Hagel expected to be nominated defense secretary

President Barack Obama plans to nominate former Republican senator Chuck Hagel to be his defense secretary on Monday, January 7. Key members of Congress, according to the Washington Post, were being notified Sunday afternoon about the decision. The 66-year-old Republican, however faces a tough confirmation battle as his partymates have accused him of hostility toward Israel and naivete on Iran. A decorated war veteran, Hagel is known to be fiercely independent and a man who speaks bluntly. He had criticized former president George W. Bush’s handling of the Iraq war. The Senate is dominated by Democrats and if Republicans resort to filibustering to prevent a nomination from being voted on, Obama will need only a handful among them to ensure Hagel’s confirmation.


Read the full story on the Washington Post.
A related story is also on Rappler.