Posted on 02/13/2013 6:14:28 AM PST by chessplayer
Major news from Major Shirty Business Garrett:
Major Garrett ✔ @MajorCBS
I am reliably informed Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, will soon announce backing Chuck Hage. WH and Hagel backers believe they have 60 votes.
Remember, to date, not a single Senate Democrat has said he/she will oppose Hagel. Thats 55 votes in the bank. Thad Cochran is 56 and Collins would be 57. Murkowskis a safe bet in situations like this to err on the side of bipartisanship, so thats 58. All O needs is two more to bust the filibuster and hes got a variety of centrist Republicans who can give it to him Coats, Chambliss, Corker, Heller, Kirk, and so forth. Even the hardline anti-Hagel crew is sounding more fatalistic about his nomination. Two days ago, Lindsey Graham threatened to hold up the confirmation vote until he gets more info on Benghazi from the White House.
The hope last week was that by delaying the vote, the GOP might force Obama or Carl Levin or Hagel himself to reflect on the fact that a guy who cant state the White Houses Iran policy without help, after weeks of preparation, might be out of his depth leading the worlds greatest military. No dice: Hagels brother claimed yesterday hes more resolved than ever to stick with this while a White House spokesman said, We are absolutely committed to the Hagel nomination. This guys not going to be shamed into quitting; if he had any shame to start with, he wouldnt have lied his ass off at the hearing about his true feelings on the Jewish lobby in hopes of getting confirmed. And lest you doubt that the Democrats mean business in pushing him through, heres the latest from Reid:
Alexis Levinson @alexis_levinson
Reid says he will not honor any holds placed on Hagel's nomination
Democrats control the Armed Services Committee, which is planning to vote on the nomination today, so Hagels bound to pass that without a hitch. That means its all down to a GOP filibuster, with Jim Inhofe promising to delay a floor vote for as long as it takes which might not be long, if in fact those 60 votes are already there. As a gloss on what happens when you nominate a guy whos not well regarded inside the Pentagon, read Walter Pincuss memoir of Les Aspins debut as SecDef in 1993. The respect of ones subordinates, especially in a hierarchy like the militarys, is important needless to say. What kind of respect will Hagel have going in there transparently as a Republican catspaw for Obamas defense-cutting agenda?
Update: On to the floor vote. The Armed Services Committee approved him, 14-11, as expected. Party-line vote.
bump
he is voting no?
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