Former U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination to be Defense Secretary, on Capitol Hill in Washington, January 31, 2013. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Chuck Hagel, a decorated Vietnam War vet, seemed trapped in a foxhole Thursday on Capitol Hill.

The former Republican Nebraska Senator and President Barack Obama's pick for Defence secretary was interrogated by Democrats and Republicans alike during his Senate Armed Services Committee nomination hearing.

It was largely Hagel's record that came back to haunt him, including his opposition to some sanctions against Iran and his calls to negotiate with the Islamist regime, past comments about the "Jewish Lobby" and homosexuals, and perhaps most notably, his opposition to the troop surges in Iraq.

The latter is, in fact, the reason why he and Senator John McCain -- once good friends -- have fallen out.