Navy SEALs are seen fighting through a dust storm in the new thriller directed by Kathryn Bigelow, "Zero Dark Thirty." (Columbia Pictures/AP Photo)

There’s only one White House staffer portrayed in the new movie “Zero Dark Thirty,” and it is someone described in the credits as “National Security Advisor.”

It’s a position that’s filled in real life by John Brennan, the president’s counterterrorism advisor, who President Obama nominated Jan. 7 to be director of C.I.A.. The character in the movie, with references to the C.I.A’s involvement in the flawed intelligence on weapons of mass destruction that led the U.S. into war in Iraq, explains to a frustrated agency representative the difficulty of the president’s decision in acting on partial intelligence.

Spoiler alert: The president does ultimately act on that partial intelligence and Osama bin Laden is nabbed.

The character in real life – Brennan – has been opposed by some for his work at the C.I.A. under President Bush and the “enhanced interrogation” policies like waterboarding that also play a prominent role in the movie.

President Obama makes a cameo in the movie in the form of a “60 Minutes” interview in which he declares that, “America doesn’t torture, and I’m gonna make sure that we don’t torture.”

That declaration is viewed, in the film, by a table full of CIA agents in Pakistan who have been involved in “enhanced” interrogations.

The U.S. used waterboarding on three al Qaeda detainees at secret prisons run by the CIA.  It  ended the practice of using secret prisons in September of 2006 under President Bush and in 2009 President Obama signed executive orders in his first days in office that banned of the use of waterboarding and other “enhanced interrogation” techniques.

But that was after the techniques had already scuttled Brennan’s first chance to head the CIA.  Brennan wasn’t nominated to be CIA director back in the early days of the Obama administration, but he was widely considered to be a front-runner for the job. ABC’s Jake Tapper reported at the time that Brennan withdrew his name for consideration and most of the opposition came as a result of his work at the C.I.A. when those techniques were in use.

And there is indication that they will make his nomination difficult this year.

“I appreciate John Brennan’s long record of service to our nation, but I have many questions and concerns about his nomination to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, especially what role he played in the so-called enhanced interrogation programs while serving at the CIA during the last administration, as well as his public defense of those programs,” said Sen. John McCain after Brennan was nominated Monday.  ”I plan to examine this aspect of Mr. Brennan’s record very closely as I consider his nomination.”

The movie has certainly brought “enhanced interrogation” – it’s critics call it torture – back into the conversation about the war on terror, as ABC’s Lee Ferran reported Monday:

Last week three high-powered senators, Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein (D.-Calif.), Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D.-Mich.) and 2008 Presidential candidate John McCain (R.-Ariz.), revealed they had written two letters to Morell in December demanding to know what impact the CIA may have had on the depiction of enhanced interrogation in the film and whether the agency “misled” the filmmakers into thinking the tactic was effective.

“As you know, the film depicts CIA officers repeatedly torturing detainees. The film then credits CIA detainees subjected to coercive interrogation techniques as providing critical lead information on the courier that led to the [bin Laden] compound,” one letter says. “The CIA cannot be held accountable for how the Agency and its activities are portrayed in film, but we are nonetheless concerned, given the CIA’s cooperation with the filmmakers and the narrative’s consistency with past public misstatements by former senior CIA officials, that the filmmakers could have been misled by information they were provided by the CIA.”

Brennan, for his part, has said he opposed torture techniques, as Jake Tapper reported back in 2008 when Brennan removed his name from consideration for the C.I.A. job in 2008.

In a letter released to the media, apparently by Brennan or someone operating on Brennan’s behalf, the former CIA official wrote, “It has been immaterial to the critics that I have been a strong opponent of many of the policies of the Bush Administration such as the preemptive war in Iraq and coercive interrogation tactics, too include waterboarding. The fact that I was not involved in the decision making process for any of these controversial policies and actions has been ignored. Indeed, my criticism of these policies within government circles why I was twice considered for more senior-level positions in the current Administration only to be rebuffed by the White House.”

But Brennan did defend the practice in news media interviews when he described the actions of C.I.A. director George Tenet. This is what Brennan told CBS’s Harry Smith about enhanced interrogation in 2007: “The CIA has acknowledged that it has detained about 100 terrorists since 9/11, and about a third of them have been subjected to what the CIA refers to as enhanced interrogation tactics, and only a small proportion of those have in fact been subjected to the most serious types of enhanced procedures….There have been a lot of information that has come out from these interrogation procedures that the agency has in fact used against the real hard-core terrorists. It has saved lives. And let’s not forget, these are hardened terrorists who have been responsible for 9/11, who have shown no remorse at all for the deaths of 3,000 innocents.”

Brennan has also spoken out in support of “rendition” – the practice where the U.S. government captures terror suspects in one country and relocates them to another. That’s a practice still employed by the Obama administration, according to a recent Washington Post investigation.

Related: Watch Martha Raddatz’s Nightline interview with ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Director Kathryn Bigelow:

Amy Walter/ABC News

Indulge me, please, as I join many of my political colleagues in paying tribute to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Richard Ben Cramer, who died Monday at age 62.

As many of my peers have shared on Twitter, Facebook and in print, the former Philadelphia Inquirer journalist’s political tome, “What It Takes,” inspired us to take up political journalism.

But, for me, the book that chronicled the lives of the men who ran for president in 1988 represents an era of political journalism that is, sadly, fading away. Cramer focused on the personal stories of the men who wanted to be president, not simply on the process behind the campaigns. Through exhaustive research, Cramer found a way to uncover every nook and cranny of the lives of Joe Biden, Gary Hart, Michael Dukakis, Richard Gephardt, Bob Dole and George H.W. Bush.

While voting records and campaign war-stories are important elements of a presidential profile, an understanding of where the candidate came from – his childhood successes and failures, his transition from adolescence to adulthood – is the most telling. His chapter on Bob Dole’s recovery from his WW II injuries helped those of us who only knew him as the man with the hand awkwardly clutching a pen truly appreciate what that injured limb meant.

To be sure, Cramer did not set out to make these guys look like saints. Far from it. But he wanted us to understand what made them do what only a tiny fraction of Americans will ever do: wake up one day and say “I can be president.”

Get more pure politics at ABCNews.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com

For 10 years, I interviewed House candidates for the Cook Political Report. The most important part of that hour-long interview was the first 15 minutes where I asked them about their stories. Where did they grow up? What did their parents do? Where did they go to high school?

It was in the telling of these stories that the real person – not the well-practiced politician – was revealed. My favorite example is Stephanie Herseth, then a young D.C. lawyer who decided to move back to her native South Dakota to run for the state’s only House seat. Many, including me, were wary that the Georgetown grad could convince parochial South Dakotans that she hadn’t “gone Washington.”

But during our interview, I learned that she raised pheasants as a kid. As a suburban kid myself, I asked what she did with them. “I sold them to the preserve,”  she said. “Oh,” I said, “so they lived on like a farm?”

Um, no, she said, so people could hunt them.

It was at that moment I realized that Herseth (who won the seat that she eventually lost in 2010) could convince South Dakotans that she was not some city slicker trying to buy a seat in the state.

I will always be thankful to Richard Ben Cramer for helping me to remember the importance of humanity in what can be a very dehumanizing process.

Gary Allen/maine2dcrun.com

Gary Allen, an avid runner and Maine resident, is lacing up his sneakers in an attempt to run from Mount Desert Island to the nation’s capital.

Allen hopes to run about 40 to 50 miles per day to complete his 700-mile trek to Washington, D.C., on  Jan. 21, the day of President Obama’s second inauguration.

The run in the dead of winter might seem treacherous, but  Allen is no stranger to the long runs, having completed 20 Boston marathons from 1979 – 2011. Now, Allen is putting his medals aside to run for a few good causes. His journey will benefit The Wounded Warriors Project, The American Cancer Society, and the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.

Get more pure politics at ABCNews.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com

On his blog, Allen voices his support for the Newtown shooting victims saying, “With the sad news coming out of Newtown Ct, a town I will very likely run thru or very near on my run to DC, I have added Sandy Hook Elementary as one of the causes I am raising funds for. Please give whatever you can. Thank You.”

The website, which allows supporters to sponsor his run, encourages tweeters to use the hashtag #ME2DCRUN to follow his journey to meet Mr. Obama at the White House.

Follow his journey HERE

AP Photo/Getty Images

Hours before New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was scheduled to give his state of the state address Tuesday afternoon, a political opponent  claimed the tough-talking governor “prayed and got lucky” that superstorm  Sandy slammed into the Garden State and drove attention away from the New Jersey economy.

In a news conference Monday, Democratic State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, who has talked about taking Christie on in the 2013 gubernatorial race, referred to the state’s high unemployment rate and Christie’s jobs record while making the Sandy dig.

“His jobs package is a hurricane. I guess he prayed a lot and got lucky that a storm came,” said Sweeney, according to NJ.com.

Sweeney then immediately followed up the attack, saying, “I shouldn’t say that. I apologize for saying that.”

Christie’s office responded to Sweeney’s attack by saying, ”It was shocking to hear Sen. Sweeney reduce Hurricane Sandy and its devastation to a heartless partisan attack.”

Get more pure politics at ABCNews.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com

“Ask the thousands of New Jerseyans whose homes or businesses were destroyed or damaged if they view Hurricane Sandy as a partisan political issue, or if this is what they want to hear from their leaders at this time of recovery as we fight for disaster aid in Washington,” Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said in a statement. “No one ‘prayed’ for what New Jersey has endured.”

Drewniak added that Sweeney’s comment was “politics at its worst,” and that Sweeney should be “ashamed” and apologize to the state.

Last week, Christie, who is considered a possible 2016 Republican presidential candidate, drew attention for blasting members of his own party for abandoning a $60 billion relief bill for Sandy victims.

Sweeney’s “prebuttal” to Christie’s address this afternoon immediately drew attacks from Republicans around the state and took away from the main focus of the news conference, which was to  draw attention to the state’s 9.6 percent unemployment rate, the fourth highest in the nation.

Sweeney said he has seriously considered  jumping into the Democratic primary to challenge Christie. State Sen. Barbara Buono, who has been in state government for 20 years, has already announced her intention to run. There had been speculation that Newark Mayor Cory Booker would also jump into the race, but Booker  announced a run for U.S. Senate instead. Last week, Christie’s campaign announced it had hauled in more than $2 million in a 36-day period since the governor announced a run for re-election.

Sweeney did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg/Getty Imag

By MICHAEL FALCONE (@michaelpfalcone) and AMY WALTER (@amyewalter)

NOTABLES:

• EXCLUSIVE: GABBY GIFFORDS, MARK KELLY LAUNCH GUN-CONTROL GROUP. Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly spoke exclusively to “ABC World News” anchor Diane Sawyer about an important new initiative they are launching called “Americans for Responsible Solutions.” ABC’s Alyssa Newcomb reports that the first change the couple hopes to enact is to require a comprehensive background check for the private sale of firearms. “I bought a gun at Walmart recently and I went through a background check. It’s not a difficult thing to do,” Kelly said. “Why can’t we just do that and make it more difficult for criminals and the mentally ill to get guns?” Kelly, a recreational hunter, said he doesn’t believe an extended magazine is necessary for the sport. “An extended magazine is used to kill people,” he said, “lots of people.” Finally, the couple hopes to address the issue of how the mentally ill are treated in the United States. Kelly said, “We have to learn how to identify these people and get them treatment. And we don’t do a very good job at that.” The full interview airs tonight on “World News” – two years to the day after Giffords was shot in a Safeway parking lot in Tucson, Arizona. READ: http://abcn.ws/VPYhbT WATCH: http://abcn.ws/ShKe3a PHOTO: http://abcn.ws/VIeMtE

• MORE ON THEIR NEW EFFORT: The couple writes, in a USA Today Op-Ed: “In response to a horrific series of shootings that has sown terror in our communities, victimized tens of thousands of Americans, and left one of its own bleeding and near death in a Tucson parking lot, Congress has done something quite extraordinary–nothing at all. I was shot in the head while meeting with constituents two years ago today. … Special interests purporting to represent gun owners but really advancing the interests of an ideological fringe have used big money and influence to cow Congress into submission. … Americans for Responsible Solutions, which we are launching today, will invite people from around the country to join a national conversation about gun violence prevention, will raise the funds necessary to balance the influence of the gun lobby, and will line up squarely behind leaders who will stand up for what’s right.” http://usat.ly/UDJN3P

• UPDATE ON GIFFORDS’ RECOVERY: In their interview with Diane Sawyer, Giffords herself, acknowledges that while she has made a remarkable recovery since the Jan. 2011 shooting, she still has a long way to go. “Physical therapy, yoga, speech therapy,” she said. Giffords also has a new companion, a service-dog named Nelson. The former congresswoman, who loved being active outdoors before the shootings, has been able to slowly ease back into some of her favorite activities. She’s been able to ride a horse and hopes to take a bike ride soon with Kelly on a tandem bike he is getting modified.

• BLOOMBERG WORKING WITH BIDEN’S GUN TASK FORCE. ABC’s Arlette Saenz reports: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, one of the country’s most outspoken proponent of new gun laws, told reporters today his office is advising Vice President Joe Biden’s task force on gun control legislation. “We sent some of our people down to Washington, and we had some people on the phone to give Joe Biden our ideas,” Bloomberg said at a press conference in New York City this morning. A spokesman for Bloomberg confirmed the New York City mayor has spoken with Biden about gun legislation since the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Bloomberg is promoting a number of legislative and executive initiatives to develop new gun laws.   He is calling for legislation that would require criminal background checks on all gun sales, limit high capacity magazines and “military style assault” weapons, and make gun trafficking a felony. http://abcn.ws/Zz85NH

THE NOTE:

In the tug-of-war over the fiscal cliff both sides had to find room to compromise, but in the first ABC News-Washington Post poll since the deal was struck, President Obama appears to be winning the war for public opinion.

Overall, 52 percent of Americans said they approve of the president’s handling of the negotiations to avert the cliff, compared to 37 percent who disapprove. Meanwhile, House Speaker John Boehner’s ratings are upside down, with 31 percent approving of his performance on the cliff talks and 51 percent disapproving.

“Boehner lacks majority approval for his work on the fiscal cliff talks from any group,” notes ABC News polling analyst Greg Holyk. “And while Obama breaks even on intensity of sentiment, strong approval of Boehner’s performance falls to the single digits.”

Of the deal itself — which raised income tax rates on wealthy Americans but put off some tough choices on other fiscal matters for just a matter of months — 45 percent in today’s ABC News-Washington Post poll said they approve of the agreement while 38 percent disapprove. Another 17 percent of Americans remain undecided.

More findings from the poll:

–Among Democrats, 81 percent approve of President Obama’s handling of the talks, including 44 percent who approve “strongly.”

–Among Republicans, Speaker Boehner received 38 percent approval overall, and just 10 percent strong approval.

–Political independents split about evenly on the deal itself (40 percent approve, 44 percent disapprove and 16 percent don’t know) and on Obama’s handling of negotiations, but most (52 percent) disapprove of Boehner’s performance.

Full ABC News-Washington Post poll results: http://abcn.ws/U0nCRI

NOTED!

ABC’s AMY WALTER: For those of us who are true political junkies, Richard Ben Cramer’s tome on the election of 1988, “What It Takes’, is our bible. Unlike political journalism of today, however, it focused more on the profiles of the men who wanted to be president and less on the process of campaigning. Cramer dug into their past, tracking their childhood scars and successes and reminding us of the humanity involved in this sometimes dehumanizing experience.

ABC’s RICK KLEIN: You can’t understand Chuck Hagel or John Kerry without understanding Vietnam. And you can’t understand President Obama’s foreign policy and national security mission for his second term without understanding what Vietnam means to the two men who will (Senate-willing) be the most prominent parts of his team. It’s not just the vision of Hagel and Kerry that the president is seeking — it’s their credibility during a time of winding down wars, downsizing the military, and confronting new threats in what all three men hope will be non-traditional ways. That will be the clear subtext in confirmation hearings, particularly Hagel’s, as Obama turns to two former colleagues for backup on Defense.

IN THE NOTE’S INBOX:

–INAUGURATION UPDATE: The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced today that Myrlie Evers-Williams, the widow of Medgar Evers, has been selected to deliver the invocation and Rev. Louie Giglio, the pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta, has been selected to deliver the benediction at the Inaugural swearing-in ceremony of President Obama and Vice President Biden on Jan. 21. “Vice President Biden and I are honored that Myrlie Evers-Williams and Rev. Louie Giglio will participate in the Inaugural ceremony,” President Obama said today. “Their voices have inspired many people across this great nation within the faith community and beyond. Their careers reflect the ideals that the Vice President and I continue to pursue for all Americans – justice, equality, and opportunity.”

THE BUZZ:

with ABC’s Chris Good (@c_good)

CHUCK HAGEL PUSHBACK: GROUPS SAY HE’S ANTI ISRAEL, ANTI GAY. Now that President Obama has announced Hagel as his pick despite all the backlash against him, pushback from Israel and gay groups  has begun anew. The Bill-Kristol-counded Emergency Committee for Israel posted a new website attacking Hagel — www.chuckhagel.com. The Anti-Defamation League, a group founded in 1913 to fight anti-Semitism, doesn’t sound too excited. The group’s president, Abraham Foxman, released a statement that read, in part: “I trust that the confirmation process will provide an opportunity for Senator Hagel to address concerns about his positions, which seem so out of sync with President Obama’s clear commitment on issues like Iran sanctions, isolating Hamas and Hezbollah and the president’s strong support for a deepening of U.S. Israel strategic cooperation. I particularly hope Senator Hagel will clarify and explain his comments about the ‘Jewish Lobby’ that were hurtful to many in the Jewish Community.” Hagel’s 1998 anti-gay comment about an ambassadorial nominee hasn’t faded, either. The gay GOP group Lob Cabin Republicans took out a full-page A7 ad in today’s Washington Post, surfacing a timeline of Hagel’s anti-gay record. http://abcn.ws/Wp4afs

HAGEL: REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS REACT. The new Cabinet nominee has his supporters, detractors, and those in the middle. Colin Powell: “”I wholeheartedly endorse President Obama’s nomination of former Senator Chuck Hagel to be the next Secretary of Defense.” Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer: “Chuck Hagel, as a former colleague and a patriot with a decorated service record, has earned the right to nothing less than a full and fair process in the Senate. I look forward to fully studying his record and exploring his views.” GOP House Majority Leader Eric Cantor: “Senator Chuck Hagel is the wrong man for the job at such a pivotal time.” http://abcn.ws/ZzhXqT

KARZAI TO THE WHITE HOUSE. With the U.S. withdrawing troops from Afghanistan on its 2014 timeline, Afgha president Hamid Karzai will come to the White House on Friday. The White House announcement, via ABC’s Devin Dwyer: “President Obama will host President Hamid Karzai and his delegation at the White House for bilateral meetings on Friday, January 11. President Obama looks forward to welcoming the Afghan delegation to Washington, and discussing our continued transition in Afghanistan, and our shared vision of an enduring partnership between the United States and Afghanistan.”

JOHN BRENNAN TO FACE QUESTIONS ON INTERROGATION. The Hill’s Carlo Munoz reports: President Obama’s pick to head the CIA could face a rough road to confirmation in the Senate due to his involvement in the ‘enhanced interrogation’ techniques of the George W. Bush administration. The president on Monday announced he would nominate John Brennan, the White House’s counterterrorism chief, to lead the top spy agency following the recent departure of David Petraeus. … Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he has ‘many questions and concerns’ about Brennan’s role in overseeing the interrogation programs, ‘as well as his public defense of those programs. I plan to examine this aspect of Mr. Brennan’s record very closely as I consider his nomination,’ said McCain in a statement Monday.” http://bit.ly/VQdg5K

FIRST CONTESTED GOP PRIMARY SHAPES UP. Via National Review’s Jim Geraghty, the Elk Valley Times reports: “Jim Tracy, who currently represents state senatorial district 14, announced his candidacy for Congress Wednesday at the famed Reeves-Sain Pharmacy in Murfreesboro. Tracy, a small business owner and conservative state senator, said he was running for Congress because government is both financially and morally bankrupt, and in order to get America back on the right track, the country needs leaders of character and integrity with a core belief in conservative principles serving in Congress. ‘I am running for Congress because our government is broken–morally and financially,’ said Tracy (Rep., Shelbyville). ‘I am a conservative in word and deed. I have lived my life both personally and professionally in a way that is consistent with my core conservative values.’ … Tracy will face incumbent Dr. Scott DesJarlais in the August 2014 primary.”http://bit.ly/XI6AMN

CLINTON BACK TO WORK, PLANS TO TESTIFY. The LA Times’ Morgal Little reports: “Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton returned to work Monday, following a lengthy absence caused by a series of health-related concerns.Clinton will be leaving her post shortly, with Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) expected to take her place. But before that happens, the State Department confirmed that she intends to testify on the consulate attack in Benghazi, Libya, as the sitting secretary. ‘The expectation is that the sequence will work out such that she’ll be able to testify,’ State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said Monday, emphasizing that Clinton’s testimony will be delivered ‘while she is still sitting secretary of State.’” http://bit.ly/XI6AMN

 Get more pure politics at ABCNews.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com

WHO’S TWEETING?

@RonBrownstein: We will all remember the great Richard Ben Cramer who raised campaign reporting to a literary level never again equaled, not even close. RIP

@NKingofDC: Yep, “What It Takes” still awes. But Richard Ben Cramer also wrote one of the best baseball stories ever and won his Pulitzer overseas. Wow.

@GarrettNBCNews: When I got the embed job I was told to read “What It Takes,” and if I didn’t love it, quit. A true classic. RIP Richard Ben Cramer

@GovernorOMalley: I’m deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Richard Ben Cramer. He was a great American, great Marylander & a dear friend.

@jdickerson: Just pulled down my copy of What it Takes in honor of Richard Ben Cramer. RIP pic.twitter.com/gRIMfFe0

Charles Dharapak/AP Photo

Americans give a lukewarm response to last week’s agreement to avoid the fiscal cliff, albeit with higher marks for the deal to President Obama than to House Speaker John Boehner.

More people in this ABC News/Washington Post poll approve than disapprove of the agreement, but just by a 7-point margin, 45 to 38 percent, with a substantial 17 percent undecided. Moreover, intensity is on the negative side: “Strong” critics of the deal outnumber its strong proponents by 2-1.

See PDF with full results, charts and tables here.

At the same time, Obama gets majority approval for his handling of the negotiations, 52-37 percent, while Boehner’s score is reversed – just 31 percent approve of his performance on the cliff talks, while 51 percent disapprove. Boehner’s positive score is up 6 percentage points from a month ago, but remains a broad 21 points behind the president’s.

Among those who favor the agreement, twice as many approve of Obama’s handling of the negotiations than Boehner’s, 86 vs. 43 percent. Indeed, this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, finds that Boehner lacks majority approval for his work on the fiscal cliff talks from any group. And while Obama breaks even on intensity of sentiment, strong approval of Boehner’s performance falls to the single digits.

Tellingly, among Democrats, 81 percent approve of Obama’s handling of the talks, including 44 percent who approve “strongly.” But among Republicans, Boehner gets just 38 percent approval overall, and a mere 10 percent strong approval.

The inclusion of tax increases for high-income Americans is likely a factor. People who describe themselves as “very” conservative are negative across the board – 67, 66 and 57 percent, respectively, disapprove of the deal, Obama’s work on it and Boehner’s role as well. Boehner gets roughly the same level of disapproval from very conservatives as he does from liberals.

Political independents, for their part, split about evenly on the deal itself and on Obama’s handling of negotiations, but most disapprove of Boehner’s performance.

Approval of the deal itself surpasses disapproval among groups including women, nonwhites and lower- to middle-income adults. Men, whites, seniors, college grads and those with $50,000-plus incomes are more evenly divided.

Still, as noted, strong criticism of the deal surpasses strong support, 25 percent vs. 12 percent. That’s largely because strong disapproval jumps to 50 percent among very conservatives, 45 percent among Republicans and 40 percent among people in the $100,000-plus income bracket.

METHODOLOGY – This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by landline and cell phone Jan. 2-6, 2013, among a random national sample of 1,000 adults. Results have a margin of sampling error of 4 points. The survey was produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates of New York, N.Y., with sampling, data collection and tabulation by SSRS/Social Science Research Solutions of Media, Pa.

image credit: Nati Harnik/AP Photo

The pushback against Chuck Hagel, President Obama’s new nominee for secretary of Defense, has been swift and sustained.

Almost as soon as Hagel’s name was floated on background as a likely nominee, Israel and gay-rights advocates sprang to criticize the former Republican senator and noted Iraq war critic. He voted against Iran sanctions, and the Republican Jewish Coalition aired a long list of grievances that reads like a point-by-point antithesis of what staunch Israel backers would look for in a Cabinet official: with his name missing from a series of lawmaker letters, Hagel was on the wrong side of issues from Hezbollah to Hamas to Iran’s nuclear program, the RJC said.

And in 1998, Hagel made an anti-gay comment about ambassadorial nominee Jim Hormel, opposing him as “openly aggressively gay.” Hagel apologized last month.

Now that Obama has announced Hagel as his pick despite all the backlash against him, that backlash has begun anew.

The Emergency Committee for Israel, the Bill-Kristol-founded Israel group that typically takes a hawkish line and airs campaign ads against Democrats, has posted a new website attacking Hagel — www.chuckhagel.com — urging readers to call their senators and oppose his nomination. The site hosts a trove of opposition research on Hagel’s votes, plus the ad ECI already aired opposing Hagel on cable TV in the Washington, D.C., area last month.

The Anti-Defamation League, a group founded in 1913 to fight anti-Semitism, doesn’t sound too excited. The group’s president, Abraham Foxman, released a statement that began with the conciliatory note of respecting Obama’s prerogative, but continued with criticism.

“I trust that the confirmation process will provide an opportunity for Senator Hagel to address concerns about his positions, which seem so out of sync with President Obama’s clear commitment on issues like Iran sanctions, isolating Hamas and Hezbollah and the president’s strong support for a deepening of U.S. Israel strategic cooperation,” Foxman wrote. “I particularly hope Senator Hagel will clarify and explain his comments about the ‘Jewish Lobby’ that were hurtful to many in the Jewish Community.”

Hagel’s 1998 anti-gay comment hasn’t faded, either.

The gay GOP group Lob Cabin Republicans took out a full-page A7 ad in today’s Washington Post, surfacing a timeline of Hagel’s anti-gay record.

But Hagel also has his defenders, as well as those who might just be willing to hear him out, among gay-rights groups and Israel lobbyists.

Notably, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which gained prominence in the gay-rights community during the “don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal push, released a measured statement from Executive Director Allyson Robinson, stating that “if confirmed, [Hagel] will be an effective leader for the Pentagon,” while calling on him to fully endorse gay rights in the military.

Compiled by ABC News’ Jayce Henderson, Amanda VanAllen and Carrie Halperin

INAUGURATION
ABC News’  Mathew Lartonda: “Oops: Ticketmaster Mixup Sells Out Obama Inaugural Ball Early” After an inadvertent early sale of tickets to events surrounding President Obama’s second inauguration, some of the celebration festivities sold out even before they were supposed to go on sale. Public sales for the inaugural ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and the day’s parade were scheduled to be released this morning on Ticketmaster. But in an email to waiting buyers released by the vendor today, Ticketmaster admitted that sales inadvertently went up Sunday, a day early. LINK

BRENNAN
The Wall Street Journal’s Siobhan Gorman:  “A Trusted Adviser on Terror” In choosing Brennan to be the next CIA director, Obama is turning to a trusted deputy and architect of the administration’s war against radical adversaries. In choosing John Brennan to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency, President Barack Obama is turning to a trusted deputy and architect of the administration’s unconventional, covert war against radical adversaries. LINK

CHUCK HAGEL
The Hills’ Jeremy Herb: “Obama nominates Hagel for Pentagon, picking fight with GOP” President Obama on Monday nominated former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) to be the nation’s next Defense secretary despite warnings of a tough confirmation fight from some Senate Republicans. “Chuck Hagel is the leader that our troops deserve,” Obama said from the White House. “He is an American patriot.” LINK

The Washington Times’ Shaun Waterman: “Bipartisan blows stand 
between Brennan and 
post at helm of CIA” Republicans are suspicious of John O. Brennan’s refusal to link the words “Islamic” and “terrorism” in the same breath as President Obama’s chief counterterrorism adviser. Democrats complain that he supported torture against suspected terrorists when he served in the CIA during the George w. Bush administration. LINK

The Boston Globe’s Bryan Bender: “In Chuck Hagel and John Kerry, a wariness of war” President Obama’s nomination of Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense, coupled with his pick of Senator John F. Kerry for secretary of state, puts two Vietnam veterans known for their deeply cautious approach to the use of military force at the helm of American defense and foreign policy, providing a window into a world view that would be a centerpiece of the next four years. LINK

The Washington Post’s Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten: “Chuck Hagel nomination creates rare partisan fight over Pentagon post” The nomination of former senator Chuck Hagel to lead the Pentagon has set in motion a highly unusual campaign-style brawl over a Cabinet post long considered above politics. Supporters and opponents are raising money and building political organizations in anticipation of a grueling and contentious Senate confirmation process. LINK

HILLARY CLINTON
The Los Angeles Times’ Morgan Little: “Clinton returns to work, plans to testify on Benghazi attack” Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton returned to work Monday, following a lengthy absence caused by a series of health-related concerns. Clinton will be leaving her post shortly, with Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) expected to take her place. LINK

DEBT-CEILING
The New York Daily News’ Kristen A. Lee: “Trillion-dollar coin could let President Obama bypass debt-ceiling impasse” Could another standoff over the nation’s debt ceiling be avoided with some loose change? Advocates for a new trillion dollar platinum coin don’t find that idea so outlandish. New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler is the most prominent politician arguing that minting a trillion dollar coin to pay some of the nation’s debt is a better option than another fight over raising the U.S. debt ceiling that could result in default. LINK

JOHN BRENNAN
Politico’s Josh Gerstein: “Brennan pick revives leaks dispute” The bitter election-year battle over alleged White House leaks of national security secrets is heating up again — this time fueled by President Barack Obama’s pick for CIA director. Obama’s nomination of counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to lead the CIA is reviving long-simmering claims that the president’s aides leaked classified information to bolster his reelection chances. LINK

OTHER / A.I.G.
The New York Times’ Ben Protess and Michael J. De La Merced: “Rescued by a Bailout, A.I.G. May Sue Its Savior” Fresh from paying back a $182 billion bailout, the American International Group has been running a nationwide advertising campaign with the tagline “Thank you America.” Behind the scenes, the restored insurance company is weighing whether to tell the government agencies that rescued it during the financial crisis: thanks, but you cheated our shareholders. LINK

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                                                                                         (Image Credit: AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Vice President Joe Biden, cabinet members and senior staff are preparing to hold meetings this week with a number of groups focused on the problem of gun violence.

Officials in the vice president’s office say Biden will hold meetings with victims’ groups and gun-safety organizations Wednesday, and he will meet with advocates for sportsmen and women and gun ownership groups, including the National Rifle Association, Thursday.

In addition to such groups, Biden will meet with representatives from the entertainment and video game industries and hold conference calls with elected officials across the country.

Gabby Giffords Fights Back on Gun Violence

Education Secretary Arne Duncan is set to meet with teacher, parent and education groups while Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will meet with mental health and disability advocates.  Senior staff will continue to meet with a wide array of groups working on gun control.

Get more pure politics at ABCNews.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com.

Officials in the vice president’s office say Biden will make recommendations to the president about how to proceed with new gun legislation shortly after he concludes the meetings with the groups.

A spokesman for the NRA confirmed to ABC News that a representative from the group will attend the meeting with Biden on Thursday.

“We got an invite late Friday from the WH.  We are sending a representative to hear what they have to say,” Andrew Arulanandam, spokesman for the NRA, said via e-mail.

A week after the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the NRA called for placing armed police officers in every school.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is a major supporter of new gun legislation, told reporters Monday that his office is advising Biden’s task force, which was formed in the wake of the massacre last month at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

The Washington Post reported this weekend that Biden’s task force is considering a broader approach to gun legislation than simply reinstating the assault weapon ban.

Some of the options under consideration include a comprehensive background check program, a more in depth national database for the sale of weapons, creating stronger penalties for people who carry guns near schools and developing stronger mental-health check programs.

This post has been updated.

President Obama Taps Chuck Hagel for Defense, John Brennan for CIA (full wrap from Devin Dwyer and Jon Karl) – http://abcn.ws/Zz6sj8

Who is Chuck Hagel? – He’s a two-time purple heart recipient, Vietnam veteran and Nebraska native son. He’d be the first man who saw combat as an enlisted man to become Secretary of Defense. But critics are concerned he’s not strong enough in his support for Israel and fault him for opposing the end of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. (Chris Good & Sarah Parnass) http://abcn.ws/VKoKbu

Hagel says what he thinks: he backed McCain over Bush in 2000. His silence backed Obama over McCain in 2008.  He’s that rare breed of  politician who seems capable of equally aggravating powerful people on both sides of the aisle.

This was the strongest statement against him today – “Senator Hagel’s views and inflammatory statements about Israel are well outside the mainstream and raise well-founded doubts that he can be trusted to manage the special relationship the United States shares with our greatest Middle East ally.” (Eric Cantor) http://abcn.ws/ZzhXqS

Side note – serving with Obama on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was, in hindsight, a good resume builder. (Biden, Kerry, Hagel).

This reporter recalls his upbraiding of colleagues during the debate over the surge.

“If you want a safe job, go sell shoes,” he said at a senate committee hearing in one memorable moment. http://abcn.ws/Wp0nPx

Here’s how John Ullyott, a former Republican SASC spokesman and former Marine officer describes Hagel:

“He was respected as a colleague in the normal Senate tradition, but was somewhat of a Lone Wolf and did not forge the deep personal relationships with his fellow Republicans that would translate into a ready reservoir of support for his nomination.     On top of that, his outspokenness and blunt criticism of several Republican priorities at a critical time, including Iraq and Iran, while sincere and heartfelt, have left him without a natural platform of enthusiasm for his confirmation.”

Blunted so far by Hagel’s nomination is what’s sure to be a vigorous debate over John Brennan and his involvement in Bush administration policy on “enhanced interrogation techniques” and his development of the Obama drone policy, too. Stay tuned to this space for more on that real soon.

Panetta’s Legacy - ABC’s Arlette Saenz reports President Obama’s decision to nominate Chuck Hagel as defense secretary marks the end of a a short but very active tenure for the current Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, a man who has held a breadth of official jobs in Washington – from Congressman to White House Chief of Staff and CIA Director – even as he split time between the nation’s capital and his family’s walnut farm in Monterey, Calif.

At the president’s press conference today announcing his replace, Panetta joked he was going back to that farm to take care of “another kind of nuts.” http://abcn.ws/ZzcUXl

Bloomberg Taking Aim at Gun Violence with Biden’s Task Force – The New York City Mayor sent some of his guys “down to Washington” to push Bloomberg’s ideas on gun laws to the VP. (Arlette Saenz) http://abcn.ws/Zz85NG

Supreme Court Returns Today With Gay Marriage, Affirmative Action, Voting Rights in View - ABC’s Ariane de Vogue reports  justices are already working behind the scenes writing and reviewing draft opinions for cases they heard this fall. http://abcn.ws/Zz6FTl

Greta Van Susteren ‘On the Record’ with ABC – The Fox News host talks about conducting an interview with the President of Romania without a translation and Bo the First Dog’s fashion choices. (Kaye Foley) http://abcn.ws/Zz7GuD

The Secretary Returns – The State Department released a photo of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton back on the job today after she spent weeks sidelined by illness. To celebrate her return, colleagues gave her a standing ovation – and some football gear. (Luis Martinez & Sarah Parnass)

Oops: Ticketmaster Accidentally Sells Out Obama Inaugural Ball – Every single ticket was snatched up before they were even scheduled to go on sale, thanks to a mixup Sunday when the ticket sales company was testing its email list. (Matthew Larotonda) http://abcn.ws/TYyAaj

U.S. Spends More on Immigration than Other Criminal Enforcements – A report released today shows that dollar-for-dollar, immigration is by far the federal government’s top priority when it comes to federal criminal enforcement. Adjusted for inflation, the federal budget for immigration enforcement has grown from $1.2 billion in 1986 to $17.9 billion in 2012, with stark increases since the formation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2002. Meanwhile, apprehensions at the border have fallen to levels not seen in more than 40 years. In the 2011 fiscal year, apprehensions dropped to 340,252, the lowest level since 1970. Net migration from Mexico has dropped to zero and may be going in reverse, meaning that more Mexican immigrants may be leaving the United States than are entering it. While enforcement plays a role in that decline, the migration numbers have also been affected by a sluggish U.S. economy, a growing Mexican middle class and shrinking fertility rates among Mexican women. More from Univision’s immigration editor Ted Hesson:http://abcn.ws/SgDqTf