Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley plans to wait until after the confirmation hearing to say whether he'll support fellow Republican and former Senator Chuck Hagel, President Obama's nominee for Secretary of Defense
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley plans to wait until after the confirmation hearing to say whether he'll support fellow Republican and former Senator Chuck Hagel, President Obama's nominee for Secretary of Defense. Hagel is a Nebraska native, a decorated Vietnam War veteran and served a dozen years in the U-S Senate.
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley "fairly close"
Hagel has made some controversial statements on a range of subjects, including the troop surge in Iraq, gays in the military and the U-S support of Israel. Grassley says he wants to hear Hagel's explanation of "important questions" before announcing how he'll vote.
President Obama's pick for Defense Secretary, former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel, faces an uphill fight in his confirmation hearing. Hagel has come under fire for comments he's made about U-S policies on Iraq, Israel and gays in the military. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, also a Republican, wants to hear Hagel's side.
Grassley "think about him"
Hagel was awarded two Purple Hearts for his service in Vietnam. He also served 12 years in the U-S Senate and now teaches at Georgetown University in Washington. If confirmed, Hagel would become the first Vietnam veteran and the first enlisted soldier to serve as the head of the Pentagon.
During the upcoming hearings to become head of the Pentagon, former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel will face lots of questions about his comments about a range of issues. Even former Republican colleagues, like Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, say Hagel's confirmation hearings may quickly become heated.
Grassley "in 1989"
Tower was nominated by President George H-W Bush and was rejected by the Senate 53-47 based mostly on concerns about his personal life, reports of alcohol abuse and womanizing. Tower's rejection marked the first time the Senate had tossed a cabinet nominee of a newly-elected president.
(courtesy of Nebraska Radio Network)
