Poll: Hagel support divided on party lines

By Jeremy Herb - 01/15/13 03:50 PM ET

Public support for former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), President Obama’s pick to be the next Defense secretary, is divided on party lines, with a majority of Democrats supporting Hagel and Republicans opposed, according to a new poll.

The Washington Post-ABC News poll released Tuesday found that 42 percent of respondents overall backed the former Nebraska senator, while 24 percent were opposed to Hagel.

A third of respondents had no opinion of the president’s Cabinet pick, who is by no means a household name.

Support for Hagel ran down party lines.

Among Democrats, 61 percent were in favor of Hagel, with just 12 percent opposed. Republicans, meanwhile, are more opposed to Hagel 35 to 28 percent .

Independents also show support for Hagel, with 40 percent backing him and 28 percent opposed.

Hagel has come under fire from pro-Israel groups and others for past statements and positions on Israel, Iran and gay rights.

The poll was conducted Jan. 10-13 and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.5 percentage points.