Thoughts on Hagel

I was supportive of the decision to pick Secretary Chuck Hagel to lead the Pentagon as Defense Secretary in early 2013. I think he was the right choice, and provided an extra gravitas that the other finalists did not. Hagel struggled through his confirmation hearing, and got just 58 votes at the time, in no small part because he was unwilling to swing back at John McCain and other conservative critics. He ultimately took over the job, and presided up over a rocky period- one that included civil war in Syria, the rise of ISIS, nuclear negotiations with Iran, military activity across North Africa and the Middle East, and unrest in the Ukraine involving Russia. Some are now asking if Hagel was doomed from the start. He was hit by the conservatives from the start, and was never the choice of the progressives that have the ear of such administration figures as Valerie Jarrett.

I think Hagel was a solid choice, and I will start by taking aim at the conservatives. I think Hagel should have smacked John McCain back by saying "the surge" was still a mistake. All it did was prolong the road to the current outcome in Iraq, which was unavoidable once we went into the war. Hagel was right as a Senator to oppose the continued activity in Iraq, and that good judgment should have been defended.

As for the left, the folks who didn't want a Republican/man/white guy in the job, completely missed the point. This job is leading our entire military. It requires a major figure, which a former Senator provides. Hagel was the person the President had confidence in, and that should have carried more weight than some sort of social point.

As for Hagel's job performance, it was a tough job. I don't think he did a bad job in office. I disagree with some of the decisions made on foreign policy matters during his tenure (particularly on Syria), however not all of that is on him. I think handling issues like ISIS are not black and white issues.

I do find it funny though that Hagel's defenders today include people like John McCain- people who called Hagel a lightweight and anti-semite. That's a commentary on our politics more than the people involved, but watching conservatives rush to the side of a former Republican Senator because he's being pushed out of a Democratic administration is pretty disgusting.

As for my view on Hagel's ouster, cabinet members serve at the discretion of the President. If he no longer represented the President with his leadership, he had to go. This is how cabinet posts work. The reality is that Hagel was not providing a voice in the public realm that was adequate, as is born out in opinion polling. This is what happens when that happens.