As President Barack Obama's newly-nominated Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel began his hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, he is certainly getting getting a harsher grilling from his colleagues than the newly-confirmed Secretary of State John Kerry did two weeks ago.
The former Republican senator from Nebraska comes with a wealth of experience, and respect from his colleagues, but also a heavy dose of criticism, and scrutiny.
According The New York Times, this public hearing will be a "combative confirmation hearing focusing on Iran, Israel, and the American military's role in the world." The White House hopes he will be confirmed as the new Secretary of Defense, and succeed Leon Panetta.
Hagel, a decorated Vietnam veteran has encountered criticism from Jewish groups, and from both parties stemming from his prior statements. These groups feel he has been too hard on Israel, and too soft on Iran. Back in 2006, Hagel said, "the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here," clearly referring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, comprised of Jewish and Christian advocates. Critics were offended that Hagel substituted "Jewish" to mean pro- Israel supporters in general, and that the lobby group often bullied politicians about American foreign policy.
Hagel has also been long opposed to unilateral American sanctions toward Iran, a policy he has viewed as ineffective.
One such falling-out with his colleague and former friend Senator John McCain of Arizona, who did not take kindly to Hagel's - a Republican- early criticism of former President George W. Bush's administration handling of the Iraq War. Hagel has also questioned America's role in the long war in Afghanistan.
Whether confirmed or not, Hagel's confirmation hearings are expected to be much more confrontational than Kerry's smooth-sailing hearing was two weeks ago.
