A long article, but it's a beautiful "Preview-of-Coming-Attractions" of what the various and widely assorted Kristol-sponsored attack groups have in mind for the next couple of months, and longer. You can see right here, in advance, what the parrots and Kool-Aid drinkers will be regurgitating before they even have a chance to hear what they're supposed to say from Hannity, O'Reilly and Limburger...
It's more fun when you have the "program" in advance. After genning up a totally phony hit-campaign on Susan Rice, and basking in the glory of it, they've now turned to Hagel:
Soon after the White House first floated Hagel’s name as a prospective nominee for defense secretary, the Weekly Standard quoted an anonymous Republican Senate aide promising: “Send us Hagel, and we will make sure every American knows he is an anti-Semite.”
The item caught fire in the blogosphere and was followed the next day by a fact sheet, which Kristol indicated was “circulating widely on Capitol Hill,” detailing a number of Hagel’s statements and votes on Israel and the Middle East. The sheet — including an eyebrow-raising quote from an old interview Hagel gave to Miller in which he referred to the power of the “Jewish lobby” — quickly came to form the foundation for the case against Hagel.
On Fox and in the Weekly Standard, Kristol articulated some of those points and suggested Republicans should be emboldened by their success in compelling Rice to withdraw from consideration for the country’s top diplomatic post.
Interestingly enough I heard the stuff about "the Jewish Lobby" today, so the rest of the GOTP neo-con robots are already running the playbook... It will be interesting to watch it unfold...
It's hard for anti-homosexuals to complain about Hagel's " aggressively gay" statement....on that they would agree. What they will probably complain about is his apology for that statement.
archer wrote: It's hard for anti-homosexuals to complain about Hagel's " aggressively gay" statement....on that they would agree. What they will probably complain about is his apology for that statement.
Archer, many in congress make stupid statements without thinking before engaging thier mouths. Both side are guilty of this. Lately though seems only one side gets the media reporting on it though. The other part to this, they make these stupid comments, but some of them only seem to apology when all of a sudden they are being considered for a public office.
FredHayek wrote: Another example of Republicans not supporting their own party members being nominated.
Fred, look up the bio on this guy, that will tell you why the Republican Party will not support him.
Let's see, served 4 years on the ground in Vietnam working his way up to sergeant in the infantry, during which time he received the Vietnmase Cross of Gallantry, 2 Purple Hearts, Army Commendation Medal and Combat Infantryman's Badge.
Yep, that alone would lose support from the Republicans, a true war veteran who actively served in the infantry during Vietnam.
Then there is his history of supporting increased benefits for combat veterans. Yep, there is another strike against him by Republicans.
Of course there is his record in private business where he risked his entire life savings to found a cellular telephone company that became the nation's second largest cellular company. That must be the reason why Republicans oppose him.
The real reason why Republicans are opposing Hagel's nomination can be found by following the money. It is not his record on Israel, as the leading pro-Israeli organizations are backing him. He is not being nominated for SOS. It is not his record in regard to gay rights. The leading LGBT groups are backing him. It is the threat to the military-industrial complex. He is on record as saying the DOD budget is bloated. The republicans are trying to protect the defense contractors from scrutiny in regard to grossly over budget weapon systems, widespread waste, no bid contracts, and other wasteful spending at time of tightening budgets.
"Remember to always be yourself. Unless you can be batman. Then always be batman." Unknown
FredHayek wrote: Politics make strange bedfellows? I think this is the first time I have seen LJ & the Dog supporting a Republican.
That's because all you see is the (R)... I see someone who was against the Iraq War; who was against "The Surge"; who has stated rather plainly that the Pentagon/DoD budget is bloated and needs to be cut...(And apparently thinks it's time for the Defense jobs-program/gravy-train to get cut.) He's driving the neo-con/never-met-a-war-I-didn't-like right-wingers over the edge. That's enough for me to like him right there.
But in nominating Hagel, an outspoken, and authoritative figure from the "realism" community, many observers said they see a determined transformation for Obama away from aggressive intervention in places like Iran or Syria and toward more hesitant use of power. This, even Hagel's critics admitted, has driven visceral opposition to Hagel from the neoconservative right.
"It's not all about revenge or retaliation for anti-party stances in the past, but fear of what Hagel's advice and counsel might be in the future," Wilkerson told HuffPost in an email. “The hardline GOPers and the neocons have unfulfilled plans -- plans for Syria, Iran, and the greater Middle East. These plans, which envision almost endless conflict in the region, are in the main opposed by people such as Hagel.”
Having wackos like Lindsey Graham call him "out of the mainstream", when Lindsey and the rest of the neo-cons have moved so far to the right, is deliciously stupid... I like Hagel already... He p*sses off the neocons.
