“In sum, when and if Hagel gets through he will be a marginal figure, not likely to be given sensitive tasks and unable to carry weight with lawmakers. For Hagel critics and those privately fretting that he is in well over his head, there is consolation in knowing he’ll be a non-player. The choice of deputy secretary of defense then will take on new importance. Who is really going to run the Pentagon?” Italics in original.
Jennifer Rubin, Right Turn, WaPo
A “marginal figure,” “a non-player,” when Obama thinks so highly of him? You don’t go through all this just to ignore the guy.
Embattled Farmers 