Chuck Hagel

A decade or so ago, it seems that Chuck Hagel — whose name currently is under serious consideration for Secretary of Defense — said something unenlightened about gays in the military.  Big deal.  For Christ's sake, he's a Republican.  What did you expect?

More important, Chuck Hagel is not in the pocket of the Israel lobby.

If Our President goes ahead with his nomination, I'll feel a lot more comfortable about the upcoming second term.  More impressively, he could come out of right field and nominate Susan Rice, despite her "withdrawal" from the fray, as Secretary of State.

In the meanwhile, Obama says he will not "negotiate" the debt limit.  Will he let the Republicans in the House spitefully destroy the American economy?  And, will they actually go ahead and do it?  Who knows?

I think Hagel is okay.  I like his reluctance over Iraq, and his foot dragging over taking military action against Iran.  I also like the ideas of Barney Frank taking John Kerry's Senate seat for the interim, and Boehner struggling to keep the Speakership.

Of course, nobody knows what the hell Obama will do.  Now in his second term, people say, he might be different.  Then again, he might not.