PresidenObama this afternoon nominated former Sen. Chuck
Hagel, R-Neb., to be his next defense secretary and
counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to lead the Central
Intelligence Agency.
In those two, the president said, he has chosen men with experience
in the field and who "understand the consequences of decisions we
make in this town" on the men and women who serve America around
the world,
The president praised Hagel, who would be the first former enlisted
man to lead the Pentagon, as someone who understands what it is
like to fight and bleed in dirt and mud because of his decorated
experience with the Army in Vietnam. Obama praised Brennan for his
long experience at the CIA and White House and for being a key part
of a team that in the last four years took more al-Qaida leaders
and commanders off the battlefield than at any other time since the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Both men could face some opposition during the Senate confirmation
process, as we explain below.
We updated this post during the announcement at the White
House.
Update at 1:58 p.m. ET. President Is Trying To "Redefine
Tough":
As the NPR coverage ends, Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving says
that the president's nominations of Hagel, Brennan and Sen. John
Kerry, D-Mass., (to be secretary of state) signal that Obama wants
to be "a president who redefined tough."
Brennan, Ron said, is "known for his toughness" and for being one
of the leading proponents of the use of drone strikes against
terrorists in Pakistan and elsewhere. Hagel is known "as an
independent thinker" and is a decorated war veteran. And Kerry also
comes with the background of service in the U.S. Navy during the
Vietnam War.
Update at 1:50 p.m. ET. Obama Urges The Senate To Act
Quickly:
In his concluding comments, the president says he hopes the Senate
will move quickly to confirm Hagel and Brennan because "we don't
like to leave a lot of gaps" in key posts.
Update at 1:39 p.m. ET. Brennan Says It Would Be His "Greatest
Privilege":
After hailing the men and women of the CIA as "dedicated,
courageous, selfless and hardworking," Brennan says they achieve
things that will "never be known outside the hallowed halls of [CIA
headquarters] and the Oval Office."
Serving as CIA director, Brennan says, would be the "greatest
privilege and greatest responsibility of my professional
life."
Brennan adds that he considers himself "neither a Republican nor a
Democrat" and looks forward to working with lawmakers from both
parties.
Update at 1:35 p.m. ET. Hagel Pledges To "Always Do My Best":
In brief remarks, Hagel tells the president he will "always do my
best ... for our country ... for those I represent at the Pentagon
and for all our citizens."
Update at 1:30 p.m. ET. Panetta Is Off To Deal With "A Different
Set Of Nuts":
Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, after praising the choices
of Hagel and Brennan, says that after 50 years in public service
he's looking forward to returning to his walnut farm in California
where he'll be "dealing with a different set of nuts." That gets a
good laugh.
Update at 1:25 p.m. ET. Brennan Is "Tireless":
Turning to his remarks about Brennan, the president says he is
"legendary ... for working hard. ... I"m not sure he's slept in
four years." And Obama notes that with Brennan in a top
counterterrorism position, "more al-Qaida leaders and commanders
have been removed from the battlefield than at any time" since the
Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Update at 1:20 p.m. ET. Hagel Knows War "Is Not An
Abstraction":
Continuing to speak about Hagel's service as a young man, when he
was twice wounded in Vietnam, the president says the former senator
"knows that war is not an abstraction. ... [That] sending young
Americans to fight and bleed in the dirt and mud is something we
only do if it's absolutely necessary."
Obama also says Hagel "represents a bipartisan tradition we need
more of in Washington."
Update at 1:18 p.m. ET. Hagel Is The Leader "Our Troops
Deserve":
Recapping Hagel's service as an enlisted soldier in the Army during
the Vietnam War, the president calls him a Pentagon leader "our
troops deserve." As we noted earlier, Hagel would be the first
enlisted man to serve as secretary of Defense.
Update at 1:14 p.m. ET. It's Begun:
The president, Hagel and Brennan are at the podium.
Our original post continues:
Hagel, 66, would replace Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who wishes
to retire. He served two terms in the Senate before retiring in
2009. Hagel would be the first former enlisted man to run the
Pentagon - he served with the U.S. Army in Vietnam, receiving two
Purple Hearts and other honors.
Brennan, 57, would fill the CIA post that opened up in November
when Director David Petraeus resigned because of an extramarital
affair.
Both nominees need to be confirmed by the Senate. They may face
opposition, or at least some tough questions. As we wrote earlier
today:
Hagel has already drawn opposition from some conservatives because
he opposed the Bush administration's decision to go into war with
Iraq and has supported efforts to include Iran in talks on
Afghanistan. He has also drawn criticism for past remarks about the
influence of what he referred to as the "Jewish lobby" and for a
1998 comment about a nominee for an ambassador's post who he said
was "openly, aggressively gay." Hagel has apologized for that
remark.
Brennan could be controversial because his previous work at the CIA
included a stint as deputy executive director during President
George W. Bush's administration at a time when waterboarding and
other harsh interrogation methods were used on suspected
terrorists. His past comments defending some things that were done
(though not waterboarding) have drawn criticism.
In those two, the president said, he has chosen men with
experience in the field and who "understand the consequences of
decisions we make in this town" on the men and women who serve
America around the world,
The president praised Hagel, who would be the first former
enlisted man to lead the Pentagon, as someone who understands what
it is like to fight and bleed in dirt and mud because of his
decorated experience with the Army in Vietnam. Obama praised
Brennan for his long experience at the CIA and White House and for
being a key part of a team that in the last four years took more
al-Qaida leaders and commanders off the battlefield than at any
other time since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Both men could face some opposition during the Senate
confirmation process, as we explain below.
We updated this post during the announcement at the White
House.
Update at 1:58 p.m. ET. President Is Trying To
"Redefine Tough":
As the NPR coverage ends, Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving
says that the president's nominations of Hagel, Brennan and Sen.
John Kerry, D-Mass., (to be secretary of state) signal that Obama
wants to be "a president who redefined tough."
Brennan, Ron said, is "known for his toughness" and for being
one of the leading proponents of the use of drone strikes against
terrorists in Pakistan and elsewhere. Hagel is known "as an
independent thinker" and is a decorated war veteran. And Kerry also
comes with the background of service in the U.S. Navy during the
Vietnam War.
Update at 1:50 p.m. ET. Obama Urges The Senate To Act
Quickly:
In his concluding comments, the president says he hopes the
Senate will move quickly to confirm Hagel and Brennan because "we
don't like to leave a lot of gaps" in key posts.
Update at 1:39 p.m. ET. Brennan Says It Would Be His
"Greatest Privilege":
After hailing the men and women of the CIA as "dedicated,
courageous, selfless and hardworking," Brennan says they achieve
things that will "never be known outside the hallowed halls of [CIA
headquarters] and the Oval Office."
Serving as CIA director, Brennan says, would be the "greatest
privilege and greatest responsibility of my professional
life."
Brennan adds that he considers himself "neither a Republican
nor a Democrat" and looks forward to working with lawmakers from
both parties.
Update at 1:35 p.m. ET. Hagel Pledges To "Always Do My
Best":
In brief remarks, Hagel tells the president he will "always do
my best ... for our country ... for those I represent at the
Pentagon and for all our citizens."
Update at 1:30 p.m. ET. Panetta Is Off To Deal With "A
Different Set Of Nuts":
Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, after praising the
choices of Hagel and Brennan, says that after 50 years in public
service he's looking forward to returning to his walnut farm in
California where he'll be "dealing with a different set of nuts."
That gets a good laugh.
Update at 1:25 p.m. ET. Brennan Is
"Tireless":
Turning to his remarks about Brennan, the president says he is
"legendary ... for working hard. ... I"m not sure he's slept in
four years." And Obama notes that with Brennan in a top
counterterrorism position, "more al-Qaida leaders and commanders
have been removed from the battlefield than at any time" since the
Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Update at 1:20 p.m. ET. Hagel Knows War "Is Not An
Abstraction":
Continuing to speak about Hagel's service as a young man, when
he was twice wounded in Vietnam, the president says the former
senator "knows that war is not an abstraction. ... [That] sending
young Americans to fight and bleed in the dirt and mud is something
we only do if it's absolutely necessary."
Obama also says Hagel "represents a bipartisan tradition we
need more of in Washington."
Update at 1:18 p.m. ET. Hagel Is The Leader "Our
Troops Deserve":
Recapping Hagel's service as an enlisted soldier in the Army
during the Vietnam War, the president calls him a Pentagon leader
"our troops deserve." As we noted earlier, Hagel would be the first
enlisted man to serve as secretary of Defense.
Update at 1:14 p.m. ET. It's Begun:
The president, Hagel and Brennan are at the podium.
Our original post continues:
Hagel, 66, would replace Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who
wishes to retire. He served two terms in the Senate before retiring
in 2009. Hagel would be the first former enlisted man to run the
Pentagon - he served with the U.S. Army in Vietnam, receiving two
Purple Hearts and other honors.
Brennan, 57, would fill the CIA post that opened up in
November when Director David Petraeus resigned because of an
extramarital affair.
Both nominees need to be confirmed by the Senate. They may
face opposition, or at least some tough questions. As we wrote
earlier today:
Hagel has already drawn opposition from some conservatives
because he opposed the Bush administration's decision to go into
war with Iraq and has supported efforts to include Iran in talks on
Afghanistan. He has also drawn criticism for past remarks about the
influence of what he referred to as the "Jewish lobby" and for a
1998 comment about a nominee for an ambassador's post who he said
was "openly, aggressively gay." Hagel has apologized for that
remark.
Brennan could be controversial because his previous work at
the CIA included a stint as deputy executive director during
President George W. Bush's administration at a time when
waterboarding and other harsh interrogation methods were used on
suspected terrorists. His past comments defending some things that
were done (though not waterboarding) have drawn criticism.
