Sen. Bob Corker (R., Tenn.) said there were serious policy concerns about Secretary of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel Tuesday on MSNBC, particularly regarding nuclear posture, and expects "lively" hearings to determine whether he will be approved by the Senate.
"I start all these hearings with an open mind," Corker said. "I do have concerns. One of the areas with him in particular that I want to probe is where he is on our nuclear posture. I know it's not something that, you know, people talk about on a daily basis. But some of the things he said in the past about where we need to be as a country in our nuclear posture are very troubling to me. Especially at this moment in time when we're supposed to be investing in nuclear modernization as a part of the start treaty, and we're not doing that, that's an issue that's going to be important to me.
"I have told people before that a lot of times you hear people expressing concerns, and you can see through it and know that it's about politics, or it's about some personal issue that may have happened in the past. On Hagel's part, I actually think there are serious policy concerns, and I think these hearings are going to make a great deal of difference as to whether he is confirmed or not."