Political Quotes

“Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record an opinion piece by the editorial board for the Washington Post dated December 18, 2012. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: [From the Washington Post, Dec. 18, 2012] Chuck Hagel is Not the Right Choice for Defense Secretary Former Senator Chuck Hagel, whom President Obama is reportedly considering for defense secretary, is a Republican who would offer a veneer of bipartisanship to the national security team. He would not, however, move it toward the center, which is the usual role of such opposite-party nominees. On the contrary: Mr. Hagel's stated positions on critical issues, ranging from defense spending to Iran, fall well to the left of those pursued by Mr. Obama during his first term--and place him near the fringe of the Senate that would be asked to confirm him. The current secretary, Leon Panetta, has said the defense ``sequester'' cuts that Congress mandated to take effect Jan. 1 would have dire consequences for U.S. security. Mr. Hagel took a very different position when asked about Mr. Panetta's comment during a September 2011 interview with the Financial Times. ``The Defense Department, I think in many ways, has been bloated,'' he responded.…”