Politics
Senate republicans moving to block Obama defence nominee, Chuck Hagel over Benghazi
Ruemmler said Obama spoke to Magariaf on the evening of September 12.
Hagel, a former Republican senator and twice-wounded Vietnam combat veteran, has already faced sharp questioning from his former colleagues over his past statements and votes on Israel, Iran, Iraq and nuclear weapons.
A bitterly divided Armed Services Committee on Tuesday voted to approve Hagel by a 14-11 vote, with all the panel’s Democrats backing him. The committee’s Republicans were unified in opposition to their onetime colleague, who will succeed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta if he’s confirmed.
Panetta on Thursday said the struggle over Hagel is getting on his nerves. “The second-best Valentine’s Day present would be to allow Sylvia and I to get the hell out of town,” he quipped at a Pentagon award ceremony for former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
While Democrats hold a 55-45 edge in the Senate and have the numbers to confirm Hagel on a majority vote, they need the support of five Republicans to clear the way for an up-or-down vote on him.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican, said he’ll vote against ending debate on Hagel’s nomination, and Sen. John McCain, another Republican who most sharply questioned Hagel during his Senate hearing, may join him.
They want to know whether Obama spoke to any Libyan government official during the assault and requested assistance for the American personnel at the mission. U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans died in the raid at the compound in Benghazi.
