Senator Hagel Dissents

Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) offered some words of encouragement to those who hope that good sense and respect for our heritage of checks and balances might win out in the Senate:

"The United States Senate is a minority rights institution unique in the world," Hagel said. "And I don't think either side wants to give that up. Now, the other part of this, which I also believe strongly, is that presidents deserve votes on their nominees."
Yet he noted that Republicans prevented votes on many of President Clinton's choices for the federal bench.
"The Republicans' hands aren't clean on this either. What we did with Bill Clinton's nominees -- about 62 of them -- we just didn't give them votes in committee or we didn't bring them up," Hagel said.

He made similar comments in an appearance in New Hampshire last Monday that was just aired on C-SPAN.