The Senate Confirms Chuck Hagel As Secretary Of Defense

At last, the US Senate has confirmed President Obama's pick for Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel, in a historically close 58 to 41 vote on Tuesday.  For weeks, Republican Senators delayed Hagel's confirmation with a filibuster, rigorously interrogated the former Nebraska Senator and accused him of criticizing Israel.

Before the final vote, the Senate voted 71 to 27 to lift the GOP filibuster and move forward with Hagel's nomination.  A number of Republican critics like John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Kelly Ayotte reversed their votes on Monday in order to allow the Hagel nomination to move forward.

For weeks, Republicans dragged out the confirmation against the onetime GOP Senator by accusing him of being hostile toward Israel and sympathizing with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.  The GOP delayed the nomination in an effort to extract more information from the Obama administration about the Sept. 11, 2012 attacks on a US consulate in Benghazi, Libya. They also used the extra time to dig into Hagel's record of past statements and votes.

"What has their filibuster gained my Republican colleagues?" Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asked on the Senate floor. "Twelve days later, Senator Hagel's exemplary record of service to his country remains untarnished."  He added: "Senate Republicans have delayed for the better part of two weeks for one reason and one reason only: partisanship."

Hagel, who will be sworn into his position on Wednesday, will replace outgoing Secretary Leon Panetta at the Pentagon. He is the first Vietnam veteran to hold the position.