vietnam. to colin powell and the gulf war and the generals who commanded the iraq from 2003 on. the general argues the military is change over its years in the way it rewards good generalship and punishes bad. toms is a provocative argument and one that we will examine in detail and nice conversation. joining tom in this conversation is susan glasser one of the nations top national security journalist. susan is the editor-in-chief of foreign-policy magazine has done tremendous work in billing foreign-policy.com into a key locus of the nationals carry discussion. prior to joining foreign-policy susan was reported to "the washington post" and the capitol hill newspaper roll call and brings great experience and expertise to the conversation tonight. runtime and susan were poised for an intriguing conversation about leadership generalship command and relief, tom and susan. >> for so thank you so much for that kind introduction and thank you to c&s who is not only been a benefactor to tom but directly and indirectly foreign-policy as we embarked on this project over the last two year

then we shade over vietnam iraq, and we give it different shadings.start in 1898 with the spanish american war and the brutality in the philippines. we march through so you feel in the book and the series a sense of repetition, a pattern to these intervention. >> eliot: this is one of the strands that is the international aspect of it, which is a significant piece of it. but what is the reputation rep repetition, the theme. >> the increasing empire, militarism and exception the use of american exceptionalism that we are after world war ii the leader of the world the global policemen, that we have the atomic bomb, therefore we're right. >> eliot: let's stop on exceptionalism, which is a word that arises in every presidential campaign. do you believe in exceptionalism. of course people who run for president say, indeed i do. >> you have to. >> eliot: you have to. >> obama qualified it. obama said i believe in american exceptionalism just like the brits believe in british exceptionalism and the greeks believe in greek exceptionalism. >> eliot: i thought

. >> in the later years, and the stories of vietnam, iraq, afghanistan to a lesser extent, i think that's really where this question of politics enters civilian oversight versus what you can lay at the doorstep of the military really comes into play. you recount tales of generals were much less than those you just talked about in the later wars. where do you feel the balance lies between the accountability that should of been there but was missing for the generals in vietnam, are in iraq in its early days, versus the problem of political leaders setting impossible goals or murky goals, and then ultimately firing, you know, only the guys at the very top because things didn't work out politically? >> what, as it has the military loses in korea, because the pentagon says to ridgway, you're going to embarrass us and congress will start asking massive questions, so ridgway wanted to firefight of his division commanders in korea. they basically told and you can do it but do it on the down low. >> pretend its rotation. >> and they basically say, joe collins, the chief of staff is already lied to

they fall at times during unpop you you already a wars vietnam iraq. think the fall the tumble and the concern is gridlock. people are very concerned that government isn't getting anywhere. two statistics stand out to me from this election. only 25% have a favorable view of congress. 90% of the penal who ran for reelection got reelected and that is the nature -- that's the source of the frustration. >> woodruff: and picking up on what al gore was saying, the way the system now works with so much money with money having so much of an influence it will be interesting to see whether -- to what extent that affects people's views. >> well i think that people will -- are at the boiling point when it comes to -- we're not getting what we want out of washington. quote/unquote something's got to give somewhere along the line. public patience is not endless. but the issue of gerrymandering, the issue of money, there are all of these other factors that complicate things. >> woodruff: andy kohut who has been watching these questions for years and will continue to

they fall at times during unpop you you already a wars, vietnam, iraq. i think the fall, the tumble and the concern is gridlock. people are very concerned that government isn't getting anywhere. two statistics stand out to me from this election. only 25% have a favorable view of congress. 90% of the penal who ran for reelection got reelected and that is the nature -- that's the source of the frustration. >> woodruff: and picking up on what al gore was saying, the way the system now works with so much money, with money having so much of an influence it will be interesting to see whether -- to what extent that affects people's views. >> well, i think that people will -- are at the boiling point when it comes to -- we're not getting what we want out of washington. quote/unquote something's got to give somewhere along the line. public patience is not endless. but the issue of gerrymandering, the issue of money, there are all of these other factors that complicate things. >> woodruff: andy kohut who has been watching these questions for years and will continu

iraq and afghanistan. vietnam all due respect and understanding, of that very difficult period in our history we live in very different world. the threats are very different now. >> that's exactly right. one of the iran has gotten as strong as it has gotten, we take their major opponent iraq away from them when we invaded iraq. what we've done is made iran a very strong power otherwise wouldn't have been. martha: chuck nash, do you agree with that. >> i think taking iraq away did bolster iran's position in the community but the reason why iraq was taken down is because they violated multiple agreements from the cease-fire. this gets back, are we going to defeat our enemies on the battlefield or will we try to negotiate ourselves out of a position? >> you think we defeated them on battlefield? >> that's why we went in because the u.n. was toothless and that's why we had, somebody had to do it and it fell to us. >> captain --. martha: iran in similar way, bob? go ahead. >> are you suggesting captain we defeated enem

vietnam war. a few minutes later in the very hearings i was showing you there, chuck hagel returned to the topic of the surge in iraq gave a more thoughtful response. it related to his decision making in his time as mccain had time there, too, in vietnam. let's watch. >> i saw it from the bottom. i saw what happens. i saw the consequences and the suffering and the horror of war. so i did question a surge. it wasn't an aberration to me ever. i always ask the question is this going to be worth the sacrifice because there will be sacrifice. in the surge case in iraq, we lost almost 1,200 dead americans during that surge and thousands of wounded. now, was it required? was it necessary? senator mccain his own opinion on that shared by others. i'm not sure. i'm not that certain that it was required. >> senator shaheen, we have had so many wars recently, some of them bite-sized but they always involve casualties, vietnam, granada, iraq, iraq again, afghanistan, iran, libya to some extent. now mccain is pushing us to go into syria. some people are hawks pure and simple. every war is good to them. every war is justified from

it will be a rough road to confirmation for the vietnam vet who outspokenly posed the iraq war. meanwhile white house officials tell nbc news that mr. obama will also nominate his counterterrorism adviser, john brennan as the next cia chief. we're just learning that. tracie potts has more from washington on both nominations for us this morning. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, everyone. the brennan announcement we just got early this morning. he's a 25 year vet at the cia and went through his own bit of controversy when he was first considered for that job back in 2008. as for chuck hagel, he is expected to face criticism from his own party, both of those nominations being announced later today. today president obama is expected to nominate his former senate colleague, 66-year-old chuck hagel to head the pentagon. >> i think it will be a lot of tough questions of senator hagel. >> reporter: a purple heart veteran wounded in vietnam is a moderate republican who criticized the iraq troop surge, opposed unilateral sanctions against in and once said being gay inhibits

all of this because the former senator and vietnam vet's views on iraq and afghanistan and israel don'tsarily square with everybody on the committee. but we didn't expect the extent of the in your face interrogation from fellow senator, fellow vietnam vet john mccain. i need you to see this portion of the back and forth on the 2000 surge in iraq. have a listen. >> will you correct or incorrect when you said that the surge would be the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since vietnam? were you correct or oh incorrect? yes or no? >> my reference to -- >> are you going to answer the question, senator hagel? the question is were you right or wrong? that's a straightforward question. i would like to answer whether you were right or wrong and then you are free to elaborate. >> e well, i'm not going to give you a yes or no answer. >> well, let the record reflect show you refused to answer the question. please go ahead. >> okay. the hearing continues. it's quieter but in the end senator hagel is expected to be confirmed. you can stay tuned for more drama out of the committee

he's putting in a guy who knows the lessons of vietnam and iraq and putting him out front, making himis point man as he goes into the war of hawkish republicans who count the months between wars as an unwanted time-out. who like nothing more than the next war to fight. meet barack obama two. he's going to run the way he believes to do it. i like it. i think there's one guy out there by the way ironically rooting for obama. it's the guy who got used by the hawks, saw his place ruined by their lies. his name is george w. bush. and he's sitting down there in texas watching the same old predictable crowd of war hawks trying good their number one more time. only this time there's someone in the white house wise to their game. joining me now is msnbc plienl analyst david corn from mother jones. and john fehry. you can throw in your ideas. my idea is this. he picked chuck hagel after watching two or three weeks of him trying to be destroyed by the right wing. he let them hang fire. give me your worst about this guy. do it all and i'm going to stick it in your face because i want a guy that t

vietnam veteran to serve as defense secretary. the independent-minded member clashed with his own party, opposing the iraq war. >> the most divisive issue in this country since vietnam. >> reporter: and lately fiercely criticizing president bush's iraq troop surge. hagel angered pro-israel groups with his opposition to unilateral sanction against iran and comments critical to what he called the jewish lobby. >> you have somebody very antagonistic toward the state of israel and the issues we jointly face. and there is no jewish lobby. there is a pro-israel lobby. >> reporter: on "meet the press," the president recently weighed in on the possible choice. >> my number one criteria will be who's going to do the best job in helping to secure america. >> anything disqualify him? >> not that i see. i have served with chuck hagel. i know him. he is a patriot. >> reporter: and even with the fiscal cliff fight behind him, the president faces another looming showdown over the nation's debt ceiling, its borrowing limit. today, senate minority leader mitch mcconnell insisted the tax issue is resolved but demanded spending cuts. >> i wish the p

absolutely. >> so we're closely watching also hagel's old pal, former vietnam veteran, senator john mccain, who he very publicly split with on the iraq surge. the vietnam vet, max cleland, almost dared mccain to vote no. >> we all suffered the same fate, pretty much, in the same war. and i don't want see john turning his back on his brother. >> that vietnam caucus was very close at one time. it's a shrinking caucus now in the u.s. senate, with many of those vietnam veterans not there anymore. >>> well, the capitol hill drama today will be hagel's nomination. yesterday, it was all about guns. yesterday's senate hearing packed emotion. gabby giffords in conflict, dick durbin versus wayne lapierre and suggested just how hard the debate will be. giffords and her husband, mark kelly, made an emotional appeal to congress to expand background checks to gun shows and private sales. >> too many children are dying. too many children you must act. be bold. be courageous. >> my wife would not be sitting in this seat. she would not have been sitting here today if we had stronger background checks. >> but the national rifle association chair, wayn

if you look at john kerry, he made allegations about war crimes in vietnam and iraq. he made statements about his medals and ribbons. he made statements about being a cambodian. in a political context, he never was. chuck hagel makes some comments, anti-semitic comments, anti-gay comments. [inaudible] [laughter] host: ok. guest: lowering the bar. host: this is from an interview in 1998 when bill clinton was in the white house and the nominee for the u.s. ambassador of an openly gay individual. chuck hagel said, "there representing america. they're representing our lifestyle, our values, our standards. and i think it is an inhibiting factor to be gay, openly, aggressively day, like mr. hormel, to do an effective job." he is saying those remarks were ill founded. guest: if he gets through the senate, he will be the secretary of defense. he is not in a domestic policy position. i think his record on domestic issues, whether they be guns or abortion or gay rights, there are other things like votes against various positions in the u.s. military having to do with a rights,

this is not about boots on the ground another iraq, vietnam or afghanistan.ng weapons to people who we halfway think will support a reasonable outcome. this is pushing the assad regime to collapse now rather than a year from now which will result with the country being overrun from jihadists from the middle east. >> john: do you think others in the administration share your view that we need to act on this now? >> well of course i'm not in the administration any more. i think that frankly the people who are advising the president are split but so far the president said so far we're going to stay out of this. >> john: moving over to egypt. morsi has rejected any unity government. how should he be handling a situation like this. >> again, what he should do is reach out to try to curb the violence. we've seen this in many countries. there are leaders who take courageous steps. they stand on the security forces while reaching out to come to some preliminary cease-fire. we had to do this in the 1960s when our cities were on fire, while not yielding doing something

world in that every single generation has risen to the occasion, from world war ii to korea, vietnam, the gulf, iraqt the commander's ball any moment now. we're going to bring that image to you, as i said before. a lot of folks watching very closely to see what michelle obama will be wearing. a lot of those guests have come to witness the inaugural ball. and there is a lot of excitement. you can't sort of underestimate the impact on american designers that this ball gown will have, that michelle obama wears. >> it's sort of like the olympics of fashion. you know, you can see them sitting there just waiting to see who is going to get the gold medal. one of them will. and whoever it is has got it made for the rest of his or her life. >> the amazing thing, it's not like the oscars where the designer knows in advance that some star is going to be wearing them. the designers have no idea what of the 12 or 15 dresses that she had to choose from that they have made for her that she's going to select. >> the anxiety they're feeling right now. i'm anxious to see who she's wearing coming out. i can't imagine

our war in iraq, i think, was the most fundamentally bad, dangerous decision since vietnam. in the surge case in iraq, we lost almost 1200 dead americans during that surge. and thousands of wounded. now, was it required? was it necessary? i'm not sure. i'm not that certain that it was required: >> i mean, mccain just seems not to be able to get over him. i mean, what is he talking and badgering him about? clearly, the war was wrong. clearly, mr. hagel, even though he was republican, put the republic over the republican party. >> that's reegt. and the american people have spoken only this in 2006 and 2008 and 2012. and, you know, my issue is is that you know, there are some folks that are criticizing chuck hagel and not being strong with israel. look at this strategically, rev. israel's number one threat is iran. iran's number one threat and the counter balance to iran used to be iraq. but because we invaded iraq, now they're buddies. iran and iraq are buddies and they're joining forces here. that was the strategic failure that they refused to admit, these neocons. they think

vietnam. we have done that to some extent in iraq. we need friends and allies. we need institutions and structures likely formed after world war ii dealing with common challenges. terrorism is a common challenge. it is not unique to america. it will take all these relationships and intelligence sharing. the experience in vietnam has shaped me and will continue to shake me. host: that was from an interview back in 2005. you might take away from that that we're still dealing with the aftereffects of the vietnam war 40 years later. guest: i think that is right. secretary gates said anyone who would commit to the large-scale ground troops invasion should have their head examined. i think his instincts were understandable. what is often neglected in the debate about hagel is how we finish those comments talking about intelligence. one of the interesting analogies senator hagel -- that you might make with him is don rumsfeld and the challenges he faced as defense secretary for president bush. they were looking at declining defense budgets. he began talking about the i

world in that every single generation has risen to the occasion from world war ii to korea, vietnam, the gulf, iraq lots of places i didn't even mention. and in each and every circumstance, the next generation that comes along astounds the one that went before it. you've met danger and glory with equal measure, and you've always, always, not only won, but made our country proud of you. it's a real honor to be here tonight with i'm told 25 medal of honor recipients. as a matter of fact, it's not an honor, it's literally humbling. you are such incredible soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines. you've served with -- i thought so! you've served, although my son doesn't share your view, either one of them. but i want you to know that. although i admire you. you've served with such amazing distinction from iwo jima to afghanistan, all the way up into the kunar valley. i've watched you with such admiration. you've fought decades apart, but there is one incredible connection. it's like a -- it's like a blood vessel runs through you from generation to generation. your devotion to your country, the full measure

strip mall a new owner bought the property in this summer and that's when these veterans of the iraq in the vietnamouble started. most of the guys who left their souls in southeast asia we see it as a slap in the face. shocked i cannot imagine anybody wanting to bring the flag down, anybody they showed us a copy of the latest letter dated june murray tent from the property manager. informing the veterans that the flags and the van in the parking lot were in violation of the lease and a the latter goes onthe veterans say the accusation is completely unfounded and not something that is grown men would do we don't break bottles and do all that kind of wild stuff we call the man named steve who refuse to give us his last name or title scoffed at claims saying that the flags will stay up but the veterans say that given everything they have been through the want to see it in writing. there are flags flying outside midway's realty offices in nearby oak brook terrace we went to their parent company the equity financial group to get concrete assurances from the company but despite numerous phone calls appar

vietnam war where he was wounded. he incurred political bruises when he opposed president bush's surge in iraq.k at the hagel record and what it could mean for his confirmation process. >> first enlisted soldier, he broke ranks with fellow republicans when president bush announced his intention to send david petraeus and nearly 30,000 troops to iraq. >> this speech given last night but this president represents the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since vietnam. >> president obama agreed with senator hagel in 2007. >> this continues to be a disastrous foreign policy mistake. we are now confronted with the question, how do we clean up the mess and make the best out of a situation in which there are no good options. >> are we going to continue to invest in american blood and treasure at the same rate we are doing now? >> the troops largely allowed the u.s. military to turn the war around and end the war in iraq for good in december of 2011. today the president said that his views were shaped in vietnam. >> when his brother was injured by a mine, chuck risked his life to pull

iraq vote against the surge. reminding everybody about the fact that he does see things through the vietnam lens, having been a war vet. but the reason why we went to iraq was based on 0 faulty assumptions that they had weapons of mass destruction and they didn't? >> have a hard time admitting that. it's the chicken and egg issue. look, i thought what you just saw, that's the chuck hagel that this country knows. this is a man who has taken with him for years the experiences that he had in vietnam and some of the fiercest fighting in that, and it was just his job. he did what he was told to do. and he came away with a couple of purple hearts. i came away with the vietnamese cross of gallantry. it doesn't get any higher than that. he served with his brother. he has combat experience. when he thinks about a surge, he's calculating, okay, do we actually have to do this is this he was not so much a dissenting voice as he was a voice of reason, experience, been there, done that. is there a different way to do this? and i specifically remember one of the hearings he had, you know, if you're going to put those boys back i

we excerpt today's confirmation hearing, as republicans sparred with the former vietnam combat veteran about the war in iraq and more. >> brown: then, we have two stories from the middle east, beginning with a dramatic late- night rescue of syrian refugees, fleeing across the border to jordan. >> woodruff: and a margaret warner report about the threat a nuclear-armed iran poses to israel. >> if they accumulate enough uranium which is close to weapons grade, enough uranium which enables them to detonate one nuclear device: to me is clearly a redline. >> brown: former vice president al gore joins us to talk about his new book as well as money, politics and the future of democracy. >> the congress is virtually incapable of passing any reforms unless they first get permission from the powerful special interests. >> woodruff: do americans trust the federal government?

for some it was korea and they felt they didn't have the glory of world war ii or vietnam in this generation, iraqand afghanistan. some may protest the war they fight early on and maybe you find out, they didn't want that were, so there should be a possibility for select is refusing an inacio is a movement of this sort of selective refusal for sun to site in territory. others are struggling with this issue now when they see iraq unravel the day. they see the head the elders and operations. i think they wonder and worry. for others, the war will always be about each other. it will be about covering each other's back, i trust that is so deep. you read a passage about hearing that you love your body more than your family members at home and having to figure out how to renegotiate this family relationships when you see and experience something so vital and exciting and potent. >> host: this is your second become the military. first been stoic warriors, ancient philosophy. did you have, before you went to the naval academy, before you started work in the soldiers, did you have a background in military

vietnam twice wounded and twice decorated. he had friends who got their heads blown off. he criticized the handling of the iraq war calling it -- >> the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since vietnam. >> the tv campaign against him started when his nomination was just a rumor. >> chuck hagel is not a responsible option. >> opponents claim he is anti- israeli, even anti-semitic. he once opposed the appointment of an ambassador, criticized -- criticizing him for being openly, aggressively gay. >> good morning. how are you? >> he says critics have distorted his cues. -- his views. >> i like chuck hagel. he is out of the mainstream of thinking on most issues regarding foreign policy. >> he has lined up another conflict with congress. >> for more on today's announcement, i will speak with the chief washington correspondent for the new york times. he is the author of confront and conceal. thank you for coming in. what is it about chuck hagel that some republicans seem to dislike? >> a lot of it goes back to the days of the iraq war. the voted for the resolution in 2002. he was one of the first r

hard questions, like the shame of hunger in the world, for the reality of ill-advised wars in vietnam or iraqelieving that government has certain, basic responsibilities, like guaranteeing civil rights and searching for ways to live peacefully in the world. it means choosing dialogue over blame. respect over division. hope over fear. what made george a great public servant was not only his compassion and integrity, but it was his uncommon vision. he saw connections others did not see, like, the connection between political stability and hungry children. that vision became food for peace. and the mcgovern-adult education program. he also saw things sooner than others. in 1962, he said the most important issue of our time is the establishment of conditions for world peace. nine months into his first term, he gave his first speech on the non. 1970, he warned about the dependence of the united states on fossil fuels. in 1984, he urged all of our american leadership to understand the complexity, challenges, and the volatility of circumstances in the middle east. i believe america would be a better

vietnam in 1968. over the south pacific in 1943. i got mine in iraq, 2003.saa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection, and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans and their families is without equal. begin your legacy, get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. [ coughs ] [ baby crying ] ♪ [ male announcer ] robitussin® liquid formula soothes your throat on contact and the active ingredient relieves your cough. robitussin®. don't suffer the coughequences™. >>> turning to the instant index on sunday night. the number, two billion. that's how old scientists think this rock is that fell from the sky, traveling 34 million miles from mars and landing in the sierra desert. what makes it most unusual, it contains ten times more water than any other known meteorite. it could be proof of a much more weathered mars than scientists had previously imagined. >>> our person making the index tonight, a french actor angry about high taxes in france. he's def

they're likely to run into strong opposition from the republican party vietnam veteran haydel was against war in afghanistan and iraq and has a history of breaking with his conservative colleagues. well if approved one of the biggest tasks the two men will face is afghanistan of course and with the u.s. now saying it will complete its withdrawal in twenty fourteen forty speaks to jere van dyk about why it's going and what it's managed to achieve that's coming up after this break. it's. you know sometimes you see a story and it seems so for like you think you understand it and then you glimpse something else and you hear or see some other part of it and realize everything you thought you knew you don't know i'm tom hartman welcome to the big picture. government no longer represents the beam. the people are going to take the term. we. believe in the traditional believe in the law. the way our economic system. is not going to. wait. two weeks speak your language or not i am. for music programs and documentaries and spanish more matter. do you. use a little tuna to bangalore story or. are you here to. try to alter the s

iraq showed that. and vietnamwed that, but we are still the number one power in the world, and will be so for a long time to come, so we are not threatened at this stage by china, nor any longer by russia. we can provide initiative for operation, but we have to be patient and not rely on our own force alone in trying to seek solutions. and this is where a good experienced dip low matted a person that has operated on the international arena like korea and a former warrior of the past, they make a great team. >> jennifer: thank you so much dr. brzezinski for joining us inside "the war room." former national security advisor under president carter. >> thank you for having me. >> jennifer: coming up the death of internet activist aaron schwartz brought new at attention to the issue of fair use. lawrence lessig knows the issue better than just about anybody and he is going to join us next. the storm comes, the damage is devastating, and then the chorus, we will rebuild! and rightly so but without addressing climate cha

and i was around when everyone said no to the vietnam war, no to the iraq war. this is another kind of a war. and we have more control over it if we have the courage. >> can we win this war? is the conversation and the mood at a tipping point in this country, in your opinion? >> i only can hope so. i can't get into the mind of that gentleman who started pointing his finger at piers morgan and going off on some rant that the government is coming to get us all. government is not coming to get us all. we get to that point, nothing is going to help us if the military turns against the people. let's get real here. we're talking innocent lives lost. it seems to me we should do three things right now. get the weapons of war off our streets. keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill and children, and also make sure that our schools are safe by allowing the local governments to avail themselves of some grant programs so they can bring secure schools, make them a reality in their neighborhoods. >> senator boxer, with the assault weapons ban of 1994, would that pass t

iraq we didn't win in the. race we can win even. and the same thing is like a vietnam we didn't win nothing one absolutely nothing and you know and they just don't get it we've tried to rule the world we've tried to do it in not only in a way that's been damaging devery nation the world but in the process the united states has become less and less free it's become less and less economically viable and with each passing decade the war has generated more and more profit for the u.s. military industry i topic r.t. discussed it with filmmaker and vietnam war that oliver stone we have not done well with interventions anywhere but we continue to be an empire you know we have eight hundred plus bases here some of the very. we've created a huge infrastructure a global infrastructure where we're trying to be the world's policeman when it comes to america's security republican senator chuck hagel has been nominated to replace leon panetta eagle would be the first vietnam vet to ever head the u.s. department of defense when i was in vietnam in one nine hundred sixty eight united

. >> and vietnam war veterans engaged in heated disputes today. the issue is the iraq war. >> were you correct or incorrect when you said the surge would be the biggest foreign policy blunder since vietnam? >> are you going to answer the question? >> the question is where you're right or wrong? >> your free to elaborate. >> i'm not going to give you a yes or no answer. >> records will show that you refuse to answer that question. >> confirmation hearings got under way. if he is confirmed he will replace leon panetta. >>democrats believe he is someone the president can trust. they argue his war experience as an enlisted man is a major plus at the pentagon. >> students from sandy hook elementary school will perform at the super bowl. more than two dozen students are heading to new orleans. the children are survivors from the shooting rampage. paris casualties in america the beautiful. they're going to sing america the beautiful. >> how they are planning to help underwater home owners. >> more help may be on the way for underwater homeowners. sources saying that members o

vietnam veteran to lead the department. as i saw during our business together in afghanistan and iraq, in chuck hagel our troops see a decorated combat veteran of character and strength. >> hagel will replace panetta and president obama has nominated john brennan to replace embattleed general petraeus who was linked to enhanceed techniques for questioning, and was involved in the killing of osama bin laden, a 25-year veteran of the c.i.a. and among president obama's closest advisors. >> confirmed, i will make it my mission to ensure that the c.i.a. has the tools it needs to keep our nation safe and that it work reflects the liberties freedoms and values we hold dear. >> both express their deep gratitude in being nominated for the positions. neither confirmation is guarantee. the white house says it is confident both will assume the positions for president obama's second term. both posts require senate confirmation. live in the newsroom for abc7 fuzz. >> thank you. developing news, the supreme court scheduled back-to-back sessions dealing with same-sex marriage starting march 26 at 7:00 a.m. in the morning. the high court sched

but he also understood throughout his entire career, whether it was vietnam or his position in iraq that it's about america before it is about being a partisan. >> why it is an issue then? >> you know, ed, i think it's because they're not used to somebody who puts america over party. i mean this is a man who thinks through what the cost will be if our nation goes to war. i'll never forget being with us, just the two of us, and ambassador crocker sitting in front of prime minister maliki in iraq. four of us for a meeting that went over hour and 15 minutes. senator hagel candidly told the prime minister that you have to understand because you are unable to get the sunnies and shias to come together and put your authority to work that the cost of this war is too great for america. >> you saw firsthand he is a tell it like it is kind of guy. >> absolutely. >> can he take the defense department and the pentagon through the transitions financially that we're going to have to see if we're going get our financial house in order? >> yes, he can. the first reason is -- i'll never forget when admir