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Let Me Start: Confirmation Fight

Chuck Hagel goes to Capitol Hill for his confirmation hearing to be the next Defense Secretary.
President Barack Obama shakes hands with former U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel in the White House. Obama has nominated Hagel for the next Secretary of Defense. (Alex Wong / Getty Images)
President Barack Obama shakes hands with former U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel in the White House. Obama has nominated Hagel for the next Secretary of Defense.

Chuck Hagel goes to Capitol Hill for his confirmation hearing to be the next Defense Secretary. Besides the tough questioning that he'll no doubt face from his former Republican colleagues in the Senate, Politico asks a more fundamental question: Is Hagel up to the job? What in his background makes him uniquely qualified to run the Pentagon? Politico examines the major challenges facing Hagel if and when he's confirmed.

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