At the hearing on his nomination to be Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel came across as a stumbling, bumbling idiot. He did not know American policy towards Iran. He said that his opinions were unimportant even though he would be head of the Pentagon. He corrected many things that he said at the hearing. He corrected some of the corrections that he made at the hearing. He withdrew all sorts of statements made before the hearings. In short, he was woefully unprepared for the hearings, and he seemed unable to field even the simplest of questions. Despite Hagle's seeming clearly unqualified to be Defense Secretary, however, his nomination was still on track for approval as every Democrat has lined up behind president Obama's nominee.
Today, however, that all may have changed due to an extraordinary position that Hagel has now taken. When Hagel left the senate in 2009, he became involved with the Atlantic Council. He also gave speeches and "assisted" various entities with their dealings with the US government. Many of those who gave Hagel financial assistance with his efforts or who hired him for "assistance" were foreign entities including some foreign governments or government related institutions. The senators on the committee reviewing his nomination asked Hagel to identify each of these foreign entities who had employed Hagel since he left the senate. Well, today Hagel refused to furnish this information.
Here is how Hagel put it in his response to the committee:
"[T]he information you seek is legally controlled by the individual entities and not mine to disclose...As a board-member [of the Atlantic Council], I have a fiduciary duty that includes the obligation to maintain the confidentiality of non-public corporate information. The information may also be subject to various other legal requirements or contractual arrangements that prohibit its disclosure."
So let's be clear here. If Hagel was receiving contributions from Iran or Saudi oil interests or the government of Kazakhstan or Russia, he is not going to tell the senate. Is he kidding? To say the least, Hagel could seek permission of his employers/contributors to disclose their identities to the senators. Indeed, if it were so important that these remain confidential, the disclosure could be to the senate on a confidential basis. Nevertheless, the senate has to know on whose payroll Hagel has been for the last four years. What if many of his employers/contributors are affiliated with terror groups? We would never know unless Hagel discloses their identities. The possibilities for misdeeds are enormous here and the only way to cure the problem is with disclosure.
Until now, there was no need to filibuster Hagel's nomination. The president is entitled to get his preferred cabinet absent extraordinary circumstances. Well, things just became extraordinary.
Unless and until Chuck Hagel discloses all of the relevant information about his past financial dealings and employers/contributors, he should not receive a vote in the senate for his new position.
Indeed, president Obama ought to withdraw the nomination today.
Today, however, that all may have changed due to an extraordinary position that Hagel has now taken. When Hagel left the senate in 2009, he became involved with the Atlantic Council. He also gave speeches and "assisted" various entities with their dealings with the US government. Many of those who gave Hagel financial assistance with his efforts or who hired him for "assistance" were foreign entities including some foreign governments or government related institutions. The senators on the committee reviewing his nomination asked Hagel to identify each of these foreign entities who had employed Hagel since he left the senate. Well, today Hagel refused to furnish this information.
Here is how Hagel put it in his response to the committee:
"[T]he information you seek is legally controlled by the individual entities and not mine to disclose...As a board-member [of the Atlantic Council], I have a fiduciary duty that includes the obligation to maintain the confidentiality of non-public corporate information. The information may also be subject to various other legal requirements or contractual arrangements that prohibit its disclosure."
So let's be clear here. If Hagel was receiving contributions from Iran or Saudi oil interests or the government of Kazakhstan or Russia, he is not going to tell the senate. Is he kidding? To say the least, Hagel could seek permission of his employers/contributors to disclose their identities to the senators. Indeed, if it were so important that these remain confidential, the disclosure could be to the senate on a confidential basis. Nevertheless, the senate has to know on whose payroll Hagel has been for the last four years. What if many of his employers/contributors are affiliated with terror groups? We would never know unless Hagel discloses their identities. The possibilities for misdeeds are enormous here and the only way to cure the problem is with disclosure.
Until now, there was no need to filibuster Hagel's nomination. The president is entitled to get his preferred cabinet absent extraordinary circumstances. Well, things just became extraordinary.
Unless and until Chuck Hagel discloses all of the relevant information about his past financial dealings and employers/contributors, he should not receive a vote in the senate for his new position.
Indeed, president Obama ought to withdraw the nomination today.
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