...I know the corporate media was salivating for Hagel to get out of the chair and start pulling Gramps hair...he wasn't going to play McCain's monkey and didn't. Gramps has turned into a real vindictive bastard who seems to feel that he was jobbed out of the White House and is punishing the rest of us for it. The guy's become insufferable, along with his little buddy Lindsay...they're leading some sort of vendetta to prove Gramps was right and the rest of the world (including the American electorate) are wrong.

The pettiness and stupidity on display by the rushpublicans are backfiring. Hectoring Hagel came off petty and I credit Senator Hagel with playing it cool. Had he dared to play Gramps game the hearings would have turned into a referendum on the Iraq war not on his qualifications to oversee the downscaling of the military (and Gramps isn't happy about that, either).

Of course the right wing media is gonna say how weak Hagel look...they don't like him or any President Obama nominee anywho.

Hagel was asked not to be himself. And he tried because it was the right thing to do in order not to light any more fires. He is not very good at being contrite and not saying what he actually thinks, hence the stumbling and the not exactly impressive performance (though, of course, performance skills should NOT matter). Also IMHO he took one for Obama, to help him get the national security team he really wants. He allowed himslef to be ridiculed because it was (I hope...) the safer bet. I am sure he will remember yesterday for as long as he lives (and hopefully he will get the chance for some payback some day).

Obama supporters blame Kerry for Hagel's "rough" performance like Obama's 1st debate performance with Romney. Sheesh.

Hope he, Kerry, and Obama can all get payback.