Updated, 5:33 pm ET, Feb. 6. The Senate Armed Services Committee may delay the committee vote on the confirmation of Chuck Hagel to be the next defense secretary.

That vote was expected tomorrow. However, Republicans say the former Republican Nebraska senator has not provided all of the vetting materials requested about some his past speeches and finances, and they are looking into a complaint by a former Hagel staffer that she was harassed by another staffer.

Hagel's explanation is that some of those materials are the property of organizations with whom he has worked. But Democrats see the attempts as an effort to try and get President Obama to withdraw Hagel, something seen as unlikely. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is among those Republicans who have explicitly asked the president to "reconsider" the choice of Hagel. 

"I don't think he's done anything unethical," Graham said. "He got paid to speak in front of groups; that's a common practice around here. I want to know who did he speak in front of, what did he say, and where did the money come from?" 

Hagel said at his confirmation hearing that he does not have all of the speeches because he delivered many of them extemporaneously.

The White House reacted to the potential delay, calling for the Senate to "move quickly," per NBC's Kristen Welker.

"We continue to expect the Senate to move quickly to confirm Sen. Hagel as our next Secretary of Defense," an official said in a statement. "Since his confirmation hearing, more Senators on both sides of the aisle have announced their support for his confirmation, including Sens. [Mike] Johanns [R-NE], Kirsten Gillibrand [D-NY], [Tom] Udall [D-CO], [Kay] Hagan [D-NC], and [Richard] Blumenthal [D-CT]. It's clear that Senator Hagel has significant support in the Senate. So with 66,000 troops serving in Afghanistan and other Defense issues to deal with, it's time to move beyond these distractions and move forward with a vote on his nomination."

But without an opportunity to review all the requested information about Hagel's background and views contained in his past speeches, some Republican members have raised concerns and want more time.

Graham supports a delay. "You do have the ability to stop the nomination from going forward to get the information," he said. "I would be willing to do that. I would vote against a motion to proceed until I feel like we have the information that we need to make an informed decision."

Tomorrow, the committee will hear from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey on the Benghazi attacks. Their appearance and testimony before a Hagel vote was one condition requested by Graham in order to leverage more access to information about the deadly attack in Libya. Graham said he would seek to put a hold on Hagel's confirmation vote until Panetta testified.

A decision on timing for the committee vote belongs to committee chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) who aides say is "working very hard to try to address and resolve those concerns today, so the committee can go forward with the vote tomorrow."

However, Levin's office acknowledges that it is unclear now if the vote will go forward as originally planned.

"We were supposed to vote tomorrow," Graham said, "but I think we should wait."

Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) told The Cable Tuesday that Republicans also are awaiting the results of a their investigation into a claim by a former Hagel staffer of sexual harassment by another staffer in 2007.

"I remember handling it, I thought it was handled," Lou Ann Linehan, Hagel's chief of staff at the time, told The Cable. "I did not bring it to the senator. I would not have taken it to the senator unless it required a termination and that wasn't the case. The term sexual harassment shocks me a little bit. I wouldn't have put up with anything that was actually sexual harassment. I had a very low tolerance for it. I don't put up with that stuff. Hagel didn't tolerate it, I didn't tolerate it."

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Mitt Romney returned to the campaign trail in this critical swing state Monday morning without his new running mate, but armed with new rhetoric accusing President Obama of running a dishonest campaign meant to deceive the American people.

"With a record, which has been as disappointing as the record that he’s demonstrated over the past four years, the president’s campaign has resorted to a very unusual tactic," Romney said. "It’s smear. It’s dirt. It’s distortion. It’s deception. it’s dishonesty. It diminishes the-- it diminishes the office of the presidency itself."

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign rally at Flagler College on Aug. 13 in St Augustine, Fla.

With those remarks, Romney may have been pre-butting Democratic attacks on his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. Ryan's Medicare overhaul plan would turn Medicare into a voucher or "premium support" program for those that would qualify for Medicare in 10 years (those 55 and younger). The plan would cap the amount that can be spent, prompting critics to say it would likely shift the burden, or the rest of the cost, to seniors.

The plan has become a lightning rod on both sides of the aisle. Romney contrasted the Republican ticket's plan with what he claimed were $700 billion in cuts to Medicare as part of the president's healthcare reform act. 

But as First Read wrote this morning: "What Obama did under the health care law was reduce the rate of growth in non-essential services (like Medicare Advantage), as well as increase premiums for higher-income recipients. That doesn't affect the Medicare benefits that current/future seniors receive."

"We want to make sure we preserve and protect Medicare," Romney claimed.

Romney supporters at the morning event here downplayed the negative effect a renewed focus on Medicare reform might have here in Florida, with its large voting block of senior citizens.

"It's going to change, but its not going to change drastically and nobody is going to be deprived," said retired lawyer Bill Graham, a Romney supporter. "Now, how that's coming about in Ryan's plan? At least he's got a plan. At least he's got something that can be laid out and looked at. "

This is going to be Democrats' challenge -- to convince people that what they're saying about the Ryan plan is actually true. But Democrats also have to be careful not to overplay their hand. On MSNBC's The Daily Rundown this morning, former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs claimed that his father, who's 83, would be getting a voucher.

Todd pointed out that's false. “Your father is not going to get that, because they’re not going to do anything to him" because the plan would not affect those older than 55.

Phebe Wehr, a retiree from St. Augustine, said Romney and Ryan needed to be much more specific in selling their plan to current seniors.

"People are out there saying on their placards, 'Don't take away my Medicare;' they won't be," Wehr said. "So, they have to make that a lot clearer. I think Ryan's programs are going to be misunderstood."

Romney also used some new language to pump up the energy level today, which was diminished from Sunday night's rallies in part by slow security lines which left hundreds of supporters on the sidewalk outside the metal detectors and single security checkpoint.

"I know there are people around the world who are always critical of America, have something negative to say, say our greatest days are in the past. Baloney," Romney said. "We just won more Olympic medals than any other nation on Earth. We also just, we just landed on Mars and took a good look at what's going on there. And I know the Chinese are planning on going to the moon, and I hope they have a good experience doing that, and I hope they stop in and take a look at our flag that was put there 43 years ago!"

Romney has been critical of President Obama on space. At an NBC debate in Tampa during the GOP primary he said space should be a "priority." But he didn't specify how much he would spend, whether he would increase or decrease NASA's budget, but instead called for a "collaborative" effort between government, commercial enterprise, and universities.

At another debate, Romney mocked Newt Gingrich's moon colony idea, but also lamented the idea of candidates going state to state with big promises.

"The Speaker comes here to Florida, wants to spend untold amount of money having a colony on the moon," Romney said. "I know it's very exciting on the Space Coast. ... Look, this idea of going state to state and promising what people want to hear, promising billions, hundreds of billions of dollars to make people happy, that's what got us into the trouble we're in now. We've got to say no to this kind of spending."

Also part of the program today -- Florida's junior Sen. Marco Rubio, whom Romney admitted was vetted for the vice-presidential slot, but was passed over in favor of Ryan, a decision about which some Floridians were circumspect.

"I thought if he wanted to win he should have picked Marco Rubio," said Paul Merana, 70, a retired military officer. "But Paul Ryan is a good second choice."

It doesn't hurt to make your state -- and yourself -- look as good as possible right when the nominee for your party is trying to pick a No. 2, especially when your job runs out in a year.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's PAC, Opportunity Virginia, is up with a new ad, promoting what's to love in Virginia (and who's been in charge).

But it was just last week that McDonnell denied to NBC's Chuck Todd on MSNBC's The Daily Rundown that his PAC would soon be going up with ads.

"You can't believe everything you read in the papers," McDonnell said. "We don't have any plans at this point."

He added, “We're always looking for ways to get out the positive message of Virginia," but then later said: “I don't know where those reports have come from."

Edited by NBC's Matt Loffman.

We are gearing up for our last installments of 'Inside the Boiler Room' for 2011! Please post your questions for Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro below. 

You can also tweet us, @NBCFirstRead, @mmurraypolitics or@DomenicoNBC, or post on our Facebook page.

Inside the Boiler Room NBC's Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro debate how serious the campaign of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is taking GOP hopeful and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's rise in the polls, and whether the Romney camp will now reconsider Iowa.

Thanks to phinephancy-4252115 for the question! Keep an eye out for the next editions of Inside the Boiler Room and don't forget to post your questions for Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro. You can also tweet us, @NBCFirstRead,@mmurraypolitics or @DomenicoNBC, or post on our Facebook page.

Video edited and transcribed by NBC's Morgan Parmet. 

TRANSCRIPT:

MARK MURRAY: Welcome to the latest edition of inside the boiler room. I'm Mark Murray joined by my colleague Domenico Montanaro. Domenico, we have a question from phinephancy. This is phinephancy's first question, I think, inside the boiler room. How serious is the Romney campaign taking Newt Gingrich's rise in the polls? Will they now reconsider Iowa?

DOMENICO MONTANARO: Well, we know they're reconsidering Iowa a little bit. They went up with their first TV ad. So they're actually going to play there a little bit. I think they're taking New Gingrich's rise a little bit more seriously than they were a week ago. You know we've started to see a back and forth over about two or three days. Newt Gingrich called Mitt Romney the former front runner.

MARK MURRAY: Right. 

DOMENICO MONTANARO: And Romney hit him back calling him a lifelong politician. Newt Gingrich hit him back. Romney hit him back. So, you know, I think it's going to be a really interesting next 30 days. 

MARK MURRAY: Right, the only question is is this two man race going to stay? I mean remember it wasn't too long ago we thought we had a two man race between Rick Perry and Mitt Romney in August and September. Look how that ended up turning out. One other thing about Mitt Romney. He's actually going to have Chris Christie campaigning for him. I mean yes, there is a play going on for Iowa. They might not be all in, but this is now a significant contest and the stakes are very high.

DOMENICO MONTANARO: They're like two legs in. 

MARK MURRAY: Right. 

DOMENICO MONTANARO: One other small thing, The Hill newspaper today had a blind item from a member of congress Republican saying Newt Gingrich's finger is always six inches away from the self-destruct button. 

MARK MURRAY: (laughs)

DOMENICO MONTANARO: So, you know, that's what a lot of people are talking about. If he's able to maintain the message discipline and he said himself he needs to be more disciplined. If he maintains that discipline, maybe he can be the guy over the next 30 days to compete with Romney head to head. 

MARK MURRAY: We have about 30 days to go until Iowa.

DOMENICO MONTANARO: We'll see.

MARK MURRAY: We'll see. Thanks.

Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro weigh the possibility of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., or Gov. Bob McDonnell, R-Va. as a vice presidential candidate on the 2012 ticket.

NOTE: Since we taped this segment, Republicans won control of the state Senate in Virginia. Both Democrats and Republicans hold 20 seats in the Virginia Senate. Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling holds the tie-breaking vote, giving Republicans their one-vote advantage.

Thanks to Bob-1887910 for the question! Keep an eye out later in the week for our next Inside the Boiler Room segments!

TRANSCRIPT: 

DOMENICO MONTANARO: Welcome again to another edition of Inside the Boiler Room. Well, we have another question from Bob 1887910 we always love to be able to get comments from Bob and he says: “If my immensely popular Governor Bob McDonnell helps flips the State Senate to the GOP next week, giving Republicans unprecedented full control of Virginia government, will he then top Marco Rubio in the Veepstakes rankings?” A lot there.

MARK MURRAY: Well, right. Here’s how I kind of look at the GOP Veepstakes stakes right now. Marco Rubio had kind of a tough row with that Washington Post report about when his parents came to the United States. You can get into the particulars, but it came to the point that he hasn’t yet been vetted. You can almost look at him “1A,” Bob McDonnell “1B.” What McDonnell essentially ends up giving you is somebody who could, is a popular governor of a battleground state in Virginia, so automatically they might think, look you know we’re going to have a problem in Virginia. If you get Bob McDonnell. He could also end up helping if say, Mitt Romney is the nominee. Sure some of that evangelical, social conservative--

DOMENICO MONTANARO: -- Sure, a lot of people don’t know he takes a very moderate tone, he’s been a moderate governor, but he went to Liberty University and is a strong Evangelical.

MARK MURRAY: Yeah, absolutely. So, and one other thing to keep in mind about Bob McDonnell: his job runs out in 2013. And so when you’re looking at Marco Rubio’s world, he’s only been in the senate for one year, he has big ambitions. Chris Christie of course, he might end up running for re-election. Bob McDonnell is actually going to need a job, come pretty soon because he’s terminated, you only get one term as governor. And so, if you are the republican nominee, he ends up making a lot of sense.

DOMENICO MONTANARO: Yeah, that’s definitely true. Rubio, you’re right, took a hit because of that story. You know there are also some other issues with Rubio as to whether or not you know, he’s experienced enough, but Barak Obama had that issue. And you know, whether or not he actually appeals to, what demographic he appeals to, you know, who knows. But, picking him would be all about Florida. If Republicans felt that they couldn’t win Florida. His popularity there--

MARK MURRAY: And you know the Latino vote too, potentially--

DOMENICO MONTANARO: Well, in Florida. But, and then when you look at somebody else, Chris Christie, you know could be another person, you know, John McCain picked Sarah Palin, that most of us had taken her of the veep list because of issues back in Alaska that we thought, she’s under investigation, he’s not going to pick her. But he did because she could fire up the base. Nobody fires up the base like Chris Christie does. So you know, maybe there’s somebody like him. And McDonnell also, aside from the state senate stuff, which you mention would be a nice feather in his cap, just what he’s done with jobs in the state. You know, he beat out Maryland for these defense contractor jobs. He understands federal workers, and he can speak that way because they are a large constituency group in Northern Virginia. So, I think that he, because of that, is an attractive candidate because he’s not going to make too many mistakes.

MARK MURRAY: He is. The one thing that, to note about Virginia though, is that all of their recent governors have been very popular. You  have Mark Warner with his job growth, Tim Cain was very popular and now you have Bob McDonnell. One of the reasons Virginia is doing so well is it’s so close to Washington, DC. There’ve been a ton of jobs, the defense contractors, etc. and it doesn’t look like the rest of the nation just yet. But, I mean, I think that he, right now Bob McDonnell certainly looks like a 1A or 1B to me on whoever is on the veepstakes next.

DOMENICO MONTANARO: They’re real popular until you give them a second term, right. We’ll see.

Transcribed by NBC's Annie Emberland and Laura Olson.