Chuck Hagel Israel Comments and War Criticism Fuel Republican Opposition to Secretary of Defense Nomination

The White House confirmed today that the president will nominate former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense, in a press conference shortly after 1:00 p.m.

If the Senate confirms him, Hagel will replace Leon Panetta, who is stepping down.

But Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell and other Senate Republicans signaled that they're willing to fight out the nomination, over what they consider to be lackluster support for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and weak commitment to Israel's security on Hagel's part.

Hagel has also been critical of the influence pro-Israel lobbying groups have on the military and strategic objectives of the United States.

In an interview for his 2008 book "America: Our Next Chapter: Tough Questions, Straight Answers," Hagel said, "the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here," referring to legislators in Washington.

"I'm not an Israeli senator. I'm a United States senator," said Hagel, a viewpoint many conservatives considered to be thinly-veiled anti-Semitism.

However, backers of Hagel point out that his book includes unequivocal support for Israel as a Jewish state.

"There is one important given that is not negotiable: a comprehensive should not include any compromise regarding Israel's Jewish identity," Hagel wrote.

In addition, after voting to authorize the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hagel came to oppose them, going so far as to questions the motives of the operations and insinuating that the true goal was oil, not security.

But Hagel's willingness to buck his party and question authority are some of the very reasons Obama wants Hagel in the position.

Though many Republicans are vowing to fight the Hagel nomination, McConnell insisted his party would keep an open mind.

"He's certainly been outspoken in foreign policy and defense over the years," McConnell said on ABC's "This Week."

"The question we'll be answering, if he's the nominee, is: Do his views make sense for that particular job? I think he ought to be given a fair hearing, like any other nominee. And he will be," said McConnell.

But Hagel may also face opposition from the left.

Former House rep Barney Frank, who may end up in the Senate on an interim basis during Hagel's confirmation hearings, wrote that Hagel isn't fit for the office, due to anti-gay remarks he has made in the past.

"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," wrote Frank.

But Democrats may fall into line once the nomination is official this afternoon.