Hagel Likely Has Votes to Overcome Potential Filibuster

[Purveyor]

While Chuck Hagel may not have won over a majority of Republicans in the days following his lackluster appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee, there appears to be enough GOP opposition to an unprecedented filibuster of a Cabinet nominee to, if necessary, generate the 60 votes required for cloture.

Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., said Monday that his panel would hold an up-or-down vote as early as Thursday on Hagel’s nomination to be the next Pentagon chief — a hurdle the former Republican senator from Nebraska is expected to clear easily on a committee where Democrats outnumber Republicans 14 to 12.

With many GOP lawmakers concerned about Hagel’s stances on Iran, Israel and non-proliferation, talk continues to percolate about whether there will be a concerted effort to block the nomination, forcing a cloture vote.

The Senate has never successfully filibustered a Cabinet nomination by voting against cloture since the advent of the 60-vote threshold nearly four decades ago. Two past Cabinet nominees — C. William Verity in 1987 to run the Commerce Department and Dirk Kempthorne in 2006 to run the Interior Department — won cloture motions before being confirmed.

Many Republicans, even those who have publicly voiced concerns about Hagel’s nomination, don’t want to set a new precedent.

MORE...

http://www.rollcall.com/news/hagel_likely_has_votes_to_overcome_potential_filibuster-222160-1.html?pos=hftxt

[longship]

1. All around, a good choice, IMHO.

The White House has their game on against Republican obstruction. Maybe we will see why Reid didn't pull the trigger on significant filibuster reform. If the Republicans are in disarray, a status quo might serve us right. Only time will tell.

(I am still not happy with Reid, but if this works out, I have room in my heart to forgive him.)

Only time will tell. And DU will be watching.

All this blab from me to R& this thread.

[davidpdx]

2. So is it expected the Armed Services Committee will split right down the middle

on party lines for the vote? I'm just curious.

I wonder whether Hagel will get more than 60 votes when the confirmation goes before the full Senate (not that it would be needed, but that would indicate some Republicans would vote for him).

[NewJeffCT]

3. Hagel was a guy that had scored 100%

on some scorecards handed out by some RW organizations.

He was also John McCain's ideal Sec Defense when McCain ran in 2000, and McCain's ideal Sec of State when he ran again in 2008 (after the surge in Iraq...)

If Romney had won and decided to appoint Hagel as SoS or SecDef, the media and Republicans would be over the top in their praise of him.