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Controversy continues to mount over planned cabinet picks
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WSJ's Bret Stephens weighs in
- Duration 2:49
- Date Jan 7, 2013
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Transcript
This transcript is automatically generated
On the controversy surrounding the president's plan picks let's bring in Brett Stephens foreign affairs columnist at the Wall Street Journal.
About Chuck Hagel first I'm gonna read you quote and it'll sound familiar to you because you wrote it prior to his official nomination you wrote.
President Obama may nominate mr.
hagel to take Leon Panetta's place at the Pentagon.
As a purely score settling matter I almost hope he does it would confirm a point I made in a column earlier this year.
Which is that mr.
Obama is not a friend of his her.
Right I mean you could hardly.
Think of another leading contender for that position who would be.
Who would raise more eyebrows -- shut case go when it comes to Israel you heard earlier.
John Griffin quoting the line about being Jewish lobby which is interesting because millions of Americans war Christians are not Jewish are also supporters of Israel but there's that.
Inflation between the Jewish lobby and the Israel lobby which is very disturbing and there's a broader record.
Especially concerning Iran that would that would make anyone concerned for the for the security of Israel.
The relationship between Israel and the United States worried about his position as secretary of defense but this is a guy who served two terms in the senate right he is a decorated Vietnam veteran a purple heart recipient to purple hearts -- purple -- Why not put him in at the top job there are millions of veterans in this country nobody doubts.
-- tables personal courage that's not what is an issue.
What is -- issue is his political judgment.
And what's at issue is the signal that his nomination sends to some of our adversaries.
Mean.
One of the reasons why we have a problem with Iran is they don't take -- seriously when the president says we're not -- -- -- a nuclear weapons well you can hardly think of someone.
Who better sends the message of weakness to the Iranians -- the nomination Chuck -- was consistently.
-- -- sanctions talked about engagement with the -- with the with the ran.
And opposed to the possibility of military strike which he would be in charge of if he becomes the secretary but as you well know in his first term the president when campaigning for it argued that we should have direct talks with our enemies people right wrong that was -- this is a nominee who reflects the president's opposition and that was four years ago and we've been undertaking those talks and presumably there's been some evolution in the president's thinking when he says containment is not an option with a ran.
When he says that all options are on the table when it comes to -- -- this says is that the second term of the Obama administration when it comes to dealing with a round.
-- can look very much like the first the differences the Iranians have that much more enriched uranium.
And -- that much closer to acquiring a nuclear -- -- this is a critical choice that others allies around the world will be looking -- We didn't even gets to John Brennan but we'll leave it there.
Bret Stephens from the Wall Street Journal that to be -- thank you.
