President Barack Obama on Monday nominated former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel as his next defense secretary and counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to head the CIA, potentially setting up a Senate confirmation battle on two fronts and establishing a tough tone to start his second term. Mindful of the concerns about both Hagel and Brennan on…
The National Jewish Democratic Council said it was confident Chuck Hagel would follow what it called President Obama’s “unprecedented” pro-Israel record. The statement Monday morning came before Obama’s formal announcement expected later Monday nominating Hagel, a former Republican senator, for defense secretary. “President Barack Obama’s unprecedented pro-Israel credentials are unquestionable, and setting policy starts and…
President Barack Obama on Monday will announce the nominations of Republican Chuck Hagel as his next defense secretary and White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan as the new CIA director, a senior administration official said. The choice of Hagel, a maverick former Republican senator and decorated Vietnam veteran, had been widely tipped to replace Leon…
From his lonely position as an early Republican critic of the Iraq war, former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel sometimes lectured his more timid Senate colleagues. “If you wanted a safe job, go sell shoes,” he told them. Now Democratic President Barack Obama, putting together his team for his second term, is poised to chose the…
President Barack Obama will nominate former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel to be his defense secretary and an announcement could come on Monday, a Democratic congressional aide said. The choice will likely set up a confirmation battle in the Senate over whether the former Nebraska senator and Vietnam veteran is a strong enough supporter of key…
The debate over the possible nomination of former Senator Chuck Hagel for defense secretary is not dying down. The White House has yet to formally announce whether Hagel will be its pick for the top Pentagon post, although President Obama has signalled to insiders that he is the likely choice. And the president did come…
President Barack Obama appeared poised on Friday to pick former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel as the next U.S. defense secretary and the announcement may come early next week. Sources on Capitol Hill and in the national security community said all signs were pointing to Hagel as Obama’s choice to replace current Defense Secretary Leon Panetta….
There are increasing indications that President Barack Obama plans to push ahead with the appointment of former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense, setting the stage for a fierce political confirmation battle in which Israel will play a central role. Although there has been no official statement, informed sources told Haaretz that they…
