Contrary to the Walt-and-Mearsheimer fantasy that there’s some all-powerful “Israeli lobby” pulling puppet strings behind the scenes, Senator Chuck Schumer always had much more of a political incentive to support the administration’s nominee. The only surprise here is how early Schumer caved on Hagel–why not wait until the confirmation hearings started? It sounds like the administration must have made him a pretty persuasive offer:
After a 90-minute meeting in the West Wing of the White House on Monday, Mr. Schumer appeared to be mollified on a number of concerns he has with some votes Mr. Hagel made while serving in the Senate and myriad comments he has subsequently made regarding the nuclear threat of Iran and other matters.
“Based on several key assurances provided by Senator Hagel,” Mr. Schumer said in a prepared statement, “I am currently prepared to vote for his confirmation. I encourage my Senate colleagues who have shared my previous concerns to also support him.” Mr. Schumer is likely to have influence over many of his Senate colleagues, particularly Democrats, who have been fretting over the nomination. He called Mr. Hagel Tuesday morning to let him know he was prepared to support him.
Can’t beat the timing, either. The Emergency Committee for Israel put out a full-page ad in the New York Times this morning, asking readers to call Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s offices to voice their concerns about Hagel. I’m sure the White House wanted to lock down Schumer before there was any real backlash from his constituents. It would have been too much of a gamble otherwise.
Now what happens? The best prediction is that Gillibrand and other “pro-Israel” Democrats follow Schumer, which means a filibuster and unified GOP opposition is the only path left for blocking Hagel. Whether that’s effective largely depends on how much political capital the Republicans want to spend opposing him. With the debt ceiling, immigration, and gun control debates heating up, it’s hard to say.
This fight hasn’t been a total loss so far. The one victory here for the pro-Israel community–if you can call it that–is that Hagel was forced to renounce all of his lunatic policy positions–the same positions that attracted his most fervent supporters in the first place. In a mea culpa letter this morning, he endorsed sanctions against Iran, condemned Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, apologized for his “Jewish lobby” comment, and acknowledged that it came off as anti-Israel. In other words, he renounced almost everything that attracted the anti-Israel lobby that’s been defending his nomination for the past month.
Does he really believe any of it? Probably not. But at least it’s an acknowledgement, by the administration and by Hagel himself, that the “old Chuck Hagel” positions were far outside the mainstream and unacceptable in a defense secretary.
"This fight hasn’t been a total loss so far. The one victory here for the pro-Israel community–if you can call it that–is that Hagel was forced to renounce all of his lunatic policy positions…" n nNothing good has been accomplished. Chuck Hagel will simply lie. He is not going to change his positions. Obama and Hegel are much more dangerous when indulging in deceit.
Who was it that said hypocrisy is the tribute that vice pays to virtue?
I told you Schumer was a whore
Let's not insult working women, Charleston. Tony Snow before his passing said that he felt he needed a shower after dealing with Schumer. It doesn't get lower than Chuckele.
dear David n nas usual I go off half cocked……. n nin this case I apparently stopped reading your reply after my name. n n n n………..
I agree absolutely! Why insult whores? Schumer is best defined as part of Barack Obama's Judenrat.
Now you got it.
What a disgraceful comment. You ought to go back to the Eric Cantor-David Horowitz-Pamela Geller hole you come from.
Which comment is disgraceful and why? Do you support anti-Semites in positions of great power?
No Ms Goodman the Senator deceided to put HIS country beforer nany other considerations.
Yeah right. The only thing Schumer puts first is Schumer.
Chuck Hagel was careful not to put anything on his twitter account mentioning his endorsement of Hagel. Chuck Schumer goes on twitter to announce the winner of a cupcake contest in Saratoga but he is too ashamed of himself to state that he has endorsed a guy who rants about "The Jewish lobby".
Well that's fine then. The next time and until the end of time when the US wants to lean on Israel for just about anything, point to this watershed event. Tell Obama to climb on his soapbox and scream it at the Arabs.
Will we ever know if one or both Chucks were wearing a wire during that 90 minutes? n nbtw, the GOP should be screaming about JOBS, which I hazily recall was what Obama has been saying, for four+ years, is his every day #1 priority. n nIf Hagel is confimed, I assume he will have to visit Texas. So many bases. nGov. Perry, Defender of Jerusalem, can spend some quality time with Hagel. nIf nothing else, Hagel will get quite an education on all the reasons why Texas is Israel's fourth biggest trade partner, and not one of those reasons has anything to do with AIPAC. When Perry spoke at the 2012 AIPAC conference, it was fascinating how few knew his 20 year record of doing serious business because of Israel's technologies.
No question about it: Chuck Schumer is one of the most shrewd political operators that money can buy. He's as phony as his cheap, flea-bitten hair transplant.
First Koch – "“Frankly, I thought that there would come a time when [Obama] would renege on what he conveyed on his support of Israel”, now Schumer -“I am currently prepared to vote for his (hegel's) confirmation. I encourage my Senate colleagues who have shared my previous concerns to also support him.” n nWith Jewish "leaders" like these, who needs enemies?
Will Schumer sell the Israeli Jews & the Jews? nPr. O has the answer.
Of course he will, actually he already has.
Hmmm…. The largely non-Jewish GOP is at least seriously threatening a filibuster on this, and the Jewish Dems are voting to approve the schmuck. Irony, no?
you're a bunch of sad little fools who worked yourselves up into semi-hysteria and are now so panicky that Jews who don't agree with your induced idiocy are now to be shunned. n nhave an enema and a nice nap and maybe you'll be fit to re-join the xommunity
Many of these comments are ad hominem attacks on Sen. Schumer who has repeatedly been reelected in NY by huge majorities. I have voted for and contributed to him. I urged him to oppose Hagel-I think his decision is wrong. But I am struck by the usual venom and hate by you conservative Republicans and especially Jewish ones, express toward him. It is what we have come to expect from what nowadays passes as conservatism but is in actuality contemporary fascism. Schumer is a publicity-seeker and an egotist-I readily admit that-so are most politicians in both parties. But to claim he is anti-Israel is ridiculous, defamatory and ignores a 30-yr record in Congress. This is why COMMENTARY is shunned by the vast majority of American Jews.