I've read a whole lot about Hagel's position on gays. Haven't read a single thing about his 100% anti-choice -- i.e. his consistent opposition to women having control over their own bodies -- record.

If the gripe now is that he's pro-life, then I guess we've moved on.

as they come.

Watching Democrats defend Republicans with an anti-gay, anti-choice, anti-human rights record like Hagel's is surreal. It would be comical if it wasn't so bizarre.

Obama can fire him if he ignores the laws dictating military abortion policy or causes problems with DADT repeal. It's not a Supreme Court appointment.

as well? The two things share a great deal of common ground, Hagel being anti choice AND anti gay is typical of those who are anti either thing. Typical in fact of the Republican Party of which Hagel is a nearly text book example. Anti gay people and anti choice people are very often the same people, Hagel is one of those people.

The Obama administration is unarguably a pro-choice administration. And the Secretary of Defense has nothing to do with writing or signing abortion rights related legislation. And he/she has nothing to do with choosing Supreme Court nominees. That's all on the President and this President already chose 2 pro-choice nominees and he is unapologetically pro-choice himself.

Hagel is an old school Republican, a combat veteran and a great foil for the neocon hawks. He is a good nominee to see through the kinds of changes we need to see through in terms of cutting back the Pentagon and reigning in the Bush doctrine.

He's being picked for this job precisely because he can be a roadblock to neo-con influences. I think the Hagel pick was among the smarter cabinet appointments Obama has made. I think he's better than most of the somewhat moderate Democratic establishment choices. Not one of the other "front runners" considered for the DoD was a clear opponent of the Iraq war. So in that sense, Hagel is no better or worse than Hillary or Kerry (or Flournoy or Ashton Carter the two others named as possibilities), both of whom also voted for the resolution. After all, it was Panetta that put up a hissy fit when he heard that Pentagon spending would be cut, so I don't think Hagel can be any worse.

I'm hoping this is an indication that Obama is sick of the boondoggery and waste at the Pentagon, and wants someone that can give a clear and independent voice on "wars of choice". I see Hagel being a bigger thorn when it comes to the idiotic procurement decisions (like the F-35 boondoggle). I also think his combat experience can lead to more cautious decision making when it comes to sending troops into harms way. But perhaps, my hopes are unrealistic.

Rewarding those who soaked our country in blood in error seems to me to be a poor choice.
Why anyone who voted for that war is in consideration for any part in future decisions about going to war is beyond me. Such grave misjudgement should carry a price. The fact that instead such misjudgement is rewarded with promotion and glory is indicative of a decaying political culture.

Hagel saying he thinks marriage is for a man and a woman and that it is a religious matter is not being OK with marriage. He says 'marriage is for a man and a woman'.
This sort of strained reasoning is the same style that allows Hagel's YES vote on the Iraq Invasion and years of subsequent support for that war to be framed as being opposed to the war. He voted for it, but he was opposed to it!
He says marriage is for a man and a woman , but that means he is OK with gay marriage.

It is really sad to see the depths of rhetorical frenzy folks will attempt to defend an anti choice Republican homophobe who voted Yes on the Iraq War Resolution.

The States don't matter a bit, as the OP knows, as long as the Federal government continues to discriminate using law Hagel voted for. Yes, he voted for DOMA which means that he is opposed to actual equality. He voted against marriage equality when it mattered, just as he voted for the Iraq War in the one moment he could have said not to that horrifically stupid war. Hagel, Yes on DOMA, Yes on Iraq, No on Choice.

Yesterday the Pro Hagel crowd was pushing the lie that Hagel had left the Repubican Party years ago, years....this OP is at that level of dishonesty.

Break it down: he says he is personally opposed and says marriage is for a man and a woman only. Every vote he was asked to cast for equality he voted against equality. Best example is that he voted for DOMA.
So he is personally opposed and used every power at his disposal to prevent any progress toward equality of any kind, not just in marriage, in all things.
He has never once cast a vote that favors equal rights for all. He voted against equality every chance he got, just like the Republican he is. Anti gay, anti choice, anti this, anti that. Republicans are like that. When not voting to illegally invade some random nation they like to be 'against' various aspects of humanity in this nation.

He makes a very clear distinction between his own religious beliefs and the law. He states he doesn't care if gays marry. It's not full-throated support for national marriage equality (he was where Obama was at that time), but it's pretty enlightened and non-homophobic for a crusty old Catholic Republican from Nebraska 6 years ago. Edit to add: He wasn't in the Senate when DOMA was enacted. He didn't start in the Senate until 1997.

The Federal law that dictates policy on marriage makes the 'States rights' argument deeply specious and of course highly selective. What he says it not enlightened, it is a typical Republican line, which is what Obama used as well and I pointed out then that he was opposed to equality and saying so.
What I'd ask you and Chuck is this: list for me other human rights you'd be willing to leave up to the various States. Voting rights? Schools should only be integrated if the States agree? Why is it that you and Chuck see our rights as being on some special list?
Hagel sounds very homophobic to me in that creepy and inaccurate statement.
Your headline is just false. He said he is personally opposed to equality and that the States should decide which would mean no marriage equality at all, ever. What he advocates is not equality. It is bigoted, homophobic and delusional.
The fact that you want to call opposing equality being 'ok with marriage equality' is hilarious, but fitting to the Hagel routine. He favored the Iraq invasion, yet you say he was opposed to that war. Voting YES means he meant no. Saying he is against marriage equality is saying he is ok with it...

Hagel is a Republican, they are mostly anti choice, as Hagel is and also anti gay, it should not surprise you that a Republican is a Republican.

opposition to him at the DoD is because he will hinder the full implementation of DADT repeal and other Obama- or Congress-directed policies, because he is supposedly just incorrigibly anti-gay, this interview says otherwise--he's more flexible and open-minded on the issue (since 2007, anyway) than most Repubs, and he separates religion and personal beliefs from law--and this is why Obama is confident that he's progressed and won't be a hindrance in personnel issues.