Yesterday on Twitter I noted that the last time a top four cabinet appointee was rejected by the Senate was in 1989, with recently retired Sen. John Tower. President George H.W. Bush nominated Tower for Secretary of Defense and he was rejected by the Senate on a 53-47 vote. Notably, the Democrats controlled the Senate in 1989 and Tower and Bush both came from Texas. Read More

Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee does not seem down with the attacks on Chuck Hagel.

At 4pm eastern today, healthcare reform expert Aaron Carroll is joining us in the Prime Blog to answer your questions. Submit your questions now.

Chuck Hagel as Joe Biden. And as John McCain. And as … Colin Powell.

Hagel comes out blazing at critics in first interview, decries “charges, falsehoods and distortions.”

State legislator Rep. DebreLee Hovey (R) attacks Gabby Giffords for visiting victim’s families in Newtown, Connecticut. “Gabby Giffords stay out of my towns!”

Late Update: Aaaaaaaaand the apology.

Coming up at 1:05 p.m. ET, President Obama will make a White House appearance in which he is expected to announce the nominations of Chuck Hagel and John Brennan. Watch.

Flashback: GOP senators praised Hagel’s statesmanship, foreign policy chops.

Hillary back on the job at State.

The following is from a Facebook post from a neoconservative-oriented acquaintance about the Hagel nomination. Nicely summarizes what this whole drama is about … Read More