The meaning of Hagel

By Charles Krauthammer,
Published: January 10

The puzzle of the Chuck Hagel nomination for defense secretary is that you normally choose someone of the other party for your Cabinet to indicate a move to the center, but, as The Post’s editorial board pointed out, Hagel’s foreign policy views are to the left of Barack Obama’s, let alone the GOP’s. Indeed, they are at the fringe of the entire Senate.

So what’s going on? Message-sending. Obama won reelection. He no longer has to trim, to appear more moderate than his true instincts. He has the “flexibility” to be authentically Obama. Continue reading Krauthammer: The Meaning of Hagel →

From CNN.Com

Abandon Afghanistan? A dumb idea

By Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst
updated 11:14 AM EST, Thu January 10, 2013

Editor’s note: Peter Bergen is CNN’s national security analyst and the author of “Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden, from 9/11 to Abbottabad.” Continue reading Bergen: Abandoning Afghanistan a Bad Idea →