Chuck Hagel for Defense Secretary

We are told that today President Obama will be submitting Senator Hagel's name to the Senate for confirmation as Secretary of Defense. Hagel as a moderate Democrat should be a no brainer and it is expected that he will eventually be confirmed.

Still many Conservatives are lining up against the Senator. With his shocking belief that the Iraq War was a mess, that the Israeli lobby puts a great deal of pressure on American policy, and worst of all, that perhaps starting a new war with Iran might not be to our advantage Hagel has made enemies of the Neocons. I have decided that Neocons must be code word for those that have investment in Defense contractors and armaments companies.

Bill Kristol evidently has more power on the right than a two term Republican Senator who is a decorated Medal of Honor winner from Vietnam. Yesterday our friend South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham called Hagel an " in your face " nomination from the President of a candidate who " is far outside the mainstream."

I am not sure what mainstream is. We are told that any and all military leader of note approves of Hagel's nomination. Those that are against Hagel are a mystery to me. One would think that they would realize that attacking a Republican nomination would make them look silly.

The Civil War in the Republican party goes on. Barack Obama, perhaps in a smooth political move, has just fed the flames by giving ammunition to both sides.