WASHINGTON (OfficialWire) — Republican opposition to Chuck Hagel as the next defense secretary swelled from inside and outside the Senate Thursday as a former Senate colleague launched a campaign to block his nomination.
Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator who served for a decade with Hagel, said his grassroots organization, Patriot Voices, will lead a nationwide campaign to stop Hagel from succeeding Leon Panetta as head of the Pentagon.
“While I respect Sen. Hagel’s service to America, I cannot stand by and support his nomination,” Santorum said in a statement. “His anti-Israel, pro-Iran mindset makes him uniquely unqualified to serve as our Defense secretary.”
Hagel, nominated Monday by President Barack Obama, has faced criticism that he is soft on Iran and weak in his support for Israel. Pushing back in private meetings with defense officials, he has told them this week that he backs strong international sanctions against Iran and believes all options, including military action, should be on the table.
Read More at OfficialWire . By Donna Cassata.
Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore (Creative Commons)
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