President Obama has indicated that he'll likely nominate former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense once Leon Panetta steps down.
But former Democratic House rep and hopeful future senator Barney Frank says Hagel isn't the right choice for the job.
Back in 1998, Hagel opposed one of Bill Clinton's proposed ambassadors because he thought the nominee was "openly, aggressively gay," and Frank, who is gay and recently married his long-time partner, hasn't forgotten that.
"Then-Senator Hagel's aggressively bigoted opposition to President Clinton's naming the first openly gay Ambassador in U.S. history was not, as Sen. Hagel now claims, an aberration. He voted consistently against fairness for LGBT people and there does not seem to be any evidence prior to his effort to become Secretary of Defense of any apology or retraction of his attack on James Hormel. And to those of us who admire and respect Mr. Hormel, Sen. Hagel's description of him as aggressive can only mean that the Senator strongly objected to Hormel's reasoned, civil advocacy for LGBT people," wrote Frank in a statement.
"I cannot think of any other minority group in the U.S. today where such a negative statement and action made in 1998 would not be an obstacle to a major Presidential appointment," he continued.
President Obama hasn't weighed in directly, but he expressed support for both Hagel and for the rights of gays and lesbians.
"I think it's a testimony to what has been a positive change over the last decade in terms of people's attitudes about gays and lesbians serving our country," said Obama.
Hagel has also been critical of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, even though as a senator he voted to authorize them, a fact that will make it hard for him to get confirmed by Senate Republicans.
He also ran afoul of the Israel lobby, after he referred to hardcore supporters of the state as "the Jewish lobby," which some took to be thinly-veiled anti-Semitism.
But with the fiscal cliff pushed off toward the horizon, and the taste of success still fresh in their mouths after knocking off Rice, Republicans may be ready to stand their ground on this nomination.