Senate GOP filibusters Hagel confirmation
Updated 5:45 p.m. ET
Senate Republicans succeeded in filibustering the confirmation of President Obama's nominee for defense secretary, Chuck Hagel, effectively blocking his confirmation for the time being.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, R-Nev., has scheduled another attempt to break the filibuster for the week of February 24, following a week-long recess when senators will be home for the Presidents' Day state work period.
Reid had originally scheduled votes on Hagel's nomination for Friday but moved the first procedural vote to this afternoon, setting up a showdown between Democrats and Republicans and daring the GOP to block Hagel's confirmation. It takes 60 votes to end a filibuster; Democrats only mustered 58 votes today.
"Just when you think things couldn't get worse, it gets worse," Reid said after the vote. "At times like this, it's nice to have a secretary of defense, not a lame duck."
President Obama, during a Google+ Hangout after the vote, said, "It's unfortunate that this kind of politics intrudes at time when I'm presiding over war in Afghanistan."
Senate Republicans' resistance to move forward on a final confirmation vote for Hagel stems from their sentiment that his appointment is being rushed through; the first step to his confirmation, clearing the Senate Armed Services Committee, occurred Tuesday. And since his confirmation hearing two weeks ago, Republicans have been demanding more answers from Hagel, specifically on his personal finances.
- Amid objections, Hagel clears first hurdle to confirmation
- Cheney: Hagel, Brennan gave "poor" performances in confirmation hearings
Others such as Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., threatened earlier this week to block Hagel's confirmation as a way to try to force the Obama administration to answer his questions about their handling of September's attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
However, the White House responded to Graham today and he said he was satisfied. He added that "unless there is some bombshell, I'd be ready to move on to vote" on Hagel - after the break. Other Republicans including Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., echoed Graham's sentiment.
"I think that during the break is sufficient time to get any additional questions answered and I will vote for cloture on the day we get back, and I believe that enough of my colleagues would do the same," McCain said today.
Earlier today, Reid slammed Republicans today for their vow to filibuster, incorrectly suggesting that current Defense Secretary Leon Panetta would be vacating the position today, leaving the Pentagon without a leader (while Panetta is heading to his California home, he will not step down until Hagel is confirmed as his successor, the Pentagon told CBS News).
That didn't stop Reid from dramatizing the matter.
Reid slams GOP for delaying Hagel vote
"In less than two hours, our country will be without a secretary of defense," Reid incorrectly suggested on the Senate floor today. "Republicans have been telling our troops, you can have a leader later."
Reid noted again today that it is "unprecedented" for the Senate to filibuster a defense secretary nominee. Senate tradition dictates that the president has the prerogative to nominate whomever he chooses for Cabinet positions and that nominees should not be filibustered.
Hagel has "answered exhaustive questions about his record," Reid said. "He has the support of the president of the United States... He has the support of this body, a majority vote of this body... At a time when America faces so many threats... It's tragic they've decided to filibuster this qualified nominee."
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"In the supporting documents he turned over to Senate investigators as part of his confirmation process, Defense Secretary-designate Chuck Hagel did not disclose at least two recent speeches on the subject of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Obama administration sources and lawmakers said Hagel was required to declare to the Senate Armed Services Committee any "formal speeches" he had given since the start of January 2008. That Hagel appears not to have declared the two speeches from 2008 could further jeopardize his nomination with Senate Republicans, who have already threatened to block the nomination because they believe Hagel has not turned over enough financial data."
Hillary Clinton will run in 2016! Bill and Obama are going to Campaign hard for her to guarantee her election.
Ooops, how many Weak Conservatives nerves did I touch?
Most of all nominations by President Obama have been RUSHED thru which explains allot of the incompetence.
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Hey luvmyguns,
According to many recent reports from the U.S. Government, the Hispanic Ethnic Group will become the Majority race in America between 2032 and 2040.
On Nov 6, 2012, Hispanics sent Shockwaves across the Republican Party.
Just imagine 2040 when Hispanics have Absolute Political Power.
All Hispanics are Roman Catholics. The Pope will have Significant Influence in American Politics.
Almost all Hispanics vote for the Democratic Party because of it Socialiam Ideology.
Keep on blaming Obama since you did not learn a thing from the election on Nov 6, 2012.
"...If you consider that obama got almost all of the Afro-American vote, solely because he is black, and almost all of the Mexican American vote, solely because he granted amnesty from justice for millions of their friends and family, that may be part of the disgust.
..."
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Hey Jackk27,
The GOPs in the House and the Senate are right now drafting 'Amnesty Part 2' for all 11 Millions Undocumented Aliens. When they become U.S. Citizens, 71% will vote for the great Democratic Party.
I wonder what really happened on Nov 6, 2012?
Incidentally, 'Amnesty Part 1' in 1986 was the Point of No-Return. I love Republican Ex-President Ronald Reagan.
Hagel is one of their own, toeing their line at every turn. One would think the GOP would love it that Obama would bring in their own and co-opt their plans at every turn, which he has done - from Bush's tax cut extension, putting social security on the table, more corporate welfare, deals for corporate entities, other forms of corporatism, and using Romeny's own people and advisers to make so-called "obamacare", which is another giveaway to big pharma since everyone is now mandated to buy insurance and little was said about how much people would have to pay - so expect rates to go up so these insurance companies can make wall street parasites happier.
There is NO change, until Obama actually does something along the lines of when it was 2003.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpAyan1fXCE
So far, the only thing changed since 2009 was Obama himself. Did it really need 4+ years to use and continue GOP policies and people to show how wrong they are for the country?
(Even in election 2008, reading between his lines, McCain's lines, Ms Clinton's lines, they were all more similar than different...)
Moore whined that if people didn't see his latest movie he'd retire... In a blog post, he said he would not ever run bout would endorse someone he liked. Like OJ looking for the real killer, Moore remains silent.
Moore is the leftwing equivalent to Rush Limbaugh - sits there, winding up his audience, and laughs to the bank with the money they throw at him. And neither of those clods provide any real value to our society. Just feel-good claptrap. PT Barnum and the Pied Piper would be proud.
If you consider that obama got almost all of the Afro-American vote, solely because he is black, and almost all of the Mexican American vote, solely because he granted amnesty from justice for millions of their friends and family, that may be part of the disgust.
If the vote had been split evenly between those two groups, obama would have lost.
So there may be some that are still disgruntled by the fact that obama won because he is black and handed out amnesty from justice for criminals, rather than just being the best man for the job.
Both sides are bought and paid for.
Obama is as much a communist as the GOP TEA Party people that berate him. Maybe if they paid attention to what he did, they would find that even Nixon was more Liberal than Obama could ever be. Obama's channeled Reagan ever since day 1 and it shows... All people need to do is read. Plenty of articles exist.
Even those, from even FOX, that just can't spin the basic truth - Obama even went to Romney's advisers to make so-called "Obamacare", which - at its core - is another giveaway to big insurance. More corporatist riff-raff. Mussolini would be proud that his Axis won World War II in the end...