# Republicans block vote on Hagel; WTF? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 15, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364 "2013-02-15T03:26:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/21 "2013-02-15T14:28:20Z")
OK, so they’ve made it clear that they won’t accept even a fellow Republican in the seat. There’s only one logical course of action left: Dennis Kucinich for Secretary of Defense. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/22 "2013-02-15T14:56:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > OK, so they’ve made it clear that they won’t accept even a fellow Republican in the seat. There’s only one logical course of action left: Dennis Kucinich for Secretary of Defense. You misspelled “Peace”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/23 "2013-02-15T15:24:22Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > You misspelled “Peace”. 😉 You’re on to something! Let’s rename the Department of Defense back to the Department of War. I mean, what the hell, we’re nearly always at war anyway. Let Obama propose renaming the department but tying it to letting all of his nominees get voted on. Republicans might be so giddy at the prospect of having a War Department again that they go for it. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/24 "2013-02-15T15:28:35Z")
I think the problem is that we call these guys ‘Secretary’. The position should be called ‘Head Coach’. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/25 "2013-02-15T15:31:27Z")
Nah, the most powerful non-military title these days is CEO, right? CEO of War. I like it. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/26 "2013-02-15T15:37:22Z")
This whole thing seems silly because it really handicaps Hagel before he even starts the job. Why would conservative Republicans want a damaged brand running the only department they consistently believe is a legit part of the federal government? ---
**Author:** ![Kepler1571](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/db5fbb/32.png) [@Kepler1571](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kepler1571)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/27 "2013-02-15T15:57:09Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > This whole thing seems silly because it really handicaps Hagel before he even starts the job. Why would conservative Republicans want a damaged brand running the only department they consistently believe is a legit part of the federal government? Because of who’s in the White House. If the Dems had the sort of media savvy and influence they are always accused of they would go nuclear on this, calling out the GOP for blocking a SecDef in wartime purely as a political gesture. If it was reversed every Republican in the country would be screaming “treason!” This is just further proof that there are no more American conservatives. Hitch was the last one, and he was half Brit… ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/28 "2013-02-15T16:01:58Z")
Well, here’s John McCain’s explanation: > [@](#): > > It goes back to there’s a lot of ill will towards Senator Hagel because when he was a Republican, he attacked President Bush mercilessly and said he was the worst President since Herbert Hoover and said the surge was the worst blunder since the Vietnam War, which was nonsense. He was anti-his own party and people — people don’t forget that. So, sour grapes, basically. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/29 "2013-02-15T16:30:39Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > Well, here’s John McCain’s explanation:So, sour grapes, basically. Oh. So…the prevailing Republican Party motivation for the last four+ years, then? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/30 "2013-02-15T17:25:28Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > But they aren’t blocking everything as of late They’re holding up the After Hagel they intend to block the nominations of Brennan at the CIA and Cordray for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. And there will be others, like the ATF nominee and the head of Medicare. Medicare’s in the same position as the ATF; a full-time nominee hasn’t been approved in years and years. Reid’s caving on the filibuster looks like the biggest fuckup for the Democrats since their catastrophic performance in the 2010 midterms. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/31 "2013-02-15T17:27:04Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > Well, here’s John McCain’s explanation:So, sour grapes, basically. Hard to believe the Vietnamese found it so hard to get information out of him when all it takes now is a few persistent reporters and he just ups and spills the beans about the GOP’s sooper-sekrit stragedy. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/32 "2013-02-15T18:06:06Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > They’re holding up the After Hagel they intend to block the nominations of Brennan at the CIA and Cordray for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. And there will be others, like the ATF nominee and the head of Medicare. Medicare’s in the same position as the ATF; a full-time nominee hasn’t been approved in years and years. Reid’s caving on the filibuster looks like the biggest fuckup for the Democrats since their catastrophic performance in the 2010 midterms. Just a nitpick about Cordray – yes, they will hold him up, but they’ve also stated that they will never agree to anyone in that spot. They want a bipartisan panel for that role. So, the CFPB will never have anyone at the helm if they are successful. Probably also true for the ATF, I imagine. The head of the ATF didn’t used to have to go through the senate process, but someone put a provision in the PATRIOT act to require it. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/33 "2013-02-15T18:27:07Z")
That’s true, ATF directors were confirmed even after that. It hasn’t happened since 2006, and I think it’s the same for Medicare. And if there aren’t other people on this list, there will be soon. Hagel’s going to get confirmed in about two weeks, but this is still crazy. A lot of the Republicans in the Senate actually served with him. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/34 "2013-02-15T18:30:55Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > Hatch is not part of the filibuster to prevent an up-or-down vote. He spoke against the dems for doing it under Bush and he is against it now under Obama. What you might be missing is that by not voting present, the Republicans in question are creating the filibuster. While Hatch may have questions re: Hagel, he is not holding them up in procedural ways. The filibuster would’ve ended if Hatch had voted to end it. The Dems needed one more vote\* to bring the matter to the floor and Hatch could’ve provided it. He has, in fact, reversed his Bush era position. \*(the end tally was technically 58 votes for ending the filibuster but one of the votes against was Harry Reid, who switched his vote to against for procedural reasons. Hatch’s “present” vote is what effectively killed bring Hagel’s nomination to the floor.). ---
**Author:** ![Inbred\_Mm\_domesticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/aca169/32.png) [@Inbred\_Mm\_domesticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inbred_Mm_domesticus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/35 "2013-02-15T18:54:15Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I think we all know that Hagel is going to be confirmed. … > [@Marley23](#): > > Hagel’s going to get confirmed in about two weeks, but this is still crazy. I have no idea where you get your confidence from. What is the downside of continuing to block this nomination for the Republicans? They’ll have 10 more days to create the image-of-reason for their block: 1. Senator Cruz is attempting to link Hagel’s activities to working for the Iranian government or something; 2. Conservative religious and pro-Israel groups will continue to apply pressure to their representatives because Hagel expressed concern over the influence and attitude of the Israeli lobby; 3. the administration is still not quite forthcoming on Benghazi (no I do not believe that). What happens to the Department of Defense in the meantime? Panetta is still the Secretary of Defense, the only threat to the department’s functions is the sequestration, and the Democrats have no way to punish the Republicans for their resistance. They got a taste of making history and blocking this cabinet post and they will find it even easier to do so in 10 days. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/36 "2013-02-15T20:37:51Z")
> [@Inbred\_Mm\_domesticus](#): > > I have no idea where you get your confidence from. Because that’s more or less what the Republicans have said they are going to do. And yes, they could be lying, but it’s not just McConnell saying it. They’re taking pains to try to convince people this isn’t a filibuster (which nobody is buying because it’s a lie) because they don’t want to be seen as filibustering this nomination, and they’ve said they’ll vote after their recess because they were able to gin up enough votes to sustain a filibuster but can’t keep it up forever. Which doesn’t change the fact that Harry Reid is a fuckwit. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/37 "2013-02-15T20:56:18Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > Well, here’s John McCain’s explanation:So, sour grapes, basically. I’d say it’s more like the dog in the manger, actually. “What? We don’t get a guy we want in that position? Well, then, NOBODY gets the job. HAH!” By the way, who DO they want? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/38 "2013-02-15T21:03:07Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > By the way, who DO they want? Ehud Barak, judging from the hearings… ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/39 "2013-02-15T22:18:25Z")
I say withdraw his nomination and put up Bernie Sanders instead. That will show them what happens when they filibuster one of their own! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364/40 "2013-02-16T00:48:04Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > No, it’s not news. But they aren’t blocking everything as of late, and I’m just wondering what they hope to gain by this action. I think the calculations are different because this is so high-profile. Also, Hagel floundered so helplessly at his hearing that the scent of blood has not yet faded from their nostrils. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-block-vote-on-hagel-wtf/650364.md?page=3)