Hagel, Brennan Nominations Expected To Be Controversial

05:56

January 07, 2013

On left, outgoing U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel is pictured during a farewell news conference in Omaha, Neb. December, 2008. (Dave Weaver/AP). On right, John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, speaks at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance conference in Washington, Wednesday, in September 2011. (Susan Walsh/AP) — On left, outgoing U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel is pictured in December, 2008. (Dave Weaver/AP). On right, John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, is pictured in September 2011. (Susan Walsh/AP)

President Barack Obama on Monday nominated Chuck Hagel as his next secretary of defense and John Brennan as the next head of the CIA.

Both nominations are likely to be controversial. Hagel, a former senator, has been criticized by fellow Republicans over his positions on Israel and Iran.

Brennan has faced questions about his connection to controversial interrogation tactics used during the Bush administration.

Brennan, who was the CIA's deputy executive director under President Bush, is now President Obama's counterterrorism adviser.

Guest:

Craig Whitlock, covers the Pentagon and national security for The Washington Post.

This segment aired on January 7, 2013.