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Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas)
Chuck Hagel's nomination for Defense Secretary got another boost this morning when Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) became the latest Republican senator to say he'll vote to confirm his former Republican colleague. Shelby supported last week's historic filibuster, but now joins Sens. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) in supporting Hagel's nomination.
In fact, this is the latest development that suggests Hagel is well on his way to reaching the Pentagon. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) conceded this week that Hagel "will be confirmed," and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) added that he no longer intends to block a final confirmation vote.
And yet, there are the dead-enders looking increasingly silly.
Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) and 14 other Republican senators called Thursday for President Obama to withdraw former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) as his pick for Defense secretary.
The senators said in a letter to Obama that Hagel's nomination should be abandoned because it would be "unprecedented" for a Defense secretary to take over without a broad base of bipartisan support.
"In the history of this position, none has ever been confirmed with more than 11 opposing votes," the senators wrote.
First, sending a letter like this is rather ridiculous given the larger context. Hagel is picking up more support, not less, and his eventual confirmation now appears all but inevitable. It's at this point when 15 Republican senators call on the president to withdraw his nominee? The one who's about to clear the Senate with bipartisan support?
The unstated plea in the letter seems to be, "We've failed miserably to derail Hagel. Maybe you could do us a favor and let us win anyway?"
Second, it may be true that previous Defense Secretary nominees were approved with 11 "nay" votes or fewer, and Hagel will probably end up with nearly quadruple that number. But that's less a reflection on Obama's choice and more a reflection on the radicalization of Republican politics.
Up until very recently, it would have seemed rather absurd to think GOP senators would be outraged by a Democratic president nominating a former Republican senator, who happens to be a decorated combat veteran and who used to be celebrated by his GOP colleagues, for his cabinet. Yes, Hagel will have more than 11 opposition votes, but whose fault is that? If a President McCain had nominated Hagel for the Pentagon, as he previously had said he might, would Cornyn & Co. have sent today's correspondence?
Dave Weigel had a good take on this:
That's a bit of a Catch-22, isn't it? We oppose the nomination. Thus, there is substantial opposition to the nomination. Thus, because there has never been such substantial opposition before, confirmation would be unprecedented. You have to admire the goalpost-shifting attempt, as it was only six days ago that Republicans mounted the first-ever filibuster of a national security nominee, then claimed it wasn't a filibuster. The threshold for confirmation isn't 51 votes. It isn't 60. It's 89!
Cornyn and other Hagel opponents gave it their best shot. They even launched the first successful filibuster of a cabinet nominee in the history of the United States for no apparent reason. But now they should try to lose with a little dignity, and today's letter won't do the trick.
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Rewriting the rules with their crayons doesn't make the GOP faction in the Senate any more mature, or in charge, or relevant to the functioning of the country. Only 2 year olds say no to everything reflexively... well, and GOP congressional reps, but I repeat myself.
These bozos attack Senator Hagel in order to win brownie points with Tea Party wingnuts in their home districts. It is all about them.
When I heard so many people supporting the Iraq war and said that the people that support the war should enlist, you cannot believe the excuses I was given. As if the people going to war didn't have families, families to support, jobs to lose, or a little too old (as in over 30).
One friend that served in Iraq1, said that they were going to have a hard time finding them to send them back to Iraq again, unless Georgie Boy were leading ten feet in front of them. And no, they didn't go.
The war started by people looking to make money and nothing else. These decisions to go to war shouldn't be made by people that never served and certainly not by people that had daddy pull strings to get in the guard so they wouldn't have to go to war.
Phenner,
Which is why there should be a draft anytime we send troops on combat missions. The current selective service law takes 20-year-olds first, with no meaningful exemptions (except for seminary students). Then each age cohort up to 25, then they go back to the 19 and finally 18 year old men.
And, speaking as part of the volunteer pool to staff the draft review boards, anyone fit enough to drive a car, go to college, or hold a job will most likely be fit enough to serve. Every conflict needs drivers for ammunition trucks.
Has nobody heard Hagel's embarrassing incompetence at his confirmation hearings? The guy is a joke.
Spew your hateful vial comments about the GOP all you want, it's there job to make sure the position of Defense Secretary is filled by someone qualified. Someone who has OUR best interests in mind.
The joke is on you, you lost and will lose whenever you play these 2010 games. Get used to it...
I would rephrase that headline with, Hegel's dead- enders continue to look silly.
By qualified do you mean someone who has never been in a war and is therefore ready to rush off to war in Syria or Iran or North Korea? What makes you think Hagel is unqualified?
The only incompetence at his hearings has been from the mouths of his former allies, who (depending on level of derangement) seem to believe that this is the time to bring up old grudges about failed, dishonest wars or who believe what they read online so strongly that they think Hagel is consorting with the "Friends of Hamas".
Whose best interest Really?
Here's a news flash for you: The GOP doesn't represent America, it's just a small minority of really greedy and angry white guys. You don't speak for US, and you have no clue what OUR interests may be.
Suck it up pal, the GOP lost, will always lose, and is full of losers. Now quit crying and get a life.
It may be 'their job' but it is not 'there job'.
"Vial" comments? "There" job? Do you think you are "Really?" in a position to judge anyone's competence?
Dear idiot: "Please remove head from ass before commenting." Thank you.
Please, you libtards would be beside yourselves with hatred for Hagel if he were a republican administration nominee.
Never during the hearings did they question him on his qualifications. Their questions were on his opposing the surgence in Iraq, his opinion of the Iraq war and statements he made about Israel. During his 2000 presidential run, Republican Sen. John McCain was asked who he might choose as secretary of defense and his response was: ."There's a lot of people that could do that," he told voters at a January town hall in Nashua, New Hampshire. "One of 'em, I think, is Sen. Chuck Hagel.
We would hate him if he had actual offensive positions, and would not go out on the insane limb that the GOP (and you yourself, Really) have gone to reverse themselves and make up something to object to. Embracing him might be much to ask, but hate? No, that's a Republican reflex.
(*glitch*)
Really? Really?!
If we judge Mr. Hagel by his enemies he looks better every day!
Rubio signed this kindergarten letter... and he said Jerusalem is the capital of Israel... I hold out hope that Hagel remembers this very well and punishes those Senators who have mucked up the process with extra inevitable base closings. They have politicized this so thouroughly that closing bases is going to be like cage fighting...
Jerusalem is the capitol of Israel, but not recognized internationally. Tel Aviv is the financial capitol.
Rubio is neither intelligent nor well informed on any subject. I fail to see his appeal.
India: That is a loaded issue. The US recognizes Tel Aviv as the capital in a gesture of fairness to the Palestinians. Rubio has chosen to go overseas and speak against our policy.
India,
Since half of Jerusalem is occupied territory, recognizing it as the capital of Israel would condone the annexation of the eastern half of the city by Israel.
And for those unclear on the ramifications, annexation by force is bad and should not be condoned.
Of course. I was just stating what I read. I know we in America consider Tel Aviv the capitol, and that half of Jerusalem is occupied.
Are you saying Rubio did not know this? He actually spoke against our policies?
When? Why?
He wouldn't be the first senator to take foreign policy into his own hands and speak counter to the position of the administration on foreign soil.
Senator Rubio was pandering, of course. One of the perks of being a Senator, especially a Senator in the minority, is the ability to look important while have little to no responsibility.
Cornyn doesn't need any help looking silly, he does that all by himself.
Get a load of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt05KC3Add8
The absurdity kills me
Just heard a good one gals and thought just had to share it with you. This is a highlight of what some men can say. Had a discussion with a man recently and he went to explain on why women should have and do the most filthy jobs around. The reason was because women have babies and all that stuff and blood comes out. Plus because a woman has a monthly that is all bloody and messy. Woman are made for the worst jobs around because they have all these experiences and are made for it. Have a toxic waste dump send a woman. And that I actually put more nicely as he was very descriptive with his body and language on how a woman had a baby and goes to the bathroom. Yes what can I say this man just might be a woman’s dream come true somewhere. Is there any woman around who likes torture and abuse from men that may like him? Just send an email, we would like him to leave our State soon hopefully.
Deb--please don't hang out with republican men. Don't waste a second listening to them spew this sort of drivel. I'm a man too, but guys like this leave me mortified and barely able to contain my anger.
We can both take solace in the fact that these proto-hominid knuckle-draggers are permanently maneuvering themselves OUT of the human gene pool, and will eventually enter the fossil record as a species that came to the end of its biological relevance.
Unfortunately, zatonoichi that would be a little tough to do, since there is too many of them around here. So all we can do is to help make sure things do move in a better direction than what was created in the past.
Has anyone ever asked why Republicans kept on putting this incompetent anti-Semetic Hamas lover on their defense committees?
That was different; that was before Obama recommended him.
As both a Vietnam Vet and a Texan, it truly embarrasses me that so many of my state's elected officials are the epitome of what one means when using the term "chicken hawk". Almost without exception they wave the flag, utter nationalistic warcries, rattle their sabers and then cower behind the nearest GOP skirt. Used to be the case that Texans were recognized for their blood and sweat contributions to defending America's interests. Nowadays it appears that most real-life Texas GI's are minorities (African-Americans, Latinos and Women).
Cornyn is no exception to this rule.
It's not just Texas, most of the teapubs are chickenhawks. They always talk of war and bombing all these other countries with other people's children. You know, the 47% or in reality, the 98%.
@Phenner. That must be why Ted Nugent is their spokesperson. I don't know if a bigger pants crapping chickenhawk ever existed.
I remember when I was an antiwar Vietnam vet, speaking on campuses. The local YAF would show up to heckle the "communist," and I'd ask their leader when he was going to follow his father's example and quit school to enlist in the Army and volunteer for the infantry and Vietnam, since he was such a strong support of the war and a patriot. It shut the little cowards up every time.
Chuck Hagel is a true rarity--as rare as a unicorn--being one of the very last grown-up republicans left in this country. The rest of them are all snot-nosed sandbox bullies and sociopathic juvenile delinquents. Every day, you think these little Lord-of-the-Flies wannabees can't possibly become any more deranged and loony--and yet, every day, they deploy more flabbergasting whoppers of stupefaction.
Is it okay now that we can laugh out loud at these ID iots, and MOCK them into submission? They won't respond to reason or compromise. How about we start SHAMING them?
Sadly, they seem impervious to shame.
"And yet, there are the dead-enders looking increasingly silly."
You act as though they weren't looking "silly" before this, now they look exactly like the obstructionist a**holes that they're behaving like.....
We the nuttiest ...
We've failed miserably to derail ACA.
We've failed miserably to derail Obama at the lip of the fiscal cliff.
We've failed miserably to derail him with the debt limit nonsense.
We've failed miserably to derail Obama having a second term.
We've failed miserably to derail the presidential election with Benghazi.
We've failed miserably to derail the recovery of our own nation.
We've failed miserably to derail the country with partisanship and obstruction, two lousy Congresses, unethical voting laws, a stacked media, and lies.
We've failed miserably. Maybe you could do us a favor and let us win anyway?
Steve, As a Texican, I have to correct a false impression that you may have. I'm sure it comes from being spread out too thin and not being wholly aware of what our politicians are really like. In any case, there is no possible way that John Cornyn could be "increasingly" silly. Our politicians define the very concept of "silly" and Johnny is no exception. No way on God's good Earth is it possible to be any sillier than our politicians already are. If you look into his history and the history of so many others (Gohmert, Goodhair, Poe, Hensarling, Barton, Sessions), I'm sure you will see what I mean.
"....our very own dreaded Legislature is almost upon us. Jan. 9 and they'll all be here, leaving many a village without its idiot, - Molly Ivins
I forgot Ted Cruz in my list of texas politicians who define shatbit crazy. Sorry.
In all my years, I have come to understand politicians who get caught up in scandals involving money, sex, drugs, alcohol, physical fights. If it was one or two flakes in the Congress I would not even think twice about it. But the current crop of crazies in Congress just baffles me. Just the sheer number of crazies is epic. Birds of a feather.....
I sent the following email to Texas Senator John Cornyn's website via a link: www.senate.gov
Senator Cornyn, I recently moved to the Commonwealth of Virginia from the State of Texas, my birthplace: the great City of Houston! I am very embarrassed for you and your junior Senator Cruz with such a POOR example of leadership. Your FALSE assault(s) on Senator Chuck Hagel, nominee for Secretary of Defense were untrue, especially about the "FRIENDS OF HAMAS" !! Mr. Hagel deserves a public apology from you on the SENATE floor!! Especially YOU as Minority Whip of the Senate. Again, you are a sad example of leadership and I feel the State of Texas is not being served with honor. I wish you the best but I feel you have lost the respect of many citizens with your voting record and your public display/speeches WITHOUT getting your FACTS CORRECT! Take care and God Bless. Gregory Blysard
In other words, it's the Corny Collins show.