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Hagel on hot seat

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    Did Chuck Hagel help make his case for confirmation for defense secretary during his hearing?

  • Duration 7:16
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And now to Capitol Hill or sparks are really flying today a fierce confirmation fight would Defense Secretary nominee former Republican senator chuck hey don't.

Battling critics from his own party.

Will you correct.

Or -- correct when you said.

That the surge would be the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam we are correct or incorrect -- -- or no.

My reference to the speaker Nancy -- change senator hagel.

The question is we right or wrong.

That's a pretty straightforward questions -- well I thought I would like to answer -- be right or wrong and then you are free to elaborate.

Well I'm not going -- give you a yes or no answer well a lot of show that today refused to answer that question.

I've always I missed a supporter.

Of Israel.

And in some cases I've said I'm a strong supporter newsroom.

In some cases -- -- -- and I think it's in my book we have a special relationship with Israel.

Name one person in your -- He's intimidated about -- Israeli popping.

First thing one.

I don't know what why would you say it I didn't.

I have in mind a specific source do you agree it's a provocative statement that I can't think of more provocative thing to say.

About the relationship between the United States and Israel and the senate.

Paterson would you -- you continue to cold I believe extreme views barge to the left to be in this administration.

Do you think it's right that that Israel was today.

Sickening slaughter -- seven towards.

-- Thank you again I'd I would want to read all of that when I said.

First I've said many many times senator from every nation has right to defend itself.

Andy do you think they sickening or -- would constitute war crimes.

You get no depends on.

They were attacked depends on.

Many fans it's question like to ask you the answer.

Record if you life.

Why do you think that the Iranian Foreign Ministry so strongly supports your nomination could be secretary.

I have a difficult enough time in American -- Senator I have no idea -- thank you.

-- investor John Bolton joins us ambassador in Washington -- today it's so easy to forget that senator.

-- goes Republican he got grilled by his fellow Republicans Sydney.

Well it wasn't so much the questions although they they were very stiff as the answers this was -- -- -- For -- cable today and and if his nomination is defeated.

I think we'll look back and say this was the place where it went down in flames.

Not only was he not able to defend many of his earlier.

Statements but he demonstrated.

A lack of command over the subject matter that he would be responsible for -- -- were confirmed.

He couldn't identify really what the Obama administration's policy was I think one of the very.

Telling exchange's one was when he first said he that he supported.

That containing.

A nuclear runs somebody -- -- note.

And he breeds -- says I guess I misspoke we don't have a policy on containing.

Containing -- nuclear -- and then.

Senator Levin the chairman of the committee has to tell and -- actually we we the administration do have a policy.

We're not in favor of containment we want to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon in the first place if senator.

-- -- can't even get that right.

I think it really left that his supporters on that committee very shaken about the case they now have to make.

-- he seemed woefully ill prepared and they -- -- hammered as though he was anti Israel.

And he did make the statement that -- in the twelve years as US senator he never voted against Israel at all.

But the way he answered his questions he seemed woefully.

Ill prepared for so many of them that he almost look -- -- here is always on defense.

He never seemed to have sort competed in only -- -- so to speak.

Well I think he came into the hearing with a lot of liabilities and he left with a couple more the first is -- is that confidence question whether.

Really he's able to address.

The issues he's gonna have to to take under his Wang as secretary of defense he didn't he didn't seem to have.

An idea that the budget.

Cuts that are about to befall the Defense Department came from the sequestration mechanism in the kind congressional.

Budget deal he said several times in the hearing you know he just sort of sits on top of the Defense Department.

A lot of other people work for a man and he'll be a leader in responsible.

But he didn't seem to understand what the job.

Secretary of defense entailed so I think now there's a confidence issue.

But there's also a character issue with the what what in Washington is known as the confirmation conversion.

Where confronted with statement after statement he made before he said well I didn't quite mean it may -- I misspoke it's taken out of context I put a different way.

It really was that was a very weak performance and and I think get a -- to be.

Troubling to the administration is they look ahead to the to the coming votes.

Is there -- difference in.

Qualification.

For the job of secretary of state -- secretary -- defenseman.

Being in in so in recent years was so many wars going -- an -- O'Connor has so much overlap I'm curious.

We -- -- compare and contrast those qualifications.

Well I think the job of secretary of defense necessarily.

Involves a lot more.

Management and planning issues the -- long term development of weapons systems force planning.

The strategic allocation of -- -- whereas the secretary of state job is much more of a policy job.

But but the fact is both are large and important.

Positions and what we're about to have -- we may have.

Two secretaries who really had minimal.

Executive branch experience when you add to a president or vice president who have minimal executive branch experience I'm very worried about.

The strength of of our policy in a variety of areas but particularly in national security.

Well I don't think our cost -- eight could have this -- cabinet nominate looks so bruised at the end of the day as have seen as as with this one -- with the question.

Well I think I think there's some unhappy people in Washington are there's actually one happy person I can think of the two unhappy people obviously are Chuck Hagel.

But also Chuck Schumer senator from New York who started out on this nomination saying I want to wait to the hearing.

And the White House put the heat on -- -- endorse senator.

Hey I'd like to know what Chuck Schumer is thinking tonight in my choice for the happy this person is Hillary Clinton that she didn't have to go before this committee to answer questions -- -- Ben -- And that's -- thank you sir thank you.

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