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'In your face' Cabinet pick by the president?

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    Sen. Lindsey Graham responds

  • Duration 5:21
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President Obama has rolled out a number of nominees set to take key roles in -- second term administration our next guest is vowing to hold up one of those nominations and calls another one of them and in your face -- by the president.

Senator Lindsey Graham Republican from South Carolina and number -- the Senate Armed Services Committee joins us live senator great happy Saturday thanks for having me happy -- -- RAB we have a -- -- ground and covered let's start with one of your number one topics Ben -- right where do we stand it what questions do you still have and what role does that play and how you handle these nomination -- Stand in the dark as a nation they're making two movies about the president's leadership in the -- library.

He deserves applause and praise for going after bin Laden.

But this administration stonewalling the congress we don't know what the president did for seven hours during the attack.

Always he notified -- -- order people to come to their aid and was his order carried out.

We don't know who the survivors are -- like to intervene like interviewed him we do know that they were interviewed the day after the attack by the FB.

In the CIA couldn't get the results of the interview because -- worried about compromising their criminal investigation so we're going back to the pre 9/11 model.

-- treat terrorism as their crime we haven't caught anybody.

To hold them accountable we don't know change the talking points to take al-Qaeda references.

Out of their talking points given Susan Rice through weeks before the election so we don't know -- -- I don't wanna hold up Vernon but -- will until we get to the bottom of -- Ghazi.

The case administration's listening to this program you're not going forward on these nominations until you share with the congress what really happened -- -- Do you have support.

Crossed I'll offer that proposition I mean I'm sure that there are Democrats who also would like into I must be shocked if the Democratic Party.

Would not at least join in the effort to find out what the president did during the attack.

Who did change the talking points.

Why are we now back to a pre 9/11 model for the FB -- can't talk -- the CIA.

I hope they're interested in that.

-- -- -- -- any kind of timeline for these investigations wrapping up so that you can get some ways -- remember that Brendan is also one of the people that we suspected of leaking classified information about the bin Laden raid.

The underwear bomber and the cyber attacks.

Against Iran by us in Israel that's the subjected to criminal investigation so I wanna know is the potential CIA director under criminal investigation.

For leaking classified information and the Democrats opposed an independent counsel to the two people doing the investigation -- effort -- -- and other studies that investigation.

Four in the Fordham Brennan.

So -- -- I'm Brennan and to get those answers I think that's only fair down under before you vote on the CIA director is -- under criminal investigation for leaking classified information call meal fashion.

OK -- well moving on to -- -- former senator.

And now -- have to have the Defense Department you have said he is an indoor faced tech we mean well I can't think of more.

In your face selection.

-- picking somebody to be secretary of defense that the Iranians have applauded.

Kelly got so -- Fox News that she -- -- secretary defense.

Who the Iranians fear not applaud and the reason they're plotting his pick is that Chuck Hagel voted against an amendment back in 2007.

To designate the Iranian revolutionary guard -- forces a terrorist organization.

The very group that was killing our soldiers in Iraq if they're not a terrorist organization who would they.

He also refused to sign a letter designating Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

-- and voted against sanctioning Iran.

So yeah I think is a hugely controversial -- We wait to -- -- out at the hearing absolute -- can't wait here and tell me why felt the revolutionary guard Iran wasn't a terrorist organization and what kind of signal -- sending.

To Israel into Iran if he becomes our sector -- -- not been a good pick and other times.

But in the talent in which we live for Iran is marching toward a nuclear weapon for the president the United States to pick someone who is openly defying the -- view of our defense.

Size and scope he wants to cut the Defense Department below 489 billion secretary Panetta says we're destroying our Defense Department if we move forward with sequestration.

We're trying to influence the Iranians to not go down -- the road in your picking someone they applaud.

And Israel is under there under the scrutiny and in the cross hairs of history like.

Any other time -- saying.

And we're about to nominate a person for secretary of defense who tells Israel he should negotiate directly with Hamas.

A group of people who try to kill Israeli children every day -- lob in rockets that makes no sense to me.

All right you have top concerns tough questions about these nominees and others probably that are coming up -- well.

But I know that you're very deferential to the president in many cases when justices -- -- -- Kagan -- -- -- for confirmation you did vote yes for them.

I thought there were qualified -- -- a lot well when I draw the line when the signal you're sending.

To the secretary of defense nominee to to the Iranians that we're about to we're not really serious about stopping you you're nuclear program.

Into our allies and in Israel he has taken votes that make him the most antagonistic senate during the -- senate.

While he served for the State of Israel -- -- -- not made he's got a good explanation for this I drove -- when I think it would compromise our national security interest.

All right we're just getting started but I -- -- -- -- here.

We're into your conversation that was senator Graham right after this break a whole lot more to come.