Heck of A Job, Chauncey

In response to What the hell, Chuck Hagel?:

“But what happened today was shocking because it showed an astonishing lack of competence. He was wobbly, he was weak, bumbling.”

That was Charles Krauthammer on Fox News, January 31, reacting to Hagel’s performance at his confirmation hearing. But really, those words could be applied after just about any Hagel appearance, couldn’t they?

Remember, “Chauncey” Hagel was supposedly a bipartisan pick for Secretary of Defense, even though his foreign policy views are to the left of Obama’s, he’s a REPUBLICAN, therefore  a deft choice according to Politico:

…inside the White House, the choice makes sense. It appeals to Obama’s bipartisan spirit — and the optics aren’t bad, either — to have any Republican as Defense secretary when Obama is seeking to end the war in Afghanistan and dramatically reduce the Pentagon’s budget.

Actually, the optics at the University of Nebraska the other day were pretty bad. Maybe the White House should hire a trombone player to accompany Hagel at every speaking engagement so when he makes the inevitable gaffe, the trombonist could make manifest what we’re already hearing in our heads. That way, instead of issuing apologies, the White house can say, hey – we’ve already dealt with it.

That might be a good idea for Biden, too, come to think of it.