Yes, you have that right.
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was making progress piecing together a bi-partisan coalition to filibuster the obviously unqualified Chuck Hagel’s appointment as Secretary of defense when he ran into – who else- Senator John McCain:
“I do not believe that we should filibuster,” McCain told POLITICO. “To vote against is entirely the judgment of each individual senator, but a filibuster I think would be inappropriate.”
Asked if he would vote for cloture if a filibuster were mounted, McCain answered, “Yes.”
The White House and Democratic leadership are already confident that a solid majority exists for the Hagel to be confirmed on a simple majority vote. McCain’s opposition to a filibuster should make it easier to get the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture.
Senator McCain considers himself someone who is actually interested in America’s defense, but that’s absolutely impossible to square with this decision of his. The Democrats need 5 Republicans to vote for cloture to put Hagel’s appointment to a simple majority vote, With McCain and Republican Senators Mike Johanns of Nebraska and Thad Cochran of Mississippi, they already have three.
I hope I’m wrong, but I stand by what I said when Hagel was first nominated…he was almost certain to be confirmed, along with John Brennan and John Kerry. So we’re gong to wind up with a trifecta of appeasement oriented apparatchniks who support Islamists and like the president, figure that doing so along with creating daylight between America and Israel President Obama has spoken of wil but us peace and quiet.
Rest assured, it won’t.
McCain ought to know better, but as I’ve said before he’s a great American but a lousy and egotistical excuse for a Senator.
Committee vote on Hagel ought to come along around this Thursday.
Authored By J O S H U A P U N D I T
