from Jon Stoltz of VoteVets:

What a way to kick off 2013! Today, after over 13,000 of you (including over 8000 Veterans and Military Families) signed a petition in support of Chuck Hagel, President Obama will announce him as the nominee to be Secretary of Defense.

Be sure to tune into the announcement at 1pm EST today.

This is a huge victory for us – but the fight is not over yet. Neocons will be doing their absolute worst to try to derail the nomination. The reason is simple – they're wrong on defense, and Chuck Hagel is not only right, but is willing to call them out.

Here's why Chuck Hagel will make a tremendous Secretary of Defense.

First, and foremost, as an enlisted soldier, who fought in Vietnam and was awarded the Purple Heart twice, Chuck Hagel's heart is still with the fighting men and women in uniform. When it comes to military action, Chuck Hagel will ask two questions: Is this good for American security, and is this good for our troops? That is something that is desperately needed.

Second, when it comes to American security, Chuck Hagel bravely broke with his party and his party's President, to stand up against the war in Iraq, which will go down in history as one of our most misguided military ventures. Chuck Hagel has no fear when it comes to standing up to neoconservatives, and their preemptive war, nation building dreams. 

Third, and equally as important, Chuck Hagel is a vociferous advocate for cutting Pentagon waste - from outdated weapons to our over-bloated nuclear arsenal, both of which eat up billions and billions of dollars. In these tough economic times, Chuck Hagel will have no problem identifying waste at the Department of Defense, and cutting it.
So, this is a great moment for you, for the nation, and for VoteVets.org. If you have a moment, take to Twitter, and voice your support for Chuck Hagel! Thanks for your support!

Sincerely,
Jon Soltz
Iraq War Veteran
Chairman, VoteVets.org
@jonsoltz