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Why Did Sen. Rand Paul Vote To Confirm Chuck Hagel? Here’s His Answer
The Blaze ^ | Feb. 27, 2013 | Becket Adams

Posted on 02/28/2013 9:31:14 PM PST by Mozilla

The U.S. Senate voted 58-41 Tuesday to confirm former Nebraska senator Chuck Hagel as America’s new defense secretary, but not without a little controversy.

Four Republican senators backed Hagels’ confirmation: Sens. Thad Cochran (Miss.), Mike Johanns (Neb.), Richard Shelby (Ala.), and Rand Paul (Ky.), as noted yesterday on TheBlaze.

Understandably, Sen. Paul’s vote took some by surprise. After all, didn’t the Kentucky senator vote against cloture before voting for Hagel’s confirmation (answer: Yes).

In an attempt to figure out this apparent contradiction, Fox News Channel’s Bill Hemmer on Wednesday asked the senator about his “aye” vote.

“You helped lead the charge publicly against Chuck Hagel. Yet he you voted to confirm him as Defense Secretary. He was sworn two hours ago at the Pentagon. Why the vote to favor him?” Hemmer asked.

“I filibustered him twice because I wanted more information, and I think when Republicans stick together we could get information. I was disappointed several on my side after they filibustered him immediately announced they wouldn’t continue the filibuster so we never got the information,” said Sen. Paul.

“I’m the same way on Brennan. I want more information on drone strikes in America. On final passage though I take the position that the president does have some leeway and some prerogative in who he appoints to political appointees.

“So I would like to get as much information as we can. I will stick with the party, if the party will stick together to try to get more information. In the end I voted for John Kerry also although I agree with almost nothing that John Kerry represents,” he added.

So there you have it. Sen. Paul voted against cloture because, according to him, he was angling to get more information on President Obama’s nominee and he voted to confirm Hagel because the president has some “leeway” with his appointees.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; US: Kentucky; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: mississippi; mitchmcconnell; randpaul; randsconcerntrolls; rino; sellout; teaparty; thadcochran; thekycandidate; waronterror
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1 posted on 02/28/2013 9:31:20 PM PST by Mozilla
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To: Mozilla

Sounds pretty weak, to me.


2 posted on 02/28/2013 9:34:51 PM PST by Signalman
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To: Mozilla

just a matter of picking your battles. Hagels past comments on Israel, etc are irrelevant as SecDef. US policy with Israel isn’t the SecDef’s job, it’s the Presidents.


3 posted on 02/28/2013 9:39:54 PM PST by bigbob
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To: Signalman

It is weak. Sen. Paul told reporters Tuesday he never got the information he was looking for on Hagel anyways. What a bunch of crock from him.


4 posted on 02/28/2013 9:42:07 PM PST by Mozilla
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To: Mozilla

Don’t they always have an answer?

You know what? I’m sick of this sheet. I don’t care about their excuses, their answers.

When does OUR opinion count?


5 posted on 02/28/2013 9:47:54 PM PST by KittenClaws (You may have to fight a battle more than once in order to win it." - Margaret Thatcher)
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To: Mozilla

“In the end I voted for John Kerry also although I agree with almost nothing that John Kerry represents,” he added.

Keep it up and we won’t need to have elections *or* political parties any more. Gotta love the reasoning. Like father, like son...?


6 posted on 02/28/2013 9:50:08 PM PST by Attention Surplus Disorder (This stuff we're going through now, this is nothing compared to the middle ages.)
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To: bigbob

You got that right, bro. Rand’s vote was totally irrelevant anyway. The rats have a solid majority in the senate. And I agree that a president should have the cabinet he/she wants. We do not elect the cabinet. We elect the president. When a person wins presidency, he/she should have the privilege to select his cabinet.

Not that proper protocol would shame future democrap votes for a republican president’s nominees. But GOP should set an example regardless of the shameless democraps.


7 posted on 02/28/2013 9:55:46 PM PST by entropy12 (The republic is doomed when people figure out they can get free stuff by voting democrats)
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To: Mozilla

8 posted on 02/28/2013 10:00:00 PM PST by South40
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To: Mozilla

Judge a man by his actions and not his words. This is easy to judge, therefore.


9 posted on 02/28/2013 10:03:33 PM PST by Olog-hai
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To: Mozilla

That was lame, he could have just skipped it if he didn’t have anything to say.


10 posted on 02/28/2013 10:10:30 PM PST by ansel12 (Romney is a longtime supporter of homosexualizing the Boy Scouts (and the military).)
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To: Mozilla

There is “yes” and there is “no”. But if you don’t have enough
information then why not invoke the third option? Come
re-election time the “not enough information” can explain an
abstention better than it can a “yes” vote.


11 posted on 02/28/2013 10:15:23 PM PST by Sivad (Nor Cal Red Turf)
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To: Mozilla

“In the end I voted for John Kerry also although I agree with almost nothing that John Kerry represents,”

Like his father , he plays all sides against the middle.


12 posted on 02/28/2013 10:18:33 PM PST by NoLibZone (We have the nation we deserve. I predict FR will hate GOP Candidate for 2016 , because of his shoes.)
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To: Mozilla

"The Hagel Unit will disclose the information."


Rand Paul just lost a lot of respect and credibility.


13 posted on 02/28/2013 10:23:45 PM PST by shibumi (Cover it with gas and set it on fire.)
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To: Mozilla

Sen. Paul voted against cloture because, according to him, he was angling to get more information on President Obama’s nominee and he voted to confirm Hagel because the president has some “leeway” with his appointees.


Say What>.... bull pellets...


14 posted on 02/28/2013 10:35:52 PM PST by hosepipe (This propaganda has been edited to include some fully orbed hyperbole..)
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To: hosepipe

We’re going to be the faithfull followers for just so long, right?


15 posted on 02/28/2013 10:48:09 PM PST by KittenClaws (You may have to fight a battle more than once in order to win it." - Margaret Thatcher)
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To: Mozilla

“The fact that Hagel hates Jews just didn’t bother me as much as it bothers some conservatives,” added Paul.


16 posted on 02/28/2013 10:54:20 PM PST by Yaelle
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To: NoLibZone

I am sooo sick of gov’t by FREAKOUT!

I am sooo sick of gov’t by SELLOUT!


17 posted on 02/28/2013 11:03:23 PM PST by bigmak007 (They who can't control their own passions, want to passionately control others.)
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To: Mozilla

The fact is that Rand Paul is correct.

The President ahs to be given wide leeway in who he chooses to run his departments.

John Kerry is a lousy human being and has been wrong on every major foreign policy decision in the last five decades, however he is not a criminal and does qualify for the position. Same with Hagel. Hagel is the exact type of person O’Bumbler wants in Sec of Defense simply because he is an idiot who will implement his plans. Hagel and Kerry are not the problem. O’Bumbler is!

O’Bumbler decides. You can hardly prevent a decorated War Veteran and a former Senator from becoming a cabinet member. It just isn’t feasible and probably isn’t justifiable. .


18 posted on 02/28/2013 11:27:58 PM PST by Jim from C-Town (The government is rarely benevolent, often malevolent and never benign!)
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To: Mozilla
Police: Sen. Paul’s son assaulted flight attendant

He was charged with "misdemeanor assault on a female by aggressive physical force."


The U.S. Code would seem to apply here.

49 USC § 46504 - Interference with flight crew members and attendants

An individual on an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States who, by assaulting or intimidating a flight crew member or flight attendant of the aircraft, interferes with the performance of the duties of the member or attendant or lessens the ability of the member or attendant to perform those duties, or attempts or conspires to do such an act, shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both. However, if a dangerous weapon is used in assaulting or intimidating the member or attendant, the individual shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life.

Criminal Resource Manual 1406 Aircraft Piracy, Interference, and Other Title 49 Aircraft Offenses -- Venue

Further, there are good arguments that even a brief interference with a crew member under 49 U.S.C. § 46504 (formerly 49 U.S.C. App. § 1472(j)) or offenses such as assault under 49 U.S.C. § 46506(1) (formerly 49 U.S.C. App. § 1472(k)) need not be tried in the district over which the aircraft was flying at the time the offense was committed.

Perhaps if Senator Paul votes the right way, the feds at justice.gov will not prosecute his son.
19 posted on 02/28/2013 11:29:51 PM PST by greedo
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To: bigbob
“just a matter of picking your battles.”

True, but it would be nice if the GOP actually “picked” a battle and fought to win.

20 posted on 03/01/2013 2:24:50 AM PST by Shane (When Injustice Becomes Law, RESISTANCE Becomes DUTY.----T.Jefferson)
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