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President Barack Obama's choice to lead the Pentagon, former GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel, will likely be confirmed next week, one of his most dogged opponents said Sunday.
"I'm confident that Sen. Hagel will probably have the votes necessary to be confirmed as secretary of defense," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."
After Senate Republicans voted to sustain a filibuster and block the former Nebraska senator's nomination from advancing toward confirmation, McCain acknowledged that Hagel will likely win confirmation once the chamber returns from its recess.
Arizona Sen. John McCain visits Meet the Press to discuss the ongoing battles in Washington over Chuck Hagel's defense secretary nomination, the sequester and government spending, and the Benghazi incident investigation.
"I think it's a reasonable amount of time to have questions answered," McCain said of the week-and-a-half-long window which Senate Republicans demanded to pore more thoroughly over their former colleague's records.
Democrats and the Obama administration have complained that a filibuster for a defense secretary nominee is without precedent. Moreover, they argue that filling the defense post is particularly urgent given outgoing Secretary Leon Panetta's plans to leave the Pentagon, and the looming "sequester" of automatic spending cuts, which fall heavily upon the defense budget.
The administration publicly shrugged off, though, the notion that the delay had damaged Hagel's ability to serve effectively.
"No, he's not going to be a weaker defense secretary," said Denis McDonough, the president's new chief of staff, "he's going to be a great defense secretary."
Wrapped up into the GOP's objections are the desire to ding the administration, a demand for fuller answers to the Sept. 11, 2012 attacks on the diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, and personal quarrels with Hagel over his criticism of President George W. Bush and the handling of the war in Iraq. McCain denied, though, that Republicans' attacks on Hagel were personal in nature.
"99 percent of it has to do with the positions Sen. Hagel has taken," he said.
The Hagel fight has consumed Congress in recent weeks, threatening to expend Obama's political capital as he enters a second term. It's yet to be seen whether this fight, and the looming fight to replace the sequester with other equivalent savings, would affect other elements of the Obama agenda — including gun control, and immigration.
Amid a New York Times report that suggested the White House had pushed ahead with its own immigration bill, McDonough said it was consistent with Obama's promise to simply be prepared with his own alternative plan. Obama, McDonough said, was still hoping that a bipartisan Senate group would be able to produce its own comprehensive immigration reform proposal.
"I believe we're making progress on a bipartisan basis," said McCain, a member of the eight-member, bipartisan Senate group working on the immigration proposal. The Arizona senator said, though, that Obama had had no communications with the Senate group.
"Does the president really want a result?" asked McCain, reflecting Republicans' concerns on the politics of immigration. "Or does he want another cudgel so he can beat up Republicans to get an advantage in the next election?"
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There are a LOT of unanswered questions about Benghazi; this is a HUGE cover-up; bigger than Watergate for sure.
WHY can't the survivors of the attack be interviewed ?
Obama's going down with this
trouble- other then your opinion, which is ALL you have stated, what the heck is your SIDE screaming about NOW? Internal and extrnal investigations demonstrated no High level involvement- no Clinton, no Obamba. So what were they covering up. The fact that as part of budget deficit cuts both d's and r's voted for reduced security funding, that the people in the govt got the message no increased spending, the fact three mid level state dept people RESIGNED.The fact that the Republican FAIR haired BOY Petraeus(thought of as a future Republican Politico)who gave All the talking points to Susan Rice has Never a question raised. How interesting..........
But as McCain has stated Hagel will be confirmed ........
so trouble EXACTLY what does BENGAZI have to do with HAGEL?
Attaway, Hannity fan!
What was Obama doing ?
nothing - you have a problem? Stop asking CRYPTIC questions
Those on the left just want this massacre to go away...no way
Obama was AWOL; on the anniversary of our biggest domestic tragedy since Pearl Harbor.....where was the POTUS ?
so you "think" (using the word lightly) that the President has all encompassing knowledge of EVERYTHING happening?
I would have given you credit for being smarter than that...
THAT'S WHY THERE ARE OTHERS WHO DO OTHER TASKS. The so called "special significance" of 9/11 meant that the embassies (the REAL EMBASSIES and not this unarmed flyspec) should have been on guard (and they probably were)
At any rate - what does this have to do with HAGEL? What's this "deflect and avoid" mentality? Don't address the SUBJECT but attempt to divert attention to something else to account for idiocy?
trouble- what i find with people like you is you post opinion and dont seem to understand your opinion is WORTHLESS. Support with fact or GO AWAY
Mclamo,is a prime example why term limits are needed.Fak this old short arm ,maverick,senial,turd,,die already
Not much of a wordsmith, but almost certain that the use of "concede" in this article and headline is not correct for the statement/situation. Suppose everyone could go check the definition... but na. NBC editing and journalism.... too funny.
The Republican party continues to do exactly what Bobby Jindall said to avoid...stop acting stupid! Classic fiddling while Rome burns. The party focus isnt on anything that is of importance to the American people....energy costs, unemployment, cost of living, health care....the American on the street never heard of Hagel and couldnt care less. And this silly connection of his nomination to Benghazi is a joke. McCain is becoming an embarrassment to those of us who remember him for his status as a war hero. Now he is just a puppet without any original thought of his own. sad....
Good for the republicans to expose this anti-semite piece of trash. Squeeze him until Skeeter confesses he is an incompetent fool who went back to bed after Panetta called him. He woke up and found out, golly gee, I need a cover for my lack of common sense, how about a video? Dumb and dumber. Hagel is a con man that needs to go away. Saying the state department cow-tows to Israel and their paid servant? Kick him in the a$$ on the way out.
Urbano,
Hagel is an American hero, not a jew trash..
You think so? Well, today he was caught lying and the people he lied in front of are coming back to testify against him. He will be a lame duck in 48 hours. Even the democrats, not exactly a yardstick measurement of truth, are starting to wince. He is toast.
Hard to believe Sen McCain can even take HIMSELF seriously anymore. He's a laughingstock now outside of DC. His pronouncements about Sen Hagel's "lack of fitness" to be Defense Secretary are silly, absurd. What a freakin' prima donna. He's an embarrassment to Repubs.
Just because someonew is against the pandering of Isreal, which Hagel is 100% correct about does not make one an anti-Semite. I can see how it would be easy to twist that into something it's not just like the "surge" conversation was twisted.
Cabinet members do not assume the "lame duck" posture. That's reserved for presidents and Congressional members. A cabinet member's job is to advance the administrations policies and play a role as advisor.
His role as successful will be need to be determined over time. So unless someone out there has a working for-real crystal ball it's just a lot of opinion at this point.
He is just going to be a deflection pawn to use when the DOD cutbacks and dismantling crap from Obama/Uncle Leon hit the fan. And trust me, they got a stack of white papers stuffed in a safe somewhere to make this guy look like that cartoon guy huntin wabbits when they need them.
Why don't you democrats EVER get it?
It's about LYING UNDER OATH!!!
just like Obama will lose the election, just like deficits are the number one problem.
Your side has no relationship to REALITY
Change and blame is your only game. You have no answers, ever. So, STFU.
now now - you can't insult the mentally handicapped... whatever happened to those JOBS anyway?
Urban- my oh my touchy-see post 570.1.
why are we paying for the Iron Dome for Israel and support their military when as a matter of domestic policy they support the expansion of settlements which we state is against America's foreign policy? So to support Bebi's political needs we continue to pour billions into Israel as they destroy the two state solution. Brillant
Urban, when are you going to get it?
Do you honestly think that if any of the Repubublican leadership thought he'd lied (especially their junkyard dog Issa) they wouldn't be all over it??
Or do you think the Republicans aren't doing their job.
TO: Duqu who wrote:
I always wondered if John McCain received money from a group called "friends of Osama Bin Laden".
See how easy it is to make up crap.
Republicans are full of it.
"Here's the problem: There's no proof that "Friends of Hamas" actually exists. At best, it's an organization so secret that nobody in government has thought to mention its existence. At worst, it's as fake as Manti Te'o's girlfriend. The Treasury Department, which designates sponsors of terror, has done so to many charities tied to Hamas. "Friends of Hamas" is not among them. The State Department doesn't designate it, either. And a bit less holistically, a Lexis search for the group reveals absolutely nothing."
http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2013/02/14/_friends_of_hamas_the_scary_sounding_pro_hagel_group_that_doesn_t_actually.html
can we request a lisy of campaign contibutions to Graham and McCain to see if any radical individuals or groups donated anything to them.
Just like Cruz- any thin wisp of connection........
This is what the current crop of Republicans do they bluster and posture and then when someone does not back down they do (Fiscal Cliff, Debt Ceiling Limit, Immigration, etc...). I wonder how long they will take with the sequester before they back down?
Republicans should pray John Huntsman takes you back or you will be stuck with Rubio and/or Ryan for 2016
Both of whom are the classical "Tits on a boar hog!"
Mccain lost his right to be taken seriously about anything after picking Sara Palin for VP. He has no right at all to judge other people nominations from that point forward.
MSNBC
WISHES ALL..
A HAPPY
MARXIST MARTYRS DAY...
Following..OBAMA's SPEECH..at The FALLEN COLLECTIVE COMRADES...MONUMENT...
ALL Community Organizers Will Meet..To Help BLOW The BIG BALOONEYS....in UNITED MASOCHISTS..Parade..
The Afternoon Will end .When ..
OBAMA will Sing,"Somewhere,...Over the Rainbow.." accompanied by The RED ARMY CHORUS...
ARRIVE Early ..for The WREATH Laying Ceremony...at The LENIN TOMB..of GLORIOUS BOLSHEVIKS...
another loon without the capability of stating a factual position. Dont you love the TeaJerks?
another treatened Liberal..
He is what he eats.......Maoist Chinese "Food"..WON-DUM-PUK
ali- like I said another TeaJerk loon without the ability to support any position. Every ass has assumtions
Always "ASSUMES"..BARNEY FRANK'S "Position"...Hahhahahaha
A "bent-over-backward " Liberal....hahahhaha
blah blah blah is at it again - cue the men in the white coats
WITH HAGEL'S HELP..
OBAMA
HAS PROMISED
MILLIONS
OF
SHOVEL
READY JOBS...
again...
THIS TIME...
IN ISRAEL...
AS SOON
AS HAGEL'S FRIENDS
IN IRAN...
FINISH
DEPLOYMENT
OF
THEIR
NUCLEAR
WARHEADS and MISSLES
The Republican Dumbass brigade strikes again! No I'm not only talking about the aliblahblah tool above I mean his republi-dumb rolemodels in congress! They waste tons of tax payer time and money on this Hagel dog and Pony show while crying about the deficite and Obama; spending ONLY to conceed "Oh yeah Hagel has the votes to make it!!" Useless Jackass's!
Great Cut and Paste..
Little Susie Soros..working
at The Media Matters ...DROOL BUCKET...
Ya! Thats right!! Waste waste waste in government!!
Are we gonna get some solar company money back? Just wondering. I gotta buy some gas.
HOW DOES HE DO THAT..?
How Does...OBAMA....throw his Voice like That..?
Everytime Obama ..pulls the Strings...HAGEL'S MOUTH...MOVES..?
Bottom line is this guy is an unprofessional loose cannon. And Obama is gonna shoot him off to the moon when he needs him for deflection.
Obama is filling his coffers with yes men. The only way out of the debt war is an actual war. That's why he doesn't give a $hit about the debt, he already has a plan. Anybody with half-a-brain and a history book knows what is coming. The great WWIII will be the great debt unwind, the derivatives war. The war for fossil fuels. Don't worry about your leader, he will run and hide after the "fun" starts.
We have already send EU 340 billion since January 1st. A slight derivatives debacle and most of the EU banks would have failed, again. There was no vote, no quorum, no agreement, just 340 billion of your children's taxpayer dollars sent overseas to prop up ECB banks, and we didn't even blink. We are now at the point where a .9% interest rate increase equates to 1.6 Trillion dollars of additional interest debt. The Fed, at this rate, will own 8 trillion dollars worth of assets by the end of Obama. They already trade 70% of the markets. If they let gold and silver get out of control, the dollar goes down 24 hours later.
I don't want Hagel or any other "yes" man there when the SHTF. Kerry is as dumb as ketchup, smilin' cat Joe will vote yes on anything, we have nobody to challenge the onset of war.The uniformed party.
Breaking News..
OBAMA Cancels Yearly Pilgrimage to Mecca with Hagel..
They only had time ..to stop in Moscow..
Lay a wreath...at Lenin's Tomb..
OBAMA IS A WORTHLESS TOAD
when is he going to do his job,,instead of re-issueing old bush policies....
i thought he had ideas of his own....thats what i get for thinking..
lol
Texas is a mess: Texas sucks just like their football team. Your opinion of OUR president sucks just like your football team.
GEE GUS..oregon dont have a football team..looks like your the mess....hahhaha
you get chapped lips from kissing obamas ass??
I get a kick out of these repugs and teabags. They try and make President Obama a one term President, obstruct in every way, now they cry foul when President Obama puts the clamps on them. To bad you FN babies. I think the President should do anything he wants without them to get Americans back to work and get our economy back to where it was when President Clinton left office and before two war Bush took office. It would not break my heart if we Americans voted everyone of those obstructionists out of politics forever. Mccain and his commies don't give a damn about our country, just about their NO party. They are as unAmerican as they can be. Get RID of them...
you are blind...
obama dont care about the country,,,,and you voted for the idiot....hahahahahahha
well hang in there gus...your medical bills will shoot throught the roof with the 2.3%sales tax on medical devices....hahahahaha
great prez,,said no one EVER
dont mess- seems to me to be a testiment to the lack of educational funding in the great state
OREGON SCHOOLS arent that bad...nice try assumer
Except that the TEA-quest-traitors acted so childish because they wanted to send a message to Obama. The sad part is Obama had already seen and heard the message - these arrogant and caustic confrontationalist would not allow him to make any headway. While billion-dollar incomes and trillion-dollar profits were being made by the top 2%, the TEA-quest-traitors sought to limit taxes on the top 2%! I once thought highly of McCain, but now Mc180Cain has gone over the deep end and joined the dark side! I voted for him once. A much greater effort must be made to change the mix in Washington. Get registered, vote, and get out the vote! We well know the truth of the concentration of wealth in the hands of fewer and fewer people and the concentration of power in stricter, less compassionate hands. "Sweep your state Capital CLEAN....in 2014" "Sweep the House CLEAN....in 2014" "Sweep the Senate CLEAN....in 2014"
mcpain and graham cracker need to retire as they have left reality a long time ago. their wives understand the length of their lies.
McCain, go away! I couldn't imagine what this country would be like if you won the presidency (especially with that late term abortion Sarah Palin, YUK!) Your old, out of touch and nobody really wants to hear your voice any longer. Your just a bad loser is all! Really people, send him home without his pension (or a much smaller amount) from the Senate and make him pay Cobra like the rest of us. Let him live on the pension he'll get from his service days, not to mention the huge bank account he's acquired from Us!
It still defies imagination that McCain was so desperate to get back in the game against Obama that he unleashed upon us the Wasilla idiot, Sarah Palin.
For that alone McCain deserves no quarter.