Why Obama picked Hagel - By Bob Woodward

[Bluenorthwest]

1. Only in DC is this sort of thinking possible:

It amounts, in part, to a challenge to the wars of President George W. Bush (although Hagel voted for the wars of Bush). It holds that the Afghanistan war has been mismanaged (Hagel sent us there) and the Iraq war unnecessary (and the next Sec of Defense voting FOR unnecessary war somehow means he's against it) . War is an option, but very much a last resort (or the thing to do when GW Bush tells you they got WMD over there).
Hagel voted for the Iraq Invasion. He had a chance as a Senator to challenge it, but instead he backed it, voted for it, funded it and how that makes him a challenge to the things he supported in the Senate is a tad confounding and in need of detailed explanation. He voted for it, but he really knew it was unnecessary and so his support of the war was a challenge to the war because he knew by fighting it he'd be proved right that it was pointless? He's anti Iraq War because he voted for it? In spite of voting for it?