Retiring Massachusetts Rep. Barney
Frank has questioned the sincerity of former Nebraska Senator Chuck
Hagel's apology for comments he made in 1998 opposing James Hormel's
nomination as U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg.
Hagel said Hormel was a bad fit because
he's “openly, aggressively gay.”
Hagel, considered to be on President
Barack Obama's short list for candidates to succeed Leon Panetta as
secretary of defense, apologized for the comments last week.
“My comments 14 years ago in 1998
were insensitive,” Hagel said in a statement. “They do not
reflect my views or the totality of my public record, and I apologize
to Ambassador Hormel and any LGBT Americans who may question my
commitment to their civil rights. I am fully supportive of 'open
service' and committed to LGBT military families.”
In an appearance on NBC's Meet The
Press, Obama said he sees nothing which would disqualify Hagel
from succeeding Panetta.
Frank disagreed with the president in a
statement.
“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,” Frank said. “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.”
“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.”
(Related : Chuck
Hagel “wrong on gay rights,” gay GOP group says.)