By Steve Clemons

Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Former George W.

For those glued to news on Boxing Day, I’ll be joining TIME International Editor Jim Frederick to discuss the “borking” of various White House potential nominees on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews.

The article today by Tom Friedman at the New York Times, “Give Chuck a Chance,” has put a solid, revitalized wind in Chuck Hagel’s potential SecDef nomination sails.

The letter below ran as a Letter to the Editor at the Washington Post yesterday, on 25 December.  While this letter criticizes the Washington Post for this article and defends Hagel’s character, the more interesting line I think is the one implying that the White House tolerance of pre-official nomination torture. Regarding the Dec.

Merry Christmas to All from the pups — Oakley, Annie, and Buddy. (Oakley is now 10 and doing great!!) And Merry Christmas from me as well.

Reuters As part of the roundup of perspectives on Senator Chuck Hagel’s potential nomination as Secretary of Defense, I have received the responses noted below. Here at The Atlantic is an earlier installment of views that included David Frum, Bing West, Ari Melber, Robert Dreyfuss, Hattie Babbitt, Ambassador James Hormel, Adam Garfinkle, and Leslie Gelb.

My colleague at The Atlantic Kasia Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg has posted a wonderful 107-year old film created by Edison Studios of “The Night Before Christmas.” Here is her framing of what you can watch above.

Garance Franke-Ruta, Senior Editor and Chief of the Politics Channel at The Atlantic, and I were privileged to have this picture taken with President and Michelle Obama. It was a great evening — and the President said some great things about The Atlantic for which he has actually been a contributor.

I have gathered some more views on Chuck Hagel’s potential — and challenged — nomination to serve as President Obama’s Secretary of Defense. Politico‘s Mike Allen is calling the nomination “toast” after Senator Chuck Schumer refused to say he would vote in favor of him.

I’ve reached out to a wide range of policy experts, pundits, and government officials (current and former) to share their thoughts on Senator Chuck Hagel’s potential nomination as Secretary of Defense.