Chuck Hagel is not my dream nominee (let’s face it, he’s still a conservative), but he has a saner perspective on the Middle East than anyone else that’s qualified — which is the reason progressives should support him. But for the first time, a secretary of defense nominee is being filibustered — thanks to Grumpy McCain and Harry Reid’s chronic enabling of the minority. Will the administration have the votes? They’re not so sure anymore:
(CNN) – Multiple administration officials tell CNN the White House sent a letter to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin in response to Republican senators asking for answers on the terror attack against a U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi last year.
The three GOP senators-Sens. Lindsey Graham, John McCain and Kelly Ayotte–had demanded answers about the attack in a letter Tuesday to the Obama administration before committing to vote on Chuck Hagel’s nomination for defense secretary. Graham had publicly stated that he was specifically asking whether President Obama called Libyan officials to help the night of the attack on the consulate in Benghazi.
Meanwhile, McCain told CNN Thursday morning that he had not yet seen the White House’s letter.
The administration has been wary of responding–saying the GOP keeps moving goal posts–but the response is a sign they are losing patience and getting nervous about the Hagel nomination.
Hagel, who’s battled his way through a rocky nomination process, faces an uncertain outcome during the Senate’s critical vote on Friday, as Democrats attempt to break a potential GOP filibuster of the defense secretary nominee.
Doubts were raised Wednesday after McCain said he was reconsidering his pledge not to filibuster Hagel because the Obama administration was refusing to provide key details about the president’s actions on the night of the attack in Libya.
McCain’s vote is important because he is one of the leading Republicans on military matters and other senators are expected to follow his lead. But he was also one of just five GOP senators who publically announced they would not filibuster Hagel. If he supports the filibuster, it could be impossible for Hagel to get 60 votes.
Despite earlier optimism that Hagel would get confirmed, senior congressional sources in both parties are now less positive. They told CNN they now are not sure he will get the votes.
Thanks for fixing the filibuster, Harry Reid. How’s that working out…FOR ALL OF US?
That man has got to go!
Will the Dems ever learn how to play hardball? Are they really so stupid as to trust that the Republicans are sane and rational? The Republican Party, as any sentient being knows, is mostly made up of annoying little bugs who need to be squashed out of existence because they never stop their annoying ways. They never stop.
Nuclear option. Chair rules the cloture motion non-germane and the matter proceeds to a vote. Appoint him and let the Republicans try impeachment. Then follow that with a motion to call up the NLRB appointments and the judges. Bury that sucker.
The anti-Hegel crusade illustrates just how especially nuts the special relationship has become. Hegel has made a few statements concerning Israel that most non-partisan listeners would say were entirely reasonable… but in some circles if you depart from the hymn book you might as well be an Al Qaeda affiliate. It’s a form of insanity.
What did the Hagel vote reveal to the American people? 1) That the Zionists and AIPAC (American-Israeli Political Action Committee) are a very powerful bunch. 2) That the Senate must change its filibuster rules. 3) That the Presidents power in all matters is very limited.