Posted on 02/26/2013 12:36:24 PM PST by SeekAndFind
I told you the yays would be closer to 70 than to 60. Final tally: 71-27. You didn't seriously think these losers would go to the mat to block a nominee just because he's manifestly unqualified, did you?
Eighteen Republicans voted yes, according to Fox's Chad Pergram. The roll of glory:
R's voting to end debate on Hagel: Alexander, Ayotte, Blunt, Burr, Chambliss, Coburn, Cochran, Collins, Corker, Flake, Graham, Hatch ...
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) February 26, 2013
R’s voting to end debate on Hagel (con’t): Johanns, McCain, Murkowski, Sessions, Shelby and Thune.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) February 26, 2013
Remember, Maverick has said publicly that Hagel’s not qualified. He voted for cloture anyway, and now he’ll try to cover his ass by voting no on the completely meaningless final vote for confirmation. NRO’s Dan Foster marvels at the GOP’s heroism:
Hard to overstate the courage of the Senate Republicans who delayed Chuck Hagel’s confirmation by a few days. Think Thermopylae.
— Daniel Foster (@DanFosterNRO) February 26, 2013
The most interesting no vote here was, of course, Rand Paul’s. That’s one I got badly wrong; I thought for sure he’d try to placate the isolationists in his base by voting yes this time after voting no last week. Nope. He stuck to his guns, even though he had political cover to vote yes from no less than interventionist extraordinaire John McCain. Amazing. I think he’ll lose more votes from disaffected Ron Paul fans in 2016 than he’ll gain from mainstream conservatives by opposing Hagel, but oh well. Hope he knows what he’s doing.
Exit question: Was it worth putting up a fuss about Hagel for a few weeks notwithstanding this embarrassing cave by the GOP? Some say no. I’d say yes. Hagel’s chief value to Obama is his party affiliation; he’s supposed to give The One “bipartisan” approval for his defense plans over the next four years. Having Republicans spend a month tearing him up was useful as a way to drain him of that “bipartisan” cred; he ended up being all but excommunicated from the party, even by people who voted yes today. (Recall Susan Collins’s long, long, long critique of Hagel, with her intent to vote for cloture almost a footnote.) He’ll start his tenure as the single weakest member of Obama’s cabinet, which will come in handy when he inevitably carries Obama’s water to the Hill to demand defense cuts. The result is disappointing but the process wasn’t a complete waste of time. Just mostly.
Of course. In the end, they all just go along to get along. They may be the world’s most exclusive club, but they are also the nation’s most despised.
What does it take to get Murkowski to signup as a ‘rat?
Oh good grief, you got played. Likewise, every leftist got played, too.
Hagel is pro-fracking and sits on Chevron’s Board of Directors. His key viewpoint is that the U.S. is safer by becoming less dependent on foreign oil imports.
0bama just conned the Greens into supporting fracking in the U.S.
If Charlie Manson were nominated he would be confirmed.
I disagree. The economy only GOP got played. How is the Defense Secretary going to impact the economy and fracking? The foreign policy problems, however, will be impacted by his new position.
Unqualified or inept, the mentality seems to be... "I'll support you as long as you support me."
My point: Ineptness begets MORE ineptness.
I send my Senate money to the Senate Conservatives Fund
The Senate contrasts with the will of Americans on foreign policy, and serves instead, the will of a few special constituents: leaders in the paradigm of immorality.
Eighteen Republicans voted yes.... cowards all.
Denying his confirmation would have been better than merely 'useful'.
he gets 80-90 to confirm
Vichy Republican traitors. A rope and a lamp post, please.
Hagel is one complete, flaming goofball. He probably reversed himself a dozen times in front of Congress, some of them on the fly. Cut down/defund our military and put this potatohead in charge of the DOD and we are walking a fine line towards tempting other nations to attack us.
We will regret this. 0bama won’t.
Both my RINOs from TN voted to end debate, Alexander and Corker.
Murkowski is a Republican? Who would of known. Scratching my head and making faces...
I send mine to the NRA and have told them so (twice).
The latest request for money survey asked what I would do differently to which I replied: “Tell Karl Rove to take a hike - he’s driving the Tea Party away from the process. The only time he’s ever won anything was by beating 2 weakling Dems and Gore was really close.”
89-10, as I’ve said all along.
The “confirmation after GOP puts up a strong fight” is just the WWE of politics.
Let’s all celebrate the ineptitude of our federal government, as exemplified by Chuck Hagel.
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