As Congress returns to Washington this week, Chuck
Hagel appears on track to gain confirmation as defense secretary
from a deeply divided Senate.
Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who opposes the
nomination, said Sunday that Hagel, who has enough support to win
approval if Republicans abandon their delaying tactics, would get a
confirmation vote, perhaps Tuesday.
"I think it will happen barring some additional revelation
concerning his comments about Israel and all those other really
unfortunate things he's said in the past," McCain said on CNN's
"State of the Union."
Before the Senate began a 10-day recess, Republicans succeeded in
blocking a vote on Hagel, a former Republican senator from Nebraska.
Last week, 15 Republican senators - but not McCain - called on
President Obama to withdraw the nomination.
"I do not believe that Chuck Hagel, who is a friend of mine, is
qualified to be secretary of defense," McCain said.
He said he did not sign the letter because "I do believe that
elections have consequences - unfortunately. And the president of
the United States was re-elected." McCain, who lost to Obama in the
2008 presidential election, said he believes that presidents deserve
Senate votes on their Cabinet nominees.
McCain was less definitive about the immediate prospects for the
confirmation of John Brennan, the White House counterterrorism
adviser nominated by Obama to head the Central Intelligence Agency.
McCain and other Republicans are demanding more information from the
White House, including on the administration's response to the
killing of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans
last September, as a price for allowing the nomination to go
forward.
A close McCain ally, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina,
has already threatened to block Brennan's confirmation until the
administration provides more information about the Libya incident.
We still dont know who was rescued from the consulate in
Benghazi. We still dont know who made up the talking points, McCain
said. Mr. Brennan said that he was opposed to waterboarding and
torture, but at the same time he said it has saved lives. Id like to
know what lives were saved, because the information that I have is
it saved no ones life, in fact it was a lot of misinformation.
McCain was evasive when asked if he would use Senate rules to block
Brennans nomination. Well, you know, I think you examine your
options when you decide on the information. But he needs to answer
these questions. And they say, why now? Its the only time we have
the maximum leverage. Thats just a fact of life around Washington,
he said.
