From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

A cabinet nominee gets a grilling.

Hello again, I'm Warren Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

A daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

Republicans John McCain and Chuck Hagel might have been friends when Hegel was in the Senate,

but you wouldn't have known it today. At Hegel's confirmation hearing for Secretary of Defense,

McCain was relentless as Hegel tried to answer. I'll explain why I made those comments.

I want to know if you were right or wrong. That's a

direct question. I expect a direct answer. We'll hear what that was all about and what was said about

Iran and Israel, cuts in the Pentagon budget, and America's role as a global leader. We'll also

assess Hegel's chances of confirmation as Secretary of Defense.

First, here's the news.

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Hello again, Marvin Olney, back with To the Point.

Chuck Hegel is President Obama's choice to be Secretary of Defense at his Senate confirmation hearing today.

He got a grilling, especially from former Republican colleagues.

We'll hear in exchange with John McCain and what Hegel had to say about the Iraq surge, Iran, Israel, and cuts in the Pentagon budget.

First, this news update, Israeli warplanes reportedly

struck near DeBatmask today, prompting supporters of Bashar al-Assad to rally behind their

leader, while Iran warned of grave consequences. It's not clear, though, what the target was.

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