Why the Historic Filibustering of Chuck Hagel
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our new half hour show, "Talk Back." Three hot topics, great guests, your comments: Hagel's historic filibuster, winning the war on guns, and another fallen hero, Oscar Pistorius. Playing with us today, CNN contributor and ESPN senior writer L.Z. Granderson, former DNC communications chair, Maria Cardona, and Politics 365 chief political correspondent and Ohio's Hiram College Professor Jason Johnson. And rounding things out nicely, Republican strategist Rich Galen. Welcome to all of you. On to question one, why the historic filibustering of Chuck Hagel? History of the U.S. Senate, not the Lincoln and the 13th Amendment history, but the partisan kind. Republicans have successfully blocked the nomination of Chuck Hagel for Defense Secretary in part because of Hagel's controversial remarks on gays and Jews and a terrible performance during his confirmation hearings, but also because five months ago, terrorists attacked the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.</s>SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R): We will continue pushing and asking questions about Benghazi, not because it's personal, not because we're Republicans and he is a Democrat, but because America needs to learn what happened and we need to learn from our mistakes.</s>COSTELLO: This despite testimony about Benghazi from General Petraeus, Hillary Clinton, Admiral Mike Mullen, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and General Martin Dempsey among others. Not enough Republicans want more answers from the President, even though the President sent them a letter overnight with more details. So first "Talk Back" question, "Why the historic filibustering of Chuck Hagel, Rich?</s>RICH GALEN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well first of all I don't think it's so much a filibuster. It's more -- in senate terms it's more like a temporary hold. And they made it pretty clear that when they get back from their two-week vacation because they have worked three weeks in a row, that -- that they'll probably clear him and so I think -- I think Hagel will be the defense secretary. And you know he -- he was only nominated on January 7th. So it's not like this has been held up for six or seven months.</s>COSTELLO: But what's the danger? What do they fear the most fear about Chuck Hagel?</s>GALEN: Oh I don't think they fear anything from him. I do think they -- you get a chance to stick to poke your -- poke your finger in his eye and you take it if you're a senator. That's what they do for a living?</s>COSTELLO: But Jason that's ridiculous, they just did it to poke you in the eye, or poke Democrats in the eye?</s>JASON JOHNSON, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, POLITIC365: Yes they're bitter and they are being petty. Look but this is not new for the Republican Party. Remember the Senate Judiciary Committee has blocked every woman and every minority judge that Barack Obama has put forward. So the Republicans are continuing to be the party of no. This is a waste of time. We need a secretary of defense when we got sequester coming up and this is just another black eye for a party that hasn't got over the 2012 lost.</s>GALEN: Marietta College is going to beat Hiram in basketball this year.</s>JOHNSON: Oh my God.</s>COSTELLO: Man. Maria, you would think that Democrats would have finessed this better and tried to like avoid this from happening because it's kind of embarrassing, isn't it?</s>MARIA CARDONA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, look, I actually think it's more embarrassing for the Republican Party. This is just about the two Ps, Carolyn. And I'm not talking about the conditions on the cruise ship. This is, it's personal and it's political. It's personal and frankly, John McCain was very clear about this on another network yesterday, Carol. That he and many other Republicans have not gotten over the fact that when Hagel was in the Senate he was absolutely against the Iraq war, never mind the majority of the Americans ended up against the Iraq war as well. This is something that he's never been forgiven for. And secondly, it's -- it's political, because back to what Jason said, and I completely agree. This is a Republican Party who is hell-bent on not ever -- be not ever willingly giving President Obama what he wants.</s>JOHNSON: Right. Exactly.</s>CARDONA: And there's a big danger here because the American people were very clear during the election that they want the two parties to work together. And the Republicans have only obstructed and said what they're against. They still have not told us what they are for.</s>JOHNSON: Right.</s>COSTELLO: Well, L.Z., you've mentioned earlier that John McCain spoke in glowing terms of -- of Chuck Hagel just a few years ago. And he already knew about that Iraq war thing?</s>L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Right, he was for Hagel before against him. He pulled a John Kerry on us. It's what everyone has already said, this is political and this is petty. You know and just one other thing I want to point out what is true that he you know he wasn't officially nominated or presented until January 6th or 7th, the fact IS his name has been floated out there since November. And so it's not as if you know the Republicans didn't already tell us ahead of time that they were going to do this. They told us they were going to do this before the official process even began. And so really this is going on to be like a three or four month long process and not just a couple of weeks.</s>COSTELLO: And Rich I will pose to you -- I would --</s>GALEN: Oh they can -- they can sit up with that and let me -- let me remind everybody about John Bolton. The Democrats -- not only they blocked him forever to be the ambassador to the U.N. solely because they didn't like his personality. And ultimately, George W. Bush needed to use his resources to put him there.</s>JOHNSON: Wait a minute, wait a minute, there were reports that John Bolton had sexually harassed people who worked under him. There were reports of John Bolton behaving an absolutely ridiculous ways. So this is a bit deeper. This is a bit deeper.</s>GALEN: Right, there were reports -- if we -- if we -- yes let me just tell you something, if having reports were a disqualification for public service --</s>JOHNSON: And it's an absolute legitimate -- it's an absolutely legitimate concern for the Senate to ask about. This is nothing but petty politics by the Republican Party --</s>GALEN: His statements about Iran, his statements about Israel, his statements about gays, those are not -- those are not necessary?</s>JOHNSON: Yes he has concerns about Israel. He has and those are questions that have been asked and those have been questions that have been answered. So the issue here is what else did the Republicans want other than to just poke Barack Obama in the eye.</s>COSTELLO: And Rich, Rich I would -- Rich wait a second --</s>GALEN: Stop -- stop with the projectile sweat. In 12 days or 13 days he'll be the defense secretary.</s>COSTELLO: Well exactly. Now I was just going to ask you about that. So it's likely he'll be confirmed anyway despite this lull in the action, so to speak. But the Pentagon has to deal with Congress, with lawmakers.</s>CARDONA: Yes.</s>COSTELLO: With Republican lawmakers and won't this affect their relationship?</s>GALEN: No, no, of course not. This is all a transaction it always has been for the last 257 years whatever it's been but the -- I mean, one of the reasons that I believe the President chose Hagel is because he was a senator, he was a non foreign -- he wasn't on Armed Services but he was a senator, he understands how the place works. Now he's got three people that can help him because the President doesn't like dealing with the Senate very much. Who can blame him but now he's got Joe Biden, John Kerry and he will have Chuck Hagel all of who are very skilled in dealing with the Senate and that will be helpful to him moving through time.</s>CARDONA: But here's, Carol --</s>GRANDERSON: You know I will also add if you could --</s>CARDONA: -- this is one of the reasons why -- this is one of the reasons why it's so problematic with -- for Republicans. And Rich is right that you know there have been some holds and there has been something like this in the past. But we're in a very different place right now.</s>CARDONA: And the reasons that they are stating as to why they are against Chuck Hagel do not pass muster.</s>GRANDERSON: Right.</s>CARDONA: The American people are sick of petty politics in Washington. This is a President that he has said he's willing to meet the Republicans halfway. We have yet to see the halfway where Republicans are willing to meet this President. It's a -- it's going to be a PR nightmare for Republicans if they continue with this kind of petty politics.</s>COSTELLO: Ok. We want our Facebook --</s>GRANDERSON: Well there's one thing I really, if I could just add this --</s>COSTELLO: Sure. Go ahead.</s>GRANDERSON: -- if I could just add one little caveat here, if we fast-forward in three years, everyone's projecting that Hillary Clinton is going to run and be the Democratic nominee. The more that they're able to drum up this kind of mess and have this kind of archived if you will, the more they'll have an artillery to be able to combat her when they do have to face her in the general election. And so I don't think this is all about being chess -- or checkers rather. I think there's a little chess being involved as well.</s>COSTELLO: Interesting. Ok we want to hear what our Facebook friends feel about this question. So the question is "Why the historic -- why the historic filibustering of Chuck Hagel?" This from Jody, "Hagel is just the flat out wrong person for Secretary of Defense. That said, he may have been ok for some other staff position. There is more to Benghazi than what's being said publicly." And from Vicky, "Because the Republicans will go against anything President Obama wants or does. It's shameful and continues to ruin their reputation if they even have one left anymore." Keep the conversation go on facebook.com/carolCNN or tweet me @CarolCNN. Sorrow, fear and the fight over guns, our next "Talk Back" question. "Who's winning the war over gun control?"