"Confirmation Conversion"

Paul Mirengoff at PowerLine writes that Senator Schumer

of New York has decided to support Obama's nomination of Chuck Hagel for Defense Secretary. The two Chucks had a little meeting, you see, in which Hagel did a complete about-face on Israel.

Hagel’s statements plainly represent a confirmation conversion. He fancies himself as the one politician in Washington willing to utter “the truth” about Israel in the face of the all-powerful pro-Israel lobby. But when push came to shove, Hagel did an about-face, saying whatever was necessary to satisfy his personal ambition.

Schumer is too smart to deny Hagel’s about-face. So he tried to dress it up as a response to changed conditions in the Middle East:

Senator Hagel realizes the situation in the Middle East has changed, with Israel in a dramatically more endangered position than it was even five years ago. His views are genuine, and reflect this new reality.

This is nonsense. The threat to Israel is essentially the same as it was five years ago — the threat posed by Iran’s quest to develop nuclear weapons. To be sure, Iran is closer now to developing nukes than it was five years ago. But everyone knew five years ago that Iran would be closer now. It’s as if a politician were to claim he’s changed his position on the need to buy snow ploughs because winter has arrived.

Read more here: http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2013/01/chuck-schumer-hamlet-no-more.php