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Liz Peek and Eric Yaverbaum on why there's backlash over Hagel and Brennan's security nominations
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But let's get to the politics first I'm delighted to have in the studio would -- -- is peak.
Columnist with foxnews.com of course and the fiscal times -- Eric -- -- associate publisher of social media Max good to see you both.
Ted Kennedy has -- and so yes there was and an entertaining day a in Washington as if we haven't had many of those recently.
Back but what are Disco song -- what did you what do you make of the pick of former senator Chuck Hagel in particular as the next Defense Secretary.
He's a Republican so that was the bipartisan nature of it which on the face of it is a good thing.
And yet many Republicans very very unhappy with this choice senator Lindsey -- -- -- saying it was an in your face nomination.
A lot it's going to be a tough fair and it seems.
I I think it could be a tough hearing -- -- -- so.
Well I think cable is completely -- cocoon with the Obama White House and so possibly now we will have a debate on.
Where it's.
Team is taking defense spending and are sort of defense posture.
I think cables it I -- and people are talking about him.
On the left and the right is having you know created enemies on the left because of his homophobia if in fact that exists.
And on the right because of his questionable relationship for or supported -- -- I do think it's an interesting thing for Obama to tread even further into this issue of how strongly does he support Israel because this is that a recurring theme right.
Since 2009 when he went to Cairo made his big address to the Muslim world and in that address really invaded.
Muslims by calling on Israel to stop settlements the first president -- -- really kind of said okay I'm that I haven't even hand in this and this is what I demand.
You know American Jewish support for him has wavered -- -- know a lot of people here in New York who have not.
Did not support -- this time around politically on this issue so I just think it's an interesting thing to kind of further that narrative if you will and I think it makes you realize that this is not a narrative is not a political decision I think Obama really feels like he's the person.
To got to take a more middle road in the Middle East friend and that's contentious -- Indicated Norton two point stroke from you first of all I wonder if you think president -- deliberately picking a fight here and saying Tommy John delegate who I want you you.
You've told down Susan Rice is negative state this one I'm gonna.
-- -- and secondly your view result of Chuck Hagel on his relative thing would be well he is -- picking a fight that was picking a fight and enough but that's what Washington is now everybody -- -- that I actually did so yes he's picking a fight.
I think you know this is the one place every -- it it's like a shiny object of all the fights it could go on with some confirmations.
This one you know -- gonna get and I think he's going to be like the show -- -- eliminate pay attention everyone's gonna pay attention to this one.
I -- if he's furthering the narrative you know one way or the other this is this guy.
Whether it's happening today or shortly gonna not going to happen he's not running for reelection he's all done.
What he's going to be running for real soon as his legacy.
So every decision he makes is going to be one that he wants -- history books from.
You know right and we once people read about in the future about it.
I don't think it has anything widget which kind of goes to loses point innocents we we -- find a lot of second term presidents.
Thinking about their legacy.
And -- thinking it.
All right what can I do I'm being hamstrung by congress domestically let's look of farm policy.
All I found peace in the Middle East is my legacy that we did we saw.
President Bush tried to do it.
President Clinton tried to go to the -- they all seem to think alike can do that -- my legacy and the -- you have anymore Johnson -- -- So I I think Greg -- that's an interesting thought but Obama had his shot at Middle East negotiations if you're a call and then backed off very quickly saying.
Turns out to be hard you hit you know that's what everyone knew it was a big job turned -- Madonna's hard general holder I I do think -- though also simultaneously there is emerging.
And you know President Obama kind of the bully mean this is something you hear from the right.
But I think he -- little bit of a -- I mean his his statements on the god I'm sorry to repeat this term the fiscal -- I really we have -- really.
Maybe monetary precipice.
Whatever when he came out and kind of -- the Republicans again right on the eve of having a deal what was the plane is that I mean.
I think he is.
Emerging as a confrontational president but only with -- GOP not with Iran not with foreign powers.
He's kind of a personal I don't know -- also -- yeah I mean.
When you -- into that office -- mean we all watch it.
I -- the first six months she.
Never knows where the bathrooms on first six months by the time the president and his first time he's comfortable in the office which means he can actually do something in the second term.
-- I don't know if it's so much that.
I think everybody is equally complained in Washington now I know everybody lays down their arms and we can make some really good decisions together -- -- the country wanted to look without everybody that I was supposed to do and we should keep talking about -- they ought to do what we elect them to go there to do not just.
Pick one side of the island fight all the time.
I I was reading last night.
DS Simpson Bowles commission report again.
I read it when he came out -- -- -- referred to it occasionally when I'm writing something I read it last -- cut.
I remember being so elated when this came out.
Of course there are things in there that I hate there -- things in there that everybody hates that was the beauty of it it really took.
A profoundly grown up view of what the problem is how we're gonna solve -- he.
I think 99% of Americans would say thank you lord if we actually got something like that done.
And that's saying these nominations from -- -- -- point -- a question does that hit anyone ever blow one of these nominations.
I can't remember such a nomination -- JD I'm -- probably older than you.
But you don't have to go back to 1989 in fact finding defense sacred book that was -- how under the just depends -- -- book.
The John -- on to the first President Bush and I think to be something like nine in the loss.
Fifty years or so so it does happen do you think there's a room.
-- serious.
-- chance here that Chuck Hagel could be derailed as the nominee.
I do I -- you -- -- oh yeah I mean you know it he's.
He's a Republican.
Do you can say whatever you want about it but why Obama picked them may -- just that he's a Republican but without.
You know complete Republican support which makes it a problem I think it yeah I think that there but there is that possibility which I think would be you know I think would be -- I think he.
He deserves the spot he should be in that spot.
And we -- not waste a whole lot of countries time to bring these let's say that what what about that point -- that we shouldn't waste the country's time particularly in the in foreign policy and defense policy.
We we guys as the president said yesterday we don't want gap at any in the news they knew who is serving now and who is going to -- You know I think that's true I mean what we found out of them being Ghazi investigation is that -- there were loose links you know all this runs something terrible happened.
My guess is he'll be confirmed I think that.
Really what the debate will be about is really again not so much -- -- As it is sort of the direction that the obamas taking these -- government and that really isn't to debate we'll have for four more years right.
And that'll be about okay are we really the country now that is going to be only in -- -- partnership position let me.
I apply force are we going to be cutting back the defense budget.
Even more aggressively than we have been these are incredibly important topics and I don't think it's going to be determined now.
Realistically.
You know budgets all over the place there's going to be less money -- so realistically and we have less money they are -- So you know that's the framework the way that we think strategically on -- military bases.
It's got to change because there's less money well so we have to think a little bit different when you have to think a little bit more about diplomacy a little bit Scott back.
Thirty and I agree or or more efficient use the moneys we have in other words -- -- -- that look the whole idea that we are spending.
Probably not very much on cyber terrorism and cyber attacks right now.
That seems to me like a slam dunk mean that is something clearly we have to address we have to be.
Not only equal to everybody else but hopefully better than everybody else on that my sense is we -- not.
Let me know what if it's ironic.
I think that cyber terrorism is such -- day.
I think we are so vulnerable this kind of out of it's nobody thinks about because it's not doesn't seem real -- -- like you know bombs there's no bodies there's no.
You know all the things that you see on the news because it cyber but it's not -- your bank -- -- -- -- -- at the end you have millions of attempts to bring down after a check every single day every day every day it's ignorant it's a big big deal that people don't pay attention to but on the other hand.
The United States offensively we didn't I mean we use you know with a -- to our advantage in some countries I don't know why we don't why why we're not the defending our fort Walt while we're out.
There well one person who's in the military has told me that we are.
Yes we -- I think the only what you're referring to I think is Iran and yet Sprint's everything.
But there have been remarkably few of those initiatives that are as we know I mean it really don't we don't probably know told me what we're doing.
But let's say vs China China is attacking our infrastructure and our.
Government agencies on a daily basis we are not counter attacking from what I understand.
Commence -- and the view is if we did that Chinese Government would finally go illness hacking communities say OK in a -- -- -- Actually he had the the other nomination for a moment CIA director John Brennan who is currently the counterterrorism senior counterterrorism advisor in the White House.
I'm Lindsey Graham senator Lindsey Graham and again has said.
That he may seek to delay the confirmation up all of John Brennan and -- he has what he considers.
Right bounces and enough Hansen's.
On the attacking -- Gaza that killed our ambassador in three other Americans.
Is.
Is that a -- is that exactly the kind of time wasting that you were just talking about -- owned by the way which one of our view is that they did he just say that -- in the -- time isn't a Washington's job.
But is that.
Well that was OK so you want to waste our time we didn't -- I've got a question that what exactly you're you're allowed to vote -- yeah -- -- political black and male or is it the players -- necessary there's a lot of things that we need to -- that we do need to know there's a lot of information that we don't have.
Have yet that we do need to know but it's -- for a reason and number I didn't let any of those things happen intentionally.
And then perhaps there was some oversight perhaps there was some mistakes and perhaps some people raise their hand and -- on my watch my mistaken but not don't come -- come -- -- that.
This I don't mean it seems it seems the one thing we only -- it is who is running the CIA.
You know I think that's right I -- -- pretty easy confirmation would be my guess the issues.
Related to -- are those which the GOP will contest which is that he had some involvement John McCain made -- And they generally that he may have had some involvement.
With the enhanced interrogation techniques.
And most Republicans are gonna go war to war over that because it opens up a whole can of -- But for everybody yeah well yeah exactly so I I don't think that's an issue I think.
You know -- I don't think that.
This is the time I -- I I don't think it's a waste of time but I don't think this is the time to interrupt the chain of command right in arguing the apparatus.
I think that you would agree and aside from aside from the nomination question -- -- you would agree that there are questions that need to be -- -- buying.
And officials on Ben Ghazi and let.
Probably chief among those is -- -- -- -- -- who say Hillary Clinton and it's absolutely and I think we -- and we'll look.
Whether we see what what what we think there is that there isn't the whole country are the people that are -- should -- now we went on what what exactly happened there.
Can can we get people that what we're in a position of authority to tell us so we that that will have.
Have they actually but but what Republicans want and -- they will never have is for the administration come out and say we lied about.
If you know what actually happened there we knew that it there was no.
Response to the video we knew there was no demonstration but it tied in very nicely to our campaign -- so we sort as we sort of fit right whoever does save that so we can have a couple 112 hearings on the matter that's just simply not gonna -- down I don't want change so.
