Former U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel was confirmed as U.S. President Barack Obama’s second-term Secretary of Defense this week – ending a contentious standoff with “conservative” Republicans in the U.S. Senate.
Hagel’s nomination was initially blocked by neo-conservatives like John McCain (RINO-Arizona) and Lindsey Graham (RINO-S.C.) because they believed him to be insufficiently hawkish on Iran – and insufficiently supportive of Israel.
In fact the Hagel hearings were the subject of a hilarious Saturday Night Live spoof which made waves on the internet even though it never aired on television.
As a result of GOP resistance, Hagel had to get 60 votes (the threshold for ending a filibuster) instead of a simple majority of 51. He wound up with 71 on the filibuster vote, and 58 on the vote to confirm him.
“We should not be installing a defense secretary who is obviously not qualified for the job and who holds dangerously misguided views,” U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (RINO-Texas) said after the vote.
Democrats weren’t relishing Obama’s win, either. They were busy issuing warnings for future confirmation fights.
“Someday, we’re going to have a Republican president again,” U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Delaware) warned. “I would just say to our Republican friends, just be careful. Just be careful.”
Wait … we’re going to have a Republican president again?
You mean like we have a “Republican” Speaker of the House?
Sheesh ..
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