Republicans Block Hagel's Nomination For Defense Secretary

Senators not cutting their ex-colleague any slack

Chuck Hagel's nomination to be secretary of defense has hit a serious roadblock. Senate Democrats fell short of the 60 votes needed to move forward, throwing the former Nebraska Republican senator's nomination into limbo.

The vote to cut off Senate debate on the nomination was 58-40, with one senator voting present.But Hagel's nomination is not necessarily doomed; the Senate could vote again after next week's Presidents Day recess.

President Barack Obama's choice of Hagel to run the Defense Department has been controversial from the outset. A foreign policy "realist," Hagel made became known a decade ago as a vocal critic of then-President George W. Bush's approach to the Iraq War.

Senators have voiced concern about a series of statements Hagel made about Israel. He has also called for Pentagon cuts, often a tough sell on Capitol Hill.

Politix reporting.

Should Hagel withdraw?

[texas_cutie75]

Honor among thieves!?

[drpeeper]

Are liberals and Democrats willing to sell their souls for … Chuck Hagel

[KyleMFb]

Are you willing to sell your soul??? If you voted republicain in the last 15 years...i regretfully inform you, you sir have sold your soul!!! How anyone can vote for a person thats in a political party that has done nothing but cause trouble for the world over the last 14 years. If you wanna elect people with the same exact policys that ruined our economy (poisiable twice now)then thats on you. just think repubes have done nothing but prevented and by the way still are preventing a strong comeback from their screwup. Today's republicain party is nothing more than finger puppets bought and paid for by the Koch brothers

[drpeeper]

@KyleMFb Wow, you got multiple spelling & Grammar errors and the Koch Brothers all in one post !

I could go on about the CRA lowered Loan standards for years- with banks on the hook. I could mention the overspending by both parties. I could mention 120Billion in Gov't waste a year. I could mention how the Gov't spends 3.5 trillion a year- and they want more of your money because that's not enough- Let alone the trillions from China.

But, since you are an ill informed Democrat voter. I know all of that went over your head.

[KyleMFb]

@drpeeper Im purrtty confident to say i know more about why the things are the way they are its kinda simple and a huge majority of the things that are wrong with this country are bc a republican

[capurafarol]

Thank goodness!! Anyone who saw his interviews could see the guy is an idiot. He was attempting to slide around the issues and questions like a dog itching it's rear end.

[AceLuby]

Shocking... a guy who thinks our military budget is bloated is getting stonewalled. Can't be cutting our $900 BILLION dollar budget now, can we? Might show 'weakness' if we don't spend money on bombs like a drunken sailor in a whorehouse.

[DARSB]

He was right about Iraq, there's no question spending over half the fed budget on defense is crazy (although GOP foot dragging on the sequester will probably lead to indiscriminate cuts that may well damage force readiness), and he's not convinced of Israel's infallibility.

Other than he's a former enlisted man being blocked by two former officers (I believe Sen Graham's in the inactive reserves) I can't understand the resistance.

[NTBFW]

I quit worrying about the budget. All we have to do is tax the greedy rich. That's the answer to all our money problems.

[bsking]

@NTBFW yeah then we need to grow the middle class so we can tax the hell out of them too.

[bsking]

Iran has endorsed him... does that clear anything up for you?

[NTBFW]

@bsking I know.

[DARSB]

@bsking Well, it does establish your support of the idea that Iranian press releases have influence inside the Senate. I wouldn't expect that to be a popular view.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

I have conflicted emotions about this. I know the rabid spineless liberal that is obama would only nominate someone far worse than Hagel, should he not get confirmed at all.

We know Hagel is horrid, but obama would nominate someone like Rachel Maddow. Yes, yes he would. obama is not happy, he does rest good at night unless he is plotting our destruction. Half of me just wishes Hagel gets nominated. At least we know what kind of incompetence we are dealing with in him.

[Chromalord]

hmm, I guess the hurt feelings of McCain was enough to trump the head of the joint chiefs of staff, Colin Powell, and even YES Mitch McConnell !! In 2007 Mitch McConnell headlined two fundraisers for Chuck Hagel, calling him "one of the premier foreign policy voices " in the Senate, and said in an interview following his remarks that Hagel had been right about Iraq. Still think the GOP has your best interest at heart?

[Vance1]

Republicans Block Hagel's Nomination For Defense Secretary....GOOD!!!
The man is a complete and utter idiot!!

[zachsquatch]

He's not the man for the job. He's already let his colors show in the past and he's doing what he can to spray paint over it. I'm not picking on him exclusively, I think that maybe five people in DC are truly qualified for the positions they're in.

[JamesR]

It's about time these people are held to account.

[ASISEEIT2]

I Agree, its time for the republicn party to stand against this Obama radical administration

[Clara007]

@ASISEEIT2
Now that's funny....like the GOP has NEVER stood against Obama....oh, except for every thing, every time, in every way. This is just plain nuts and confirms what the electorate knows. The Grand Old Party is a dysfunctional group of old, wealthy, white guys who are still crowing 'one term president'.....and they want to win the presidency?? At this rate? when hell freezes over.

[ASISEEIT2]

@Clara007 I know that you and the politically correct leftists think that Obama is the long-awaited messiah but in reality Obama has proven to have been the most divisive president of any who have held that office. Obama and his aministration have promoted class animosity,stired up racial discord by continuing to probe at old racial wounds between the races which, over time, would have healed if they had been left alone but Obama and other race baiters have gained by making sure that racial wounds remained open and were constant sores of contention.
Booker T. Washington spoke of such race baiters when he wrote this,"There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs and the hardships of the Negro race
before the public. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances because they do not want to lose their jobs. There is a certain class
of race-problem solvers who don't want the patient to get well. "
And if keeping racial tentions alive and festering, weren't enough for the Obama team, they actively ginned up hatred and envy for those in America who had been successful in life and had became wealthy through their own efforts.
But as Obama proclaimed to those who were successful,"If you have a successful business, you didn't build that..."
The Obama liberal democrats should heed the wise words and counsel of William Boetcker who said,"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot lift the wage-earner by pulling down the wage-payer. You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich...." You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative
and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could
and should do for themselves."
You made the following comment denoting your dislike and liberal discriination against the white race and the elderly in particular when you said,"The Grand Old Party is a dysfunctional group of "old, wealthy, white guys" and you as a liberal,politically correct, tolerant democrat to say this, is most revealing indeed.

[Clara007]

@ASISEEIT2
Wow! I'm not sure how you morphed from Hagel's nomination to racism/Booker T/class warfare, but you did a whiz bang job AND I have to honestly say I reread everything three times trying to find something I could agree with, but NOPE...didn't agree with anything you posted. First let's put to bed the whole ludricrous notion that Liberals think Obama is the "annointed one". Obama is a flawed politician with a huge ego. He's certainly no messiah. Next, let's tackle this whole divisiveness thingy. So you state this:(Obama) "the most divisive president of any who have held that office". Really? Obviously you've been watching too much Fox. Obama can't hold a candle to two of his predecessors--FDR and LBJ. FDR made some shocking comments like "the federal government will have to help take care of those who are suffering". He proposed social programs, social security, public works and (cringe) UNIONS. In 1934 business leaders attacked FDR for stoking "class conflict". FDR had something to say about that: "Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me -- and I welcome their hatred." LBJ faced the same attacks...for distributing funds to groups they called radical organizations and spending government money on urban populations. In 1964, Republican candidate Barry Goldwater said the War on Poverty was an attempt to "divide Americans." Now on to racism. Did you know that in 1958 just 38% of Americans polled said they would vote for a black president? Believe it or not Gallup had never even asked the question before1958. By 2012, the Gallup Poll reported that 96 percent of Americans said that they would vote for a well-qualified black candidate nominated by their party. Now I'm not saying that there isn't lingering racial resentment but it's on the wane and you can thank Obama for that. There is NOTHING racially inadequate or divisive about his presidency. Whew--what else? Oh yeah. When I posted the "old, wealthy, white guys" I wasn't stating an opinion. I was stating a fact. Have you looked at the most recent photo of the 19 GOP committee chairs? And the "you didn't build that"? Obama said "If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges." Obama was right.

[ASISEEIT2]

@Clara007

[Jack-Black]

One word.....GOOD

[jessejaymes]

Hagel is just a pawn here. This is the first showdown with the GOP since Obama was reelected. This can't possibly help the GOP regardless of outcome and it will hurt them if they lose and Hagel is confirmed. The general public doesn't give a damn who is SOD but what they do hear is more obstructionism and they have to wonder FOR WHAT? since they don't follow politics closely. This is a stupid thing for the GOP to be doing.

[OhWiseOne]

The most powerful lobbying group in D.C. is AIPAC. They control our foreign policy in the Middle East completely. They have few dissenters in the media because if you dare bring up how much influence they have you will be called anti-Semetic and lose your job. Ask Pat Buchanan. He is the only person I know of who dares to call them out.

[Hireman]

He was as coherent at his hearing as Clint Eastwood at the RNC convention.

[ASISEEIT2]

Is this the test to determine if Hagel is competent to be in charge of the defense department .Clint Eastwood is a actor, Hagel is a clown,neither one is ualifed to be Secretary of Defense, although I would vote for Clint Eastwood to be Secretary of defense,he has shown that he could recognize and knew how to deal with the bad guys....

[Hireman]

@ASISEEIT2 As you say, Eastwood is an actor. This makes him no more or no less qualified than Hagel

[Dan_Tien]

The GOP is holding out for Duke Nukem.

[scotta]

I got the perfect answer. Why don't all the idiots resigne in D.C.

[ASISEEIT2]

If all the Idiots resigned, who would be left to run the government

[scotta]

@ASISEEIT2 the monkeys at the Zoo.

[stephen]

anything to make obama look bad

[ASISEEIT2]

You Posted,"anything to make obama look bad"
Obama doesn't need any help in that regard,he has been been able to make himself "look bad" all by himself.

[stephen]

@ASISEEIT2 thats a fact

[Calfkiller]

In my opinion, Obama put him in due to the fact that he is a Republican. Believing to begin with that Hagel was a flawed choice, he assumed that the right would either not oppose him, or get egg on their faces when his foolish positions on serious issues became apparent. Instead it is Obama who is wiping the yolk off his face, he is know in a position of looking bad for choosing him to begin with, or having to actually give answers for Benghazi, and further tie himself to this man. I don't think Obama ever thought the right would lock up as they have and question this man with more disdain to their inquiries than even the most liberal of appointments.

[Food4thoughts]

Still clinging to Benghazi...ridiculous

[Robbo03712]

Wait so three Americans dying on American soil and a terrorist flag raised over American soil in a concerted terror attack to celebrate the original 9/11 attack is no big deal?

[Food4thoughts]

@Robbo03712
No bigger deal than 7000 soldiers...where's the congressional hearing for them?

[Cheenoguy]

@Food4thoughts
Or the ambassadors who died during Bush's reign of terror?

[Food4thoughts]

@Cheenoguy
Are you placing more value in the life of an ambassador compared to a soldier? What's the exchange rate these days? 10 soldiers for every ambassador? 100? 1000? 7000?

[Cheenoguy]

@Food4thoughts
You misread me. I'm saying if dead ambassadors they've had opportunity to demonstrate that before but haven't.

[ConserveUSA]

There are way too much controversy on Hagel and he needs to know that he is not wanted.