Patterico's Pontifications

2/26/2013

Hagel Confirmed

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:28 pm



I give up. Menendez for Secretary of Education.

93 Responses to “Hagel Confirmed”

  1. I don’t get how Meghan’s coward daddy will happily put an unqualified imbecile in charge of the defense department but cries like a little bitch about the damage the sequester will do

    I don’t get that at all

    happyfeet (acd614)

  2. Bill Ayers for Homeland Security.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  3. An intrepid reporter should ask Hagel if he has meant Ed the answers to the variety of questions he didnt know the answer to at his hearing. Maybe he googled DoD?

    JD (b63a52)

  4. Well, Obama and the Democrats own this one. If When Hagel screws up there won’t be a foxhole in sight.

    Kevin M (bf8ad7)

  5. And the Israelis just got that much closer to war with Iran.

    Kevin M (bf8ad7)

  6. John Kerry said that “Americans have the right to be stupid.” Case in point. I know that they rely on low-information voters to stay in power, I didn’t know that this meant we would have low-information Cabinet secretaries.

    Kevin M (bf8ad7)

  7. He was addressing Moslem students in Germany, like those lads Atta and Jarrah.

    narciso (3fec35)

  8. Americans have the right to be stupid. But do so many have to demonstrate their maximum potential EVERY BLOODY ELECTION CYCLE?

    WarEagle82 (2b7355)

  9. Chuck Hagel is reporting for duty !

    Elephant Stone (a3a935)

  10. I’m having a hard time getting used to hearing the words “Secretary of State Kerry.” I doubt that I ever will get used to it.

    elissa (eb42c2)

  11. The more idiots in the Cabinet, the better for Conservatives in the long run.

    Rodney King's Spirit (951136)

  12. Bernie Madoff for Treasury Secretary.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  13. Ashley Judd for Seniter

    happyfeet (acd614)

  14. Ken Lay for Energy Secretary

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  15. Alcee Hastings for Attorney General

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  16. Richard Scrushy for Secretary of HHS

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  17. Joseph Wilson and Valerie Plame for co-National Security Directors.

    JVW (4826a9)

  18. Well, Obama and the Democrats own this one. If When Hagel screws up there won’t be a foxhole in sight.

    Dude, the media will sinkhole any questions, problems, or issues raised no matter what, just as they have with fucking Benghazi.

    I mean, they have this sussed. They know it. Until the public stops feeding at the media trough, it’s not going to change.

    There’s too many fucking uncritical morons out there who believe whatever they’re told like lowing cattle the US Edumacashinal system has made them.

    The only thing that will change this is the total collapse of the system, allowing the rapid elimination of the idiots by natural events and a reassertion of rationality by the remaining sheepdogs.

    It’s no longer a question of “if”, it’s a question of “when”.

    IGotBupkis, Legally Defined Cyberbully in All 57 States and some Canadian provinces (98ae1f)

  19. I’m sure I may have done this bit before. Regardless things go sideways slowly, without fear, until things are really bad.

    By the pricking of my thumbs,
    Something wicked this way comes.

    Ag80 (b2c81f)

  20. Seth MacFarlane for Oscars host !

    Elephant Stone (a3a935)

  21. Joe Biden for Vice Prez !

    Elephant Stone (a3a935)

  22. Jeremiah Wright for Pope !

    Elephant Stone (a3a935)

  23. Lindsey Lohan for Secretary Of Homeland Security and Psy for Secretary, Department Of Energy.

    PC14 (7cfd34)

  24. Django, Number 1 pick, first round, NFL draft.

    PC14 (7cfd34)

  25. This reminds me of the cartoon where one character draws a line in the sand and dares the other to cross it. The other crosses it and the first one then draws another line in the sand.

    The Republicans (especially the Senate but Boehner better never play Texas Hold’em. Ever.) look ridiculous.

    If they think a President is entitled to his cabinet, then why are they arguing about it and looking like the weak, fools that they are?

    Oh. I just answered my own question.

    Off Thread? How did Mitch (turtle face) McConnell snag a hotty like Elaine chao? There’s hope for butt ugly hill billys?

    Jcw46 (f33482)

  26. Karl Rove for first one to hang from an oak limb.

    mg (31009b)

  27. I Can only hopea nd pray that Hagel thrust among the enemy( the term coined by Chris Mathews when Obama went to west point) and he sees the families, the seriousness the dedication of our finest and is converted along his personal road to Damascus and becomes the tireless advocate for our defense that he should be

    EPWJ (1ea63e)

  28. Hope in one hand and poop in the other.

    See which one is fulfilled first.

    OH. you forgot the sarc tag didn’t you.

    It was too subtle for the likes of me.

    Jcw46 (f33482)

  29. Well, we have Lurch at State, so why not Grima Wormtounge for Defense?

    Bar Sinister (5a053d)

  30. I don’t know if prophecies of dark times ahead for the world, and the US in particular, are worth paying attention to — are worth a damn or not — but Barry “Goddamn America” Obama sure is doing everything possible to make various predictions or acts of clairvoyance fit.

    Mark (4667d0)

  31. I wonder if Israel is thiking of liquidating Obama &Co. As part of a self-defense plan?

    PCD (1d8b6d)

  32. I’d say Barney Fife for SecDef, but Don Knotts is dead.

    PCD (1d8b6d)

  33. Bernie Madoff for Treasury Secretary.

    But he’s not incompetent. We’ll get someone more like Paris Hilton.

    Kevin M (bf8ad7)

  34. 33, Kevin, How about William “Cold Cash” Jefferson? He’s the Rep. that hid his ill gotten gains in the freezer in tinfoil, and comandeered a National Guard squad and 6 by to save his possessions from Katrina while the Ninth Ward was drowning.

    PCD (1d8b6d)

  35. 30. Clairvoyance, the attempt to see into the future does not apply to prophecy.

    See the very great Abraham Heschel’s The Prophets; for this insight, vol. II.

    http://www.amazon.com/Prophets-Perennial-Classics-Abraham-Heschel/dp/0060936991

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  36. Patrick, I have an OT suggestion relating to your Amazon referral / search box. (I use it whenever I can and encourage my wife to do so too.)

    Another blawgger whom I follow, Ann Althouse, recently started posting “Purchase(s) of the Day” as a way of illustrating how use of HER little Amazon search box helps her bottom line — and a way of thanking readers for using it. (Example: http://althouse.blogspot.com/2013/02/purchase-of-day_26.html)

    Is this something you’d consider? If not daily — I sense your real job is currently more demanding most days than is hers — then perhaps weekly. It’d be nice to see how much scratch you get because a reader bought his vacuum bags or Pyrex containers through your portal. 🙂

    (Posting this here because I didn’t see any other way of contacting you … which is understandable in this era of wacko stalkers.)

    Mitch (341ca0)

  37. It’s only my inherent reich wing racism that causes me to oppose the Hagel nomination.

    I mean, Al Sharpton’s got a point. If a blond (or whatever) white woman hadsd installed the village idjit as SecDef, nary a peep from me, peeeps!

    Of course, the fact that hadn’t happened in living memory matters not.

    What matters is knowing I can not live with the fact that a strong black man is in power.

    Which is apparently the only problem I have with Chris Dorner gunning down LA cops.

    Or the Hagel nomination.

    My racism.

    Steve57 (60a887)

  38. I plan on denouncing myself at the next collective.

    Steve57 (60a887)

  39. Steve, when you denounce yourself you denounce us all.

    Icy (f4a84d)

  40. I don’t get how Meghan’s coward daddy will happily put an unqualified imbecile in charge of the defense department but cries like a little bitch about the damage the sequester will do
    Comment by happyfeet (acd614) — 2/26/2013 @ 7:32 pm

    — Well, obviously you ‘don’t get it,’ since McCain was the most outspoken opponent of Hagel’s nomination.

    Rand Paul, not so much.

    Icy (f4a84d)

  41. They had the votes two weeks ago. Everybody knew it. Maddow did a segment on it, predicting the time-wasting hissyfits would all be part of a show to bloody Hagel and blow through taxpayer money.

    If it’s any consolation, the left has long been against Hagel for anti-gay sentiment and giving Bush a blank check. But it’s a canny choice by Obama, another wishy-washy middle of the road compromise to make both sides unhappy.

    Mahalia Cab (8b222c)

  42. The Left supported Hagel. Mahalia. That is the only reason he is googling DoD right now.

    But we are used to your special brand of Leftist idiocy now.

    JD (b63a52)

  43. Mahalia Cab,

    So you admit that Obama nominated a homophobe ?
    Therefore, would you conclude that Obama hates gays ?

    Elephant Stone (5a7389)

  44. Canny choice is now code for idiot. I’m glad Mahalia turd drops in from time to time to keep us updated on libtard speak.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  45. Nominating a Defense Sec that is incompetent and disliked by everyone is a “canny choice”.

    That’s weapons-grade delusion.

    SPQR (768505)

  46. Mahalia is playing 4-D chess, while you racists are playing 1-D checkers, and it is 5 moves ahead of you.

    JD (b63a52)

  47. Senators in executive positions may be adept at accomplishing political goals, but that’s about it.

    Amphipolis (d3e04f)

  48. He’s a virtual puppet of the Iranians, I guess ‘useful idiot’ is the most charitable,

    narciso (3fec35)

  49. Steve, when you denounce yourself you denounce us all.

    Comment by Icy (f4a84d) — 2/27/2013 @ 12:13 pm

    Irish foreplay.

    “Brace youself, Bridgette!”

    Steve57 (60a887)

  50. Ken Lay for Energy Secretary

    Even a dead Ken Lay would do a better job than Chu.

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  51. Comment by IGotBupkis, Legally Defined Cyberbully in All 57 States and some Canadian provinces (98ae1f) — 2/26/2013 @ 9:06 pm

    What will they do about that mushroom cloud rising over Tel Aviv?

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  52. Comment by happyfeet (acd614) — 2/26/2013 @ 7:32 pm

    I don’t get how Meghan’s coward daddy will happily put an unqualified imbecile in charge of the defense department

    No he didn’t do that. He voted against Hagel.

    He just didn’t want to filibuster a nomination, which he considers an abuse, not that this will help a Republican president very much, if at that time Democrats are inclined to filibuster..but he’s been arguing for some time nominations should not be subjected to a 60 vote threshold, since the constitution says a mnajority..

    Only 4 Republicans actually voted for Hagel. They were Senators Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) Richard Shelby (R-Ala.)(did somebody make some promises regarding military bases?) Mike Johanns(R-Neb.) and Ron Paul (R-Ky.) who liked Hagels’s isolationist ideas. But more than a dozen Republicans voted for cloture. And all Democrats (and the two pretend-independents from Maine and Vermont) voted for Hagel.

    The final vote was 58-41, which sounds what it was on the cloture resolution a week and a half ago.

    Interestingly, Oregon’s Democraat Senator Ron Wyden said the vote came too soon, but his issue was drones, which seems to be the leftist cause of the day because the drones work too well and are too cheap and might make war somewhat easy. (although they give other reasons) Wyden said as soon as Hagel is confirmed he wouldn’t answer any questions. (what he actually said wa sthere was an old saw that after that he wouldn’t owe you a holiday card)

    Hagel holds the record for a nominee for Secretary of Defense for being confirfmed with the most votes against him. General George C. mnarshall got 13 votes (in a 96 member Senate) in 1950 against him. Former Senator John Tower did worse in 1989, but he flat out lost 47 to 53 and Congressman Richard Cheney got the job instead.

    Two of Bush’s nominess for Attorney General (Ashcroft and Mukasey) got through with a narrower margin than Hagel.

    Most Cabinet nominees get confirmed with at most single digit votes against them because most Senators believe a President should get the person he appointed, absent ethical failures or something. But Hagel had ethical failures, if only anybody deigned to notice.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  53. Hagel is not a useful idiot. He’s a useless idiot. Unless maybe he appoints some bad people.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  54. But we are used to your special brand of Leftist idiocy now.

    You’re being too kind JD.
    It isn’t that it’s so special so much as it is so widely found within her circle of Hell.

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  55. 53- Sammy self-identifies.

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  56. But he voted for cloture, which closed off debate,
    I mean Hagel actually attacked India, sounding like the ISI mouthpiece.

    narciso (3fec35)

  57. The fight was worth having–Obama certainly isn’t going to be able to say, “See–my foreign policy is bipartisan because my SecDef is Republican!” after his overwhelming rejection by Republican Senators (as contrasted to Panetta’s unanimous confirmation as the prior SecDef). A hair trigger has also been set for responding to any more “I really, really don’t like Israel” quotes that will inevitably come out of his mouth.

    MSE (c249e1)

  58. 53. Hagel is not a useful idiot. He’s a useless idiot. Unless maybe he appoints some bad people.

    Comment by Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 2/27/2013 @ 1:24 pm

    Hagel will be packed into his corner swilling his Ensure and fouling his Depends unless and until it’s necessary to unpack him and truck him over to capital hill so he can mouth words to the effect like Obama is just like Lincoln.

    Then holy sweet bejeebus we’re all supposed to believe that.

    Steve57 (60a887)

  59. The bad people will be appointed around him. Hagel will not notice. He will not notice anything until Obama taps him to compare hizszelf to Lincoln.

    Steve57 (60a887)

  60. 10. Comment by elissa (eb42c2) — 2/26/2013 @ 8:01 pm

    I’m having a hard time getting used to hearing the words “Secretary of State Kerry.” I doubt that I ever will get used to it.

    Kerry seems to want to make concessions to everybody, even the good guys.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  61. Comment by Kevin M (bf8ad7) — 2/26/2013 @ 7:40 pm

    When Hagel screws up there won’t be a foxhole in sight.

    I don’t think Hagel is likely to last much lonmger than a year or so. The question is what kind of a screw-up will there be.

    Hopefully, it is not something too disastrous, like not having enough minesweepers on hand to clear mines the Iranians lay in the Straits of Hormuz. (this won’t kill anyone, and things will only be delayed two or three months)

    President Obama will find that Congress is not likely to apprpriate more money unless Hagel resigns.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  62. Comment by Mahalia Cab (8b222c) — 2/27/2013 @ 12:23 pm

    But it’s a canny choice by Obama, another wishy-washy middle of the road compromise to make both sides unhappy.

    The smart thing to do is to get everybody mad at you for no good reason? How does that make sense?

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  63. As I’ve pointed out before, Ashton Carter a pro China and North Korean hack, will really be running
    the Pentagon,

    narciso (3fec35)

  64. Cloture was approved by a vote of 71-27.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  65. Win an election, then you folks will get your choices!

    Perry (329aa5)

  66. Win an election, then you folks will get your choices!

    Like John Tower got confirmed as SecDef in the Bush 41 administration. Oh, wait….

    Chuck Bartowski (11fb31)

  67. Win an election, then you folks will get your choices!

    Comment by Perry (329aa5) — 2/27/2013 @ 2:17 pm |Edit This

    The troll version of “I won”

    JD (4f721c)

  68. Comment by narciso (3fec35) — 2/27/2013 @ 1:45 pm

    Only if he promises to stay there!

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  69. But, is it enough to stop him?

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  70. R.I.P. Van Cliburn

    Icy (f4a84d)

  71. 64 Comment by narciso (3fec35) — 2/27/2013 @ 1:59 pm

    As I’ve pointed out before, Ashton Carter a pro China and North Korean hack, will really be running the Pentagon,
    I missed taht.

    He’s been Deputy Secretary of Defense since October, 2011 and worked in the Clinton Administration. He had a lower ranking position in the Pentagon from 2009 to 2011.

    Ashton Carter started all the Pentagon sequester cutbacks back in January:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/11/us/pentagon-acts-to-limit-spending-in-case-cutbacks-begin-in-march.html

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  72. Just wonderful, started in Iraq, then in Syria, now in Lebanon;

    http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/15073/

    narciso (3fec35)

  73. Kevin M wrote:

    Well, Obama and the Democrats own this one. If When Hagel screws up there won’t be a foxhole in sight.

    Don’t be ridiculous; it will be George Bush’s fault!

    The sadly realistic Dana (af9ec3)

  74. OK, so he was confirmed. Does anyone here think it would have made one bit of difference if he had been rejected? President Obama would have simply appointed another lickspittle toady in his stead.

    And Leon Panetta would have continued to serve until the next guy was confirmed. You remember Secretary Panetta, the guy who wasn’t going to do anything about Benghazi until it was too late to do anything, and who wasn’t going to interrupt the Commander-in-Chief’s free time to get an executive decision?

    This confirmation makes no difference at all.

    The coldly realistic Dana (af9ec3)

  75. it’s a new morning?
    it’s dusk in America
    toss all the bums out

    Colonel Haiku (95f3a8)

  76. I had been of the opinion, like you realistic Dana, that it didn’t make much difference who is in the cabinet as long as the one is in charge. But with Kerry, then Hagel, and now Lew, he seems to be going out of his way to appointment people who are downright embarrassing and can’t be taken seriously.

    I knew he thought the US was “wrong” and needed transformation, but it seems more and more that he actually hates the US and is doing things out of spite. Clinton and Panetta were at least serious people, I thought.

    Apparently Jeff Sessions took to shaming the Dems in the Senate, to no avail at the moment, but I bet it felt good to let loose.

    http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2013/02/plutocrat-jack-lee-is-confirmed-but-sessions-embarrasses-democrats.php

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  77. it’s a new morning?

    I’m worried that it is the darkness of Mordor you see on the horizon.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  78. Lew is not that bad, he’s paid his taxes, he was a party to cooking the books, going back to ’96, Brennan, Kerry, Hagel, and a fourth horseman to be named later, that’s a whole other kettle of fish.

    narciso (3fec35)

  79. narciso, over at PowerLine and with what Sessions said, whether or not he has paid his taxes he has been adept at lying in the face of Congress and the American people. Yes, it is nothing new, but many seem to think he is particularly loathsome at it, even by DC standards.

    But lets not quibble over who is the worst of the lot.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  80. Yes, that’s all of them, MD, there’s no reason for any of them to have gotten a single Republican vote, just like with the Fannie Mae lobbyist who was State’s management chief, who Lew replaced,

    narciso (3fec35)

  81. 66. It’s pretty apparent, especially with the class of 2013 aparatchiks, that 2016 will be a state of war, possibly martial law stateside.

    Seriously, what’s to stop Armageddon? Ogabe wants it, Pooter wants it, the Shia in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Pakifornia are all dying to see their Mahdi, and the Muslim Brotherhood wants to play too.

    Winning?

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  82. 81. Lew is not that bad, he’s paid his taxes, he was a party to cooking the books, going back to ’96, Brennan, Kerry, Hagel, and a fourth horseman to be named later, that’s a whole other kettle of fish.

    Comment by narciso (3fec35) — 2/27/2013 @ 6:53 pm

    I get the feeling America is now a horror flick. One of those really bad horror flicks where you know how it’s going to end up.

    As in where dad hears a noise downstairs and says, “Honey, you know what? I think Satan is in the basement. Let’s go down and look. And bring the kids.”

    Steve57 (60a887)

  83. I remember that flick, ‘Prince of Darkness’

    narciso (3fec35)

  84. 88. Great, now beside her translators we fly her speech therapist, a teleprompter, and telestrator.

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  85. Eric Menendez?

    He’s a genius!

    steveg (831214)

  86. I don’t get the homophobe accusation against Hagel. “Let the Jews pay for it” is clear proof of antisemitism, but what he said about Hormel’s unsuitability to the Liechtenstein post made sense. You don’t appoint a Jew (or a black) as ambassador to Saudi (unless you’re trying to piss them off), or a fire-breathing anti-papist (the kind who goes on about the Whore of Babylon) to the Vatican. You don’t send a Korean to Tokyo, or a Japanese to Seoul. So it makes sense that you don’t send a prominent gay rights campaigner to a Catholic country, if you value their friendship. That’s not homophobia, it’s realpolitik.

    Milhouse (15b6fd)

  87. Well, you check with the country, first. A country can reject an Ambassador.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)


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