United Liberty
Chuck Hagel is a Good Choice for Secretary of Defense
Thu, 10/30/2008 - 6:43am | posted by Austin Wilkes
Barring a miracle of epic proportions, less than one week from now the nation will choose Sen. Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. But who will this young Senator choose to serve in his cabinet? His choice for Secretaries of State, Defense and Treasury are key decisions that will shape the “Obama Doctrine” and determine whether he governs as a principled leftist, pragmatic leftist, or centrist. While not a perfect candidate, of the names floated thus far, I believe Republican Senator, Chuck Hagel would make the best Secretary of Defense in an Obama Administration.
Hagel is not a libertarian as myself. Nor is he a conservative of any flavor on issues of war, peace, and foreign policy. But Hagel is a independent thinking pragmatist willing to stand up to his party on issues he believes are important, including the war in Iraq. His internationalism is a bit too strong for my taste, but then again, I rather be giving a bit of aid to fight global poverty than spending significantly more fighting unjust wars in order to maintain a global empire.
Chuck seems to understand now (he regrets his Iraq war “yes” vote) that the situation our politicians created in Iraq is one of injustice against both the lower levels of American forces and the Iraqi people. He has changed his mind on the Vietnam War, which he served in, from “A noble war gone bad” to “a war we should have never entered”. Senator Hagel, I believe, will refocus the military to concentrate more on actual defense (as opposed to offense) and the ramifications of such are countless.
While any choice President Obama makes for Secretary of Defense will certainly be better than Donald Rumsfeld, the qualifications Senator Chuck Hagel brings to the table should be enough to set him above the rest of the contenders. Obama speaks of “unity” and “change”, so wouldn’t bringing in a heartland Republican into his upper ranks be the ultimate sign of bipartisanship and political goodwill? I understand the problems created by such a decision, but problems such as his fairly conservative domestic record can and should be overlooked when dealing with a specific cabinet position. As Secretary of Defense he would oversee military operations and policy, not abortion policy — and it would be a poor decision by Democrats to not look beyond some issues that he will have little effect on.
Another reason Chuck Hagel would make a excellent choice for Secretary of Defense (or even State) is his willingness to stand up to leadership when dealing with critical issues of war and peace. He was unwilling to follow the Bush path of imperialism even when it was convienent. In 2005, when the Republican neoconservative mantra still ruled the nest he said in reference to the so called PATRIOT ACT-
“I took an oath of office to the Constitution, I didn’t take an oath of office to my party or my president.”
and the Iraq War-
“To question your government is not unpatriotic — to not question your government is unpatriotic.”
Those are words that ring wonderfully to my anti-authoritarianist ears. And what makes those words all the more special is that they were not popular at the time. He stood up against a Republican President, and I think he will stand up against a Democratic President if he felt in his heart that a policy decision was wrong. Senator Chuck Hagel may very well have become the Republican Nominee this election had he sacrificed his principles and at least marginally suported continued Iraqi occupation. Hopefully he will be rewarded for this principled stance with a Cabinet position in the upcoming Obama Administration. Then maybe we will not, as he says, continue a foreign policy that constitutes a “ping pong game with American lives”.
Hagel sounds like a good choice based on his experience and the fact that he is on his way out right now. Colin Powell would be a good pick for Secretary of Defense or Secretary of State, though picking him for the latter (or at all) may put a sour taste of deja vu in the mouths of Democrats. Jim Webb would be a great assett in any sort of national security role, though he may not be interested in leaving his freshly attained Senate seat. Reaching to disaffected diplomats, advisers and bureaucrats like Richard Clarke would also be a wise move for Obama. Clarke would probably rather be advising a president (albeit one that he likes or feels he can work with) as opposed to writing spy novels.
“Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.” - Thomas Jefferson
The idea of Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense sounds interesting, and may have some merit, given Hagel’s admirable qualities of independent thinking. One caveat, though, is that he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, membership in which has dominated State and Defense Department appointments. The CFR has a decidedly internationalist bent, and while Hagel may not necessarily share all the goals of the most elite members of that group, his thinking is likely to be largely in line with their world view. Thus I wouldn’t expect much of a change in policy. Even so, Hagel is enough of a realist that he might be able to influence policy somewhat in the right direction (or less in the wrong direction).
As for Colin Powell, all of the same could be said, but his role in starting the current phase of the Iraq war (if we consider that it really continued from the first Gulf War of 1991) should not be forgotten. If Powell had been as much of statesman as he is made to appear to be today, he would have resigned in 2003 rather than make the case for something that was a lie.
I agree, Kennedy. Putting Powell in would be good as an act of stepping across the aisle, but it would also be a bit disconcerting for people that want to move past the Bush years.
“Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.” - Thomas Jefferson
I’m all for Hagel as Defense Chief. He’s serious minded and knows how the troops feel, because he’s been there!
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