Senator: Ex-Sen. Hagel would face tough confirmation if picked by Obama to be Pentagon chief

The Associated Press / Times Colonist
December 23, 2012

FILE - This Nov. 1, 2012, file photo shows former Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel speaking in Omaha, Neb. President Barack Obama's possible pick of Republican Chuck Hagel to run the Pentagon raises serious concerns among some of his former Senate colleagues, who question his pronouncements on Iraq, Israel and the Middle East. The reservations publicly expressed by a few Republicans and even a Democrat hardly rival the unyielding GOP objections to U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, who withdrew from consideration last week for secretary of state in the face of relentless attacks mostly over her public statements about the Sept. 11 assault on the diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

WASHINGTON - Two senators predicted Sunday that former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel would face a difficult confirmation battle if nominated by President Barack Obama to be defence secretary.

Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent who's retiring and wouldn't have a vote, cited Hagel's less-than-hawkish positions on Iran. Lieberman told CNN's "State of the Union" that it would be "a very tough confirmation process," and "there are reasonable questions to ask and that Chuck Hagel will have to answer."

On NBC's "Meet the Press," Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said it would be "a challenging nomination."

"I don't think he's going to get many Republican votes," Graham said.

Hagel, 66, is considered the leading candidate to replace Leon Panetta at the Pentagon, although a number of Republican senators have expressed reservations about his nomination. Their concerns largely centre on Hagel's past comments about Israel and Iran. Outside groups have suggested that based on Hagel's remarks, he isn't sufficiently supportive of Israel, an important ally in the Middle East.

Opponents point to his votes against sanctions on Iran and letters that Hagel signed, along with ones he declined to add his name to, many of those favoured by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the powerful pro-Israel lobby. In August 2006, Hagel refused to sign a letter pressing the European Union to declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization, one of 12 senators who balked. In 2007, he sent a letter to Bush urging talks with Iran.

Hagel, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, has favoured diplomacy over military action with Iran, and criticized talk of a strike by either the United States or Israel against Iran.

Lieberman said sanctions are the only way to change Tehran's behaviour "short of war." Lieberman said that Hagel had "some very outlying votes" against economic penalties on Iran over its nuclear program.

Georgia Republican U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson said on ABC's "This Week" that he'll "reserve any judgment until after the hearings we have on confirmation if in fact he is nominated." Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, was non-committal about Hagel, saying she'll see "what happens with these hearings."

Hagel once made reference to the "Jewish lobby" in the United States, a comment that Sen. John McCain of Arizona called "inappropriate."

"There's no such thing as a Jewish lobby," McCain said. "There's an Armenian lobby, there's not a Jewish lobby. There's an Israeli lobby. It's called AIPAC, very influential."

At least two other candidates remain under serious consideration — former Pentagon policy chief Michele Flournoy and Deputy Defence Secretary Ashton Carter.