Since the election campaign of 2008, the Democrats have waged an internecine war within itself. If you recall then, Hillary Clinton quickly mustered the support of virtually all of the powerful interest groups within its sphere. Gay, pro-choice, pro-Israel, organized labor, and African-American organizations all quickly gathered to her side, assuming (as she did) that she would win the nomination by acclamation.

Unfortunately for all of them, she lost. However, during Obama’s first term, Clinton’s allies won virtually every policy battle and secured most important cabinet offices. Look at Obama-care, for just one example. It is a virtual carbon copy of what Clinton had proposed during 2008. Obama alleged that he supported a single-payer system, rather than a payoff to insurance companies, but that’s what we got. On issue after issue, Obama showed that he could be rolled by Democratic constituencies that had no allegiance to anyone other than Bill or Hillary.

So, now we see in his second term, Obama has decided to challenge the hegemony of the most powerful of all Democratic constituencies, AIPAC, and its neocon allies. Virtually all retired generals who have voiced an opinion, support Chuck Hagel and his nomination for Secretary of Defense. Almost all diplomatic experts also have come out in favor of him. Hagel was severely injured in Vietnam; nobody in the Senate really cares much about that. He served a number of terms as a Republican in the Senate, but since he campaigned for Obama in 2008, that isn’t likely to help his nomination. He has spent much of his adult life working to help disabled veterans; the correct pose for politicians is to give lip service to these honorable heroes who most politicians seem to believe are used up chattel for a foreign nation. Much more important is the donors for any political campaign.

If Hagel’s nomination is defeated, we can imagine the constant chorus that will arise driving us into war against Iran, Syria, Libya, Egypt, etc. Few in the interest groups or in the Senate will care. Their kids will never be chattel. On the other hand, once he loses, then we can only count the days for Hillary Clinton, a washed up, washed out codgerette, to recover from her concussion and begin preparing for her nomination in 3 years.