guess what? You don’t get to just make up total lies about me.

So until you either (a) find an example of me endorsing Mehlman and all the politicos from the far right that tried to get discrimination placed into the Constitution, or (b) apologize – your choice – I’ll be moderating your comments.

Your comment illustrates a fascinating political phenomenon. There is much argument and discussion about “why Hagel is being opposed”. And more than a few have expressed their own position based solely on who is opposing him.

And that does have value. One’s opponents do tell a great deal about one’s positions or potential. (Though I do find the rather antisemetic undertone of some comments to be troubling).

However, my focus is not on why someone else opposes Hagel but on why I oppose him.

I am more supportive of Israel than Hagel (though less hawkish than his detractors), but that’s not really of much interest to our readers. I doubt that anyone visits so as to get my views on military strategy or whether I support a two state policy. Those are not my reasons here.

Log Cabin and/or their supporters may be pro-Israel. But their argument in their latest ad is entirely about Hagel’s decisions, actions, and words directed towards gay Americans. Their ad happens to mirror my own previously stated concerns.

I find it absurd and laughable that those who either want to support the administration or want to hate Log Cabin refuse to address what LCR says and instead want to assign them motivations and, based on those imagined motivations, deride their character.

Whether LCR endorsed or picketed Mitt Romney, whether Hagel is supported or opposed by right-wing nutcases, whether or not Barney Frank likes or hates his party registration, it still remains that Hagel has a long uninterrupted anti-gay history which is not, for me, wished away by one “please confirm me” statement.

Hagel is really being opposed because he is considered to be too dovish. Tim, I’m surprised you can’t see this.

He’s a soldier’s soldier and I believe he’ll defend equality in the military the same way that every other part of the Pentagon has.

I agree that LCR has once again found themselves willingly used as tools as long as it gets them attention, press and money (I’d be willing to bet that they received large “anonymous” donations from some “end-timers” who are using them to help defeat a guy who won’t kiss Bibi’s feet.

As a secular, peace-loving Jew–like the vast majority of the actual Israeli population–the fact that he annoys AIPAC and Bibi (and the Chicken-Hawk Neo-cons) makes me like him FAR more than his Senatorial anti-gay stances ever made me detest him.

This country would be much better off without the enormously damaging influence that AIPAC and CUFI wield over our foreign policy. In the latter’s case, it truly shames me that there are Jews and supporters of Israel who would align themselves to religious fanatics who need all Jews to return to Israel so that they can die in the Apocalypse that they all hope comes soon. Rah, rah, Israel! With friends like that…

So, LCR–in its desperate need to be accepted and tolerated (like a beaten spouse)–plays the tool. How proud they must all feel. What a cash cow for shrinks everywhere.

On the other hand, that’s a *relatively* small part of his potential job, for which, so far as I know, he’s otherwise qualified for, and he can’t go too far out of line considering where his would-be boss stands.