Ellington

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi, says he will oppose the nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel to be defense secretary.

Wicker is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which will hold confirmation hearings on Hagel's nomination.

Wicker says in a statement that Hagel has a flawed vision for America's role in the world and Hagel's comments have cast doubt on the role he would play as an advocate for a robust defense budget. Wicker says Hagel was an unwise pick for defense secretary.

Wicker says Hagel's record of extreme views makes him an unwise pick for defense secretary.

Hagel, a former Nebraska GOP senator, has been dogged by questions of whether he's soft on Iran and weak in his backing for Israel.