Chuck Hagel eyes the exits on his own terms

Chuck Hagel is going out like he came in: on his own.
When the White House invited him to the ceremony where President Barack Obama nominated his successor, he didn’t go. As members of Congress schedule their hearings about the Pentagon’s new budget, they’re getting his successor, not him. And even though the military plans a big, formal farewell for Hagel on Wednesday, he expects to stay on the job for several more weeks — with an even lower profile.
Story Continued Below
Hagel has been at arm’s length from the White House since his name first leaked as Obama’s choice to replace Leon Panetta — and kept him from responding to a concerte