Former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) “has gone on a charm offensive in the lead-up to his confirmation hearing on Thursday, attempting to beat back a well-funded, aggressive campaign that has sought to depict him as an anti-Israel, homophobic politician eager to gut the Pentagon’s budget,” the Washington Post reports.
“Hagel’s pushback during meetings with more than 50 senators and leaders of special interest groups this month appears to have been effective, said an official helping him prepare for the hearing.”
Nonetheless, NPR
says it’s “shaping up to be one of the more contentious nomination
hearings or one of President Obama’s cabinet choices.”