(11-24-2014 09:52 AM)Machiavelli Wrote:  I looked for possible replacements and haven't found anyone. I would go to McCain and ask him his input. This is an area where some fences could be mended.

(11-24-2014 09:59 AM)Crebman Wrote:  

(11-24-2014 09:52 AM)Machiavelli Wrote:  I looked for possible replacements and haven't found anyone. I would go to McCain and ask him his input. This is an area where some fences could be mended.

That is not the "Kings'" style. He'll likely pick some loyalist hack that licks his feet. Significant knowledge or acumen isn't a requirement, but raising campaign $$$$ may fit the bill!

(11-24-2014 10:12 AM)Machiavelli Wrote:  Jeez Louise LSU..............

Are those phalanges sticking out? That pic makes me want to puke.

BAD LSU BAD.......................................

(11-24-2014 10:17 AM)CardFan1 Wrote:  I don't think He should fill that position. Obviously Obama is going to do only what He wants to do anyway. He might as well get full credit for failure.

(11-24-2014 10:08 AM)EagleRockCafe Wrote:  Panetta and Gates were the previous Sec of Defense before Hagel. After leaving that position they have both written scathing criticism of Obama. Obama hates the military. He wants us to surrender our position of strength in the world.

Quote: … Mr. Hagel, for his part, spent his time on the job largely carrying out Mr. Obama’s stated wishes on matters like bringing back American troops from Afghanistan and trimming the Pentagon budget, with little pushback. He did manage to inspire loyalty among enlisted soldiers and often seemed at his most confident when talking to troops or sharing wartime experiences as a Vietnam veteran.

But Mr. Hagel has often had problems articulating his thoughts — or administration policy — in an effective manner, and has sometimes left reporters struggling to describe what he has said in news conferences. In his side-by-side appearances with both General Dempsey and Secretary of State John Kerry, Mr. Hagel, a decorated Vietnam veteran and the first former enlisted combat soldier to be defense secretary, has often been upstaged.

He raised the ire of the White House in August as the administration was ramping up its strategy to fight the Islamic State, directly contradicting the president, who months before had likened the Sunni militant group to a junior varsity basketball squad. Mr. Hagel, facing reporters in his now-familiar role next to General Dempsey, called the Islamic State an “imminent threat to every interest we have,” adding, “This is beyond anything that we’ve seen.” White House officials later said they viewed those comments as unhelpful, although the administration still appears to be struggling to define just how large is the threat posed by the Islamic State.