Of course, if you consider that this "other option" is just outright psychotic, then Hagel's position on the issue is pretty damn reasonable.

[Jefferson23]

5. Yep, and they're not looking for reasonable. n/t

[shaayecanaan]

7. The headlines are all pretty much about Israel and Iran

the Emergency Committee for Israel has aired the following ad:-

&

[Scootaloo]

8. And since "Iran" is mostly an issue pushed by Israel...

It all comes down to how thorougly the SecDef can knuckle Netanyahu's knob.

[shaayecanaan]

9. Well, I don't know about that...

the indications seem to be that he will be confirmed anyway. But certainly most of the headwind he seems to be encountering is due to his statements on Israel and Iran.

There is of course, a certain irony to this. Hagel said, essentially, that congressional members were afraid of antagonising the Israel lobby for fear that they would pay a political price. The ECI is determined to kybosh any such suggestion by ensuring that Hagel, having made the statements, will pay a political price.

If Hagel is rejected, the ECI will say that it has been vindicated in its assessment of Hagel. If Hagel is confirmed, they will claim that it disproves that there is an all-controlling Jewish lobby and that any suggestion that such a lobby exists is the domain of anti-semites.

[Jefferson23]

11. I agree with that. AIPAC and Abe Foxman are claiming a wait and see approach to

the nomination, that they're hands off right now. lol

[Jefferson23]

10. Bill Kristol hard at work; as if Hagel is going to approach the conflict with frightening vigor.

[bemildred]

3. You picked the wrong side, Buddy, and you lost. nt

[oberliner]

4. The Weekly Standard?

That's a source you're comfortable with?

An article from this neo-con trash site based on an "unnamed aide" sending an email?

[azurnoir]

6. well it's official now, I see lots poo hitting the fan

Obama nominates Chuck Hagel for Defense, John Brennan for CIA

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/officials-obama-to-nominate-hagel-for-defense-brennan-for-cia/2013/01/07/22db7d4e-58c2-11e2-beee-6e38f5215402_story.html

[King_David]

12. I don't think he's an antisemite,

But evidence sure is in favor of homophobic .

[Alamuti Lotus]

13. I love the subtext of the argument against him here..

"Hagel has made clear he believes in the existence of a nefarious Jewish lobby that secretly controls U.S. foreign policy.

And so to prove this premise as false, this non-existent lobby will shut him down, intimidate him into obscurity, and destroy his reputation for daring to suggest such a thing! I don't believe in such things myself, but these idiots foaming at the mouth are practically making an ironclad case for the idea all by themselves.

There is a certain point when too much shrill hysteria from certain sources actually suggests precisely the idea they are vehemently opposing, and the pro-Israel dufus brigade tends to excel in this dystopian approach to conversation.

[azurnoir]

14. But that lobby is oddly (considering) remaining mum

or maybe others are taking it up on their behalf

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014360015

[Alamuti Lotus]

15. there seems to be a cottage industry..

of opposing stuff just for the sake of opposing it. The Republicans are also putting up a fiery opposition to Brennan as CIA Director, but I'd imagine they'd really appreciate having a torturer and drone war commander to the head post--why Barry is suggesting such monsters for important, non-manacled positions is a more interesting question that is being basically overlooked completely.

I'm not entirely sure what all the fuss is about here--these people on both sides of the phony "debate" tend to breathe together (and wrongly, at that) about almost every single detail of everything of importance (notwithstanding a few periphery identity issues just to create the illusion of meaningful division).

At least AIPAC can basically recognize one of their own in Chuck Hagel and Barry Obama, the noise on things like this from the other factions is just confusing to me. I never take "whining for the sake of whining" seriously, now no exception, but it's just bonkers really that this sort of thing passes for "opposition" and "debate"--the pretence of division where none actually exists!

[shaayecanaan]

16. I sort of feel ashamed for posting it to be honest...

It is political theatre, nothing more. Perhaps it is correct to say that the real opposition for Hagel is the defence industry, which is concerned that a Republican combat veteran would be less vulnerable to accusations of being a liberal pantywaist in the event that he is called upon to deliver cuts to the military. Although frankly I doubt that even that is much of a prospect.