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Both conservatives and progressives are giving Sen. Chuck Hagel the stink eye, but President Obama is defending the presumed Secretary of Defense nominee, saying his apology for anti-gay remarks should be taken at face value.
Since his name was first floated Hagel has been criticized for an interview he gave in 1998, in which he claimed James Hormel shouldn’t be appointed ambassador to Luxembourg because he was “aggressively gay.”
Hagel, who also vociferously opposed the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, apologized last week, saying his comments didn’t “reflect my views or the totality of my public record,
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On Meet the Press yesterday, the President called Hagel a “patriot” and said he’s eminently qualified to run the Department of Defense, though he didn’t go so far as to announce his nomination. Obama also said he accepted Hagel’s apology.
“I think it’s a testimony to what has been a positive change over the last decade in terms of people’s attitudes about gays and lesbians serving our country. And that’s something that I’m very proud to have led,” the President told host David Gregory. “And I think that anybody who serves in my administration understands my attitude and position on those issues.”
Kieran
I guess this means that anti-War Senator Chuck Hagel hasn’t said anything that could be construed as negative against gay people since 1998. If he had said something we can be assured the pro-War newsmedia would certainly have brought it up. In homophobic puritanical America that says a lot about how Senator Hagel has evolved.
jamesnimmo
Obama has himself slinked through some of his own broken promises as regards the social security safety and medicare safety nets we American citizens are supposed to have paid for with our earning from gainful employment. Those benefits are now on the GOP auction block.
Obama was the lessor of the two evils we were presented on the national ballot, but I’m pressed to describe how much of a lessor evil.
Obama is no flaming liberal and never was. The novelty of a bi-racial man running for national office blinded us to just what was cooking under his skin. Now we know–Obama is a moderate Republican conservative.
So why not accept Hagel’s crocodile tear apology when we’ve just re-elected his enabler?.
Joel J
@jamesnimmo: Since Obama only rents evil, let’s give him a pass. The Republicans own it lock, stock, and barrel.
Charli Girl
im not giving up on Obama!!!
MickeyP.
@Charli Girl: Thank You! Neither am I!
1EqualityUSA
Obama has many people speaking for him and proscribing his motives. They usually end up looking foolish.
jamesnimmo
Agreed. Therefore he is capitalizing on the ambiguity he knowingly creates.