[US Navy Vet]

:-)!

[JoanneSD]

And at 12 today, without Panetta we will do just fine, after his last 28k trip back to california,

[JoanneSD]

And at 12 today, without Panetta we will do just fine, after his last 28k trip back to california,

[Zuben Elgenubi]

So can he pass an executive order and legally install a member of his cabinet, an executive branch position?

Just thinking like Chavez, because that's who this president is emulating. Good bye middle class, just like Venezuela.

[cotton1706]

Not so many moderate republicans anymore that could be duped into voting for cloture in years past. Gone are Specter, Snowe, Brown, DeWine, Voinovich, Warner, Stevens, Hutchison, Lugar, Chafee, Jeffords, Dole, Bond, etc.

Oh, poor democrats.

[grobdriver]

The divine Obama ended war - just ask him!

Why do we need a Secretary of Defense anyways???

[Da Coyote]

Guess the RINOs have not been offered enough party invites yet.

[US Navy Vet]

“”We do not have, at 12 o’clock today, a secretary of Defense,” Reid said. “It’s tragic they’ve decided to filibuster this qualified nominee — it is really unfortunate.” “ BULLSH!T! This guy would just move up to “Acting” DecDef:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashton_Carter

Ashton would be a MUCH better pick as SecDef than Pannetta was or Hagal is!

[Eagle of Liberty]

It’s tragic they’ve decided to filibuster this qualified nominee — it is really unfortunate.

NO, REID, it's tragic that YOUR PARTY would try to get him through in the first place! How about selecting someone that is competent!! Oh, that's right. A competent person would threaten the power structure.

[Cyber Liberty]

Reid suggested that Democrats do not have 60 votes at this time to overcome Republican objections, leaving the nomination in limbo ahead of next week's Senate recess.

He's lying. I don't know why he's lying this time, but I am sure he has the 60. There are at least five Pubbies (The usual suspects) that are going to vote for closure, and the Rats will vote in lockstep as they always do.

[faithhopecharity]

Everything we’ve seen reported about Mr. Hagel indicates he would be one of the very last people fit to hold this job. Who knows, maybe the d***ed Senate is finally waking up to start doing its job????????????

[Buckeye McFrog]

Next week’s Senate recess = recess appointment?

That’s just the sort of bird-flipping we’ve come to expect from Obama.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

Congress is taking their Presidents week vacation/ “RECESS” next week. I predict there wont be a vote on Hagel this week and Obama will “Recess Appoint” him next week. Might do it with his CIA Nominee also.

[Redleg Duke]

Can the Republicans object to the Senate recess and demand that the Senate stay in session?

[MrB]

Olympia Snowe deeply saddened.

[Vigilanteman]

"We do not have, at 12 o'clock today, a secretary of Defense," Reid said.

Actually, Dirty Harry, we haven't had one since January 20, 2009. All we had was a political hack working to neuter the effectiveness of the military at the behest of his boss.

[haffast]

“A simple majority of 51 votes would be needed for confirmation, if debate is ended.”

If I understand procedure correctly:

Reid will invoke Rule 22 and Cloture. Call a vote to end “debate” which requires only a majority (51). Then he can call a vote up or down on the nominee which then only requires a simple majority, or 51 votes. Hagel is approved.

Meanwhile, expect Dem-MSM to beat the drums on how stupid and careless the Old White Man’s Party is for putting the country’s defense at risk by their actions and also allowing the sequester to occur also weakening defense. It’s a Win-Win Dems. America loses.

http://uspolitics.about.com/od/usgovernment/a/filibuster.htm

[4Liberty]