Jennifer Rubin's shrillness only adds to the prima facie assessment that being rabidly opposed to President Obama is reason enough to be rabidly opposed to Chuck Hagel.
I quote: "On the Democratic side there is no reason at all other than pressure from the White House to support Hagel."
Catch that? No reason at all--even if the Republican Hagel might ease passage of certain military cuts, which quite a few congressional Democrats also support; even if war-veteran Hagel might further mute the insane talk of war with Iran, which most rank-and-file Democrats oppose; and even if anti-neocon Hagel might daily remind Americans just how wrong the neoconservatives have been--about pretty much everything--which is a reality that more and more Americans are waking up to.
And, right on propagandistic cue, Rubin perpetuates the sickening, Bill Kristol-led assault: "Hagel’s record is replete with anti-Israel votes and language antagonistic toward Jews."
Sullivan cleanly, almost effortlessly demolishes this prevailing neocon jewel of crackpotism:
Hagel is not anti-Israel. Kristol [and, as Chait notes, "the fine family of Kristol-affiliated agitprop outlets"] is anti-Israel, having fanatically supported this Israeli government's suicidal behavior, and the toxic, illegal social engineering on the West Bank that will render Israel either a non-democracy or a non-Jewish state.
Which, if Ms. Rubin were ever to apply some objective thought to any given political situation, just might be at least one good reason to support Hagel.