Frank walks back Hagel opposition

Former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) walked back his
opposition to President Obama’s pick for Defense secretary on Monday.

Frank, who said last week before leaving Congress that he
was “strongly opposed” to former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) over past comments calling a diplomatic nominee
“aggressively gay,” dialed down his position in an
interview with the Boston Globe
on Monday.

{mosads}“With the attack coming out of the right, I hope he gets
confirmed,” Frank told the Globe.

Frank has also openly lobbied to temporarily replace Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in the Senate, following Kerry’s nomination to be Obama’s next secretary of State.

If Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) appointed Frank to replace
Kerry until a special election was
held, Frank could have a vote on Hagel’s confirmation.

That could happen if Kerry’s confirmation, where there are few obstacles, is completed before Hagel’s.

Frank’s comments Monday reflect the criticism against Hagel that’s
come on two different fronts: from pro-Israel groups and gay-rights advocates.

Frank and others have criticized Hagel for calling former
U.S. Ambassador James Hormel “openly, aggressively gay” when Hagel opposed his
confirmation in 1998.

Hagel apologized for the remark last month and said he was
supportive of open service for gay service members.

But Frank said in a statement before leaving office that
Hagel’s apology did not change his record. “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,” Frank said.

Frank, who was the first openly gay congressman and remains
a leading gay-rights voice, said that he still wished that Obama had chosen
another candidate.

“I was hoping the president wouldn’t nominate him,” Frank
said.

But he argued that the policies Hagel stands for on the
military and the war in Afghanistan would suffer setbacks if his confirmation
failed.

Pro-Israel groups and some Republicans have said they are
opposed to Hagel for saying the “Jewish lobby” intimidates people in
Washington, and for support of diplomatic engagement with Iran and Hamas.

“As much as I regret what Hagel said, and resent what he
said, the question now is going to be Afghanistan and scaling back the
military,” Frank said. “In terms of the policy stuff, if he would be rejected
[by the Senate], it would be a setback for those things.”