TPM LiveWire

Obama Announces Fmr. Sen. Chuck Hagel As Co-Chair Of Intelligence Advisory Board

Jillian Rayfield | October 28, 2009, 12:38PM

Spread the word. Share this article on Facebook!

Pres. Barack Obama and Fmr. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE)

Barack Obama, Chuck Hagel, David Boren

Send to a friend!

President Obama announced today that former Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) will co-chair the President's Intelligence Advisory Board.

In a meeting with senior leadership of the intelligence community, the President said that Hagel will serve as co-chairman of the board with former Senator David Boren (D-OK).

Obama said of the appointments:

I'm very pleased that these two distinguished Americans have agreed to serve as co-chairmen of my Intelligence Advisory Board. They have been leading voices on intelligence and security issues, and they represent the bipartisan consensus for a strong and smart national security policy.

Hagel said in his remarks: "I appreciate the privilege and opportunity that President Obama has given me to co-chair the President's Intelligence Advisory Board. I look forward to working on behalf of our country to help build a more secure America."

Join the Conversation!

9 comments

Recommend Recommend (1)

jweb271

October 28, 2009 1:09 PM

This is good news. Hagel is a smart man, and guided by conscience.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

coonsey

October 28, 2009 1:17 PM

I AGREE 100%. I TRUST HIS JUDGMENT.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

condour

October 28, 2009 1:19 PM

Any chance Obama can get him to vote cloture for healthcare?

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

terje

October 28, 2009 2:26 PM in reply to condour

He's a former Senator, replaced last election with former Bush Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns. So he doesn't have a vote on cloture...

Hagel is a good choice for a position like this -- while he was conservative on domestic issues, he was quite independent and took intelligent well thought out positions on foreign and intelligence issues.

Another example of the kind of Republican appointment that Obama keeps making to bring sane moderate /conservatives into the administration (and removed from the craziness of the GOP) -- folks like Hagel, McHugh, Huntsmann, LaHood, plus holding onto folks like Gates, Bernanke, Sheila Blair at FDIC, etc.

While I and many of us would prefer a more thoroughly progressive administration and set of appointments, in terms of realpolitik these are smart appointments that could help isolate the right wingers who have taken over the Republican Party even more.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

diachronic

October 29, 2009 9:06 AM in reply to terje

great comment. The only positive fruit of Obama's 'bipartisanship' is in taking the few competent and rational Republicans on board. They're wasted outside the Administration anyway, since competence and rationality are not on the GOP's list of Public Virtues.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

Walter Mitty

October 28, 2009 2:07 PM

Hagel would never vote for cloture on health reform because he wouldn't agree with it. Hagel is a social conservative, keep him on the FP side of things and he's a huge asset. I wonder if this group is a test run for a future administration posting either Secretary of defense to replace Gates (eventually) or lined up to replace Leo Panetta running the CIA (eventually).

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?