As I wrote in an earlier post, former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) has a long history of opposing Israel at every turn in the road. But if that weren’t bad enough, his past also demonstrates a soft spot for Iran — which ought to be problematic for someone aspiring to the position of Secretary of Defense.
While a Senator, Hagel had a habit of standing with Iran, even when that meant standing against his own party or even Democrat colleagues.
In 2004 he refused to sign a letter asking President Bush to highlight Iran’s nuclear programs at the G-8 Summit. And from then till now, Hagel’s penchant for standing with Iran has not diminished.
In November 2010 he “led a forum on Iran at the Atlantic Council” in which he made it clear that he would never support going to war against Iran — that going to war with Iran is only something you would do “in an Alice in Wonderland world.”
And since then, instead of pushing a hard line against Iran, Hagel has advocated “unconditional talks” with Tehran’s rogue regime. These are nothing like the “red lines” Israel says it needs from the U.S. if any kind of stability is to be maintained.
Moreover, the bank for which Hagel is a member of the advisory board is currently under investigation for bending the rules to get around the U.S. embargo to do business with Iran.
Is this really what we want in a Sec. of Defense? Someone who steps in and guarantees that the progress Iran made toward a nuclear weapon during Obama’s first term will only continue in Obama’s second?