Former Senator, Chuck Hagel, underwent his confirmation hearing last week and it was, quite clearly, the worst performance of a nominee to any post I have ever seen.

It was abysmal.

Many, trying to be nice, say he was unprepared.

Those being honest say he is simply either not qualified or is, in fact, incompetent.

And then there is the socialist brain-trust.

NPR ran an article, “Hagel’s Hearing: 7 Things We Learned” and in it, they whine about the hearing being nothing but political and weep tears of disgust over how those mean, nasty and oh-so-partisan Republicans were bullying poor Chuck Hagel.

Perhaps NPR has, inadvertently, made a sound point.

It was political.

After watching and listening to Hagel during last week’s confirmation hearing, one thing jumped out at me and I’m sure, many of you as well.

What ARE his qualifications to become the Secretary of Defense???

According to Hagel himself…

“I volunteered for the draft and then volunteered to go to Vietnam after I received orders to go to Germany.”

Hagel Continued..

“I served a twelve month tour which included the Tet Offensive in 1968. I rose to the rank of infantry Sergeant. For ten of those months, I served alongside my younger brother Tom. I understand what it is like to be a soldier in war. I also understand what happens when there is poor morale and discipline among the troops and a lack of clear objectives, intelligence, and command and control from Washington. I believe that experience will help me as Secretary of Defense to ensure we maintain the best fighting force in the world, protect our men and women in uniform, and ensure that we are cautious and certain when contemplating the use of force.”

That is exactly what Hagel claims are HIS qualifications for the job so, let’s examine it bit by bit.

“I volunteered for the draft and then volunteered to go to Vietnam after I received orders to go to Germany.”

Really? He volunteered for the draft and volunteered again to go to Nam?

So did a whole HOST of others and his volunteer status does not set him apart from the crowd.

“I served a twelve month tour which included the Tet Offensive in 1968.”

12 months. 1 whole year. How many others served more? MUCH more than that in Nam or any other theater? To brag about a whole year in-country while others were wounded or killed 3…4…5…10 years into their stints is absolutely self-centered, arrogant and a slap in the face to those who served far, FAR longer.

“I rose to the rank of infantry Sergeant.”

Congratulations. In 12 months you became an Infantry Sergeant.  Was that due to genius level strategic and tactical thinking that will have you written into the annuls of history for teaching those who never ascended to your lofty rank to keep their guns out of the mud or, was it by attrition because those ahead of you were getting shot?

“I served alongside my younger brother Tom.”

Which one did mom like best because that would seem to be as important as volunteering, serving 12 months OR serving with brother Tom.

“I understand what it is like to be a soldier in war.”

So do millions and millions of others and, while the vast majority of them failed to serve with your brother, Tom, a fair number of them served longer and with more distinguished careers than did you. What else have you got?

“I also understand what happens when there is poor morale and discipline among the troops and a lack of clear objectives, intelligence, and command and control from Washington.”

Understanding poor moral and poor discipline is one thing but, Sergeant, did YOU do anything to RAISE moral or discipline amongst the troops with whom you served? Apparently not or one would think he would have highlighted such points.

Also, one of the true downfalls of our military actions over the decades has been, I believe, TOO MUCH “command and control” from Washington. It matters not which party occupies the white house, as we experienced in Vietnam and elsewhere, when politics controls the military things don’t end well.

If one wishes clear objectives, intelligence and top flight command and control over military actions, those things are much better left to military commanders than politicians.

“I believe that experience will help me as Secretary of Defense to ensure we maintain the best fighting force in the world, protect our men and women in uniform, and ensure that we are cautious and certain when contemplating the use of force.”

Hagel then went through hours of questioning where he tried to walk back years of obtuse statements. He attempted to explain how his previous stance of being soft on Iran was not really what he meant. He tried to dance around how his prior statements of being tougher on Israel than on Iran was…Not…What he really meant.

Hagel hemmed and hawed, stuttered and sputtered, tried to sound knowledgeable about things of which he had no knowledge and at one point, had to backtrack after being handed a note explaining to him he was completely wrong about Obama’s position on containment referring to something he had said earlier in the hearing.

Not only was he wrong earlier but, his clarification was so muddled that it was incomprehensible.

Yes, the clip is highly edited but, for those who watched the entire hearing, putting those sputtering soundbites into more context only makes it worse for Hagel.

At times, Chuck Hagel flatly refused to answer questions and at others, his answers were in need of a decoder ring from a box of Captain Crunch who, by the way, out ranks Chuck Hagel.

So…Back to the claim from NPR and other socialists that the Hagel hearing was political.

It was…But ONLY because the nomination itself was political and THAT is something conviently scrubbed from the commentary of Pravda.

Why WOULD Obama nominate Chuck Hagel?

NOT because Hagel is a brilliant military strategist…He is not and never was. NOT because Hagel is a military tactician…He wasn’t and isn’t.

Not because Hagel was a career military man.

And CLEARLY not because Chuck Hagel can think on his feet, defend controversial decisions or has the ability to articulate his positions.

Hagel’s nomination was purely political. In Hagel, Obama has someone who will be his willing puppet at the Pentagon. A yes man. Sergeants TAKE orders…They don’t GIVE orders and that is exactly what any good Dictator needs.

Hagel spent 12 months in the armed forces and 12 YEARS in the senate as a liberal masquerading as a republican. He did the bidding of the left.

Think about it.

The Dictator has been FIRING military commanders, Generals and Admirals, faster than Sergeant Hagel could have ever fired his weapon.

General Ham.

General Mattis.

Rear Admiral Gaouette.

THOSE are MILITARY leaders. THOSE are CAREER Military men. THOSE are people who would GIVE orders and QUESTION the validity of political command and control over troops, strategies, tactics and for good reason. NOT to be politically partisan but, to arrive at the best possible conclusion to ensure the winning outcome of any action undertaken.

Such military minds need not apply under the regime of the Dictator.

The job of Secretary of Defense is, to say the least, complex and not for the simple or addle-minded.

The Secretary of Defense makes the ultimate decisions for our men and women in the Navy, Air force, Coast Guard, Marines and the United States Army.

After last week’s confirmation hearing…

Chuck Hagel isn’t qualified to manage a SALVATION ARMY thrift store.

Craig Andresen

The National Patriot, Weekend Edition 2/3/13