Amid objections, Hagel clears first hurdle to confirmation
Former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. / Chip Somodevilla
Hagel clears Senate Armed Services Committee
Former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., President Obama's nominee to succeed Leon Panetta as defense secretary, was confirmed this afternoon by the Senate Armed Services Committee, paving the way for his likely -- if unpleasant -- path to confirmation for the job.
Hagel, whose performance in last week's confirmation hearings was criticized as passive and at times confused, passed along party lines by 14-11 in committee, narrowly clearing the first hurdle to his nomination. For more than two hours before the vote, senators on the committee debated his abilities to lead the Pentagon.
His confirmation now depends on a full Senate vote, which requires majority support. No Democratic senators have signaled an intent to vote against Hagel's confirmation, which means that he should pass that 50-vote threshold. Even if Republicans choose to filibuster Hagel's nomination - which would be historically unprecedented - Democrats would need 60 votes to defeat that move. There are 55 senators who caucus with Democrats; meanwhile, at least five Republican senators have signaled that they would not support a filibuster on Hagel's nomination. Thus, it's likely Democrats would be able to defeat such an attempt.
Still, according to Senate historian Don Ritchie, Republicans who object to Hagel can still throw a wrench in the confirmation process by objecting to requests for unanimous consent and generally imposing infinite delays on the vote.
That's essentially what Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., is planning to do.
"Hagel may be passed out of the committee, but it's going to be a long, long time before he hits the floor," Inhofe told the National Review yesterday. "We're going to need as much time as possible, and there are going to be several of us who will have holds."
"Each day that goes by will make it more difficult for Democrats who say they are pro-Israel to hold out," he said. "I want everyone to be very clear about his past statements and his positions."
Even so, Ritchie says ultimately the Senate can "still operate," despite the "significant" delays a series of holds could impose.
Reid told reporters today he will not honor holds placed by Republican senators, and a Senate Democratic aide tells CBSNews.com they're "not concerned at all" about the threats to derail Hagel's confirmation.
"They know he's going to pass and they're just trying to get the headlines," the aide said, of Hagel's prospects. "There's very little concern on this."
A number of Democrats expressed some initial concerns about Hagel -- particularly with regard to his past positions on Israel and Iran -- but after a series of private meetings with Democratic senators leading up to his confirmation hearings, none of them are expected to vote against him.
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There's nothing these miscreants hate more than an honest man. Any honest man or women..
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But he didn't call it the way it was. Iraq was not another Vietnam and the surge was no mistake. Gates and Petraeus turned a mess into a modest win. I think you're distorting the record out of partisan feeling.
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a modest win?
really?
a trillion dollar debt, mostly to red china. the proceeds of which went into the pockets of littledik cheny's halliburton and a multitude of other bush crony campaign workers and contributors?
4,500 soldiers for what? A small time dictator who was completely bottled up by a no fly zone?
oh
I almost forgot
he threatened shrub's daddy
What has the republican party turned into? Now they want to filibuster a Presidential nomination? Hagel is a decorated republican who actually wore the uniform in combat after volunteering to go to Vietnam. Well I guess the answer is anything and everything to oppose their President, what else to the sore losers have? Certainly not public opinion.
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rzarc2 replies:
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Fundamentally the GOP doesn't "like" the military personnel. They just like to "use" them to promote warfare in the world for the welfare of the military-industrial complex. Simple as that.
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why?
because they are cowards like littledik cheney. Hagel, who has fought in a war will weigh our loss of 4,500 soldiers in Irag instead of littledik who weighed his bank account first and lied to kill them.
John McCain has become a bitter old man.....sad way for him to end his career in the Senate....And, Miss Lindsay is grandstanding it because she's afraid of the tea bagger challenge she's going to get next primary season.
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did you ever hit the nail on the head
the republicans have always been about fear
now they have succumbed to their own fear of the baggers.
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Is Inhofe Oklahoma's or Israel's senator?
Otherwise, John Kerry would have been held up for the self-same reasons.